Coach K Has Always Recruited The Best Players

[jwill133]

Kentucky has spiraled downhill lately in their OAD plan. They are toast unless the guys stay a couple years. Duke will probably get the same thing happen to them. 4* guys not getting enough playing time to develop, getting recruited over, transfer out, and not bringing in enough freshman to get the job done. Even getting the top guys at each position every year is not enough to ensure a Final 4. The plan works to get a talented team, but comes up just short in Championships most of the time. Fans know if a couple guys stayed each year that will be in NBA eventually anyway, they would surely get a Final 4 most years. That's what is bad.

Kentucky has spiraled downhill lately because we are getting all of the top dogs. Kentucky is taking the leftovers, basically they are getting the lower tiered 5 star guys, who are still OAD, but aren't "Marvin Bagley good."

I've said it many times and I'll say it again, it will be wrong to put a cap on the maximum number of OAD's we recruit each year. But I do think it is VERY important to also bring in guys who will be 4 year players. Guys like Javin, AOC, and Goldwire are vital to our success. My issue is how these 4 year guys have progressed.......Javin can't shoot, to be blunt: is TERRIBLE offensively. He was a 4 star recruit who most schools would do anything to land. He should be better offensively, my 8 year old step-son has a better jumpshot than Javin. I do not understand how our multi-year guys seem to not progress like they used to. And it's not a playing time thing, the fact that K is giving the keys to OAD freshman should have ZERO effect on Javin's progression.

 

[Mac9192]

Kentucky has spiraled downhill lately because we are getting all of the top dogs. Kentucky is taking the leftovers, basically they are getting the lower tiered 5 star guys, who are still OAD, but aren't "Marvin Bagley good."

I've said it many times and I'll say it again, it will be wrong to put a cap on the maximum number of OAD's we recruit each year. But I do think it is VERY important to also bring in guys who will be 4 year players. Guys like Javin, AOC, and Goldwire are vital to our success. My issue is how these 4 year guys have progressed.......Javin can't shoot, to be blunt: is TERRIBLE offensively. He was a 4 star recruit who most schools would do anything to land. He should be better offensively, my 8 year old step-son has a better jumpshot than Javin. I do not understand how our multi-year guys seem to not progress like they used to. And it's not a playing time thing, the fact that K is giving the keys to OAD freshman should have ZERO effect on Javin's progression.

The part where your post goes south is wondering why our bench is not progressing even though the OAD get the keys. Think about that statement for a second. You answered your own question. Kids must get game time to show what they can do. Allen his freshman season at the final four is the best and most recent example proving that. Our bench is not where they should be because K has, as you say, given the keys to the freshmen OAD. We can't have it both ways. K played Bagley, Trent and Allen 35+ minutes each, so that doesn't leave much left over.
Practice is important, and I agree that Delaurier should be able to shoot it better, but it's not crazy to think had he played 20 minutes a game the whole season that he possibly would have been better on offense. Would White and O'Connell have been better had they played a little more?
The only thing we know for sure is we don't know if they would have, and as long as the rule is what it is now, the chances for our bench to be really productive are slim, unless an unfortunate situation arises and they get thrust into action.

 

[jwill133]

The part where your post goes south is wondering why our bench is not progressing even though the OAD get the keys. Think about that statement for a second. You answered your own question. Kids must get game time to show what they can do. Allen his freshman season at the final four is the best and most recent example proving that. Our bench is not where they should be because K has, as you say, given the keys to the freshmen OAD. We can't have it both ways. K played Bagley, Trent and Allen 35+ minutes each, so that doesn't leave much left over.
Practice is important, and I agree that Delaurier should be able to shoot it better, but it's not crazy to think had he played 20 minutes a game the whole season that he possibly would have been better on offense. Would White and O'Connell have been better had they played a little more?
The only thing we know for sure is we don't know if they would have, and as long as the rule is what it is now, the chances for our bench to be really productive are slim, unless an unfortunate situation arises and they get thrust into action.

Playing Javin 20 mpg would just equate to a worse offense and more losses IMO. You don't learn to shoot in games, you learn to shoot during the summer months and the grind of a practice. So I don't understand your argument.

Would playing Javin 20 mpg possibly give him more confidence to be good at other things? Probably, but it will be at the expense of the team. And the extra minutes aren't gonna make him become an effective wide-open three point shooter, which should be the goal.

Alex was an unheralded freshman who got minutes for Duke, I'd say his freshman season was a success. Jack showed flashes, but I'm not sure he has ever been a guy who the staff is heavily counting on down the road, maybe I'm wrong.

 

[Mac9192]

Playing Javin 20 mpg would just equate to a worse offense and more losses IMO. You don't learn to shoot in games, you learn to shoot during the summer months and the grind of a practice. So I don't understand your argument.

Would playing Javin 20 mpg possibly give him more confidence to be good at other things? Probably, but it will be at the expense of the team. And the extra minutes aren't gonna make him become an effective wide-open three point shooter, which should be the goal.

Alex was an unheralded freshman who got minutes for Duke, I'd say his freshman season was a success. Jack showed flashes, but I'm not sure he has ever been a guy who the staff is heavily counting on down the road, maybe I'm wrong.

Game time helps with confidence. Javin is one of those kids that knew when he went in there his role was to hustle and grab rebounds. Changes everything when you get more time and know that a simple mistake won't take you back to the pine. He refused to even look for his shot. That's being timid, and you can't play that way. No one can.

 

[jwill133]

Game time helps with confidence. Javin is one of those kids that knew when he went in there his role was to hustle and grab rebounds. Changes everything when you get more time and know that a simple mistake won't take you back to the pine. He refused to even look for his shot. That's being timid, and you can't play that way. No one can.

I do agree with you on this. And I'm well aware it's tough to play with confidence when your worried about a simple mistake, and K did have a short leash with Javin, partially due to the fact that Javin would pick up 3 fouls in 5 minutes though.

I don't think being timid is why Javin is a terrible shooter, I think that Javin being a terrible shooter is why Javin is a terrible shooter. I'm pretty sure he air-balled every 3 he took in March. Air-balls though, really? Like they weren't even close to drawing iron, and no one guarded Javin outside of three feet, that's a mechanics issue, not a mental issue.