4/22 from three means Pope's staff still hasn't figured out the spacing/extra pass issue.

[Son_Of_Saul]

Tonight's disappointing loss to an NIT-level team was more evidence that the coaching staff still has their work cut out for them. There is a very real problem right now with spacing and making the extra pass.

The good news is that there's time to fix whatever ails this UK team before SEC play, but they need to remedy this issue sooner than later.

I really feel like UK lacks dribble penetration, and on the other side of the court, UK cannot defend right-side drives to save their life right now.

Even with drastic improvement, this team will be fortunate to swing an 11-7 SEC record.

 

[ukwazoo]

We did not force anyone left at all

 

[catben]

Butler, Oweh, Williams and Garrison are the facilitators for Pope’s offense. When those guys don’t look to find the open man and try to do too much, the offense struggles. Add to that, when Robinson and Carr can’t make enough shots, we get what you saw tonight on offense.

The defense is what it is, that’s why it is so important that we can score at a big enough clip to offset it.

 

[bnewt]

Carr needs more shots inside
At least he can draw fouls

 

[ukcatz12]

It also means we’re just not the 3 point shooting team everyone assumed. In half our games we’ve shot less than 30% from 3. At some point the “extended cold streak” excuse doesn’t hold water and this team just is what it is.

 

[Mash 2.4]

Teams are gonna continue to overplay us defensively. Gotta come up with some stuff to make them pay for that. I’ve got faith in the staff to do that. May have to go smaller with Carr at the 5. Maybe add some of the Princeton stuff to the playbook.

 

[YardCat]

Teams are over playing the 3, drive and dish once you beat your man and another man picks you up. A lot of one on one play and a lot of missed shots that we usually make.

 

[catlogic15]

The vaunted “system” was pretty poor tonight.

 

[ManitouDan]

Didn’t play nearly fast enough , we need early offense not 5 on 5 1/2 court sets

 

[true blue1]

Tonight's disappointing loss to an NIT-level team was more evidence that the coaching staff still has their work cut out for them. There is a very real problem right now with spacing and making the extra pass.

The good news is that there's time to fix whatever ails this UK team before SEC play, but they need to remedy this issue sooner than later.

I really feel like UK lacks dribble penetration, and on the other side of the court, UK cannot defend right-side drives to save their life right now.

Even with drastic improvement, this team will be fortunate to swing an 11-7 SEC record.

I agree and teams are spreading us out and taking our bigs away from the basketball on the defensive end and we have No rim protection.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Tonight's disappointing loss to an NIT-level team was more evidence that the coaching staff still has their work cut out for them. There is a very real problem right now with spacing and making the extra pass.

The good news is that there's time to fix whatever ails this UK team before SEC play, but they need to remedy this issue sooner than later.

I really feel like UK lacks dribble penetration, and on the other side of the court, UK cannot defend right-side drives to save their life right now.

Even with drastic improvement, this team will be fortunate to swing an 11-7 SEC record.

The big not being a shooting threat kills anything big picture this offense can do

 

[ncaaky]

Teams are over playing the 3, drive and dish once you beat your man and another man picks you up.

The big problem is we don’t have much ability to drive and beat our man. Spacing the floor doesn’t do much when defenses can get up on everyone and we don’t have the ability to make them pay.

 

[KY Long Rifle]

Tonight's disappointing loss to an NIT-level team was more evidence that the coaching staff still has their work cut out for them. There is a very real problem right now with spacing and making the extra pass.

The good news is that there's time to fix whatever ails this UK team before SEC play, but they need to remedy this issue sooner than later.

I really feel like UK lacks dribble penetration, and on the other side of the court, UK cannot defend right-side drives to save their life right now.

Even with drastic improvement, this team will be fortunate to swing an 11-7 SEC record.

You nailed our issues on the nose. I actually think your record prediction is very close, too. A heavier dose of zone defense will help some of our issues. I also believe we need to press sooner when we face teams that try to slow the pace like OSU did tonight. I felt like we waited a little too late to present it.

At the end of the day, though, basketball is all about how well you put the ball through the basket, and we have struggled to do that in the last half of the games we’ve played. That has to get corrected, and soon.

 

[gojvc]

It also means we’re just not the 3 point shooting team everyone assumed. In half our games we’ve shot less than 30% from 3. At some point the “extended cold streak” excuse doesn’t hold water and this team just is what it is.

Neither of the two starting guards are really good shooters. So I agree that we’re not as good a shooting team as many assumed. But the offense is not generating very many good shots right now either.

 

[NociHTTP]

Carr needs more shots inside
At least he can draw fouls

Carr needs to do a better job (they all do) of getting to his spots in the set, and then shoot the damn thing instead of just giving it to someone else.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Can't polish a turd though.. Pope and staff get a pass this year because this team was entirely thrown together quite late..

I ask myself two questions when it comes to this roster. How many wins would Cal have with them? Maybe 5 or 6. And how many other coaches could get this roster to 10 wins by now? I'm not sure there's any.

Just some perspective. This year is probably whatever. Even before we played a game I looked at this roster and just wasn't overly excited. Thoughts we'd be solid, but always figured the talent would hold us back. Really can't wait until next year..

 

[CatsFanGG24]

We start 4 guys who would rather get to the basket than shoot a 3.

Our starting 5 is not a 3 point threat and our 4 would rather be back to basket. This is not optimal for the Pope offense and is causing the spacing/flow issues.

The problem is the willing shooters are poor defenders. Do think we need to mix and match better. Have to find the early season Almanor…Carr needs to shoot more to keep the D honest…and hope Kerr heals up quick.

 

[AzubuikeandFitch]

Teams are gonna continue to overplay us defensively. Gotta come up with some stuff to make them pay for that. I’ve got faith in the staff to do that. May have to go smaller with Carr at the 5. Maybe add some of the Princeton stuff to the playbook.

With 5 out there's plenty of opportunities for back cuts and back screens but guys seem stuck doing an offensive script. Players need to read the defense and react.

Need more movement--ball and player.

 

[NociHTTP]

With 5 out there's plenty of opportunities for back cuts and back screens but guys seem stuck doing an offensive script. Players need to read the defense and react.

Need more movement--ball and player.

This. The very last thing you posted. Most here seem to think the half court isn't large enough to get spacing, lol. Pope has already given them the tools. Like others said, guys are wanting to do their thing. Pope needs to start calling them out when they refuse to do their job.

 

[megablue]

The big problem is we don’t have much ability to drive and beat our man. Spacing the floor doesn’t do much when defenses can get up on everyone and we don’t have the ability to make them pay.

10000% this ^^^ ... this is the bottom-line problem we have on offense ... right now, anyway.
Not sure how you fix it, quite frankly.
Defense is another issue, too, of course.

 

[GoAndRunIsGoneAndDone]

The vaunted “system” was pretty poor tonight.

Bball is simple.... Put the ball through the hoop. We didn't do that and everything we do is predicated on it. I mean, we were 5 of 20 on layups and the career stats say we have good shooters on this team. But they have to start showing it better. We were easy to defend yesterday but the "system" itself is not, as long as we hustle and shoot respectably well, from everywhere.

Pope is very optimistic and positive but I have to wonder what he sees that we did well, yesterday....other than free throws.
We are not as bad as we played yesterday....I hope. Lol!

Very athletic teams give everybody problems, so we better hope we put a better product on the floor going forward. Got a bunch of those teams ahead.