As the UK basketball season draws closer, I can't help but wonder just how great this incoming freshmen class will stack up against the 2 classes before them. I attended Big Blue Madness and watched the Blue/White game on TV, and this group already looks like they have way more chemistry than the previous 2 classes. They may be the most athletic college team I've ever seen, its scary. Every guy in this class can do pretty much anything on the court, they can shoot, pass, dribble, rebound, they are all great defenders,not many flaws in this group. Their only weakness may be strength-wise. They don't have anybody that physically overwhelms you,But their shot blocking ability makes up for that. All that being said, where do you think this group stacks up? Lets compare them with the previous 2 classes.
The 2010-2011 Cats featured freshmen Brandon Knight, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Enes Kanter, Stacey Poole, Eloy Vargas, and walk-on Jared Polson. Kanter unfortunately never got to play, thanks to Mark Emmert and his wishy-washy, overpowering, corrupt NCAA. Knight was ranked as the top recruit in the nation by most recruiting sites, and he was as good as advertised. He averaged 17.3 points and 4.1 assists per game while shooting 37 percent from 3 point range. He made one big shot after another in the 2011 NCAA tournament, including a 20-foot fade away jumper to beat top-seeded Ohio State. Terrence Jones came in as a heralded recruit out of Portland, he was highly touted for his athleticism and quickness at the 4 position. He averaged 15.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, but spent most of the season struggling to find consistency on both ends of the floor. Doron Lamb came to UK as a 3-point artist, and that he was. He averaged 49.7 percent from deep while averaging 12.3 points per game. Vargas and Poole were both disappointing last season, neither player made much contribution at all.
When John Calipari inked the 2009-2010 class, he created a media firestorm. The class was heralded as the best in school history and best class since the Fab Five at Michigan. The class consisted of John Wall, Demarcus Cousins, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton and Jon Hood. Wall came in as the most highly sought-after recruit of the decade, and he lived up to the overwhelming hype. A human highlight reel, he averaged 16.6 ppg, not to mention breaking the school record for assists in a season with 241. He brought a swagger that few players have, he knew he was a superstar, and you could sense it when you watched him play. Cousins came in as a high risk/high reward type of player, he was labeled as a guy who had amazing talent, but was a loose cannon. Calipari took the risk, and it paid off greatly. Cousins quickly took the nation by storm as he was being compared to all-time great college centers like Shaquille O'neal. He averaged 15.1 ppg and 9.9 rebounds, basically a double-double a game. He was a force of nature in the paint, and he brought a "not in my house" attitude that was contagious, the team fed off his competitive fire. Eric Bledsoe spent the season in John Wall's shadow, but it didn't stop him from getting national attention and eventually becoming an NBA first pick just like Wall. Bledsoe had blazing speed, great play making ability, was a more consistent jump shooter than Wall, and was a great defender. He averaged 11.3 points and 2.9 assists per game. He was the streakiest shooter I have ever seen, he could light it up one night, and the next night, I could out-shoot him. Daniel Orton came in as a shot-blocking machine who had good size and strength in the post. He never really lived up to the expectations, and clashes with Calipari over playing time caused him to make the wrong decision and go pro after just averaging 3.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Basically a wasted talent. Darnell Dodson came to UK regarded as a 3-point shooter, but he struggled with consistency, averaging 34 percent from deep. He also stayed in John Calipari's doghouse, eventually being dismissed from the team after the 2010 season stemming from issues with the law. I never thought he was good enough to play at UK anyway. Jon Hood never made much contribution to UK during his freshman season, and as much as I hate to say it, he may never will.
So, I'm challenging everybody who reads this post to comment and tell me which of Calipari's first 3 classes is the best. I wanna hear some good arguments. Go Cats.
-Jeremy Shepherd
Due to the fact that this class has yet to play a collegiate game, I feel that it would be premature to deem the 2011-2012 recruiting class as Calipari’s best. With that being said, I would have to say that Calipari's first recruiting class would have to be his best. The class featured some personas that many said could not play together and could not be selfless enough to play with any sort of chemistry. This team, however, silenced all doubters and won. And by won I mean they became accustomed to it. In fact, the team won 35 games, only losing 3 (including a loss to a veteran West Virgina squad in the elite eight) and snagging a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. The team, on most nights, was simply much more physical than their opponent and preceded to be a shot-blocking machine, and nearly impossible to penetrate from the perimeter on defense. Their only flaw, however, was the lack of consistency from the three-point line and it showed in the elite eight as I watched my team shoot a horrific 4-32 from deep as they watched "Huggy-Bear" snag yet another victory against Cal. However, this year’s recruiting class is a much more versatile one and has the potential to be the fastest team I have ever seen. Each player can handle the ball, drive, shoot from deep, and seemingly get their own shot. This class, it appears, has something the 2009-2010 recruiting class did not: legitimate outside shooters. Shooters like Kidd-Gilchrist, Wiltjier (at the power forward or center spot) will keep defenses honest. It's too early to tell but this class could be the best Calipari has had yet because of consistent outside shooters.
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