Big Z is our best center

[RMorris33]

Alabama isn't physical like some other teams but in that clip alone Z made about four different plays I've never seen Ugo or Bradshaw make. Z is the better shooter, passer and finisher bar none.

He's the only 7 footer we have with mobility who can catch passes and finish at the rim consistently. He shoots 60% from 3 and 80% from the line on limited attempts. Had 3 blocks in 16 mins against Georgia and 4 blocks in 20 mins against Alabama. He also has great court vision and finds open shooters. I get that he's raw, he gets lost on defense and he needs to play more physical but you can say the same about Bradshaw and Ugo. Z starting and playing 25-30 minutes a game with Ugo coming off the bench as the back up center would make the team better in my opinion. #FreeBigZ

 

[mcwildcats04]

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Alabama isn't physical like some other teams but in that clip alone Z made about four different plays I've never seen Ugo or Bradshaw make. Z is the better shooter, passer and finisher bar none.

He's the only 7 footer we have with mobility who can catch passes and finish at the rim consistently. He shoots 60% from 3 and 80% from the line on limited attempts. Had 3 blocks in 16 mins against Georgia and 4 blocks in 20 mins against Alabama. He also has great court vision and finds open shooters. I get that he's raw, he gets lost on defense and he needs to play more physical but you can say the same about Bradshaw and Ugo. Z starting and playing 25-30 minutes a game with Ugo coming off the bench as the back up center would make the team better in my opinion. #FreeBigZ

I'm with you. He at least has the highest ceiling by far at the 5. I hope he gets the majority of minutes at the 5 moving forward sprinkled in with Ugonna and Tre as back-ups at the 5. (Tre can obviously play some 4 too when healthy.) The more time Z gets now at the 5, the better he will be defensively by the time of the NCAAT.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I'm okay with any of Tre, Z, or Onyenso at the 5 provided that the other four players are Reed, Rob, Reeves, and either Edwards or Thiero.

 

[mcwildcats04]

I'm okay with any of Tre, Z, or Onyenso at the 5 provided that the other four players are Reed, Rob, Reeves, and either Edwards or Thiero.

Yep, really any of the 3 can do well paired with those others. Let's just hope Cal focuses on these guys moving forward. Wagner needs less minutes. And Bradshaw and Burks should get very limited minutes in any scenario.

 

[Fitch44]

I did love Cal’s postgame comments about the 7 footer who plays the most physical will play.
Skill is not the issue, even for Bradshaw. But who will fight like hell on D and play tough.
Love Z’s play. That drop bounce pass to Thiero cutting (even though he missed the dunk) was very Arvydas Sabonis-ish.

 

[Atrain7732]

At worst, he should be splitting with UGO and getting all of Bradshaw’s mins. If the opponent has a big physical center that is just destroying Z, sit him for an extended period. No issue with that situation. I do believe even tho he may at times get beat on defense by a bigger physical player, he can also take advantage of those players on offense by spreading the floor and utilizing the pick and roll/pop like they did against Bama.

Cal has by far the shortest leash with Big Z. I understand why, to an extent. You can just see that the instant he gets lost on D he gets the hook. Most of our other guys have gotten much more of an opportunity to play thru that stuff. Cal was ready to yank him a Couple mins into the game against Bama. Glad he changed his mind.

 

[cats2010]

I'm with you. He at least has the highest ceiling by far at the 5. I hope he gets the majority of minutes at the 5 moving forward sprinkled in with Ugonna and Tre as back-ups at the 5. (Tre can obviously play some 4 too when healthy.) The more time Z gets now at the 5, the better he will be defensively by the time of the NCAAT.

Cals stupidity has cost Z and the ceiling of this team since Z became eligible 11 games ago. His 20 minutes against Bama was the most he has played. Bradshaw played 29 in his 2nd game. Where would/could Z be today if the 6 games he played a total of 12 worthless minutes he had actually played 15-20 minutes each game?

 

[mcwildcats04]

At worst, he should be splitting mins with UGO. If the opponent has a big physical center that is just destroying Z, sit him for an extended period. No issue with that situation. I do believe even tho he may at times get beat on defense by a bigger physical player, he can also take advantage of those players on offense by spreading the floor and utilizing the pick and roll/pop like they did against Bama.

Cal has by far the shortest leash with Big Z. I understand why, to an extent. You can just see that the instant he gets lost on D he gets the hook. Most of our other guys have gotten much more of an opportunity to play thru that stuff. Cal was ready to yank him a Couple mins into the game against Bama. Glad he changed his mind.

That's my main thing. Just make the adjustments in game when it's clear it's not going well for one of the bigs. Cal just rode Ugonna at LSU and he was terrible from the tip. You can't just let him play the bulk of the minutes when he had been good leading up to that game. If one of the bigs is playing terrible, play one of the other options significant minutes.

 

[Atrain7732]

That's my main thing. Just make the adjustments in game when it's clear it's not going well for one of the bigs. Cal just rode Ugonna at LSU and he was terrible from the tip. You can't just let him play the bulk of the minutes when he had been good leading up to that game. If one of the bigs is playing terrible, play one of the other options significant minutes.

I’m with ya. Love him or hate him, No one can sincerely claim that in game adjustments is Cal’s forte. Some guys he just kinda makes up his mind on and is stubborn as hell to switch up. At times we benefit from that stubbornness—like with Edwards. Other times, we don’t.

 

[RMorris33]

I agree with playing it by committee depending on match ups, who's playing the best, foul trouble etc. I just wonder why Z hasn't been given more of a chance to this point. 18/5/4 in limited minutes against a top 15 team is impressive no matter how you look at it. To me he's earned an opportunity to play through mistakes and show what he can do with significant playing time

 

[jwphelps]

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Alabama isn't physical like some other teams but in that clip alone Z made about four different plays I've never seen Ugo or Bradshaw make. Z is the better shooter, passer and finisher bar none.

He's the only 7 footer we have with mobility who can catch passes and finish at the rim consistently. He shoots 60% from 3 and 80% from the line on limited attempts. Had 3 blocks in 16 mins against Georgia and 4 blocks in 20 mins against Alabama. He also has great court vision and finds open shooters. I get that he's raw, he gets lost on defense and he needs to play more physical but you can say the same about Bradshaw and Ugo. Z starting and playing 25-30 minutes a game with Ugo coming off the bench as the back up center would make the team better in my opinion. #FreeBigZ

Offensively yes, but not defensively. Plus no offense Alabama did not play a traditional center which made it possible to play Z, and Alabama is the worse defensive team statistically in the top 25.

 

[cathouse]

I did love Cal’s postgame comments about the 7 footer who plays the most physical will play.
Skill is not the issue, even for Bradshaw. But who will fight like hell on D and play tough.
Love Z’s play. That drop bounce pass to Thiero cutting (even though he missed the dunk) was very Arvydas Sabonis-ish.

I'll guarantee you every NBA scout has the clip of that pass and the behind the back pass to Reeves for a 3.

Seven footers with Z's offensive skill set are few and far between. And one of them just happens to be the best player in the NBA right now.

 

[Deli owl]

The best Center threads seem to rotate all the time between all three of them.

 

[RondoBaller21]

Onyenso is the best shot blocker in the nation. He has to play major minutes.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Rotate Onyenso, Ivisic, and Mitchell at the 5. Play whoever does the best or is the best matchup.

There’s nobody at the 5 spot that is a 25-30 minute guy.

Maybe Cal needs to go back and watch how Pitino did it in the early 90’s with guys like Riddick, Timberlake, and Martinez. He didn’t have a stud big man then, yet they could hang with guys like Shaq and Oliver Miller collectively.

The 5 spot is not our strength. Just got to play with the hand we’ve been dealt and deal with it.

 

[CincyUKFan]

And Thiero is our best PF.

 

[NociHTTP]

I did love Cal’s postgame comments about the 7 footer who plays the most physical will play.
Skill is not the issue, even for Bradshaw. But who will fight like hell on D and play tough.
Love Z’s play. That drop bounce pass to Thiero cutting (even though he missed the dunk) was very Arvydas Sabonis-ish.

Cal's comment was mostly directed at Bradshaw who seems to be trying to hide and bide his time until the draft.

 

[rob_47]

Onyenso is the best shot blocker in the nation. He has to play major minutes.

I disagree. He is a good shot blocker but his timing and feel of the game still hold him back. I feel like he feast against bad teams but teams with skilled bigs give him problems. Sometimes guys will get a shot off over Ugo with little to not contest because he doesn't sense when the shot is about to go up. I think he can still be a somewhat effective player but there have been moments when he looks completely lost.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Ugo and z are both going to have matchups that are better for them. They will rotate between who is better given the matchup, theiro and Mitchell are the 4 spot, and Bradshaw is the last option now

 

[RMorris33]

Ugo is averaging 3 blocks a game and should play but Z is much more of a threat offensively and can also block shots. I think it depends on match ups. But overall I'd still say Z is the better player with more potential. He just hasn't learned the college game yet and he's only played more than 12 minutes twice

 

[mcwildcats04]

Ugo and z are both going to have matchups that are better for them. They will rotate between who is better given the matchup, theiro and Mitchell are the 4 spot, and Bradshaw is the last option now

After how he performed against Bama at the 4, we're going to need a lot of minutes from Edwards at the 4 too!

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

Zs only had 3 games in college with 12-20 mins and look what he's done. No wonder he sometimes looks lost on D he hasn't had any reps. Ugo played 36 mins in 1 game. That's about how much Z has played in the 3 games.

It's Z by miles and it isn't close. Anyone with eyeballs can see how he makes us a much bigger problem for teans to defend. When he dunks it looks like he barely jumps. I hope he doesn't go back to the bench and Cal gives him a chance. He could gave been getting reps like when we pounded Ole Miss but nope. Free Z!!!

 

[CincyUKFan]

After how he performed against Bama at the 4, we're going to need a lot of minutes from Edwards at the 4 too!

It's a one off. Based on the entire season, Edwards is more likely to score 8 points, grab 3 boards, and make 1/4 from deep in the next game than to do anything close to what he did against BAMA.

He's going to have such a bad game, and I hope it's not in the NCAA tourney, that people will attack him and ask what happened to the Edwards in the BAMA game. But I'm telling you now, what happened is an aberration. This guy should only play more than 10mpg if he makes one of his first two threes.

 

[mcwildcats04]

It's a one off. Based on the entire season, Edwards is more likely to score 8 points, grab 3 boards, and make 1/4 from deep in the next game than to do anything close to what he did against BAMA.

He's going to have such a bad game, and I hope it's not in the NCAA tourney, that people will attack him and ask what happened to the Edwards in the BAMA game. But I'm telling you now, what happened is an aberration. This guy should only play more than 10mpg if he makes one of his first two threes.

It's certainly possible, but we need to see a lot more to determine that. He was playing better leading up to the Bama game so it was clear he was trending up before the explosion. Just need to see if the trend continues. Would be huge for us if it does!

 

[CincyUKFan]

It's certainly possible, but we need to see a lot more to determine that. He was playing better leading up to the Bama game so it was clear he was trending up before the explosion. Just need to see if the trend continues. Would be huge for us if it does!

How much better was he playing though?

LSU - 9 points on 3/4 from deep, ZERO rebounds
AUB - 4 points, 5 fouls
MISS - 12 points
GONZ - 8 points, 3/8 in 29 minutes
VAN - 17 points
EVERY SEC GAME LEADING UP TO VANDY - Absolutely awful

He's on a two game stretch where he's made 7/8 from deep. That's great. But as you can see, he's still being inconsistent lately. And a couple of these games where he scored double figures, he scored the bulk of his points before the first tv timeout, and did nothing after that.

The dude had a 28 point night and he's still averaging less than 9ppg. That's how bad he's been.

 

[ukfan1622]

I'd love to see a starting lineup of Z, Shep, Dilly, REEVES, and either Thiero or Edwards with Ugo(until Mitchell returns) and Wagner picking up the backup minutes. I really believe there would be blowouts.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Zs only had 3 games in college with 12-20 mins and look what he's done. No wonder he sometimes looks lost on D he hasn't had any reps. Ugo played 36 mins in 1 game. That's about how much Z has played in the 3 games.

It's Z by miles and it isn't close. Anyone with eyeballs can see how he makes us a much bigger problem for teans to defend. When he dunks it looks like he barely jumps. I hope he doesn't go back to the bench and Cal gives him a chance. He could gave been getting reps like when we pounded Ole Miss but nope. Free Z!!!

Z is the best offensively and the most skilled, but he is by far the worst defender out of any of the options. He still needs mins but the bigs situation is going to be dependent on matchups

 

[CincyUKFan]

I'd love to see a starting lineup of Z, Shep, Dilly, REEVES, and either Thiero or Edwards with Ugo(until Mitchell returns) and Wagner picking up the backup minutes. I really believe there would be blowouts.

Take out the possibility of Edwards and I agree. You need a good defender who can help down low and block some shots. That's Adou. Edwards should come off the bench, keep shooting the three, and if he isn't hitting, go back to the bench. Adou is a dog. Edwards is a guy who has gone 7/8 from deep over the last two games. That's exciting, but he's not consistent. He may very well go 1/8 over the next two games.

 

[Wildcats1st]

It’s too late now to roll with Z because the season is almost over and he’s had 2 good games and some bad ones. Ugo is our best center. He’s consistent. We know what we will get with him no matter the opponent. I see people gushing over ivisic offensive abilities but he is light. His defense is questionable and he doesn’t have much time to learn for this season.

 

[Fox2monk]

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Alabama isn't physical like some other teams but in that clip alone Z made about four different plays I've never seen Ugo or Bradshaw make. Z is the better shooter, passer and finisher bar none.

He's the only 7 footer we have with mobility who can catch passes and finish at the rim consistently. He shoots 60% from 3 and 80% from the line on limited attempts. Had 3 blocks in 16 mins against Georgia and 4 blocks in 20 mins against Alabama. He also has great court vision and finds open shooters. I get that he's raw, he gets lost on defense and he needs to play more physical but you can say the same about Bradshaw and Ugo. Z starting and playing 25-30 minutes a game with Ugo coming off the bench as the back up center would make the team better in my opinion. #FreeBigZ

Dude has serious skill, I’ve seen him get game action for real like 2.5 times and it’s easy to tell he’s the best.

 

[mcwildcats04]

How much better was he playing though?

LSU - 9 points on 3/4 from deep, ZERO rebounds
AUB - 4 points, 5 fouls
MISS - 12 points
GONZ - 8 points, 3/8 in 29 minutes
VAN - 17 points
EVERY SEC GAME LEADING UP TO VANDY - Absolutely awful

He's on a two game stretch where he's made 7/8 from deep. That's great. But as you can see, he's still being inconsistent lately. And a couple of these games where he scored double figures, he scored the bulk of his points before the first tv timeout, and did nothing after that.

The dude had a 28 point night and he's still averaging less than 9ppg. That's how bad he's been.

I hear you but I think the one caveat is we weren't really playing him at the 4 much before, if at all, prior to the Bama game. Let's see if that can prove to be the difference moving forward. I will say too that I think he's increased his workouts lately. He looks leaner to me than he did earlier in the year. I thought he was a little out of shape at one point.

 

[CincyUKFan]

It’s too late now to roll with Z because the season is almost over and he’s had 2 good games and some bad ones. Ugo is our best center. He’s consistent. We know what we will get with him no matter the opponent. I see people gushing over ivisic offensive abilities but he is light. His defense is questionable and he doesn’t have much time to learn for this season.

At this point, it's just matchup-dependent. Ugo is still a dude that averages 4ppg and 5rpg. Not great. And he, too, has had a very limited number of good games. He has grabbed more than 6 rebounds exactly THREE times and scored in double figures exactly ONE time. He does block shots.

When Mitchell returns, I'd run him out there with Reed, Dilly, Reeves, and Thiero. What we'll see from our brilliant coach though - Wagner, Reeves, Edwards, Mitchell, Ugo.

 

[bucsrule8872]

At this point, it's just matchup-dependent. Ugo is still a dude that averages 4ppg and 5rpg. Not great. And he, too, has had a very limited number of good games. He has grabbed more than 6 rebounds exactly THREE times and scored in double figures exactly ONE time. He does block shots.

When Mitchell returns, I'd run him out there with Reed, Dilly, Reeves, and Thiero. What we'll see from our brilliant coach though - Wagner, Reeves, Edwards, Mitchell, Ugo.

The small ball lineup needs to be utilized when Mitchell returns. Not saying we need to start and play that lineup the whole game, but use it from time to time. It will give opponents something else to have to study and plan for, which will help us in the postseason.

 

[CincyUKFan]

This is interesting.

Z, when playing 10 or more minutes:

10.4ppg
4.4rpg
2.2bpg

Z, when playing 12 or more minutes:

14ppg
5.6rpg
3bpg

 

[ukfan1622]

This is interesting.

Z, when playing 10 or more minutes:

10.4ppg
4.4rpg
2.2bpg

Z, when playing 12 or more minutes:

14ppg
5.6rpg
3bpg

When he gets 20 minutes he averages 18ppg, 5rpg, 4bpg.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

As long as he stops doing pull-ups on the rim....

 

[sluggercatfan]

Offensively yes, but not defensively. Plus no offense Alabama did not play a traditional center which made it possible to play Z, and Alabama is the worse defensive team statistically in the top 25.

I would much rather have someone who is a threat offensively and is just as good defensively. Z makes us much more dangerous offensively which makes the other teammates more dangerous.

 

[Mike-D]

The best Center threads seem to rotate all the time between all three of them.

I can tell you which one will be drafted first.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Cals stupidity has cost Z and the ceiling of this team since Z became eligible 11 games ago. His 20 minutes against Bama was the most he has played. Bradshaw played 29 in his 2nd game. Where would/could Z be today if the 6 games he played a total of 12 worthless minutes he had actually played 15-20 minutes each game?

Yep he should've been the man from then. Play through mistakes and learn. He has by far the highest ceiling and he gave us the highest ceiling. He just needed the minutes but never got them

 

[ukfan1622]

As long as he stops doing pull-ups on the rim....

It's an optical illusion. He's not pulling the rim down; his chin is just up that high...