Kentucky/North Carolina

[bajaden]

Kentucky is about to face North Carolina on CBS in about 5 minutes. First giant matchup of the college season. The game is loaded with first round draft picks. Anthony Davis, Terrence Jones, Michael Gilchrist, Marquis Teague and Doron Lamb, are all first round picks for Kentucky and Harrison Barnes, John Henson, James McAdoo, Ty Zeller, and Kendall Marshall are all potential first round picks for North Carolina..

If your a draft nut, this is a game to follow...

 

[MassachusettsKingsFan]

As good as advertised so far. Very entertaining first half.

I'm not impressed ( and haven't been ) with Teague. I'd also like to see Davis show something in the second half.

I'm very impressed with Terrence Jones and John Henson .. not just because they are playing well, but that they seem to be getting better overall. You can see improvements on offense from both of them over last year. I love how Marshall plays. Gilchrist has also surprised me. He seems very feisty.

 

[bajaden]

As good as advertised so far. Very entertaining first half.

I'm not impressed ( and haven't been ) with Teague. I'd also like to see Davis show something in the second half.

I'm very impressed with Terrence Jones and John Henson .. not just because they are playing well, but that they seem to be getting better overall. You can see improvements on offense from both of them over last year. I love how Marshall plays. Gilchrist has also surprised me. He seems very feisty.

Teague is very talented, but its going to take some time with him. He's plays one of the toughest positions in PG. Marshall is a terrific PG, but lacks the athleticism of Teague. Quite a contrast between them. If you were going to pick on now, it would definitely be Marshall, but if for the long term, possibly Teague. I absolutely love Gilchrist. This is the 8th time I've seen him play this year. When this kid develops his outside shot, he has star written all over him.

Terrence Jones has really improved from last year. More under control and stronger. I still have problems with Barnes. Good shooter, but still very one deminsonal. Doesn't rebound all that well at the college level, so I don't see it getting any better in the pro's. Barnes is very dependet on having a good PG get him the ball. Most of his pt's are assisted pt's. Doesn't create for himself that well. Thats OK as long as you know what your getting.

Hariston and Miller are both guys for both teams that will play in the NBA. Both are glue guys

 

[spudfan]

Lamb looks solid to me. He can penetrate and seems to have a good stroke on that last 3.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Gilchrist would appear to be a great fit for us at SF if we could land him. I'm not getting to see this game but I'll get the highlights. So many great prospects in this game.

 

[bajaden]

Gilchrist would appear to be a great fit for us at SF if we could land him. I'm not getting to see this game but I'll get the highlights. So many great prospects in this game.

Gilchrist had a great game, and if he could shoot like Barnes, he'd be top two in the draft. Terrific defender and rebounder. And its all just on effort. The kid really has a fire in his belly. As for the game, I hope you DVR'd it. It was a great game, and I can't remember the last time there were that many top players in one college game.

 

[Uncia03]

Yeah, this was just a great game.

This was my second time to see T. Jones play this year, and I have to say that he really has stepped up his game.
I don't like some of the outside shots he was taking in the 2nd half, but he carried the team in the first half. And that face-up, ball-fake, then one dribble power-dunk over Henson was one of the best plays I've seen him make. It showed more poise and patience then I typically saw from him last year. And as always, his hustle on the defensive end was great.

Gilchrist also really played a great game, he had the assignment of guarding NC's best player in Barnes, and did a good job, while also being incredibly active on the glass and taking over the scoring load for parts of the 2nd half.

Davis didn't have anywhere near the jaw-dropping game that he had against St. Johns, and I think you have to really credit Zeller for that. But Davis definitely had a huge impact to this game.

Barnes is just so much better at this time this year compared to last year. He's shooting the ball with a lot more confidence, but Gilchrist really did a good job limiting his effectiveness to basically catch-and-shoot. It also really hurt Barnes when he picked up his 3rd foul while still in the 1st half. That really kills your ability to be aggressive, when you're dealing with foul trouble, and Barnes was clearly a victim to that.

Anyway, a fantastic game and it lived up to all the hype.

 

[bajaden]

Funny comment by one of the scouts at the game. He said he Kentucky ranked third now, right behind the Heat and the Lakers.. Just a wee bit of an exaggeration.

 

[kingsboi]

I didn't watch this game but I've watched some North Carolina this season and I have to admit...I love Harrison Barnes' game. However, I don't see us being top 5 pick bad this season and that's where he most likely will end up going. But hey, good thing this is supposed to be a very deep draft so I am sure Petrie will find a gem somewhere.

 

[Telemachus]

I didn't watch this game but I've watched some North Carolina this season and I have to admit...I love Harrison Barnes' game. However, I don't see us being top 5 pick bad this season and that's where he most likely will end up going. But hey, good thing this is supposed to be a very deep draft so I am sure Petrie will find a gem somewhere.

I like a lot of the things that Barnes can do, but I am not sure he will be a top 5 pick in the next draft. There are a lot of talented Freshmen in college this season and I wouldn't be surprised if he went lower than 5th.

 

[Uncia03]

I like a lot of the things that Barnes can do, but I am not sure he will be a top 5 pick in the next draft. There are a lot of talented Freshmen in college this season and I wouldn't be surprised if he went lower than 5th.

I personally had Barnes 3rd at the end of last year behind Irving and Williams. I didn't even have him in the top 15 in the first half of the year, so he really stepped up his game in the 2nd half of the season.
As to how it plays out this year, it's just way to early to tell. This is just going to be a great draft, which is why I'm torn on the Hickson trade. I want us to make the play-offs which would cost us our 1st round pick, so I hope that Hickson really delivers and makes it worth it. (And if we don't make the play-offs we have a very good chance of getting a quality player this year, even with a pick in the teens)

At the same time, this is such a young team, that it's to the point that we really need veteran experience more than young talent in order to see this team really take the next steps. So as much as I'd love to see the team take on some salary this year in exchange for draft picks, I don't see that being the direction the team takes.

I think a lot of where these players end up will be dependent on the draft order. I mean, there is absolutely no way that Tristan Thompson goes 4th overall if Cleveland doesn't end up with both the 1st and 4th picks.

Anyway, a fantastic game, and I'm looking forward to seeing how these players compete for the top picks this year.

 

[Dime Dropper]

Finally got around to watching this in its entirety. Davis came up big in the end, has talent but desperately needs to put on weight. Not sure I've ever seen as big a prospect be as skinny. Durant turned out fine, though.

I really like Terrence Jones. I think he can play SF at the next level. He's very competitive, plays tough defense and is developing offensively. He leaves everything on the floor and that is the kind of guy we could do with.

Pretty much the same for Gilchrist. Had a great game and tough competitor.

Encouraged by Henson's development, showed some nice offensive moves. He's another guy that really needs to add weight.

 

[bajaden]

Finally got around to watching this in its entirety. Davis came up big in the end, has talent but desperately needs to put on weight. Not sure I've ever seen as big a prospect be as skinny. Durant turned out fine, though.

I really like Terrence Jones. I think he can play SF at the next level. He's very competitive, plays tough defense and is developing offensively. He leaves everything on the floor and that is the kind of guy we could do with.

Pretty much the same for Gilchrist. Had a great game and tough competitor.

Encouraged by Henson's development, showed some nice offensive moves. He's another guy that really needs to add weight.

Believe it or not, Henson has put on around 20 pounds of weight this past summer. Of course when you spread 20 or so pounds over his body, its not that noticable. Anthony is going to be a great player. No doubt he's definitely on the thin side, but remember just 18 months ago he was a 6'2" guard. He grew around 8 inches in that time. He also has a 7'5" wingspan.