I mean, OTHER than identical records at this point? That team won it's next 11 and finished 29-9. That team had a defensive stopper in Liggins and a sturdy inside presence in Jorts.
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Any similarities to 2011?
- Thread starter FurdTerguson
- Start date
Who knows really. Every time this team looks like it figured things out they lay another egg.
They've lost five games by five points or fewer and our Kenpom luck ranking is 308th in the country. I guess if you squint you can make the argument if luck went the other way we could easily be 21-5 or 22-4 or something like that and maybe things fall our way in the tournament. Not holding out much hope though.
The defense has been objectively better the last three games though. Maybe if Cal actually sticks to the lineups that work they can carry this team far in the tournament.
They've lost five games by five points or fewer and our Kenpom luck ranking is 308th in the country. I guess if you squint you can make the argument if luck went the other way we could easily be 21-5 or 22-4 or something like that and maybe things fall our way in the tournament. Not holding out much hope though.
The defense has been objectively better the last three games though. Maybe if Cal actually sticks to the lineups that work they can carry this team far in the tournament.
Unc fan here. I posted here after you guys beat us, and let me say, you guys definitely have the talent to make a run. Would not surprise me one bit if you guys made a deep run. Tons of talent. Thanks for y’all’s time and have a good week.
We have the talent to make a run if the effort is there, which it's often not. This is the type of team to fall asleep midway through the second half to a 12 seed and lose. We also have the talent if the coach plays the right lineups, which so far he has shown incapable of doing for the vast majority of the season.
Yea up to 77 in defensive efficiency. We get that down another 20-30 spots with our top 10 offense and who knows. Still don't see us winning 6 in a row regardless but we have the ability to beat anyone on any given day. Unfortunately we also have the ability to lose to anyone as well.
I would take a team full of Liggins-type players every single time. Give me Liggins, MKG and Oscar and at least I know I'll get effort. We might win 62-59, but toughness wins ball games.
That team basically only lost a bunch of very close conference road games. They held serve at home and the only neutral games they lost were both to UConn.
I’d say the only similarity is their ability to shoot the three. Liggins and Miller were better defenders than anyone on this team.
This team reminds me of 2014. Championship expectations going into the season, disappointing results, still losing to bad teams in late February but you can see the talent and potential is there. 2014 didn't figure it out until the SEC tournament then went on one of the most unbelievable runs I've ever witnessed
They're not all on the road, but this team also has lost a lot of close games. Five losses by five points or fewer.
I loved the 2014 run, but I almost think it was a terrible thing to happen for Cal. I feel that kind of made him not care too much about seeding, and thinking he could always waltz into March.
2011 finished 7th total overall in KenPom, with the 8th best offense and 16th best defense. Granted that was after the tournament run so they obviously improved some, but its safe to say they were a good bit better than the current team, which is ranked 23rd overall in KenPom, with the 9th best offense and 77th best defense.
2011 was undefeated at home. This years team has 4 home losses and counting. 2011 finished with 8 regular season losses, 7 were true road games, and 1 neutral site loss to eventual champ UConn. Here are the road losses and the margins:
UNC: 2 points
UGA: 7 points
Bama: 2 points
Ole Miss: 2 points
Florida: 2 points
Vandy: 4 points
Arkansas: 3 points (Overtime)
Compare that to this years team which has lost by the following margins:
UNC-Wilimington (Home): 7 points
A&M: 5 points (OT)
South Carolina: 17 points
Florida (Home): 3 points (OT)
Tennessee (Home): 11 points
Gonzaga (Home): 4 points
LSU: 1 point
Bottom line: The metrics, and the amount of home losses coupled with the double digit losses show this team is substantially worse than the 2011 team.
2011 was undefeated at home. This years team has 4 home losses and counting. 2011 finished with 8 regular season losses, 7 were true road games, and 1 neutral site loss to eventual champ UConn. Here are the road losses and the margins:
UNC: 2 points
UGA: 7 points
Bama: 2 points
Ole Miss: 2 points
Florida: 2 points
Vandy: 4 points
Arkansas: 3 points (Overtime)
Compare that to this years team which has lost by the following margins:
UNC-Wilimington (Home): 7 points
A&M: 5 points (OT)
South Carolina: 17 points
Florida (Home): 3 points (OT)
Tennessee (Home): 11 points
Gonzaga (Home): 4 points
LSU: 1 point
Bottom line: The metrics, and the amount of home losses coupled with the double digit losses show this team is substantially worse than the 2011 team.
I remember that Florida won the SEC by three games; however:
1. If Knight's three goes in @Florida
2. If Erving Walker's Hailmary misses @ Georgia
3. If Chris Warren's 25 foot hailmary misses (Ole Miss)
Kentucky would have won the SEC.
We lost four games by two points or fewer, and another by four points. We also got hosed @Carolina that year.
This team hasn’t similar to any team for one big reason .
None of our teams two best players ever came off of the bench
None of our teams two best players ever came off of the bench
Knight could shoot, Wagner can't.
That team had Jorts & Terrence Jones inside. Nothing near as stable as those 2 with Kentucky's front court this year.
That team had Jorts & Terrence Jones inside. Nothing near as stable as those 2 with Kentucky's front court this year.
I’d put the Reeves we’ve seen in recent weeks up against Lamb. And this is coming from the President of the “Doron Lamb is the most underrated UK basketball player of all time” Club
That 2011 team was really good. They were young but extremely talented. Just needed time to really mesh and develop. They lost so many close road games. Don’t think they lost at Rupp. They shoulda beat UNC in Chapel Hill. When the bracket came out I said they will beat OSU and UNc and make the final four.
Not a deep team but Knight and Lamb were a great young backcourt. Miller was coming into his own. And Jones and Liggins and Harrellaon provided so much more toughness and inside presence than this team has.
Not a deep team but Knight and Lamb were a great young backcourt. Miller was coming into his own. And Jones and Liggins and Harrellaon provided so much more toughness and inside presence than this team has.
No. Our teams that made deep runs did not lose multiple games at home. That is the difference. Don't think the 2014 team did that either.
The screw jobs the 2011 team got on the road in the SEC that year were unbelievable. Almost all the losses were close foul fests. Once play freed up in the SEC & NCAA tournies, they were battle tested and ready for it. I’m definitely taking the 11 team over this one as some of those pieces went on to win a Championship, it was a good team. But I do see the similarities. The 11 team very nearly lost in the 1st round and it would not have been an incredibly shocking upset. This is where this team is. No surprise to look out of sorts in a first round loss, but winning 4 games with this talent doesn’t seem like a patently ridiculous thing either.
Yes. Closer to ‘14 than ‘11.
But both made the FF. As will this one.
I’m booked for Phoenix. As long as the Cats are there I’ll be there.
I hope we don’t have to cancel.
Got our room. Got our flights. Just need tickets. But that’s easily taken care of.
That 2011 run is forgotten because of Aaron Harrison's ridiculous 2014. But they had the kind of tournament that ages you as a fan.
- The opening round win over Princeton.
- Trailed by EIGHT at halftime the next round against hated West Virginia. Outscored them by 16 in second half (do the John Wall now!)
- The total slugfest against Ohio State. Wasn't that Knights only basket? That last shot had me scared to death.
- The win over UNC. Led them all game long and it took a three by Liggins followed by a defensive stop by him at the very end to secure it
- The opening round win over Princeton.
- Trailed by EIGHT at halftime the next round against hated West Virginia. Outscored them by 16 in second half (do the John Wall now!)
- The total slugfest against Ohio State. Wasn't that Knights only basket? That last shot had me scared to death.
- The win over UNC. Led them all game long and it took a three by Liggins followed by a defensive stop by him at the very end to secure it
