As I Posted Earlier This Month, With Murray We Are Pre-Season #1

[dlh331]

Without a doubt. We will be favored in every game this season except PERHAPS the Kansas game at
Phog.

We have a chance to enter the Final 4 weekend with a 36-2 or 35-3 record. That "ain't" bad after a
38-1 year.

IF....we are AP pre-season #1 we will be the first program ever to be named to that position 3 years
in a row since the Wooden dynasty years. And that matters; everything like that only adds to our spot
as THE college basketball program of this decade and of course, All Time.

Darryl

 

[deplion]

We are definitely right in the thick of things. You could make a legit case for us, UNC, Kansas or Duke as the preseason #1. Maybe even Iowa State or Maryland.

I personally would give the nod to UNC because of their experience. Let them deal with the pressure of being #1 while our guys develop and grow outside of the huge spotlight that goes along with those expectations.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

I don't see UK at #1 over UNC or KU, and Maryland will be tossed in as well. The voters will value experience. This UK team will not have near the hype the 2013 team, and certainly not last year's team. Don't get me wrong, lock for pre-season top 4-5...but #1? I have my doubts. Who cares at being preseason #1 anyways...has not worked out for us the last two seasons.

 

[lacocat]

I'll take a Post Season #1 this year, was #1 every week but last year.

 

[crawfords corner]

We just landed Jamal Murray. I don't care if we are ranked 350th. No matter what you still have to win 6 straight to end the season to get the crown.

 

[devilpuppet]

I would not change rosters with anyone.

 

[CUJO_1970]

OP is correct. Jamal Murray just put us over the top.

 

[Smashcat]

Without a doubt. We will be favored in every game this season except PERHAPS the Kansas game at
Phog.

We have a chance to enter the Final 4 weekend with a 36-2 or 35-3 record. That "ain't" bad after a
38-1 year.

IF....we are AP pre-season #1 we will be the first program ever to be named to that position 3 years
in a row since the Wooden dynasty years. And that matters; everything like that only adds to our spot
as THE college basketball program of this decade and of course, All Time.

Darryl

Frankly I'd rather enter the year in the top 5 but not no. 1. I want to see us peaking at season's end anyway. It's where you end up, not where you start.

 

[Dakota25]

UK will be top five, I personally think number three or four with some first place votes in the preseason poll, but as I mentioned in another thread Duke, UNC, and Kansas have great teams as well. Besides Duke and Kansas the only games that somewhat intimidate me are at Vanderbilt and at A&M if UK has to go there. LSU is good but we get them once and at home.

 

[.S&C.]

UK will be top five but as I mentioned in another thread Duke, UNC, and Kansas have great teams as well. Besides Duke and Kansas the only games that somewhat intimidate me are at Vanderbilt and at A&M if UK has to go there. LSU is good but we get them once and at home.

Sorry, I still don't agree. We should be good to go at number 1.

 

[Dakota25]

Sorry, I still don't agree. We should be good to go at number 1.

Talent wise UK is number one. In my mind UK is the best team but I don't know if the voters will go that way right off the bat. With a win over Duke I think the polls will put UK at number one regardless of what team is there unless it already is UK.

 

[stoneycat_20]

I am one that cares about being ranked #1 preseason...It's give us bragging rights.....And yeah we all know being #1 in the final poll is what matters most, but i still want the preseason top spot

 

[UKDUNK]

UNC was the number one team in most polls before the Murray commit and I think we are better at every position with PG being up for debate between Ulis and Paige. We have better players coming off the bench and will be a MUCH better shooting team. UNC probably starts Pinson and Jackson at the two and three spots and neither shot over 30% from deep last year. Tokoto was the second best three point shooter on their team and their energy guy. I think he will be missed more than people think.

 

[caneintally]

Top is IMO

1. Uk
2.UNC
3.Kansas
4.Duke
5.Maryland

But UK and UNC are way better then everyone else . we are 15 pts better then Maryland IMO but they are the 5th best team .

 

[Kycatspaws]

The Cats are back in their rightful position . At the top of the mountain and the polls.

 

[WildcatFan60]

UNC shouldn't even be allowed in the tournament next spring!

 

[anon_q409idbs5m40a]

Let UNC handle the burden of being Preseason No. 1. Sometimes I feel that it's too much pressure on young players to perform. All that counts is the end of the season.

 

[CalCat57]

I don't see UK at #1 over UNC or KU, and Maryland will be tossed in as well. The voters will value experience. This UK team will not have near the hype the 2013 team, and certainly not last year's team. Don't get me wrong, lock for pre-season top 4-5...but #1? I have my doubts. Who cares at being preseason #1 anyways...has not worked out for us the last two seasons.

Exactly. Enough with the stupid hype threads. Let this team get better at its own pace.

 

[johnnyflcat4life]

Unc may not be able to handle that burden. They could in the past but having to balance basketball and academics could prove to be too much.

 

[anon_q409idbs5m40a]

They could create a fake No. 1 ranking. Seems to work for them with everything else.

 

[brianpoe]

i think Kansas will be very tough. Jan 30th will be a great game, hopefully we have gelled to a certain degree by then.

 

[hotelblue]

We are definitely right in the thick of things. You could make a legit case for us, UNC, Kansas or Duke as the preseason #1. Maybe even Iowa State or Maryland.

I personally would give the nod to UNC because of their experience. Let them deal with the pressure of being #1 while our guys develop and grow outside of the huge spotlight that goes along with those expectations.

either way for me personally. but yeah, like duke last year. they had a killer schedule and flew under the radar as the second best team the entire year because we went 34-0 and almost wire to wire. they really benefited from our unearthly hype in '10 and '15. they just stuck around until our circus was over and after everyone shot their wad. the other difference for them was easy as heck paths to the ff which we won't get. so imo we may as well be as high as we can get.

 

[bucsrule8872]

My Preseason Top 5:

1. UNC
2. UK
3. Maryland
4. KU
5. Duke

I wouldn't trade UK's squad for any, but UNC returns the most experienced roster. I'll let them be the favorite this year.

 

[kyjeff1]

Frankly I'd rather enter the year in the top 5 but not no. 1. I want to see us peaking at season's end anyway. It's where you end up, not where you start.

'Preciate that Captain Obvious. We already know that it's where you end up that matters. Why be THAT guy? Hey, some of us look at a preseason #1 ranking as a good indicator of what we have according to the people who know talent.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

Exactly. Enough with the stupid hype threads. Let this team get better at its own pace.

Lets see, stupid because why? You act as if UK has no shot at #1 or going 40-0. That is false. Furthermore, you act as if us talking about it affects the team which is also false.
This team may very well be preseason number 1 and with the talent Cal has assembled it would be justified.
Those talking about a lack of experience need to understand Ulis will be a So., Lee a Jr., Poy a Jr. And Mulder a Jr.

 

[Big Cat fan]

We are a top 3 preseason team for sure. This is after losing 7 players to the draft.

That is crazy

 

[rabidcatfan]

I don't see UK at #1 over UNC or KU, and Maryland will be tossed in as well. The voters will value experience. This UK team will not have near the hype the 2013 team, and certainly not last year's team. Don't get me wrong, lock for pre-season top 4-5...but #1? I have my doubts. Who cares at being preseason #1 anyways...has not worked out for us the last two seasons.

We had people ranking us early #1 when they thought we'd land one of Malik Newman, Jaylen Brown or Chieck Diallo. Jamal Murray is just as good a talent as any of them, so I don't think it's a stretch to say that we will be preseason #1. I don't really care either way. If we are #2, #3, or #4 preseason it won't make much a difference to me. I'd be surprised if we're ranked below #5 though.

 

[ThroughBlue]

I would not change rosters with anyone.

 

[brianpoe]

"Those talking about a lack of experience need to understand Ulis will be a So., Lee a Jr., Poy a Jr. And Mulder a Jr."



Ulis played 23 mins per game as a backup.
Poy played in only 8 games.
Lee played 10 mins per game averaging 2pts and 2 rebounds
Mulder hasn't played a the D1 level yet.

Won't be many teams in the top 10 that have less experience than this.

Talent? We have that. Experience not so much.

 

[bigc45157]

"Those talking about a lack of experience need to understand Ulis will be a So., Lee a Jr., Poy a Jr. And Mulder a Jr."



Ulis played 23 mins per game as a backup.
Poy played in only 8 games.
Lee played 10 mins per game averaging 2pts and 2 rebounds
Mulder hasn't played a the D1 level yet.

Won't be many teams in the top 10 that have less experience than this.

Talent? We have that. Experience not so much.

But, they've all been to final four(s) and have a wealth of experience in a big game setting.

 

[Blueblood22]

I want to be preseason number one, because well, who was the last team to be preseason number one three straight years? Would you have to go back to UCLA during their run?

 

[Blueblood22]

"Those talking about a lack of experience need to understand Ulis will be a So., Lee a Jr., Poy a Jr. And Mulder a Jr."



Ulis played 23 mins per game as a backup.
Poy played in only 8 games.
Lee played 10 mins per game averaging 2pts and 2 rebounds
Mulder hasn't played a the D1 level yet.

Won't be many teams in the top 10 that have less experience than this.

Talent? We have that. Experience not so much.

Weird thing to say Poy only played in 8 games when he will be a redshirt junior, started his freshman year and was a part of the 2014 Final Four team.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

I'm pretty sure Poy will be listed as a senior...he is a senior. This is his 4th year...he can apply for another year, but technically he is a senior right?

And Poy had played two years before last year, so he is very experienced for a UK player in the Cal era. Lee and Ulis are both fairly experienced...and the argument that he only played 23 mins and was a backup on last year's team is a bit dumb if you ask me. He played starter minutes for THAT team, and was in the game in crunch time most of the time. Give me a break.

We continue to see that experience does not matter, hell Duke showed that last year when their team of frosh led them to a title. 2012 Uk and 2015 Duke's best players were freshmen...but they also had some good veteran supporting cast guys. We have that mix for this year's team coming up. Of course we had it last year and came up short.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

We just landed Jamal Murray. I don't care if we are ranked 350th. No matter what you still have to win 6 straight to end the season to get the crown.

Thought you said multiple times Murray chose Oregon. Weird.

 

[brianpoe]

Weird thing to say Poy only played in 8 games when he will be a redshirt junior, started his freshman year and was a part of the 2014 Final Four team.

Because it helps my point, since when does accuracy mean anything here?

Looking at UNC, KU, Iowa State, Maryland and the other top teams we are definitely on the bottom rung of the experience ladder, does not mean we will not win games, just simply addressing the "experience" quote.

 

[brianpoe]

But, they've all been to final four(s) and have a wealth of experience in a big game setting.

Don't necessarily disagree, but none of three has started any of those tourney games. Obviously Poy played some big minutes in the previous tourney and Ulis this year. Lee was regulated to spot duty both times.

I am not discounting their experience, just saying that on experience alone we are probably lowest in top 10, but what else is new? Every year except for this past one we have been.

 

[Nick Horvath]

tough to argue against it. I think UK will have more talent than anyone in the nation, but it's gonna be tight. Top 4 teams are definitely UK, UNC, Duke, and Kansas IMO and I think that's great for college basketball.

I think on paper going into the season you'd have to rank Maryland somewhere in the top 4, at least ahead of Duke. I think we'll be a top 10 team, maybe top 5. I think some people are underestimating how weak the 2015 class is in comparison to other recent classes.

 

[railroadkat_1]

Frankly I'd rather enter the year in the top 5 but not no. 1. I want to see us peaking at season's end anyway. It's where you end up, not where you start.

Smashcat excellent post! I hate starting #1 no where to go but down. Move into top 4 or better before tournament and that is a nice place to start the NCAA! GBB

 

[crawfords corner]

Thought you said multiple times Murray chose Oregon. Weird.

And he didn't so it worked. If I bet on the 3 horse it wins the next race. If I play red in roulette it comes up black. If I hit 20 in blackjack the dealer gets 21. I'm picking China in the WWC tomorrow night.

 

[Poetax]

But, they've all been to final four(s) and have a wealth of experience in a big game setting.

Well Mulder hasn't been yet. And for Alex, it will have been two years by the time the tourney comes around again. And whether we realize it, Ulis and Lee were not in the game at crunch time in our last game so there is reason to say, a lot of great talent, just not as much experience.