Kentucky Wildcats 2013-2014: Super Team

[CKR13]

John Calipari's finest work as of yet and another master stroke by getting a huge chunk of the 2013 class top tier. Never mind that he missed Andrew Wiggins, Calipari surpassed his Demarcus Cousins - John Wall frosh recruits.

[center]

G Aaron Harrison
G Andrew Harrison
G Dominique Hawkins
G Dakari Johnson
G Marcus Lee
C Julius Randle
F Derek Willis
F James Young

It is no surprise that Kentucky scored #1 in Rivals and ESPN. You can already imagine a first five of:

Johnson
Randle
Young
Harrison
Harrison

Among the freshies, I like Dakari Johnson's game. He is what you call an old-school, throwback bigman back where the bigs played in the paint, back down. In highschool, Johnson and best pal, point guard Kasey Hill used to run that pick and roll to perfection. Johnson can run like an NFL running back and has the hand-eye-foot coordination to make that catch off a bounce pass for a finish.

Also, I love Kyle Wiltjer. Campus has him as the glue guy of this team, now at his junior year.

What about the offense? I remember Calipari running a 1 out four floating offense of his dribble drive mantra. Johnson will be the post sentinel as all four are in the perimeter, always keeping the defense honest as power forward Julius Randle has the face up game.

[pohani komarac]

Basaed on small sample of Nike hoop summit this will be scary talented team

Tough I got fealing Jabari Parket will have "Melo season" and take Dukue all the way

[CKR13]

Calipari: Team will mesh

Dig the supporting cast: Cauley-Stein, Wiltjer, Poythress, Hood, Polson.

[NorCal]

Calipari: Team will mesh

Dig the supporting cast: Cauley-Stein, Wiltjer, Poythress, Hood, Polson.

I do dig the supporting cast as well, particularly Cauley-Stein (who I think should and will start over Dakari Johnson) and Wiltjer, a player who knows his strengths and plays to them. This team is going to be phenomenal, however, and I know I am in the minority here, I don't think they will be as great as everyone thinks. I think the Harrisons simply aren't as good as everyone believes they are. Great players, just not freshmen year program changers. I think Lee is raw and will need a full year to adapt to the college game. i think Dakari Johnson is a solid big man with few weaknesses but isn't particularly dominant in any aspect of the game. I think Young is a very good but not great player. Randle, I think, will be a beast in college and should be the best player on this team, especially by year's end.

Don't get me wrong- this will be a very, very good team. I just don't think they will be historically great. If I had to predict, I think they will lose somewhere in the range of 4-6 games in the regular season and be one of a handful of teams that can fight for the national championship. I actually like the freshman class at Kansas just as much as these guys.

[CKR13]

I do dig the supporting cast as well, particularly Cauley-Stein (who I think should and will start over Dakari Johnson) and Wiltjer, a player who knows his strengths and plays to them. This team is going to be phenomenal, however, and I know I am in the minority here, I don't think they will be as great as everyone thinks. I think the Harrisons simply aren't as good as everyone believes they are. Great players, just not freshmen year program changers. I think Lee is raw and will need a full year to adapt to the college game. i think Dakari Johnson is a solid big man with few weaknesses but isn't particularly dominant in any aspect of the game. I think Young is a very good but not great player. Randle, I think, will be a beast in college and should be the best player on this team, especially by year's end.

Don't get me wrong- this will be a very, very good team. I just don't think they will be historically great. If I had to predict, I think they will lose somewhere in the range of 4-6 games in the regular season and be one of a handful of teams that can fight for the national championship. I actually like the freshman class at Kansas just as much as these guys.

Yes, and agreed on most points. This team will have some growing pains as the latest batch of One and Done still need to play a cohesive and continuous game. John Calipari's AAU level offense is especially susceptible to stagnation and it could minus well begin with either the Harrison twins dribbling too much seconds atop the baseline with the likes of Young, Randle and in extreme cases, Johnson being ignored in the post. All five could potentially negate each other's offensive game as we state here.

Moving on, the defense is something that I would like to see. John Calipari uses a shifting zone alongside some pressure presses like 1-4 buffer and the 1-2-2 pressure press. It minus well begins with the Harrison twins applying pressure in the full press. But they are still unproven in the NCAA level defense. I remember during the Nike Hoop Summit where the likes of Dennis Schroeder made mince meat of our press. As for James Young and Randle, I have yet to see enough full games to judge their defensive capacities, but Randle I think is more of a post defender by manning up. While Dakari Johnson's wingspan and decent athleticism will net him blocks, but not in the level of Anthony Davis or Nerlens Noel.

[CKR13]

Wildcats Freshmen turn down Team USA U19 trials

[CKR13]

At the moment, Wiltjer is still mulling about his future. I think he is bound to transfer to a major program that fits his style.

[CKR13]

Dunkathon hype.

[CKR13]

KU alumni introduction

[CKR13]

2013-14 UK men's basketball schedule
Home games in capital letters. All times Eastern and p.m.

Date Opponent Time TV

Oct. 18 BIG BLUE MADNESS 7:30 FS South/WKYT-27

Oct. 29 BLUE-WHITE SCRIMMAGE 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 1 a-TRANSYLVANIA 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 4 a-MONTEVALLO 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 8 UNC ASHEVILLE 7 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 10 NORTHERN KENTUCKY 4 FS South/WKYT-27

Nov. 12 b-Michigan State 7:30 ESPN

Nov. 17 c-ROBERT MORRIS 7 ESPN2

Nov. 19 c-TEXAS-ARLINGTON 7:30 CSS

Nov. 25 c-CLEVELAND STATE 7 FSN

Nov. 27 c-EASTERN MICHIGAN 4 FS South/WKYT-27

Dec. 1 d-Providence 8:30 Fox Sports 1

Dec. 6 e-Baylor 10 ESPN

Dec. 10 BOISE STATE 9 ESPN

Dec. 14 At North Carolina 5:15 ESPN

Dec. 21 BELMONT Noon ESPNU

Dec. 28 LOUISVILLE 4 CBS-27

Jan. 8 MISSISSIPPI STATE 8 SEC Network

Jan. 11 At Vanderbilt 1/3:30 CBS-27

Jan. 14 At Arkansas 9 ESPN

Jan. 18 TENNESSEE Noon CBS-27

Jan. 21 TEXAS A&M 9 ESPN

Jan. 25 GEORGIA 1:30 SEC Network

Jan. 28 At LSU 9 ESPN

Feb. 1 At Missouri 1 CBS-27

Feb. 4 MISSISSIPPI 7 ESPNU

Feb. 8 At Mississippi State 1:30 SEC Network

Feb. 12 At Auburn 8 SEC Network

Feb. 15 FLORIDA 9 ESPN

Feb. 18 At Mississippi 7 ESPN

Feb. 22 LSU 4 ESPN/ESPN2

Feb. 27 ARKANSAS 7 ESPN/ESPN2

Mar. 1 At South Carolina 6 ESPN/ESPN2

Mar. 4 ALABAMA (Senior Night) 9 ESPN

Mar. 8 At Florida Noon CBS-27

Mar. 12-16 f-SEC Tournament TBA SEC/ESPNU/ABC

a-exhibition; b-State Farm Champions Classic (United Center, Chicago); c-Keightley Classic; d-at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.; e-at AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas; f-at Atlanta (Georgia Dome).

[CKR13]

John Calipari said that both have a very different game, but their DNA is the same. At practice, both are trying to learn one another's roles under Calipari's floating offense.

[CKR13]

AP pre-season rankings have also the Wildcats at #1.

[CKR13]

[CKR13]

Super team looks lost out there as Michigan State is wearing them down with a pressure man to man and a fall back zone. Also, Kentucky's defense has given up a couple of treys.

Wildcats need not to shoot that many threes and instead stay with their dribble attack.

[CKR13]

Top ranked Kentucky fell to No. 2 Michigan State Spartans despite the interior force of Julius Randle. Brandon Dawson of the Spartans tipped a game ender.

My recommendation is: Hone that D. Harrison twins and Young are agile and must learn when to strike out immediately out of a ball screen.