IMO, Cal Must FEEL Twins Are Returning. Apparently NO UK Interest On Any Transfer

[Darryl]

That can play immediately. At least so far. I do think UK will inquire about the West Virginia transfer (Harris) but that has to wait till their semester ends. He almost certainly won't be able to play till the season after next anyway (2015-16).

I know Cal sometimes has a thin roster, but I refuse to believe he is okay entering a season with JUST Ulis, Hawkins and Booker as the ONLY guards on the roster.

It defies logic and common sense. Cal is way too smart for that.

We will see very soon.

Darryl

[Rock Hard Ten]

Darryl, Cal knows how to orchestrate things behind the scenes…..occasionally, by design, keeping his cards very close to his vest……he likely has this thing wired as the Twins/Father could totally upset the "apple cart" and declare

Cal has a contingency plan

[anderwt]

That can play immediately. At least so far. I do think UK will inquire about the West Virginia transfer (Harris) but that has to wait till their semester ends. He almost certainly won't be able to play till the season after next anyway (2015-16).

I know Cal sometimes has a thin roster, but I refuse to believe he is okay entering a season with JUST Ulis, Hawkins and Booker as the ONLY guards on the roster.

It defies logic and common sense. Cal is way too smart for that.

We will see very soon.

Darryl

That is what I keep telling myself....

[Bakert]

There are so many things that happen that we never see. It would he shocking to me that Cal has not extended some feelers to the kid from Southern Cal unless he does know that the Harrisons are coming back.

[dan_bgblue]

Did Coach learn from previous mistakes he made in not covering the guard slots when he got fooled on who was going and who was staying? I agree that he is a smart man, but has he learned from past mistakes is the question.

[CitizenBBN]

Darryl, Cal knows how to orchestrate things behind the scenes…..occasionally, by design, keeping his cards very close to his vest……he likely has this thing wired as the Twins/Father could totally upset the "apple cart" and declare

Cal has a contingency plan

It's a reassuring idea but I'm not sure that's the case. IMO the empirical evidence of the last 5 years shows us going with VERY thin backcourts with the occasional mad scramble to patch things.

Cal is too smart to go with just Ulis/Booker/Hawkins? really? In 2011 we went with just Knight/Lamb and he grabbed Twany Beckham at the last minute and Polson as a walk on to have someone in practice. No brilliant back pocket card to play and get a top 50ish guy.

2012 we went with teague and now soph walk on Polson (got a ride), no more deep than now having just Ulis/Hawkins, so why would we think Cal would find that unacceptable?

2013 he grabs Mays in the spring b/c otherwise we have no shooting guard at all. Brilliant or just caught with his pants down when Lamb left?

2014 he grabs Hawkins VERY late in the process after not having any other guys on the radar at all after a good Sweet 16 run, not exactly Machiavellian planning to me.

So after 5 years of scrambling in late spring for guys who are not Top 100 just to have SOME backcourt depth, from walk ons to mid-year transfers to grad student transfers to guys who were never on the radar till a week before they were offered, why would we conclude he has some brilliant contingency plan? I have yet to see any contingency plan get invoked and executed yet, just some iffy scrambling around for a duct tape patch.

Look I love Cal, want him here 20 years, but let's not get sucked into the image he portrays of always being one step ahead at least when it comes to roster depth. In other areas like marketing message he's 2-3 steps ahead, but when it comes to roster depth I just don't see it. In part b/c he hasn't seen it as a huge need and in part b/c it's hard to do with the OAD, but I have yet to see him whip that ace out of nowhere, nor would I know how he'd do it given that most any kid higher than Top 100 or a surprise transfer option would already be off the board.

I do agree that since we arent' climbing on the few that are out there that Cal must feel good about the twins returning, but if they shock him I doubt we have much of a plan other than maybe having contacted 1-2 of the grad transfers out there and hoping they're still on the board when the time comes, if it comes.

[jazyd]

For Darryl, Rock is correct unless Cal is caught totally off guard. Cal is as secrect about what he does in recruiting as twins family are. ,he won't be caught with just those 3 guards, not with the front line he has for next year. Meh has #9 in direct line

Darryl, Cal knows how to orchestrate things behind the scenes…..occasionally, by design, keeping his cards very close to his vest……he likely has this thing wired as the Twins/Father could totally upset the "apple cart" and declare

Cal has a contingency plan

[CitizenBBN]

For Darryl, Rock is correct unless Cal is caught totally off guard. Cal is as secrect about what he does in recruiting as twins family are. ,he won't be caught with just those 3 guards, not with the front line he has for next year. Meh has #9 in direct line

it woudl be one of his deepest backcourts yet, why would he see it as "getting caught"?

Not nearly as talented as 2010 but just as "deep". As deep as 2011 and arguably as talented or moreso. Easily as deep as 2012. Deeper and far better than 2013. Not as deep as last year but just as young.

About in the middle of his last 5 UK teams, why would he feel big pressure to add more? I think he SHOULD, but I question whether he does. He's been very reluctant to go after much depth at those two spots even in light of his post 2013 expansion of the roster. he still only signed one backup guard in the last class, signed NONE in this class. one PG, one SG has been the formula for the most part and that's the same this year.

[UKFlounder]

He supposedly was surprised that Teague went pro (at least when we discuss the 2013 team some repeatedly say that Teagues departure surprised Cal and affected how that roster/season turned out), so why couldn't he be just as surprised if the twins go?

[CitizenBBN]

He supposedly was surprised that Teague went pro (at least when we discuss the 2013 team some repeatedly say that Teagues departure surprised Cal and affected how that roster/season turned out), so why couldn't he be just as surprised if the twins go?

Exactly. He had no backup plan then why would we presume he has one now?

[Rock Hard Ten]

Surprised about Teague?…..he had Harrow waiting in the wings….the same Harrow who apparently gave Teague more than Tegue could handle all year in practices……

[CitizenBBN]

Surprised about Teague?…..he had Harrow waiting in the wings….the same Harrow who apparently gave Teague more than Tegue could handle all year in practices……

Which means he was good with one PG for the year plus backup Polson. Next year we have Ulis and backup Hawkins, so why would he even feel a need for a backup plan if that's correct?

It's a neat conundrum. Is Cal fine with just one PG/SG better than Top 100 and just hope he never gets hurt or has foul trouble, or is he just always missing on getting Top 50ish depth at those positions?

[Rock Hard Ten]

Citizen, Hawkins isn't chopped liver as a back up

[CitizenBBN]

Citizen, Hawkins isn't chopped liver as a back up

I love Hawkins, think he's vastly underrated on here, I just don't get into the debate b/c he'll either show it or won't and I don't want to get into it.

But if he's not then why do you think Cal has a contingency plan if the twins leave? He's been fine playing such thin back courts for 5 years, why would he feel the need to have more depth for year 6?

[ukpumacat]

Citizen, Hawkins isn't chopped liver as a back up

I'm a Hawkins fan as a role player, but he isn't a PG. This year proved that.

[Philly Cat]

I'm a Hawkins fan as a role player, but he isn't a PG. This year proved that.

Not on offense, for sure, but he can defend the other team's PG. I think that's going to end up being his role: defensive stopper.

If he can develop a serviceable jump shot, just to keep teams honest, then I think he could steal 10 minutes a game... but I just don't see that happening for another year or two.

[ukpumacat]

Not on offense, for sure, but he can defend the other team's PG. I think that's going to end up being his role: defensive stopper.

If he can develop a serviceable jump shot, just to keep teams honest, then I think he could steal 10 minutes a game... but I just don't see that happening for another year or two.

I totally agree with all of that. In fact, if the Twins don't return he will get 10 min a game next year. But I think he is better as a back-up 2 defensive stopper, than the guy who has to set everything up. I think he is a very good energy/role guy off the bench that can hound an opposing star.

[Doc]

Did Coach learn from previous mistakes he made in not covering the guard slots when he got fooled on who was going and who was staying? I agree that he is a smart man, but has he learned from past mistakes is the question.

Teague----->Harrow. Not sure that was so much a mistake as no other option available. In recruiting, the PG is the toughest spot to fill while the SG and SF are the easiest IMO. So of odd though that currently UK depth issue is at the SG and the SF spot

[CitizenBBN]

I'm a Hawkins fan as a role player, but he isn't a PG. This year proved that.

I'm not judging on this year any more than we should have presumed AD wasn't a big scorer b/c he took the 4th most shots on the team in 2012. Turns out he's a whale of a scorer, it just wasn't his role on that team.

Not saying he will be but he was a PG in high school and won a state title scoring 30 a game in the Sweet 16 so I doubt this year is fully representative. Does it mean he's a McD AA level scorer? probably not, but he's probably not nearly as defunct of offense as we saw this year either.

[Doc]

I'm a Hawkins fan as a role player, but he isn't a PG. This year proved that.

Hawkins didn't play any PG because he wasn't asked to play any PG. UK had Andrew, Aaron and Polson to play PG so there was no need to play him at the PG last year. Hawkins played PG in HS. Every time UK plays LSU we hear about how UK should have recruited Hickey. Well guess what, UK did recruit a mirror image of him in Hawkins. Dom will be more than adequate filling in at the PG spot need be. The kid can play period.

[dan_bgblue]

Doc, I think Harrow was the best option available on short notice.

[ebarbaau]

Only two years removed from Cal's last blindside event

[backagain]

I felt the same way about he Enes Kanter deal. Never dreamed we would go into the season with Jorts as our only big. Well, I was wrong.

Later...

[BigBlue92]

Look I love Cal, want him here 20 years, but let's not get sucked into the image he portrays of always being one step ahead at least when it comes to roster depth.

I object to you explicitly calling for Coach Calipari to be fired and openly rooting for him to take the Lakers job.

[Darrell KSR]

I object to you explicitly calling for Coach Calipari to be fired and openly rooting for him to take the Lakers job.

How dare you join forces with CitizenBBN in your efforts to rid the BBN of John Calipari.

via mobile app

[BigBlue92]

How dare you join forces with CitizenBBN in your efforts to rid the BBN of John Calipari. via mobile app

The scourge must be contained. Somebody had to say it.

[ukpumacat]

Dom will be more than adequate filling in at the PG spot need be. The kid can play period.

I'm good with that. Like I said, I am a big fan of him as a role player. He accepts his role and he plays hard and with energy.

[KeithKSR]

I felt the same way about he Enes Kanter deal. Never dreamed we would go into the season with Jorts as our only big. Well, I was wrong.

Later...

Vargas was on that squad.

What I don't see are a number of options in those seasons that Cal didn't turn to, but was recruiting.

[Darryl]

Guys, at the guard positions under Cal:

2010
5* Wall
5* Bledsoe
4* Liggins
4* Hood

2011 Deandre Liggins atarted 2/3 of the games that season at SG. Hood was also listed as a guard. Darius Miller
was another very skilled player that could play guard. At the least, at guards you had:

5* Knight
5* Lamb
4* Liggins
4* Hood

2012

5* Teague
5* Lamb
4* Miller
Walk on Polson

2013 weak, no doubt

Darryl