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The Big Blue Daily Mail -- Jodie Meeks Decision Day Edition

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Today is the big day, the day we discover whether or not UK will have one of the most powerful teams in the nation, or a slightly less strong but still impressive list of players.  Jodie Meeks will be making the final call today regarding his senior year at UK -- whether he will return to a legitimate final four contender, or move on the the next level.

I personally would love to see Jodie back, but he has put a lot of time and effort into the process and I trust that he has gathered the information he needs to make a sound decision for his future.  I think that all most of us want is whatever is best for him, and if that is to move on to the NBA, then we will miss him and thank him for what he has done for our program.  If he comes back to lead next year's team to glory, I think I can speak for the entire Big Blue Nation when I say he would me most, most welcome.

It is no secret that Jodie has some holes in his game which would likely get patched up if he returns for another year of college, not to mention the (so it seems, these days) ancillary benefit of a college degree.  Of course, if we are being honest with ourselves, we will admit that professional athletes don't need college degrees.  The money has become so large in professional sports that as few as a couple of years could set a player up for life, if he manages his money with even the most rudimentary competence.

From the NBA standpoint, Meeks is big enough and athletic enough to play the off-guard spot, but he is hardly prototypical.  The ideal size for off-guards these days tend to be 6'6" or taller in the Association these days, but there are plenty of exceptions to that rule.  Meeks can also shoot the ball with NBA range right now, and his release is already as quick as any in the game.  But his handle is his biggest problem at the moment, and in order to get first-round attention, he must prove that he can handle the ball as well as shoot and run fast.

I have no doubt that there are teams who have considered elevating him to their first round pick, but right now, it doesn't seem as if he has closed that deal, and with every passing moment, seems more and more unlikely to be able to do so this year.  The smart money says Jodie comes back for a year under John Calipari's tutelage, but there are rumors both ways.  We'll just have to wait and see.

Now, for the news:

UK Basketball News

UK Football News

Other UK Sports News

  • UK golfer wins Kentucky State Amateur
    Congrats to Jordan Blann.

  • Cat Scratches for Monday.
    I thought the NBA Finals were pretty exciting. The problem is, the Magic lost both close games. If they had won them both, which easily could have (and arguably should have) happened, this would be a different conversation.

NCAA Sports News

Other News of Interest

The Daily Schadenfreude