Thursday, November 10, 2011

Poythress to UK

This one really hurts. Hopefully, he is more Casey Prather and less Ron Mercer. I'll have up more later but basically, this team needs a very very deep run in the tourney this year (like minimum Elite 8) for us to rebound from this recruiting class.

We swung and missed on every top recruit, not to say the guys we got aren't good, but to be a Top 10 program, a program who has a legitimate chance to win a National Championship, you need to have a better recruiting class then the one CKS and his staff have put together so far. It hurts even more to have an amazingly talented 5-star power forward in your back-yard who you have been recruiting for the longest out of any school, spurn you to go to the most dominant team in your own conference.

Ouch.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Money Talks...

Anonymous said...

I would argue we need more than Elite 8 actually. Without a final four run this year, I would say it's going to be very hard to put together the type of recruiting class to bounce back from how bad this one is. I'm sorry but two kids who are on nobody's radar is not going to cut it when we lose 5 starters + Steve T. It's going to be a long road back after this year.

Stanimal said...

Rather than handle this somberly, I will go ahead and give the bright side of this somewhat down-trodden affair. Frankly, we went toe-to-toe with UK for a player that they desperately wanted and our name got out there because of it. Vandy has a level of name recognition in college basketball that it has never previously enjoyed. I would compare it to a political figure in a tight election, who just comes up short. They can always get back into the mix later, with a greater understanding of who they are.

But make no mistake, this was a rough recruiting season for Kevin Stallings. I have zero doubt in his ability to identify diamonds in the rough, but Doug is right: if we want to truly compete for the SEC title in this league, we've gotta win these battles, particularly when they are in your back yard.

A huge season would go a long way towards that and we could make waves in recruiting next year, but this was a tough year on CKS' recruiting efforts.

Personally I hope we spank the Cats silly on Saturday for this.

VandyImport said...

I honestly think that as long as the one-and-done model is still in place, the dominant teams will get to be even more so as top recruits see the likes of Kentucky, UNC etc as the guaranteed catapult to fame and fortune. I mean, hell, Harrison Barnes was a preseason All-American before he played a single minute, and I think Kentucky has a newb who is secon-team AA already.

The problem is, we're not the kind of program who can take on a one-and-done. We have to be able to develop guys over time (Festus Ezili is obviously the best example) and learn how to play team basketball, and hope that we get enough advantage from having experienced guys who know each other to make up for the raw talent that the other schools are just throwing at us in human-wave-attack form.

AspenVU said...

I concur with VandyImport -- Players don't have to go to class at UK or Memphis. If he does not stay 3-4 years at UK, it is no loss to VU. We don't need to become that type of program.

Douglas James said...

I'd give anything to drop somewhere north of 50 points on UK this weekend. Just totally dismantle them.

It won't make up for it but it would help.

Stanimal said...

AP's a good student and a good fit for Vanderbilt, regardless of his basketball potential. Obtaining him would not be akin to snagging one and done talent. The kid was a heck of a student and a heck of a player and most importantly, was in our back yard. That's a battle you simply have to win if you want to sustain our model and compete for league championships.

Anonymous said...

Before you diss our current class...did you know that the ESPN hoops analyst describes Astroth's game (the kid out of florida we are getting) in a way that sounds like a cross between Jenkins and Taylor (more on the Jenkins side)...however, admitting that some things still suck (AP to UK, american idol still sucks, etc.)don't write off this current class just yet.

Anonymous said...

Aspen, so if he stays at UK for 4 years then he is the type of player Vandy wants to build their program around and if he leaves after 2 he isn't? Also, what evidence do you have to substantiate your claim that student-athletes don't go to class at UK or Memphis?

Anything but Gatorade said...

Come on, now: I know Kentucky is the new Mecca for kids with NBA aspirations, but that doesn't mean the players don't go to class. Obviously, Kentucky isn't even in the same ballpark as Vanderbilt, but that doesn't mean the basketball team can just ignore school and play ball. Kentucky's coaches are under the same restrictions re: practice time as every other coach in the NCAA.

I think that if the 2 year rule goes into effect, that will level out the playing field to a degree. For instance, if Kentucky's current class has to wait an additional year before they can go to the NBA, next year's UK lineup will be Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kyle Wiltjer, Marquis Teague, Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley, and Arhcie Goodwin. There's no room on that bench for anyone else, so the pool of available recruits for everyone else is a little deeper.

As it is, Vanderbilt probably isn't going to go after the same players UK is because Vanderbilt, to its great credit, expects its athletes to be students first, and to graduate. Vanderbilt fans also expect its basketball team to be competitive and do well in the NCAAT. There are maybe four other athletic programs in the country with similar expectations of its players on AND off the court or field. Because of those expectations, Vanderbilt has to find several talented kids who take their education seriously, and occasionally find the one or two 5 star player that has the same goals. That player is rare, and the competition is Duke.

I think Stallings is on the right path, for what it's worth. Hopefully a deep run in the tournament year turns more of the recruiting battles his way.

Anonymous said...

@AspenVU: I won't beat around the bush, I'm a UK fan. But I am also a very realistic person and admire the academic excellence of Vandy so I understand that classes are presumably more difficult there than at UK. My question is why do you say players don't have to go to class at UK? John Wall knew he was going to be the #1 pick but finished his spring semester. Our APR was either tied for first in SEC with Vandy last year or finished 2nd and our Team GPA was like a 3.0. That may not be as high as Vandy's but what about that suggests the players don't go to class? I understand being upset about losing a recruit to another school because we feel that way too when it happens to us but why does that mean you need to make uninformed comments that just make you sound bitter, jealous, & unfortunately unintelligent. I'm really not trying to sound like a jerk but it makes no sense to make such comments when there is no truth to them.

Andrew VU '04 said...

Two words: Demarcus Cousins.

Secondly, one-and-dones don't have to go to class in their spring semester, as NCAA guidelines are a reactive, not proactive measure. Unless the school has an attendance policy in place (most don't), the only issue for eligibility is the GPA. For the one and done basketball player, he only needs to have a 2.0 in a minimum amount of classes in the first semester to be eligible to play through the rest of the year. Vandy has never been the type of place to allow that. Duke's only recently doing it, and you can see how much it's grinding away at Coach K's soul when he takes on interview questions about recruiting one and done athletes like Irving and Rivers.

Also, you might be enjoying the rock-star program status right now, Kentucky, but Calipari's never left a place NOT amidst some form of scandal. It will happen soon enough, he'll get away scott free, and the next institution will be grabbing all the NBA lottery recruits. Enjoy having your banners stripped.

Anonymous said...

It's funny the jealousy reaking from this site!!

Anonymous said...

We'll see who is "jealous" around 2pm central time Saturday. But I will still pull for the mildcats when they play the puke orange in football. Maybe they can break that 50 year losing streak to the little orange or however long it's been.

Anonymous said...

@Anonymous 4:45pm: Just out of curiosity what are you doing on a Vanderbilt fan site? Shouldn't you be trolling KSR or something like that? Is your life really so sad that you are (in November mind you) trying to come on and talk smack to Vanderbilt fans? That just reeks of desperation and really reflects poorly on both yourself and your fanbase (and I happen to like a lot of UK fans).

Anonymous said...

Ashley Judd is the worst.

Anonymous said...

Exactly Andrew VU 04 how does Cal do it? I can see how its easy for him to make his pitch right now after having restored UK's former basketball glory but its the first year at a new place that makes me question him. How in his first year at Kentucky and Memphis did he pull in those monster classes? Those simply were'nt humanely possible especially the last class at U.K

Anything but Gatorade said...

RE: DeMarcus Cousins. He finished out his second semester at UK. I'm sure his grades were less than stellar, but at least he completed the courses.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketball/blog/the_dagger/post/Bob-Knight-falsely-blasts-Kentucky-8217-s-2009-?urn=ncaab-wp2259

It's no big secret that Vanderbilt is a better academic institution than Kentucky, or that it holds its students to a higher standard. If that's the reason why the basketball team flames out in March every season, well, then that's the reason.

Anonymous said...

I don't understand why Kentucky fans are posting on this site. You all have enough blogs and other media platforms where you can discuss the reasons why the Cats would have won the national championship if "Kanter had only been elgible." No one appreciates your commentary and certainly no one respects it. Yes, I am bitter after losing Poythress, but I am quite confident that we demolish in football this weekend. Additionally, I will look forward to watching Fez take Anthony Davis' lunch money in the paint during the regular season.

Anything but Gatorade said...

This is the internet. To quote a dog with sunglasses, "Deal with it."

Anonymous said...

You will never get UK talent. Vandy doesn't have the program, history or fan base that attracts the top talent. Your gym holds 14K--we have that many people show up for a practice!!! Think about it--the best goes to the best. Secondly, can Stallings--he is not advancing your program.