If the Twins Leave, Where Will UK Look?
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Courtesy of 247sports.com[/caption]
If the Harrison twins decide to enter the 2014 NBA Draft in the coming weeks, UK may have to work quickly to fill the backcourt if Calipari deems additional depth is necessary to succeed next season. With the guards from the high school ranks that could make an immediate impact already committed, Kentucky's only option will be the players eligible to play immediately as graduate transfers. While there are a host of quality players looking to transfer that would have to wait out a season (notably Eron Harris of West Virginia), there are very few graduate transfers that Kentucky could play immediately. The only real option for UK is UNLV's leading scorer from last season, Bryce Dejean-Jones.
The 6'5" shooting guard originally went to Southern Cal as a highly touted recruit, but he immediately ran into issues ranging from dismissal by the school, complaints about playing time, and altercations with teammates. He transferred to UNLV and played fairly well, but was suspended for the last game of the regular season for undisclosed reasons. These two cases raise some red flags that Dejean-Jones could very well be a toxic player in the locker room, but tougher cases than BDJ have seen dramatic turnarounds in the past when they are given their final chance with the graduate transfer rule.
Dejean-Jones is making his first visit to Iowa State, a team with a knack for having success with transfers. They turned Deandre Kane into a star this season and will likely be making that pitch to Dejean-Jones on his visit. If Dejean-Jones waits long enough on his decision for the Twins to determine their status for next season, it's very likely that he would make a visit to UK. Perhaps a strong personality like Calipari could be the voice of reason to keep Dejean-Jones from falling into past mistakes.
The other possible option with Dejean-Jones is that he will select to play professionally overseas. With the problems he has had in the college landscape, playing pro across the Atlantic might be the most plausible option. However, the departure of the Twins would leave a depleted backcourt at UK that BDJ could fill in quite nicely.
Courtesy of 247sports.com[/caption]
If the Harrison twins decide to enter the 2014 NBA Draft in the coming weeks, UK may have to work quickly to fill the backcourt if Calipari deems additional depth is necessary to succeed next season. With the guards from the high school ranks that could make an immediate impact already committed, Kentucky's only option will be the players eligible to play immediately as graduate transfers. While there are a host of quality players looking to transfer that would have to wait out a season (notably Eron Harris of West Virginia), there are very few graduate transfers that Kentucky could play immediately. The only real option for UK is UNLV's leading scorer from last season, Bryce Dejean-Jones.
The 6'5" shooting guard originally went to Southern Cal as a highly touted recruit, but he immediately ran into issues ranging from dismissal by the school, complaints about playing time, and altercations with teammates. He transferred to UNLV and played fairly well, but was suspended for the last game of the regular season for undisclosed reasons. These two cases raise some red flags that Dejean-Jones could very well be a toxic player in the locker room, but tougher cases than BDJ have seen dramatic turnarounds in the past when they are given their final chance with the graduate transfer rule.
Dejean-Jones is making his first visit to Iowa State, a team with a knack for having success with transfers. They turned Deandre Kane into a star this season and will likely be making that pitch to Dejean-Jones on his visit. If Dejean-Jones waits long enough on his decision for the Twins to determine their status for next season, it's very likely that he would make a visit to UK. Perhaps a strong personality like Calipari could be the voice of reason to keep Dejean-Jones from falling into past mistakes.
The other possible option with Dejean-Jones is that he will select to play professionally overseas. With the problems he has had in the college landscape, playing pro across the Atlantic might be the most plausible option. However, the departure of the Twins would leave a depleted backcourt at UK that BDJ could fill in quite nicely.
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