The deepest Kentucky team in years
My summer began with the LeBron James Skills Academy and didn’t truly end until I landed in Charleston (for a planned vacation with my wife) to the news that Cougars coach Doug Wojcik had been fired.
Along the way, there were countless AAU contests in several locations, and there were drills and games involving some of the top college players in the country. A few days also were spent at the NBA Summer League and, on TV, seeing a glimpse of a new, loaded Kentucky Wildcats team playing down in the Bahamas.
Here are my 10 college basketball takeaways from the summer, starting with that scary Kentucky team.
1. I’ve watched a decent portion of Kentucky’s games down in the Bahamas -- which were aired on ESPNU -- and this Wildcats team is the deepest I’ve seen in the past decade. It’s not just ordinary depth, either -- it’s quality, insane depth. Marcus Lee, who showed glimpses of what he could do in the NCAA tourney last year, may not find his way into the rotation. Derek Willis, who could start for at least 250 teams around the nation, is the seventh big man on the depth chart. Seventh! These guys are currently without two of their top frontline guys due to injury -- junior Willie Cauley-Stein and skilled freshman forward Trey Lyles -- and they still look deep and overwhelming.
I know the competition in two of the three games has been fairly lackluster, but the fact remains that this team doesn’t lack for much (other than a true small forward) and the difference-maker with this group is diminutive freshman point guard Tyler Ulis. Andrew Harrison was erratic with his floor game and did not set up his teammates for easy baskets nearly as often as Ulis, who also will be a pest on the defensive end due to his speed, quickness and toughness.
2. Sam Dekker will make a significant jump this season. He told me recently he's grown an inch and a half over the past year. How's that for an improvement in your career trajectory? Still, a growth spurt isn't the only reason I'm bullish on Dekker this fall. He seems to have gained a ton of confidence as well. The Badgers forward hasn’t always played as though he knew he was the best player on the court, but after a stellar showing at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Las Vegas -- in which he also fared well going up against James himself -- Dekker shouldn’t be lacking for confidence this season. Look for him to establish himself as the go-to guy (as much as can be the case in Bo Ryan’s offense) with the game on the line.
Wisconsin only lost Ben Brust from a team that fell to Kentucky on a last-second shot in the national semifinals a year ago. The Wildcats should be better this season with a new and improved Dekker playing alongside a veteran group that includes senior starters Frank Kaminsky, Josh Gasser and Traevon Jackson.
3. Iowa State Cyclones forward Georges Niang will become the most likable player in college basketball for fans, media and even among coaches. Even coaching staffs of Big 12 foes rave about him -- both his on-court skills and his intangibles. Niang has reshaped his body, even after suffering a broken foot that shelved him in the NCAA tournament, and now looks like a player capable of carrying a Big 12 team deep into the postseason. Niang is admittedly not the most athletic guy, but he knew with the departure of Melvin Ejim and DeAndre Kane, he would need more quickness and explosiveness to go along with his "old man game." As such, he plays with intelligence, passion and gets the most out of his natural ability.
4. Look for Oregon State to be relevant sooner rather than later. New coach Wayne Tinkle and assistant Stevie Thompson (the former Syracuse high-flier) both have sons that are legitimate top-100 players, and both fared well out in Vegas at the LeBron James Skills Academy. Tres Tinkle is a 6-foot-7½ skilled wing while Stevie Thompson Jr. is a 6-3½ skilled guard who isn't quite as athletic as his old man, but still an above-average athlete. If the two coaches can convince their kids to play for them in Corvallis, the Beavers will start to build a strong, youthful foundation.
5. Doug McDermott is the ideal fit for the Chicago Bulls -- and he’ll be more than just a spot-up shooter. Sure, he’s not the most athletic guy in the NBA. But he’s so cerebral and has such a wide array of offensive moves that he’ll be able to score in more avenues that people think. He certainly looked the part in the summer league in Vegas, with many feeling as though he was the best player in the 10-day event. McDermott can knock down shots, but he’ll do more -- especially with guys like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol on the court at the same time.
6. The July period continues to lose its luster. Sure, the Nike EYBL and the Adidas Gauntlet have improved the quality of the play to some degree. Kids now have something at stake beyond just getting their numbers and racking up scholarship offers. However, there’s no sizzle anymore. Part of it left when Sonny Vaccaro retired. He was a master salesman who somehow promoted the hell out of matchups such as Sebastian Telfair vs. Darius Washington Jr. Now, there is no one to set up and promote big-time matchups. The other factor is that the talent is spread out and splintered throughout too many events.
7. Nike is still Goliath, but Under Armour has caught -- and even surpassed -- Adidas on the grassroots circuit in terms of talent. Many coaches reiterated what I saw in July, which was that the talent for Adidas was as underwhelming as it has been in a while. Under Armour has built up its stable quickly, and while it won't ever challenge Nike, it looks as though it's primed to move and remain in the No. 2 spot behind the shoe giant. Coaches were raving about the Under Armour event down in Atlanta.
8. This fairly new recruiting schedule in which there are three consecutive sessions that begin on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and end Sunday at 5 p.m. needs to be tweaked. The NCAA should alter it to a pair of four-day sessions and then add in a couple of weekends in May and June to go along with the one in April. The third and final weekend in July is virtually useless, as the kids and coaches are all worn out. Spacing it out would allow the kids to get excited about each period, and also make it easier for the coaches from a travel standpoint.
9. Charleston is one of the best vacation spots in the country -- even if you land and find out that the head coach in town has been fired. Seriously, though, it has tremendous restaurants (I gained about 10 pounds in five days and was able to convince myself that banana pudding is a side and not a dessert), great music, quality shopping (at least that's what my wife and her credit cards tell me) and the ocean water is about 10 degrees warmer than it is in the Northeast.
Notes on up-and-coming talent
10. The Class of 2016 is the best I’ve seen in a while -- even better than the Class of 2013, which included Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Julius Randle. It’s so loaded at the top that ultra-skilled 6-9 power forward Harry Giles may be only the fifth-best player in the country, behind Thon Maker, Josh Jackson, Jayson Tatum and Malik Monk. All of these guys have incredible upside to be stars in college and the NBA.
Maker is a skilled and versatile 7-footer, Jackson is a long and athletic wing, Tatum is a long, skilled, smart and versatile wing and Monk is a 6-4 2-guard who can get to the basket virtually whenever he wants. Giles is still working his way back to 100 percent after missing all of last season because of a major knee injury. As mediocre as the top of the Class of 2015 is, that’s how special the elite players in the Class of 2016 have a chance to be. Memo to NBA general managers: Start negotiating trades for first-round picks in 2017 draft now.
11. The disparity between the No. 1 player and the No. 25 player in the Class of 2015 is as minimal as I've seen in a decade, meaning there should be more parity next season in college basketball when this class arrives on campus(es). I’m a big fan of Ben Simmons (my pick for the No. 1 player) and his versatile and unselfish game, but there’s just not as much of difference as is normally the case between the talented Aussie and, say, players such as Luke Kennard or Isaiah Briscoe.
