One of the coolest things that's happened as a result of our little site is the contacts that have been made with some of the better known people in the college basketball universe. Just this past weekend, our very own Michael Lee caught up with CBS Sports' Gary Parrish at the Vandy game in Nashville. From what Michael has said about it, Gary seems to be a very cool guy, so it wasn't surprising that he graciously agreed to get into the BBNR Hot Seat and answer some quick questions about UK basketball. There's some really interesting answers here, so share your thoughts in the comments section below...
BBNR: Given the recent rumors, what are the chances Cal would actually bolt for the NBA after only one season at Kentucky?
Parrish: Depends on what you think the chances are of Cal getting the chance to coach LeBron James. If that opportunity presents itself -- and I have no idea if it will -- then I think he's gone because you don't pass on that opportunity. Short of that, he'll be at Kentucky, and I really do believe it's that simple. But if you're a UK fan, there's no sense in worrying about it now. The Wildcats are 26-1. This is fun stuff.BBNR: John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins have certainly lived up to the hype, but which one do you think will make the better professional player?
Parrish: Cousins is physically dominant at this level, but he won't be able to just overpower NBA post players. He's damn good, and I love his talent. But I just don't trust him. I've had multiple NBA people tell me he's the second-best talent in the draft, but that they wouldn't take him with a top five pick because of his state of mind, and they don't all just chalk it up to immaturity. Cousins is a risky proposition while Wall is practically a guarantee. So I'll play the odds and go with Wall.
BBNR: What's your Final Four and National Championship predictions?
Parrish: Depends on the brackets, honestly. But barring an injury or something else strange, I'll have Kansas and Kentucky in the title game provided they're on opposite sides of the bracket. And, as I wrote a month ago, I'll have Kentucky winning it all.
BBNR: Is there a team flying under the radar that you believe could make a Cinderella run in the tourney?
Parrish: Butler can make a run, and I suppose Northern Iowa is capable, too. UTEP is talented enough to win a game or two. But at the end of the day, the Final Four will be four teams currently ranked in the top 12. That's my prediction.
BBNR: What teams get in from the SEC?
Parrish: Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Tennessee are locks. Florida is probably in, as of today, and Mississippi State has a shot, too. If I were guessing, I'd guess the league gets four bids, five tops. Better than last season, but still not great.
BBNR: Thanks for your time, Gary!
I think it is interesting Gary's take on Cousins' attitude. There might not be many coaches out there that can handle Cousins at this stage of his career. Phil Jackson and Rick Adelman are two that probably could that come to mind. I think there is a solid chance that Cousins will realize this and go back to school for another year to quiet these doubts.
ReplyDeleteGood stuff though. The SEC made a slight improvement this year, and the young coaching in the league gives them a chance to become more and more relevant in the coming years in my opinion. I think we are better than the ACC and the Pac 10 this year. We will see come tourney time, but I think the ACC is really overrated.
Great stuff from Mike and Gary.
ReplyDeleteI still don't believe there is a snowballs chance in hell that cal leaves his "dream job" after one year. Just isn't going to happen.
LeBron is the only man who can make Coach Cal leave KY.... I think a wise poster to this website said that LeBron will be key to all Coach Cal movements. Can't recall the poster's name, handsome fella though.
ReplyDeleteMr. Parrish is a refreshing journalist in this day and age of journalists who just throw out empty comments to elicit reaction from readers.