How does Billy Gillispie's 2009 team compare in talent?

[pigman]

I've not coached on the college level, but have on the high school and middle school level. I can say from my own expereinces what's taught in practice isn't always carried out in games. Tubby's last two teams were just as bad as this one at feeding the post. Darius Miller seems to be the best we have at that.

[kypride]

I honestly thank the '86 team was way more talented.

 

PG Roger Harden wins hands down. He ran the show and was a good assist man. He also hit some clutch shots (LSU in the regular season in Baton Rouge comes to mind).

 

SG Meeks is the more talented scorer but Davender was no slouch. He had assists and hit the jumper well.

 

Center Patterson is a stud but he's not Kenny Walker. The Skywalker averaged double digits in Rebounds and 20+ a game for 2 consecutive years. The offense was funneled through him in '86.

 

SF Blackmon and Miller are close to a wash. Miller has the potential to be a better scorer but Blackmon played excellent defense and he used his quickness and hops well to get on the boards. Blackmon was really a 2 playing the 3 hole and he was a Junior to Miller's Freshman status.

 

PF Bennett versus Stevenson is no contest. Bennet was a good rebounder and defender. Not a shot blocker but solid and he could score, something Stevenson can not do.

 

I don't see the 2 teams as close at all. It's also a poor model because the 3 point line the next year changed the game entirely. Sutton coached the old game well but he had trouble adjusting to the 3 point game like Crum did. Just ask Rex Chapman.

 

I might add that Walker and Bennett had some decent production in the NBA. Kenny's game suffered in the NBA because both Hall and Sutton had used him as a "back to the basket" guy his last 2 years. Bennett was a solid contributor for a couple of years with the Cavaliers if I recall.

 

Agree 100%

[MountainThunder]

Let's be honest here, Sutton had 3 of the best players to ever play at UK in Walker, Bennett and Davender. He also had a solid PG in Harden and Blackmon was a good athlete. I think Sutton's team was more talented. Also had a deeper bench IMHO.

 

Eddie Sutton went 32-4 in 1986, his first year with Kentucky. The SEC was a much stronger conference that season. Which team had more talent?

 

UK (1986)

 

Kenny Walker

Winston Bennett

Ed Davender

James Blackmon

Roger Harden

 

UK (2009)

 

Patrick Patterson

Perry Stevenson

Jody Meeks

Darius Miller

Michael Porter

 

These two teams seem to be very close in style of players and talent to me! Players are about the same, their results are very different.

[Michael Corleone]

Some people have forgotten just how talented the 86 team was. Their only weakness was that they had no true center.

 

Walker and Walter Berry from St. John were neck and neck for national player of the year honors.

 

Blackman and Bennett were both top 10 recruits.

 

Harden was a high school All American and regarded much higher than Porter.

 

Davender was a big time recruit who had an excellent career at UK.

 

I don't think it's close.

 

Not a big BCG fan but the overall talent level is still not UK like.

[Original Rookie]

If there was a poll, I think the '09 team would only have one vote.

[hoopboy]

:laugh: How about the 96 Kentucky team and this years???

[strongopenyon]

:laugh: How about the 96 Kentucky team and this years???

Start your thread and good luck getting anyone to waste their time with this one.

[MountainThunder]

:laugh: How about the 96 Kentucky team and this years???

 

:laugh:

 

Talk about apples and oranges! :thumb::laugh:

[Jim Schue]

Kenny Walker is one of the best college players I've ever seen, and as much as I like PP's game, he's got a way to go to match up to Walker.

 

Bennett trumps Stevenson by a million miles. Jodie Meeks is better individually than any of the three '86 guards, but collectively the '86 team trumps them by a million miles.

 

It's not even close to compare.

[MountainThunder]

Kenny Walker is one of the best college players I've ever seen, and as much as I like PP's game, he's got a way to go to match up to Walker.

 

Bennett trumps Stevenson by a million miles. Jodie Meeks is better individually than any of the three '86 guards, but collectively the '86 team trumps them by a million miles.

 

It's not even close to compare.

 

I agree 110%. Skywalker was da man for the Cats. He also had a decent outside shot and could back to the basket or facing the basket. His career in the NBA was just starting to get on track when he blew his knee. After the surgery, he was not able to pick up where he left off.

[mobaar]

I'm not sure I've ever seen so much agreement in a BGP thread.

[strongopenyon]

Kenny Walker is one of the best college players I've ever seen, and as much as I like PP's game, he's got a way to go to match up to Walker.

 

Bennett trumps Stevenson by a million miles. Jodie Meeks is better individually than any of the three '86 guards, but collectively the '86 team trumps them by a million miles.

 

It's not even close to compare.

Of course it is not comparable in many people's eyes because one team was 32-4 and the other is 19-11 now and tanking as we speak. Not even close.

 

My point is that the talent level on these two teams is very similar. One of the teams had a first year, eventual Hall of Fame coach who maximized his players talent with excellent coaching in practices and great adjustments in the games.

 

The other has a second year coach who has struggled with his team which seems to be struggling with him. The talent and style of the players is very similar.

[LRCW]

Of course it is not comparable in many people's eyes because one team was 32-4 and the other is 19-11 now and tanking as we speak. Not even close.

 

My point is that the talent level on these two teams is very similar. One of the teams had a first year, eventual Hall of Fame coach who maximized his players talent with excellent coaching in practices and great adjustments in the games.

 

The other has a second year coach who has struggled with his team which seems to be struggling with him. The talent and style of the players is very similar.

 

 

 

I think you're missing the point. I think that pretty much everyone agrees that the talent level is not close. The 86 team had more talent. The year before the team struggled during the regular season, and got into the tournament as a 9 seed I beileve. Many people complained that Kentucky only made it becuase of their name. Kentucky then proceeded to upset Washington and UNLV out of the West. UK was then beating St. Johns early in the game when Kenny Walker was poked in the eye by a St. John player. I'm not saying that UK would have won that game, but that incident certainly took away an chance UK had.

[strongopenyon]

Because I think the two teams talent level is very close and they are very similar type teams (except for their record) and you obviously do not, does not mean I am missing the point.

[pigman]

^ I think you're the only one that feels that way. Now if you want to ask would Sutton have won more games with this years team you would probably have more people agree.