SUPER BOWL 2012

UKFREAK00

WT Member



Starters



PG - Marquis Teague



Marquis Teague is my pick to be the biggest surprise on this team. He's following up two Top 10 draft picks at the point guard position for John Calipari, including #1 overall pick John Wall. However, Marquis Teague will be a better point guard, at the college level, than both he and Brandon Knight.



While Teague doesn't have the pure athletic ability of John Wall, or the pure shooting ability of Brandon Knight, he has a combination of the two. Teague is more comfortable and in control of his body than either of the two point guards before him. He has a much better jump shot than Wall, and superior passing ability to Brandon Knight.



Teague has the ability to get the ball wherever he wants to on the court. And is in control at all times, which is something we saw Wall struggle with at times during his year at Kentucky. Better court vision than Brandon Knight.



For all the talk about Mike Gilchrist, Terrence Jones, and Anthony Davis, look for Marquis Teague to be the one that leads this team deep into the NCAA Tournament. Marquis Teague is going to be the key to this team, and he will prove to be the best Point Guard at Kentucky since John Calipari has been here.



NBA comparison - Steve Francis



Stat predictions - 12 points per game, 5 assists, 2 rebounds.





SG - Doron Lamb



Doron Lamb is coming back for his second season in John Calipari's system. I expect Lamb to become more consistent this season, after showing flashes of excellence in his freshman year.



Last season, we saw Lamb shoot lights out from 3 point range, and fill in nicely at the Point Guard spot at times when Brandon Knight was off the court with foul trouble.



Lambs ability to play the point if needed eases my fear of not having a real back up plan to Marquis Teague. At times last season, I felt more comfortable with the offense starting through Lamb than Knight.



With all the attention that Teague, Gilchrist, and Davis will be getting, expect Lamb to roll off a lot of screens to set up for open jump shots. If Lamb can shoot the three ball at the rate he did last season, Lamb can make himself a lottery pick this season.



NBA Comparison - Poor mans Ray Allen.



I'm not saying Lamb will be one of the best three point shooters to ever play in the NBA, like Allen. But his game is similar.



Stat projections - 13.5 points per game, 1.5 assists, 2 rebounds.





SF - Darius Miller



This position was a tough pick for me, because I believe that Mike Gilchrist should be starting at the 3 spot. And, I believe by the time SEC play rolls around, Gilchrist will be in the starting line-up. However, day one, I expect Calipari to give the nod to the Senior.



We've seen Miller play for three seasons now, two under John Calipari. Each season, he shows flashes of being a great player, but has never been able to build off of those flashes, and become a consistent threat. Consistency will be key for Darius Miller if he wishes to stay in the starting line-up.



Being surrounded with a team full of scorers could really benefit Miller, because he'll often be the "forgotten man" on the court. He'll likely face the weakest perimeter defender that each team has to offer. I expect Miller to have a decent season, and maybe find himself at the back end of the second round in this NBA draft.



NBA Comparison - Anthony Parker



Stat projections - 9 points per game, 1 assist, 4 rebounds.





PF - Terrence Jones



Terrence Jones, I believe will benefit the most from his second season under John Calipari. Jones started off hot last season, and began to fade in conference play. However, now that he will have more of a scoring threat along side of him in Anthony Davis, he will face less double teams, and will often have one-on-one situations with much slower, less athletic defenders.



The key for Jones this season will be to keep his emotions in check, which he struggled with at times last season.



I expect Jones to make major improvements in being able to play with his back to the basket. I'd have to imagine that being a point of emphasis during practice this season. Jones should be a match-up nightmare for every team we will face this season. He's too athletic for many big men, and if he can learn to play with his back to the basket, he is too strong and powerful for perimeter defenders.



NBA Comparison - Lamar Odom.



Stat projections - 15 points per game, 9 rebounds.



C - Anthony Davis



Anthony Davis is far and away the most talented player in college basketball. He's a 6'10 post player who can step outside, and handle the basketball like a guard. Players like Davis do not come around very often.



Davis can score from any point on the floor. Has a nice touch on the jump shot, and can knock down the three ball, and uses his length to get into the paint and score.



Defensively, he's a shot blocking machine. His length makes it a nightmare for opposing post players to get a shot up. At 6'10, Anthony Davis has a 7-4 wing span.



Some say Davis needs to bulk up a bit, and while it might be nice if he did, I disagree with that statement. At 6'10, 220 pounds, he's a similar body type to his NBA comparison.



NBA Comparison - Marcus Camby



Stat projections - 14 points per game, 3 assists, 9 rebounds.





Expected to contribute off the bench



F - Mike Gilchrist



Gilchrist, in my opinion, will be in the starting line up by the time conference play rolls around. However, I see him starting the year as the sixth man.



At 6'7, Mike Gilchrist has a 7'0 wingspan, which makes him a nightmare on the perimeter defensively. A good defensive presence, who is always finding a way to get into the passing lane. I expect Gilchrist to take on the role of DeAndre Liggins at that end of the court, while adding a polished offensive game that Liggins lacked.



Gilchrist is a pure slasher, who can thrive in the dribble drive offense. He's also an unselfish player, who will always make the extra pass. Except to see a lot of back-door cuts fed to Gilchrist, followed up by a lot of extra passes down low to Terrence Jones or Anthony Davis for an easy bucket.



Gilchrist is a decent outside shooter, but lacks the mechanics to be a great outside shooter. Has a low release point, and very little arc. Also needs to improve going to his left.



Overall, Gilchrist is a young player who should step in and immediately be a good player at this level, and who has the potential to be a great player.



NBA comparison - Andre Iguodala



Stat projections - 10.5 points per game, 3 assists, 4 rebounds.





Kyle Wiltjer



Kyle Wiltjer is a smart basketball player who doesn't make many mistakes. Also, at 6'9, he can shoot lights out from the perimeter.



Wiltjer struggles at times, due to his lack of athleticism, and his lack of ball security in the post. However, he makes up for it with his jump shot and basketball IQ.



I expect Wiltjer to take on the role left by Josh Harrellson, although Wiltjer does have a more polished offensive game.



NBA Comparison - Hedo Turkoglu



Stat projection - 5 points per game, 4 rebounds.





I fully expect a 7 man rotation, with the remainder of the roster being used only in late game situations, with the game out of reach.





Season Predictions



28-3 ; 14-2 in the SEC.



I think we lose at Florida in the SEC, and another slip up game somewhere along the lines. I'm going to go with at Vanderbilt.



In the non-conference schedule, I'll predict very close loss to North Carolina.



Early in the season, a young team playing in the biggest regular season college basketball game of the decade, coming off of only one days rest, against a tough St. Johns team, I think will be too much to handle.



I do, however, expect nothing less than a National Championship out of this team.



This is the most talented team in college basketball. And while I have questioned some of the on the court moves that John Calipari has made during his coaching career, he's becoming a better in-game coach by the minute.



I would not call this season a 'failure' if we do not win a National Title, because it takes a lot to win a title. But, this team has all the necessary pieces in place to bring it home.



My bias aside, I see there being a new Championship banner hanging in Rupp at the 2012 Big Blue Madness.