Look back/ahead to the Top 100 College Basketball recruits in the SEC

[jbcarol]

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello 22h22 hours ago

Several top-50 freshmen are off to slow starts -- http://es.pn/1OVkFhz [Insider link]

For public consumption:

For a variety of reasons, it's still too early to deem newcomers as "disappointments" or "underachievers" at this point in the season. Kentucky's Skal Labissiere has been knocked for not living up to the hype yet, and his numbers have been boosted by performances against bad teams, but he's still a few steps ahead of the guys on this list. Some freshmen went to school knowing they would play limited minutes for a season or two, sitting the bench behind established veterans at their position. With that said, there are certainly some highly-touted recruits that have not produced noteworthy numbers just yet; will that change?

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 59m59 minutes ago

Right now one UK player is positioned to be the worst Free Throw shooter at his position in UK history: http://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/kentuckys-free-throw-woes-are-historically-bad/ ...

It's no secret Isaiah Briscoe struggles at the foul line, but just how bad is it?

It's really bad.

In fact, it's the worst ever.

After I (somewhat) joked yesterday that Briscoe could be the worst in history, Jon Scott over at BigBlueHistory.net went to his underground bunker of UK basketball statistics to look it up. Turns out, right now, Isaiah Briscoe is the worst free throw-shooting guard ever. Briscoe's current 41.2 percentage is the lowest in school history among guards.

Granted, he has only played eight games in his career, but at this moment, he is in dead last in foul shooting out of all of the guards who have worn Kentucky blue. The next worst is Derrick Jasper at 47.6 percent...

Marcus Lee is the worst foul shooter of all-time at 37.2 percent...

Might need to come back in '16-17 and work on that.

[jbcarol]

Jerry Tipton: Skal Labissiere requires patience, a quality rare for UK basketball

Patience, Groucho Marx once quipped, was "the art of finding something else to do." Mark Twain lauded the virtue of patience in his inimitable way. "All good things arrive unto those that wait," he wrote, "and don't die in the meantime."

These thoughts come to mind as Kentucky basketball waits — impatiently — for freshman Skal Labissiere to develop as a player.

Patience barely exists in an age of one-and-done players, mock NBA Draft projections (DraftExpress.com already has UK signee De'Aaron Fox as the fourth player picked in 2017; NBADraft.net has him taken fifth) and Joe Lunardi's laughably premature Bracketology updates nine months before the NCAA Tournament.

Given a Kentucky program built upon a revolving door of one-and-done players, what chance does Labissiere have to improve on the court without people tapping a foot or saying with a sigh, C'mon. C'mon. Hurry up.

[jbcarol]

More questions about Skal Labissiere's play: Freshman center failed to get the point or rebound Saturday

"Through 10 games, Labissiere barely has more rebounds (35) than 5-9 UK point guard Tyler Ulis (29). As tends to happen with players who do not score or get a rebound, Labissiere was not one of the players UK made available to the media after the game. That did not keep questions about his confidence level from dominating the proceedings."

An NBA #1 Overall Pick Line?

Labissiere fouled out of Saturday's game with zero points, zero rebounds, zero assists and one blocked shot.

[jbcarol]

SEC Sports ‏@SEC 4h4 hours ago

#SECMBB Player of the Week:
Retin Obasohan
http://www.secsports.com/article/14364920/obasohan-murray-named-men-basketball-players-week ...



http://www.verbalcommits.com/players/retin-obasohan

Unranked 2011 PG out of Antwerp


SEC Sports ‏@SEC 4h4 hours ago

#SECMBB Freshman of the Week:
Jamal Murray
http://www.secsports.com/article/14364920/obasohan-murray-named-men-basketball-players-week ...



'15 Late reclassified and therefore unranked 5-star out of Kitchener, Ontario

[jbcarol]

 Rob Dauster ‏@RobDauster 14h14 hours ago

I tried to warn you after the Marquette loss that LSU was wasting Ben Simmons. Seems like everyone's catching on now http://collegebasketball.nbcsports.com/2015/11/23/ben-simmons-monster-night-comes-in-a-loss-to-marquette/ ...

Tigers are talented. No one in their right mind will argue that. But fair or not, Johnny Jones has a reputation for fielding teams that fail to play up to their talent level. It's far too early to say that's happening again —

And therein lies the danger of a one-and-done talent going to a school outside what is considered to be the traditional contenders. Simmons isn't the only one learning that this year; Malik Newman is struggling to find his way on a bad Mississippi State team. Stephen Zimmerman is a projected lottery pick on a projected NIT team. Even Ellenson is in danger of fading into the obscurity of being on the wrong side of the bubble.

It draws to mind Michael Beasley...

[jbcarol]

Michael DeCourcy ‏@tsnmike 19h19 hours ago

Skal Labissiere of @KentuckyMBB scored zero against ASU. If not for "one-and-done" he'd be trying to survive in NBA http://www.sportingnews.com/ncaa-basketball-news/4687970-skal-labissiere-kentucky-john-calipari-nba-draft-2016 ...

[jbcarol]

 Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 11h11 hours ago

The most underrated thing about thing about (sic) Ben Simmons? How he hits the glass. Leading the nation in rebounding right now at 14.8 RPG.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 2h2 hours ago

John Calipari may have Marcus Camby counsel Skal Labissiere, a projected top-3 pick https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/john-calipari-on-tai-wynyard-who-knows-i-may-put-him-in-the-game/159881394 ...

The Camby Man can

Kentucky's newest big man Tai Wynyard arrived in Lexington Thursday after a redeye flight from New Zealand and coach John Calipari hinted that he may thrust the 6-foot-9 power forward into action as soon as Saturday against Ohio State.

Calipari may have just been trying to send a message to his other frontcourt players when he said he hopes Wynyard brings some much-needed "toughness." Freshman big man Skal Labissiere hasn't been the player some thought he would be early on, and DraftExpress.com recently dropped him to No. 3 from No. 1 in its 2016 mock draft.

Calipari said he had the Haitian sensation over his house the other night to show that he and his family support him. Labissiere didn't register a single point, rebound or assist in last Saturday's 72-58 win over Arizona State.

"Normally, I have a steadfast rule, if I throw you out of practice, you must stay at my house," Calipari said. "This was more based on, he's getting it from all angles. I want him to know, and my wife wants him to know, 'We love you, we're here for you. Let's talk.' A lot of time these kids have so much stuff on them they become paralyzed.

"We had him over, my wife made him a great breakfast in the morning and he said, 'Gotta go, coach.' And I said, 'OK, I'll see you in practice.'"

Calipari also said he might need Marcus Camby to come to Lexington to visit with Labisisere to discuss conditioning and other matters.

"I was just with Marcus Camby up at UMass and I sat down with him and I said, "I may need you to come to Lexington,'" Calipari said.

"And I said let's throw in the added you should be able to leave after a year [for the NBA]. What if you had that hanging over your head?' And he said, 'Oh, wow.' Well, that's where Skal is right now."

[jbcarol]

Nike Hoop Summit@nikehoopsummit

Tune in to ESPN2 right now to watch 2016 Point Guard & Kentucky commit De'Aaron Fox

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 47m47 minutes ago Manhattan, NY

Adam Zagoria Retweeted Nike Hoop Summit

Kentucky is getting a terrific defender who will really push the pace at PG

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 8h8 hours ago

Ben Simmons Could Be First No. 1 Pick Since Michael Olowokandi in 1998 to Miss The NCAA Tournament
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/ben-simmons-could-be-first-no-1-pick-since-michael-olowokandi-in-1998-to-miss-the-ncaa-tournament/159983708 ... @joshua_newman

[jbcarol]

 Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 2h2 hours ago

Calipari to Skal: "You don't have to be great, you just can't be God awful" http://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/calipari-to-skal-you-dont-have-to-be-great-you-just-cant-be-god-awful/ ...

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 1m1 minute ago

"I turned to the bench and I said, 'Is there anybody that can guard him right now?" Thad Matta on UK's Jamal Murray
https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/playing-with-chip-on-its-shoulder-ohio-state-overcomes-jamal-murray-no-4-kentucky/160063508 ...

Why is anyone not named Jamal Murray shooting now for UK? #BBN is walking out of Barclays.

Final: Ohio State 74, Kentucky 67 Jamal Murray -33 points, Rest of UK - 34

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 22h22 hours ago

Also #ICYMI: Notes from UK-Ohio State, including the baby steps by which we now measure Skal's progress. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2015/12/19/uk-notes-modest-progress-labissiere/77632434/ ...

BROOKLYN – This is the new, adjusted reality for Kentucky basketball: measuring prized freshman Skal Labissiere's progress in baby steps.

How else could coach John Calipari have thought "Skal was better," as he said after a 74-67 loss to Ohio State on Saturday at the Barclays Center? The former five-star recruit produced just two points, five rebounds and two blocks – and missed a close-range shot that would've gotten the Wildcats within one point with three minutes to go.

"Happy Skal did better," said Calipari, who had Labissiere stay at his house one night last week as a way to lift the 6-foot-11 forward's sagging spirits. "Still a ways away. I tell you, he does the jump hook (and) everybody's happy. The next time, he shoots a fadeaway. 'Shoot the jump hook again. Shoot the jump hook.' He's learning, and that's all part of the process."

Labissiere still got pushed around in the paint and had loose balls ripped away from him. Plus, that costly miss inside.

"But I thought he made strides today. Like, he's been pretty good in practice and he's making strides now," Calipari said. "When the game got a little rough in the end, I just didn't want him to – I just went with Alex (Poythress) and Marcus Lee."

That Labissiere can't be in the game when the going gets tough (he checked out for the final 2:56) is problematic. But his four rebounds and two blocks in 10 second-half minutes Saturday are slightly encouraging.

"You all forget he's a freshman and he's going through freshman things," Lee said. "He has to speed things up and figure things out quicker, and once he starts figuring out the flow of Kentucky basketball and what he needs to do for us to win, he'll be fine."

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/SECNetwork/status/679004854900015105

[jbcarol]

 Adam Zagoria ‏@AdamZagoria 6h6 hours ago

High School Coach Says Kentucky Signee Bam Adebayo Can Be No. 1 Pick in NBA Draft https://www.sny.tv/college-recruiting/news/high-school-coach-says-kentucky-signee-bam-adebayo-can-be-no-1-pick-in-nba-draft/160235972 ...

Could have Bam Bias.

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 20h20 hours ago

TCU lands Texas A&M transfer Alex Robinson. Former Top 100 kid.

[jbcarol]

SEC Schools One and Done Players from 2006 to 2012

Tyrus Thomas        LSU  2006

DeAndre Jordan        A&M (Big 12)  2008

Anthony Randolph  LSU  2008

John Wall              UK    2010

DeMarcus Cousins  UK   2010

Eric Bledsoe           UK   2010

Daniel Orton          UK   2010

Tobias Harris         UT    2011

Brandon Knight      UK   2011

Enes Kanter  UK practice player  2011

Marquis Teague      UK   2012

Bradley Beal          UF    2012

M. Kidd-Gilchrist     UK    2012

Anthony Davis        UK   2012

http://www.collegesportsscholarships.com/2013/03/26/the-statistics-of-a-one-and-done-player.htm

[jbcarol]

UK basketball notebook: Kentucky, Duke prove that not all stars shine with same brightness

ESPN college basketball commentator Jay Bilas made this point recently while trying to provide perspective on Kentucky freshman Skal Labissiere.

"You can be a top-five player," Bilas said, "but top five is not the same every year. The No. 1 recruiting class is not the same (every year)."

The NBA Draft teaches the same lesson. Some years the overall No. 1 pick transforms a franchise: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1969), Magic Johnson (1979), LeBron James (2003). Some years the overall No. 1 pick does not change a team's fortunes: LaRue Martin (1972), Kwame Brown (2001), [the great] Anthony Bennett (2013).

Duke's freshmen this season inspire similar impatience among their fans. Brandon Ingram, Chase Jeter and Derryck Thornton are not as good as Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones. What's wrong?!

"Nothing wrong with them," Bilas said of Duke's freshmen this season. "You just don't give credit for how good the guys were last year."

Along the same lines, Bilas said of Labissiere, "Comparing him to Karl-Anthony Towns is not really fair."

Another ESPN commentator, Fran Fraschilla, made the same point. Of residents of the Big Blue Nation, he said, "They've been spoiled in the sense that they've had guys like Karl Towns and Anthony Davis..."

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 23h23 hours ago

Arkansas' Moses Kingsley last year: 3.6 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 10.9 MPG.
THIS YEAR: 16.1 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 27.5 MPG. Has made huge jump for Razorbacks.

[jbcarol]

 SEC Sports ‏@SEC 2h2 hours ago

.@KentuckyMBB's TYLER ULIS is the #SECMBB Player of the Week.
http://bit.ly/1MDpwjb 



Malik Newman of @HailStateMBK is the #SECMBB Freshman of the Week. http://bit.ly/1MDpwjb 

[jbcarol]

 Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 4h4 hours ago

Alex Poythress, Villanova, and why Cal needs to make hay this week at home. Observations @CBSSports: http://cbsprt.co/1PsrLuf 

Alex Poythress is Kentucky's second-most important player: Tyler Ulis is the gas in the Wildcats' engine, illustrated when he didn't play against Illinois State on Nov. 30.

Kentucky's offense doesn't run without Ulis, but after the point guard, this team's most important player is Poythress.

The 6-foot-8 senior guarded all five positions on the floor in Saturday's 75-73 win over Louisville and contested Damion Lee's potential winning shot.

Poythress had 14 points, six rebounds, and three blocks and it's almost impossible to detect he had ACL surgery 12 months ago.

In the summer of 2014, Poythress was Kentucky's best player in six exhibition games in the Bahamas but that was swept under the rug because he didn't play much of last season when this team won 38 straight games.

That's unlikely to happen this season. With Skal Labissiere a work in progress and Marcus Lee getting extended playing time for the first time, John Calipari needs Poythress to anchor his frontcourt, and the early results indicate he's up to the task.

3. California needs to make some hay this week: The Bears suffered an excruciating, 63-62 overtime loss on Dec. 22 at Virginia.

Cuonzo Martin's squad hosts Atlantic 10 contender Davidson on Monday and then kicks off Pac-12 play with back-to-back home games vs. Colorado and Utah. They need to respond at home vs. three teams that figure to be in the NCAA Tournament mix.


Arkansas big man Moses Kingsley has made a quantum leap in production. The 6-10, 230-pound sophomore is averaging 16.1 points and 10.3 rebounds while shooting 55.1 percent. Kingsley averaged just 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds last season. The Razorbacks (6-5) visit Dayton on Wednesday night (8 ET, CBS Sports Network).

[jbcarol]

Adam Sparks ‏@AdamSparks Dec 26

.@VandyMBB's Wade Baldwin beat FBI agents in 5-mile obstacle course as angry 16-yr-old. How? http://tnne.ws/1YHaWOB 

By the time 16-year-old Wade Baldwin IV was challenged to beat full-fledged FBI agents in a five-mile obstacle course at a training academy, he had learned to properly channel his anger.

And when he beat the agents — all of them — about an hour later, he proved his chip-on-the-shoulder attitude could produce winning results.

Three years later, Vanderbilt basketball is now relying on Baldwin, a hard-nosed sophomore point guard and the son of an FBI and a DEA agent, to guide the Commodores back among the SEC's elite.

And he certainly has his own style of doing that.

"Different people have different leadership roles on our team. I am the challenger," Baldwin said. "I don't think we have another person on this team that can challenge another player better than I can."

Baldwin certainly speaks his mind when we wants to win so badly. Sometimes that means calling out a teammate. At least once his excitement resulted in an on-court clash with his coach on national TV.

Stallings said he was going to kill the ____ _____ Baldwin and it was picked up by the mic.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 7s7 seconds ago

Marcus Lee's last four games for Kentucky: 11.3 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 3.3 BPG, shooting 76% from the field. An unsung presence in Lexington.

[jbcarol]

Ben Roberts ‏@NextCats 20h20 hours ago

Skal (9.2) and Cheick Diallo (6.5) are the only Top 10 recruits from 2015 averaging under 10 points per game http://bit.ly/1ROeMGA

[jbcarol]

A look at how the top basketball recruits from the class of 2015 are doing so far this season (Chart available at link)

LSU's Ben Simmons is living up to his No. 1 overall ranking

No. 10 recruit Jamal Murray is Kentucky's leading scorer

The college basketball recruiting class of 2015 has been underwhelming — for the most part — so far this season, with many of the country's top-rated freshmen struggling to get adjusted to the next level.

Still, plenty of highly touted newcomers are putting up big numbers — most notably, Louisiana State's Ben Simmons — and the most recent DraftExpress.com mock draft for 2016 places seven freshmen among the top 10 picks.

Here's a look at how the top 25 players from the class of 2015

[jbcarol]

Jacques Doucet ‏@JacquesDoucet 28m28 minutes ago

ESPN runs a montage of Ben Simmons on Sportscenter. Then - "Oh by the way, #LSU lost."

Patrick Brown ‏@patrickbrownTFP 14h14 hours ago

LSU, which has Ben Simmons, and Tennessee, which does not, again have the same record in basketball after Johnny Jones's latest masterpiece.

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 11h11 hours ago

John Calipari says he has settled on his rotation for SEC play http://kentuckysportsradio.com/basketball-2/calipari-says-hes-settled-on-his-rotation/ ...

ONE AND TWO: Tyler Ulis/Jamal Murray/Dominique Hawkins
"What I see is Dom, Jamal, and Tyler — two of those three playing. Could play all three, but two of those three will always be on the court."

THREE: Isaiah Briscoe/Charles Matthews
"Isaiah and Charles: one of those on the court. So, one or the other will be playing. I don't want those two on the court together."

FOUR: Alex Poythress/Derek Willis (if he'll rebound with two hands)
"Alex four, Derek — if he'll rebound, with two hands, go get balls. When he reaches with one, he never brings it in ever and they're all baskets for the other team and they're freebies. So if he'll rebound, Derek would be the other four that gives you another stretch, he and Alex, who can really score from that position."

FIVE: Marcus Lee/Skal Labissiere
"Gonna move Marcus Lee to solely five," Cal said. "And Skal, be that five."

Calipari said he's going to "wait and see" about Tai Wynyard, Isaac Humphries, and Mychal Mulder. For now, he's got a rotation of nine.

"I've kind of settled in on that based on those guys have earned the right," he said.

[jbcarol]

Jonathan Givony ‏@DraftExpress 31 Dec 2015

DeAndre Ayton putting on an incredible show. Not sure I've ever seen a high school kid this talented. 7-foot athletic freak,and very skilled




Not since this guy

[jbcarol]

heraldleader ‏@heraldleader 4m4 minutes ago

ICYMI #Caliparie to #Skal: You may need two years to get to #NBA
http://www.kentucky.com/sports/college/kentucky-sports/uk-basketball-men/article52676990.html ... #bbn #kentuckybasketball

Had missed this.

Freshman Skal Labissiere's wild ride from projected first pick in this year's NBA Draft to substitute off the Kentucky bench needs explaining.

UK Coach John Calipari provided it Friday.

When asked if he sought to take the pressure off Labissiere by bringing him off the bench against Louisville last weekend, Calipari quipped, "I'm not that smart."

The Cal-culation involves helping not only Labissiere but the Kentucky team.

Labissiere's unproductive play contributed to UK's tendency to start games slowly, Calipari said. So starting a front-court tandem of Marcus Lee and Alex Poythress gave the Cats a better chance to get off to a better start.

As for Labissiere, coming off the bench might provide greater incentive to battle opponents intent on being physical.

"Now, fight for your spot," Calipari said of the message to Labissiere.

[jbcarol]

Skal, Simmons dodging criticism before showdown

Vitale on Labissiere: 'He's hurting a little bit'

Bilas on Simmons: 'It's a fair question to ask why he doesn't win more'

As a showdown, Kentucky's game at LSU on Tuesday was supposed to be college basketball's version of Steph Curry-versus-LeBron James. The headliners would be the country's most ballyhooed freshmen: Skal Labissiere of UK and Ben Simmons of LSU.

With the first of the teams' two highly anticipated games at hand, let's update Labissiere and Simmons. Keep in mind the fond memory of freshmen being eased into college basketball as complements to more established players. And once upon a time, freshmen were even — gasp — ineligible.

Going into this weekend, Labissiere's struggles through all of 12 games are well-chronicled. Basketball observers say the subsequent flood of second-guessing has taken a toll on his psyche.

"I'm rooting for this kid," ESPN analyst Dick Vitale said recently. "Just talking to him, I like him so much. I think he's hurting a little bit, too. I think he's thinking and really hurting on the inside because he's heard about all his projections. His teammates have heard about all his projections."

Those obsessed with the NBA Draft long ago proclaimed that Labissiere or Simmons would be the first pick in 2016.

Joe Dean Jr., who works as an SEC Network analyst, saw the same hurt and confusion in Labissiere.

"He's lost some confidence," Dean said last week. "He's got that deer-in-the-headlights a little bit."

Of course, Labissiere got off to a good start, averaging 14.7 points in Kentucky's first six games. Then opponents learned to get physical with him. Labissiere didn't score a point nor grab a rebound while fouling out in 13 minutes against Arizona State. He scored two points against Ohio State, and then played a season-low 10 minutes against Louisville.

"This has gone to the point to be way more than a physical or a skill issue," said Jay Bilas, who will work the UK-LSU game for ESPN. "It's a mental thing, and a guy who is kind of searching, and a confidence issue."

Playing for Kentucky, where a double-dribble can agonize fans, has not helped.

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway ‏@gatorhoops 9h9 hours ago

UF freshman G Allen picking up the pace - via @Gator_sports http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20160104/ARTICLES/160109911/1136/FRONTPAGE ...

During a quiet, summer night on campus, incoming Florida freshman guard KeVaughn Allen was perplexed.

Allen had tried to use his key card to get into the UF basketball facility to get some extra shots up, but it didn't work. The North Little Rock, Ark., native approached Florida coach Mike White to find out why.

"They found out he tried to use his key card to get access to the gym that morning," White said. "But the key doesn't work at 4:30 a.m. That's probably a little earlier than they're used to."

That dedication has paid dividends of late. Allen followed up 32-point performance against Florida State last Tuesday with 18 more points during UF's 77-63 win over Georgia on Saturday night. If not for a similarly dominant week from LSU freshman phenom forward Ben Simmons (28.5 ppg, 14 rpg in two games), Allen would have been UF's first SEC freshman of the week since Michael Frazier II in 2013.

"He's not just a driver," White said. "He's not just a spot-up shooter. He's kind of a volume guy and we need him to be a volume guy. He's got the ability to get in space in transition, when he's in space, he's got tremendous explosive ability, speed and quickness, change of direction, but he's also got ability to sprint into shots. He's got ability to get himself shots on attacks and close outs. So it's really just a little bit of everything for him."

[jbcarol]

SEC Sports ‏@SEC 20h20 hours ago

With an average of 19.5 PPG, @AggieMensHoops' Jalen Jones is #SECMBB Player of the Week.
http://bit.ly/1JTlAuW 

[jbcarol]

http://www.mcdonaldsallamerican.com/content/aag/en/MediaCenter/2016/2016-game-materials/2016-Nominee-List/_jcr_content/featuredcontent/everything/file.res/2016%20Nominee%20List%20%28Boys_Girls%29%20Final%281%29.pdf

McDonald's All American game nominees with some major player/location mistakes

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones ‏@KySportsRadio 7h7 hours ago

Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray call out teammates for weak play http://bit.ly/1Z7mqjQ

Tyler Ulis and Jamal Murray combined for 44 of UK's 67 points tonight, and in the postgame press conference, didn't hesitate to voice their criticism over their teammates' soft play.

"Guys came out and didn't really want to play and didn't play that hard and basically it seemed like they didn't really want it," Ulis said. "I feel like we came out, I don't know what it was, a little scared it seemed."

"It was just frustrating knowing we're so much better," Jamal Murray said. Murray scored 17 second half points in a failed comeback attempt. "It's just frustrating as a leader."

On his postgame radio show, John Calipari said his players at the four and five positions "got killed," a major wake-up call that could provide an opportunity for Isaac Humphries and Tai Wynyard to get more minutes.

"Got absolutely murdered," Cal said of Marcus Lee, Skal Labissiere, Alex Poythress, and Derek Willis. "They gave us nothing."

Cal also said that a few of his guards — I'm guessing Ulis and Murray — were so disappointed in their teammates that they called them out in the locker room afterwards.

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 7h7 hours ago

Ulis/Murray: 44 points, 16-33 FG, 7 assists, 4 TOs. Everyone else: 23 points, 8-25 FG, 1 assist, 10 TOs...

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 2h2 hours ago

UK has three former 5-stars in the frontcourt. Lee, Poythress, Labissiere combined for 7 points, 8 rebounds at LSU. http://www.courier-journal.com/story/sports/college/kentucky/2016/01/06/uks-big-men-come-up-small-loss-lsu/78343146/ ...

"I think we're just playing really weak," UK guard Jamal Murray said, "and every team's fired up. We don't understand that yet. That's our fault, not Coach's fault anymore. We gotta bring the team up and we've gotta push this team to fight more."

Junior Marcus Lee and senior Alex Poythress both fouled out – Lee in just six minutes – and combined to give Kentucky (11-3, 1-1 SEC) only four points and six rebounds.

None of Murray, Ulis or coach John Calipari tried to hide their disappointment in that afterward.

"Our two leading rebounders ... two oldest guys, most experienced," Murray said. "We needed them in the game."

Lee and Poythress combined for as many turnovers (five) as shot attempts. Poythress, who never seemed to get into the flow of the game, also missed all three of his free throws. So what happened to a duo that had been mostly reliable this season?

"I don't know," Calipari said. "You'd have to ask them. They didn't compete like they need to. I know that."

Freshman forward Skal Labissiere's struggle continued, but it was less shocking than the others. He came off the bench for a third consecutive game and contributed just three points and two rebounds in 16 minutes. Trouble is, if the former five-star recruit isn't ready to do more and both Lee and Poythress fail to show up, Kentucky is cooked in the paint.

LSU (9-5, 2-0) outrebounded the Cats 46-32, outscored them 44-24 inside...

Ben Simmons, the 6-foot-10 point forward had a quiet night by his lofty standards – a break on which Kentucky couldn't capitalize. The projected No. 1 pick in the next NBA draft played just nine minutes and scored only two points in the first half, due to his own foul trouble, and had only five points and seven boards with 11 minutes to go in the game.

[jbcarol]

SEC Network ‏@SECNetwork 16h16 hours ago

Tim Quarterman
21 Pts
9 Reb
7 Ast

The only other SEC player to post those stats in a game this season, Ben Simmons

Tim Quarterman showed Tuesday against Kentucky that the Tigers have more in their arsenal than just Simmons.

6-foot-6 guard torched the Wildcats for 21 points to go with 10 rebounds and seven assists in a convincing 18-point win for LSU, who is now off to a 2-0 start in SEC play.

Johnny Jones finished last season with Quarterman as the Tigers' point guard and while he's taken a lesser role this year because of Simmons, he's still more than capable of producing at a very high level.

Quarterman scored 14 or more points in five straight games for LSU between Nov. 23 and Dec. 13, but was in single digits in the Tigers' next five tilts until Tuesday.

If this guy stays in college for another year, he'll regularly be compared to somebody like Evan Turner because of his unique ability to effect the game in a plethora of ways.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 2h2 hours ago

Tennessee's Kevin Punter last year: 10.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.9 APG. THIS YEAR: 23.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.8 APG. Playing like an All-SEC player.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 2h2 hours ago

Tennessee's Kevin Punter last year: 10.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.9 APG. THIS YEAR: 23.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.8 APG. Playing like an All-SEC player.

https://twitter.com/patrickbrownTFP/status/685133610119249920

Former County Fair guard was not ranked.  Avg. 43.7 ppg in Pilot Rocky Top Summer League.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/CourtneyRCronin/status/685482491084451841

Former McDonald's All American guard Malik Newman's introduction to college basketball didn't go as he had planned.

Battling through nagging injuries while trying to understand his new role as a point guard was difficult for the 6-foot-3 Jackson native who saw his game change for the better midway through the Bulldogs non-conference slate. Now with SEC play under way, Newman will shoulder more responsibilities as he tries to carry MSU through a tough stretch of conference games, improve his draft stock and prepare himself for what comes next...

[jbcarol]

Michael Carvell ‏@Carvell_AJC 13m13 minutes ago

LSU's Ben Simmons extraordinary, but reckless in loss to Florida http://sec.news/1OYy3i5

Ben Simmons was brilliant at times, but cost his team on multiple occasions throughout LSU's 68-62 loss to Florida.

Simmons stuffed the stat sheet once again and was LSU's only reliable source of offense on a day when the Tigers shot 35.7 percent from the floor. He scored 28 points, corralled 17 rebounds, dished four assists and made seven of LSU's 20 field goals. At the end of the game, Simmons was all LSU had.

The top player in the country was far from perfect in an electric road environment, however. Simmons turned the ball over eight times in the second half and fouled out late in the game. Although Simmons was LSU's best player in Gainesville, Fla., he seemed to have cracked.

"A lot of plays down the stretch were kind of my fault," Simmons said according to The Alligator's Alex Maminakis.

Simmons picked up four of his five fouls in the second half, with two of them coming in the final 17 seconds of action. Simmons did not agree with some of the calls made against him.

"Those weren't fouls but I guess you get those calls on the road," Simmons said according to Gainesville.com's Kevin Brockway.

Even though his Gators knocked off Simmons and the Tigers, Florida coach Mike White was flabbergasted by Simmons' performance.

"I'm amazed by Ben Simmons," White said according to Maminakis. "I thought we did a good job on him and he gets 28 and 17."

Doug Gottlieb Verified account
‏@GottliebShow

Simmons is terrific, shot looks fine, simply needs to let it fly some. Best college prospect I have seen in 13 years of calling games

Michael DeCourcy ‏@tsnmike 30m30 minutes ago

@GottliebShow Kevin Durant? Anthony Davis? You only counting guys whose games you called? Just asking.

[jbcarol]

Jon Rothstein ‏@JonRothstein 1h1 hour ago

Texas A&M's Anthony Collins has 21 assists to just three TO's in the Aggies' three SEC games. Fifth-year senior has been a calming presence.


USF transfer was not in the Top 100 in '11.  Was #70 PG.

[jbcarol]

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ 13h13 hours ago

Avery Johnson: "I don't want to see Ulis next year. Go to the pros."


#24 in the Class o' '14; #4 PG

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/ESPNCBB/status/685989182246879232

Kyle Tucker ‏@KyleTucker_CJ  1h1 hour ago
Tyler Ulis has to be on the short list, so to speak, of college basketball players easily twirled upside down with one arm.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik 2m2 minutes ago

Mike Anderson on Hickman grad Jimmy Whitt: "I'm sure he's looking forwar to being able to play at home and show his improvement."

[jbcarol]

SEC Sports ‏@SEC 25m25 minutes ago

#SEC Men's Basketball Freshman of the Week:
@Vol_Hoops' Admiral Schofield
http://bit.ly/SECMBBW9 



Commodores missed on him.

[jbcarol]

SEC Sports ‏@SEC 26m26 minutes ago

#SEC Men's Basketball Player of the Week:
@RazorbackMBB's Anthlon Bell
http://bit.ly/SECMBBW9 



#56 SG in '12 out of Bartlett

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker ‏@wesrucker247 7h7 hours ago

Barnes: If Robert Hubbs commits himself to playing harder, we'll win more games in this league than people think. It's up to him.

Barnes: Robert Hubbs should be one of the best players in this league. God has blessed him. He needs to take advantage of those gifts.

Barnes: I like nice guys. There's nothing wrong with nice guys. But you have to have an edge about you to win.

Hubbs: I know I can play harder and will play harder on the defensive side. Coach Barnes is right. I've got to show him.

Just not sure you're gonna see many five-star prospects be quieter and more soft-spoken than Robert Hubbs. Just a humble country kid.

[jbcarol]

Sporting News NCAAB ‏@sn_ncaab  9h9 hours ago
Congratulations to our MIDSEASON first-team All-American picks. http://bit.ly/1UMm1No 

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN  3h3 hours ago
With regards to both Calipari/Skal and Self/Diallo: If those coaches thought those guys could help them win games, they'd play more minutes.

Traylor with three fouls, Lucas with a pair. Mickelson struggling — Cheick Diallo finally gets into game with 1:20 left in first half.