To answer the OP, UofA should be a national contender again next year. Super fresh-SF Stanley Johnson will provide more offensively than Gordon did but at the cost of a definite step-down in basketball IQ. JUCO NPOY Kadeem Allen will share SG duties with Gabe York and Elliot Pitts and freshman PF Craig Victor is a better player than Korcheck, Zach Peters, or Eric Conklin.

I'm guessing the lineup will be:
PG McConnell
SG Allen
SF Rondae
PF Ashley
C Zeus

rest of rotation:
Stanley Johnson, York, Pitts, Victor


Johnson may start over Rondae but either way the SF position is set. We may actually have more lineup versatility next year because Nick Johnson's talent required us to always have 2 guards on the court. With Johnson's ability to stretch the floor better than Gordon's, we can go ultra big with TJ, Rondae guarding a 2, Stanley, BAshley, and Zeus. I doubt that lineup will be on the court for more than 10 minutes during the season but it's one of those trick lineups that can be huge in March.

I actually have higher expectations for this year than 2013-14.

UCLA is going to be hot garbage next year.

Kyle Anderson and LaVine going pro. And I'm sure Jordan Adams is headed that way too.

wildcats20;1605771 wrote:UCLA is going to be hot garbage next year.

Kyle Anderson and LaVine going pro. And I'm sure Jordan Adams is headed that way too.

They've got Bryce Alford. That is all they need.

birddog23;1605935 wrote:They've got Bryce Alford. That is all they need.

Lol

Don't want to think about next season yet because I am still celebrating this one.

I will anyways.

PG -Boatright(SR)
SG- Purvis(SO)
SF-Daniels(SR)
PF-Nolan(JR)
C-Brimah(SO)

Bench - Calhoun, Cassell Jr., Samuel, Hamilton, Facey.

I am confident that Boatright learned a lot from Napier so the leadership will be there(not on the same level). Purvis should do great. Really hoping that Daniels takes a big step in production. The frontcourt will be really thin especially on the offensive end unless Facey makes a huge leap but on the defensive side, Brimah and Nolan should be strong.

^You think Deandre Daniels will be back? Man, I figured he'd be gone..

If Daniels is back, UConn is a contender again. We'll see how much Brimah and Nolan improve.

Both Jabari Parker and James Young are also gone.

Starting lineup adjustment for Duke:

PG - Tyus Jones
Wing - Rasheed Sulaimon
Wing - Matt Jones/Justise Winslow
PF - Amile Jefferson
C - Jahlil Okafor

Unless Duke swoops in to grab Myles Turner at the eleventh hour, that's the lineup I anticipate will happen. Quinn Cook will be, or at least I hope will be, used primarily as a catch-and-shoot weapon off the bench. He'll probably spell Tyus Jones at the point on occasion, but Cook isn't a strong facilitator and doesn't put the ball in the right places to make others better. When he's not taking unhinged threes in transition, as he often does when piloting the team as a loose canon, Quinn is very effective in catch-and-shoot situations on the wing. He'll probably play a similar role that Greg Paulus did in his senior year (15-20 minutes per game).

Turner is committing April 30, so we'll see who gets to edit their post with his name as a starter.

Let me say this. I think Dakari Johnson would be stupid to come back, given that Cauley-Stein and Lee return, and UK has 2 of the top 4 big men in the class coming in. The Harrison twins and Poythress have almost guaranteed starting roles and sure-fire minutes, whereas Johnson can't really guarantee his role will be much more than it was this year, especially with Cauley-Stein healthy and Lee definitely ready to increase his role.

Worst case for UK 2014-15:

PG Tyler Ullis
SG Devin Booker
SF Trey Lyles
PF Karl Towns
C Willie Cauley-Stein

Marcus Lee, Dominique Hawkins, Derek Willis

Outlook: I'd imagine this team will add at least one transfer, a guard/wing. Justin Martin of Xavier, Byron Wesley of USC and Devonta Pollard of Alabama/JUCO. Regardless, this team is very good up front with 4 NBA front court talents, but a lot of pressure on an undersized, Freshman PG and wouldn't be a very prolific outside shooting team.

Best case for UK in 2014-15

PG Andrew Harrison
SG Aaron Harrison
SF Alex Poythress
PF Trey Lyles
C Willie Cauley-Stein

Marcus Lee, Devin Booker, Karl Towns, Tyler Ullis, Dominique Hawkins, Derek Willis

Outlook: This team would easily be preseason #1 returning 4 starters and 6 of the top 9 players from a national runner-up. I don't see many holes here, considering there would be some serious experience. Ullis would provide another true PG option, allowing the twins to widen their roles. Booker and Aaron Harrison would cover the outside shooting, along with possibly Lyles, Poythress and Willis. The interior, as mentioned, is stacked offensively and defensively.

Last report is the twins are leaning towards staying.

Lee is officially coming back for UK.

Lee might as well announce he is coming back the following year also.

He is gonna play less then this year, ESPECIALLY if Dakari comes back lol

Sadly, some speculated he could go in the top 35-45 range.

He should definitely come back, but other guys have left with the same projections.

reclegend22;1606326 wrote:Starting lineup adjustment for Duke:

PG - Tyus Jones
Wing - Rasheed Sulaimon
Wing - Matt Jones/Justise Winslow
PF - Amile Jefferson
C - Jahlil Okafor

Unless Duke swoops in to grab Myles Turner at the eleventh hour, that's the lineup I anticipate will happen. Quinn Cook will be, or at least I hope will be, used primarily as a catch-and-shoot weapon off the bench. He'll probably spell Tyus Jones at the point on occasion, but Cook isn't a strong facilitator and doesn't put the ball in the right places to make others better. When he's not taking unhinged threes in transition, as he often does when piloting the team as a loose canon, Quinn is very effective in catch-and-shoot situations on the wing. He'll probably play a similar role that Greg Paulus did in his senior year (15-20 minutes per game).

I know it is just an all star game but Jahlil Okafor looked mighty impressive in the Jordan game. Some people on here have been bashing him saying he's not all that great. I think he will be a 14ppg 8rpg guy next year easily.

I don't think Okafor is "bad", he's just not as "good" when you look back at Greg Oden, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond (comparing them to their classes). Now, Drummond was a bust (in college) while Joel Embiid and DeMarcus Cousins were pretty dominant at times in their season.

IMO, watching all of the All Star games, Okafor, Towns and Alexander might be the 3 most impacting players in the class. I think Emmanuel Mudiay is the best PG overall, but it's hard not to see the value of Tyler Ullis as a pure distributing PG. Now, if Ullis has to run the show from day 1 at UK, he will struggle. If he comes off the bench behind Andrew Harrison, watch out. UK will be able to bring a complete change of pace for 15-20 minutes a game and I'm not sure teams will be able to defend such diversity.

By next March, IF Duke develops the offense right and doesn't stagnant Okafor, he will be one of the guys capable of carrying a team on his back. Unlike this year, Duke will still rely on making shots, but if they get hot and combine that with a dominant guy that can draw fouls and get buckets inside, along with cover some of the perimeter defense flaws, Duke won't be an early upset victim. I know some of you are dismissing Quinn Cook, but I wouldn't. I think Tyus Jones is overrated a bit. Mudiay is a better defender and scorer and Ullis is a better overall passer and is even quicker. Jones will need Cook just like Ullis is going to need Harrison.

Azubuike24;1606791 wrote:I don't think Okafor is "bad", he's just not as "good" when you look back at Greg Oden, Anthony Davis, and Andre Drummond (comparing them to their classes).

I'm not sure I've ever heard anybody compare Okafor to those guys, so I am sort of confused as to why you are. Not every incoming star high school center is Greg Oden, but that doesn't mean the players who aren't can't be solid contributors with an impact.

As for Quinn Cook, his experience of handling the point guard duties for Duke the past couple of years will certainly play a role in Jones' development and maturation process, but Cook is not a playmaker and is much better suited for an off-guard role. He's a scorer and that's where he'll help Duke most next season IMO. It's certainly possible that there will be an adjustment period for Jones early on where Cook handles the point for stretches, but I do not envision a scenario where Jones is not Duke's starting point guard for very long. Jones is a pass first, shoot second point guard with a penchant for finding scorers/shooters in transition, the perfect point guard for Coach K's offense.

birddog23;1606771 wrote:I know it is just an all star game but Jahlil Okafor looked mighty impressive in the Jordan game. Some people on here have been bashing him saying he's not all that great. I think he will be a 14ppg 8rpg guy next year easily.

Okafor is the missing puzzle piece for Duke, which is what will make him so valuable to the Blue Devils next season, and why Duke fans are so excited for his arrival. I'm especially excited for what Okafor will bring on the defensive end of the floor. Wide-bodied with great mobility and footwork, Okafor has the potential to blossom into a gifted defender and will improve Duke's front court defense from day one. Add Marshall Plumlee coming in off the bench as a support player to provide a burst of energy for 10 to 12 minutes a game, a role that fits the athletic yet still somewhat raw seven-footer perfectly, and Duke has a dependable inside core to provide the basic necessities of rebounding and rim protection (and in Okafor's case also reliable low-post scoring).

He's the #1 center in the class and at least half of the services have him the #1 overall. He's going to naturally draw comparisons to all of those guys solely based on that.

I get that, but as we know, some classes overall just aren't as good as others. It doesn't mean the class is bad in any way, just perhaps lacking any of those "once-in-a-generation" type guys like Oden or Durant or any other player of that caliber who has ever been rated the top player -- or near the top -- of his class.

After watching Parker and Wiggins in the NCAAs this year, I am doing my best to disregard the hype machine moving forward. The expectations for some of these guys has gotten completely out of hand.

Freshmen stats

Oden - 15.7ppg 9.6rpg 3.3bpg

Davis - 14.2ppg 10.4rpg 4.7bpg

I really think Okafor will be close or even better than those points and rebounds averages. It is the shot blocking which made Oden and Davis truly great. I'd be happy and so would Duke, if Okafor could manage 2 a game. Just need an inside presence.

Even if Okafor only averages 12 points and 8 boards, as long as he provides a solid interior presence defensively, he is just what the doctor ordered for Duke. He doesn't need to be anything or anyone else but that.

Florida Gators next year...maybe.

STARTING LINEUP
PG Kasey Hill (So.)
SG Michael Frazier (Jr.)
SF Devin Robinson (Fr.)
PF Chris Walker (So.)
C Damontre Harris (Sr.)

BENCH
Eli Carter (Jr.)
Jon Horford (Sr.)
Dorian Finney-Smith (Sr.)
DeVon Walker (So.)
Alex Murphy (So.)
Chris Chiozza (Fr.)
Brandone Francis (Fr.)

Julius Randle and Elfrid Payton entering the draft.

Dakari Johnson returning.