2010/11 Observation Deck

[KG215]

Also, I don't have a link or anything credible, but the "word" is Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight will sign with an agent, and Liggins is coming back. If this is true, then UNC just became overwhelmingly strong favorites for next year. Let's hope we can live up to it and deliver.

I still feel far less certain (knowing everyone is back) about a UNC title in '11-'12 then I did about a title in '08-'09 when I heard everyone was coming back.

However, I also read somewhere (someone referencing a tweet by Jonathon of Givony Draft Express) saying all three returning is a "very real possibility.

[InspiredLebowski]

Some people I know are in love with Terrence Jones for the Pacers, and I get it, the talent's clearly big, but it's like they only watched the first month or so of the year. I don't want anything to do with the guy. No desire to play basketball, just make money with it.

[KG215]

I wouldn't touch Terrence Jones. He looked like a top 3 pick the first month of the season the it was like he almost completely fell off the face of the earth once the regular season started.

[ukfan22]

It now appears both Jones and Liggins will return. If true, UK and UNC are the clear favorites now, with OSU right behind them.

The game in Rupp is gonna be insane.

[KG215]

It now appears both Jones and Liggins will return. If true, UK and UNC are the clear favorites now, with OSU right behind them.

The game in Rupp is gonna be insane.

Yeah, it should be, but I still like UNC in that game because it's early in the season and Kentucky will still be a very young team kind of feeling their way around each other. I feel really good about Knight leaving because I was terrified of Calipari having the ability to put Knight and Teague in the backcourt together. Jones coming back gives UK some frontcourt depth which would have been a very big problem had he stayed in the draft. I'm not surprised Liggins is coming back. He would have been a 2nd rounder at best.

[ukfan22]

They won't be that young.

We basically replace Knight and Harrelson with Teague, Gilchrist and Davis. Add that to Jones, Lamb, Liggins and Miller and I think that's enough to make UK the favorites, but of course I'm biased.

The season's gonna be awesome.

[KG215]

They won't be that young.

We basically replace Knight and Harrelson with Teague, Gilchrist and Davis. Add that to Jones, Lamb, Liggins and Miller and I think that's enough to make UK the favorites, but of course I'm biased.

The season's gonna be awesome.

Well, my biased side tells me UNC is the favorites. And I think when the preseason polls come out UNC will be preseason #1 in about every poll. However, with the return of Jones and the addition of their loaded recruiting calss, and with Ohio State bringing Sullinger back, Kentucky and Ohio State will get some first place votes. And I know preseason polls don't mean squat. All I care about is the team winning their last six games of the season.

I don't know, I understand this is the most experienced team Cal will have had since he's been at Kentucky, but I just think UNC's backcourt isn't going to be as far behind Kentucky's as many think and UNC's frontcourt of a senior Zeller, a junior Henson, and freshman McAdoo and Hubert is a couple notches better than Kentucky's. Now, as with the backcourts, the gap won't be that big between the frontcourts.

What I think gives UNC the slight edge is that they will only be heavily relying on one true freshman while Kentucky is going to rely quite a bit on four true freshman. Nine times out of ten, if two teams are almost dead even talent wise, then I'm going to take the more experienced team.

I just can't see how Kentucky can be looked at as the favorites based upon four to be freshmen, no matter how highly rated they were coming out of high school. If the roles were reversed then I'd be saying the same things about UNC.

[ukfan22]

http://twitter.com/#!/TerrenceJones1...58747938992128
TJ anouncing his return moments ago

I mean, I see what you are saying. But these aren't ordinary freshman. Davis, Gilchrist and Teague are arguably the best at their position coming in to college basketball. And they won't be asked to carry the team offensively, like they have had to the last two years. I predict Lamb and Jones will be the leading scorers, and a senior Miller could easily be third or fourth. Davis will be in there as well.

I think UNC is deeper, but I think UK's top 7 is slightly better. And UK will get plenty of first place votes, UNC will not be unanimous at all.

(btw, this all assumes Liggins returns, which hasn't been confirmed as of now, although it is expected. UNC is the clear number one if Liggins stays in)

[ukfan22]

Well nevermond, lol. Looks like Liggins is staying in. UNC the clear number one, you'll get no argument from me.

[InspiredLebowski]

The hell is wrong with this kid's parents?

[KG215]

The hell is wrong with this kid's parents?

Is that worse than this kid?

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/basketb...Achiuwa-120121

[KG215]

Meh, Kentucky will still be right there in March. They still have a ton of talent. I hope they end up on the opposite side of the bracket in the tourney so we wouldn't have to play them until the championship game or, hopefully, someone will upset them before the Final Four.

I honestly think Terrence Jones coming back was as important as any of the others. Kentucky was going to be thin in the frontcourt without Jones.

[StateProperty]

Aaric Murray transferred to WVU. The guy wants to have popularity through playing a sport and be the "big guy on campus" and La Salle's student body didn't care about him. His ego is huge. I'm friends with him on FB and all he does is bitch and moan about how nobody likes him.

Good pickup for Huggins though when he's eligible to play.

[Grinder]

Teague
Lamb / Poole
Gilchrist / Miller
Jones
Davis / Wiltjer

That is a stacked team. Thin at the backcourt positions unless Stacey Poole can show that he can play some meaningful minutes.

[InspiredLebowski]

Brandon Wood transferred from Valpo to Michigan St for his senior year. He's graduated and it's one of those situations where he won't have to sit out a season. Nice veteran scorer pickup that MSU can use for it's really inexperienced backcourt.