Charles matthews starting?

[Big Cat fan]

Wow I am glad Briscoe is ok with this. You have to trust Cal. He knows what is best for the player and the team.

This will not hurt Briscoe in the draft, but may help his stock in a way like it did with Booker.

 

[lawrencekash]

Ulis will play the most minutes this year and absent foul trouble will finish any close game.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Starters
G Ulis
G Murray
G Matthews
F Poythress
F Labissiere

Bench
G Briscoe
G Hawkins
G Mulder
F Lee
F Humphries

That might be our best bet, really. Pretty balanced. By running Briscoe with the second team he gets to run the show. He can penetrate. He can finish or kick out to Mulder. Throw a lob to Lee. Run the pick and pop with Humphries. Hawkins gives the second unit a great on ball defender. Good balance of offense and defense for both units.

Briscoe will also get a lot of run with Ulis and Murray. I don't expect a platoon system, but I think we will see the second unit get some run together early on in the exhibitions and in the first game maybe. When we play Duke our rotation will be 7-8 guys.

 

[Orange Soda King]

He should platoon-sub after four minutes during our first game just once, just to mess with all the fans and media, haha.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

I know this will not be well received, as I'm a Kansas fan. So, please feel free to call me a troll and discredit my opinion. I will not be offended. Keep in mind I have only watched 3 full games of Briscoe from high school: Briscoe is very strong and gets the majority of his points by breaking down the defender and driving into the lane and picking up a foul and converting on the free throw line. In college he'll be facing point guards of equal strength and more maturity (experience). He is ball dominant (an easy fix) and an able defender, when he chooses (Calipari will make him choose to defend or he'll sit him for other options). He is also able to create and hit the open man, like a point guard should. He is a very poor shooter which cannot be understated.

I can see how Matthews could start in his place. Matthews is a criminal defender, much more explosive and at worst an equal shooter. You have two players in Ulis and Murray who can run the offense, so bringing Briscoe off the bench makes sense.

Again, my unsolicited opinion. Fire away.

My only complaint is that you say that you've only seen Briscoe 3 times, yet you speak like you've seen him a million times? You admit that you don't know him very well but yet you try to give a complete thorough breakdown of his game? I'm not saying your a troll, you've been around for a bit in other discussions but why act like you know his game when you start the entire post off by saying that you haven't seen him play much at all? Your credibility went right out the window. That's the only complaint that I have, I don't mind other fans coming over and talking college bball. Your post wasn't disrespectful and was quite good but I couldn't give it any credibility because you said you hadn't seen him play much. That's all.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

Starters
G Ulis
G Murray
G Matthews
F Poythress
F Labissiere

Bench
G Briscoe
G Hawkins
G Mulder
F Lee
F Humphries

That might be our best bet, really. Pretty balanced. By running Briscoe with the second team he gets to run the show. He can penetrate. He can finish or kick out to Mulder. Throw a lob to Lee. Run the pick and pop with Humphries. Hawkins gives the second unit a great on ball defender. Good balance of offense and defense for both units.

Briscoe will also get a lot of run with Ulis and Murray. I don't expect a platoon system, but I think we will see the second unit get some run together early on in the exhibitions and in the first game maybe. When we play Duke our rotation will be 7-8 guys.

Who were the ones talking all this "positionless " basketball nonsense. I can't quite remember who all it was but i've felt like this is the route that Cal wants to go with either Matthews or Mulder at the 3 spot and from what we are hearing, it looks like it Matthews to lose. If he can become that lock down defender that we need on the perimeter, teams better WATCH OUT! This team could be scary good again defensively. I also said earlier this summer that I think this team is better suited to win a title than last year's team (post Alex). If Alex doesn't go down last year, we win that title and nothing will ever convince me otherwise. He was the key last year and will be again this year. If we can stay healthy and be healthy come tournament time with all these players, I will like our chances even better than last year. Now, nobody is going to give us the odds we had last year but I think this team will be better suited to win a 6 game tournament than last year. Just my opinion though.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

I've seen Briscoe now 7 times.... and he's not a poor shooter. he's an average shooter who is streaky. He's a better shooter than Mason or Graham.... if that gives a better idea of what type of shooter he is.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I really think Matthews with the starting five is all about Briscoe running the second team.

With Ulis, Briscoe, and Murray on the first team, who runs the offense for the second team? I think some of us our reading too much into this.

Matthews does give us a strong defender on the wing, though. That probably factors in as well.

But the more I think about it, I think it's just to give the second unit a PG.

And like Cal said, it forces Briscoe to be the leader on the second team and not to defer to Ulis.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

without Hawkins, someone has to be the PG on the 2nd five... so I agree with the poster above. Once games start, Ulis, Briscoe and Murray will start and hopefully by then Hawkins will be ready to go and be the backup pg with Mulder and Matthews on the 2nd five which should be able to push our starters with their ability to play defense.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

1. 2010 proved two Pg's can play together and do it well.

2.. Murray has played off the ball all summer long and played great

pretty sure those 2 points completely destroys the idea of an unsolvable riddle.

 

[rabidcatfan]

He'll start if Cal thinks we need his D to start a game off with. He's always been a great defender and a quick and agile slasher. He'll definitely start if he develops his outside shot, since his athleticism and defense are two aspects of his game that set him apart from a lot of other players already.

 

[Hoskins91]

1. 2010 proved two Pg's can play together and do it well.

2.. Murray has played off the ball all summer long and played great

pretty sure those 2 points completely destroys the idea of an unsolvable riddle.

Well, the first point is flawed because, based on skill set, Bledsoe and Wall were terrible fits together. It didn't effect our record for several reasons, but the most relevant one being that Wall is one of the better players to ever play here, and the two of them were freak athletes that allowed them to significantly impact the game despite them not complementing each other.

I think Ulis and Murray will be fine. They both are very well-rounded offensively, they are smart, and unselfish. Briscoe is the question mark.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

My only complaint is that you say that you've only seen Briscoe 3 times, yet you speak like you've seen him a million times? You admit that you don't know him very well but yet you try to give a complete thorough breakdown of his game? I'm not saying your a troll, you've been around for a bit in other discussions but why act like you know his game when you start the entire post off by saying that you haven't seen him play much at all? Your credibility went right out the window. That's the only complaint that I have, I don't mind other fans coming over and talking college bball. Your post wasn't disrespectful and was quite good but I couldn't give it any credibility because you said you hadn't seen him play much. That's all.

My preface was to make it clear that my thoughts which followed are merely based on 3 games. So that inherently, it was a small sample size. It was meant to clarify that it was not meant to be the "last word" on Briscoe's game. He's a talented player.

 

[Hoskins91]

Briscoe is very similar to the Harrison's as far as physical limitations are concerned. He's big and strong, but he's not particularly quick or athletic. He is gonna have issues consistently getting to the basket and finishing. How effective he is as an offensive player will come down to how well he can convert shots away from the basket, and how often he can get to the free throw line.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

My preface was to make it clear that my thoughts which followed are merely based on 3 games. So that inherently, it was a small sample size. It was meant to clarify that it was not meant to be the "last word" on Briscoe's game. He's a talented player.

Gotcha.

 

[KnowsAllTellsAll]

I've seen Briscoe now 7 times.... and he's not a poor shooter. he's an average shooter who is streaky. He's a better shooter than Mason or Graham.... if that gives a better idea of what type of shooter he is.

Respect your opinion, but he is not a better shooter than Mason (43% from 3 last year on 98 attempts) and 44% overall from the field on 340 attempts. Graham is too small a sample size (43% from 3 on 40 attempts and 40% overall on 117 attempts), but he shot well last year in the limited minutes and shots taken. Both against college competition.

Against high school competition Briscoe shot 34% from 3 on 61 attempts and 46% overall on 250 attempts.

 

[stenchymouse]

Well, the first point is flawed because, based on skill set, Bledsoe and Wall were terrible fits together. It didn't effect our record for several reasons, but the most relevant one being that Wall is one of the better players to ever play here, and the two of them were freak athletes that allowed them to significantly impact the game despite them not complementing each other.

I think Ulis and Murray will be fine. They both are very well-rounded offensively, they are smart, and unselfish. Briscoe is the question mark.

I thought that Bledsoe and Wall complimented each other well.

They were both unselfish kids who just wanted to win!

I'd take that back court any day of the week!!!

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

Sorry didnt realize mason shot 43% from behind the arc last season. I thought it was around the 34 % mark..... which is crazy because every game I watched of KU, he was brick city and I watched a lot more games than you'd think a UK fan would watch of other teams.

 

[kyups01]

Some people still haven't figured out what an incredible player Briscoe is.

Totally agree and I've said it time and time again, he's the most talented freshman we have coming in (not based on future talent, but physically ready)....love Murray but Briscoe is more talented overall.