Best chance to win title?

[JStaff2187]

In nearly all of Cal's years at UK, we've been in the title hunt. Two of the three best teams we've had lost in the elite 8 and final four.

Which team has the better chance to win it all.

2010 with a returning Jodie Meeks
Or
2015 with a healthy Alex Poythress

I get the feeling majority will say 2010 and I can see why. But let's not forget how amazing 2015 was defensively until AP was injured. AP would have been the answer defensively in the Wisconsin game imo.

 

[JimboBBN]

In nearly all of Cal's years at UK, we've been in the title hunt. Two of the three best teams we've had lost in the elite 8 and final four.

Which team has the better chance to win it all.

2010 with a returning Jodie Meeks
Or
2015 with a healthy Alex Poythress

I get the feeling majority will say 2010 and I can see why. But let's not forget how amazing 2015 was defensively until AP was injured. AP would have been the answer defensively in the Wisconsin game imo.

Good question. I'll say 2015 but its close. Poy would have shut down Decker, or at least contained him. No doubt we beat Duke in the title game, too. Both Wisconsin and Duke from that year were better than any competition 2010 would have faced, though. I think they both win the title in your scenarios.

 

[wromanp7]

Both.

Put up a billboard - 10 National Championships.

 

[DerekMcPwn]

2010, and it isn't close. Poy's theoretical contribution to the Wisconsin game is so much more abstract. Meeks would have made baskets in that West Virginia game.

 

[wromanp7]

Shoot.. play those seasons over again, with no additional help, and I'd bet heavy on the cats.

2010 is an anomaly of a loss.

 

[Rupp'sRunt]

2010 Kentucky with Jodie Meeks probably goes 40-0. Unstoppable front court and the only flaw with the back court was lack of a shooter. If Meeks can drop 54 with only Patterson imagine him with Wall Bledsoe PPatt and cousins, who do you double on that team? Triangle and 2 isn't working on that team anymore and a 1-3-1 zone definitely isn't stopping it

 

[Smashcat]

In nearly all of Cal's years at UK, we've been in the title hunt. Two of the three best teams we've had lost in the elite 8 and final four.

Which team has the better chance to win it all.

2010 with a returning Jodie Meeks
Or
2015 with a healthy Alex Poythress

I get the feeling majority will say 2010 and I can see why. But let's not forget how amazing 2015 was defensively until AP was injured. AP would have been the answer defensively in the Wisconsin game imo.

2015 with a healthy Poy imo.

 

[Me and Rex]

Got a time machine? Both have zero percent chance of happening.

 

[Me and Rex]

So I guess to answer your question... They are both equally likely to win a title.

 

[WildMoon]

2015 with poythress.

There's a reason why we went from historic defensive to great defensive team for the year.

 

[Wvvrn]

Meeks on 2010 is my all time favorite realistic "what if" scenario. It's mind boggling what that team would've looked like had he returned. He probably would've broken some crazy scoring records on that team. So many open 3s for the best pure shooter in UK history.

 

[CatCall]

Good question.... I'd have to say 2010. That team had become so good with the only real flaw being a reliable shooter. Even if he had an off night, the respect you'd have to have paid him would create too much elsewhere to keep us from scoring. That WV loss still hurts more than the Wisky one to me for some reason.

 

[JStaff2187]

Good question.... I'd have to say 2010. That team had become so good with the only real flaw being a reliable shooter. Even if he had an off night, the respect you'd have to have paid him would create too much elsewhere to keep us from scoring. That WV loss still hurts more than the Wisky one to me for some reason.

If not for the fact we were undefeated going in, I'd agree with you. Wisconsin was a great team. West Virginia was not.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

Some factors would play into 2010. Had Meeks come back, in not so sure we would of landed Bledsoe. I think he would of went elsewhere.

 

[CatCall]

If not for the fact we were undefeated going in, I'd agree with you. Wisconsin was a great team. West Virginia was not.

I guess I'm thinking Meeks influence on that team > AP's on 2015. The fact WV was not a great team is probably why it hurts so much. Never should have lost that one. It reminded me of the loss to GTown in '84.

 

[Catsgloves1]

Both.

Put up a billboard - 10 National Championships.

I get so aggravated we aren't already passed UCLA. Sickening!

 

[wcc31]

Great question.

2010. Adding Meeks gives us two POY candidates in the backcourt to go along with Cousins, Bledsoe and Patterson. Ridiculous.

Not to mention his presence turns the biggest negative into a strength.

I think UK fans tend to overrate the '10 team but if it had Meeks, they go undefeated.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Either or. Both are 40-0 seasons if you have Meeks and Poy. 10 championships with two undefeated seasons. Cal is the best ever.

 

[Hoskins91]

People extremely overrate Poythress' impact.
Is the hope that the lead was bigger so that even if we were completely inept for multiple possessions at the end it wouldn't matter?
You're in trouble if you are relying on Poythress to be a difference maker.

Meeks and it isn't close. Gives you a clear fifth starter, which we never had. An upperclassman, and he's simply an all-American caliber talent who provides a skill the team lacked.

 

[wcc31]

People extremely overrate Poythress' impact.
Is the hope that the lead was bigger so that even if we were completely inept for multiple possessions at the end it wouldn't matter?
You're in trouble if you are relying on Poythress to be a difference maker.
.

Disagree- his defensive analytics were ridiculous when he went down. Considering we had ZERO defenders to handle a Dekker/Connaghton type of wing, I'd say you're being obtuse.

 

[WildMoon]

People extremely overrate Poythress' impact.
Is the hope that the lead was bigger so that even if we were completely inept for multiple possessions at the end it wouldn't matter?
You're in trouble if you are relying on Poythress to be a difference maker.

Meeks and it isn't close. Gives you a clear fifth starter, which we never had. An upperclassman, and he's simply an all-American caliber talent who provides a skill the team lacked.

You seem to be guessing.

there were already analysis done on Poythress's impact on our defense. While his injury had no impact on offense. The change in defense was pretty crazy actually.

Also ironic that poythress did make a difference year before against Wisconsin.

You don't even have clue how Meeks would have incorporated into that system. His shots would be much less and while he could have made threes doesn't mean he would have in that west viriginia game or enough to make a difference. He also shot 40.6% which is good but nothing mind blowing like Lamb or miller/Willis both shot during their junior season. Meeks was streaky shooter.

Finally it's not so much about talent or skill set for poythress. It was the fact that platoon would have stayed complete.

 

[CELTICAT]

 

[wcc31]

Not to mention how awesome Poythress was in the '14 run.

 

[Rupp'sRunt]

Comes down to this would you rather have
Sr Meeks or Jr poythress.

Give me Meeks.

 

[dlh331]

Some factors would play into 2010. Had Meeks come back, in not so sure we would of landed Bledsoe. I think he would of went elsewhere.

That is not true. Bledsoe signed with UK May 6, 2009. Meeks made his decision to leave UK June 16, 2009.

Meeks' vacillating did cost UK Xavier Henry, IMO

 

[trenupe2k2]

i say 2010 but i would even say cauley stein in 2014 than poythress

 

[BlueSince92]

'10

 

[Cowtown Cat]

That photo pretty much tells the story of what could have been had he not got hurt. He was the X factor that year in so many ways.

That was an awesome dunk too, btw. One of my all time favorite UK dunks ever. Loved that is was on Dekker. Right in his mug.

 

[morgousky]

2010 for sure. Patt, cousins, bledsoe, Wall, and jodie meeks busting from outside? Ill take that team over '15 any day of the week, healthy poythress or not. And I think if the option was really there, way more people would take Meeks on '10 as well.

 

[morgousky]

Comes down to this would you rather have
Sr Meeks or Jr poythress.

Give me Meeks.

Suddenly poythress is Mashburn to some.......

Meeks could go for record numbers, and did, from the outside. He's easily the best juggarnaut from behind the paint we've had this century. Meeks as a senior paired with Wall and Bledsoe, not to mention Patterson and Cousins?

Should be a no brainer.

 

[bigdaddy741]

Both.

80-0

 

[KeepingItReal74]

Neither. Derek Anderson healthy in '97 was the lock to a 3-peat.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

People extremely overrate Poythress' impact.
Is the hope that the lead was bigger so that even if we were completely inept for multiple possessions at the end it wouldn't matter?
You're in trouble if you are relying on Poythress to be a difference maker.

Meeks and it isn't close. Gives you a clear fifth starter, which we never had. An upperclassman, and he's simply an all-American caliber talent who provides a skill the team lacked.

I'm sorry but you're so wrong here. Poy could be a difference maker, he just couldn't be the "the man". As long as he wasn't being looked upon to carry the team, he could be a HUGE difference maker. He would've been a major difference maker in the Wiscy game. They were still an amazing team capable of winning it all without him, that's obvious and we all know it. But with him, they were literally unbeatable against that field, especially in the Final Four. The matchups just overwhelmingly favored us. Take Poy out and that matchup switched to Wiscy's favor and to give them credit, they took advantage of it.

 

[Rupp'sRunt]

Poy could be a difference maker, he just couldn't be the "the man". As long as he wasn't being looked upon to carry the team, he could be a HUGE difference maker. He would've been a major difference maker in the Wiscy game.

So you're telling me Poy could've been a difference maker?

 

[EliteBlue]

Meeks on 2010 is my all time favorite realistic "what if" scenario. It's mind boggling what that team would've looked like had he returned. He probably would've broken some crazy scoring records on that team. So many open 3s for the best pure shooter in UK history.

Preach.

Cals first season would have had a very likely chance of being 40-0 with a title. That's legendary.

That team was streaky shooting the ball and was it's only flaw. When they were on they completely dismantled teams. No team in the country could stay within 15-20 best case. When they were ice cold they usually still found ways to win by 1-15. But it took an ice cold night and nothing less for someone to have a chance.

 

[Wallins creek Cat]

Both imo

 

[WonderBraa]

Who knows. But if we play that 2015 game again 99 times, we would win each time.

 

[dlh331]

Put Kanter on the 2011 team and the Cats breeze to the title. That was a relatively weak year for college basketball and Kanter would have dominated inside. He was not much on defense but that team would have been incredible on offense with Kanter, Jones, Knight, Lamb, Miller, Liggins, Jorts, etc

 

[irishcat1965]

I'm not one to go insane on this 40-0 stuff in any year. But if Meeks was on the 2010 team, I don't believe they would have been beaten. They sure as hell would not have lost to WVU. They would have been unguardable on offense. Wall, Bledsoe, Meeks, Cousins and Patterson as starters. Totally ridiculous lineup that literally covers everything you need.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Who knows. But if we play that 2015 game again 99 times, we would win each time.

No we wouldn't.