Countdown to the NCAA Season: JNixon-Iggy9’s Top 35 Teams (#2)

 #2- Kentucky Wildcats

Frontcourt-  Josh Harrellson was the MVP for Kentucky’s surprise Final 4 run last season. His physical banging, his work close to the rim, rebounding and his IQ for the game were tremendous down the stretch. He did his job, and did it well. Harrellson went 45^th to the Knicks. Also the versatile defender and improved player DeAndre Liggins left a year early and was the 54^th pick to the Magic. You can say the headliner of the group is Terrence Jones, who’s wisely returning to the team for his Soph. season. Jones started the season setting the court on fire, but he faded during the conference slate and NCAA tourny. Jones is a 6’9 225 southpaw combo forward who is a pretty nice athlete with size. He can be a matchup nightmare at his best, because he’s usually too quick for PF’s and big for SF’s. His handle, 1^st step, and fluidity are all good for a tweener, and he can certainly function on the wing. Jones also has a decent mid-range shot off the dribble, and range out to 23 ft. When Jones decides to pass the ball, he’s actually promising. He rebounds well on both ends, and uses his 7’2 wingspan to block shots. Jones struggled with being a team player, often settling for jumpers when he’d be better off passing the ball or going off the dribble for higher % shots. He also is a very improvable shooter, and he could use more range and confidence with his jumper. His D is also often shaky. He reminds of a young Marvin Williams in a lot of ways, and he’s a likely lottery pick when he declares. The C spot will go to the very highly touted Fr. Anthony Davis, a late blooming prospect with huge upside. At 6’10 225 (reportedly has added 15 lbs to his frame this summer) with crazy length and the frame that can add substantial weight with little ill-effects, Davis definitely has already got scouts drooling over him. Davis had a crazy growth spurt and has an interesting skill set for a guy his size because ofd it, but he’s putting altogether. Right now, Davis is an excellent shot-blocker due to his 7’4 wingspan, and he rebounds well and shows a nice motor. He also has a soft touch and it allows him to be effective around the rim (when combined with his length) and it gives him a potentially good jump shot from the mid-range area with more practice. Davis needs polish to his all-around game to be the type of player he can be in the long-term, as he is a virtual lock as a top 3-5 pick, and could go as high as #1 in 2012. Right now, he’s not a strong enough player to hang his hat on his post game, and his face-up game isn’t quite good enough for him to play that way either. It will come in time, and I’m sure 1 or both will progress as the season goes along. Potential is through the roof for him, on both ends. The SF spot will see competition for the starting job from Sr. and returning starter Darius Miller and very touted Fr. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Miller is a strong role player at the college level, and one of the more steady guys for UK over the last 2 years or so. He has prototype size for a swing at 6’6 220, and he’s a knockdown shooter. He also rebounds and is a willing defender and passer. He’s not a great athlete or ball-handler, but he hasn’t really needed to be given the makeup of the teams past rosters. Miller is a 2^nd round NBA prospect who’s steady play will get him looks. Kidd-Gilchrist is a physically gifted 6’7 225 wing with an NBA-ready body as a Fr. His a long, athletic prospect with upside as an all-around player. He is a standout defender who will be able to guard a number of position immediately and do so with energy while not being foul prone (quite an accomplishment for a Fr.). Miller is a solid ball-handler and passer on the wing, and he’ll add in rebounding and floor running skills too. He will be able to finish around the rim well. Miller isn’t an electrifying scorer by any stretch and he’s a below average jump shooter, not having much consistency as a shooter past about 17 feet. His mechanics are crude too, so he may have to re-invent his form and get confidence in it  before he can make progress. Kidd-Gilchrist will be able to contribute valuable time, and his defensive skills and all-around, unselfish play will be welcomed as a Fr. Kidd-Gilchrist will be a lotto pick in 2012 or 2013. Depth comes from Sr. Eloy Vargas, a guy who didn’t contribute much as a JUCO transfer last year, and touted Fr. Kyle Wiltjer. He’s got size at 6’10 235, and he’s long. He played timid last year. He’s been playing for the Dominican nat’l team this summer, so the hope is that he can progress and provide depth off the bench. Contribution that exceed last year’s production from him is welcome. The 6’9 225 Wiltjer is a Euro-style PF who can stretch and hit the deep ball or play down low offensively. He’s has a sweet touch, and his footwork down low is already nice. He’s not athletic and needs strength, but he should be able to play early, especially if Kentucky puts out a big lineup. His offensive skill is too vast for him not to play. He can play SF in spurts too. This frontline is stacked with talent.

Backcourt- Brandon Knight is gone, after a somewhat up-and-down Fr. year. Knight’s shooting, upside and size made him an intriguing prospect, and he’s went 8^th in the draft to the Pistons. Replacing him at what has become PG U is the hyped Fr. Marquis Teague. The 6’2 190 Teague is going to be pretty solid for UK in the dribble drive offense. He’s a very quick and athletic guard with an excellent handle to free himself off the dribble. As the younger brother of Jeff Teague, he has that same type of 1^st step and athleticism (maybe a little less explosive than that though) and counter hand crossover that makes him hard to cover off the dribble. He also is a serviceable shooter off the dribble from the 15-18 ft. area. Teague will have little trouble getting to the rim and he has the strength and body to finish, even above the rim. The Fr. is a pretty good drive and dish PG too.Teague is very competitive, and plays with passion.  He needs to work on his shooting ability, as he’s not a big factor as a shooter unless he has a bunch of space and his feet set. He also needs to play more within himself, as he forces action and sometimes gets into scoring mode when he should facilitate and dish more. He will get steals and will have spurts of excellence on D, but he gambles too much and will need to adjust so that he doesn’t get burned a lot for it. Teague will be a lotto pick in 2012 probably. He’s fun to watch and he has all the athletic and physical tools for an NBA PG. Alongside him is going to be the 6’4 185 Doron Lamb, a skilled player with a very nice mid-range game off 2 or 3 dribbles. He’s smart and plays within the offense. Lamb is a tremendous shooter with his feet set on the perimeter, and he can be used off screens too from mid-range or 3 (49% 3’s) and he has developing all-around skills too. He’s a solid passer and just understands the game. Lamb isn’t a great athlete and he’s thin though. Still, Lamb has drawn praise from Calipari as the best “pure basketball player” on the team (it’s a pretty true statement when you look at the roster too) and he should be able to up his scoring average to the 16-17 ppg area next year. Lamb will be an interesting 2012 or 2013 prospect. Depth comes from Soph. Stacey Poole, Poole is an athletic wing player who has the potential to be a very strong defender for UK. He can’t shoot and he’ll need time, but he’s worth a look for the future. Darius Miller and possibly Kidd-Gilchrist could play some time at SG. A lot of talent in the backcourt as well, a lot of youth though.

Overview- Kentucky’s surprise run to the Final 4 last year was great. They lose 3 main contributors (all NBA draft picks), but you know Calipari reloads. The frontline is loaded, arguably the best, at least top 2 or 3 in the country. Doron Lamb and Teague figures to be a fun to watch backcourt, especially offensively. Terrence Jones will need to grow up, but the talent is certainly there for him and he was still productive despite fading down the stretch. The Fr. class is tremendous, and they have role players who will add dimensions to the team. I’m a little worried about the youth in the backcourt, but they are crazy talented. This team could get knocked off in the Sweet 16, but they also should be able to play in the title game.