Under Head Coach John Calipari we trust. Since he has been at the University of Kentucky his philosophy has been players first, and rightfully so. It is this type of philosophy that has secured a strong relationship with his players and keeps the great ones coming in. Coach Calipari will not hold a player back if that player wants to test himself in the NBA. Not saying he should, but how would a few seasons have turned out with a couple players deciding to stay. We see the effect that having a junior Willie Cauley-Stein has had on this team, what if a couple of other players had made the same decision?
This first player was not a Calipari recruit, so the scenario is different but you can not help but wonder. I am talking about no other than 6 foot 4 shooting guard out of Norcross High School, Mr. Jodie Meeks. Many remember Meeks for his 54 point performance against long time rival Tennessee in Knoxville. Jodie Meeks had an amazing junior year averaging 23.7 points per game making 117 three pointers that season alone.
After the season Head Coach Billy Gillespie was fired leading to the hiring of John Calipari. Coach Cal brought with him the number 1 recruiting class that could have encouraged Meeks to go ahead and make the move to the NBA. If you remember one thing, probably the only thing the 09-10 team struggled with was shooting from behind the arc.
Jodie Meeks staying for his senior year could have been just the boost this team needed to win the National Championship. The shooting guard might have been the key to breaking a particular 1-3-1 Bob Huggins zone leading to the Final Four. Another year could have also improved his draft stock. John Wall does many things well, but what he does best is make his teammates better. Meeks ended up going 41st overall in the draft and Wall was with out a three point shooting threat to dish the ball to.
Oct 30, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers (15) shoots as Philadelphia 76ers center Daniel Orton (33) defends during the third quarter at Wells Fargo Center. The Sixers defeated the Heat 114-110. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
I would say that I am pretty good at simple math, but I could not tell you how many teams former John Calipari center Daniel Orton has been on in the NBA. Orton has jumped around from team to team in the NBA and honestly, he needed us more than we needed him. However, could he have been that extra bit of size down low to help Kentucky reach number 8 a season early?
Daniel Orton got lost behind the emergence of DeMarcus Cousins, but many forget that he was the 13th best recruit in the nation coming in. Although Daniel Orton was drafted in the first round, it was on pure potential. Another year under Calipari not only could have added size down low, but allowed for Orton to work on his craft before entering the league.
The year after Orton left the Kentucky Wildcats struggled during the regular season but ended up finding their stride around the SEC tournament. Yes we saw the emergence of Josh Harrellson, but one can not argue that another 5 star recruit would have hurt the Cats. Kentucky ended up losing the Connecticut in the Final Four that year being beat by the great guard play. However, the Huskies had no down low presence and you have to wonder just what kind of difference Daniel Orton could have made for his team and himself.
Oct 22, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Brooklyn Nets guard Marquis Teague (12) drives the ball against Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) in the first quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
It has been quite some time since we have heard from our National Championship point guard. Honestly I had no idea what Marquis Teague was doing and had to do a lot of research to find anything credible. His last bit of NBA action was when he was traded from the Brooklyn Nets only to be waived by the Philadelphia 76ers just three days after the trade. Currently Teague has found himself in the NBA D-League.
"Teague’s first stint in the NBA was highly unsuccessful. In two years, he played a total of 88 games and posted averages of 2.3 points, 1.4 assists and 1.0 rebound per contest on 34.9 percent shooting from the field. He was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Brooklyn Nets and then to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he was waived after only three days. That’s why he now finds himself here in the D-League.This isn’t Teague’s first stint in the D-League. Last season, he spent eight games with the Iowa Energy and struggled to find his feet. Matters got worse when his backup, Kalin Lucas, outplayed him before he was eventually called back up to the NBA.Teague will have the green light from day one with the Blue and he’s playing for the affiliate of an NBA franchise that puts a lot of value in what goes on in the D-League. He’s had some growing pains since he was drafted two years ago, but he’s been given a second chance to prove he’s an NBA-calibre player."
This is exactly what Kentucky Wildcats fans did not want to see happen to Marquis Teague. Unfortunately, not every player John Calipari recruits is going to be a stud in the NBA. In this case the need for each other ended up being quite mutual. Ryan Harrow did not pan out at point guard and Kentucky found themselves in the NIT. Teague has not found his stride in the NBA and is currently in and out of the D-league.
Together Kentucky was not going to win a National Championship, the personal was not in order that year. Regardless, it was an embarassing season with absolutely no offense that still was one key win away from making the NCAA tournament. Marquis could have given Kentucky that penetration to open up lanes for Archie Goodwin and Alex Poythress and throw lobs to the big guys down low. Teague might have established himself more as an assertive guard and found himself at a more permanent home in the NBA.