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Is the Age of One and Done Teams over

Vaughnbama

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Jan 19, 2009
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Ever since Coach Cal got to Kentucky, he has been relying on the one and done players to get the job done. As a whole, they have been successful until this year, but one does have to wonder if the age of the one and done team is over.

This year in the final four there were two players that you would call one and done types, Suggs and Gonzaga and Juzang at UCLA. Juzang originally went to Kentucky; however he could not start and he moved on to UCLA, where he was the star of the team. Suggs at Gonzaga is a phenominal player, every bit as good as advertised. Other that those two players, I do not know if any of the four teams had any other five star recruits, although Baylor and Gonzaga both had some NBA talent. Don't get me wrong Houston and UCLA had some nice players that can play in the NBA; however, neither team had NBA stars and/or one and done players. I'll give you one, Alabama won the SEC and I don't think we had any future NBA starters, although I could see Ellis and Shackelford getting to the round one area. I think it is fair to say that Alabama had no one and done talent, although that is getting ready to change, quickly with Davison.

If Kentucky had worked on developing the talent they did have, I think they could have been an NCAA team this year, led by Johnny Juzang; however, they made the decision to be a one and done team. Juzang is talented enough to be a first rounder, but not every 18 year old five star player is ready for the NBA or even the NCAA Final Four. I think that the other schools in the SEC have caught up with Kentucky's One and Done mentality and as you see players develop and programs develop, the age of one and done players dotting the roster are done. I think the age of the Transfer Portal will soon replace the age of One and Done. If Coach Cal wants to stay with the One and Done mentality, the game has passed him by. If Coach Cal progresses and gets back to developing talent like he did at Memphis, he will win again, but he has to change. Is it possible that you can make a living by signing a couple of one and done players and then raiding the portal, that is possible, but I think successful coaches will be the ones that develop talent and use the portal for fill in pieces.

In the SEC I think there might have been a few NBA lottery picks one and done players, such as Thomas at LSU, Moses Moody at Arkansas, and Cooper at the Barn, but I think the rest were bust for One and Done type players. If Moody comes back at Arkansas, the piggies will be hard to beat next season.

That being said, the best player I saw in the SEC this year was Pippen Jr. at Vandy. It is hard to say that he is as good as his father, one of the top 50 of all time, but the apple did not fall far from the tree. As far as other players are concerned, Shackelford could end up being as good as his Uncle was at UCLA, but if Shackelford progresses at the same pace he has been going, I could see him being a first rounder when he leave Alabama. Petty is rated a second rounder and I think Shackelford has more potential.
 
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Cal was perhaps a pioneer in his use and promotion of one and dones. With the utilization of G league and overseas leagues times have changed and Cal has yet to adapt. I suspect he will still get some talented OAD players but 120 college starts trumps single digit starts in the long run. The first five minutes of the game against UK I knew they were in trouble. Those kids had no heart and no desire for each other. How could they? You think Boston was about to use his one year to make Sarr and Jackson look amazing while he assisted? No chance.
 
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Solid post. Personally, I think shack is 4 years and overseas. Too many physical limitations and won’t be able to be a consistent enough scorer to make up for it. But, I hope I’m wrong!
 
Ever since Coach Cal got to Kentucky, he has been relying on the one and done players to get the job done. As a whole, they have been successful until this year, but one does have to wonder if the age of the one and done team is over.

This year in the final four there were two players that you would call one and done types, Suggs and Gonzaga and Juzang at UCLA. Juzang originally went to Kentucky; however he could not start and he moved on to UCLA, where he was the star of the team. Suggs at Gonzaga is a phenominal player, every bit as good as advertised. Other that those two players, I do not know if any of the four teams had any other five star recruits, although Baylor and Gonzaga both had some NBA talent. Don't get me wrong Houston and UCLA had some nice players that can play in the NBA; however, neither team had NBA stars and/or one and done players. I'll give you one, Alabama won the SEC and I don't think we had any future NBA starters, although I could see Ellis and Shackelford getting to the round one area. I think it is fair to say that Alabama had no one and done talent, although that is getting ready to change, quickly with Davison.

If Kentucky had worked on developing the talent they did have, I think they could have been an NCAA team this year, led by Johnny Juzang; however, they made the decision to be a one and done team. Juzang is talented enough to be a first rounder, but not every 18 year old five star player is ready for the NBA or even the NCAA Final Four. I think that the other schools in the SEC have caught up with Kentucky's One and Done mentality and as you see players develop and programs develop, the age of one and done players dotting the roster are done. I think the age of the Transfer Portal will soon replace the age of One and Done. If Coach Cal wants to stay with the One and Done mentality, the game has passed him by. If Coach Cal progresses and gets back to developing talent like he did at Memphis, he will win again, but he has to change. Is it possible that you can make a living by signing a couple of one and done players and then raiding the portal, that is possible, but I think successful coaches will be the ones that develop talent and use the portal for fill in pieces.

In the SEC I think there might have been a few NBA lottery picks one and done players, such as Thomas at LSU, Moses Moody at Arkansas, and Cooper at the Barn, but I think the rest were bust for One and Done type players. If Moody comes back at Arkansas, the piggies will be hard to beat next season.

That being said, the best player I saw in the SEC this year was Pippen Jr. at Vandy. It is hard to say that he is as good as his father, one of the top 50 of all time, but the apple did not fall far from the tree. As far as other players are concerned, Shackelford could end up being as good as his Uncle was at UCLA, but if Shackelford progresses at the same pace he has been going, I could see him being a first rounder when he leave Alabama. Petty is rated a second rounder and I think Shackelford has more potential.
This year is the exception IMO. I theorized that because of COVID that teams like UK and Duke struggled. They lacked the practices leading up to the season that they normally have to coach up many of these talented freshmen. That allowed teams like Bama with some senior leadership to make their way to the front.

On Alabama team, Primo is the kid that will be a first round pick next season. Shack lacks the athleticism needed to play at the next level IMO, he will be one of those great college players that many wonder why he never really got a shot in the NBA.
 
IMO Ellis and Gary need about 2 more years of college ball and JQ one more, and they will make some serious noise and may be NBA bound.
 
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I think the Transfer Portal is helping kill it because it acts like a Free Agent pool.
 
Transfer portal is the new one and done. If you can take a junior with 2 years of college experience and development over a raw 18 year old that is using you for 6 months to go to the draft, you take the transfer option every single time of you want to win.

I think Oats has a very solid formula right now. Most of his HS recruits are just below the one and done caliber so you can keep them around for a few years and build around them, then he has done a great job of filling needs through the portal and Juco, then sprinkle in a one and done type like Davison when you get a chance, but you aren’t building the program around him.
 
Barack! Clyde's point, after being destroyed by Bama Maryland added Georgetown's starting center and the Rhode Island Point guard. instant top 5 team.
 
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