Posts Tagged “deandre liggins”
Some DeAndre Liggins Thoughts and UK by the Numbers – 1/18
By: Guy | January 18th, 2010 | Category: CatsUgh. Another week long break between ‘Cats games. UK has a few extra days to prepare for Arkansas on Saturday after three tight games to start SEC play.
The break started today with the “Hoops for Haiti” telethon, which has eclipsed the $1,000,000 mark in funds raised with caller donations and matched funds. Cal has been unafraid of using his platform as UK basketball coach for a variety of purposes over the past eights, but this has to be the most worthy cause yet. Let’s just hope now that the money is used as effectively as possible for those who need it most. Here’s some video of the Three Amigos hanging out with a baby at the telethon today:
Before we get into my weekly look at UK by the Numbers, I have a few thoughts on UK sophomore swingman DeAndre Liggins, who was a key factor in the close win over Auburn. I think I speak for all UK when I say that I couldn’t be happier about his emergence.
Liggins’ started out as the first recruit that was Billy Gillispie’s alone. Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion committed to UK under Gillispie before Liggins, but Patterson was recruited for a long time by Tubby Smith and we all know how the Legion-UK marriage ended up. During the summer of 2007, Liggins announced his UK pledge, convincing us that we had returned to center stage of the recruiting world. Immediately, he became the future at point guard.
When he stepped on campus in 2008, we immediately became excited about his potential, but it was clear that he was a work in progress. Unfortunately, UK was in a position where they needed him to become the guy at point guard right away if the 2008-2009 was going to be any good at all.
UK’s trip to Las Vegas set the tone for the season. He played just two minutes in the first game against Kansas State, but UK miraculously pulled out a win. In that game, Liggins famously refused to reenter the game when Gillispie called his name. Normally, that kind of thing is a death knell for a player, but he was so desperately needed that Gillispie turned to him the next night, playing him 27 minutes against West Virginia. Liggins was largely responsible for UK winning that game.
"Do I really have listen to this dude?"
DeAndre played a bunch the next eight games, but he just didn’t quite fit the mold of point guard in a season where UK was probably a serviceable point guard away from being a pretty solid team. His minutes fluctuated and his turnovers ballooned and we were constantly frustrated by how he was used. In fact, it was many of Billy Gillispie’s decisions regarding Liggins that began to raise red flags about our ex-coach.
When he barely played down the stretch, we pretty much assumed that he was gone if Gillispie stayed. Really, it was a wonder he made it through his freshman year. When John Calipari came to UK, no one was sure he would stick around. We wondered about his grades and we wondered whether he would fit the dribble drive, but Liggins again survived, even garnering praise as “the most improved player” on UK as the season approached. We knew he wasn’t going to play point guard, but beyond that, we weren’t sure what his role was going to be.
Then, he didn’t even make cameo appearances in UK’s opening games. Speculation swirled. Was he in academic trouble? Was he in NCAA trouble? Had he failed a drug test? Would he be transferring at the end of the semester?
Then, Liggins got in during garbage time at IU. He was back. Then, he got in against Austin Peay while the outcome was still in doubt. The ovation he received upon entered the game was among the loudest of the season. Even now, eight games later, UK fans still shower him with cheers when he enters the game for the first time. As a matter of fact, I would argue that Liggins is the fan favorite of all ‘Cats not named Wall, Patterson, or Cousins.
DeAndre Liggins has been a survivor his entire life. He overcame an impossibly tough background to land a basketball scholarship at one of the top programs in the country. Things were difficult in another way once he arrived in Lexington. He played for a coach that could not find a way to relate to him or get across to him. Before Billy G’s fall from grace, we probably blamed that on DeAndre. However, as we found out about the way Billy Gillispie coached his team, I think we all began to sympathize with the players, Liggins in particular.
The way he survived “tryouts” under Calipari and was suspended to start the season only strengthened that underdog identity that we all came to support in Liggins. Now that DeAndre is not only playing consistently strong minutes, but also doing all the dirty work it takes to get those minutes (defense, rebounding, fitting in the offense), I don’t think we could be any happier for him. It’s hard to know what the future holds for Liggins, but he has a lot to proud for what he has accomplished to this point.
Individual Stats
John Wall – 6.9 assists per game (3rd nationally)
2.1 steals per game (t-52nd nationally)
Patrick Patterson – 63.0% field goal shooting (13th nationally)
DeMarcus Cousins – 9.3 rebounds per game (t-41st nationally)
1.8 blocks per game (t-79th nationally)
RPI
With the wins over Florida and Auburn, UK has now broken into the top ten of the RPI at #10, up from 13th last Sunday. The ‘Cats next opponent, Arkansas, has the worst RPI of any team left on the schdule, so UK’s strength of schedule, which currently sits at 108th, should only be going up after next weekend. That’s good because UK is currently behind most of the other #1 seed contenders in the RPI (Syracuse, Kansas, Texas, Villanova).
Ken Pomeroy
UK had a pretty good offensive week, moving up to 11th in the nation in offensive efficiency in KenPom’s rankings, but a rough week on defense, falling to 38th. The net result was a slight move up, from 14th to 12th. Among teams in the top 18, UK has the worst rating for defensive efficiency.
I really believe that UK has it in them to be an elite defensive team. You have seen it in stretches in some of UK’s big games, when they absolutely suffocate teams. However, those periods seem to always be counterbalanced by stretches when UK just doens’t close on shooters like they need to and allows lanes to the basket. We’ve heard a lot about how UK hasn’t been the kind of team that steps on teams’ throats when they get a lead, and I believe defense is where those lapses happen.
Let’s have some football fun with the UK basketball team
By: Guy | August 12th, 2009 | Category: CatsRightfully so, today has been all about the Rick Pitino-Karen Sypher story. However, I’ve seen some people taking pleasure in a really, really bad situation, which is very difficult for me to understand. I decided I wanted to have some silly, pointless fun with UK basketball. We’ve got plenty to be excited about right now as ‘Cats fans. I see no need to be negative about the troubles in the ‘Ville.
One of my strongest beliefs in the world of sports is that the best athletes in the world play basketball. Football has some phenomenal athletes at the skill positions, soccer could make an argument, and baseball has a stray Carl Crawford or Grady Sizemore running around, but when it comes down to it, I’ll take the average basketball player over the average player in any other sport.
As an example, one of the things in sports that I would like to see most is a season of LeBron James playing wide receiver in the NFL. If there were some sort of fund that would go toward paying a year’s salary for LeBron, I would be all over that. His combination of size, speed, strength, and explosiveness would be absolutely unstoppable.
With that in mind, and in honor of the upcoming football season and the current series of positional previews the Pinkie is unveiling, I started applying LeBron principle to UK’s current basketball roster. With John Calipari at the helm, UK is going to have rosters with near NBA level athleticism. His first roster is already showing that even though only half of it is made up by players recruited by him.
Really the only spots on the field that basketball players are unable to fill are the line positions, so what I’m going to do is fill 6 offensive positions (QB, RB, FB, 2 WR’s, TE) and 6 defensive positions (FS, SS, 2 CB’s, 2 LB’s) with the same group of players. There are some fits that aren’t ideal, but the point is that this is fun to think about.
Offense
Just as in our positional previews, it all starts at quarterback. This is probably the most difficult position to project, because to correctly do so, I would need an idea of arm strength and accuracy. I thought about going with Daniel Orton, because of how I’ve seen him launch full court outlet passes, but instead I’m going to pick John Wall to play QB.
Wall is the kind of athlete who could probably play any of the skill positions, but when I think about his court awareness, speed, and agility, I think he would make a pretty good QB. I’ve seen countless highlights where he finds an open man that didn’t even realize he was open. He would pick holes in defenses, and when he couldn’t, he would probably just scramble for a first down.
At running back, I’m going to have to go with Eric Bledsoe, who at 6 feet tall and just over 200 pounds, is closest to the prototypical size for a back. He’s got the kind of strength, speed, quickness, and shiftiness that would make him very difficult to bring down. Besides, his point guard skills would allow him to see the field well and find spaces underneath to give John Wall a great checkdown target.
The biggest no brainer for me in putting this imaginary team together is Patrick Patterson at tight end. All last football season, as I watched UK struggle at tight end after Jacob Tamme’s departure, the idea of having Patterson kept going through my head.
How many times have you seen Patterson get pounded by double and triple teams and still manage to dig out space? How many times have you seen a UK player lob in a half hearted entry pass and see Patterson somehow come up with the ball? Patterson has the strength, size, and hands to make a tremendous Antonio Gates type tight end.
At wide receiver, I’m going to have to go with DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller. With their size, they would create mismatches all over the place for smaller corners. They make take a few nasty hits with their length, but I think they would have the agility to run precise routes and the leaping ability to make the difficult catch.
At fullback, I say the best fit is Daniel Orton. He may be about a foot taller than the typical fullback, but he has the power to blow some people up.
Defense
The captain on the defensive side of the ball is Patrick Patterson at linebacker. His intensity and power would give the basketball version of the Whomp Squad ideal leadership. The other linebacker would be big Daniel Orton. The two players would give the ‘Cats the tallest linebacking corps in the history of football, and the summer they spent together with Hell’s Trainer Frank Matriscano gave them the strength and stamina to man the trenches for 60 minutes.
At the two corner positions, I’m going with John Wall and DeAndre Liggins. Wall would bring the kind of athleticism and ball skills that every NFL scout looks for in a DB, plus his height would allow him match up with any big wide receiver. DeAndre Liggins isn’t exactly what I would draw up when I think of a corner, but I don’t think his competitive streak would allow him to back down from anyone.
At free safety, I’m going with the wily Darius Miller. I think Darius would be an absolute ball hawk and he might fool some players into thinking he was soft with his wiry build. He would play a great center field and make the big pick.
At strong safety, the choice is clearly Eric Bledsoe. I’ve seen Bledsoe compared multiple times to a safety because of his strength and tenacity, and I think he would deliver a pretty nasty lick or two to a receiver venturing in the middle of the field.
OK, I enjoyed that. Why don’t you guys join in? Post in the comments if you think I put anybody at the wrong spot, if I left anybody out. Also, which football players do you think would make the best basketball players?
Kentucky officially finalizes roster
By: Guy | July 7th, 2009 | Category: CatsIt’s been a long time coming, but today Kentucky has officially released its roster for the 2009-2010 basketball season. None of this is really new information, other than confirmation that guys like DeAndre Liggins and Josh Harrellson are on it.
Last week, John Calipari made a comment that most of his rosters have “11 or 12″ scholarship players, which led many to wonder out loud whether another cut could be coming. Harrellson and Liggins were the most likely candidates, but it appears that they will be on the team. Here’s what the roster looks like:
24 Eric Bledsoe G 6-1/190 FR/HS Birmingham, Ala. (Parker)
15 DeMarcus Cousins F 6-11/260 FR/HS Mobile, Ala. (LeFlore)
3 Darnell Dodson G 6-7/215 SO/TR Greenbelt, Md. (Miami-Dade CC)
55 Josh Harrellson F 6-10/265 JR/1L St. Charles, Mo. (SW Illinois College)
5 Ramon Harris G 6-7/218 SR/3L Anchorage, Alaska (West Anchorage)
4 Jon Hood G 6-6/195 FR/HS Madisonville, Ky. (North Hopkins)
34 DeAndre Liggins G 6-6/202 SO/1L Chicago, Ill. (Findley Prep)
1 Darius Miller G 6-7/223 SO/1L Maysville, Ky. (Mason County)
33 Daniel Orton F 6-10/255 FR/HS Oklahoma City, Okla. (Bishop McGuiness)
54 Patrick Patterson F 6-9/235 JR/2L Huntington, W.Va. (Huntington)
21 Perry Stevenson F 6-9/207 SR/3L Lafayette, La. (Northside)
11 John Wall G 6-4/195 FR/HS Raleigh, N.C. (Word of God)
Also, I know John Wall has been signed with UK, but it’s still cool to see his name on a UK roster. You also see the jersey numbers that each newcomer will play with.
Finally, Cat Scratches has some analysis of the roster posted with a preliminary depth chart at each position. Check it out. The analysis is preceded by a funny little disclaimer about the dribble drive:
The Dribble Drive Motion Offense isn’t a traditional offense with traditional standards. Although a player will play the five position, it won’t quite define the role of a traditional center. The same can be said with all the positions. Although the one will still be primarily a point guard, the dribble-drive offense entails a little more. Because of that, we’ll define the positions by number alone instead of the traditional names.
I’m just glad the phrase “lead guard” is no longer a part of the vocabulary around UK basketball.
An early look at UK’s ‘09-’10 rotation
By: Guy | July 5th, 2009 | Category: CatsWhen I found out once and for all that Xavier Henry would stick with his Kansas commitment, I immediately started wondering “How is John Calipari going to structure the rotation for his first team at Kentucky?” I figured that the best predictor of next year’s rotation would be the rotations for Calipari’s last few teams at Memphis.
Consequently, I researched a little bit into how minutes were distributed for John Calipari’s last 4 teams as the head coach of the Tigers. What I found is that Calipari has been very consistent in the depth of his rotation and his starting lineup. I consider a player “in the rotation when he averages over 10 minutes per game and plays in a majority of the team’s games:
2008-2009:
-9 man rotation
-5 players started at least 27 of team’s 37 games
-Same 5 players averaged at least 25 mpg
-1 player averaged more than 30.2 minutes
2007-2008:
-9 man rotation
-5 players started at least 33 of team’s 40 games
-Same 5 players averaged at least 25 mpg
-No player played more than 29.5 mpg
2006-2007:
-8 man rotation
-5 players started at least 35 of team’s 37 games
-7 players played at least 20 mpg
-No player played more than 28 mpg
2005-2006
-9 man rotation
-6 players started at least 21 of team’s 37 games
-Each of those 6 played at least 21.1 mpg
-No player played more than 27.3 mpg
As you can see, Calipari has used a 9 man rotation in 3 of the past 4 seasons and has found a pretty consistent starting lineup by the end of each year. Calipari’s starters generally get the bulk of the minutes and the 3 or 4 players off the bench play around 15 minutes a game. Also, in 2008-2009 Calipari had 2 players play 30 minutes a game (Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier), and that was the only time he had a player play that many minutes in the last 4 seasons.
I believe we can expect basically the same the same during the upcoming season. Let’s take a look at the 9 men who I believe will fit into this rotation. Players in bold are expected starters.
John Wall – G
Eric Bledsoe – G
Darius Miller – G/F
Patrick Patterson – F
DeMarcus Cousins – F/C
Daniel Orton – F/C
Ramon Harris – F
Darnell Dodson – G/F
DeAndre Liggins – G/F
The 3 players that I do not believe will factor into the rotation are Perry Stevenson, Josh Harrellson, and Jon Hood. I think each will get chances early in the year as Calipari learns his team, but I see the rotation shaking out like this.
Some will also argue against Ramon Harris factoring in the rotation, but Calipari has reportedly liked his defense. If you look at Calipari’s last 4 Memphis teams, it has been Antonio Anderson who has led the team in minutes the past 4 years. His defense got him minutes even though he average double figures just once. For this reason, I think you will see Ramon Harris on the court this year.
I also think DeAndre Liggins will be a part of the rotation because of his ability to play point guard in case Bledsoe and Wall are on the bench and the small forward position due to his size. I see him playing 15 minutes or so per game.
I also think that it is likely that 6 players on this years roster will play at least 20 minutes a game (5 starters plus Daniel Orton). You will notice that I include only 3 natural post players in the rotation. Patrick Patterson figures to play 30 minutes a game at either the 4 or 5 (maybe even the 3 from time to time), which leaves 50 minutes at those two positions. I think Orton and Cousins will get the vast majority of those minutes.
Also, people who have not been hearing reports about the pickup games in Lexington may be surprised to see Eric Bledsoe along John Wall in my forecasted backcourt. Bledsoe has been a revelation in these games, giving John Wall everything he wants and more. I think Bledsoe and Wall will be able to play very effectively together, although you have to imagine that a lineup with Wall and Bledsoe will see plenty of zone defense. That will put pressure on Darius Miller or whoever is playing the 3 to hit the outside shot. Even so, can you imagine a bigger upgrade in ballhandling in the backcourt from last season with these 2 playing together? Bring on the ball pressure!
Let’s take a look at how I see the minutes being divvied up at each position when UK plays a close game. Expect the 3 players not listed in the rotation to steal a minute or 2 here or there, but for simplicity’s sake I have excluded them.
PG – Wall (25), Bledsoe (10), Liggins (5)
SG – Bledsoe (13), Miller (10), Wall (5) Dodson (5), Liggins (7)
SF – Miller (15), Dodson (10), Liggins (7), Harris (8)
PF – Patterson (25), Cousins (5), Orton (5), Harris/Miller (5)
C – Cousins (17), Orton (17), Patterson (6)
Comment below if you disagree with any of this!
Recapping a busy week for UK: Part 4-The roster situation
By: Guy | June 1st, 2009 | Category: CatsOK, we’re finally to the last issue that’s on mind surrounding Kentucky Basketball as we enter June (here are Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3). Without further ado:
The roster situation – We did get some news on the roster front this week, as it was officially announced that Jared Carter, Donald Williams, and AJ Stewart would not return. Even so, the departure of those three leaves 15 players who could still be on scholarship next season. The following issues need to play out before the roster can be finalized:
-Jodie Meeks’ decision to stay or go
-Incoming freshman need to become eligible
-Final cuts to be made, if necessary
Here are the guys that appear to be in the clear for next season:
1. Patrick Patterson, Jr.
2. Darius Miller, So.
3. Ramon Harris, Sr.
4. Perry Stevenson, Sr.
5. Daniel Orton, Fr.
6. Jon Hood, Fr.
7. Darnell Dodson, So.
Here’s the one question mark who has a decision to make:
8. Jodie Meeks, Sr.
Here are the guys who still may have issues getting qualified:
9. John Wall, Fr.
10. DeMarcus Cousins, Fr.
11. Eric Bledsoe, Fr.
Of this group, we really know the least about John Wall in terms of qualification. DeMarcus Cousins appears to be alright, given that he had a high GPA in high school (3.4 or thereabouts) so would not need to do much on the entrance exams to in the clear. Just after Eric Bledsoe committed to UK, his coach said he had achieved the necessary grades and scores to become eligible, but it would still be in the hands of the NCAA Clearinghouse to give him the final OK.
Here are the guys who might not entirely be in control of their destinies:
12. Josh Harrellson, Jr.
13. Kevin Galloway, Sr.
14. DeAndre Liggins, So.
15. Matt Pilgrim, Jr.
Depending on how things play out with Jodie Meeks and the unqualified guys, there could be room for as many as all four of this group or as few as just two. Academic questions surround some of these guys as well, but really we know so little that it’s not even worth it to speculate based on rumors.
As I’ve always said, this situation will play out in its own time frame. I think we can rest assured that everyone in this group knows where they stand, even if they only know they are in limbo. It sucks for guys who were on scholarship last year to have to sweat it out like this, but unfortunately its the nature of the beast when big time programs change coaches.
Ultimately, I think that Jodie will return and that all three unqualified freshman will make it through the Clearinghouse, leaving only two spots for that final group. Liggins appears to be the least likely to nab one of those spots, but I really wouldn’t be surprised for any of those guys to not be on the roster next year.
Tipton: UK to announce three off team
By: Guy | May 26th, 2009 | Category: CatsTIPTON’S BLOG – UK plans to announce Tuesday morning that three scholarship players will not be back on the team next season.
The three include A.J. Stewart, Donald Williams and Jared Carter, UK said.
An earlier version of this blog incorrectly listed DeAndre Liggins as one of the three.
Stewart played sparingly for two seasons at UK. He’ll have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Williams did not play at all as a freshman.
Carter missed almost all of a season because of shoulder surgery. He could have applied for a medical redshirt season in 2009-10. But that will not happen.
None of these three should come as any surprise to anyone, but the most interesting thing going on this morning is that DeAndre Liggins is the subject of swirling rumors that he will not have a scholarship next year.
It’s well documented that the statuses of Stewart, Liggins, Matt Pilgrim, and Josh Harrellson were up in the air with UK’s signing of 6 players. With Harrellson looking to have a spot and Stewart all but officially gone, the situation is getting closer to being sorted out. If Jodie Meeks is gone and Josh Harrellson does indeed have a spot, either Liggins or Pilgrim will get the last ride.
Andy Katz: UK on verge of roster cuts
By: Guy | May 22nd, 2009 | Category: CatsESPN – Kentucky coach John Calipari said late Thursday that he has already talked to three players who will not be returning in order to get the Wildcats down to the NCAA maximum of 13 scholarships.
UK went over the maximum with the high-profile signings of John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe — coupled with the return of Patrick Patterson from the NBA draft. Calipari wasn’t ready to name the players who are affected.
But Kentucky officials had previously acknowledged that under former coach Billy Gillispie one reserve knew that he was on a one-year scholarship, another had already graduated but had a year of eligibility remaining while a third was apparently not talented enough for the SEC. There could be more attrition to come, according to Calipari. The Wildcats will need to come up with one more scholarship if Jodie Meeks withdraws from the NBA draft by June 15.
The “one-year scholarship” guy has to be Donald Williams, the already graduated senior has to be Jared Carter, and I’m not sure who the one who is not talented enough would be. However, I was already assuming that Donald Williams and Jared Carter would not be on the roster, so that means at least one player still has to go:
1. Patrick Patterson
2. Darius Miller
3. Ramon Harris
4. Perry Stevenson
5. Kevin Galloway
6. John Wall
7. DeMarcus Cousins
8. Eric Bledsoe
9. Daniel Orton
10. Jon Hood
11. Darnell Dodson
That leaves 2 spots (1 if Jodie returns) for Matt Pilgrim, DeAndre Liggins, Josh Harrellson, and AJ Stewart. One of those guys has to be the one who is not talented enough (my first guess would have been Josh Harrellson, but he is said to have surprised in workouts; it could be Stewart or Pilgrim as well), so that means there are 3 guys for those 2 spots. One more cut will need to be made, 2 if Jodie returns.
Wrapping up the weekend in UK news
By: Guy | May 10th, 2009 | Category: CatsSince Patrick Patterson’s announcement on Friday afternoon that he will return to Kentucky for his junior year, it’s been a pretty quiet weekend in terms of UK basketball news. The silence will stop tomorrow, however, as P-Double, himself, and Coach Calipari will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. discussing the awesomeness that is his return.
The quiet weekend was good for me though, because I’ve been running around the state of Indiana all weekend for IU graduation festivities and Mother’s Day.
Now that all that is overwith, it’s time for me to get back into the swing of things, because we are entering the last week and a half of the John Wall sweepstakes, and there’s some thought that Wall may be making a decision before next weekend. As I watch the Celtics and Magic fight it out during game 4 and Paul Pierce is trying to lead his team to victory by hijacking the C’s half court offense (Rondo nearly had a points-rebounds double-double at halftime), I’m going to try to give you an update on a few UK topics that are on my mind.
First up, as always, is John Wall (a man who lives vicariously through himself and once had an awkward moment just to see what it feels like). Wall has yet to cut his list and there is no indication when that will happen. At this point him cutting his list is just a formality, because his massive list includes schools like Kansas, Baylor, and NC State that are barely recruiting him at this point and are not even deluded enough to think they have a shot.
Seriously, a copy of this video about John Wall NEEDS to be on YouTube ASAP. I think Wall to UK would be a “done deal” if a UK fan gets this done
The schools that are still active with Wall at this point, as I’m sure everyone knows, are UK, Duke, Miami, and Florida. Everybody also knows all about the Roy Williams-Brian Clifton-John Wall stuff and I really don’t feel like rehashing it again, so I won’t.
Even though there was no real news from John Wall this weekend, more and more experts and coming out and saying that UK is in the best position to land him. First, ZagsBlog had an interview with the always reliable Tom Conchalski in which he voiced this sentiment, then Bob Gibbons was quoted in a Jerry Tipton notebook saying “I’d be shocked if they don’t get him”. At this point, I feel confident that John Wall at UK…unless something changes, which it very easily could. Let’s hope Wall’s mom didn’t use Mother’s Day as leverage to get him to stay close to home.
Another hot topic this weekend has been the UK roster situation now that Patterson (who was the more likely of the Meeks/Patterson duo to stay in the Draft according to most) will return. The guys who we KNOW will have spots are:
Returnees
Patrick Patterson
Darius Miller
Newcomers (assuming qualification)
DeMarcus Cousins
Daniel Orton
Eric Bledsoe
Jon Hood
Darnell Dodson
That’s 7 spots of 13 that are taken for sure. The next group is the rising seniors:
Jodie Meeks (Barring the best workout in the history of workouts, he’s back)
Ramon Harris
Perry Stevenson
Kevin Galloway
It’s difficult for me to see any of these guys off next year’s roster, but I would not call it impossible. I would call Perry Stevenson the most likely to be a casualty, because with all of UK’s front court depth next season and his poor fitting into the DDM, I don’t see him on the floor. I also wouldn’t rule out the possiblity of him taking a red shirt year, even though he would still count against the 13 scholarships. Out of that group, the second most likely to depart would be Kevin Galloway.
For my purposes, I will go ahead and give spots to those guys, so that puts us at 11. If John Wall comes, he obviously has a spot. Since I think that is likely at this point, let’s call it 12.
The next group is far and away the most uncertain:
Matt Pilgrim
Josh Harrellson
AJ Stewart (Widely assumed to be moving on)
DeAndre Liggins
Donald Williams (Only included Williams because no official announcement on his status has come, so I don’t yet want to exclude him)
Harrellson is a guy who loves UK and is known to be working very hard to do everything he can to earn that for himself. Even so, his perceived inability to fit into the dribble drive will likely be his undoing.
Most “news” this weekend has centered around the academic status of DeAndre Liggins and Matt Pilgrim. Some have even gone so far as to say that they expect grades to force them to leave UK. Honestly, I have no idea where this information is coming from or whether it’s reliable. Grades are kept VERY private, so I don’t know who’s leaking this information and why. Frankly, I wish that this speculation wasn’t so pervasive. I think it’s fine to wonder out loud about John Wall, but I don’t like the fact that kids grades and academic standing have become a topic for debate and speculation.
I don’t see the roster situation as a problem, just something that needs to be resolved privately. We’ll KNOW who’s on the roster when we know who’s on the roster, and that’s how it should be.
Finally, John Calipari topped 20,000 followers on Twitter today…wow. On a tip from reader UKdude, he’s now about 80 from the top 1000 Twitter users according to Twitterholic. Let’s take him to that number and beyond. What I want to know is how many followers will Calipari have when the season starts? 100,000? 200,000? More? What do you think?
DeAndre Liggins: If Gillispie had stayed it would have been “time to move on”
By: Guy | April 15th, 2009 | Category: CatsLarry Vaught spoke with DeAndre Liggins after UK’s final practice today and Liggins said that he had already made the decision to transfer prior to Billy Gillispie being fired.
Once Billy G was out and Coach Calipari was in, though, DeAndre changed his mind. Liggins is excited about the freedom that Calipari’s offense gives to players. Liggins was recruited by Calipari while he was at Memphis, and called it “fate” that Coach Cal ended up coming to UK.
There was some thought that DeAndre Liggins was one of the candidates for leaving the program to make some space on the roster, but I think this pretty much puts that to rest.
Kentucky Basketball recruiting/roster update: Current roster
By: Guy | April 2nd, 2009 | Category: CatsIt’s pretty much understood that there is going to be some significant turnover from last year’s Kentucky roster, even though only Jared Carter is the only player that we can be sure will not return. Let’s take a look at the players who are scheduled to return to UK next year and how they are impacted by the arrival of John Calipari in order of their certainty to survive “try-outs”.
Roster Locks
Patrick Patterson, Jr., PF/C-This guy is a fit for any college roster. If he decides to return to school (which, by all indications, he seems likely to do), he will be a major part of what UK does next year. You can go ahead and pencil him for a double-double most nights next year.
I think Patterson has perhaps the most to gain from playing under Calipari. Out of necessity, he has played the 5 for UK since he arrived on campus, but next year, UK figures to get at least one other post presence which will allow him to move to his natural position (and the one he’ll play at the next level), the 4. Coach Cal’s offense calls for four guys with the ability to take the ball to the basket and hit shots from the outside. If Patterson can grow into a 4 that has that inside-outside ability, his NBA stock will soar. I can’t wait to see Patterson play on next year’s team.
Jodie Meeks, Sr., SG-Obviously, the Second Team All-American has a ride and a starting spot if he makes the decision to return. The spacing that Calipari’s offense (as well as the help he should get from newcomers) should generate a lot easier looks for Jodie next year. He may not get the chance to score 24 a night like he did in 2008-2009, but I think he stands to have a much better all around season.
I also look for Jodie to show some significant improvement in taking the ball to the basket in Calipari’s dribble drive offense, simply because he will need to. Jodie, last year, even though he was tremendous, was still not strong with the ball in traffic. He needs to get better to thrive next year and for the next level.
Darius Miller, So., SF-There is no doubt Darius will be on next year’s roster, barring some unforeseen occurrence. I can’t wait to see how Darius plays with the weight of Billy Gillispie of his shoulders. He seemed encumbered by him all year. He was the best guy on last year’s team off the dribble, which bodes well for his role next year. Also boding well for Darius is the fact that when Rob Bromley asked Coach Cal in his interview with him after the presser on Wednesday what he knew about the players he was inheriting, the only other player besides Jodie and Patrick was Darius. I look for Darius to win a starting spot next year, even if UK brings Xavier Henry.
Perry Stevenson, Sr., PF-Perry is the one guy besides the above three that I would be SHOCKED not to see on the roster next year. He’s certainly earned the chance by dealing with 3 coaches in 4 years and always acting with class. I don’t expect Perry to start, but he will be a moderate contributor off the bench who can find some space on offense, grab a board, and block a shot.
On the Bubble
Matt Pilgrim, RS Jr., PF-I have heard raves about Pilgrim in terms of rebounding and athleticism. I have also heard he can face up a little bit, which is a must if he wants to play next year. Transferring is not an option, because he has but two years of eligibility left and has already burned his redshirt. I’m not completely sure what to expect out of him, but expect to see him on the team.
Kevin Galloway, Sr., PG, SF-Kevin has only one year of eligibility left, so transferring is not an option for him. Really the only way I think he is absent from the roster next year is if he fails to qualify academically, which, given his past, is not out of the question. We know Kevin has talent. He’s a big time athlete and he pretty much took over the Florida game in Rupp. His game seems pretty well suited for the dribble drive motion, provided he improves his decision-making. I also look for some improvement simply because I expect him to have a more defined role.
DeAndre Liggins, So., PG/SF-I think Calipari is a much better coach for DeAndre than Gillispie, and he has a much better chance to be a success at UK because of him. However, I do not think it is out of the question that he decides to transfer. If he does not show Coach Cal what he wants to see out of him, you can be sure Calipari will recommend a transfer.
Ramon Harris, Sr., SF-This is another guy who has probably earned his spot for his senior year, and it would be a shame if he does not get a chance to play it out. I would put him in the “lock” category, but with his medical issues, I think it could go either way for Ramon. If he does play, I think his role will be significantly diminished from last year. His ball-handling is mediocre at best, his shooting is mediocre at best, and while he has shown the ability to be a solid rebounder and glue guy, he wasn’t the same after his injuries. He played well during the NIT, but then had another setback against Notre Dame.
Michael Porter, Sr., PG/SG-The last of the UK seniors, and, in my opinion, the least likely to return. He is married with a child on the way, so life is moving on past playing basketball for him, not to mention the fact that he is on track to graduate in May. The prospect of a merely playing a role next year, mixed with the fact that he has coaching aspirations, may drive him to seek a graduate assistant role next season. It’s also possible that he could find an academic scholarship or aid, because that process is much easier as a grad student.
Likely Gone
Josh Harrellson, Jr., PF/C-I don’t think Jorts fits in the dribble drive at all. Also, UK looks to be deep (and getting deeper) in the front court next year, and Harrellson doesn’t figure to see the floor much. I think he can be a nice player somewhere, but I don’t think that place is UK.
AJ Stewart, JR., SF/PF-AJ could be better suited for Calipari’s style of play, but I don’t see him sticking under Calipari. He needs to go to a smaller school where he can showcase some of his offensive skills (which have developed nicely) and play a bunch his last two years of school. AJ is a likable kid, but I think he’s out the door.
