Russ Smith

Top PG in his class 2009 says arizona is still his front runner but he's not comfortable with the new staff yet and wants to re-open. He also said his HS teammate and highly rated SG Avery Bradley and he are now a package deal and that they will go to a school that takes both of them and will play them both right away.

Package deals are talked about all the time but rarely come off. They have a few teams in common but both have teams that are on one list but not the other. Bradley says UCLA is definitely on his list, but UCLA is not on Gaddys, memphis on Gaddy's not on Bradleys etc.

If they really are a package I'd say expect Memphis to be a major player.

Gaddy said all along he grew up an Arizona fan so they still are in the drivers seat and of course Bradley has UA on his list too.

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“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

MaoTosiFanClub

Yeah, this was coming. Lute doesn't have an established recruiter on his new staff and he's not puting in the hours anymore so I'm guessing we'll see a poor 2009 class. I'm not too worried about it, our new coach should be able to make up some ground in the spring.

Russ Smith

Yeah things sure are crazy though. Now Bayless goes off.

"I think to overcome everything that happened this year at my college, I don't think it will be that big of a challenge to overcome things at the next level," Bayless said Thursday at an interview session for nine top NBA draft prospects. "We went through a strenuous year. I think I've seen everything. Going to the next level, I'll be able to overcome it."

"It was tough. It definitely was tough," Bayless said, when asked if he received less exposure than his peers because of the Wildcats' season. "I signed up for one thing and got another going to Arizona this year. It was definitely a learning experience and I learned a lot from it, but everything still worked out pretty well."

And his comment on Olson saying he didn't like Bayless' agent not contacting UA in advance.

"Coach O, I thought we had a better relationship," Bayless said. "Coach O wasn't our coach this year. So in retrospect, I don't think those comments should have been made about Jeff."

And I guess Hansen is up to his old tricks again now reporting a rumor that even if Jennings qualifies he'll sit out the season and hire a trainer to prepare him for the 09 draft.

Just crazy we know the game it's never as bad as it sometimes seems but that's last years star guard this years incoming guard and Gaddy all in a couple of day period.




That's from the AZ Starnet

__________________
“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

Skkorpion

Bayless and Olson abused each other. I actually side with Lute on this one. Bayless was one and done anyway. The fact that Lute thought otherwise just further exposes his disconnect but he didn't deserve being thrown under the bus by Bayless.

Bayless went to UA to use Lute's well-deserved reputation and ability to produce NBA starter caliber guards. That's it. Any team goals were likely of no concern to Bayless.

Renz

That is laughable.

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Russ Smith

in this case though would bayless have picked UA the 2nd time around if he knew Lute wasn't the coach his one and done year? Remember Bayless verballed to UA, then changed his mind, got re-recruited, and wound up picking UA again. It's probably a safe bet he was assured Lute was going to be the coach.

But yeah it does seem a bit like piling on.

Everyone does it this time of year they need an excuse for the scouts on why they weren't better in college. I thought Bayless was pretty impressive I've said all along I think he's got the potential to be better than Mayo or Gordon he's more athletic than either.

__________________
“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

General Chaos

In an offseason of continual bad news that Cats catch a break, Nic Wise will return next year. Him and Hill alone can make the Cats competitive, and if the incoming freshmen play well we could challenge for the Pac-10 title in a down year for the conference.

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Bring back the Red Baron, Barron Tanner!!!

overseascardfan

I don't know, UCLA re-tooled big time with Holiday, Anderson, and Morgan. With Bayless and Budinger gone we don't have a proven scorer on the team. Hopefully Jennings qualifies but a strong 2009 recruiting class is neccessary to keep Arizona above water. Hopefully we get Gaddy & Bradley and a big like Daniel Orton.

General Chaos

The thing we have going for us is Hill is probably the best big man left in the PAC-10 with Love and the Lopez twins leaving. There is no doubt we need Jennings to come in and play well. As for recruiting, a successful season should restore the faith in the Cats and attract quality recruits. I also really think Horne will thrive this year if he gets to play out on the wing.

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Bring back the Red Baron, Barron Tanner!!!

Russ Smith

FWIW don't include Morgan in UCLA's recruiting class until he attends his first class at UCLA. I don't know if it's him, his mom or his AAU coach but the rumors persist that even though he announced he was signing with UCLA, and reportedly signed a scholarship agreement, others continue to recruit him because scholarship agreements are non binding.

THere's a report this weekend that Alabama is still trying to get him, and Oklahoma State is reportedly still involved too.

Everyone says he's going to be at UCLA for summerschool but I won't be surprised at all if he doesn't show up, sure doesn't look like he's made his mind up.

__________________
“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

General Chaos

Which UCLA players do you expect to return next year instead of entering the draft?

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Bring back the Red Baron, Barron Tanner!!!

Russ Smith

Love and Westbrook are gone, Love has an agent, Westbrook should any day he's just going too high to come back.

Luc is the wildcard it sounds like he really wants to stay in the draft. There are rumors the Bulls like him with the 9th pick in round 2. I guess he impressed everyone at the predraft camp with his defense, but didn't shoot well and turned it over a lot, basically what he's done his last 2 years at UCLA.

But there's a lot of talk he's willing to stay in the draft with only a 2nd round projection and take his chances.

Shipp has already said he's coming back.

I think Aboya will be back he's going to be in grad school. And it looks like Mike Roll is trying to come back but probably shouldn't he's still got pain in his foot(ruptured the plantar fascia) and apparently he's really risking another rupture by trying to play.

Drew Gordon also seems to be extremely injury prone he had hand injury last summer, a foot injury during the season and just had knee surgery 3 weeks ago for a "frayed meniscus." Remarkably he placed 7th in the state in the discus this weekend 3 weeks after having the surgery, including a career best to make the finals. Seems to heal fast.

Morgan is the wildcard with him UCLA is a final 4 contender again, without him I don't see them being that good this year.

__________________
“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

DWKB

Gaddy has KU on his list, but I don't see any way he ends up there. Bradley has no interest in us and KU will not commit to them "both starting right away".

Russ Smith

Yep KU looks to be loaded at that time. From what I'm reading they're in the drivers seat for Xavier Henry for a number of reasons, his dad attended Kansas, his older brother signed with Kansas out of HS but then chose to play pro baseball, but is now contemplating quitting baseball to play college basketball, and wants to play at Kansas with his brother. Given that both Henry's are swingmen 2/3 that means way too much competition for Bradley
to get a guarantee.

UW is on both lists and seems really obvious but one of the UW insiders on Scout.com claims he's heard repeatedly Bradley doesn't really like UW. He agrees with pretty much everyone the package deal want to play right away is just going to hurt both these kids recruitment it'll limit their choices and probably tick off a few coaches.

Memphis apparently thinks they have the inside track on John Wall(see him as the next Derrick Rose) so Gaddy is not even their first choice at the moment. Who knows he may end up at UA afterall.

__________________
“Your expectations always exceed outside expectations. I feel like you just can’t stop working, can’t stop getting better, because I’ll be a failure in my eyes before I’m a failure in someone else’s eyes.” -- Arron Afflalo

Lefty

I was thinking Gaddy would end up at Washington. I really believe this is Lute's last year and from what I have heard, I would not be surprised if Dunlap is Lute's successor. His coaching history is quite impressive and maybe there is still a chance Gaddy does come to the UofA if he is happy with the coaching change.