The Kadeem Jack Sweepstakes now includes two of the most storied programs in the history of college basketball.
The 6-foot-9 Jack plans to visit North Carolina and Kentucky sometime in the coming weeks, although no dates have been set.
“According to him, he said that he’s going to set up visits with North Carolina and Kentucky,” said South Kent (Conn.) coach Kelvin Jefferson. “He said, ‘Yeah, I’m going to visit Kentucky and North Carolina.'”
Jack wasn’t immediately available for comment Saturday night, but Jefferson had spoken with Jack earlier Saturday.
Jack, who averaged 16.9 points at Rice High School and dropped 24 points and 20 rebounds on Villanova-bound forward JayVaughn Pinkston and Bishop Loughlin in January, has become an attractive option late in the game for the Heels and the Wildcats.
Jack initially said he would attend South Kent next season, but his paperwork hasn’t been formalized.
“He hasn’t applied, that was coming,” Jefferson said. “The application hasn’t been sent in. Nothing has been done.”
As reported by ZAGSBLOG Friday night, North Carolina got involved with Jack late after it became clear that twins Travis and David Wear would transfer.
Kentucky has also joined the process late. The Wildcats missed out on forwards C.J. Leslie (N.C. State) and Terrence Jones, who has verbally committed to Washington.
Prior to that, Jack was considering Arizona, Arkansas, UConn, Miami and St. John’s.
Damian Leslie, Jack’s mentor, said Jack had two official visits remaining.
“He has two more official visits,” Leslie said. “They have to be chosen wisely.”
Apparently those two visits will take place to North Carolina and Kentucky.
“I guess so,” Jefferson said. “I don’t know too much of the details other than that he told me he’s going to go visit North Carolina and Kentucky.”
Whether Jack goes to college or not, Jefferson said he will support his decision.
“I”m still going to be cheering for him, rooting for him,” Jefferson said. “If it’s not here, wherever it is.”
(Photo courtesy Daily News)
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tsmooth / May 8, 2010
wow. I can see why UK is going after Kadeem, but he won’t make much of an impact this year. He’s a project. He’ll need a ton of tutelage. Can UK and Calipari wait ’til he produces? I don’t think so, though he would be a valuable pick-up down the road when UK’s 2011 class comes on campus.
UNC definitely needs any post player it can get. Memphis showed some interest in Kadeem but has digressed a bit. Looking at other options; most of them being in 2011 like Anthony Davis or Johnny O’ Bryant
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fearthephog25 / May 9, 2010
Attention SEC & ACC Shoppers: Blue Light Special Aisle 7. Blue Light Special Aisle 7. For all late in the game shoppers in desperate need. LOL
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carolinafan / May 9, 2010
UNC has a top 4 Recruiting class and would just be adding Kadeem Jack for frontcourt depth.Harrison Barnes is top small forward coming in, Reggie Bullock top 2 shooting guard and Kendall Marshall top passing guard. UNC is one year removed from championship, so you losers need to get your cheap shots in now.because they will add another within 3 years. Jack will be asked to rebound and play defense. He went off for 24 points and 20 boards against a big time Nova recruit, so I’m not thinking he is the “project”everyone is calling him and ranked 43 in scout.com’s top 100.
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awinner23 / May 9, 2010
The tarholes are NIT losers. They have no frontcourt players except a 195 lb Henson and an injury plagued Zeller. Barnes is their only good player. Bullock is nothing special and can’t be counted on to produce a lot as a freshman, but I do think he’ll be a good player in a year or two. Marshall is awful. He can’t shoot, he’s slower than Shaq on crutches and he’s a defensive liability. The tarholes will be very lucky to not go to the NIT again. When you factor in Barnes as a one and done and Henson leaving after next year, the tarholes are on a downward spiral that’s getting out of control with each passing season. Winning another championship in 3 years is the funniest thing I’ve read this year. There’s a much better chance of Ol’ Roy completely losing it again than there is of the holes making it as one of the 68 teams.
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HrtAttackCat / May 9, 2010
As an AZ fan I cant deny that this gets under my skin. Its not that its UNC and Kentucky he’s going to visit, but that K. Jack is a typical kid. But what can you expec thats what he is a high school kid. Like any 17 or 18 year old he want’s what he sees as the coolest whether it is the best for him or not. UNC is like a new pair of Air Jordan’s under the Christmas tree. Good for him, I hope he never realizes he is second or third pickins. Next year both teams will have stronger players and he may never develop the way he wishes to. Like all these other kids he has come to believe that Calapari that has some magic ability to get people to the NBA. It has nothing to do with Calapari and everything to do with the skills the kids enter the program with. Skills, K Jack has yet to develop to that level. With age will come the wisdom this kid lacks. I hope he turns out to be a great player. Id rather see him at UNC because I cant stand Calapari but then again they may be cut from the same mold.
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DukeMan / May 9, 2010
“UNC is one year removed from championship, so you losers need to get your cheap shots in now.because they will add another within 3 years”
What a moronic post, but you are typical tarhole so that’s no surprise. You are so delusional, you say the tarholes are “one year removed from championship”? lol, that’s funny. Then you go on to add that the tarholes will “add another within 3 years”, lmao.
First off, crapolina WAS the defending national champs, with 7 mcdonald all americans and a hall of fame coach with 2 titles. The tarholes were a top 5 pre-season pick. Then reality hit, your ‘championship’ team gets embarrased by college of Charleston, loses almost more games than they won, suck so bad they can’t even make the NCAA, gets annihilated by Duke (worst beat down on a defending national champ in history) and they end up choking in the NIT (lol). Yeah, buddy, your team of all american stars are one year removed. That’s why the Wear twins jumped ship and Davis said “see ya tarholes”. That’s why Roy constantly gets on tv and looks like a dumb backwoods hicks saying “uh, durh, this is worst than the Haiti disaster” or has a fan of the visiting team ejected because in his own words says “I dont’ think anyone should ever talk bad about this team”, what a douchebag. This one year removed team choked time and time again and next year and the year after will be the same, peroid.
You dumb tarhole fans are pathetic and delusional, talk about being totally clueless. Barnes is a one and done, the other freshman are jokes and you come on here and talk smack???? LIke I said, you truly are a tarhole.
2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS : DUKE BLUE DEVILS
2010 ACC CHAMPS: DUKE BLUE DEVILS
2010 NIT LOSERS; UNC
UNC: University of Nit Chokers
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RockChalkWoody / May 9, 2010
This just sounds like sour grapes. A lot of UA fans really wanted this kid (I’m guessing you did too?) and you’re going to put the kid down by saying things like he is “second or third pickins.” If you were a 17 or 18 yr-old you’re telling me you wouldn’t be interested in UNC or UK?
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83BlueDevil / May 9, 2010
Wow, DukeMan. I mean, I’m a Duke grad, but even I’ve gotta say your assessment is kinda harsh. Sure, I’m hoping the ‘Holes tank next year, but I sure wouldn’t take it for granted.
Here’s what happened to them this year:
1. They all had a big sense of entitlement. This was particularly true of Ol’ Roy, who was beginning to act like he lived in a basketball Olympus. He set himself and his team up for getting knocked off the platform. He was just all Deputy Dawg full of himself. This mentality led him to overlook the fact that:
2. There was no team chemistry.
In addition, Williams seemed surprised that:
3. There was no go-to guy.
4. There was no point guard play.
And, in addition, of course, he had to deal with the fact that:
5. There were a ton of injuries.
Williams is too much of a competitor to let this mentality stuff ride next year. Unfortunately, the ‘Holes will be back at some point. That program is way too strong to remain down for long. Let’s just hope that Ol’ Deputy Dawg Roy doesn’t get all full of himself for a long while after the disaster he managed last season.
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Michael / May 9, 2010
Wow I’m loving this Duke/Carolina banter; nice change from UK/KU/Arizona fans yelling at each other. And it’s about time Duke and Carolina represented on this site. UCLA fans, where are you?? MSU??
Woody, make no mistake we wanted Jack. Like I said yesterday probably some sour grapes. I’m not thrilled with how he has handled things but I won’t pretend we didn’t want him. That said, I want Vargas more and did before Jack dropped us, as did most UofA fans, simply because he provides more immediate help.
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AGinNYC / May 9, 2010
How many time do we have to hear about Jack’s single great game against another over-hyped, undersized NYC big man? The NYC area is W-E-A-K for prep hoops these days. I watched several Rice games this past season and Kadeem Jack only stood out once or twice. He tends to take plays off and his shot selection and free throw shooting are atrocious. He is a turnover machine and usually gets into foul trouble. He’s an above average rebounder and very good shot blocker for his size (which is probably about 6’7 or 6’8). He has good athleticism and makes a living on the put back dunk. That’s pretty much the extent of his offensive game though. He thinks of himself as a SF and won’t provide a great deal of front court depth for ANY high major D1 program next season. Jack’s a couple of years away from contributing at the PF spot. He’ll need to bulk up and get some good coaching.
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tsmooth / May 9, 2010
I wouldn’t say his post was a little too harsh. It was 100% ignorant.
UNC lost 4 very good players to the NBA, which leads to absent team chemistry like you said.
They had to rely on freshmen and unproven players to lead the team.
Larry Drew wasn’t the PG they needed until the final week in the season.
Henson wasn’t used correctly until the final month. They had him on the wing when he’s a post player.
Yes, there were 7 Mickey D’s players on the team, but only 4 deserved that honor. Recruiting sites are somewhat biased when a kid who is very low commits to a big program like UK, UNC, or Duke, so they bump them up. The Wears’ were WAYYYY overrated. Strickland is good, but not top 25 good. More like top 50. Larry Drew is nowhere near as good as Ty Lawson.
Add all that up with the constant injury problems, and you get a team who was barely .500
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bigpapijugg / May 9, 2010
AG- kentucky could definitely use him. most programs would label him as undersized. For the Dribble Drive he is the perfect size. he is like a step down from CJ Leslie in that he has limited offensive game but can rebound and block shots with the best of them. and some may say the NY area isnt good but they have many good player-doron lamb, kyrie irving, mike gilchrist, pinkston, tobias harris (NJ is included in NY area)
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HrtAttackCat / May 9, 2010
Woody (Mr. Obvious),
You fail to understand the point of my comment yet you do a great job supporting it. Yes, my post was sour grapes as you can see I stated I that what Kadeem Jack is doing “gets under my skin”. Yes, if I was a 17 or 18 yr-old kid I may be making the same decision he is. But then again I would be a naive high school kid much like Jack is. Like him I may not have the confidence to say to programs that I am holding out for a school I prefer. Rather like him, I may say I want to get bigger and stronger or Im not ready for college. And yes, UNC and Kentucky would be on my radar because just like most kids I would love name brand jeans, cool shoes, and fast cars which are what these schools are. As stated by others, UNC already has a stacked recruiting class, and UK is entering desperation mode due to all those they have lost. It is very late in the recruiting process and to state that he is second or third pickins to these two schools is the reality of the situation. As a KU fan I would assume you are aware that most elite programs with established coaches start recruiting each class years before the end of the signing period, not days. He will take his place at the end of the UNC bench behind all of their McDonalds all americans, or will play a few minutes this year at UK and then ride the bench as next years Kentucky class will surely be more talented. His development will be stunted. I sincerely hope he has a happy career at either school and never realizes his mistake. So, the question is, am I really putting him down or commenting on the reality of the situation and the flawed rational behind his decision? Finally, some might read my comparison to Calapari as a complement, but by your response I can tell you are a glass half full kinda guy. Hence, your quick and decisive attack on my comment prior to any real intellectual digestion of its content.
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AGinNYC / May 9, 2010
Yeah, Jack may actually be a good pickup for UK because he’s probably a 3 or 4 year player. I think that Jack could be successful at either UK or UNC. With lots of coaching/practice and playing time he could end up being a very good combo forward at some point. Some stability might just be a good thing for the UK program, IMO. I’m skeptical that championships can be won with teams that turn over their entire roster annually. A big reason that the old UK teams were so good was guys like Sheppard and Padgett. Even walk-ons like Saul Smith played a role on those teams.
You’re right about NJ – loads of talent. I was talking more about the five boroughs but there certainly has been quite a bit of high level talent coming out of NJ in recent years. However, there have plenty of busts as well (S. Samuels, D. Caracter, L. Cooke, E. Ingram, L Thomas and Zoubek – to some degree) so I think I’ll wait to hold judgment on Gilchrist and Irving until they actually play in college. I do think that Irving (and possibly Harris) will be a star but I’m really not all that sold on Gilchrist or Lamb at this point. Time will tell…
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ChicagoUK / May 10, 2010
Saul Smith was not a walk-on. He had a scholarship all four years.
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pointgrd11 / May 10, 2010
This guy is no project and Kentucky is in dire need of a power forward. I like his ability to run the floor, perfect for the Calipari dribble drive system. I think Kentucky is a much better fit for this fine player. I think he would get a lot more exposure and have a lot more fun at Kentucky. It appears that Kentucky will put 4 freshmen in the first round of the draft this year. I think that says a lot about how fast Calipari develops these players.
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TheFinger / May 10, 2010
“It appears that Kentucky will put 4 freshmen in the first round of the draft this year. I think that says a lot about how fast Calipari develops these players.”
what a crock. all it really says is that cal recruited more 1 and dones than the rest in 2009. simple as that, and there are no guarantees all 4 will go in the 1st round.
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TheFinger / May 10, 2010
1 reason to respect lamb is for being straightforward. he said zona “needs more ballers” as the chief reason for rejecting the schollie offer.
1 reason to dislike lamb is for being overtly sanguine. after saying zona “needs more ballers” he commits to a school scurrying to fill 9 roster spots.
re jack – 1 reason to disrespect, dislike and whatever OTHER dis you wish to throw in here is that he is a liar! a flat out L-I-A-R!
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AGinNYC / May 10, 2010
My bad on Saul Smith then. My understanding was that he was planning to walk on at Georgia before coming to Kentucky with his father. Perhaps that changed but that was the original plan when he was plan. Since I don’t follow Kentucky basketball all that closely, I’ll assume that you’re correct. Why would Smith need a scholarship if his father was the team’s coach?
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AGinNYC / May 10, 2010
Kadeem Jack is a project. Have you actually seen him play? Putting players in the NBA after one season says NOTHING about how Calipari develops players. Taking Kadeem Jack and making him into a lottery pick after 3 or 4 seasons would be a hell of a lot more impressive to me.
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AGinNYC / May 10, 2010
You guys are much better off without Lamb. He’s on par with the guys you’re bringing in and his goal is to get to the league as quickly as possible. Jack would have been a nice pickup for a team needing size and rebounding but he’s not the messiah. Isn’t it funny how Jack went from being a 3 star project needing a year in prep school to a 5 star who will step in and play significant minutes for UK just because Calipari missed on his top choices and suddenly became interested? Why do you think those schools weren’t recruiting him a few months ago?
I’m just sayin…
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pastaboy / May 11, 2010
This guy looks like Terrence Jones insurance . If Cal gets Jones he’ll have the #1 recruiting class and another top 5 team .
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ArizonaWildcat27 / May 11, 2010
Cal is not getting Jones and Jack isn’t ANYWHERE in Jone’s league.
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tsmooth / May 11, 2010
yea, because the #1 recruiting class did wonders last year. Rankings are an inexact science, and they offer nothing but good PR. UCLA had the #1 class in 08. What has happened to them since I ask?
UK isn’t a top 5 team this year. Period. I’m not hating on UK or whatever other people may say I am being. You don’t lose 5 players to the NBA, and lose 2-3 others due to graduation or possible transfer and be a top 5 team. It’s simply not possible. Try again doughboy
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gilmore722000 / May 11, 2010
Jack isn’t in Jones league, but ArizonaWildcat27, you were touting Jack just a month or so ago when he was considering Arizona, now that he passed on your school as a TON of legit players have, he isn’t any where near the elite talent in high school basketball?
You wear 2 hats, one with your Team on it and tinted team color glasses and you reverse that hat inside out when it isn’t going your way.
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ArizonaWildcat27 / May 11, 2010
I was? Where? Show me a post proclaiming Jack as our savior!
Not once, did I say that Jack was a recruit we needed. Yes, there were other Zona fans who wanted him, but the kid is a damn project, a big one, and we don’t need projects on our team.
I never wanted Jack. Out of the 2 bigs that Miller was after (Jack and Vargas) I wanted Vargas the most, NOT Jake. And looks like Miller has backed off of Vargas and doesn’t want him. So I’m sure he has his reasons and maybe he has a better recruit in mind for next year.
And for your information; Jack himself said he needed more work to do before going to a bigger school. Now he’s creaming his pants over NC and UK which is fine because that kid will ride the pine for both teams probably till his senior year.
So if you have scholarships to burn on kids who will not contribute for the next 3 years, than by all means sign the kid up. We only have 1 available scholarship and I would rather have it go to a player who can come in and contribute from Day 1. And that’s not Jack my friend.
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ArizonaWildcat27 / May 11, 2010
^^THIS^^
Ranking systems aren’t always, if ever, accurate. I can think of 2 examples off the top of my head at Arizona where the rankings were complete bullshit.
Jordan Hill – was a 3 star recruit who not many teams wanted and he became a beast in college, left after his junior year and got drafted as a lottery pick.
Jamelle Horne – was a 5 star recruit and a top 10 prospect in the country for his class and is now a senior on our team and is arguably the biggest bust our program has ever had. The guy just can’t get it together and hasn’t done jack since he’s been here.
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BlueCat32 / May 11, 2010
I’m not going to speculate on where Jones ends up but,it sounds as if he is still undecided…
T.J.s mother says, “I’m pretty sure it’s one or the other,” meaning Washington or Kentucky.
http://highschoolsports.oregonlive.com/news/article/3987923274100851299/terrence-jones-recruiting-deadline-looms-or-does-it/
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tsmooth / May 11, 2010
Don’t crucify me or anything, but Hill was deserving of that 3 star ranking. But, when he got to college, he turned it up a notch and developed his skill set, which in return led to a lottery pick. So far he hasn’t produced in the NBA so I’ll give him some time, but the tables are stacked against him.
I’m with you that Horne was a legitimate bust. But, in his defense, he has had a new coach every year. A sense of consistency would have helped his development.
I remember how Willie Kemp came in and led Memphis to an Elite Eight as a freshman. Then he rode the pine for 2 years behind Rose and Evans. Many Memphis fans knew the root of the blame had to go to Calipari. Simply put, he couldn’t get through to many of the players when it came to developing their bodies or skill sets. PHN was super buff in high school, when he got to college he ballooned up. Calipari put it all on PHN to get himself back in shape. Well, he never did.
Pastner came in and was the breath of fresh air they needed. Kemp played much better in one year under Pastner than Cal, and PHN lost over 70 pounds to put himself back in shape.
Sometimes players just need stability, and interim coaches aren’t conducive to skill/player development. Give Miller some time, and he’ll put Zona where they belong, much like Pastner has with Memphis.
BTW…I’m still jealous Derrick Williams chose Zona over Memphis. We needed him this year!! lol. One of the best interviews I ever had was with Williams. Good player, and an even better kid.
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blasphemy / May 11, 2010
TheFinger says: “what a crock. all it really says is that cal recruited more 1 and dones than the rest in 2009”
Ya, so you thought E. Bledsoe was going to be one and done right of H.S.? Same for Orton? Please, UK even half way through the season thought Bledsoe and Orton were coming back. They are drafting Orton on this ever ellusive “potential” but Cousins and Bledsoe developed quite a bit. Anybody who watched all of UK’s games would agree with me.
TheFinger says:”there are no guarantees all 4 will go in the 1st round.”
True, but if/when they do, I will be here to help you correct that. Btw, I love how in one breath you would try to make it look like Cal has nothing to do with it, then in the other say they aren’t 100% sure to go in the NBA. How very political of you.
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fearthephog25 / May 12, 2010
Somebody is stuck on over-using the ter, POLITICAL. LOL Perhaps anti-Obama? =]P
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BostonCat / May 12, 2010
it got the best record in the country
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BostonCat / May 12, 2010
if you had any real insight into the jones situation you wouldnt make such definitive claims.
but saying cal isnt getting jones just supports your anti-cal agenda. come on here enough and say jones isnt going to uk enough and it starts to look like you know what you are talking about. it starts to look like jones is a lock for washington.
if jones picks washington you can stand up and pat yourself on the back.
if jones does pick uk….your agenda goes into full gear because now you get to say what dirty, slime ball, etc coach cal is that he “stole” a recruit. probably use the WWW line for starters. since all along you claimed he was going to washington it MUST be that cal cheated.
the reality is you dont have a clue about jones or recruiting in general. jones could pick UW, but that doesnt mean you know what you are talking about. it just means you got lucky on a guess.
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tsmooth / May 12, 2010
But not a Championship, nor a Final Four appearance.
Best record is just like the #1 recruiting class: Good PR, nothing else.
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BostonCat / May 12, 2010
did he have to win a title last year?
i mean…i know all you haters have set the bar that high. that way when uk doesn reach that very unlikely goal you can frame the words “failure”, “uk”, and “cal” together to feel better about yourself and your own program’s shortcomings. in a way you are all drug addicts. take a quick, easy, cheap shot at cal regardless of how absurd and uninformed it is for temporary relief.
uk in its 80 year of basketball history has 7 titles. are those other 73 years failures? just comical that thats your position.
its interesting that the standard for rivals and haters for uk is so much higher then it is for their own school/program. of course they will give you all the excuses in the world why its a “great” season. but when it comes to uk…its a “disaster”. interesting.
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gilmore722000 / May 12, 2010
Jack will not sit on the bench any where for 3 years. He’ll play from year one, maybe he isn’t a prime time player, but he can contribute with minutes, put backs, defense, and rebounding. He is no where near Terrence Jones or CJ Leslie, but he is still a good player or wouldn’t be in the top 100 recruits. Jack stopped considering Arizona not the othe rway around.
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tsmooth / May 12, 2010
Actually, not a hater. My post was based off of UK fan’s idealism for this past year’s team after having one of the best recruiting classes of all time.
Not my position at all, dude. I don’t see how you derived that from my post.
I actually thought this past year was good for UK, but seeing how you already pegged as another one of those “haters” you will probably read this post rationally.
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BostonCat / May 12, 2010
i have read enough of your posts to have an accurate picture of your position.
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tsmooth / May 12, 2010
Evidently you have read the majority of my posts wrong then. Show me a post where I have shown disdain for UK. I dislike Calipari. That doesn’t translate to UK. I rooted for UK when Tubby was still there.
I have actually defended UK on here numerous times. Just because I provide factual and realistic information that is unbiased does not mean I am a “hater”. It’s called being open-minded, and I invite you to join.
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ArizonaWildcat27 / May 12, 2010
Yeah and he also turned down UCONN and a Hall of Fame coach, so what?
Like I said; he is a project and looks like UK has plenty of scholarships to go around so by all means, have Cal develop him like he has so many other 5 star recruits. lol
The guy will ride the pine if he goes to UK or NC. Yeah he will go in for a couple minutes but just to give the starters some rest. I wouldn’t expect much contribution from him for many years, if at all.
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blasphemy / May 15, 2010
hiccup
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