Bottom line: we can’t defend
- Thread starter wobycat
- Start date
Yep and it's just about too late to be fixable
Mitchell missing every single wide open look tonight didn’t help in a close game
The southern border is better defended than the side of the court we aren't shooting on.
Anyone have any razor wire?
Anyone have any razor wire?
I don’t understand how someone who is such a good all around player otherwise just flat out leaves an elite 3 point shooter wide open like 6 or 7 times. Wouldn’t pride alone at some point kick in, let alone simple logic???
Players gotta play man. And that’s includes defense. This team gives zero shits about D.
Some of us have been pointing this out all season, but it doesn’t hurt to do it one more time.
The guy who plays the most minutes on this team is probably the worst defender on the team. Meanwhile, the guy who plays some of the least minutes on the team is probably the best defender on the team.
So this is a good place to start if you want to be a better defensive team: address the disparity.
The guy who plays the most minutes on this team is probably the worst defender on the team. Meanwhile, the guy who plays some of the least minutes on the team is probably the best defender on the team.
So this is a good place to start if you want to be a better defensive team: address the disparity.
Yep.
First weekend level defense. We probably get dropped in the first game against a lower seed that just can’t miss and people will be shocked that they beat mighty Kentucky. LOL!
None of our guys can even guard a fence post!
First weekend level defense. We probably get dropped in the first game against a lower seed that just can’t miss and people will be shocked that they beat mighty Kentucky. LOL!
None of our guys can even guard a fence post!
Yes … he had a nightmarish game shooting the ball.
We play AAU defense, unfortunately.
This team has one D man, they seem a step slower than other players on other teams and of course, Cal will not try any other Defenses.
We are supposed to have the best talent available and a hall of fame coach, why can't we defend. Yet we keep getting beat with little known players and coaches, sometimes at home. Something is wrong, when you have all of these things, you should win games like last night at home. We keep getting beat by experience, Cal has said over and over again, he'd rather have talent over experience, so could it be coaching or is our talent overrated, or both?
Cal does not make adjustments. We all know this. The pumpers just choose to ignore it.
Who are you saying is the "one" D man from last night? If you're talking Reed then you're nuts. The kid was a big reason why that game even went to OT with leaving his man multiple times with too much room at the 3 line. Usually is a good defender...not great, but last night he was lost and slow in the end understandably seeing he played the entire game of 45 minutes.
How do you adjust to your team being horrible in playing defense at this level lol. It's always Cal with some of you and never just that our players got outplayed and haven't been able to guard a fence post most of the year. For the "play zone" crowd...just shut up. Zone is for elementary and high school coaches that don't have the athletes that can guard the other team and the other team doesn't have a coach smart enough to beat that zone every single time. This is Division 1 college basketball...if your team is having to play zone then you don't have a chance anyways.
Defense doesn't take talent. It takes heart, brains and hustle period. Some of these kids need to give as much effort on the defensive side of the ball that they give trying to get open for shots (Reeves and Dillingham) and we would be ok.
It’s the coaches’ job to teach HOW to play defense. Do you see anyone boxing out on a shot? Do you see anyone fighting over a screen? Staying between their man and the basket?
You must think Cal’s only job is to roll the balls out in practice. SMDH
Should a coach still be having to teach an 18-22 year old man how to box out lol? A college coach shouldn't have to teach anyone how to play defense period. It's not rolling the balls out...its having kids that have the heart and hustle to get the job done and you adjust accordingly. Rebounding wasn't the issue last night...it was staying in front of their man and leaving three point shooters too much room and even our Kentucky boy savior was guilty of it last night. The Cal haters will make every excuse, but not having two starter level players that usually are in the rotation was a huge part of what happened last night.
I fell like we show spurts of good defense. And then just totally fall apart at times. We had them at 29pts with 2min to go in the 1st half..
We just have to tighten up. Some guys will probably never be good defenders.. but guys like Ugo and Dilly can set the tone, and that can be enough to get some stops going.
We just have to tighten up. Some guys will probably never be good defenders.. but guys like Ugo and Dilly can set the tone, and that can be enough to get some stops going.
Bottom line. If the players are REPEATEDLY failing to do fundamentally sound things on the court, then they should be sitting beside the braying jackass that makes playing time decisions. It’s not rocket science. Winning teams play fundamental defense. Our coach does not emphasize defense, and it shows.
Our problems are not offensive. We either slow the game down to a grind to protect our defense or hope to outscore the other team when our defense gives up easy baskets in an up-and-down game.
The bottom line is that a team has to play defense to win college games.
What I see is lack of accountability. When was the last time Cal threw his hands up in the air in a guarding motion and said "guard your dod gamned man!"? When is the last time Cal emptied his bench, down to the last guy who can play, and said "show these futhermuckers how to defend!" and just kept those guys in until there was a huge deficit? Cal is too worried about stars and draft slots.
Agree. Giving up 80+ per game is the blueprint for losing to a lower seed in tourney.
Cal quoted as saying this week that Reeves was the best perimeter defender we have. So I ask, why was Reed and not Reeves guarding the guy who went 7-13 from 3? If you don’t want to wear down Reeves so as not to effect his offense, at least but Reeves on the guy during crunch time and overtime.
That would require some semblance of strategic thinking on Cal’s part. You overestimate his ability to make key adjustments.
It's Cals job to make adjustments and use the bench accordingly when needed, but again last night we were missing two main rotation players and had one more rotation player limited to 15 minutes with back spasms. Five guys nearly played 35 minutes or more with Reed going for FORTY FIVE! Dead legs will make your defense look a lot worse in the end I guarantee you that. Not to mention Mitchell having an uncharacteristic shooting night missing wide open attempts.
It doesn't matter what happened last night...you were sitting by waiting patiently until you had any excuse to complain and rail on Cal. He went to the bench and gave Burks and Z a chance and what happened? Burks comes in and gives up a wide open three.
Last edited:
We have the most overrated, overpaid coach in the entire country who couldn't care less about what he's doing to the most storied program in the country.
Bottom line this program sucks right now. We are a fading away college power who is turning into Indiana and Syracuse. And the problem is their people in this fanbase that excuse it and say oh I can see this team getting better or oh we were close maybe next time. Kentucky basketball is a has been, and with this coach in place will never ever compete for anything of matter ever again
Last edited:
He usually gets them to buy in on D. Is this a case of them just not caring or are they not capable?
This! He flat out will NOT change our defense! It’s absolutely infuriating! He just continues to do the same stupid shit over and over again! The epitome of insanity.
Not to beat a dead horse, but the whole problem is cal cannot defend the on ball screen without an alien big man that can just switch that. We haven't had that since bam or pj/nick which is coincidentally the last time we were competitive in the national title scene.
Without the alien big man to switch, cal plays drop coverage when he shouldn't and plays hedge when he shouldn't. Worse he sticks with that coverage all game without change.
Take last night for example. First half we played drop and Florida tried to finish over Ugo to no avail. You heard their coach talk about adjusting by kicking. Adjust they did because after the ball screen, their shooter got another off ball screen or two which created space for his shots. True you'd think he'd miss but we just never adjusted.
Time and again other teams adjust and we cannot. Without robic, cal is basically a fraud. Welch helped shore up the offense but if we need to hire a defensive guy then what's the point. Pretty fair to wonder without robic what level of coach is he really.
Without the alien big man to switch, cal plays drop coverage when he shouldn't and plays hedge when he shouldn't. Worse he sticks with that coverage all game without change.
Take last night for example. First half we played drop and Florida tried to finish over Ugo to no avail. You heard their coach talk about adjusting by kicking. Adjust they did because after the ball screen, their shooter got another off ball screen or two which created space for his shots. True you'd think he'd miss but we just never adjusted.
Time and again other teams adjust and we cannot. Without robic, cal is basically a fraud. Welch helped shore up the offense but if we need to hire a defensive guy then what's the point. Pretty fair to wonder without robic what level of coach is he really.
I never said anything about Shep do not know where you got that in my opinion he is the best player on the team, I was talking about Cal that has only one type of D and that is man he will not use any other defenses. The buck stops with him.
We are 300th in the NCAA for Scoring Defense. I get that people say that we play up tempo but we also need to be able to stop the other team and not allow them to have wide open looks.
Similar threads
