The small forward spot HAS to be a 40%+ three point shooter. With a lineup of Moreno, Freeman/Rancik, Diallo, and Wilkins, there needs to be at least one knockdown shooter.
Well maybe we shouldn't expect him to play similarly to some of the literal greatest of all time haha.
But could he have a similar role to say...KCP? (in the pros)
A legit 3&D wing who makes winning plays. I think he absolutely can be that.
That’s why you want Kam there. He shot something like 46% from three in conference play last year IIRC. Might be off some, going off memory.
Fair point but I’m as high on KW as village idiot is. I think it is hard to judge any individual off of last year’s team. Something was off with that group. I’m not saying it was anything nefarious but that team as a whole was dysfunctional.
There was one random off season mock...not by any major evaluator, that had him has a first rounder. I have never seen Woo, Givony, or Vecinie even have him on their mock or list. Better dribble penetration will help him but this is hopium.
I agree with this. I like being able to use Kam at the 4. Just have to see what other pieces we have to slot in at the 3 when he’s on the court.
Will need a multi dimensional 4 for this to work best as we saw defenses camping on Mo and MM last year.
It was before this last disaster of a season. Several had him as first round. Some as high as mid lottery. He didn’t show that potential playing on last year’s squad but of course I hope he reaches that potential. Otherwise it’s just cynicism.
I agree. If we get Stokes, Kam is primary 2g backup and 6th man. Hawthorne is SF backup.
Respectfully disagree. Need 2 PF, one that can play backup center. Also add Stokes, if not, try to grab a Sf. Would like to see Kam as 6th man and primary 2g backup. I think Hawthorne is very capable of being sf backup.
Agreed, if was obvious from the beginning, last year’s team didn’t have much chemistry or fit well together.
Comparing him to the #1 ranked recruit and 5 NBA Hall of famers? Cam's role for Pope last year was to spread the floor. Pretty sure it will be again this coming season, opening up driving lanes for Zoom and Wilkins.
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I agree with this. Would love a backup hybrid 4/5 option. With the C market explosion that might be why we haven’t heard of many options there.
What?! I assume this is sarcasm.
kam/hawthorne/noah would probably rank in the 100-150 range for SF position.
I don’t disagree. A multi-dimensional 4 would go a long way.
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Barely anyone. Versatility and size seem to be the priority right now in the latest trends of CBB
They will make that flight if you pay them to. So it's been said.
Haha, there are many CBB SFs that play versatile like the GOAT guys, was just tossing out names that people would immediately recognize.
Way too small and can’t rebound at all, has the height though zero physicality, still need to be able to help some in the post as a stretch PF.
that doesn't really make sense to me. Stokes is their #1 priority and the biggest piece of the roster they are trying to build around, If Stokes is such a huge piece, it doesn't make since to just ride with the presumed backups behind him.
It does if you understand this:
One budget for Stokes specifically
A much lesser budget without Stokes.
^ This is the reason
Just tossed out names many would immediately recognize, I personally don’t believe he’s a top CBB SF, hope he is, though last season he showed next to nothing. Aberdeen would have been a tremendously better fit, IMO.
Financially sure, but that's kind of like saying, "If we lose Moreno to the draft, we'll just rock with Potter" (not to that extreme but you get my point.)
I don't really understand having a huge priority and then not filling it.
That's fair, but Michigan had Dusty May and the number one player in the transfer portal and UConn had Dan Hurley and a loaded roaster (their starting lineup consisted of four All-Big East team and one All-Big East Freshmen team)
Mark Pope is a mediocre coach and a TBD roster. That's a lot to overcome if UK intends to return to relevancy.
It’s more like the coaching staff are working on building a full roster that’s ready to go. Think of that roster as a milkshake. They have a fully prepared milkshake. There is possibility of adding a cherry on top. If they can add it, wonderful. If they can’t, they’ll go with the milkshake.
We all hope we get Stokes. I don’t know if we will.
But what if the cherry was the best part? And the milkshake was pretty mediocre without it but amazing with it?
Hopefully he takes a nice jump next year. He really started playing well before his injury.
Top 35 redshirted player from the loaded 2025 class, the best player on our team last year, and a failsafe third stringer. Yeah, sounds terrible.
Oweh's contribution from the three? Like, charging into the middle of a collapsed defense and then getting the ball mugged from him?
Love Oweh and what he did for us. Don't think he's irreplaceable, though. Pope even said he didn't follow the system and ad-libbed. Easy to see why when you aren't great from three and have a slow release.
Again, love Oweh, but I think it's fine we're moving on.
I'm standing my ground. I like Kam and I think Hawthorne will do well if he's put on any weight whatsoever.
Just my 2¢, I'm sure the board will have some strong opinions in response to mine lol.
Huh?! It’s now looking like we aren’t gonna get Stokes?! We have better shot now than we’ve had in months. I don’t understand your comment.
This! Why are people worried about the 3 spot. I don’t get it.
Your bar is set quite high there. The consensus best player in HS and a bunch of top 50/100 all time players in the NBA. Lmao
lol momcilovic has 0 post game and he’s probably who’d we’d go after if not stokes much more value in a high level shooter especially with the guards we already have
There is no budget limit for Pope. He can commit to pay whatever is needed.
He can pay Stokes $10 mil and have plenty of money left. And he should. His job is counting on it.
I hope some of y’all are right about KW. But he was supposedly rounding into form when he got hurt. OK, that’s his form. The last 3 games he played before he got hurt and had rounded into form he got 3 rounds. Not 3 per game, 3.
On a bad rebounding team. It’s not like there was an Oscar out there getting them all and no extras to be found.
That’s our 3 or 4?
Pope needs to just ask Stokes point blank, “how much to play for UK?”.
Then pay it.
He can pay Stokes $10 mil and have plenty of money left. And he should. His job is counting on it.
I hope some of y’all are right about KW. But he was supposedly rounding into form when he got hurt. OK, that’s his form. The last 3 games he played before he got hurt and had rounded into form he got 3 rounds. Not 3 per game, 3.
On a bad rebounding team. It’s not like there was an Oscar out there getting them all and no extras to be found.
That’s our 3 or 4?
Pope needs to just ask Stokes point blank, “how much to play for UK?”.
Then pay it.
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