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Anyone still not worried and actually excited?

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.
You really don't think that playing tough teams helps a team improve and learn what really needs to be done?Playing all crap teams early and blowing them out will just make these young guys think it's easy and they can coast along.Then get to March and see what they are really against and it's too late.
 
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You really don't think that playing tough teams helps a team improve and learn what really needs to be done?Playing all crap teams early and blowing them out will just make these young guys think it's easy and they can coast along.Then get to March and see what they are really against and it's too late.

Until recently wasn't that basically Gonzagas m.o.? Wasnt working out great for them, either. There has to be a balance.
 
Until recently wasn't that basically Gonzagas m.o.? Wasnt working out great for them, either. There has to be a balance.
Yeah I think that hurt them in the past and is why Few has started having play strong teams early.As much as I hate losing it's better IMO to have these rough games so these guys learn first hand how tough it's going to be.
 
Boston Clark combined are 0-19 from 3. If these 2 stud wings don’t start making shots it’s going to be a loooooong season. Can’t have Sarr transfer Mintz transfer and Jackson 30th ranked recruit be our best players and expect a deep run in March.
 
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A little bit of both. Excited to see what we can do over the next few games and improve on. The defense in the first half of the Kansas game and the offense we created off of it has given me hope that they will improve.

I’m worried about the offense and specifically shooting. UK was just abysmal from beyond the arc. We are only three games in but changes need to be made to give us a better chance of winning these types of games. Our non conference schedule is tough and it won’t get any easier in the SEC once that rolls around.
 
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.

That does worry me. But seeing as we both agree this year's changes completely throws off a new team like Cal's.. is having Richmond and Kansas as Askew's 2nd and 3rd game showing us an unfair look at him, at least compared to past guards?

My issues with him yesterday weren't speed or quickness, he was just lost, he looked shook. But I can't say I'm surprised when you have just 1 gimme-game to build up to two top20 teams. Curious to see how he looks next game or two. You know he knows he didn't play well. Cal knows it. Cal pulled him, twice I think. Askew got a wakeup call, big time, let's see how he responds.
 
Am I worried? In the long run, no. This team has potential. Am I still excited? After this awful year and no sports for like 6 months yes.
 
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.

Does anyone believe KU is really the 7th best team in the country?
 
You really don't think that playing tough teams helps a team improve and learn what really needs to be done?Playing all crap teams early and blowing them out will just make these young guys think it's easy and they can coast along.Then get to March and see what they are really against and it's too late.
You dont think they will learn those brutal lessons in the SEC? Pitino routinely packed the pre conference with cupcakes, won the SEC and went to the Final Four 50% of the time once probation ended.
 
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You dont think they will learn those brutal lessons in the SEC? Pitino routinely packed the pre conference with cupcakes, won the SEC and went to the Final Four 50% of the time once probation ended.
You really believe the answer is just to only play cupcakes because that's all we can beat now?What a sad state our expectations are now.
 
You really believe the answer is just to only play cupcakes because that's all we can beat now?What a sad state our expectations are now.
I didn't write that. I did however state that i dont see the benefit of losing 3 to 4 games before the sec starts when the conference will teach them the same lessons.
 
I am. I don’t panic react until February. It’s been this way for 12 years outside of 2010, 2012, 2015. Seems like people would grasp the concept.

If we suck, we suck. Nothing I can do about it but whine online.
 
I’m not necessarily excited maybe cautiously optimistic would be a better description. There was marked improvement in some ways and some backtracking in other ways in the Kansas game.

Overall tho, I think the improvements outweigh the drawbacks which does give me some encouragement.

It’s more frustrating watching some of the vocal minority spew their hyperbolic rhetoric and cherry pick stats from time periods to fit their agendas. I’m not a Cal apologist he is very stubborn and frustrating at times, but there is no question his entire body of work here has been arguably better than any other coach in the same time frame.

I think it’s legit to criticize Cal and his stubbornness and system all they want I don’t have an issue with that, but the ones calling for him to leave are absurd IMO. I’m still hopeful this team will be a contender by the end of the year as last years team was shaping up to be.
 
Not worried at all. What I am worried about are these Bandwagon Cats fans that are threatening to stop watching. WHO CARES? I could give no f's about if you watch a dang game. These cats are YOUNG! Give them a break. The shots will start falling and we will be incredibly dangerous. Think about this, this defense overwhelmed a Kansas team that scored 90 with GONZAGA! If it is this good now, we are going to be like iron in March. Boston and Clarke just have to hit shots and Askew has to calm down. Easy Fixes!
 
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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.
Richmond did not play well either and beat us handily at home.
 
I'm not worried but at the same time already burned out.

Sucks losing a couple games to start the season... I know a lot aren't a fan of cupcakes but going undefeated or 1 loss into the Louisville game each year was more fun.
 
I’m excited that we’re having games. We will get better offensively and with our length on defense that’ll make us tough to beat late in the year
 
I didn't write that. I did however state that i dont see the benefit of losing 3 to 4 games before the sec starts when the conference will teach them the same lessons.
I'd rather lose to KU, Duke, Mich St etc, than lose to Evansville and Richmond. Scheduling cupcakes is not working out very well either.
 
I'd rather lose to KU, Duke, Mich St etc, than lose to Evansville and Richmond. Scheduling cupcakes is not working out very well either.
Kansas and Richmond will most likely be quad 1 losses, the committee will look at them equally. As long as we stay away from quad 3, 4 losses and maybe one quad 2 loss we'll be fine.
 
Yeah, how much of that have we seen the last 12 yrs?

You aren't wrong about them usually leaving. But a few do wait.

A few things I'm gonna add:

- Can't blame the kids. EVERYONE goes to college to get paid. And not all of them even want the classroom experience. They're just there to get to the NBA. Its a ton of money. Until we've had a chance to catch a flier on a multi-million dollar deal ..... we need to try and grasp that concept before we judge something that injured only our entertainment pleasure.
- As for Cal. I get both sides ..... grab the players and live with it or aim lower and develop "teams". Its a fair debate. We hired a guy that gets the best players, and he took it to a silly level of success. We have a new team every year. Well, Coach K signed on for a ticket to that ride. Many others want to, but they're not Duke or KY. But they would if they could. The flip side is the game isn't the same.
- None of the sports are the same. Pro or College. $$$$ changed everything and continues to do so. Its a fact. Not a complaint or justification. It just is.

And finally (sorry)

Virtually every Coach Cal team is much better by March, excluding the Nerlens Noel injury team. So until I see a reason, I gotta believe this one will too. The lack of pre-season games, cupcakes, a tougher conference .... no idea what the record will be. But I do think by years end, no one will want to be in our Region in the NCAA Tourney.
 
Not worried a bit. I dont bet on games. And excited noooooo, those days are over of scheduling around games, going to games & knowing WHO is on the court. Kentucky basketball is a mere shell of what it use to be. Ask any fan!!
 
Still early but I’m concerned about the basic skill set I see with our players outside of Sarr Mintz and Allen
I see poor jumpers bad ball handling and poor fundamentals everywhere - that’s hard to fix
 
For everyone throwing in the towel, how could you be a UK fan and not see history as an indicator? This is literally the same song and dance every year. We had limited practice time before the season and are beginning the year with a team where not one player has worn a UK uniform in the past. What did you expect to happen? It’s a fact that this team is nowhere close to what it will be in the future. Are we National Championship good? That remains to be seen. But, players like Clarke and Boston are just a shell of themselves at this point, trying to catch up with the step up in competition and learning to play team basketball, all while not having veterans to lean on. Of course some on this board are always negative, but I’d be careful about making emotional comments until we have hit a point where we actually know what this team is.
 
Still early but I’m concerned about the basic skill set I see with our players outside of Sarr Mintz and Allen
I see poor jumpers bad ball handling and poor fundamentals everywhere - that’s hard to fix
You better believe Cal and staff are spending time with the freshman teaching fundamentals. It’s sad that has to happen at this level, but that’s the case with a lot of these freshman superstars that have been able to rely on elite athleticism and raw ability for so long.
 
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