Alright I'll Admit It

[kennyskywalker34]

Shrugs. You expressed your opinion. I said you have no data to support it. No issue. Just data, in this case lack thereof. I think your panties got all bunched up there.

Not in the least. Once again my data is 51 years of watching. He is one of the most polished Freshmen I have seen in terms of all around game.
Cal has had a bunch of guards that are more athletic. Way better defenders etc.Some will be NBA HOFers.
Reed has a polished all around game. He definitely needs to improve his defense. He is not close to some of the guards that Cal has had as Freshmen defenders.
But he isn't a horrible defender and will only get better. He works hard in practice. I think that's obvious. He is good at running the team. Setting up teammates. Outstanding shooter. He really has no glaring weakness. Definitely has areas he needs to improve on.
For instance John Wall was amazing at getting to the rim and finishing. But Wall had a weakness. He couldn't hit a outside shot. Still couldn't all though the NBA. That was a glaring weakness.
John Wall far more athletic and talented as a Freshmen than Reed is. I still think Reed is a more complete player as a Freshmen. No that doesn't mean I'm saying Reed will have a career close to what Wall had in the NBA. But I wouldn't bet against it.

 

[kybassfan]

Not in the least. Once again my data is 51 years of watching. He is one of the most polished Freshmen I have seen in terms of all around game.
Cal has had a bunch of guards that are more athletic. Way better defenders etc.Some will be NBA HOFers.
Reed has a polished all around game. He definitely needs to improve his defense. He is not close to some of the guards that Cal has had as Freshmen defenders.
But he isn't a horrible defender and will only get better. He works hard in practice. I think that's obvious. He is good at running the team. Setting up teammates. Outstanding shooter. He really has no glaring weakness. Definitely has areas he needs to improve on.
For instance John Wall was amazing at getting to the rim and finishing. But Wall had a weakness. He couldn't hit a outside shot. Still couldn't all though the NBA. That was a glaring weakness.
John Wall far more athletic and talented as a Freshmen than Reed is. I still think Reed is a more complete player as a Freshmen. No that doesn't mean I'm saying Reed will have a career close to what Wall had in the NBA. But I wouldn't bet against it.

Likel I said. No data. Reed hasn’t played enough college ball to gave data. You don’t have to be upset. Lot of folks don’t have data. Flat Earthers for example. No data sure doesn’t stop them.

 

[Mike-McD]

Can you name a coach who has done more in 12 years at UK?

Can you name a coach who has done less with more, at any school, ever?

 

[Mike-McD]

Not sure why so many people don't understand this. The reason the offense was slow and ran through Oscar is because we didn't really have the personnel to run any other type of offense. The missed mid range shot and offensive rebound was a feature of the offense. Cal didn't tell them to take that many mid range shots because he thinks it's efficient offense. It was kind of all we had at the time.

Who was in charge of assembling our roster?

 

[kennyskywalker34]

Likel I said. No data. Reed hasn’t played enough college ball to gave data. You don’t have to be upset. Lot of folks don’t have data. Flat Earthers for example. No data sure doesn’t stop them.

Once again. He has played enough for my eyes to see he is really good and better than Freshmen Herro.
That's my opinion. You have yours. Nothing else to discuss.
Have a good evening.

 

[kybassfan]

Once again. He has played enough for my eyes to see he is really good and better than Freshmen Herro.
That's my opinion. You have yours. Nothing else to discuss.
Have a good evening.

That's how the FE's do it too. Better discuss to have in March when we have DATA!!

 

[Rockfly78]

My Jury is out.

What would we look like without the LEGACY Reed Sheppard who was ranked outside of the normal Cal recruiting pattern? Without Jeff Sheppard do we really think Cal would have recruited this KY kid? I do not for one second. He is, for now, the best player on the team....who would not be playing here IMO if not for the Legacy Sheppards.

Who do you think is the best coach in the country? Because chances are that coach did not even offer Reed. His best offers were Kentucky, Virginia, Louisville and Ohio state.

Doesn’t bill self deserve some criticism right now?

Stop crying Karen. Actually I bet you’re a legacy Karen yourself

 

[Slowwalker]

Can you name a coach who has done less with more, at any school, ever?

Figured

 

[mebeblue2]

Can you name a coach who has done less with more, at any school, ever?

i can name two right of the top of my head
Dean Smith and Roy Williams both had top recruiting classes every year that returned for 3 or 4 years every year
if i wanted to waste my time i could give you more

 

[Mike-McD]

Figured

Figured, you had no answer.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

Cal you slick SOB I'm back in. You're doing an amazing job.

The jury won’t deliver a verdict until March

 

[Smashcat]

Cal you slick SOB I'm back in. You're doing an amazing job.

 

[ryanbruner]

The jury won’t deliver a verdict until March

I never cared about championship or bust. I just wanted fun basketball. You play fun basketball and the success will follow eventually. They play like this all year and lose in the elite 8 I’ll be fine.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

Who do you think is the best coach in the country? Because chances are that coach did not even offer Reed. His best offers were Kentucky, Virginia, Louisville and Ohio state.

Doesn’t bill self deserve some criticism right now?

Stop crying Karen. Actually I bet you’re a legacy Karen yourself

Actually there are many lists out there, assembled by experts....and Cal is not on them, at least if bench coaching and X & Os are the basis.

I'd say that in Reeds case Bill Self and others were smart enough to not waste time on a kid whose parents are UK legends and grew up going to UK games. Duh.

Now that K is retired Self would be #1 IMO.

 

[kybassfan]

Actually there are many lists out there, assembled by experts....and Cal is not on them, at least if bench coaching and X & Os are the basis.

I'd say that in Reeds case Bill Self and others were smart enough to not waste time on a kid whose parents are UK legends and grew up going to UK games. Duh.

Now that K is retired Self would be #1 IMO.

Self is filthy cheating scum that harbors criminals. I’ve seen no evidence he can win without cheating. He can choke and has many times. He is definitely the top dirty coach in the country.

 

[grevey35]

I think a lot of it is his willingness to change and listen to John Welches suggestions. Welch isn't going anywhere and neither are we baby!

This is pretty overblown imo. It has more to do with the ability of the players.

 

[Fox2monk]

Yeah all things look awesome but he cant help himself but throw darts at the fans ... its all fun n games .. until we blow a SECT title or lose in the EE .. No , I'm not wanting that , I want #9 hanging in the rafters , but its far too early to say this leopard has changed his spots . Biggest difference is there hasn't been any REED SHEPPERD in many a year . That young guy will make a lot of coaches look good .. additionally lot of comparisons to Herro , I think some are valid , picture perfect J , roams on D , takes chances , plays fearless , BUT I like Shep because hes actually smart , Herro was too clueless to realize the moment many times .

Herro did win a NCAA Tournament game so let’s give him some credit.

 

[grevey35]

I think the most exciting thing about this is we’re recruiting the type of players that can continue to play this style. And high school players are gonna be DYING to play in this offense. Seems like recruiting has gotten back to what it was in Cal’s early years here.

It truly feels like we’re getting back to the glory years and may have a multi-year run of great times. Don’t know how it’ll translate to final 4s/championships given the unpredictability of the NCAA tourney, but I feel confident UK basketball is fun again and will be for awhile.

Recruiting has gotten back to the period prior to the one which we have now fully established others were buying players out from under Cal?

 

[Fox2monk]

In my mind the only thing standing between Cal and another national title this year is stall ball or what Cal calls shortening the game. Last night he started it with 6 minutes left and we took some awful shots that allowed Miami to cut into the lead slightly. It's one thing to do it at Rupp with a 30 point lead, it's a whole other thing to do it in March up 5 with the game on the line. If Cal can avoid stall ball it's going to be hard for any team to beat us. UK has no weaknesses once the bigs return.

Dilly got a little shot happy the last 4 minutes. He still set us up for 4 really good shots outside that when we slowed it down, we just missed them.

 

[Fox2monk]

So you're admitting to be a fair weather fan?

He we are having a unified and fun discussion. Let’s have just one positive thread!

 

[Fox2monk]

I think the most exciting thing about this is we’re recruiting the type of players that can continue to play this style. And high school players are gonna be DYING to play in this offense. Seems like recruiting has gotten back to what it was in Cal’s early years here.

It truly feels like we’re getting back to the glory years and may have a multi-year run of great times. Don’t know how it’ll translate to final 4s/championships given the unpredictability of the NCAA tourney, but I feel confident UK basketball is fun again and will be for awhile.

I agree, when you see this many 5* players out there looking this good and scoring like this!! How could you not wanna play here. Everybody is eating every night we have a different high scorer but 2-3 dudes have 15,17,22.

 

[ukcatz12]

Who was in charge of assembling our roster?

I don't think anyone is really arguing against your point here. Recruiting and roster construction has been much worse since 2019 than it was before that. But the prevailing narrative the last few years is that Cal is completely incapable of coaching offense, and that's just not true. This year shows what he can do when he has the horses. And last year the offense was 17th in efficiency and the year prior was 5th. It may not have been pretty, but it was effective, especially given who was on the team.

 

[Fox2monk]

I never cared about championship or bust. I just wanted fun basketball. You play fun basketball and the success will follow eventually. They play like this all year and lose in the elite 8 I’ll be fine.

I will too but I really want this squad in a final four. They are awesome and enjoyable. I’d love to see this be the group that breaks the curse of the E8.

 

[KYCAT78]

Not me. Never! I'm waiting for him to screw it up again. I hope I'm wrong, but Cal just can't help himself.

I am not sure Cal can screw this team up before FF. At FF all bets are off table, watch 2015.

 

[Rockfly78]

Actually there are many lists out there, assembled by experts....and Cal is not on them, at least if bench coaching and X & Os are the basis.

I'd say that in Reeds case Bill Self and others were smart enough to not waste time on a kid whose parents are UK legends and grew up going to UK games. Duh.

Now that K is retired Self would be #1 IMO.

So what exactly are you bitching about? Cal brought in the kid you wanted but you think maybe he would not have if he had not been from KY? So you're frustrated at a situation that never came to fruition? Holy crap man. Now that you've read that on your screen does it sink in that you may be off your balls crazy? You know, you are allowed to not be miserable all the time right?

 

[RecruitingInsiderLUL]

I never cared about championship or bust. I just wanted fun basketball. You play fun basketball and the success will follow eventually. They play like this all year and lose in the elite 8 I’ll be fine.

Exactly how I am with it. I don't WANT them to lose in the EE, I won't be happy with losing, but the season will have provided enough highs to make it worthwhile. Like there was this overlay at some point early second half where UK had 42 points in the paint and UM had 47 points TOTAL. THAT'S winning basketball when you combine it with the good 3pt percentage (not when those paint points are coming from 5 Oscar offensive boards per possession while we build Brick City).

Gonzaga is a team that gets a lot of hate on this board, but I really enjoy watching them play because they play good basketball. I believe that's allowed them to punch above their weight class -- a school from the WCC shouldn't be getting into repeat FFs and title games. A lot of the board calls them chokers, I look at them as maximizing what they've got to work with. They've beaten Power 5 teams in the tourney -- got manhandled by some too, but talent is talent, you can't out-coach it.

I bring up Gonzaga because if this UK team can play offense at Gonzaga-type efficiency WITH the championship-caliber talent they have, that is a GOOD team. One cold shooting night in a tourney game won't take that away, especially if they give us beatdowns of power 5 top-10 opponents to provide plenty of highs during the season.

A lot of people would say I'd be settling, or that this is not a winning attitude, but life isn't measured in absolutes, and you can be immensely successful at something without "winning the championship" in it. There's a gradient between "champion" and "participation trophy".

And to close, I wanted to weigh in on the "less with more" argument -- having talent is the most important ingredient to a championship roster (see: my above thoughts on Gonzaga). Coach Cal is DIRECTLY responsible for why UK has had "more" to work with -- the MOST in history, in fact. So if he does "less with more", the fact still remains he got the "more" in here to begin with, which automatically makes UK a threat. In the end, after all the hypotheticals are settled, Coach has 4 FFs and a title, and that's quite impressive for a 12 year run. Every year, UK has the most talent -- this year they have the right mix of that elite talent. And you can't credit WWW with this group - it's Cal and his staff.

 

[Rockfly78]

Exactly how I am with it. I don't WANT them to lose in the EE, I won't be happy with losing, but the season will have provided enough highs to make it worthwhile. Like there was this overlay at some point early second half where UK had 42 points in the paint and UM had 47 points TOTAL. THAT'S winning basketball when you combine it with the good 3pt percentage (not when those paint points are coming from 5 Oscar offensive boards per possession while we build Brick City).

Gonzaga is a team that gets a lot of hate on this board, but I really enjoy watching them play because they play good basketball. I believe that's allowed them to punch above their weight class -- a school from the WCC shouldn't be getting into repeat FFs and title games. A lot of the board calls them chokers, I look at them as maximizing what they've got to work with. They've beaten Power 5 teams in the tourney -- got manhandled by some too, but talent is talent, you can't out-coach it.

I bring up Gonzaga because if this UK team can play offense at Gonzaga-type efficiency WITH the championship-caliber talent they have, that is a GOOD team. One cold shooting night in a tourney game won't take that away, especially if they give us beatdowns of power 5 top-10 opponents to provide plenty of highs during the season.

A lot of people would say I'd be settling, or that this is not a winning attitude, but life isn't measured in absolutes, and you can be immensely successful at something without "winning the championship" in it. There's a gradient between "champion" and "participation trophy".

And to close, I wanted to weigh in on the "less with more" argument -- having talent is the most important ingredient to a championship roster (see: my above thoughts on Gonzaga). Coach Cal is DIRECTLY responsible for why UK has had "more" to work with -- the MOST in history, in fact. So if he does "less with more", the fact still remains he got the "more" in here to begin with, which automatically makes UK a threat. In the end, after all the hypotheticals are settled, Coach has 4 FFs and a title, and that's quite impressive for a 12 year run. Every year, UK has the most talent -- this year they have the right mix of that elite talent. And you can't credit WWW with this group - it's Cal and his staff.

I get you. I like fun basketball to. But I’ll win ugly every day over losing pretty. History remembers the wins. Everything else is just fluff

 

[blackcat714]

You are so right. College basketball season is my favorite time of year. We have to soak it in as it goes by. You turn around and it's May and we have MONTHS to go before the next season. Let's enjoy every step of the way.

I like the basketball but i dont much care for the cold weather anymore

 

[azubuikefan]

My Jury is out.

What would we look like without the LEGACY Reed Sheppard who was ranked outside of the normal Cal recruiting pattern? Without Jeff Sheppard do we really think Cal would have recruited this KY kid? I do not for one second. He is, for now, the best player on the team....who would not be playing here IMO if not for the Legacy Sheppards.

He recruited Perry, Hawkins, and Willis. What makes you think he wouldn't recruit Reed who was higher ranked than all of them?

 

[RecruitingInsiderLUL]

I get you. I like fun basketball to. But I’ll win ugly every day over losing pretty. History remembers the wins. Everything else is just fluff

You're 100% correct. But we've tried to win ugly the past few years (the pig-headed version of Coach Cal) and failed spectacularly. Without looking at this quantitatively, most recent winners, NCAA and NBA, played "modern basketball" and were offensively efficient if my memory is somewhat correct (always a question!) If UK won the title the UNC year, or if they squeezed out a few more FFs (that one K-State year, freaking LOYOLA made the FF out of UKs bracket, god), I don't think we'd be having this conversation, nor would the fan base be so divided. Winning cures all, just I think it's been shown enough times Coach Cal couldn't win with the "old" ways. Now time will tell what happens this season, but again, they keep playing this way, I see many highs and few lows.

 

[ryanbruner]

This is pretty overblown imo. It has more to do with the ability of the players.

You could have 5 toddlers on the floor and find a way to shoot more than 12 3s a game. Just my opinion.

 

[Fox2monk]

I am not sure Cal can screw this team up before FF. At FF all bets are off table, watch 2015.

He did get 2014 there though. He can do it based on history. It’s hard AF getting to the championship game. A lot of luck involved. Not to mention officials. You have to play as well as you can sometimes just to make sure a ref can’t screw you.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

So what exactly are you bitching about? Cal brought in the kid you wanted but you think maybe he would not have if he had not been from KY? So you're frustrated at a situation that never came to fruition? Holy crap man. Now that you've read that on your screen does it sink in that you may be off your balls crazy? You know, you are allowed to not be miserable all the time right?

If you think Cal would have recruited Reed if he had no legacy connection to UK you are crazy. I am far from miserable. I am stating the OBVIOUS.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

He recruited Perry, Hawkins, and Willis. What makes you think he wouldn't recruit Reed who was higher ranked than all of them?

You may want to check your rankings. Obviously there are many recruiting services but Willis for sure was much higher and Hawkin was higher too. Perry?

 

[KYCAT78]

He did get 2014 there though. He can do it based on history. It’s hard AF getting to the championship game. A lot of luck involved. Not to mention officials. You have to play as well as you can sometimes just to make sure a ref can’t screw you.

I do not disagree with anything you said. The basketball championship is the hardest to achieve and it definitely takes luck and refs can take you out of the tournament see NC game a few years ago as a great example. I love this team and I will give Cal credit if we make a deep run just like I hold him accountable for what we have witnessed since 2015.

 

[Rockfly78]

If you think Cal would have recruited Reed if he had no legacy connection to UK you are crazy. I am far from miserable. I am stating the OBVIOUS.

Lol. You want obvious? I’ll tell you why you’re obviously wrong.

Travis Perry. Did you forget about him? Less talented than Reed. His mommy and daddy didn’t play ball. Where did he commit to again?

 

[DrH. Lecter]

Lol. You want obvious? I’ll tell you why you’re obviously wrong.

Travis Perry. Did you forget about him? Less talented than Reed. His mommy and daddy didn’t play ball. Where did he commit to again?

Perry? Still playing HS and rankings are still TBD. Where was Reed at this stage of his HS career?

Isnt Perry the top scorer in the history of Kentucky basketball? You calling him less talented, based on what exactly?

 

[jauk11]

No kidding...could've cut diamonds w/ my benny

There you go again, bragging again.

 

[CB3UK]

This team is damn fun to watch

 

[Rockfly78]

Perry? Still playing HS and rankings are still TBD. Where was Reed at this stage of his HS career?

Isnt Perry the top scorer in the history of Kentucky basketball? You calling him less talented, based on what exactly?

So you’re gonna go on the record and say that cal was clearly gonna recruit Perry no matter what. But not Reed if his parents didn’t play here? That’s what you’re saying.

dude just take the L.