Ryan Harrow, Kyle Wiltjer, and the Art of the Pick and Pop

Depending on how the Montrezl Harrell situation plays out, its possible that John Calipari could end up missing out on every elite power forward prospect in the 2012 class. If you told me that Calipari, possibly the greatest recruiter ever, would struggle finding players coming off of his first national title, I would simply call you a liar. But it has happened, and no one could have seen it coming. Wiltjer is the lone player left from the championship team that played significant minutes. He is also the most logical starter at the four spot next season, even with a Harrell commitment. What Wiltjer brings to the basketball court is special. He is a lengthy, 6'9 forward, that is deadly from beyond the arc. Its a lethal combination, and teams are going to struggle to guard him. You can't put a smaller guy on Wiltjer because he can just shoot over them, and usually the power forwards that would have to guard him, aren't comfortable playing defense at the perimeter. Perfecting a pick and pop play for Wiltjer and point guard, Ryan Harrow, would not only give him a signature way to score buckets, it would also be a play that Coach Cal's offense would be able to rely on when the offense stagnates. So, how does a pick and pop play work? Well here is a tutorial that I found: It's been a long time since Calipari had an experienced point guard running his show. From what I've seen of Harrow, he's an explosive, heady, point guard that will thrive in the dribble drive offense. There won't be a learning curve for him after a year of participating in Kentucky practices. With Harrow knowing the offense, it will help ease the freshmen into their collegiate careers as well. There will be no doubt that at some point Calipari will have to rely on the experience of Harrow and Wiltjer, and the pick and pop is the perfect play to cater to the strengths of both these players.