Enes Kanter’s Eligibility Could Make or Break Kentucky
We have had just a few opportunities to see the make-up of this years Kentucky basketball team. That is this year’s team minus one BIG factor. That factor would be freshmen Turkish sensation Enes Kanter. At least we are assuming he is going to be a sensation. There has been much speculation as to whether or not he will be able to lace ‘em up for the ‘Cats this season due to some league rules possibly being violated.
By this point in time any normal college basketball fan should have been acquainted with the situation Kentucky is in right now. To sum it up, Kentucky is a final four contender with Kanter eligible and without him the Wildcats may be looking at only an Elite 8 appearance. As John Calipari has point out many times over the past few weeks his team has a lot of work to do.
I usually pass that off as a normal Calipari quote at the beginning of the season whenever he is talking about his young teams but this year I kind of believe it. Last year’s Kentucky team had plenty of pure talent including the most athletic player in college basketball. Even with all of that talent Kentucky would not have been the team they were without DeMarcus Cousins.
This year it looks to be the same. We have an incredibly talented point guard but we don’t have the height or the post play it will take to win the big games. Eloy Vargas looked decent in the scrimmage but isn’t a big scoring threat and at multiple times looked unable to hit the necessary ten foot jump shot from the corner. Josh Harrelson looked good on the boards but isn’t athletic enough to make plays against superior big men.
This leaves the only possible solution. Kentucky needs Kanter. With him they gain height, athletic ability and a jump shot. If what we saw from Kanter in the U.S.A vs. World game is a sign of things to come he could easily be the best big man in the country. He provides a mid-range game that very few forwards and centers provide and with his 6’11″ frame he gets just about every rebound that comes his way.
He will create mismatches on the court because of his versatility and make life much easier for Terrance Jones. With Kanter, Jones and Darius Miller will either be guarded by someone taller and much slower than them or will be guarded by someone smaller and can utilize the paint.
It’s fair to say that Kanter makes the Wildcats a much larger threat in the SEC. He will most likely miss some time no matter what but Big Blue Nation will gladly give up the six or seven games he would miss if it meant a final four birth. One thing is for sure. If basketball doesn’t work out for him, he will make one hell of a professional wrestler.
Category: Kentucky
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- Kentucky’s Enes Kanter and His Eligibility | After Today News | November 12, 2010
I believe Kanter would be huge for the ‘cats…but to presume his possible absence takes them from being a ‘final four’ team to merely an ‘elite eight’ team is pompous. Not only is it giving the inexperienced ‘Cats too much credit as a whole it is, in itself, undervaluing Kanter.
For what it’s worth the ‘Cats should count themselves lucky to make it out of the first round this year. With or without Kanter.
Danny – with the number one recruiting class along with the returning players and Coach Cal you are dreaming if you think Ky will be “lucky” to get out of the 1st round. They are a final four type team with or without Kanter – dream on if you think otherwise!
Agreed Ed.Also this article like so many others continues
with the, “Harrellson can’t get the job done” crap.
Growing weary of hearing that stuff.
The author has it right. Kentucky struggles because of inexperience and lack of depth without Enes, but with him they could win it all. Corey has even overlooked one thing about Kanter that is even more valuable than his height, talent or his outside shot. He never lets up. He is a dynamo of aggression. In that respect he is so much better than Cousins there is no comparison. And in the college game attitude is far more valuable than talent – when you got both you got a difference maker.
Albert, Harrellson is a good player but going up against big men like Travis Leslie from Georgia and Chandler Parsons of Florida he will struggle. Kanter makes all the difference. Ed, I wish I could agree with you but without Kanter the ‘Cats will be hardpressed to make it to the Final Four but crazier things have happened.
Corey, Travis Leslie is a guard.
Shoe wee buddy. Why wood Haroldson be guarding a guard – is he an Avant Guard? It makes no cents.
Sorry guys meant Trey Tompkins simple mistake.