Aside from Jones, Calipari still has some spots to fill on the roster
By Paul Jordan
I will be the first to admit that this Terrence Jones saga has turned into a tremendous black hole for bloggers. As of right now, it’s a big empty mass of nothing yet it sucks the life out of all the other stories because it is literally all that people are concerned about. So we enter Day 5 of the Jones saga and you guessed it, there is nothing new.
Looking back to John Calipari’s press conference yesterday however, we did get some other news on next years team. Calipari did make the comment that he doubted that neither Daniel Orton or Eric Bledsoe would return to Kentucky next season and he also hinted that Darnell Dodson’s position on next years team was still up in the air.
The biggest hit for UK right now is the loss of Bledsoe, and especially Orton. If Kentucky had both miraculously return next season, Kentucky is once again a Elite Eight team. With both staying put in the NBA Draft, Kentucky has some serious holes to fill in the roster and there does not appear to be a lot of answers coming. As for the case of Dodson, this has been rumored ever since he arrived on campus, and as of now, there is a backlog at his position, so the prospect of him leaving seems pretty plausible.
So with the NBA players staying in the draft and the loss of Orton, here is a look at Calipari’s roster next year.
G – Brandon Knight
G- DeAndre Liggins
G- Jarred Polson
G- Jon Hood
G- Doron Lamb
G- Daruis Miller
G- Stacey Poole
F – Josh Harrellson
C – Enes Kanter
The elephant in the room is of course, Terrence Jones. Jones would grab a starting spot in the frontcourt and would solidify a roster and bring back the top ten buzz. Assuming that Jones stays a Huskie, most Wildcat fans are in love with the idea of Marcus Thornton. I like Thornton too, but at 6’7, he will still be a liability at times in the frontcourt if he is a starter. From all indications, Eloy Vargas has not been offered at Kentucky, but I think that besides Jones, Vargas is the next must get piece on this roster.
Coming out of HS, he was an elite prospect, who for whatever reason, struggled in Billy Donovan’s system his freshman year and has spent the last season at a JUCO. I know the “bust label” applies to Vargas right now, but he is 6’10 and if he has an ounce of competitive spirit, he has to be licking his chops at getting back into the SEC and having a chance to play his former mates twice a year. And even if he does not live up to his HS billing, he is a huge body in the paint and brings much needed depth to this frontcourt. In my opinion, Kentucky needs Vargas and Kentucky needs Marcus Thornton.
I don’t think it is possible, but I would love to see Kentucky add another PG to this roster. With that being a very dim possibility, the pressure turns to DeAndre Liggins to back up Knight. I know that Liggins is not a true PG, and that his first season at the point was disastrous, but you would think that having two seasons wiwth Cal would make him a more than viable option at the point.
Like some fans, I am not writing this season off. I know that last year was something of an anomaly with the DDMO as Calipari was resistant to becoming a post team, but he went where the bulk of the talent was. This year, the talent factor is largely in the guard side of the roster … and we know the man can do with guards.
In short … bring on Jones …. but if not, the kids will be alright.
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