Oh no, here we go again.
That’s what you’re thinking. I know it is. Isaiah Jackson has declared for the NBA Draft, though (not yet) with aid of an agent. Terrence Clarke and Brandon Boston have already embraced the next step, forgoing their final three years of eligibility for a bet on a pro career.
That’s a trio of one-and-dones off a historically bad team by Kentucky basketball standards. Record: 9-16. Not one of the departing trio made first-team All-SEC. Sidelined by an ankle injury, Clarke played in all of eight games. Boston scored not a point in the biggest game of the year, UK’s loss to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament. Jackson was the best collegian of the three, yet he’s far from a lottery lock.
The plan is the plan and often Kentucky recruits stick to the plan. Step 1: Stellar AAU career grabs spots in recruiting rankings. Step 2: One-year stopover at John Calipari’s NBA readiness camp. Step 3: Off to the NBA. If No. 2 doesn’t go quite as swimmingly as expected, don’t deviate from the plan.
I’m not begrudging any college basketball player’s right to take a shot at the professional ranks at the time of his or her choosing. There are economic issues to consider that you or I know nothing about. Other factors might exist. Past players believed ill-prepared for the NBA wars have made the leap of faith and have done better than expected. More power to them.
But the fact is most card-carrying Big Blue Nation members are long over the one-and-done strategy. They see veteran teams progressing through the NCAA Tournament brackets. They see juniors and seniors cutting down nets while teams led by freshmen — Kentucky, Duke, Oklahoma State with Cade Cunningham — either failing to make the tournament or being bounced the first weekend.
Normally, Calipari would reload with another thick flock of five-stars. Not this year. Oh, to be sure, the Kentucky coach has already inked a group of rookie replacements for 2021-22, but look for a sizable slice of next year’s newcomers to come via a different route. We’re talking transfer portal.
Already, the portal is packed. Conservative estimates say by the end of the week 800 names in the college basketball transfer portal, with more to come. Some say that number could grow to as many as 1,500 players looking to change teams. Talk about freedom of movement.
The surge is based on the belief that the NCAA will pass legislation allowing student-athletes to transfer once without having to sit out for a season, as was the case before the global pandemic caused the suits in Indianapolis to loosen the rules for transfers this 2020-21 season.
Even before that, player mobility was on the rise. Look at this year’s SEC. League champ Alabama benefited from transfers Jahvon Quinerly (Villanova) and Jordan Bruner (Yale). League runner-up Arkansas boasted Justin Smith (Indiana), Jalen Tate (Northern Kentucky), JD Notae (Jacksonville), Connor Vanover (California) and Vance Jackson (New Mexico). And both the Tide and the Razorbacks have reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16.
Calipari has recently dabbled in transfer traffic, especially grad transfers — Julius Mays (2012-13), Reid Travis (2018-19), Nate Sestina (2019-20) and Davion Mintz (2020-21). Olivier Sarr, transfer from Wake Forest, also hopped on board this past season. But truth be told, the coach wasn’t interested in letting a transfer take a roster spot that could be given to a potential early NBA Draft pick.
Times change. Teams without experience have struggled. Teams with experience have flourished. And that was the case even before this highly unusual global pandemic season. Virginia in 2019, Villanova in 2018, North Carolina in 2017, Villanova in 2016 were all led by veterans. All were crowned NCAA Tournament champions.
Finding experienced transfers is the cool new thing. And with holes to fill, expect Calipari and Kentucky to be in on the act.
