Mark Pope lost a lot of goodwill with certain media members after closing up shop after a bad season.
I, for one, appreciated the approach from Pope. Mark Pope put his head down this offseason, opting to skip the press conferences in favor of securing pieces like Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins. But as the roster comes together, not everyone is sold on Kentucky’s new backcourt, just ask Fran Fraschilla.
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I think it made no sense to go on KSR or pop up and have a press conference in the middle of recruiting. Put your head down and get to work. Kentucky is down an assistant as is. And they have 2 expiring next month, a 20-minute media session isn’t going to do much.
To his credit, Pope responded directly to fan questions on Twitter, and we gained some insight into his summer plans and how he feels others have used Kentucky in recruiting wars. But it was done only once the roster was mainly done, and while I believe there are issues (lack of perimeter shooting being chief among them), the roster is a solid, capable bunch of players who will need to come together quickly and make a team.
Last year’s team was unable to do that, partly because of injuries, and partly because the pieces just didn’t fit. Pope grabbed two point guards in Zoom Diallo and Alex Wilkins to avoid the same situation that happened the last two seasons. And they have remarkably similar games.
Both excel in driving, both turn it over a little too much, both are really consistent at finishing at the rim, neither really excels in setting up teammates, but both are solid in doing so. It turns out Fran Fraschilla is not a believer.
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When discussing Washington star Hannes Steinbach’s NBA Draft spot, NBA analyst Nick Heintzman (and his 100ush followers) said, “Hannes Steinbach really helped himself at the combine. Established that he has enough size and athleticism to play the 4 or the 5. Has many avenues to succeed in the league. Was held back by awful Washington guards. I might have him T10.”
Ouch. Well, Fran Fraschilla jumped on that, saying it has to make Kentucky basketball fans “feel great.” But he wasn’t done yet.
Heintzman clarified his stance by saying, “Thanks, Fran. To be clear, my point was that Steinbach’s offensive environment/guard play at Washington didn’t do him many favors, particularly in terms of getting him the ball in advantageous situations. Steinbach was often left to create offense through the glass, hustle plays, and transition pushes off rebounds. Zoom’s assist rate was strong, and I haven’t formed a firm opinion yet on how he’ll fare in a different context at Kentucky.”
That’s fair; no one can predict exactly how each player is going to respond in a new environment. It’s an educated guess. Fraschilla, though, added:
But is there any truth to that? Let’s dive in.
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Comparing Zoom Diallo to last year’s SEC guard crop
Zoom Diallo had a good jump from his freshman to sophomore year at Washington. He averaged:
-15 points (48 percent from the floor, 31 percent from 3)
-4 assists, 2 turnovers
-4 rebounds a night
Now let’s look at the SEC point guards of last year:
Darius Acuff, Ja’Kobi Gillespie, Labaron Philon, and Tyler Tanner all scored and assisted more, so that puts 4 above him. But from there, it’s really pick your poison.
Meechie Johnson shot more and worse, Xaivian Lee shot worse and scored less while assisting nearly the same. So at worst, if he had the same season as last year, and everyone around him did as well, he probably sits no worse than 5th or 6th in the SEC.
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I am a big believer in Zoom’s offensive game. He is built like a tank and can get to the free-throw line early and often. I do worry that his 3-point shot reverts to his freshman form (18 percent), and the turnovers scare me a bit. But if he can take a few steps forward in shooting and passing, he will be one of the best point guards in the SEC next year IMO.
He definitely isn’t middle of the pack unless he reverts big time. It’s just another example of hitting Mark Pope and Kentucky when they are down.
Will the Cats be able to respond on the court next season? Well, that’s the question. Looking at each position, I think Kentucky has more natural talent than it did last season. But there are question marks, as there will be with any team. It will definitely be a big help if Milan Momcilovic decides to become a Cat.
Let’s see how they look over the summer. But it doesn’t look like the media firestorm is slowing down anytime soon.
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While Fran Fraschilla might see Diallo as “middle of the pack,” the stats suggest a player with a much higher ceiling, provided Pope can maximize his ability.
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