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By: LARRY VAUGHT
For years I have thought Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News is the nation's best college basketball columnist. That's why I always respect his opinions/insights so much.
Need proof?
Before the season started I asked DeCourcy what challenges John Calipari might face at Kentucky this year. Here's what he said — over two months ago.
"One issue would be whether they have the necessary number of perimeter shooters. Both Jamal Murray and Tyler Ulis are very capable shooters, and Isaiah Briscoe can make a shot. But there's something about having a guy whose whole deal is to make shots. It's such an advantage," Decourcy said.
"That's really all Mychal Mulder would have to do for UK. Come off the bench, guard well enough to last 15-20 minutes, get off four good 3-point shots and make at least half of them. But junior college players often take a little while to adjust, sometimes even a full season."
The only thing wrong there is that while Ulis was a capable shooter last year, he has not been this year. Or at least not yet.
Want more?
"There's also the question of what Skal Labissiere is ready to do. Again, at the Hoop Summit he showed he is ridiculously talented. But it did not help him to be essentially out of competitive basketball last season," DeCourcy said.
"Now he's going to be asked to serve as an important weapon in the intense atmosphere around Kentucky? Calipari has to both push Skal and protect him, to a degree. I'm not sure he's ever had a project quite like this."
Read that again — "I'm not sure he's ever had a project quite like this."
Based on what we have seen so far, I would say once again DeCourcy's preseason instinct was exactly right.
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