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Getting to Know Mychal Mulder

By Paul Jordan

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It’s easy to get lost in the description of Mychal Mulder as just a shooter as the 46% three-point percentage jumps out at you.  However, he is a leader that has been to two straight JUCO Final Fours.  And he brings a lot to the table for the Kentucky Wildcats next year.

"“People always talking about my shooting, but I try to bring more to the game,” Mulder said. “I try to get up and down the floor and rebound the ball. I can make stops on defense and be an impact player on that end as well. It’s all about the intangibles that not all shooters have. I try to find ways to make myself more valuable so I can impact the game more ways than just shooting."

"“I describe myself as a basketball player. I do not want to label myself as one thing. In high school I just wanted to be the best player I could be. I just go and do my best. I tried to max my ability in high school and carry that to Vincennes. I just want to be great in all aspects of the game. I am going to be playing with great guys over the next year or two and coach Cal will give me a chance to sharpen skills in all aspects of the game. But I do not want to be defined as a guy who just shoots. I want to rebound, play hard on defense, set screens. I want to help in every aspect.”Mulder said he’s always been a “team guy” and started playing travel basketball when he was 7 years old. He had his choice of high schools and chose to go to a school about 30 minutes away because that’s where his travel team teammates were."

"“I went there to maximize my ability as a player. I felt like we had an opportunity to do something special if we stayed together,”  Mulder said. “Before I got to Vincennes I wonder if I would ever be on a team as close as my high school team again. I was worried Vincennes was just a two-year thing and everybody would be there to get their own. But it was so team-oriented and all we cared about every single day for two years was winning. There was not one individual thought."

Obviously, Mychal Mulder is saying all of the right thing that the Kentucky Wildcats fans want to hear from him.  Look for Mulder to also play with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.  He had very few Division 1 offers out of high school and he has been ready to prove himself for a while.

Mandatory Credit: Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports

Andrew Harrison is another player that has been gradually proving people wrong.  For most of the year, Harrison has heard his name listed as one of the former Kentucky Wildcats that may go undrafted in the upcoming NBA Draft.  Harrison has worked hard during the combine and in his opportunities with NBA personnel and the story has changed on him a bit.  Granted, he still has a lot to work on, but it appears that he may hear his name called in the first round.  

"Harrison’s struggles as a finisher this season put a lot of pressure on his ability to make shots from beyond the arc, and he responded by hitting 38% of his 3-pointers this season. He’s improved quite a bit in this area over the years, but his average mechanics and the limited sample size of his attempts (94 in 39 games) leaves quite a few question marks about how this part of his game will translate to NBA settings as well, particularly with the much further distance of the NBA line. The ball doesn’t come out of his hands very smoothly, either with his feet set or off the dribble, so he’ll need to work very hard to make this a consistent part of his game, as he will certainly have issues finding offense otherwise.Ranked as the#4 player in the 2013 high school class, Harrison may not have lived up to the sky-high expectations he came into Kentucky with, but will still likely hear his name called during the NBA draft, possibly in the first round even. He’ll need to show scouts in pre-draft workouts he has the skills to play either guard spot at the next level, either by looking more comfortable attacking off the dribble in the half-court or by being consistent from behind the arc.Harrison’s size, playmaking ability and defensive prowess gives him a tailor-made role in the NBA even without being a prolific scorer, as long as he’s willing to accept his role and buy into being someone who is willing to do the little things. Improving his leadership skills and body language on and off the court will go a long way in that."

Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports

After getting a commitment from Gunner Hoak for his 2016 class, Mark Stoops has started to offer quarterbacks for his 2017 Kentucky Wildcats class,  From all speculation, it appears that Stoops may offer two QB’s in the class.   Four star QB Chase Brice from Georgia landed the UK offer and from all indications, he looks to be a pretty good option.  

"Brice — a 6-foot-2 prospect from Loganville, Ga. — also has reported offers from Miami, Louisville, Illinois and a handful of others. Rivals.com analyst Woody Wommack praised Brice’s “quick release and accuracy” after a recent tour of Georgia high schools, ranking the UK target asone of the top offensive players he evaluated on the trip.Rivals.com named Brice the top performer at the Atlanta Quarterback Challenge in March, an event that included dozens of QBs from the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. He will compete in the national QB challenge next month in Baltimore.Brice completed 126 of 202 passes for 1,759 yards and 19 touchdowns with six interceptions as a sophomore last season."

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