Then why don't all teams use zone all the time? According to you, it means 1) no straight line drives, 2) other team has to hit jumpers, 3) less wear on the legs, and 4) less fouls for bigs. Why limit it to just 4-5 minutes per half? And what are you sacrificing at practice to implement a zone? Or do you think a team is young and has not played together will be able to execute a zone well? Or are zones just so magical that doing them poorly is better than doing man to man at all?
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Then why don't all teams use zone all the time? According to you, it means 1) no straight line drives, 2) other team has to hit jumpers, 3) less wear on the legs, and 4) less fouls for bigs. Why limit it to just 4-5 minutes per half? And what are you sacrificing at practice to implement a zone? Or do you think a team is young and has not played together will be able to execute a zone well? Or are zones just so magical that doing them poorly is better than doing man to man at all?
^^ Good points. I', sure Cal has to use every minute he can at practices. He doesn't have Denzel Valentine or Marcus Paige where you can say "Well, alright, just go out there and do what you've been doing, Here's a few pointers"..
This is why people can't say "Have them shoot 1,000 FT's in practice".. if you do, then you're taking valuable time away from other areas. What's more important, a team that can run the offense but might shoot themselves in the foot with FT's.. or a team that can't run the offense at all, and FT's don't even matter?
This is why people can't say "Have them shoot 1,000 FT's in practice".. if you do, then you're taking valuable time away from other areas. What's more important, a team that can run the offense but might shoot themselves in the foot with FT's.. or a team that can't run the offense at all, and FT's don't even matter?
He must have those quotes on a device that he can just leave at the podium and play after every loss every year.
Same old same old.
That IS hitting the Hamer on the nail and calling it just like it is! I will add one thing though he better start Hanging banners or I say we go after Brad Stevens! This will go down as one of the WORST losses in UK history! Especially because of it being Tennessee and the 21 point lead!
You can't lead a game on the Road by 21, 34-13 and then in 5minutes we are at 42-36 halftime. The worse 5 minute of ball I have seen this team play this year! We should had a 20 point lead at half tonight! For fans to continue to ask for the Zone you won't see it with Coach Cal. He just won't play the Zone. I agree with the fans on this one and there has been times this year if we play zone we win the game. The OSU game, Auburn, Kansas, and now Tenn tonight. We could easily be 20-2 or 19-3. We just don't have that Inside Presence this year when you go from last year with KAT, Lyles, WCS, Lee, and Dakari Johnson underneath to now with Poy, Lee, Willis, and Skal a big difference from last year! ITs not that hard to see from last year to this year where our biggest problem is for this team!
So if Kentucky loses in the tournament, it's because Cal was out-coached? He has lost 4 times in the NCAA Tournament while at UK - 2010, 2011, 2014, and 2015. It is your opinion that in each instance Cal was out-coached. Did he out coach the other guy in each of UK's wins? I just want to know your criteria for when Cal was out coached versus when he wasn't. Surely it's not purely outcome-based post-hoc rationalization, because that would be pretty stupid. Yup, pretty stupid.
Pretty sure he had zero (0) top ranked recruiting classes while at Memphis. Rose, Tyreke, and Washington were the only 5* I remember him snagging.
Yeah it was a pretty pitiful showing. But we only really have 3.5 players (Tyler, Jamal, Isaiah.... and then Derek). When your 2 main players who got major time (Lee and Poythress) can neither lead vocally or by example you have problems.
Couple that with Cal refusing to make any changes or do anything differently, then we'll lose more of those games we shouldn't lose.
He was out-coached. And we were out-played. The team look unprepared again and unwilling to fight...again.
Couple that with Cal refusing to make any changes or do anything differently, then we'll lose more of those games we shouldn't lose.
He was out-coached. And we were out-played. The team look unprepared again and unwilling to fight...again.
You misspoke, I assume. You meant to say that if we played a zone and were good at it, we win the game, right? A zone isn't magic. You have to be able to play it well or it's not going to be good. You don't just call a timeout and say "hey, team, let's try a zone. Remember all that AAU time you spent playing zone? Hey, Jamal, those Junior World/Canada teams played some triangle and 2, right? Lee, remember that box and 1 you broke out at the Nike Skills Academy? Let's just do that." It takes practice time, and with a young team that's at a premium.
No smartass it's not magical. You incorporate it into your scheme when practice starts for the season. You know, like almost every coach in the country does. No one is saying we should always play zone, but we should be able to play it when the opponent is killing us in the paint or off drives to the basket. It's not difficult.
How many more times are we going to have to read this statement? If you truly believe that Calipari only cares about getting players drafter and not wins, you are a complete idiot.
If you keep trying to defend the indefensible, maybe he isn't alone.
Yeah, if you compare without context you can come up with all sorts of bullshit. How many other teams in the country lost 7 rotation players and are implementing a zone? How many are integrating 5 new starters? How successful are their zones? Please point me to the teams that are integrating essentially new teams and are running, successfully, multiple defenses while still having functioning offenses?
Thanks, I'll take my answer off the air!
i know you are just playing right now with that post. But when Cal says things like that he leaves himself open for that.
How many coaches did all the above to himself? Cal is a big boy and he knows the price for his method of recruiting so cut it out with all of the excuses. UT shouldn't have been much more than a speed bump.
I'm not making excuses, so I'll cut nothing out. My point is not to have a referendum on Cal's tenure. My point is that stating things like "we'd have X more wins/titles/Final Fours/etc... if we'd just play a zone" is ridiculous. Maybe? But there's trade offs for everything. It's a world of finite resources (in this case, practice time). If Cal gets a nice upperclassmen team, would he implement some zone defenses to throw other teams off? Maybe. I bet our offense would have new wrinkles, too. More out of bounds plays, you bet. Because that's the type of stuff you can do with a more experienced team - hence the notion that you can't win titles with freshmen teams (before Cal). But to argue that implementing a zone would have necessarily turned some losses to wins is pure idiocy. It's speculation, plain and simple, by posters who are upset after a loss.
If someone wants to bash Cal for protecting his recruiting, I'll give them that. But he's doing it so he can sign the next best class ever. He's the best recruiter for a reason. But I do agree, some of these guys need to come back another year. Yes, they can go to the D-League and make 40k or whatever. Or they can stay here, work on their degree, and help our program that's paying for their tuition. Dakari Johnson makes this team WAY better.
But again, it's a legit complaint. But I see why he does it.
But again, it's a legit complaint. But I see why he does it.
If we played predominantly zone and got beat, you would be here extolling the virtues of man to man. Just shut up.
With Bolden, we basically have a starting 5 and a 6th man coming in.
Sure some players need to come back.. But I'm not sure if Kentucky is the best choice. This is going to be a tough situation for Skal, Lee, and Willis. If they don't make huge strides next year, they'll be on the bench.
If there's one player that gets preferential treatmentment over this year's highly touted recruits... It's next year's highly touted recruits.
Sure some players need to come back.. But I'm not sure if Kentucky is the best choice. This is going to be a tough situation for Skal, Lee, and Willis. If they don't make huge strides next year, they'll be on the bench.
If there's one player that gets preferential treatmentment over this year's highly touted recruits... It's next year's highly touted recruits.
Guys Cal gets players that want to leave after a year. Some he will take back if he feels it will help with the draft stock. But Kentucky to kids are called one and done. It has worked for UK and Duke but we will always lose players that should stay in order to get ready for the NBA. They want to get paid. Places like louisville UNC UF Mich St they get talent that want to play for the love of college basketball. They know they have to and they enjoy college life for the most part.
Cal can't win another title unless he gets the very best talent for that reason.
Cal can't win another title unless he gets the very best talent for that reason.
No, this is not fact. Without google, tell me one person besides Marcus Camby that was on the 96 UMass Final Four team. That team probably wins a national title if not for perhaps the best college team of the century being their opponent in the national semifinals. You do remember that team they had to play that night, don't you?
He's not good on defense but taking your best scorer out would be idiotic. Who are you gonna replace him with? Hawkins who plays good defense but an absolute terrible shooter?
![[roll]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/roll.r191677.gif "roll [roll]")
All 5* are not equal. DeMarcus Cousins or Marcus Lee? Don't get hung up on the stars. We just nearly beat a very good KU team on their home court.
Honestly, if I was Cal, I would say FU hillbillies and take an NBA gig and watch UK basketball become Indiana for 25 years
Honestly, if I was Cal, I would say FU hillbillies and take an NBA gig and watch UK basketball become Indiana for 25 years
Lol yea right. If Cal does ever end up back in the NBA it won't be more than 3-4 years. Players won't put up with his crap like college kids have to. Plus if he isn't a winning and winning pretty big then he will be fired within 3-4 years. Teams are basically giving new coaches 2 years at most to start winning now or they get fired.
IhateCal bashing but constructive critism is fine IMO! Cal has made it clear that THEY DO PRACTICE ZONE IN PRACTICE IN CASE WE NEED IT, and has also admited that he Prolly should use the zone more often after it worked wonders in other years!
I rarely critique Calbecause he's so good we should cut him a lotofslack but to say that there's NEVER a time to use a zone, even if it's just to keep the otherteamsgyesing is ridiculous, and hardheaded!
I rarely critique Calbecause he's so good we should cut him a lotofslack but to say that there's NEVER a time to use a zone, even if it's just to keep the otherteamsgyesing is ridiculous, and hardheaded!
Off the top of my head Duke. Coach K used to never play any zone, but a few years ago he started using it and still does when it's called for. Our players have played zone defense in high school. It's not like it's a complete foreign thing to them.
First, I don't want us to play zone most of the time. I do want it to be available when it's needed. We lost twice to Connecticut in the Final Four and in the Finals because we couldn't keep their guards out of the paint. A zone would shut that crap down. But, we don't have it at our disposal at all. That is not smart.
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