Former 5* PG Ryan Harrow transfers to Kentucky

[Dogtown Donkey]

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6593945

And the rich get richer.

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Former North Carolina State point guard Ryan Harrow says he's transferring to Kentucky.

Harrow announced his decision on Twitter, saying "I am a Kentucky Wildcat!"

His departure from NC State last month was described as a mutual decision made by the guard and new coach Mark Gottfried, who was hired in April after Sidney Lowe stepped down.

Harrow averaged 9.3 points in 29 games as a freshman, ranking seventh in the ACC with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.9. He will sit out this season and will have three years of eligibility starting in 2012-13.

He joins a Kentucky program that recently lost one-and-done freshmen John Wall and Brandon Knight to the NBA and brings in Marquis Teague, one of the nation's highest-rated high school point guards.

[Breems]

Archie Goodwin needs to come here.

[Lakerhog]

Archie Goodwin needs to come here.

This, and I think he will.

[HF#1]

I wonder how much they paid him?

[poloprince]

I wonder how much they paid him?

Alot

[kingofdequeen]

I wonder how much they paid him?

i doubt one red cent.

there's a track record there for Cal making PG's into multimillionaires.  pretty much sells itself.

[tiber]

World Wide Wes will make sure that Harrow doesn't pay for anything during his luxurious stay at UK. 

[HF#1]

i doubt one red cent.

there's a track record there for Cal making PG's into multimillionaires.  pretty much sells itself.

Well yeah.  His connection with Lebron's agent gets them a helluva deal. 

[rude1]

I wonder how much they paid him?

When you are churning out overall No. 1 picks, and other lottery picks like Cal., the top kids tend to want to come play for you. Don't think he has any need to pay anyone. Like it or not, the guy has produced in developing guys who end up lottery picks.

[HF#1]

Well yeah.  His connection with Lebron's agent gets them a helluva deal. 

This... 

[WMHawgfan]

When you are churning out overall No. 1 picks, and other lottery picks like Cal., the top kids tend to want to come play for you. Don't think he has any need to pay anyone. Like it or not, the guy has produced in developing guys who end up lottery picks.

That is the picture that is painted for recruits but to be honest, Derrick Rose, John Wall and Brandon Knight were one and done first round NBA locks regardless of where they went to school. To me, Cal hasn't made them millionaires, they are making him millions. Can't say he isn't intelligent. He has recruits thinking he is the Pat Riley of college coaches even though he has not one a single championship.

[Dogtown Donkey]

That is the picture that is painted for recruits but to be honest, Derrick Rose, John Wall and Brandon Knight were one and done first round NBA locks regardless of where they went to school. To me, Cal hasn't made them millionaires, they are making him millions. Can't say he isn't intelligent. He has recruits thinking he is the Pat Riley of college coaches even though he has not one a single championship.

No one claimed he made players NBA 1st round picks. He's 2nd to none in preparing guys for the NBA, though. He's a pro college coach. Players have cited his ability to prepare players for the NBA as a main selling point for wherever he is coaching. Archie Goodwin even mentioned this. He takes NBA talent and refines it, not makes it.

It's also possible for an NBA talent to step into the wrong situation with the wrong coach in college and damage their draft stock. You don't really get that with Calipari.

[The Hogfather]

i doubt one red cent.

there's a track record there for Cal making PG's into multimillionaires.  pretty much sells itself.

Hilarious.  Cal "making PGs into multi-millionaires".  I understand the perception, but perception is far from reality.  Basically, he cheats to get the best PGs on his team and they make him look like he's "creating 1st round picks", even though he only coaches 99% of them for less than one year.

It's hilarious to me...

[kingofdequeen]

Hilarious.  Cal "making PGs into multi-millionaires".  I understand the perception, but perception is far from reality.  Basically, he cheats to get the best PGs on his team and they make him look like he's "creating 1st round picks", even though he only coaches 99% of them for less than one year.

It's hilarious to me...

it's hilarious that he has a built-in marketing advantage to get every top PG in the country?

you are a sick SOB.

[The Hogfather]

Like it or not, the guy has produced in developing guys who end up lottery picks.

"Developing" top 10 high school players, for less than 1 year, into lottery picks?

Their high school/AAU coaches are more responsible for the development of these guys more than Cal. 

[The Hogfather]

it's hilarious that he has a built-in marketing advantage to get every top PG in the country?

you are a sick SOB.

It's just hilarious that people actually buy-in to the idea that he "develops" any of these guys.  They could go to Winthrop and be lottery picks after a year there.

[The Hogfather]

That is the picture that is painted for recruits but to be honest, Derrick Rose, John Wall and Brandon Knight were one and done first round NBA locks regardless of where they went to school. To me, Cal hasn't made them millionaires, they are making him millions. Can't say he isn't intelligent. He has recruits thinking he is the Pat Riley of college coaches even though he has not one a single championship.

Precisely.  He's using these guys to make him millions, not the other way around.

[The Hogfather]

No one claimed he made players NBA 1st round picks. He's 2nd to none in preparing guys for the NBA, though.

He doesn't prepare them anymore than their local AAU coach.  What does he do to prepare them for the NBA?  Recruit them and use them for a year?  That prepares them for the NBA?  That makes them a lottery pick?

The bottom line is, they have elite talent and they really don't benefit much, if at all, from their less-than-one-year stints with Cal.  They could go to any D1 school in the nation and be just as prepared for the NBA after one year as they are coming from Cal's program..

[poloprince]

Calipari a beast, i can't wait to see MA coach against him.

[The Hogfather]

Calipari a beast, i can't wait to see MA coach against him.

He is a recruiting beast (utilizing the gray areas and the BLACK areas), that's for sure.

[Dogtown Donkey]

He doesn't prepare them anymore than their local AAU coach.  What does he do to prepare them for the NBA?  Recruit them and use them for a year?  That prepares them for the NBA?  That makes them a lottery pick?

The bottom line is, they have elite talent and they really don't benefit much, if at all, from their less-than-one-year stints with Cal.  They could go to any D1 school in the nation and be just as prepared for the NBA after one year as they are coming from Cal's program..

Maybe, maybe not.

You're not close to the program so you have no clue what goes on. All we do know is that players continue to praise Calipari for his ability to prepare them for the NBA. You're showing your bias against Calipari by claiming he doesn't benefit them and he doesn't prepare them. That's what I like to call "out your ass talk."

Is Calipari a slime ball? I think we can all agree on that. But you giving him next to no credit is comical.

[The Hogfather]

Maybe, maybe not.

You're not close to the program so you have no clue what goes on. All we do know is that players continue to praise Calipari for his ability to prepare them for the NBA. You're showing your bias against Calipari by claiming he doesn't benefit them and he doesn't prepare them. That's what I like to call "out your ass talk."

Is Calipari a slime ball? I think we can all agree on that. But you giving him next to no credit is comical.

Good God.  If guys like D. Rose, Tyreke Evans, and Brandon Knight could've gone to the NBA out of high school, they would've.  Calipari does nothing for those kids in LESS THAN A YEAR of their development.  Their high school coach/AAU coaches do a lot more for them than Calipari does.  Their talent makes them lottery picks, not playing for Cal.  Their talent makes them "prepared" for the NBA after less than a year in college, not playing for Cal.

[kingofdequeen]

Good God.  If guys like D. Rose, Tyreke Evans, and Brandon Knight could've gone to the NBA out of high school, they would've.  Calipari does nothing for those kids in LESS THAN A YEAR of their development.  Their high school coach/AAU coaches do a lot more for them than Calipari does.  Their talent makes them lottery picks, not playing for Cal.  Their talent makes them "prepared" for the NBA after less than a year in college, not playing for Cal.

you and cal haters say this.  cal says his piece. 

cal gets Lottery Picks every single year, regardless of school.

[The Hogfather]

you and cal haters say this.  cal says his piece. 

cal gets Lottery Picks every single year, regardless of school.

Yep.  He gets them.  He doesn't produce them or develop them.  He doesn't prepare them for the NBA.  He harbors them.  He uses them.

These guys would be lottery picks anywhere they went.  If there was no rule against it, they would be lottery picks out of high school, without Cal's "development" or "preparation".  He doesn't do anything to make them lottery picks in the time they're with him (less than a year).  They're highly rated, projected lottery picks when he signs them and they are highly rated, projected lottery picks when they leave him (after 6-9 months of his "tutelage").

Saying Cal is responsible for developing, preparing, or creating lottery picks is akin to saying the golf coach at Stanford made Tiger Woods a superstar in golf.

[Brass Knob]

There is really two sides to this argument. The first is Cal gets players that would be lottery picks no matter where they were playing. The other is he does get these kids and gets them drafted in the top 5 consistently. There is a huge difference of perception between the 13th pick and the 3rd pick in the draft. Cal is a master marketer. He has a system that is designed to showcase talent, specifically at the guard position, and it really is a hybrid college/pro system, that does help players prepare for the NBA. Between being a marketing machine, his dribble drive offense (even a lot of "his" system is overblown but again great marketing by him), a reputation as "making" players elite, and I believe selling his soul to the devil it is easy to see why he continues to get top level talent.

[Breems]

Dogtown Donkey and The Hogfather are so alike they can't get along.

[The Hogfather]

Dogtown Donkey and The Hogfather are so alike they can't get along.

Uhhhhhh.......yeah.

[WMHawgfan]

it's hilarious that he has a built-in marketing advantage to get every top PG in the country?

you are a sick SOB.

His built in marketing advantage is world wide Wes. He wines and dines them, takes them to NBA games and introduces them to stars. Hard to out recruit that.

I am not seeing the track record. Before Kentucky in the 9 years he was at Memphis, who were the first round millionaires that he churned out? I am pretty sure you can count them on one hand even if you include his years at UMass.

I will start the list
Derrick Rose- as stated he was a one and done lottery pick regardless of where he went to school.

[The Hogfather]

His built in marketing advantage is world wide Wes. He wines and dines them, takes them to NBA games and introduces them to stars. Hard to out recruit that.

I am not seeing the track record. Before Kentucky in the 9 years he was at Memphis, who were the first round millionaires that he churned out? I am pretty sure you can count them on one hand even if you include his years at UMass.

I will start the list
Derrick Rose- as stated he was a one and done lottery pick regardless of where he went to school.

Same with Tyreke Evans and same with Brandon Knight.  He's a good recruiter of talent.  I give him that (although a lot of that is by cheating and dominating the sleazy gray areas, see vacated wins at every stop for proof).  To act like he's developing, creating, or preparing lottery picks is just ridiculous, although I know that perception is out there.

[Brass Knob]

His built in marketing advantage is world wide Wes. He wines and dines them, takes them to NBA games and introduces them to stars. Hard to out recruit that.

I am not seeing the track record. Before Kentucky in the 9 years he was at Memphis, who were the first round millionaires that he churned out? I am pretty sure you can count them on one hand even if you include his years at UMass.

I will start the list
Derrick Rose- as stated he was a one and done lottery pick regardless of where he went to school.

Tyreke Evans, Darius Washington, Sean Williams, Camby (UMass), and Chris Douglas Roberts off the top of my head were first round picks under Cal. He also had Xavier Henry, Demarcus Cousins, and John Wall coming to Memphis before he bolted for Kentucky and took his recruiting class with him.

[BallHog1]

I have to admit Cal is better at three things than anyone else:
1. Signing the top talent.
2. Vacating titles
3. Changing jobs when the heat starts to catch up.

He's a cheater and his results mean nothing as long as he cheats. If ever the descriptor "used car salesman" comes close to being what someone is, I'd say Cal might even give Houston a run for the title.

[Dogtown Donkey]

Tyreke Evans, Darius Washington, Sean Williams, Camby (UMass), and Chris Douglas Roberts off the top of my head were first round picks under Cal. He also had Xavier Henry, Demarcus Cousins, and John Wall coming to Memphis before he bolted for Kentucky and took his recruiting class with him.

Actually, Darius Washington went undrafted and CDR was a 2nd round pick.

[Dogtown Donkey]

There is really two sides to this argument. The first is Cal gets players that would be lottery picks no matter where they were playing. The other is he does get these kids and gets them drafted in the top 5 consistently. There is a huge difference of perception between the 13th pick and the 3rd pick in the draft. Cal is a master marketer. He has a system that is designed to showcase talent, specifically at the guard position, and it really is a hybrid college/pro system, that does help players prepare for the NBA. Between being a marketing machine, his dribble drive offense (even a lot of "his" system is overblown but again great marketing by him), a reputation as "making" players elite, and I believe selling his soul to the devil it is easy to see why he continues to get top level talent.

This is a good post.

Just simply being a lottery pick isn't the issue. It's preparing them for success in the NBA once they actually start playing. And I'm sorry, but John Calipari is going to do a better job of that than someone like, say, John Pelphrey. John Wall, Brandon Knight, whatever. Calipari is going to do better with these kids individually than just any old coach. It's kinda dumb to say these kids could go anywhere and it won't make a difference because that's just not true.

[kingofdequeen]

dejuan wagner - 6th overall pick.  another cal kid.

does he have The Hiv?

[Dogtown Donkey]

dejuan wagner - 6th overall pick.  another cal kid.

does he have The Hiv?

I know one thing's for sure - he doesn't have a colon.

[Brass Knob]

Actually, Darius Washington went undrafted and CDR was a 2nd round pick.

I meant Dejuan Wagner, just got done reading about Memphis and Louisville signing a two year contract to play each other and of course they mentioned Darius Washington missing free throws at the end of the CUSA championship game (a well noted Cal coached team flaw) against L'ville. Anyways, I was just wrong about CDR, thouht he was a late first rounder, but he wasn't.
You can also about Cal that he had a couple of players committed that never made it to campus before the one year rule was put into place (Kendrick Perkins and Amare Stoudemire).

[jbcarol]

I meant Dejuan Wagner, just got done reading about Memphis and Louisville signing a two year contract to play each other and of course they mentioned Darius Washington missing free throws at the end of the CUSA championship game (a well noted Cal coached team flaw) against L'ville. Anyways, I was just wrong about CDR, thouht he was a late first rounder, but he wasn't.
You can also about Cal that he had a couple of players committed that never made it to campus before the one year rule was put into place (Kendrick Perkins and Amare Stoudemire).

Is that Milton's boy?

[The Hogfather]

He developed them into NBA players just by recruiting them.  He's truly amazing.  Just think how good they'd be now if they got to "develop" under Cal for 8 months...

I meant Dejuan Wagner, just got done reading about Memphis and Louisville signing a two year contract to play each other and of course they mentioned Darius Washington missing free throws at the end of the CUSA championship game (a well noted Cal coached team flaw) against L'ville. Anyways, I was just wrong about CDR, thouht he was a late first rounder, but he wasn't.
You can also about Cal that he had a couple of players committed that never made it to campus before the one year rule was put into place (Kendrick Perkins and Amare Stoudemire).

[WMHawgfan]

Actually, Darius Washington went undrafted and CDR was a 2nd round pick.

yes and Xavier Henry never played for Cal. He went to Kansas wen Cal left Memphis. Shawne Williams was a complete bust. He recently made a comeback with the Knicks but a traffic stop where he got caught with a gun and marijuana put an end to that.

[WMHawgfan]

Is that Milton's boy?

Yes, and as I seem to remember Milt had a staff position under Cal for that year. When Dejuan left so did Milt. Xavier Henry was going to have the same situation. His dad was going to get some phony baloney position at the university of Memphis right as Xavier committed to them.

[Brass Knob]

Yes, and as I seem to remember Milt had a staff position under Cal for that year. When Dejuan left so did Milt. Xavier Henry was going to have the same situation. His dad was going to get some phony baloney position at the university of Memphis right as Xavier committed to them.

Yup one of the many rules that were made because of Cal living in a gray area.

[Dogtown Donkey]

I meant Dejuan Wagner, just got done reading about Memphis and Louisville signing a two year contract to play each other and of course they mentioned Darius Washington missing free throws at the end of the CUSA championship game (a well noted Cal coached team flaw) against L'ville. Anyways, I was just wrong about CDR, thouht he was a late first rounder, but he wasn't.
You can also about Cal that he had a couple of players committed that never made it to campus before the one year rule was put into place (Kendrick Perkins and Amare Stoudemire).

That was brutal. I never never felt as bad for a player in my life.

[Brass Knob]

That was brutal. I never never felt as bad for a player in my life.

Especially since he looked over at the Memphis bench and gave them all a wink like he was about the end the game, I guess he did just the wrong way.

[rude1]

"Developing" top 10 high school players, for less than 1 year, into lottery picks?

Their high school/AAU coaches are more responsible for the development of these guys more than Cal. 

If it makes you feel better to deny the obvious, that is ok with me. The record of producing lottery pick talent is undeniable. I know many people hate him, but the guy can coach,  get players to listen and buy into what he is teaching. I guess last years run to the final four with a young team who couldn't win all season on the road was luck right? Is the guy clean? NO. I think he is just a slimy and greasy as there is when it comes to recruiting, but there is no way I can deny what he is able to do with those players once he has them there.

[The Hogfather]

It's kind of like I'm talking to 3 year olds.  He "produces" lottery picks by recruiting them, utilizing oft shady tactics.  He does not develop, prepare, or create lottery picks.  They're lottery caliber out of high school.  He just uses them for a season and convinces all you gullible people that he "creates" lottery picks.  It's ridiculous and frankly, quite sad.

If it makes you feel better to deny the obvious, that is ok with me. The record of producing lottery pick talent is undeniable. I know many people hate him, but the guy can coach,  get players to listen and buy into what he is teaching. I guess last years run to the final four with a young team who couldn't win all season on the road was luck right? Is the guy clean? NO. I think he is just a slimy and greasy as there is when it comes to recruiting, but there is no way I can deny what he is able to do with those players once he has them there.

[rude1]

It's kind of like I'm talking to 3 year olds.  He "produces" lottery picks by recruiting them, utilizing oft shady tactics.  He does not develop, prepare, or create lottery picks.  They're lottery caliber out of high school.  He just uses them for a season and convinces all you gullible people that he "creates" lottery picks.  It's ridiculous and frankly, quite sad.

So you are telling us that all the other players ranked in the top ten who go to other schools along with the ones Cal gets all end up lottery picks in a year?  I guess Cal is just lucky then, because his top guys end up in the lottery after a season, while other players who are highly ranked who play else where aren't lottery picks after one season of college ball.

[Brass Knob]

It's kind of like I'm talking to 3 year olds.  He "produces" lottery picks by recruiting them, utilizing oft shady tactics.  He does not develop, prepare, or create lottery picks.  They're lottery caliber out of high school.  He just uses them for a season and convinces all you gullible people that he "creates" lottery picks.  It's ridiculous and frankly, quite sad.

But I go back to he, especially recently, does not just get them drafted in the top 14 but is having them drafted really really high as in top 6 or 7. It is a bit of joke to act like all top 10 players out of high school become top 10 draft picks years later. Everyone realizes that he is not taking two star athletes and making them lottery picks, but he has a system that is a hybrid NBA style designed to showcase talented guard and wing players. Add that to fact that he is a master marketer and very well connected and he pumps out top 10 draft picks at probably a higher rate than any other coach in the history of the game... Either way it really does not matter because that is the perception of the talented young players and that is where they will continue to go until bolts back to the NBA...

[Fatty McGee]

Yep.  He gets them.  He doesn't produce them or develop them.  He doesn't prepare them for the NBA.  He harbors them.  He uses them.

These guys would be lottery picks anywhere they went.  If there was no rule against it, they would be lottery picks out of high school, without Cal's "development" or "preparation".  He doesn't do anything to make them lottery picks in the time they're with him (less than a year).  They're highly rated, projected lottery picks when he signs them and they are highly rated, projected lottery picks when they leave him (after 6-9 months of his "tutelage").

Saying Cal is responsible for developing, preparing, or creating lottery picks is akin to saying the golf coach at Stanford made Tiger Woods a superstar in golf.

You really think they learn nothing from a coach with his experience that they couldn't learn from a high school or AAU coach?  Thats just jealousy talking. And if he's using them then every college coach is just using his players. Theta a function of the system, though.

[The Hogfather]

Learn nothing?  Of course not.  Learn enough to improve their draft position?  Very, very rarely.  These are lottery picks out of high school.  The only reason they go to college is because they have to.  Rose, Evans, Wall, Cousins, etc. were all lottery pick caliber coming out of high school.  And they would've been lottery picks anywhere they went.

You really think they learn nothing from a coach with his experience that they couldn't learn from a high school or AAU coach?  Thats just jealousy talking. And if he's using them then every college coach is just using his players. Theta a function of the system, though.