Cal's least experienced team? Well...

[MdWIldcat55]

I saw Cal's comments to Mike DeCourcey about next year being the "least experienced' he's ever coached. It's a young, green team, no doubt.

But I checked out the box scores for the 2014 Final Four games. How many non- freshmen scored for Kentucky? Exactly one - Alex Poythress. (That's not to minimize the two minutes of Jared Polson.) Loved Alex, but he wasn't really a vocal leader. And before he was hurt, WCS was pretty raw still. That team ended up going pretty far with little experienced leadership.

With Diallo back, 2018 has more players likely to contribute with at least some experience in Calipari's system than 2014 did.

That team had its struggles, of course, and no doubt next year's team will as well. We'll probably see some baffling November-January lapses.

But by March, experience won't be the decisive factor.

 

[Dablueman]

I saw Cal's comments to Mike DeCourcey about next year being the "least experienced' he's ever coached. It's a young, green team, no doubt.

But I checked out the box scores for the 2014 Final Four games. How many non- freshmen scored for Kentucky? Exactly one - Alex Poythress. (That's not to minimize the two minutes of Jared Polson.) Loved Alex, but he wasn't really a vocal leader. And before he was hurt, WCS was pretty raw still. That team ended up going pretty far with little experienced leadership.

With Diallo back, 2018 has more players likely to contribute with at least some experience in Calipari's system than 2014 did.

That team had its struggles, of course, and no doubt next year's team will as well. We'll probably see some baffling November-January lapses.

But by March, experience won't be the decisive factor.

I actually think we play better early and have less brain farts early. For three reasons and I will use 14 as an example

first off defense. This team will have elite defenders on the wing in Diallo and Vanderbilt. When Alexander is in all five players will be 6ft5 or taller and Alexander will have the shortest wingspan at 6ft11. In 14 the Harrisons struggled defensively early and Randal and young werent very good defensivly all year.

Second point guard. Green plays like Ulis and even in 15 the team seemed to at times run smoother when Tyler ran the point.

Three depth remember in 14 Randal would get in foul trouble we would struggled alot like this past season with Bam and Fox. This coming season we have so much size and versatility we are almost foul trouble proof.

Also if Alexander and Vanderbilt have really improved from the outside like many from the all star practices say and the sleeping on Skj reports are true we could be scary good all season. Remember not only is green considered a more poised traditional pg Diallo got a half season headstart. Plus people always thought Bamba was the smartest player we could have got but Vanderbilt had a 4.3 gpa and he and Washington are considered two of the best rebounding forwarda in the country

 

[wildcatbd21]

I'm thinking Cal will get as many of of our guys as he can on the USA U19 team he will be coaching. Probably won't impement a lot of what he runs at UK. But it will get the guys a lot of experience playing with one another and better learning eachothers game. I think this will prove very valuable for the Cats next season.

 

[UKcatXXXL]

Provided Quade asserts himself as the floor general, there are too many talented players on this team to not be extremely dangerous by the time the tourney begins.

 

[mj2k10]

I'm thinking Cal will get as many of of our guys as he can on the USA U19 team he will be coaching. Probably won't impement a lot of what he runs at UK. But it will get the guys a lot of experience playing with one another and better learning eachothers game. I think this will prove very valuable for the Cats next season.

He has to be careful about that. It's a national team, and the older you get with those age groups, the more competitive the competition gets. Team USA is a huge favorite in all the age brackets, but far less when you get to 19 than when you're talking about 16 and 17. Cal can't just use that position as an excuse to get in extra time with guys he's going to be coaching in college. And anyway, Cal is only one voice among many when it comes to the player selections.

I would expect 1 or 2 UK guys to make that squad, but it probably won't be more than that.

 

[J-FIELDS23]

I actually think we play better early and have less brain farts early. For three reasons and I will use 14 as an example first off defense. This team will have 2 elite defenders on the wing in Diallo and Vanderbilt. When Alexander is in all five players will be 6ft5 or taller and Alexander will have the shortest wingspan at 6ft11. In 14 the Harrisons struggled defensively early and Randal and young werent very good defensivly all year. 2 point guard. Green plays like Ulis and even in 15 the team seemed to at times run smoother when Tyler ran the point. Three depth remember in 14 Randal would get in foul trouble we struggled. This year we have so much size and versatility we are almost foul trouble proof. If Alexander and Vanderbilt have really improved from the outside like many from the all star practices say and the sleeping Skj reports are true we could be scary good all season. Remember not only is green considered a more poised traditional pg Diallo got a half season headstart. Plus people always thought Bamba was the smartest player we could have got but Vanderbilt had a 4.3 gpa and he and Washington are considered two of the best rebounding forwarda in the country

Agree with all of this albeit hard to read

Love our length and athleticism. I'm not sure Cal has had a team quite like this at UK. I think that alone keeps us from struggling early like the 2014 team. And good point about Green. Athough I like the Harrisons and they were rated higher coming out of high school, Green seems to be more poised and confident than they were early on. That's one thing that really hurt us early in 2014, the twins played timid and scared.

 

[shaolin style]

I don't think experience has ever been that big of a factor. People just like to use it as an reason to hate on UK/Cal. Talent wins games.

 

[Dablueman]

I don't think experience has ever been that big of a factor. People just like to use it as an reason to hate on UK/Cal. Talent wins games.

Exactly. In 14 it was injury to WCS not inexperience that cost us the title. In 11 it was the NCAA ruling Kanter ineligible. In 15 it was an injury to Poythress and Higgins. This past season it was Higgins. When the NCAA saw what Cal was on the verge of 2011 til 2014. They figured out foul trouble and bad match ups in the NCAA tourney was the only way to slow us down. It's one of the reasons Cal recruited the way he did this season I think. A bunch of very long versatile guys who are fairly even skill wise makes it harder for both to occur

 

[Dablueman]

Agree with all of this albeit hard to read

Love our length and athleticism. I'm not sure Cal has had a team quite like this at UK. I think that alone keeps us from struggling early like the 2014 team. And good point about Green. Athough I like the Harrisons and they were rated higher coming out of high school, Green seems to be more poised and confident than they were early on. That's one thing that really hurt us early in 2014, the twins played timid and scared.

Sorry bro a little drunk last night but I am glad you got my point. Lol

 

[WeepNoMore]

I don't think experience has ever been that big of a factor. People just like to use it as an reason to hate on UK/Cal. Talent wins games.

Yes, BUT experienced talent wins Championships!

 

[shaolin style]

Yes, BUT experienced talent wins Championships!

Maybe we don't win in 2012 without SR Miller and SO T Jones. But we definitely don't win without FR Davis and FR MKG.