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Anyone still not worried and actually excited?

Dec 3, 2016
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LOTS of improvements over last game.
- First off, until the freshman get better court awareness, chemistry, and just get used to the difference in the game of CBB vs HSBB, Mintz and Sarr will look uncomfortable at times.
- Dakari Johnson could shoot better from 3. It'll get better. Not worried, and in fact excited. Shooting just 15% from 3 we win tonight even with how ugly our play was.
- Clarke looks extremely out of place and uncomfortable. We'll learn a lot about his character by how he reacts over the next few games. He hasn't been able to get by his defender one on one and is resorting to two pointers from a foot inside the 3 point line. That'll change as he gets more comfortable and finds his role. Excited to watch his development throughout the season.
- BJ Boston will be go the go to guy by the end of the year. You can see he's still uncomfortable - dribbling off his foot, not always aware of his surroundings - it'll get better.
- Askew still has a long way to go, but his first step was much better tonight. Passing was still not good, but he's improving his court awareness.
- Sarr's foul trouble seems to stem from stupid mistakes, yes, but also from players around him being out of position. That'll improve as the rest of the teams court awareness improves.
- Jackson is an absolute monster. It's been a long time since we've had someone who has had good timing AND an incredibly quick second jump.
- Our defense is going to be incredible. We still made mistakes and let them get some easy baskets. But the first 10 minutes of the game, and lots of spurts throughout the game... I was insanely impressed.

Don't get me wrong. It doesn't make me happy to lose, especially two games in a row. But I feel extremely optimistic about this team - much more than in past years.
 
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LOTS of improvements over last game.
- First off, until the freshman get better court awareness, chemistry, and just get used to the difference in the game of CBB vs HSBB, Mintz and Sarr will look uncomfortable at times.
- Dakari Johnson could shoot better from 3. It'll get better. Not worried, and in fact excited. Shooting just 25% from 3 we win tonight even with how ugly our play was.
- Clarke looks extremely out of place and uncomfortable. We'll learn a lot about his character by how he reacts over the next few games. He hasn't been able to get by his defender one on one and is resorting to two pointers from a foot inside the 3 point line. That'll change as he gets more comfortable and finds his role. Excited to watch his development throughout the season.
- BJ Boston will be go the go to guy by the end of the year. You can see he's still uncomfortable - dribbling off his foot, not always aware of his surroundings - it'll get better.
- Askew still has a long way to go, but his first step was much better tonight. Passing was still not good, but he's improving his court awareness.
- Sarr's foul trouble seems to stem from stupid mistakes, yes, but also from players around him being out of position. That'll improve as the rest of the teams court awareness improves.
- Jackson is an absolute monster. It's been a long time since we've had someone who has had good timing AND an incredibly quick second jump.
- Our defense is going to be incredible. We still made mistakes and let them get some easy baskets. But the first 10 minutes of the game, and lots of spurts throughout the game... I was insanely impressed.

Don't get me wrong. It doesn't make me happy to lose, especially two games in a row. But I feel extremely optimistic about this team - much more than in past years.

Definitely better than last game. When Boston and Clarke get comfortable it will open up Sarr to do all types of things. They are playing the number 7 team in the country in their 3rd college game. We'll be fine but it might be ugly for a bit.
 
Definitely better than last game. When Boston and Clarke get comfortable it will open up Sarr to do all types of things. They are playing the number 7 team in the country in their 3rd college game. We'll be fine but it might be ugly for a bit.

Will definitely be ugly for a bit. But until I see multiple games in a row of regression I'll be extremely optimistic. Glad to see there are at least a few people on the board here with a level head that can think ahead instead of thinking emotionally
 
Not too worried. Not yet at least. Fans wanted tough games, and that's what we have. I personally want easy games all November so a young team like we have can get going. I've always felt the CC is a disservice to what we're doing. But can't change that.

The fact is we looked a hell of a lot better today. Came up short. We have roster changes that need to be made. We have a budding star. We know that it's hard to win without Keion and a foul trouble Sarr, and having a top10 team shoot 30 free throws. We're not winning that game, regardless of Cal.

It always blows my mind how when you lose, everything is bad... and when you win, you did everything right. Kentucky makes two 3's at the end, and this forum looks different. But the problems are still there. At the same time, we lose this game, and we think it's far worse than it actually is.
 
The biggest concern for me is the inability to shoot...like AT ALL!! Never seen a team like this..Will it change?? Maybe!? I don't want to hit the panic button..but my god. I still trust Cal but my patience is getting thin.
 
They have a long way to go offensively. Cal will be talking about it soon. They're still playing as individuals and not FOR each other. And frankly, 3 games in I'm not sure if thats a fair ask. But the shot selection is atrocious. Its just a bit better than AAU ball.

Cal warned us after the first game. Let's give them time to come together and find themselves. They have a lot of parts that could work if everyone buys in.
 
I dunno, Kansas basically played like trash and still beat us.

Blowing a big Lead like that can be demoralizing.

If we go anything other than 4-0 or AT WORST 3-1, we are gonna have a major uphill battle toward seeding and potentially even making the tournament, considering what covid might do to the season and the lack of opportunities to impress the computers.
 
Our defense in the first half with Jackson was really good. But, the offense for both teams were practically unwatchable. mbc has it right how Kansas played as well.

Cal is going to stick with Askew it appears because Mintz was weak with the ball but none of our guards seem to be able to shoot the ball from the outside. As I said in another post to me the real problem is none of them know how or when to pass and I don't mean around the perimiter. They simply don't know how to pass to the post, not unwilling but don't know how. Why? Because we recruit five star players who are only good if the ball is in their hands for the entire game. They lack other fundamentals.

I often would laugh at previous years posters who always were talking about some savior off the bench that would change things. But, I am one doing that with Brooks. If eventually able to play it could change the dynamics because right now Sarr and Jackson are our best players. If Brooks has improved, you now have only 2 guards out there like a traditional team and not 3. A 3 guard line-up only works if they can shoot. Plus Brooks was actually very good at passing to the post.
 
Not too worried. Not yet at least. Fans wanted tough games, and that's what we have. I personally want easy games all November so a young team like we have can get going. I've always felt the CC is a disservice to what we're doing. But can't change that.

The fact is we looked a hell of a lot better today. Came up short. We have roster changes that need to be made. We have a budding star. We know that it's hard to win without Keion and a foul trouble Sarr, and having a top10 team shoot 30 free throws. We're not winning that game, regardless of Cal.

It always blows my mind how when you lose, everything is bad... and when you win, you did everything right. Kentucky makes two 3's at the end, and this forum looks different. But the problems are still there. At the same time, we lose this game, and we think it's far worse than it actually is.

I'm with you. I want Cal to end the CC when the contract ends. End the high-major games in December outside of Louisville.

I'm tired of watching UK look like a bunch of JV players in November/December. The Duke loss a few years ago convinced me that Cal's teams need more time to develop and shouldn't be playing against elite teams early on.
 
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I'm with you. I want Cal to end the CC when the contract ends. End the high-major games in December outside of Louisville.

I'm tired of watching UK look like a bunch of JV players in November/December. The Duke loss a few years ago convinced me that Cal's teams need more time to develop and shouldn't be playing against elite teams early on.
Nope. I’d rather lose to KU or Duke than Evansville and Richmond. Maybe the way Cal recruits and keeps guys around longer would be better?
 
It's early. BUT.........I am sick and tired of every single year being like this. We are the winningest program in college basketball with (up until a few years ago) a tradition of WINNING and striking fear & intimidation into the heart of EVERY team that walked into RUPP.

Now we are a mediocre , mid-level team that no one fears, and haven't won JACK since 2015. We have a coach who knows a lot about "coach talk" but very little about the fundamentals of the game.

I realize the one and done has pretty much destroyed college basketball but Cal refuses to change. Instead of trying to develop already talented players like Dontay Allen and keeping them for 3-4 years he benches them for whatever reason until they get discouraged and transfer. I'm afraid this is what we're stuck with for the near future.

It's getting easier to just turn it off and go to bed. Unfortunately.
 
Trying my best to see the bright side and the potential. I'm worried about the PG position the most. Mintz looks to be the guy but with obvious limitations. Askew is clearly not ready for college ball, Hopefully he can learn quick
 
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I don’t get excited anymore. One and some killed that for me. I know nobody on the team. It’s sad. I have way too much shit to do to worry about researching 7 new players each year.
This^^^^ I remember as a kid talking with my Papa, each new season it was fun to talk about returning players, how better they would be. By the 3rd year you felt like you knew the player.
 
This^^^^ I remember as a kid talking with my Papa, each new season it was fun to talk about returning players, how better they would be. By the 3rd year you felt like you knew the player.
I remember watching Prince specifically as a freshmen turn into the player he became. Stuff like that was so magical and amazing. Knowing what we know now, I took it for granted.
 
Not too worried. Not yet at least. Fans wanted tough games, and that's what we have. I personally want easy games all November so a young team like we have can get going. I've always felt the CC is a disservice to what we're doing. But can't change that.

The fact is we looked a hell of a lot better today. Came up short. We have roster changes that need to be made. We have a budding star. We know that it's hard to win without Keion and a foul trouble Sarr, and having a top10 team shoot 30 free throws. We're not winning that game, regardless of Cal.

It always blows my mind how when you lose, everything is bad... and when you win, you did everything right. Kentucky makes two 3's at the end, and this forum looks different. But the problems are still there. At the same time, we lose this game, and we think it's far worse than it actually is.
Not worried. As I've said repeatedly, this is a weird year, and you can point to 3 or 4 things that argued we'd get off to a slower start than even is normal for his young teams. I'm not surprised by what I've seen, and, since Calipari has done it repeatedly, I expect we'll be humming sometime in the January/February timeframe, and will be one of the favorites come tournament time.

There is a caveat. There is one thing I'm seeing that bothers me. It's not the 3 point shooting. Although I surely wish Cal would figure that riddle out and we wouldn't have this deal annually. No, the thing that gives me pause is the point guard position. Mintz looks better right now - but then he should, he's a senior. He doesn't have the look of a 1 to me. He's combo guard. Askew looks overwhelmed and overmatched. Now, he's super young, and Cal has a way with guards, so maybe I'm singing a different tune in a few weeks. I hope so.
 
I'm with you. I want Cal to end the CC when the contract ends. End the high-major games in December outside of Louisville.

I'm tired of watching UK look like a bunch of JV players in November/December. The Duke loss a few years ago convinced me that Cal's teams need more time to develop and shouldn't be playing against elite teams early on.
You sound like people on our football board saying we missed our cupcakes.Maybe Morehead State could agree to a 3 game set in Rupp.Then we could brag how great all our guys are.
 
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we're not playing right now. I'm 100% certain someone said last year, after the Evansville game, that Louisville would beat us, and beat us handily. People are slow to figure this out. I don't understand it.
Or maybe people are noticing that we don't have a point guard for this season?
 
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Or maybe people are noticing that we don't have a point guard for this season?
It really is a huge problem.Askew obviously will need another year which is fine but he is killing us,Mintz is really more of a 2 and seems to make dumb mistakes like he was a freshman.
 
LOTS of improvements over last game.
- First off, until the freshman get better court awareness, chemistry, and just get used to the difference in the game of CBB vs HSBB, Mintz and Sarr will look uncomfortable at times.
- Dakari Johnson could shoot better from 3. It'll get better. Not worried, and in fact excited. Shooting just 15% from 3 we win tonight even with how ugly our play was.
- Clarke looks extremely out of place and uncomfortable. We'll learn a lot about his character by how he reacts over the next few games. He hasn't been able to get by his defender one on one and is resorting to two pointers from a foot inside the 3 point line. That'll change as he gets more comfortable and finds his role. Excited to watch his development throughout the season.
- BJ Boston will be go the go to guy by the end of the year. You can see he's still uncomfortable - dribbling off his foot, not always aware of his surroundings - it'll get better.
- Askew still has a long way to go, but his first step was much better tonight. Passing was still not good, but he's improving his court awareness.
- Sarr's foul trouble seems to stem from stupid mistakes, yes, but also from players around him being out of position. That'll improve as the rest of the teams court awareness improves.
- Jackson is an absolute monster. It's been a long time since we've had someone who has had good timing AND an incredibly quick second jump.
- Our defense is going to be incredible. We still made mistakes and let them get some easy baskets. But the first 10 minutes of the game, and lots of spurts throughout the game... I was insanely impressed.

Don't get me wrong. It doesn't make me happy to lose, especially two games in a row. But I feel extremely optimistic about this team - much more than in past years.
In short, disappointed (here we go again damnit!) but really like what I see individually and think in time this team will be almost as good as our 2015 team. Ask me again in mid-February...we will be giving teams big time fits even sooner than that...but I do very much hate losing like this seemingly every year.
 
In short, disappointed (here we go again damnit!) but really like what I see individually and think in time this team will be almost as good as our 2015 team. Ask me again in mid-February...we will be giving teams big time fits even sooner than that...but I do very much hate losing like this seemingly every year.
Almost as good as our 2015 team.Say WHAT?:flush:
 
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Or maybe people are noticing that we don't have a point guard for this season?
could be - as I said elsewhere, that's the one concern I have. The other concern I have, relative to the Louisville game, is that they are due - big time. But I've said that a lot over the last decade, and it rarely works out that way.
 
Always excited. Ask me again in a month though. If it only looks incrementally better than what it has so far I think I might be on the other side of the ledger and just dreading watching the games. I will still be hopeful though because it takes 6 to win it all, not 33 or 34.
 
You sound like people on our football board saying we missed our cupcakes.Maybe Morehead State could agree to a 3 game set in Rupp.Then we could brag how great all our guys are.
Answer me this: what does it benefit us to lose games in December? Nobody cares about cupcakes early on in the season if you still end up with a high seed. You seem to think that anyone is actually paying attention before March.
 
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