SMH. I get it. He's not ready. But goodness, I just....I don't understand how him sitting gets him ANY experince.
Big Z WILL NOT play Friday in UK's First Exhibition
- Thread starter bbncal02
- Start date
SMH. I get it. He's not ready. But goodness, I just....I don't understand how him sitting gets him ANY experince.
I don’t think anyone on the team is playing in a Sunday exhibition, being that it's on Friday and all.
I don't see this as a big deal as long as he plays in the next one. Let him ramp up slowly and come ready to play against K St next Thursday.
What can he do to ramp up coach? Run up and down the floor? Is he struggling with the weave?
Same. If he doesn't, Cal really does need to be explicit on why he's not. If it's an injury say it. If it's because he's way behind say it. This, "well, maybe next week" stuff isn't going to fly well with BBN this year. Not after Sharpe (which I don't think this is), and Wheeler.
What's he been doing, sitting in front of the TV eating bon-bons? He looks like he's thin enough to run up and down the floor for a few minutes. Must be an injury. Has Cal even seen him?
10 bucks says Cal is using this time to turn him into a back to the basket center.
I figured as much when he did not play last week and they said he had only been to 3 practices. I am guessing this week he will be in a total of 3 practices and then next week the same. I will be surprised if we see him more than 10 minutes against the Breds of Kentucky State. I am guessing it will take a while to insert into the small ball line up since that is all these guys have had since July. Now we are trying to get one big in. So if Bradshaw is 5 weeks out then will he be ready in 5 weeks to play in games or will it be, now we are just ramping up Bradshaw and it will be 3 weeks (december) before we see him. We will just have to wait and see.
I think it is what I have been reading and saying.....he's not that good. Don't talk about NBA potential. He's 7' plus, and they draft on potential not on current performance. Everything I read said he does not show stamina, is slow on defense, may not be able to defend in pick and roll, etc. So, there's a big learning curve most likely. I guess we will find out down the road, but I have read over and over the word "project" when referencing him. Hopefully, he will prove a quick learner.
If he is healthy, I do not see any reason why he could not log like 5-8 minutes to at least get on the court; and get in some real game situations.
Typical Cal bs. Play the kid. It’s a practice game. Give him a chance to show something. It is not like the system is hard to learn. Geez cal.
Cal also said he may be able to play this Friday. Lol
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Not a big deal to me.
I’ll enjoy watching the smaller lineup. I have enjoyed watching this group.
No hurry for Z to join in until he’s ready. I heard him say he needed to get his conditioning and strength up.
I’ll enjoy watching the smaller lineup. I have enjoyed watching this group.
No hurry for Z to join in until he’s ready. I heard him say he needed to get his conditioning and strength up.
My concern would be he doesn’t play the exhibitions, then we get to the regular season and Cal says it’s not right to throw him out there yet. Then it keeps getting pushed back.
These are glorified practices, but it lets the guys work together against different teams. If he needs to get conditioning up, nothing like some real game experience.
I liked the smaller line up, too, but at some point we’re going have to integrate one of the 7 footers. Would rather that happen sooner than later- especially in some games that don’t count towards the record.
Damn….Probably hasn’t pulled the baggage tags off his suitcase yet. Barely had time to get a class schedule.
That’s the way I’ve been looking at it. Don’t want to put unnecessary expectations on Z. He’s a young multi year depth piece who will have some good moments.
It’s only a trolled fan if they are susceptible. I’m immune now from Cals antics. I think a lot of us are.
He's gone after this season....
not if he doesn't play
same thing this so called coach did with Ugo last year & this year was the starting center with zero experience
now that he is hurt, he is even farther behind, if he even plays
It would have shocked me more if I heard he was playing. The madness here never ends.
I'm right here. I'm not overly concerned, but we know how these "issues" just randomly linger on.
Bottom line, Cal is adamant and very deliberate in his effort to keep kids from looking bad. If he thinks Big Z is gonna be lost and look bad in an exhibition game, he's not going to play him. I get it, much as I want to see the kid play, it is what it is.
Yup. We currently have 21 ft in limbo of when we might see them play.
I don’t think BBN will have any patience left for another slow start and cryptic messages of when guys might be ready.
Wouldn't want to hurt their draft stock.
Calipari can't leave soon enough.
Calipari can't leave soon enough.
As opposed to playing him when the real games start? This is what meaningless games like this is for. To get his feet wet.
I’m sure that’s Cal’s thinking, but what a terrible philosophy. Guys are going get better and more acclimated with actual in game reps.
Throw him out there for a bit and see how it goes. It’ll show the staff and himself what he needs to work on to improve his game.
This doesn’t make much sense to me unless he’s hurt. I know basketball at this level is more complex than a pickup game, but it shouldn’t be a scenario like football where he might need a couple of months learning the playbook before he’s even ready to step on the court either. If he has some parts of his game that are still a work in progress, then an exhibition game against inferior competition would seem like an ideal setting to get him some live reps with no pressure instead of something to hold him back from.
Stroke of genius by Cal. Work him in very slowly. Let the other teams sweat over it. Will he play? And each game Cal gets a little closer to playing him. Start by letting him sit in the locker room against Kansas. Let him work his way up to sitting the bench vs Miami. A month later, he's warming up. By tourney time, let him fully dress. Baby steps and mental warfare. Genius.
Shut your cake hole son, this is about the kid and his NBA draft potential, this is why the UK Basketball Program currently exists!
I don't get it either. And it's not like he hasn't played. He played in semi-pro and pro leagues in Europe.
I mean even Jack Pilgrim said he was behind in conditioning and somehow basketball knowledge. I just don't see how that's possible. Maybe conditioning, but knowledge? He's been playing for four years overseas and hasn't learned a lick about the game?
You were also okay with Sharpe not playing.
We get it. You will defend Calipari even concerning the indefensible.
He also said that he was told that he would get a lot of attention on campus and that has turned out to be oh, so true. Seems Big Z is in demand for photographs and autographs. Everyone, he insisted, has been more than nice. As for his game, he said he thinks he brings shot blocking. “But I don’t want to brag,” he said. As colleague Ben Roberts reported, Calipari said we are not likely to see Big Z on the Rupp Arena floor during Friday’s exhibition game against Georgetown College. Though UK has a second warm-up game Nov. 2 against Kentucky State, the best chance we’ll get our first look at Big Z’s skills might be the season opener vs. New Mexico State on Nov. 6.
Read more at: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt...john-clay/article280948218.html#storylink=cpy
Read more at: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt...john-clay/article280948218.html#storylink=cpy
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