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We will be the best team in the country

  • With only 6 PPG returning

    MatanzasCat

  • I don't know that we'll be the best but we'll be in that 1st group of 4-5 teams. If we get Bennett we'll be there though. I thought it was funny listening to those guys on ESPNU saying we'd be lucky to make the sweet 16. Said Cal should get all the COY awards next year if we make it that far. We'll see how that goes as the season goes by next year.

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    The definition of being owned

    spotter34

  • Ugh this is such a bitter sweet moment for me as a UK fan. I am disappointed and happy all at the same time; I do not think UK will be a top 5 team next year until the end of the year. I can see this upcoming team losing 8-9 games this season and getting it together come the end of Feb. I will say that next year's team will have a lot of growing pains because of Cal's system. The only way for this upcoming team to get up in the top 5 teams is through the rigors of the season; UK will need Hood and Wiltjer to step up big and hopefully Harrow will get control of the team early on.

    Only time will tell but remember this; when or if next season does not turn out to being a great year in UK history, UK just won a national title and fans should be thankful for that.

    My girlfriend said something kind of insightful and funny after the announcement; Hate to see them leave but love to watch them go. Now she may be commenting on the looks but I took it as I hate to see these players stay one year and leave the UK program but I love that they are going to accomplish their dreams.

    BigBlueMook

  • Depending on who we get to fill out the roster we maybe ranked a little high considering that we will be all new again. But if Cal can get them to buy into the team chemistry, they could really be tough by the time they start into the SEC conference games.

    UKlaw82

  • we have a rs soph fivestar pg that is experienced. a 5star pf that has ton of ability. a top 40 player in hood that will be a jr and the number one recruiting class we will be just fine.

    quagmire

  • I kind of think Indiana will be the #1 team next year, but it should be wide open for anyone. Will be no great teams next year.

    UKDUDE2

  • All UK managed to do the last time it lost almost its entire roster to the NBA (2010) was eek out a sorry Final Four appearance in 2011 bashful

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    Chris Fisher

  • I think there's a difference between the 'best team' and the 'most talented' team ... That's what made this year's squad so unique. Doesn't mean next year's team can't be both of those things but you just don't know until you see it.

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    Follow me on Twitter: '@TCPMattMay'

    Matt May

  • I toally agree.

    zcats ●

  • Chris Fisher said...

    All UK managed to do the last time it lost almost its entire roster to the NBA (2010) was eek out a sorry Final Four appearance in 2011 bashful

    same thing I thought about. fans like this team so much they dont think the next can be as good

    Big Tymer

  • Chris Fisher said...

    All UK managed to do the last time it lost almost its entire roster to the NBA (2010) was eek out a sorry Final Four appearance in 2011

    Good point Chris, but so many people forget exactly how much the 2011 team struggled, especially on the road during conference play. A lot of the struggles arose from the PG position where Knight, just like Wall before him and Teague after him, was a work in progress for most of the season.

    The 2011 team showed the most improvement over the course of the regular season of any team thus far in the Calipari era. I look for next year's squad to be similar. The biggest difference will be having an experienced PG in Harrow. However, given the inexperience of the supporting cast, I do think the Cats will struggle at times. Unlike this year where UK was playing some of its best basketball in late January and early February, I think next year's squad will peak much later. Our saving grace will be the dilution of talent throughout Div 1 next year. There is now way UofL or IU should be top five teams in normal years but when Duke loses Kyrie Irving and Austin Rivers while UNC loses Henson, Zeller et al. plus UK's revolving door, there just are not any teams loaded with talent next year.

    Following some struggles on the road in conference play, all should be fine come tourney time. If we can keep the home winning streak alive for another year and win a decent amount of conference road games, we should be able to get a high enough seed to avoid the route we took in 2011 playing UNC and top seed Ohio State to get to the final four. We had (and deserved) a much easier path in 2012.

    BurgerNShake52512

  • Matt May said...

    I think there's a difference between the 'best team' and the 'most talented' team ... That's what made this year's squad so unique. Doesn't mean next year's team can't be both of those things but you just don't know until you see it.

    I agree with this but I also don't think it always has to be both to accomplish the ultimate goal...

    KickAssCats ●

  • We will be up there but not best. Certainly not to start the season. You just never know how the guys will mesh as a team and how quickly these guys pick up Coach's system. I hope it all comes together quickly and we have another super season but one of these years it's bound to be a struggle with so many new guys coming in leading the way.

    Southcat

  • I guess nobody understands what a qualifier clause is. Maybe if I had used a comma?

    MatanzasCat

  • UK belongs preseason top 5, but it's only because of how down college basketball will be next year. Tis team will be very vulnerable to start the year. this team will be really young and there will be no Patterson, Stevenson, Harris, Liggins, Harrelson, or Miller like years past to steady the ship esrly. We have 1 guy who contributed this year that will play, and Wiltjer has a lot of growing as a player to do himself. Another shallow bench won't help either. Just have to be patient and give them time, I think we will lose between 7-10 games but be very dangerous come March with the talent we will field and the likely growth they will experience throughout the year.

    Shamisoshea23

  • UK should be among the top-5 teams in the country to start the season. But, I do not think they'll get out of the gate as quick as this year's young team did. Having Miller, Jones, and Lamb to steer the ship early was HUG for this year's team. Wiltjer, Harrow, and Hood to some extent, are very good players, but not the type of leaders to put the team on their shoulders early. There could be some growing pains to start, like the 10-11 team, but they should be outstanding come February and March.

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    "Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." ~ Emerson

    alphacat93

  • I used to do a lot of drugs too.

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    CarlLexington

  • Next years team has the potential to be good by season's end, but in my opinion, it's going to be tough. Every group of Freshmen that walks in the door are not going to be able to do what this year's group did. Plus add in that we don't have much returning experience (Lamb, Jones and Miller meant a lot) and it could be a rough year. Next year will be the first year since Cal got here that the Cats don't have any returning experience, so we'll just have to see what kind of impact that has.

    You can take the man out of Kentucky, but can't take Kentucky out of the man. GO BIG BLUE!!!

    KFuqua

  • I think we've got a chance to be the best team in the country depending upon how these guys gel and buy in.

    tWhit

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