What one single player not returning

[bbnkat02]

Damn, you're from deep in the future. You already know UK will lose in 2105 and 3014?
Props!

3104 hurts man. Just don’t even watch. We barely scrape into the tournament with a play in game man and have to fight past the field of 128 only to get knocked out by Duke in the FF led by 24 points from Michael Higgins, which you guessed it, is the Roofers great great grandson. Hurts man.

 

[SemperFiCat]

This thread is more depressing than checking my 401K, while watching the news, while procrastinating doing my brakes on probably the last good weekend of the year.

Good thread though. We've certainly be 'one guy away' quite a few times. Although a lot of teams could say that, I guess. This isn't a knock on Cal, but if the stars had aligned with a little roster luck, we could've passed UCLA a long time ago. Titles are a hard thing to get in this sport. Feels like we're on the verge of one though.

 

[Gromcat_rivals]

Imagine the 2006 team with senior Azubuike and no Morris fax mess (and no rumored Rondo/Sparks hijinks).

Cousins in 2011 changes that UConn game, imho.

2006 Buike would have been fun.

 

[Aike]

Another one that hasn’t been mentioned yet is Antoine Walker. 97 was good enough to win it all, regardless. And, obviously, DA was the missing ingredient. But, if Walker returns for his JR season, we might not have even missed DA much, at all, & would’ve rolled to the championship, IMO.

Was thinking about this one.

Here’s another: Mash coming back as a Senior in 1994. Yikes.

 

[FFWhite]

Lee could not play slip up in a rain barrel. Any thought that he was a difference maker is revisionist history.

 

[Gromcat_rivals]

Was thinking about this one.

Here’s another: Mash coming back as a Senior in 1994. Yikes.

There’s one for the redo list. Mash on ‘94. I wonder how close he was to coming back? I was just 9/10 then, don’t remember anyone in my family talking about it.

 

[bucsrule8872]

There’s been a bunch just in the Cal era.

Meeks in 2010 is probably at the top.

How about this one for a different twist. A recruit we missed: Oscar Tshiebwe in 2019?

His presence would not have mattered for the 2020 team since there was no NCAA tourney, but with him back for 20-21, that probably keeps us from being a 9-16 team that year.

If Tshiebwe would have been here all along (which he says he wished he had been) then we probably still have the all-time wins record.

To me that’s as important as getting another title.

 

[Aike]

There’s one for the redo list. Mash on ‘94. I wonder how close he was to coming back? I was just 9/10 then, don’t remember anyone in my family talking about it.

I don’t think he was actually close to coming back. But adding him to ‘94 makes us the best team. We beat Arkansas at the SEC Tournament anyway, then were robbed in our seeding.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I’m honestly shocked that there is any debate that Meeks coming back wouldn’t have changed that outcome.

Yup. That team was missing one thing: a consistent outside threat.

Meeks was that threat. Plug him in at the 3 spot and go 3 guards with Wall, Bledsoe, and Meeks. Patterson and Cousins at the 4 and 5.

That team wins the title.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I don’t think he was actually close to coming back. But adding him to ‘94 makes us the best team. We beat Arkansas at the SEC Tournament anyway, then were robbed in our seeding.

Mash said goodbye on Senior night. He wasn’t coming back. He was in the discussion as the number one pick that year. Pitino said numerous times during the season that he was leaving. He was basically treated like a Senior all season.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I don’t think he was actually close to coming back. But adding him to ‘94 makes us the best team. We beat Arkansas at the SEC Tournament anyway, then were robbed in our seeding.

If we were talking injuries that cost us the title, Rodney Dent’s ACL in ‘94 cost us a shot at the title. We were 11-1 I believe, when he went down. He was having a really good season up to that point. We missed his muscle inside after he got hurt.

 

[Aike]

Mash said goodbye on Senior night. He wasn’t coming back. He was in the discussion as the number one pick that year. Pitino said numerous times during the season that he was leaving. He was basically treated like a Senior all season.

This is true, but worth noting that Grant Hill came back that same year and led Duke to the championship game.

So it wasn’t unheard of during that era for a player of that caliber to return.

 

[bucsrule8872]

This is true, but worth noting that Grant Hill came back that same year and led Duke to the championship game.

So it wasn’t unheard of during that era for a player of that caliber to return.

Good point, but Mash wasn’t coming back.

And Hill was a privileged son of a former pro athlete who didn’t need to go pro. Typical for Duke players, especially back then. They never left early.

 

[kybassfan]

First, there is no sure thing. If you think there is you have absolutely no clue what is going on in that tournament.

Biggest loss was Poythress. Dropped from the best team in the history of college basketball to merely outstanding and one of the best.

 

[bucsrule8872]

First, there is no sure thing. If you think there is you have absolutely no clue what is going on in that tournament.

Biggest loss was Poythress. Dropped from the best team in the history of college basketball to merely outstanding and one of the best.

More evidence that no matter how deep you are, injuries can ruin your season. You can scream to the cows come home that we need more depth, but no amount of depth will save you when an impact player goes down.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Marquis Estill. Add him to the 2004 (edited, thanks @Montana81) team and Tubby gets another banner. The ramifications to this timeline get real interesting. Does BCG happen? Does Calipari come here? Is Tubby just retiring from UK now if it happens?

Tubby would have blown it. Estill got owned against Williams and Marquette in 2003 so let's not overrated his value.

I agree with the OP that Meeks is the obvious answer. That team on paper goes 40-0 if healthy.

I'll go out in left field and say if Calipari could have somehow got Booker back another year and signed Murray that 3 guard lineup of Ulis, Murray and Booker would have been explosive. I know if Booker came back we probably don't get Murray but this is a fantasy thread anyways so im going big. I remember when we recruited Booker that he wasn't a 1 and done. He basically got their off a good half season as he wasnt good the 2nd half.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

There’s one for the redo list. Mash on ‘94. I wonder how close he was to coming back? I was just 9/10 then, don’t remember anyone in my family talking about it.

Mash was basically committed to the NBA Draft from the beginning of that 1993 season. Everyone knew he was declaring and he was gone. That’s why the Michigan game stung so badly.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

Right the kid could flat out it in the basket.
no way do you lose by not being able to hit a 3 with Jodie on the team. I would even guess that Jodie would make it much easier for wall and free some paint for Ppat to work. That team is very very hard to beat anyways and probably should’ve won the title anyways if not for maybe the worst shooting I’ve ever seen. fix their only weakness and boom

team almost won it and couldn’t throw it in the ocean while standing on the beach.

You must not've been around for the '84 fiasco against Georgetown?

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Getting a big man recruit to play with Ulis and Murray. That team was dynamic but didn’t have any bigs like we usually had.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Meeks 2010
Poythress 2017

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

This is my top choice, too. I loved Dicky Beal & the 84 team, but, have always wished Dirk Minniefield had one more year to run that team & play with both, Turpin & Bowie, together. A healthy Bowie in 83 would’ve made that happen. IMO, it would’ve been the perfectly constructed college basketball team.

Minniefield is, seemingly, one of the more underrated players dating back to the 80s. He had good size for a PG, played great defense &, was extremely quick & athletic. One of the best distributors I’ve seen at UK & he also had a nice chemistry with Bowie. He could shoot well enough to keep defenses honest, too, & beat his man off the dribble & score at the rim.

What a backcourt that was with Jim Master at the 2, who is one of the best shooters to ever play, here. At the 3 we were versatile with Derrick Hord, who was a prototypical college 3, &, could really shoot the ball. I think he avoids his SR year slump if Bowie had played. And, FR Kenny Walker saw plenty of time, there, too, although he was more of a post player.

Turpin & Bowie were absolutely dominant together in the paint. First 3 off the bench would’ve been either Hord or Walker, with Charles Hurt & Beal. That would’ve been a very strong 8 man rotation with the versatility to matchup with anyone & play any style, necessary. Walker was the only underclassman of the bunch, too. Everyone else would’ve played together 3-4 years, at that point. So, it would’ve been a well oiled machine on both ends.

We comfortably handle UL in the E8 & would’ve beaten Houston in the FF, too, IMO. No question in my mind we would’ve absolutely boat raced NCST in the championship game. If Bowie had never been injured, I think Joe B’s legacy is totally different & he wins at least one more championship. Maybe even 2.

Bowie was still able to take over games on both ends in 84, coming off the injuries & the 2 year absence. But, he wasn’t the same player & had lost a lot of mobility & athleticism. A never injured, 100% Bowie was as dominant as AD & is in the HOF, right now, IMO. Not saying Portland wouldn’t have regretted passing on MJ. But, Bowie wouldn’t be a draft day punchline, falsely labeled as one of the biggest draft busts, ever.

Dominant stretches after he came back, but Sam was never the shooter he'd been pre-injury. If you watch a game from '81 and then go to '84, the difference is stark. He was a reliable shooter out to 18 feet or so before getting hurt; after, it looked like he was throwing the ball at the basket from a position behind his head...Ugly w/ the capital U

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Andrew Wiggins in 2014
Charles Matthews in 2017
Dakari Johnson in 2016

 

[Dr.LutherSan]

Lee could not play slip up in a rain barrel. Any thought that he was a difference maker is revisionist history.

Bam played the second most minutes on that team...he needed help. Lee would have never been considered as a key piece of the offense, but his athleticism and defense would have really flourished with Fox, Monk, Briscoe, and Bam.

I'm not saying that UK would have won it all that year, but Lee would have done a better job on defense than Willis. I don't think that is debatable.

 

[kyjeff1]

Getting a big man recruit to play with Ulis and Murray. That team was dynamic but didn’t have any bigs like we usually had.

That would be Dakari Johnson. A 2nd year DJ greatly improves that 2016 squad.

 

[WildcatNC]

There’s been a bunch just in the Cal era.

Meeks in 2010 is probably at the top.

How about this one for a different twist. A recruit we missed: Oscar Tshiebwe in 2019?

His presence would not have mattered for the 2020 team since there was no NCAA tourney, but with him back for 20-21, that probably keeps us from being a 9-16 team that year.

If Tshiebwe would have been here all along (which he says he wished he had been) then we probably still have the all-time wins record.

To me that’s as important as getting another title.

Wonder how having Oscar and Cade Cunningham would have changed the outcomes in that covid period.

 

[JHannibalSmith]

Dominant stretches after he came back, but Sam was never the shooter he'd been pre-injury. If you watch a game from '81 and then go to '84, the difference is stark. He was a reliable shooter out to 18 feet or so before getting hurt; after, it looked like he was throwing the ball at the basket from a position behind his head...Ugly w/ the capital U

Yeah, even his shots in the paint looked bad. Almost like he was rushing, or, just throwing it up to get it on the rim & tap it back in. Such a shame. I’d imagine missing almost two years threw off his timing, badly. And, he probably realized he’d have to change his game & likely didn’t focus on his perimeter shooting like he did before he got hurt. I wish we could’ve seen 4 healthy years of him at UK. He could handle the ball very well for a big & was also a great passer. He had all the potential & skills to be one of the best big men of all time, prior to the injuries.

 

[BradleyCrawford08_rivals]

Jodie Meeks in 2009-10
Teague/Lamb in 2012-13
Dakari Johnson in 2015-16

 

[ganner918_rivals60369]

Very little chance he actually would have, but Antoine Walker in 1997 and we win going away. But he was the 6th pick after his sophomore year.

I don't know if it pushes us to a title, but Dakari on the 2016 team would have made a huge difference, we desperately needed muscle inside.

 

[ganner918_rivals60369]

2006 Buike would have been fun.

Yeah, but doesn't change the fact that we're playing Bobby Perry and Sheray Thomas at the 4. Would have pushed Crawford to the bench and Bradley out of the main rotation most likely. We'd be better, but that doesn't turn 22-13 into a title contender.

 

[kywildcatsfan#1]

Charles Matthews will always be an intriguing one since he helped carry Michigan to the National Championship game.

 

[king of cali]

2014 came pretty close to winning, right? What if you bring back Kyle Wiltjer in a slightly bigger role than he had on our 2012 championship team, and not as the guy we tried to play through in 2013? I think that may have been enough to have knocked off UConn.

That’s a really good pick.

 

[Panthur]

If I went outside and held up a basket Jodie Meeks could throw it in there from wherever he is right now if he was feeling it. And I’m in freaking Cynthiana.

 

[kyjeff1]

Charles Matthews will always be an intriguing one since he helped carry Michigan to the National Championship game.

Charles was never going to play meaningful minutes for Cal. He made the right decision.

 

[kywildcatsfan#1]

Charles was never going to play meaningful minutes for Cal. He made the right decision.

This entire thread is nothing but hypotheticals. Just looking to add something different than list the same names over and over.

 

[AFKY_Blue_RedsBengals]

That would be Dakari Johnson. A 2nd year DJ greatly improves that 2016 squad.

Would've been Junior season for Dakari.

 

[AFKY_Blue_RedsBengals]

Meeks 2010
Poythress 2017

Poythress was the muscle that team was missing alongside Bam.

 

[bucsrule8872]

That would be Dakari Johnson. A 2nd year DJ greatly improves that 2016 squad.

Johnson was the missing ingredient in 2016. We would have been much better with his presence inside. Definitely a contender. Ulis, Murray, Poythress, Labissiere, and Johnson starting with Briscoe as sixth man.

 

[DaDirtyLeb69]

In 2016 team, had any post presence at all to go with ulis and Murray, they would have been a serious problem. Dakari Johnson and trey Lyles come back to that team or one or the other and that team is a serious problem

 

[kyblue'92]

Jamaal Magloire

 

[Drcats2025]

That’s a really good pick.

Thank you, king. It was a thought provoking question and I feel I gave an appropriate answer. Grom already said Meeks, who was the most obvious.