Going to be a rather long post. Buckle up, enjoy and contribute!
I'm the first to step up and be critical of Cal this year, and in the recent past. In fact, I've been out front and pretty critical about him in a lot of ways. I'm not convinced we're better off with him remaining here, but at least he's finally got THIS team to where we can be positively engaged with & in a good way with Coach Cal, and the team as a whole. And I have never ONE TIME been down on the players this year. I know they are trying and giving it their all. nobody wants to succeed and win more than they do, I am sure of it.
But there's a LONG way to go.
So where do you stand on where things are and how the journey has been this year?
As I have taken a look back on the season to date, several things stand out to me. Here are my main takeaways, I'd love to hear what everyone here would add and put their two cents in on it all...
1) The criticism offensively has been justified, but the real problem has ultimately been the defense. The offense has always flowed FROM the defensive side TO the offensive side for Cal's UK teams. This team hasn't really demonstrated on the entire season anything remotely close to this .... until lately. Great play on both sides of the ball.
Now maybe we can have some "spurts of consistency !" (LOL!)
In this regard. I give Cal and the team credit for the really hard work, mental discipline and focus through all the negativity to find thier way through it all. Now, let's see them consistently do it, and put a hurting on the opposition. They've no excuse now that they've shown they can do it to teams like Auburn and Tennessee this year.
2) Substitutions and lineups - and the Injury issue
Cal has been rightfully criticised by many of us making observations about his coaching substitution patterns as well as lineup changes. I think the injuries this year forced him to adopt what many of us have been saying all along for him to do. And it's paying off. Strange how that has turned out, eh? It's always a bummer to see Cal's UK teams acquire HUGE killer injuries that absolutely KILL the team. Maybe they can buck the trend this year? I pray so.
The situation with Wheeler and the lineup has been overdone on our site to death. I'm not here to pile on. I am here to give credit for rectifying the situation, providing that Cal can continue to make the right moves. I'd like to think he will. So I am cautiously optimistic. Maybe Wheeler can come back and be used in what many of us would think to be the "proper" role for him on this team, and to get Wallace some much needed rest while not experiencing too big of a dropoff during the game. Maybe even finding a way to utilize Wheler when he's ON to be a key cog to devastate the opposing team when it's working? (think the UNC game last year)
Food for thought.
3) A matter of confidence
Maybe the team and coach suffered from a lack of it as the season downturns got them down. It showed is ugly head several times in the season. We, as lifelong Kentucky fans can't stand to see the way this team has flat out QUIT like it has. They got down on themselves. Maybe now they fight back and never get in that kind of position again. Have they learned their lesson? Let's hope so. If they have, then the opposing teams had better watch out, cause' ....
here comes Kentucky
Maybe, JUST MAYBE, "They're Back ?!?!"
4) Players stepping up to their potential, Cal coaching up to his HOF status... can it be ? Is it?
Going to give Cal credit for actually utilizing timeouts and making the coaching changes IN GAME during this trying time, to drag this team along and bring them along maybe in spite of themselves. He plain hasn't done it in the past. We've detailed when he hasn't - there's no denying it, unless you are one of "those people."
If he takes the hits for his coaching failures, then we should give him props for his success. It's been a struggle on the journey this year. But finally, I see things starting to turn around and this team - and coach - maybe getting some swag back.
I want to give credit to the players collectively on the team, whether they've been struggling or not, and for staying focused and disciplined and bringing their individual and especially COLLECTIVE team game along. They're really playing together as a unified, cohesive unit now.
And it's paying off. Strange how that has turned out, eh?
Feel free to add to it all, there's a lot more I can think of, but I want to hear everyone else and to give everyone a chance for some positive feedback for a change.
Lord knows, I needed something really positive to post about this year, and today definitely qualifies.
Go Big Blue !
I'm the first to step up and be critical of Cal this year, and in the recent past. In fact, I've been out front and pretty critical about him in a lot of ways. I'm not convinced we're better off with him remaining here, but at least he's finally got THIS team to where we can be positively engaged with & in a good way with Coach Cal, and the team as a whole. And I have never ONE TIME been down on the players this year. I know they are trying and giving it their all. nobody wants to succeed and win more than they do, I am sure of it.
But there's a LONG way to go.
So where do you stand on where things are and how the journey has been this year?
As I have taken a look back on the season to date, several things stand out to me. Here are my main takeaways, I'd love to hear what everyone here would add and put their two cents in on it all...
1) The criticism offensively has been justified, but the real problem has ultimately been the defense. The offense has always flowed FROM the defensive side TO the offensive side for Cal's UK teams. This team hasn't really demonstrated on the entire season anything remotely close to this .... until lately. Great play on both sides of the ball.
Now maybe we can have some "spurts of consistency !" (LOL!)
In this regard. I give Cal and the team credit for the really hard work, mental discipline and focus through all the negativity to find thier way through it all. Now, let's see them consistently do it, and put a hurting on the opposition. They've no excuse now that they've shown they can do it to teams like Auburn and Tennessee this year.
2) Substitutions and lineups - and the Injury issue
Cal has been rightfully criticised by many of us making observations about his coaching substitution patterns as well as lineup changes. I think the injuries this year forced him to adopt what many of us have been saying all along for him to do. And it's paying off. Strange how that has turned out, eh? It's always a bummer to see Cal's UK teams acquire HUGE killer injuries that absolutely KILL the team. Maybe they can buck the trend this year? I pray so.
The situation with Wheeler and the lineup has been overdone on our site to death. I'm not here to pile on. I am here to give credit for rectifying the situation, providing that Cal can continue to make the right moves. I'd like to think he will. So I am cautiously optimistic. Maybe Wheeler can come back and be used in what many of us would think to be the "proper" role for him on this team, and to get Wallace some much needed rest while not experiencing too big of a dropoff during the game. Maybe even finding a way to utilize Wheler when he's ON to be a key cog to devastate the opposing team when it's working? (think the UNC game last year)
Food for thought.
3) A matter of confidence
Maybe the team and coach suffered from a lack of it as the season downturns got them down. It showed is ugly head several times in the season. We, as lifelong Kentucky fans can't stand to see the way this team has flat out QUIT like it has. They got down on themselves. Maybe now they fight back and never get in that kind of position again. Have they learned their lesson? Let's hope so. If they have, then the opposing teams had better watch out, cause' ....
here comes Kentucky
Maybe, JUST MAYBE, "They're Back ?!?!"
4) Players stepping up to their potential, Cal coaching up to his HOF status... can it be ? Is it?
Going to give Cal credit for actually utilizing timeouts and making the coaching changes IN GAME during this trying time, to drag this team along and bring them along maybe in spite of themselves. He plain hasn't done it in the past. We've detailed when he hasn't - there's no denying it, unless you are one of "those people."
If he takes the hits for his coaching failures, then we should give him props for his success. It's been a struggle on the journey this year. But finally, I see things starting to turn around and this team - and coach - maybe getting some swag back.
I want to give credit to the players collectively on the team, whether they've been struggling or not, and for staying focused and disciplined and bringing their individual and especially COLLECTIVE team game along. They're really playing together as a unified, cohesive unit now.
And it's paying off. Strange how that has turned out, eh?
Feel free to add to it all, there's a lot more I can think of, but I want to hear everyone else and to give everyone a chance for some positive feedback for a change.
Lord knows, I needed something really positive to post about this year, and today definitely qualifies.
Go Big Blue !
