[RunItUpTheGut]

Williams from Ok state commits today.

I’m gonna guess that means Osobor is out. I’ve heard rumblings he’s solely in it for the highest bidder and that appears to be lville at the moment

[Cactus Jack]

Williams from Ok state commits today.

I’m gonna guess that means Osobor is out. I’ve heard rumblings he’s solely in it for the highest bidder and that appears to be lville at the moment

Was hopeful for Osobor given the connection with Amari Williams, Pope's influence in Utah, and the fact that he'd brought his parents on the visit.

Would be nice to have both Osobor and Garrison, but thinking that it's unlikely as well, especially considering the timing.

Not saying that Osobor's camp is making NIL demands, but thought someone recently made a good point about college basketball essentially being an "NIL salary cap" where you need to spend your funds wisely and avoid overpaying a player who may only provide marginal returns. Regardless, he's widely considered one of the top available players in the portal.

If we were to have a frontcourt of Williams, Osobor, Carr, and Garrison signed, I'd begin to wonder if the staff was just killing the portal or had concerns that one of those four ultimately stayed in the draft.


Keeping an eye on Washington State's Jaylen Wells, who has a Do Not Contact tag and may enter the Draft.

As a throwaway, another name that I have started keeping an eye on is Michigan State transfer AJ Hoggard, who is originally from Coatesville, PA and spent time at Huntington Prep. If fully healthy, which I'm somewhat unsure of given how his numbers dipped, he could be a nice addition for someone.

[Old School Hound]

^^^

"Highest bidder" ... Man, college sports is in the sh!tter!


[Image: https://soundfactory.ai/media/2023/11/ch...l-crop.gif]

[Cactus Jack]

^^^

"Highest bidder" ... Man, college sports is in the sh!tter!


[Image: https://soundfactory.ai/media/2023/11/ch...l-crop.gif]

Ehhh... I think it's probably always been that way, it's just out in the open and actually doesn't violate as many rules now.

I'm sure that there was plenty of money, power, and influence changing hands before.

A few years ago, it was jobs for family members, AAU friends, and brokers in the shoe and apparel industries. Slightly before that, there was the short run of basically paying AAU teams for preseason scrimmages.

Before that it was money orders being mailed and hundred dollar handshakes.

The offer of an education, degree, and networking with alumni has always been there. So has everything else.

6'8 power forwards don't protect well to today's NBA, and I don't know that either of his previous schools were really giving him bags on his NIL deal, so I can't really blame Osobor if he's making a business decision.

Utah State and Montona State would love to still have him, but I'm sure that they're also using his launching pad as a selling point to other team's players that they're after and wouldn't think twice about taking a player from any of the schools he's considering if they could.

[Old School Hound]

Cacti , what about this Garrison guy? You like him?

[Cactus Jack]

Cacti , what about this Garrison guy? You like him?

I'm on board. I'd almost liken what teams like Kentucky and Louisville are having to do in the transfer portal to a fantasy football draft. If you think of it like that, he's definitely a guy you have to take at that spot. Probably don't feel the best if you have a roster stacked full of guys like him, but I think he's an asset and someone you don't mind adding to what you already have in Amari Williams and Andrew Carr.

All the reviews are positive and Oklahoma State had a mass exodus after a coaching change, so it makes you feel better about getting someone who was in the portal due to that type of situation too. High school football is king in Oklahoma, but I think his high school has won a few championships in one of their biggest divisions and has a pretty good history of producing athletes in other sports as well. Liked that he was offered by Kansas, Houston, Oklahoma, and OK State coming out of high school in the OKC-area; maybe biased, but I'm sometimes a bit concerned when there's a kid that's a stud athlete but none of the local or regional powers seem to be recruiting him unless there's more to it or some kind of backstory.

A lot of people rave about his blocks, but I was very impressed with some of the passes he threw in a lot of his highlight tapes. Can see how Pope would use him in the high post and at the elbows-- quick enough and leaps well enough to get around you if needed but is more than willing to hit his guards or wings on back-cuts. Don't really see him as much of a pick-and-pop or back to the basket post threat right now, but don't know that he'd be asked to do tons of that either.

Looks like he handles himself pretty well in the pick and roll, but I take looking at those in highlight tapes with a grain of salt-- they are always so nuanced that it's really hard to know if the other team was intending to play drop coverage, looking to trap or press up on ball screens, hedge and recover, how they're looking to tag the roller, etc., throughout the game and you may just be looking at a busted play or someone trying not to pick up their fifth foul.


Everyone is in love with Brea's shooting and talking about how he changes the geometry of the floor, but if you dig into some of his film, you'll see a guy that is a straight-up target defensively. If he's going to play major minutes (and you'd have to think he will), then having a big boy that leaps well and has good timing to back-up Williams will be pretty huge. Don't know that Carr and Brea together necessarily strike fear in the heart of opposing offenses.

[Cactus Jack]

Meant to say "big body" in the last paragraph above.


Really hoping that we land Robinson and another four to round things out.

If we can't land Robinson, then a combo guard and/or wing who is someone that we trust to create their own shot and be a go-to in late clock and late game situations is pretty crucial.

Also very glad to see that Amari Williams is still on board. Hopeful that it doesn't happen but won't be shocked if between he, Robinson, and the others, we eventually lose someone to the draft or some other circumstance.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Osobor was never going to commit on that trip no matter what the possible deal was.
He’s on a free paid vacation for his family on a trip across the US.

Rumblings in other places was this was known and if Williams made the call, which was unexpected btw, and he didn’t even visit, then UK was going to accept him and not wait around for Osobor to make a decision.
Take that for what it’s worth.

[Cactus Jack]

If Caleb Lohner is being pursued, we're probably really, really close to having the roster complete. Can't see him as much more than an energy type guy off the bench. 6'8 power forward that cuts well but usually only scores right at the rim or off putbacks isn't going to set the world on fire in the SEC.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Pope better reel in one more good big man. And then get what he can from the rest.

[Old School Hound]

Cactus Jackus and Run it Up , you guys keep up the good work. I don't shit from apple butter about any of these guys since I don't follow anyone in college BB except for UK. You guys are educating me on these mortals from the portal.

[Granny Bear]

You can officially add Trent Noah to the list.

[Old School Hound]

I want some Unforgettables, Part 2 . Might as well add 6th year guy , Andrew Taylor(has he committed anywhere?) to go with Noah and Perry. :)

[Spud6]

Pope winning the Kentucky votes getting two in state kids thst put on a show at the state tournament

[Cactus Jack]

Noah's commitment makes me wonder what's in store for the three scholarships that currently remain (and if everyone who is currently "in" is on the roster after Christmas).

Think it's been out there for awhile that Pope wants to add another "stretch" four to the lineup. If so, that leaves two scholarships. Carr will take a lot of minutes at the four but is more of a tweener between the four and five; Oweh may be capable of defending the four in small-ball lineups, but can't score the ball well enough to really hurt you as a stretch four. Looking at it like that, it's definitely one of the most limited positions on our roster in terms of flexibility.

Could see Kentucky really going all-in on Will Riley as a reclass. Going back to early March, ESPN had him listed in 2025 Mock Drafts (meaning he'd have reclassified). Think Arizona was the presumed favorite (Lloyd is from Gonzaga, who always recruited Canada well, and is an ace international recruiter), but maybe we can make up some ground by offering a role and NBA audition that he wouldn't have elsewhere.

Either way, I think Jaxson Robinson has a spot if he opts out of the draft. Even if so, he's still a player who only started six games for BYU last season and asking for him to be the savior could be a big ask. Would feel much more comfortable with him as the "1A" than the "1" scoring option. If not Robinson, I'd expect someone similar who was in both the portal and draft but opted out of the latter.

With no Riley or Robinson, things could get dicey, but I'd expect the staff to leave no stone unturned in finding a scorer. We'll have to trust in Pope, who has handled the portal situation about as well as you could ask considering the situation that he inherited-- the fact that only four weeks ago, we were speculating about players like Aly Khalifa, Dallin Hall, and Richie Saunders joining the roster is really amazing, even if we are still missing a guy you could trust to go out and get you 20 night-to-night.

Having a "can't miss" talent like Riley would be nice, but I think that the past few years have shown that that recruiting rankings aren't the end-all, be-all in the NIL/portal era. UConn is coming off of back-to-back national championships and is "only" signing two four-star recruits in this class.

[Cactus Jack]

Former Fairleigh Dickinson Knight Ansley Almonor's commitment pushes the roster to 11. He's a 6'7 stretch four that does most of his damage from three. I'd expect him to be the backup four and a rotational piece.

Down to two scholarships (assuming no one we're currently counting on leaves). Think Pope is banking on at least one of the Jaxson Robinson, Wooga Poplar, and Chaz Lanier trio withdrawing from the draft and coming to Kentucky. I'd think that Pope's priorities are: 1. Robinson, 1a. Lanier, and 3. Poplar. If Robinson comes back, it's a player familiar with Pope's system that is primed to be one of the team's leading scorers. If Robinson stays in and gets drafted, Pope has something of a win in being able to say that he's coached a pro, which could help with recruiting.

Of the three, Poplar might be in it most for the NIL money (and there's nothing wrong with looking out for yourself); he was one of the many defections from Miami, who had a big donor that's now facing some legal issues. Speaking of Miami, Norchad Omier, a stretch big that I really liked, has committed to Baylor.

Some other guards in portal/draft limbo that might be worth keeping an eye on are Washington State's Jaylen Wells (Jr., 41% from three, 80's range on draft boards) and Minnesota's Cam Christie (Fr., 39% from three, mid 30's to 40's on big boards). If you want a "deep in the weeds" sleeper, Yale's August Mahoney's game is perfectly cut out for Pope's system, but it'd be tough to use one of the two remaining schollys on him. I don't think Kentucky has been associated with any of these names.

Past the names above or someone very similar falling into our laps, it's probably praying for a reclassification or getting an international prospect.