Basketball news of late Saturday — one item a bit surprising, one not at all — affects the NBA draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Ohio's college basketball programs all at once.
The news: Terrence Jones is staying at Kentucky for his sophomore season and Tu Holloway is coming back to Xavier for his senior year.
Jones is far from a finished product, but his choice to return still qualifies as at least a small upset for a few reasons. One, he probably didn't ever see himself spending a second year in college. Two, John Calipari probably wasn't planning to have Jones back. Kentucky is now more loaded than it already was going to be, but more on that in a moment.
Holloway coming back is the right call. He probably wasn't going to be drafted, and his return should make Xavier a top-20 team and a team that should, realistically, see itself playing on the second weekend of the NCAA tournament. As Chris Mack tries to make that an every-year thing, getting his senior point guard back should help Xavier get there. Holloway will probably get drafted in the second round next year.
Jones would have been a lottery pick in this draft and probably would have been a top-10 pick, likely right in the range of where the Cavaliers' second selection will be. That's not to say he fit the Cavs or that the Cavs coveted him, but the talent pool with that second lottery pick is a lot thinner now than it was a week or two ago.
Jones struggled with his shot and better competition down the stretch last season, but he has an NBA body and NBA gifts. He's an excellent rebounder and will get better in other aspects of the game. He might never be a great shooter, but he's going to be a lottery pick next year.
The question now becomes how many of those shots he gets in the big games. Kentucky is going to lose only Brandon Knight and Josh Harrellson (and maybe DeAndre Liggins) and brings in four freshmen, three of whom have one-and-done talent. Liggins may or may not stay in the draft. Kentucky now has a bunch of guys who play the same two positions and a bunch of guys who are going to want to get theirs.
There are worse problems to have, especially with all the raw (and improving talent) Calipari will have on hand. Kentucky's team wingspan next season? Think Sears Tower. Athleticism? Think jumping over the tower.
When Anthony Davis and Michael Gilchrist get used to the college game and their new teammates next February, look out. Every Kentucky game is going to be must-see TV. Just a guess, but the NBA lottery in 2012 is going to be a much better place for your favorite NBA franchise to be than it is this year.
Ohio State is going to be very good again, and Jared Sullinger just might be the best player in the country. But the Buckeyes are clearly behind North Carolina and Kentucky in terms of raw talent, and Duke might be scary good, too. That doesn't include any teams from the Big East, which could again be the best country's best conference if the young big men for teams such as West Virginia and Syracuse develop their skills this summer.
Being No. 1 for much of last season ended up not meaning much for the Buckeyes. Maybe it will be a good thing next year that Ohio State will be a legit national title contender but certainly not the favorite. The rankings will mean nothing to a Buckeyes team that will have poise and experience via Sullinger, William Buford and Aaron Craft.
The key will be defending like they did when David Lighty and Dallas Lauderdale were on the court together, replacing Jon Diebler's 3-point shooting and the development of either Evan Ravenel or Amir Williams — or, as coach Thad Matta would prefer, both — as legitimate post threats so Sullinger can be more of a true power forward.
It's going to be fun, and the road might go through Kentucky again.
