Yesterday is the type of game where you see why all of these guys are still in college and not playing professional basketball. I don't know if it's me just being a downer or not but the last 2 to 3 weeks I feel we have regressed severely on both offense and defense, hopefully we figure it out and at least be competitive in the sec.
4th and 5th year guys
- Thread starter Tprinceuk
- Start date
Yeah, one wonders if they are just here to get a check as they know it’s the end off the line. I don’t believe that is the case for most of them, but a couple of starters aren’t playing intensely enough. As many have stated in other threads, we’re just too soft in several areas. Not sure that is something that can be fixed overnight.
I really do love Pope so far and don't think that will change, but unless he did later on in the game after I turned it off I don't understand why he won't try and go small with carr at the 5, Ohio state and Louisville were undersized and he always had either Garrison or Williams on the court with both contributing nothing or very little.
You need a mix of experience and talent. You aren't winning a national title at UK without both. You aren't making a final four without both.
Yep, that's why I'm still optimistic, I want to see how Pope fills out the roster next year with the talented incoming freshman we have.
Have you considered that maybe it just looks that way because we’ve been playing better teams in “the last 2 to 3 weeks”?
It’s a lot easier to put on a show against Wright State, Bucknell, and Lipscomb than it is against Gonzaga, UL and Ohio State.
Yet we have seen 7 years of one and done NBA type players who also can't guard their shadow and only play for their draft position and loss to St. Peters in the NCAA tourny.
Those things are the same as the day they were taught it, the players just aren't utilizing it. And Pope isn't changing things up defensively nearly as often as he should. Pope hinted at it again yesterday that guys are reverting to THEIR way of doing things, and we've all seen some things that will get ironed out.
- Brea not fighting to get open
- Carr passing up good looks from deep, and dribbling too far away from his body
- Butler putting his head down and driving into traffic with people open
- Amari lollygagging up and down the court
These are all fixable things. What looks like regression is other teams getting their guys to buy in to what's being taught, and being held accountable when they don't. When our guys get back to playing for the name on the front of the jersey, and electing to trust one another even if means taking more time off the clock, this will once again be a dangerous team.
It may take Pope putting his fist on the table during a post game show to wake these guys up. He's a very kind person, but I bet he's close to having an in-game heart to heart with a few guys.
We have just above average players from mainly mid-major schools. That itself promised a low ceiling.
You have to have a coach that can bring n the correct freshmen and correct transfers to make a team. Cal sucked at that from 2021 to 2024. I don't think it's a coincidence he really tanked success wise when NiL and the transfer portal started being a thing.
He also never really had IT freshmen after the Monk, fox and bam season. The dip really started there but 2018 through 2020 seasons weren't atrocious. I also doubt we ever see UK go to 4 final fours in 5 seasons again either. Cals tenure was an enigma.
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