The ESPN insider on UK (yeah its late)

COACH AND PROGRAM

As summer was winding down and fall practice was so close Kentucky fans were practically lining up for Midnight Madness tickets, two words were on the minds of the Wildcat faithful:

Enes Kanter.

In late September the big man from Turkey, thought to be the heir apparent to first-team All-America and one-and-done freshman DeMarcus Cousins, was hung up in eligibility limbo as the NCAA investigated whether he accepted money from a professional team in Turkey.

The New York Times reported that Kanter had received more than $100,000 in benefits over a three-year period, which, if true, apparently began when he was 14. But Kentucky fans were keeping the faith that Kanter, a game-changing, multi-skilled behemoth, would be allowed to help lead the Wildcats back to another deep NCAA Tournament run.

The Kanter controversy was just part and parcel of the wild ride the program has been on since John Calipari took over in 2009. He had won a record 137 games in a four-year period at Memphis before moving to Lexington, an average of 34.25 victories a year, and he surpassed that average in his first season at Kentucky while leading the 'Cats to the NCAA Tournament's Elite Eight.

With Calipari, you get tons of wins, but also the occasional sideshow to the main event, like the Kanter controversy, or another brief dust-up in early August when the Chicago Sun-Times reported that prep star Anthony Davis's commitment to Kentucky came with a hefty price tag. The school's lawyers pounced quickly, calling the story "false and defamatory."


Kentucky Wildcats
Last Season 35-3 (.921)
Conference Record 14-2 (1st)
Starters Lost/Returning 4/1
Coach John Calipari (Clarion State '82)
Record At School 35-3 (1 year)
Career Record 480-143 (18 years)
RPI Last 5 years 29-13-58-71-3

There was also a nagging story reported by the New York Times and Birmingham News about whether the high school transcripts of Eric Bledsoe -- who parlayed one season as a starting guard into being a first-round NBA draft choice -- were accurate and whether he would have been eligible last season.

It's clearly a different era at Kentucky. Under former coaches Tubby Smith and Billy Gillispie, fans groused about the program's recruiting: Why can't Tubby sign a big-time power forward? Why the hell is Gillispie taking commitments from 14-year-olds?

No one's going to question the talent level of players Calipari recruits, not after last year's star freshmen -- John Wall, Cousins, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton -- were all chosen in the first round of last June's NBA draft along with junior Patrick Patterson.

Draft night, in fact, created another stir after Cal proclaimed it was "the biggest day in the history of Kentucky's program." Some of Kentucky's former players took offense to that, countering that the real glory of college basketball lies in championships won, not being an NBA feeder program.

And they were right, of course. But the fact remains that Calipari is fueling his program because of his track record of quickly preparing players for the league. Great high school recruits are flocking to Lexington. Counting two full recruiting classes and the four players committed to play for Kentucky in the class of 2011, Cal and his staff have corralled 12 five-star players and four four-star players since he took over the program.

"We're a little bit of the color of the month right now," Calipari said. "And I'm telling my staff to run with it. It's not going to be like this forever."

Then again, Calipari made the same comment to Gonzaga coach Mark Few during the summer and got a compelling counterpoint.

"I don't know," Few said. "You're at Kentucky. Maybe it will [last forever]."


PLAYERS

PG-BRANDON KNIGHT (6-3, 195 lbs., FR, #12, 32.5 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 4.0 apg, Pine Crest HS/Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Some coaches search their entire career for a point guard just half as talented as Knight -- or John Wall, or Tyreke Evans, or Derrick Rose -- and never find one. Calipari collects them.

Apparently, this little closet industry Cal started at Memphis -- when first Rose and then Evans came in as freshmen, presided for one season over a 30-plus victory team and split for the NBA -- is going to carry over at Kentucky. Last season, Wall, who became a first-team All-American and the No. 1 choice in the NBA draft, continued the trend of one-and-done point guards. And Knight figures to keep the streak going long enough for the next guy (who by the way has already committed -- five-star recruit Marquis Teague of Indianapolis).

Just like Wall did a year ago, when he scored 19 points and the game-winning basket against Miami (Ohio) in his debut, Knight proved early in his Kentucky career that he has transformational talent. Only Knight didn't have to wait for the season to start. In the first game of the Wildcats' August exhibition tour in Canada, Knight went for 31 points, seven rebounds and four assists against the University of Windsor.

"He's super fast," Windsor guard Monty Hardware told the Lexington Herald-Leader. "He's super, super fast."

Hardware added a postscript to that quickie scouting report to explain what happens if a defender doesn't get help containing Knight. "If there's no help, you see legs," he said, as in Knight soaring to the rim.

Windsor coach Chris Oliver also raved about Knight's skill at shooting off the dribble, understandable considering the pull-up jumper has become a dying art among younger players.

Yes, Knight has some unique offensive skills. But lest anyone think he was too much of a gunner after that 31-point debut, he dialed down his own offensive production in the 'Cats' second game (17 points) and ratcheted up his playmaking (12 assists). And in the third game, he did a little bit of both (25 points, nine assists).

In three games in Canada, Knight averaged 25.0 points, 8.3 assists and 5.0 boards. Oh, and one more thing -- Knight turned the ball over only five times, a mind-boggling assist-to-turnover ratio of 5:1.

When Blue Ribbon caught up with Calipari in the summer, the question had to be asked. How does Knight compare with Rose, Evans and Wall?

Cal responded as only he can. Why, Knight is totally different than the other three, he said, but exactly the same.

One trait that Knight shares with Cal's other recent point guards will surprise you.

"He has that anxiety that he's not quite good enough," Calipari said. "They all did. 'There's a stan-dard I'm gonna have to perform at, man, can I do it?' He doesn't question whether he's a good player, but whether he can live up to the standard set. But that's a good thing. That's what drives all four of them to the gym at 11 o'clock at night."

As far as the differences, Cal was less specific.

"One's a little bigger, one's a little stronger, one's a little faster, one's a little more explosive," he said.

But what sets Knight apart? Though he racked up 3,515 points in his high school career, second in Florida history behind only Teddy Dupay's 3,744, it isn't Knight's scoring that separates him from Cal's talented pack of point guards.

"When I say to you that he can really pass the ball & well & he may be a little better decision maker," Calipari said. "That could be the case."

That isn't so surprising. Remember Knight's assist-to-turnover ratio in Canada. And of all the eye-popping numbers Knight -- a four-time Class 3A-1A Player of the Year in Florida, a McDonald's All-American and last year's 2009-10 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year -- posted in his career, the most impressive might be his 4.3 GPA.

SG-DORON LAMB (6-4, 210 lbs., FR, #20, 23.0 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, Oak Hill Academy/Mouth of Wilson, Va./Queens, N.Y.). In Kentucky's first exhibition game in Canada, Lamb shot 2-of-9 from the field, including 0-for-3 from three-point range, and scored six points in 25 minutes.

"That first game he was awful," Calipari said. "He didn't think he needed to warm up [before the game] and just went through the motions."

Cal had some words of wisdom for the youngster.

"I told him this wasn't some AAU tournament where you're eating a hamburger 15 minutes before the game," he said. "Everyone's Super Bowl is you now, son. You've got to be ready for a war. This ain't like a pickup game."

That little pep talk, plus a directive to Knight, made the difference in Lamb in Kentucky's second exhibition game.

"I had Brandon go up and tell him, 'if you run, you'll get the ball,' " Calipari said.

Lamb did as he was told and Knight delivered. The result: Lamb led Kentucky's 96-68 victory over the Western Mustangs with 24 points on 9-of-14 shooting.

That display of offensive skill supported the opinion of the recruiting analysts who marveled at Lamb's versatile offensive game, particularly his skill in the midrange.

"Perhaps his most impressive weapon is his midrange game," said ESPN.com's Paul Biancardi. "Like [former UConn star] Rip Hamilton, he's very comfortable from 15- to 17 feet."

"He's is a reliable scorer with a crafty game," said Rivals.com's Jerry Meyer, "and perhaps the best midrange scoring game of all the guards in 2010."

Calipari echoed those assessments.

"He's got a lot of that middle game -- runners in the lane, and he's a great layup shooter," Calipari said. "He shoots it from [three] OK. If he shoots 35 percent from three [for the season], I'm gonna do two back flips. But he really attacks that rim."

Rivals rated Lamb a five-star prospect, the No. 3 shooting guard in the country and the No. 21 player overall. But what makes him unique and important to this team is that he can also take a turn at the point when Knight needs a breather.

"He's a great passer," Calipari said.

SF-DARIUS MILLER (6-7, 230 lbs., JR, #1, 6.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.5 apg, 21.2 mpg .400 FG, .336 3PT, .795 FT, Mason County HS/Maysville, Ky.). With all the talent running around the court last season, Miller was lost in the shuffle a bit. But just to prove his sophomore season had served him well in terms of individual development and learning Calipari's system, he tossed off a little statement game against Wake Forest in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, scoring 20 points on 7-of-9 shooting and hauling in a team-high nine boards.

That performance might have been a preview of things to come this season, when Miller makes the transition from a support guy who busts out every fourth or fifth game with a double-figure scoring effort to a go-to guy who'll be expected to do that night in and night out.

Miller has put in the time preparing for his new role, among other things adding seven pounds of muscle during offseason weight training. There aren't many 230-pound three-men in college hoops, let alone one who can get around the floor the way Miller can.

"He's so much better than he was," Calipari said. "Can you imagine last year, him having to adjust to a new coach and a new style of play that was so totally different than conventional basketball? The anxiety of not knowing [many of] your teammates? This year, he doesn't have that anxiety."

Calipari tosses off the name of a basketball legend when describing Miller's role this season.

"We're going to use him like the Celtics used Larry Bird," Cal said. "We'll keep him behind the ball and run a lot of the offense through him at the top."

If Kentucky's trip to Canada was any indication, Miller can handle the increased workload. He averaged 20.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.0 steals and shot .585 from the field and .600 (9-of-15) from three-point range.

Pay particular attention to that latter number. Miller's three-point stroke will be vital to this team to keep opposing defenses from clogging the paint and preventing high-percentage shots.

PF-ELOY VARGAS (6-11, 230 lbs., JR, #30, 21.1 ppg, 14.1 rpg, 3.4 bpg, Miami-Dade CC/Miami/Plantation, Fla./University of Florida). This season will mark Vargas' second tour of duty in the SEC's Eastern Division, but the first one was brief. He was a four-star recruit and signed with Florida out of high school, but off-season ankle surgery before his freshman season set back his progress and kept him out of the Gators' first 11 games in 2008-09.

Vargas wound up playing in just nine games, averaging 3.8 minutes, 0.6 points and 0.7 rebounds. Academic issues compounded his frustration in Gainesville, so he bolted for Miami-Dade, where he became a dominant presence on the court and got the job done in the classroom as well. Miami-Dade coach Matt Eisele thinks Vargas' performance in junior college will translate to the SEC.

"Obviously, like every kid, he has things to improve on both on and off the court," Eisele told the Danville (Ky.) Advocate-Messenger. "But he cares about winning and he fits what they do at UK. He will be a great piece of the puzzle for Kentucky."

Vargas has plenty of tools Calipari can put to good use, starting with a 7-1 wingspan. The package includes the requisite post moves, a willingness to rebound and shot blocking, plus a legitimate face-up game.

"He can step out to three-point range and hit," Eisele told the Advocate-Messenger. "[And] he is lights out from 15 feet. & As far as scoring and skills, he is very, very talented. He is as good as advertised."

Vargas wasn't able to make the trip to Canada while finishing up degree requirements at Miami-Dade, but despite missing 10 important days of practice in August, he projects as a starter.

"He's got to condition and catch up, but I think he'll be fine," Calipari said. "He's a 6-11 kid with good skills. He's not DeMarcus Cousins, but then, he can do some things DeMarcus couldn't do.

"Our task is to get him to understand how hard you have to play, and how to play with other good players. But he's going to be OK."

C-ENES KANTER (6-11, 272 lbs., FR, #0, Stoneridge Prep/Simi Valley, Calif./Istanbul, Turkey). If Brandon Knight is the new John Wall, could Kanter be the new DeMarcus Cousins? Recruiting analysts who went bonkers over Kanter after his performance in last April's Nike Hoop Summit -- 34 points and 13 rebounds to break Dirk Nowitzki's scoring record set in 1998 -- seemed to think so, but Calipari isn't so sure.

"It's not fair to try and compare him to DeMarcus, who was a great player for us as a freshman," Calipari said. "But I know a couple of ways they are similar. Just like DeMarcus when he first got here, Enes is not in the kind of shape he needs to be in, not yet. And he still doesn't understand how hard you have to work. He's got some habits that we're going to challenge him to change."

At least Calipari hopes he'll be able to challenge Kanter. As Blue Ribbon went to press in late September, the NCAA still hadn't decided whether Kanter would be cleared to play or denied because he accepted money from a professional team in Istanbul. The New York Times travelled all the way to Turkey to interview the general manager of Fenerbahce Ulker, the team for which Kanter played, and reported he had received $100,000 in cash and benefits over a three-year period, including a salary of $6,500 a month in Kanter's final season.

Calipari has maintained all along that Kanter will be cleared to play by the NCAA. But what else could he say? Calipari knows that, even though Kanter might not be comparable to Cousins, he's a difference maker.

The Nike Hoop Summit provided ample proof of that. Kanter scored those record 34 points in a variety of ways, but mostly by being active in the paint and using his strength to power to the rim.

But Kanter is more than just the "Bull from Istanbul," as ESPN announcers referred to him. He can put the ball on the floor and elude defenders with a spin move. He's deadly at the pick and pop and has range to the three-point line. He runs the floor and finishes in transition because he has good hands and body control. Kanter can also knock down free throws.

Like Cousins, Kanter is destined for the NBA one day. But will his path to the pros include at stop in Lexington?

F-TERRENCE JONES (6-8, 250 lbs., FR, #3, 30.0 ppg, 14.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, 3.0 bpg, 3.0 spg, Jeffer-son HS/Portland). On April 30, Jones sat at a table in the Jefferson High School gym, the hats of six colleges that represented his final choices -- Washington, Kentucky, UCLA, Oregon, Oklahoma and Kansas -- in front of him. After passing his hand over the hats for dramatic effect, he chose the purple one -- Jones would become a Washington Husky along with his good buddy and fellow blue-chip prospect Terrence Ross.

That decision lasted about five minutes. After most of the well wishers who had turned out to see Jones make his decision had left the gym, Jones took a call from Calipari. Suddenly Jones was undecided again, though he claimed Washington was still in the picture.

Flash forward to May 19, when Jones announced he would sign a non-binding financial aid agreement with Kentucky. Even Jones' high school coach, Pat Strickland, was surprised. "Wow, really?" he told the Oregonian. "& I thought he was going to Washington."

Uh, no. Jones thus became the second player to commit to the Huskies, only to change his mind and later sign with Kentucky. Kanter was the first.

"It's a unique circumstance," Washington coach Lorenzo Romar told ESPN.com.

You could say that.

Jones' about face added to Kentucky's embarrassment of recruiting riches. Jones, a consensus Top 30 player, is a scoring machine. The left-handed shooter has range out to the three-point line, but he can also put the ball on the floor or post up smaller defenders, and even in college he's going to see a lot of smaller defenders. Last season Jones became only the sixth player in Oregon high school history to score more than 800 points (810) in a season.

Jones was appropriately decorated for that and other high school accomplishments. After leading Jefferson to its third straight 5A Oregon state championship, he was chosen 5A Player of the Year, a McDonald's All-American and a Parade All-American.

Kentucky fans didn't get much of a preview of Jones on the Wildcats' tour of Canada. He left the first game complaining of shoulder pain, and it was later revealed he had suffered a stress fracture of a rib. Jones had practiced with the injury for several days and hadn't told anyone he was in pain. "You can't say he's a momma's boy," Calipari told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

No, you can't. But Calipari was effusive in his praise of Jones when he spoke with Blue Ribbon.

"He's a playmaking 6-9 forward, that's what he is," Cal said. "I love him and his game for how I coach; how hard he plays, how he attacks the rim, how he can play inside or out. He doesn't settle for threes, he can rebound and bring the ball up like a point guard, he blocks shots; he's got a lot of skills.



"All we have to do is get him in better condition and refine his game somewhat."

G-DEANDRE LIGGINS (6-6, 215 lbs., JR, #34, 3.8 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.8 apg, 15.3 mpg, .419 FG, .318 3PT, .590 FT, Chicago, Ill./Findlay Prep/Las Vegas). Liggins' numbers were down last year from his freshman season, but his stature went through the roof of Rupp Arena, at least in the eyes of his coach, who uses him as a role model.

"I told our team [before the exhibition trip to Canada], watch this guy," Calipari said. "Watch him dive for loose balls, get rebounds and sprint the floor. If we all play as hard as he plays, we'll win a lot of games."

Calipari's praise has in turn boosted Liggins' confidence level, which was subterranean in his freshman season playing for former coach Billy Gillispie. During the summer, Liggins put in a lot of work on his jump shot, which truth be told wasn't all that bad last season. He was a made three-pointer away from shooting .340 from behind the arc, a more than acceptable rate to have the green light to shoot.

Liggins is perfectly suited for Calipari's dribble-drive motion offense, which the 'Cats will use with much more frequency than they did a year ago. He's able to get into the lane, and he's a skilled enough passer to find open jump shooters if his path to the basket is blocked. He's got size to post up smaller defenders, and if he can shoot around 35 percent from three-point range, Liggins is going to be tough to handle.

There's no doubt, now that he's not playing behind first-round NBA draft picks, Liggins will play an important role. The trip to Canada was a good predictor of that: In three games, Liggins averaged 27.6 minutes, 10.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2.3 steals. Calipari would be thrilled with similar numbers over the course of this season.

F-JOSH HARRELLSON (6-10, 275 lbs., SR, #55, 1.3 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 4.0 mpg, .462 FG, .500 3PT, 1.000 FT, St. Charles, Mo./Southwest Illinois College). If he played at just about any other SEC school, Harrellson would be a regular contributor, if not a starter. At Kentucky, he's had the misfortune of having played for two coaches in his first two seasons, and then playing behind three first-round NBA draft picks a year ago.

Thus, Harrellson's backside has been glued to the bench, despite the fact he's got some skills. He can face up and make midrange jumpers and even three pointers, block shots and is a good free-throw shooter for a big man.

Harrellson has a chance to get on the floor more often this season, especially if Enes Kanter isn't eligible. The better Harrellson can defend and rebound, the more he'll play.

Kentucky fans got a little sample of what life without Kanter would be like when the 'Cats played three games in Canada in August. Harrellson averaged 25 minutes and produced some impressive numbers: 9.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 4.0 blocks per game.

G-JON HOOD (6-7, 205 lbs., SO, #4, 1.2 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 4.4 mpg, North Hopkins HS/Madisonville, Ky.). A redshirt might have done Hood some good last season. Certainly it would have been better than wasting his entire freshman year on 17 games played.

Nothing can help Hood reclaim that lost season, but rather than worry about it, he went to work in the offseason, adding 10 pounds of muscle and some confidence, which all shooters need. Hood played confidently in high school and was considered one of the top shooters in his class.

The big thing keeping Hood from more minutes is defense, or the lack thereof. So far, he hasn't shown the ability to stay in front of quicker defenders or out-muscle the stronger ones.

Unfortunately for Hood, Calipari doesn't believe in situational players, so there are no minutes to be had as a designated zone buster. If Hood wants to see the floor, he'll have to show an aptitude for D.

G-JARROD POLSON (6-2, 180 lbs., FR, #5, 18.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 6.4 apg, West Jessamine HS/Nicolasville, Ky.). Polson's story is a familiar one: Lifelong Kentucky fan who grew up dreaming to play for the Wildcats, not quite good enough to get a scholarship, about to accept a mid-major scholarship offer (Liberty) until &

Last April, Kentucky assistant Orlando Antigua called to offer Polson preferred walk-on status. Things got even better after Polson showed up on campus during the summer and impressed in pickup games and 10 days of practice before the trip to Canada. Calipari liked Polson so much he gave him a scholarship.

"As a young player, and I've had a bunch of walk-ons, he's probably the best," Calipari said. "Skilled. Not afraid. He's going to be fine."

Polson, a left-handed shooter, does have skills. He racked up 1,884 points in high school, and he can also pass. And he won't have any problems understanding what's going on in the huddle -- Polson posted a 4.2 GPA in high school.

G-STACEY POOLE, JR. (6-4, 203 lbs., FR, #2, 16.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 4.0 apg, Providence HS/Jacksonville, Fla.). Poole is another example of the power of Kentucky basketball, especially now that Calipari is the coach there and taking such an active role in recruiting.

Poole is from Florida and his father played at the University of Florida (and is still the school's No. 4 all-time scorer with 1,678 points). If the younger Poole had any dreams of following in his father's footsteps, he put them aside when Kentucky came calling.

Poole, a consensus four-star recruit who was rated the No. 4 small forward and the No. 33 player nationally by Rivals, was considered a good get when he signed back in November, and he still is a good get. But during the spring signing period, as Kentucky scrambled to replace five first-round NBA draft choices, Poole got overshadowed by Wildcat recruits Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb, Enes Kanter, Terrence Jones and Eloy Vargas.

Poole will have to battle returning veterans DeAndre Liggins and Darius Miller, along with recruits Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones, for time at the wing positions. It would help if he were more of a knock-down three shooter, but his skill set is similar to several other Wildcats in that he's a slasher from the wing or baseline and a finisher in the open court.

"Stacey Poole is in the line of players that we've signed in the past who have a skill set and the work ethic to play in our system," Calipari said when Poole signed. "He's a slasher who can play multiple positions and a defender that is capable of shutting down people."

That latter skill Cal mentioned -- defense -- could be Poole's key to getting on the floor consistently as a freshman.


BLUE RIBBON ANALYSIS

BACKCOURT: A
BENCH/DEPTH: B+
FRONTCOURT: B+
INTANGIBLES: A


Calipari and his staff have demonstrated the ability to go find talent to replace talent. So despite losing a record five first-round draft picks from last season's 35-victory team, the Wildcats are stocked.

But are they as good as last year, when rare talents John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins were earning first-team All-American honors as freshmen? Doubtful, especially if Enes Kanter, the big man from Turkey, doesn't play.

But if Kanter can play, this team, even though it doesn't have the pure talent of a year ago, might be deeper and more athletic overall. That will be enough to return Kentucky to the NCAA Tournament, with the possibility of making another Elite Eight run.

For the most comprehensive previews available on all 335 Division I teams, order the "Bible" of college basketball, the 2010-11 Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook, at www.blueribbonyearbookonline.com or call 1-877-807-4857.