Minutes will be the cure for Willis
- Thread starter 23jumpboy
- Start date
I'm hoping he has a Josh Harrellson type of season when we were dreading being stuck with him playing the center position. Josh took it and ran with the opportunity and proved most of us wrong.
Cal cant force the kid to come in the gym on his free time and work his butt off.
Cal says UK is a ' Players first ' program, we will see if he is talking about all players, or just some players !
This is what he needs ^^^^ not more playing time, you can see potential, but it is going to take off season work.
Is there info that this is his problem?
He has a lot of potential, always plays solid when in the game, doesn't try to do too much and runs the offense very well. I expect good things from DW.
willis obviously to this point hasn't earned playing time. by his own admission he said he hasn't worked as hard as he should have. hopefully he will have more incentive this year. i think cal has proven that he pretty much is 'players first.' players have to do more than just put on the jersey.
Do you suggest that Cal should just play Willis simply because he is there or should Derek have to come in and work to earn his spot?
Ask Josh Harrellson, who had to take to social media to get noticed after getting 40 rebounds over 2 games in Canada in summer of 2010. Cal made him hit the treadmill over that, but it got him noticed, and a starting position, which he deserved. Not saying Willis should be given anything....but there is an old saying, " The squeaky wheel get the grease " so Derek may need to work harder, and toot his own horn a little.
We will see. I really hope he breaks out this season, it would be great to see. He has great tools/skills and good size, so the potential is there. He definitely has his best opportunity in time at UK so far to see playing time and contribute.
IIRC, Cal said after the season was over that DW was already hitting the gym; if he keeps that up maybe he can "be the best version of himself". That would be a good thing.
You might want to understand the concept of players first. Before making this comment.
The fact that people think Willis should have got playing time over the players that played last year just makes you chuckle. Now this coming season he is going to have to play some because if Lee and Poy get in foul trouble UK won't have anyone else to turn to at the 4 position.
What's to understand ? UK has actually always been a 'Players first' program dating back to Rupp. Basketball rules in Lexington, much to the demise of any other UK sport. ie. The Joe B Hall wildcat lodge, and now the Joe Craft center, and Wildcat Coal lodge. Cal simply has put a new spin on things with the NBA version of AAA farm team. Willis deserves as much a chance to play as Briscoe, Matthews, Skal or anybody else, but he is behind the 8 ball already.
I can promise you that if Briscoe, Skal, Matthews come and in exhibit the same work ethic as Derek they will be sitting down there on the bench with him.
No he doesn't...because those players are better. You don't play your bench guy as much as your better players. I guess Coach K should have started Plumlee over Okafor this past season.
Wh Wh Whaat? Seriously? Mr. Willis, is that you? You do know that this isn't communism, don't you? Rest assured, if DW brought it in practice, he'd play more. Geez.
Nah imo Willis will never be a starter..he is too weak and timid ...Can't guard a fence post...he will get some time because we're short this year, but i think we go with 3 guards with Alex and Skal or (PG Ulis),(2G Briscoe),..(SF Alex )(PF Skal) and( C Lee)..Hope Alex is shooting 1000 3pter a day this summer and working on ball handling
And you were? I "trust in Cal" to play the best possible players, those that deserve to play based on performance in practices and games. Obviously you do not, so therein lies your problem.
Look, I really like DW; and really WANT him to play more, but only if he deserves it.
I love Cal and all, but if he starts Poythress at the 3 again, he's out of his mind. Keep him away from the perimeter and dribbling and plant him in the paint or along the baseline. Period.
Ulis, Briscoe, Poy and Skal with the other position filled by committee (Mulder, Matthews, Willis).
Willis will see as many minutes as he did this year because he is not that good. He is very limited and there is no cure for that. I wouldn't be surprised if he did transfer and I wouldn't be upset in the slightest
I don't remember anybody saying he have got playing time over the players in front of him. Maybe I missed one or two that did. I do remember a lot of posts wondering why he couldn't get 5 to 8 minutes late in the game of a 30+ point blowout. Kind of wished now that he had....he and the team could have used that little bit of experience next year. I haven't seen enough of Willis to know if he contribute significant minutes next year or not. We shall see.
Look...I know that Cal says he doesn't promise these kids playing time, but with the oad system he tries to run how many of these kids are really worried about beating someone else out for playing time...This year is really the only time that was probably the case and he ran the platoon system most of the year to avoid that problem...
Willis' chance is here. He is a junior who understands what Cal expects from his players. Poy is still in recovery mode. Lee needs to develop an offensive game. If Willis puts in the work, there is no reason why he can't start, or at the least, be the first man off the bench. It's really up to him.
It aggravated me that DW did not get the minutes in the blowouts, but despite what folks want to believe Cal was basically guaranteeing his top guys all equal minutes and it would have meant one of those guys would get slighted..
Look forward to see him blossom this year. I think he will do rather well for the cats over the next 2 years.
Not talking to anyone specifically, but I do not remember the outrage over Stacey Poole not getting to play. Cal said he had a bad practice mentality and I remember people siding with Cal pretty much universally.
**Example: Poole had a breakaway layup and instead wind milled it.
Now, Cal is telling you Willis pumpers that he is not giving it in practice AND Willis is admitting the same stuff and you want to know if Cal is really a "players first". HA. The ole' Kentucky boy should play syndrome is shining through. Much like it did with Polson and Jon Hood. But, by all means continue....
**Example: Poole had a breakaway layup and instead wind milled it.
Now, Cal is telling you Willis pumpers that he is not giving it in practice AND Willis is admitting the same stuff and you want to know if Cal is really a "players first". HA. The ole' Kentucky boy should play syndrome is shining through. Much like it did with Polson and Jon Hood. But, by all means continue....
You can't cut out minutes from your good players, no matter the margin when they are already sacrificing big minutes to be on the team. Who should UK have benched the last 5 to 8 mins in those games? Should Booker have lost time? Ulis? Lee? DJ? Lyles? I just don't get the logic of stealing their minutes for an inferior player. And when Cal did bring someone in earlier in those games it was Hawkins, and for good reason no doubt because Hawkins was higher on the player rankings than Willis.
Cal already had to cut minutes from good players last yer as it was...he was not about to rob talented players of minutes just to get Willis some decent run in blowouts.
I agree/hope that Willis is going to be the answer at SF. He's really long and is a pretty good shooter...looks like he has a solid all-around game. I have to believe he's better than any 4-star HS recruits. He's very versatile and if he steps up like Harrelson than we will be very hard to beat.
I will never understand this boards obsession with freaking Willis. He is an average player that is playing behind NBA players, get over it.
Willis will get exactly what he earns. No more, no less.
I wonder if he finds these type threads embarrassing? Give Willis this. Willis deserves that.
Willis deserves the opportunity to work harder than he ever worked in his life. Beyond that, it's competition for minutes. End of story.
I wonder if he finds these type threads embarrassing? Give Willis this. Willis deserves that.
Willis deserves the opportunity to work harder than he ever worked in his life. Beyond that, it's competition for minutes. End of story.
It boils down to how bad does Derek Willis want it.He has no excuses.Work hard and take it.I want him to succeed but it's up to him.
Cal says he's seen Willis working in the gym this summer. He knows this is his chance, and I'm sure he's working hard on it. He could contribute some this season, or he might not. We will see what happens, though.
Same with Hawkins, but he's had a little more run in his two years than Willis. I think he will see a little time each game this season.
Same with Hawkins, but he's had a little more run in his two years than Willis. I think he will see a little time each game this season.
The door is open for Willis next year. But as others have said, he will have to start working NOW to walk through that door next winter. He will be 1 of 9, but Cal very well may only play 7 or 8. But he is certainly capable of either forcing is way into that rotation or forcing Cal to play 9. Same for Hawkins. I see those 2 and Matthews competing for the 7th & 8th spots. I would love for all 3 to play well enough so that in a given game Cal can play whichever gives him what he needs for that game.
So it is up to Willis, is he willing to work this off-season to get to where he needs to be. The basic skills are there. With Cal, the biggest thing is, Can you DEFEND your Position!
So it is up to Willis, is he willing to work this off-season to get to where he needs to be. The basic skills are there. With Cal, the biggest thing is, Can you DEFEND your Position!
