Villanova is having an extremely good freshman class coming in along with ours, I'm surprised they haven't gotten much attention from it. They have 3 5-stars and 1 4-star coming in next year for them. They should be very solid for years to come...

With all due respect Hatz, I think the whole point of the Fab 5 was that they were all freshmen who did things that 5 freshman have never been able to do. Despite their post college success, or lack of, I don't think there has ever been 5 freshmen who started at the same time and the led their team to the championship game, conference titles or not. The fact that they led their team to the finals again as sophomores only adds to their mystique, IMO. They may have caught some lucky breaks along the way, but they won, and they started winning as freshmen. No school will ever be able to make that claim. At least not yet anyways.

This wouldn't be a fab five team, but they would be pretty close.

Because these message boards aren't just for speculation. People can speculate all day long. Now, if all 5 of these players were indeed coming to UK, then the conversation begins. Until then, it's all speculation. If that's the case, I'll do you one better.

 

Henry

Wall

Cousins

Dennis

Orton

 

I think dealing with facts is a lot more fun than playing "what if". Granted it's my own fault for taking the bait and opening and reading the thread, but the same way people can play "what if" I can say there is no point in playing "what if".

 

These websites are certainly for speculations, opinions, assessments, etc, etc.

With all due respect Hatz, I think the whole point of the Fab 5 was that they were all freshmen who did things that 5 freshman have never been able to do. Despite their post college success, or lack of, I don't think there has ever been 5 freshmen who started at the same time and the led their team to the championship game, conference titles or not. The fact that they led their team to the finals again as sophomores only adds to their mystique, IMO. They may have caught some lucky breaks along the way, but they won, and they started winning as freshmen. No school will ever be able to make that claim. At least not yet anyways.

 

I've looked at them that way but I also realize that say the class of Lucas, Havlichek, Roberts and Nowell at Ohio State went to 3 straight Title Games and the only thing that stopped them their freshmen year was they weren't eligible to play.

 

Same could be said for UCLA with Lew Alcindor, Lynn Shackelford, Lucious Allen and company from '67 to '69. Or Bill Walton, Tommy Curtis, Greg Lee, Jammal Wilkes who did 3 Final Fours but where "ineligible" as freshmen.

 

I think the Fab Five were a product of their success (I'm not saying they weren't successful just not the end all of all) and the new ESPN driven hype machines.

 

The problem, IMO, is our perspectives are always limited to a short time frame and time has a way of bringing perspective to any discussion about greatness. :thumb:

I don't understand why they would HAVE to win a title to be comparable, then.

UK 1996-98 did better than the vaunted Fab 5 at Michigan and accomplished more.....

They would be the fab Five II, but I don't think they can touch the originals. CWebb was one of the best college basketball players of his day, and is possibly on his way to the Hall of Fame. Jalen Rose and Juwan Howard had very good, but not great, careers in the NBA. If these kids come, they could reproduce that, but I think comparing them to the fab five is something that would have to be done atleast a few years down the road.

I've looked at them that way but I also realize that say the class of Lucas, Havlichek, Roberts and Nowell at Ohio State went to 3 straight Title Games and the only thing that stopped them their freshmen year was they weren't eligible to play.

 

Same could be said for UCLA with Lew Alcindor, Lynn Shackelford, Lucious Allen and company from '67 to '69. Or Bill Walton, Tommy Curtis, Greg Lee, Jammal Wilkes who did 3 Final Fours but where "ineligible" as freshmen.

 

I think the Fab Five were a product of their success (I'm not saying they weren't successful just not the end all of all) and the new ESPN driven hype machines.

 

The problem, IMO, is our perspectives are always limited to a short time frame and time has a way of bringing perspective to any discussion about greatness. :thumb:

 

 

 

Which is my whole point. A "class" is different from a bunch of freshmen doing what they did which is why I feel that you would have to win a title with 5 freshmen starting in order to duplicate what the original Fab 5 did. I never said there wasn't a better "class" but a "class" is seniors by then. Show me 5 freshmen who took their team to the title game and you at least have a comparison to the original Fab 5. The fact that those guys weren't eligible to play as freshmen further proves my point. The Fab 5 was the best freshman class to hit the court at the same time. IMO. In order for me to believe otherwise, I need to see 5 freshman lead their team to the title game as the starting 5 of that team. That's what I am trying to say.

These websites are certainly for speculations, opinions, assessments, etc, etc.

 

I never said it wasn't. They are also used for discussing actual events and actual rosters, so when I say this is a pointless discussion until they are locked down, I can say that as well. Forgive me for liking productive discussion/arguments. It's a bad habit of mine.

It would take a lot more than that 5 to equal the original Fab 5, IMO.

:thumb:

Probably no fab 5 #3. It appears that Xavier Henry will not be going to UK. It could sill be a possibility by substituting Nolan Dennis in for Henry maybe.

I don't think UK lands the class people are alluding to. But remove Hood and who from the other four doesn't make the league?

 

Who knows if any of them do; we can't predict with absolute certainty what these kids will be. Of course they could lead us to the Final Four, who knows? I don't think these guys are as talented as the original Fab 5, JMO.

Jimmy King played 62 games in his rookie year and was traded the next and then waived. Dirk Minnifield had a longer career in the league.

 

62 more games than I came close to sniffing in the NBA. :lol:

Villanova is having an extremely good freshman class coming in along with ours, I'm surprised they haven't gotten much attention from it. They have 3 5-stars and 1 4-star coming in next year for them. They should be very solid for years to come...

 

I think UNC has 2 five star and 3 four star.

Now that we know who is coming I'd be interested to here (from you guys that really follow recruiting) how these guys stack up vs the Fab 5. I think pairing them with the guys that are there is a different story. Only talking about the new guys.