Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Poythress not long for UK?
By Matt Giles
When Alex Poythress committed to Kentucky, the forward was seen as a crucial member of John Calipari's 2012 recruiting class, but perhaps not the most likely to spend just one year in Lexington. Rather, Nerlens Noel was thought to be the one Wildcat to depart for the NBA after his inaugural season, and while that still may be the case, we recently wrote that some 'Cats -- Ryan Harrow, in particular -- have been cautioning their 'mates about not focusing entirely on the 2013 season and gazing into the professional horizon.
However, it would appear to some that Poythress might not remain in Lexington past this current season. According to Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress, there are whispers that Poythress is strictly a one year player. Since this is what Givony is hearing, of course, it is not an absolute certainty; Poythress could continue to play at his current level and then decide to come back for his sophomore season. But we do find it interesting that there is a distinct impression that Poythress is gone. The forward hasn't exactly been overwhelming with his play; he barely left the bench in the second half of the Louisville tilt, and though he played just over 20 minutes in the Texas A&M loss, Poythress was not an impact player in that contest. Poythress has been efficient within the arc, converting 67 percent of his two-point attempts, but his percentage of UK's shots taken is only lower than Noel's among the UK starters (per Ken Pomeroy). And while Poythress has grabbed more than 10 percent of Kentucky's misses throughout the season, he has hauled in just three offensive boards since SEC play started.
Poythress could heat up as conference action continues, and transform into a player capable of delivering a consistent stream of efficient paint possessions coupled with dominance on both the offensive and defensive glass, but since the 6-foot-7 forward still appears to find himself in Calipari's system, it is slightly strange that whispers have begun proclaiming the big 'one-and-done'.
