Any in state kids that are good enough to play here, I want them here. Especially two kids that are that close to Lexington.
So when the dust settles, do Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno end up at KY ?
- Thread starter Uncle Adolph_rivals58629
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It would be very cool if they both can here.
I get wanting kids to stay in state and play and wanting them to do good but is there really any dominant players in state besides them 2
Ehh, I don't want to turn into IU. So I would rather not just recruit kids because they are from KY.
Sounds like Jasper has talent but struggles a lot with consistency and trying to do too much.
I know nothing of the Moreno kid other than he plays for Great Crossing for a very overrated coach.
Sounds like Jasper has talent but struggles a lot with consistency and trying to do too much.
I know nothing of the Moreno kid other than he plays for Great Crossing for a very overrated coach.
stupid take^. Both are pretty highly rated players regardless of living in Kentucky or not.
Obviously reading and comprehending weren't collective skills you picked up on.
obviously being basketball smart isn't something you picked up on and it obviously matters if they can play in popes' system. you act like Indiana just gets Indiana guys, i think Indiana's problem is Indiana hasn't found a good coach yet. If players are ranked good and can play in Pope's system hopefully they end up at Kentucky.
I think both are more than capable of contributing at UK. I don't see it as a "turn into IU" approach at all.
What's hilarious is to raise the "turn into IU" card in a totally unrelated context and for no apparent reason, then instead of going back and editing it or just admitting even to yourself it was an egregious comparison, you keep digging in on it.
It wasn't really egregious or at all incorrect. I really don't want to turn into IU. A large reason they routinely suck and have for years is they take way too many in-state players that aren’t good enough.
You do get that not everyone is required to share the same opinions, correct?
Just because you have an opinion doesn't make it right though...... Nothing about reading comprehension or lack there of. You think you are smarter than everyone else for whatever reason. It's not that teams take players from their states that make them mediocre. It is the type of players and the coach they have coaching which makes them mediocre. If the kids can win games for you and you really don't know until they step on to campus so saying taking in state kids will make you Indiana is sorta ridiculous.
Nor does it make it wrong...
You're free to point out specifically what you think I am wrong about. Something tells me you won't be able to.
Really, Duke an UNC are building rosters out of NC players?
Just looked. UNC had 3 walks on from NC on their last team, and then a grad transfer from UL that was from NC.
Duke's current roster has 1.
Um...VA isn't in NC.
IU's current roster has 4 of their 12. So 1/3 of the team. And they will inevitably suck.
Indiana in comparison has lots of good high school players. Kentucky if they have Highly rated players maybe they are worth a look and it depends on who's coaching them. Hell our championship team and alot of good kentucky teams had 3 to 4 kentucky kids. The whole taking instate talent will make you suck is a dumb take. Regardless of how much you say it..
Plus you know end of argument what made indiana good was Bob Knight. Who had all 5 of their championships end of discussion..
Damn why did this thread turn into a ***** Fest?
They do, but the good ones tend to go elsewhere. Who are your top IU HS products the last decade?
Our last championship team had 1. 98 we had 2.
96 had 4, but one was suspended all season and another was a redshirt.
It's not dumb at all, which is why you've been unable to point out a team that's had recent success doing it that way. So far, you've just been proving my point for me.
IU has had F4 teams since Knight.
Jasper is a UNC fan and the Moreno is Adidas
Wouldnt be surprised to see Jasper at UNC and Moreno at UL for those reasons. and it wouldnt be a knock on Pope or his recruiting ability.
Wouldnt be surprised to see Jasper at UNC and Moreno at UL for those reasons. and it wouldnt be a knock on Pope or his recruiting ability.
From the Mississippi River to the Big Sandy River to the Ohio River to the Tennessee and Virginia borders. If they live in any of the 120 counties and are good enough to play at UK, they need to be here.
They are both top 25 recruits that, in my opinion, would put a staple that Pope can at least recruit at a very high level and ease a lot of doubt in some peoples minds. I don’t see how in this world anybody could say they would not take either player. In Popes first couple years, it’s more than just basketball. It’s proving, in more than one way, that you are a big dog. Getting two top 25 players in your state helps that.
I don’t disagree that Jasper is good enough, and I stated I know very little about Moreno.
I do know Jasper is talented but very inconsistent. So that is a concern.
However, I don't think Moreno is a concensus top 25 player.
So does Pope suck if Moreno is pushed to an adidas school because of adidas and Jasper chooses his favorite team UNC?
I know the Johnson family was not happy when Mitch kicked the late Alvis Johnson to the curb about 20 years ago. Now that was a long time ago, but it warrants mentioning since Jasper is his grandson. I still think he ends up here FWIW.
Moreno, no clue.
Moreno, no clue.
UK has had some excellent ballplayers from Indiana. If IU could keep the Indiana kids home, they would be hard to handle year in and year out. Definitely not an IU fan, but there is a reason why IU dominates the yearly ky/ind summer all-star game.
Johnson
Moreno
Magwood
These guys are in state talents in ‘25 and can play.
If these three want to be here, they should be here.
If they want to go elsewhere, that’s fine, but I want it to be their choice.
Pope is obviously recruiting Johnson very hard. He doesn’t want to lose a kid who is basically from Lexington.
He is also going strong for Moreno.
I hope he goes after Magwood, but I don’t know if he is a priority.
I am happy that he is pursuing them, but I won’t want to run him out of town if he doesn’t land them.
So for me, I guess the term “must get” is a little too strong.
There’s really no such thing as a “must get.”
But I “strongly desire” getting those three.
I think Pope does as well (at least with Johnson and Moreno).
And in ‘26, Pope better be all over Stokes.
Moreno
Magwood
These guys are in state talents in ‘25 and can play.
If these three want to be here, they should be here.
If they want to go elsewhere, that’s fine, but I want it to be their choice.
Pope is obviously recruiting Johnson very hard. He doesn’t want to lose a kid who is basically from Lexington.
He is also going strong for Moreno.
I hope he goes after Magwood, but I don’t know if he is a priority.
I am happy that he is pursuing them, but I won’t want to run him out of town if he doesn’t land them.
So for me, I guess the term “must get” is a little too strong.
There’s really no such thing as a “must get.”
But I “strongly desire” getting those three.
I think Pope does as well (at least with Johnson and Moreno).
And in ‘26, Pope better be all over Stokes.
It is pretty simple. Never sign a kid because he is from KY, and never NOT sign a kid because he is from KY. If they are good enough on the national level, UK should offer. But this thing where SOME posters want to see 4/5 KY kids on the roster every year is just dumb. Recently there has been some really good / talented kids that can play for UK, but 4/5 a year, that is not the case. I think Moreno with a little bit of maturing and weight / strength will be a very good, UK caliber player. I hope he ends up here, Jasper also, BUT he has to work on his shot selection and turnovers. He takes way too many bad shots, tries to do too much. JMO.
If they play the needed position and fits what Coach is looking for they should be recruited. That is why a player is recruited. If they happen to be Ky kids then great.
Kentucky is considered the heavy favorites for both Johnson and Moreno, right?
I would be ecstatic if they commit this summer. That would be a great start to this class for Coach.
I would be ecstatic if they commit this summer. That would be a great start to this class for Coach.
You used the plural "teams" proving you either don't know better or are being intentionally misleading.
In fact, since 1994 -- SIX YEARS BEFORE KNIGHT WAS FIRED -- Indiana has advanced past the Sweet 16 EXACTLY ONE TIME. That was a fluke run in 2002 to the Final game abetted by a Duke collapse (at Rupp) where they gave up an 18-point second half lead, and some other bracket dominos that helped them.
So, no, Indiana has not had F4 'teams" since Knight. In more than 30 seasons they had ONE team go past the Sweet 16, and on to the F4. No other Indiana team has even made the Elite Eight in that time.
Difference is Kentucky finds good coaches or decent ones who can actually assemble teams. We have 5 different coaches win a championship here. It wasn't because of players either being from Kentucky or not being from Kentucky either. It has to do with finding the right fits. So if they are the right fits from Kentucky let them join.
