Kentucky's Backcourt Quagmire
Article by Brad King
Much has been made in the off season about Kentucky's lack of depth in the backcourt. After losing Ramel Bradley, Joe Crawford, and Derrick Jasper; Kentucky is left with having to fill the void left by the loss of UK's 2 most prolific guards and perhaps the most reliable ball handler on the team in Jasper. However, it's not all bad for the UK guards. Assuming they will both become eligible (which as reported by AlleyOopScoop.com's David Money is probable), Kevin Galloway and DeAndre Liggins are a step in the right direction.
The Kentucky backcourt consists of three point guards and a shooting guard. . Liggins at 6'6 and Galloway at 6'7 will inevitably create a barrage of mismatches for just about any opponent the team will see next season. Both are highly athletic players and good defenders due to their quickness and size. Michael Porter returns for his 3rd season at Kentucky, and while he might be a role player, it's very possible he could receive a good amount of playing time at shooting guard filling in for Jodie Meeks.
The biggest probalem this team faces is rooted in the backcourt. Kentucky has one reliable outside shooter in Jodie Meeks, who could very well face more injuries in the future. After Meeks, Kentucky's perimeter shooting is on the shoulders of players such as Liggins and Galloway (who are not good outside shooters by any stretch of the imagination), Darius Miller, Ramon Harris, and Michael Porter. The shooting contribution of the new comers, in this light, could very well mean the difference in 20 wins or 25 wins.
In short concerning the backcourt,
the good:
Size
Athleticism
Ballhandling
Defense
Rebounding
The Bad:
Untested freshman and JUCO transfers
Lack of shooting prowess
Updates From Abroad
I heard a couple of things from very good sources today.
DeAndre Liggins- will most likely be ruled eligible. Barring something crazy from the NCAA.
Jon Wall- I heard that Oklahoma St. is the most likely destination. This, like everything is subject to change, but please be prepared as this is a good possibility.
I am not the kind of person to post that this kid is going here or there, so please don't think that this is being posted for publicity. I was told this by multiple people that are connected throughout the recruiting world and I just thought that I would pass it along.
Some good action took place out at the Hoopfest today.
Harrison Barnes- had another big game today scoring over 30 points in a loss, Barnes was able to will the game to overtime but the Attack fell short. Coach Webster was on hand for the game.
We have a ton of stuff from the Hoopfest. I should have all day Monday to get some more stuff together. Cody Zeller is going to be a nice player. The whole Indiana Elite 15 and under team looks solid.
I have been attending the Hoopfest and working my other job all week, but I will get everything together as soon as I can. Thanks for stopping by it is really appreciated. If you ever need anything at all please e-mail us at alleyoopscoop@yahoo.com
Sophomore Austin Rivers Commits to Florida & DeAndre Liggins Update
I was under the impression that college coaches had agreed to stop recruiting and pursuing high school underclassmen? However, I believe that the Florida offer had been on the table before the June 19 NABC statement.
On Wednesday night Austin Rivers the son of Boston Celtics coach Doc. Committed to play for coach Donovan and the Gators. Florida had been among a handful of schools with offers on the table for Rivers according to an interview in this past Monday:
"Florida, [Central Florida], and . . . I’m going to try to go visit Memphis, Kansas, and Texas."
So now that the NABC has asked coaches to stop recruiting underclassmen, I am assuming that the players who were offered before the June 19 statement are still "fair game" to pursue? I would like to see their be some kind of concrete ruling by the NCAA or another governing body of athletics. My point is that if Coach Gillispie has agreed to stop offering underclassmen and (for example) coach Donovan ignores the June 19 request and pursues kids, then the playing field will become a truly slanted one very quickly.
Rivers was Donovan's fourth commitment by a player who has yet to play his sophomore season.
http://www.kentucky.com/276/story/452125.html
Alex Schwartz interviewed Findlay Prep's Coach Peck in July of 08:
The graduating player that I discussed with Coach Peck is 6'6 guard DeAndre Liggins '08, a Kentucky-signee. Liggins' eligibility for next year is up in the air, so I inquired of Coach Peck whether or not his star senior had qualified, to which he told me: "We're still waiting to hear." Findlay's head man does not know when he will find out about the outcome of DeAndre's situation. The top-notch guard did receive his test scores and all the information is in the hands of the NCAA.
Clarence Trent: Learning, Maturing and Ballin' at Findlay Prep
“I’ve been making better decisions in all parts of my life,” Trent said. “The last three years, I just wasn’t doing what I should’ve been doing. I even flunked an English class. So, me going to prep school was the best thing for me. It’s hard knowing I should be ahead of where I am with school, but it’s actually helped because prep ball has tested me in so many ways.”
On a side note Charles Garcia, a 6′10 220 pound JUCO kid, committed to Lorenzo Romar’s Washington Huskies a couple of days ago. Garcia said that he would sign in November and be available in the 09′-10′ season. Smith said that UK had been in contact, here is the article
