I want to begin by saying this season is nowhere from being over and this team has actually been pretty fun to watch despite lacking the personality of last year's team.

 

Still, after consistently reading one and done this, one and done that. No one stays, etc. etc. I wanted to start a thread simply on this issue.

 

Sound off on what you think. I'd prefer if you at least provided some logic behind your opinion besides just oh so and so is gone, etc, etc.

 

Lets also consider that things could very well change between now and the end of this season. Still, what do you think?

Jones Goes, and someone else probably doesn't return but not due to the NBA.

 

Forgot about Kanter- Like UKMustangFan said obviously gone.

Jones is gone.

Kanter, obviously, is gone.

Lamb comes back.

Knight goes.

Hood transfers (wishful thinking on my part.)

Jones and Obviously Kanter.

 

Knight comes back, and Lamb is 50/50 depending on how the CBA goes and what the people around him are urging him to do.

Jones and Obviously Kanter.

 

Knight comes back, and Lamb is 50/50 depending on how the CBA goes and what the people around him are urging him to do.

 

Much better chance Knight leaves than Lamb IMO.

No, I am not going to start a thread and then not provide my own opinion. Here it is.

 

Next season we can assume unless Polson doesn't want to stay he will hang around. Vargas should probably be here. I don't think anyone else really wants him. Miller and Liggins for sure.

 

First two players I think we could potentially lose are Hood and Poole.

 

Hood came in with mediocre fan fair as the other guy in last year's recruiting class. He hasn't really impressed much and I don't see him coming around anytime soon. I see him transferring. As for Poole. I think the kid likes being here. I don't doubt he has game, still, he will need to improve if he wants to see the court. I think he stays, guy feeling perhaps.

 

Now the Freshmen. Knight, Lamb, Jones.

 

Lets start with Lamb. He opened up as the lesser known of this trio and showed right away why he is here. He can stroke it from just about anywhere on the court. The kid plays with confidence all the time and has really worked on other aspects of his game such as ball handling and defense as the year has progressed. Still, shooting guards his size are in abundance and the thing to notice about Lamb isn't his big games, but the games he disappears. Taller/quicker defenders really give him trouble. He creates his shot well, but that isn't great and he needs to be great. I've heard the word floating around that Lamb wants the NBA as bad as any of these three, but based on simple math I think he is the least likely first rounder. UK fans apply the Daniel Orton/Eric Bledsoe to this kid, but lets compare. Bledsoe was very similarly up and down like Lamb last year. He could fill it up at times, and at times he looked like the inexperienced, out of control freshman he was. Still, Bledsoe could do one thing Lamb can't, jump out of the gym with athleticism comparable to Wall. He also was a pure Point Guard with Shooting potential. Lamb is the opposite. It's not as attractive. Orton had ridiculous height which helped his case. He also had a nagging knee injury that could have prevented him from ever making the NBA if it had occurred his Sophmore year. Thus he left. I don't see this happening to Lamb.

LAMB STAYS.

 

Brandon Knight??? The shooting guard turned point guard. Knight is a cerebral player (yes in a Knight paragraph it is mandatory to speak about smarts.). The kid has speed, can get to the rim, can shoot, can pass well, etc. Still, he lacks overall toughness. Its coming, but Knight struggles against physical play. Bump him, keep him from getting his shot a few times, knock him from his intended route to the rim, cause him to miss a few shots, create some turnovers and Brandon Knight simply will disappear. The kid is a great shooting guard, but as a point guard he still is trying to realize that simply because he doesn't score doesn't mean he isn't effective. Still, Knight is a bonafide player. He won't probably rank among the top 15 drafts, but he is going to be right there towards the next 15-25. Strength will definately keep him lower. However, if Knight continues to show mental toughness and determination to drop big shots the next few weeks I think he will be a 1st rounder for sure. This doesn't bode well for keeping him around next season. Especially with a stud point guard on the way. Still, Knight could find it very appealing to be a shooting guard/point guard mentor next year with Teague. This one totally depends on Knight and his family. I think the shape of the NBA and where he is projected will also play in to the decision strongly.

Verdict: Knight leaves. It will be a long process in which we'll probably wait till the end for the final verdict, but I think he steps up down the stretch and in that case I just don't see him staying ultimately.

 

Terrence Jones?? This kid came to UK after all the drama and everything with no one really knowing what to expect. He was known as a Forward/Guard combo. He could play in the paint, shoot outside, and handle the rock. Still, I don't think many people expected Jones to explode on the scene like he did so early. His first 6-8 games of his career were well beyond expectations. Then came the midseason drag. Jones is still a beat but I think he has begun to perform about where I expected him. The kid has ridiculous potential and wonderful attributes. Still, he has many downsides as well. He can become very one-dimensional at times needing his left hand and simply trying to drive at the rim. His combination of strength, height, and speed make him tough for any player to defend at the college level. Still, he isn't a perfect science. His shot outside isn't as pretty or automatic. In the open court with guards around I don't trust his dribbling and definately not his decision making. In the end I could go on and on and on and on and......about Jones, but the fact is, he is a kid that would easily benefit from another year of college to improve his game. Frankly though, he has two bigger and probably more talented guys coming in next season to compete with. The NBA drafts often on potential and Jones is full of it. The question becomes, does Terrence Jones love the college life and feel he can improve and better his stock with another year, or does the call of the money and the pros have him already gone??

Verdict: Gone

 

So if you are counting at home:

Leaving: Harrelson (graduation)

Hood

Knight

Jones

Staying: Polson

Vargas

Poole

Liggins

Miller

Lamb

I debate day in and day out with myself about Knight's prospects of staying versus going. In the end it boils down to a few things. First and Foremost, how he performs down the stretch. If UK can manage only maybe 3 losses the rest of the way I'd say Knight probably played pretty darn well. Any less losses probably mean he played REALLY DARN WELL!! If UK really burns out and drops 4 or more I'd say Knight potentially is coming back. Knight has a lot of intangibles about him, a guy that can shoot, score, and handle the ball like him is very appealling in the NBA. Still, he is not NBA sized yet and bigger, more mature, experienced players can make him look bad. Does the allure of leaving right away for guaranteed money beat the idea that as a shooting guard/point guard next season for a high profile team he could potentially earn even more??

 

End of the day I think he leaves. Sharing time with Teague will make next year's backcourt very crowded considering Miller and Liggins, plus potentially Lamb will all be wanting their time.

 

What makes everything tough is the surprise of Bledsoe and Orton leaving last year. As I told someone yesterday. Wall and Cousins end of season last year were no-brainers. Top 5 picks, ridiculous god-given attributes, no real flaws in their actual skills department (doesn't mean mentally and decision making wise they couldn't use work). Easy choice. Bledsoe had lots of upside, but also had lots of ???? Orton had even more of the negative and less of the positive. I see Jones and Knight both still being very much like Bledsoe and Orton. They have lots of positives surrounding them, but they also have many different aspects of their game that make you wonder are they really ready. In the end the allure of money and the fear of competing for playing time next year I think will play a huge factor.

I don't see any scenario in which Jones returns. Lamb seems to be leaning toward the draft, but could very well come back.

 

 

I honestly think that Knight will return for another season and a chance to get his degree. One position we still need for next year? SG. Knight's true position? SG. He would really benefit from another year here, and could possibly bring home a championship. Knight stays IMO.

I think Knight and Jones will leave and that Lamb can be talked into it. I could see Knight and Lamb both returning as well but I think Jones is gone. The question I have is with the class coming in next year should they stay? Knight and Teague are both point guards, right? If you put both of them on the court where does that leave Lamb? And Miller? And Liggins? Gilchrist and Davis obviously take up 2 more spots. I guess it is better to have too much than too little but good luck trying to make all of that work. This offseason for UK will be very interesting.

I think Knight and Jones will leave and that Lamb can be talked into it. I could see Knight and Lamb both returning as well but I think Jones is gone. The question I have is with the class coming in next year should they stay? Knight and Teague are both point guards, right? If you put both of them on the court where does that leave Lamb? And Miller? And Liggins? Gilchrist and Davis obviously take up 2 more spots. I guess it is better to have too much than too little but good luck trying to make all of that work. This offseason for UK will be very interesting.

 

No, Knight and Teague are not both true PGs. Knight is more of a combo guard that can play either the point or the two.

I think if they both come back, you'd see a starting lineup of:

 

PG - Teague

2G - Knight

SF - Lamb

PF - Gilchrist

C - Davis

 

With Liggins and Miller off the pine. I think next year they'll have the team that Cal has been envisioning for his DDM offense to finally be in full effect, and he'll go with smaller lineups. JMO.

In that situation I think Miller would start over Lamb IMO.

In that situation I think Miller would start over Lamb IMO.

 

I know he had a good game this weekend, but Miller can't be gone soon enough for my liking. Just doesn't play with any emotion or intensity and is terrified when he gets the ball. His defense is sorely lacking as well.

I know he had a good game this weekend, but Miller can't be gone soon enough for my liking. Just doesn't play with any emotion or intensity and is terrified when he gets the ball. His defense is sorely lacking as well.

He gets about as many rebounds as anyone and usually blocks a few shots each game. If you think his defense is bad you must not watch Lamb much on defense.

[/b]He gets about as many rebounds as anyone and usually blocks a few shots each game. If you think his defense is bad you must not watch Lamb much on defense.

 

Rebounding and blocking shots isn't all there is to defense. If you think that's it, you must not watch much basketball.

 

The difference is Lamb is only a freshman, while Miller has been there 3 years now, and has shown zero improvement on the defensive side of the ball.

I think Liggins continues to start next season as well. He is by far the best defender on the team. Cal will put him on the other teams best scorer, unless its a 5.