Cal's comment after the game

[SilentsAreGolden]

In the on-court interview after the game, Cal said something like "What we need to be doing to get where we want to go, we are not doing". To me, that says he wasn't very happy with our play last night. I understand win and advance is what matters, and any time you voice concerns after winning by 23, you sound like a Debbie Downer, but it sounds like Cal has concerns. To me, it seems like we came out very unfocused and lackadaisical. If that changes tomorrow, then it may have been a one-game hiccup and it was most of these guys' first tourney game. I think we will get it fixed, but after that first game, you really can't afford to come out with a lack of focus or energy.

 

[jboler]

Very un-inspired play. That does not bode well for Cinci. I will be shocked if they play the same way twice.

 

[WildMoon]

Cal doesn't have concern. He's just pissed with that shitty performance.

This is highlight of what he was thinking
"WCS...you can dunk over a player from middle of free throw line and you are trying to lay up around the rim...wtf"
"Dakari...you are guarded by 6'6" guy and you are trying to back a shot off a baseline...just go straight for easy bucket..."
"why is my team playing hot potato"
"Booker is playing a pussy today...what's going on."
"Did Ulis just get ball stripped. gotta be stronger with the ball..."
"KAT and Andrew...thank the lord."
"Why is lee trying to drive around like he has any ball handling skill."

I'm sure he's just pissed from last night, if we compare to the way we played in SEC tourney. yesterday's game was just sad.

 

[W_Heisenberg]

I'm not putting too much into it, part of it's nerves of first tournament game and part of it is playing a 16 seed.

We started slow, were up 35 at one time, and won easily. Cal using it to send message.

The one concerning thing to me is the fact that our "veterans" seemed to play tight...they've been here before.

 

[Smashcat]

Cal doesn't have concern. He's just pissed with that shitty performance.
Agree. He also seems to have a cold and wasn't warm and fuzzy to start with.

 

[FiveStarCat]

If we're going to play uninspired, better to be in the first round against a 16 seed than later on against a team that has the goods to take advantage. No chance it happens again against UC. If they're going to beat us, it's going to take a monumental effort from them because UK is not going to play lackluster two games in a row.

 

[poppycat]

Some teams do have a tendency to take a few play off after getting a 35 point lead.......just saying.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

We played uninspired and still were up 35 in the 2nd half....

This team is so damn good its frightening

 

[katman55]

I thought that was one of the worst games we've played all season. Couldn't throw the ball in the ocean. Cauley-Stein must have missed about 7-8 shots right under the basket. We better be much better next game.

 

[jrm693]

Did I not read somewhere that he was saying no no no in practice don't change now just keep doing what you have been, I hope not, but we may be changing at wrong time.

 

[EnglandWildcat]

Originally posted by poppycat:
Some teams do have a tendency to take a few play off after getting a 35 point lead.......just saying.

I think most of us aren't concerned about how they played after they had the 35-pt lead. They took their foot off the gas and that is fine.

i think most of us were much more concerned with the poor and unenergetic play for the first 15 minutes of game time. They came out sloppy on both ends of the floor with little intensity. Blame it on the late tip or the fact we were playing Hampton, but it was a little unsettling.

 

[js40484]

Agree w/most of what has been said already, but my concern is this...Cal made a comment about practice since SEC tourney ended that there were some players now starting to do things different now that its tournament time and how he has had to stop them and reiterate to them "stay the course" and "don't go changing things now." From his comments post game last night about "players can't/or trying to do this on their own terms" , it seems like this has not been resolved. This isn't a margin of victory thing, its about certain things (I have my own opinion) that certain players are now doing that are starting to become habitual that will work against the team in this tournament if not corrected. With that being said, I trust Cal will take care of it and expect to see Cincy get absolutely manhandled tomorrow.

 

[Abomb502Cat]

The main concern that I've had all year was possibility of our guys coming out looking like they did in the UConn game. I'm talking about that deer in headlights look that we saw the twins have against Michigan St last year and the NT game. We saw Booker look spooked at Mizzou. WCS, Booker, Aaron, Dakari, and to an extent Ulis all looked bad yesterday. I don't care what anyone says, If we play like that against a decent team we will lose. All of the talent in the world is useless if you are scared to use it. I have hope that this team will do what it has all year. In big games these kids have shown up. Hopefully that trend continues.

 

[Fitch44]

Last night was fine. Of course we weren't perfect but I will lean on the fact that these guys have played their best in big games.
Here on out will see their best.

 

[John Frusciante]

I think I'd be more worried if they did get sky high for a 16 seed.

 

[Cawood86]

No doubt that some players didn't take Hampton too seriously. You know they probably watched the play-in game. Be hard to not be a little over-confident.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

We warmed up pathetically. I didn't even see Andrew on the floor for much of it. They missed the vast majority of the shots they were taking in warmups. 90% of the layup line stuff were dunks or just dropping it in the basket. I don't think Booker hit a shot in warm ups.

I commented to the people around me that we were missing everything. It was bad even before the tip.

 

[anon_013cn8yrfncx2]

"Blame it on the late tip"

Yeah it really wasn't fair that we had to play a late tip and Hampton didn't!

 

[EvilMD]

People keep saying "Hampton had to play at the same time."

This is true. But any time you change the playing field like that it benefits the underdog. Same as in football when there is rain or snow....the much better team has to adjust to the change before it can exert its will. As soon as that first game went into overtime I had a hunch it would make us come out flat.

 

[zoid1]

We played a 16 seed that was 17-17 .500 record and their coach called GOD to help them even people in Indo-China knew we were gonna win by a lot. Im sure our players had a hard time getting up for this game plus the game before went into OT so they had to wait even longer. Not making excuses but we were up by 35 at a point.

P.S. I feel for Cincy tommorow because we wont come out sluggish 2 games in a row

 

[anon_q409idbs5m40a]

Exactly what I expected. How many times have you seen this team play "down" to the level of their competition for a while? If you recall, the '96 team did the same thing against San Jose State in the opening round then got it together the second half. Sometimes it's hard to have the same intensity against a 17-17 team than a 29-2, for instance.

 

[js40484]

Most likely..the overtime delay just happened to be the icing on the cake of aggravation that was the originally scheduled late game time slot for the 1A team.

 

[deplion]

Originally posted by John Frusciante:
I think I'd be more worried if they did get sky high for a 16 seed.

Hadn't thought about it that way, but that is actually a pretty good point.

 

[Kerry Kat]

It's hard to lace them up against the mid-major at 12 AM

 

[hoodro]

Originally posted by SilentsAreGolden:
In the on-court interview after the game, Cal said something like "What we need to be doing to get where we want to go, we are not doing". To me, that says he wasn't very happy with our play last night. I understand win and advance is what matters, and any time you voice concerns after winning by 23, you sound like a Debbie Downer, but it sounds like Cal has concerns. To me, it seems like we came out very unfocused and lackadaisical. If that changes tomorrow, then it may have been a one-game hiccup and it was most of these guys' first tourney game. I think we will get it fixed, but after that first game, you really can't afford to come out with a lack of focus or energy.

He touched on it during the post game presser as well. Said he didn't like the way they started the game, nor did he like the way they finished the game.

Went on to say that he wasn't concerned and would chalk it up to the late start/finish time, and having to wait in the locker room an hour before tip because of the other game going to ot.

I guess we'll all see if this is going to be a pattern come Saturday afternoon.

 

[Porky Pigskin]

I wouldn't lose sleep over last night's game. In 2011, UK barely survived Princeton in the first round. That team later defeated the No. 1 overall seed, Ohio State, and a loaded North Carolina team.

The performance last night was certainly not a thing of beauty, but I've seen much worse.

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan]

Originally posted by Catscratch81:
Exactly what I expected. How many times have you seen this team play "down" to the level of their competition for a while? If you recall, the '96 team did the same thing against San Jose State in the opening round then got it together the second half. Sometimes it's hard to have the same intensity against a 17-17 team than a 29-2, for instance.

Exactly catscratch. I was thinking about that game last night while watching the team play uninspired. It happens. This team won't play like that moving forward.