John Calipari has brought the Big Blue Nation into the world of “One and Done” and it seems like the entire 2/12 years since his arrival, Kentucky fans have complained about players leaving for the NBA.
John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, DeMarcus Cousins, Daniel Orton(hurt to type his name), and Brandon Knight have all left after their first year in Lexington and the BBN have filled up facebook, message boards, and twitter pleading for them to stay.
I am not getting into the argument if they should stay or go(they should go), but I want to look at the positives of having these future superstars at the University of Kentucky even though they may not ever bring another championship to the Bluegrass State.
John Wall is a great example of why it is important to recruit players that are only planning on staying one year in college.
Wall was at the Adidas Super 64 this week and guess where he was sitting? Yep, you got it… right next to John Calipari.
Wall has been texting with Shabazz Muhammad daily….
Andre Drummond thanked Wall for being in attendance at his game..
You see where I am going with this?
When I see John Wall, and I am sure high school kids think the same thing, they see Kentucky.
No one watches Wall in the NBA..he plays for the Wizards!!!
Having the caliber of players scattered around the NBA and being ambassadors for Kentucky, I believe, is as important for the future of Kentucky basketball as if they stayed for the entire 4 years of their elgibility.
Recruiting talent is the name of the game in basketball today, and if you don’t believe that then you need to take off your Bob Knight pajamas.
The day of outcoaching teams with very high talent are few and far between(I hate WVU), but if you want to consistently be in the mix for a national title, one and done is definitely the only way to go. I really don’t think having 4 one and dones on one team hurts a team’s chances in the NCAA tournament. Having 60 some odd teams(can’t remember how many now) in one huge tournament involves a lot of luck, so I will take the team with the most talent every time and let the cards fall as they wish.(like in the 1st round vs. Morehead)
So when you watch the Cats this year, enjoy every minute of Anthony Davis, Marquis Teague, and Michael Gilchrist because this might be the only year you see them in blue.
Just remember though, and I can almost guarantee this, they will always have blue in their heart and down the road that could mean a whole lot more to the future of Kentucky basketball .
What are your thoughts on one and done players?
