Where is Willis going? Updated see it live!!!!

I used to have big paragraphs too…there’s no right way, but that worked for me.

Internet updates are weird that way—it needs more paragraphs than actual normal writing.

he was still a first rounder but low enough that with the lockout it wasn’t worth the risk. Still let’s say that two guys from each class go the Terrance Jones way. That means the current 2011 class wouldn’t be there in 2013 anyway and the 2012 class would leave two guys to compete with as sophomores. No juniors or seniors will be able to produce on the level Willis can so they aren’t a factor. So two sophomores, let’s say 4 freshmen and Willis make up the team. 7 players sharing 5 spots is hardly intimidating for a top 25 kid.

There aren’t enough to kill playing time for him. The only reason Wiltjer is not getting more time is because there are three NBA caliber upperclassmen as well. It won’t be the case for UK in 2013. At worst Willis is first off the bench.

The mentioned targeted 2012 guys are all one and done. So if they choose UK it won’t affect Willis.

it is damn near impossible to find 5 other players in that 2013 class that will all go to one school capable of pushing Willis out of a starting spot. You recruit for a #23 prospect, because it is impossible to recruit over him.

The reason Wiltjer is “only” getting 14 minutes a game is because Darius Miller, Jones and Lamb are all first round caliber upperclassmen and ahead of him in the lineup. Willis would have no such thing in front of him, because the one current guy in 2012 that isn’t a one and done is a center and only Wiltjer and Teague have a minute chance of still being around in 2013.

Just not a plausible scenario for Willis to fear being recruited over. There is no over. In fact the only place of his top four schools that he would currently have to worry about competing for playing time is Indiana because as charlespig pointed out there would be a large contingency of veteran depth he’d have to battle with for time. Although, I don’t believe that will necessarily be a problem either because in IU’s offense he could play 3-4 different positions.

supplemented by a couple upperclassmen. There will be no upperclassmen left in 2013. That’s the difference.

thousands of recruits. It is hard to finagle your way through college when the NCAA only has to keep an eye on 3000 kids at most and each team has its own governing body to help. Compliance departments and high profile programs don’t get away with smudging the books when the kids hit campus.

the help is available but students must be willing to use it. I know several athletes that didn’t make it through their college careers that had triple the advantages that a normal college student doesn’t get. Can lead a horse to water but….

you’re assuming there’s a happy ending …. That, on the other hand, is not guaranteed to lottery picks

So, one more year of being a god at Kentucky and he becomes Warren Buffett? Please.

I think the decommitment and subsequent recruiting run on him by the region’s powers has put him in a position where he can’t avoid the spotlight. In the end, I think he’s a kid that has gone through the whole process and seen what every school has to offer and is ready to be done with it. Of course a lot of that is projection from what I’ve read and been told about the kid, but I think the situation he got himself into has made him look worse in the public eye than he actually is. Such is the life of a 16 year old who is good at basketball in the midwest.

Can’t say I envy him because no matter his decision he’s going to be shit on by 3 large fan bases. Purdue will call him sketchy and claim he’s getting paid. Kentucky will call him a blood traitor. Louisville will despise his existence for spurning their advances and Indiana will call him an idiot and worthless anyway. Funny how one decision of uncertainty has made him a toxic person to anyone that didn’t land him. He’s apparently a hard working, humble and friendly kid who now has a bad rap. It’s unfortunate.

Aren’t we stacked for guards coming in? We need more bigs IMO. Although it would be pretty cool to see opponents confused on which scott to guard. Brenton would be Brysons decoy.

he got a ton of pressure to stay in state, he made the smart decision and chose the program that was, in my opinion, best for him. Not so sure Willis is willing to take on a similar pressure. Harris knew and received/receiving backlash for going to MSU. Isn’t that the reason that Willis decommited in the first place?

you’re not as hard on your 3 year old as you are on Willis. Yikes!

LBJ has millions of dollars in capitol gains, salaries, sponsorship, investments etc.. he’s also 27 years old. His decision, while dickish and definitely bridge burning to the city of cleveland, is still with the confines of business. Going to Miami isnt exactly a life altering decision.

This 15 year old, has no income, no guarantee that he will receive basketball income in the next 4 years, and probably hit puberty 3-4 years ago? His decision is in fact, LIFE altering. could his family have handled it better, yes. But he didnt burn his bridge with us, he didnt openly insult Purdue, he backed out to re-evaluate his life altering choice, and now he’s making another one this week. Regardless of that choice, I forgive him.

You’re on some kinda streak for getting flamed around here. It’s getting kind of scary.

Thats slightly more encouraging than I thought.

I assumed Purdue was last place… Interesting

I don’t really have high expectations. I just feel the chance he recommits is higher than what people are saying. I would love to have him but I’d totally be fine if we didn’t get him. I think with what we already have now plus what is committed in the next two years we should be very good. If he comes and is very good that means someone like Hale or Simpson won’t get much playing time and I don’t like that either.

Was Mr. Indiana in 1975 out of Peru High School. One of the great free throw shooters in college basketball history. A first round NBA draft pick. Three time All-American.

I thought it was going to say: “Do you like a coach that makes you feel like you are shopping for a used car?” Then Cal is your man.

go watch his old college teams at UMass, yeesh. He’s a much much better coach now than when he was 38.

It’s unquestioned that DeMarcus Cousins played his best, most undisciplined ball under Coach Cal. Cal provoked the proper ratio of fear and respect out of Cousins, which allowed him to play at such a high level. When the Kings coach was fired, there were people who seriously wondered if Sacramento would go after Cal, the theory being he’s the only guy who could get the most out of Cousins. I wouldn’t question whether or not his teams are disciplined; the Wall/Cousins year ended with 6 UK players (including, if I remember correctly, five freshmen) drafted, which is unbelievable. What I would question is whether this approach of essentially refreshing your team every year is enough to win a championship. So far he hasn’t proved that it has.

Cal’s system is the dribble-drive, which relies on a highly skilled point guard (which he does specifically recruit for) and a bunch of athletic and versatile wings (commonly known as “four around one”, where the one is a true post player used for screening and grabbing rebounds). That system is not as tight as some programs – given that there are no set plays, rather it relies on its PG to make quick decisions based on what the defense offers. It’s more complicated that just roll the ball out and let ‘em play. In fact, the next time Purdue you’ll see elements of DDM (Dribble-Drive-Motion).

And we all know the Northeast is an absolute hotbed of college athletes with UMass being a perennial powerhouse.

but I’ve watched several of his coaching DVDs so a lot of it makes sense to me. He coaches based on basketball IQ. If you notice a lot of his players are extremely gifted athletically but also have high basketball IQs. If you know how to think basketball he’ll definitely get you to play it at a high level.

As for his recruiting process, I think that’s what keeps him from a NC. Needs a couple more multi-year players.

Interesting article. Kentucky recruiting is so fluid, you just can’t be sure who will pop into their spotlight. Not sure it’s in Willis’ best interests to go to Kentucky, simply because it’s very difficult to predict anything in regards to what the roster may be at any future point. There’s five non-commits in Scout.com’s top 21 and I could see Kentucky having their choice out of the 5 of them. And 3 of them are PF/C and Pollard could easily develop into a PF, if he really isn’t one already. Willis could easily get buried.

http://www.aseaofblue.com/2012/1/5/2684563/kentucky-basketball-recruiting-quick-update-unveils-two-new-2012