Coach John Welch’s hiring already paying dividends?

[Woodsmoke]

The offense seemed to be more fluid than in recent years. That, along with the defensive pressure have been missing in recent years. He has a track record for developing young players. Carmelo (Anthony), Pau Gasol, DeMarcus Cousins, Blake Griffin and Brook Lopez to name a few.

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

That lob from Sheppard with :01 left on the shot clock was OOB play perfection. We haven't seen that at UK since Cal got here.

 

[wardlow]

I’ve seen statements such as Cal trusts Welch. We also know Cal wanted to hire an offensive coordinator. I’m really hoping he trusts Welch’s input and implements changes. I remain cautiously optimistic, but with a healthy Bradshaw and Ugo this team looks much better than the past few years.

We make it through this week with some positive impressions and beat a few top 25 teams before conference… I may have to find some room on the back of the bandwagon if there is space.

A hungry and adapting Cal can be effective and dangerous. The last few years have been disappointing and he has to shoulder the blame, but it isn’t the norm compared to most of his career.

 

[ULisnotmyman]

Don’t tell Matt jones this. He’s ready to force his coaching prowess upon the fan base after one game (where we did everything he cried about last year, ironically)

 

[ukfan2410]

No doubt Welch will help a lot but we also have high end talent and really good basketball players in roles they are comfortable with, instead of being forced to make a guy play a role he’s not able to handle. It will always be about talent!

 

[Ron Mehico]

I hope we have a great year but we’ve looked great in every summer exhibition game we’ve ever played, including last year. We’ll see if it translates to real competition and hopefully it does.

 

[Woodsmoke]

I hope we have a great year but we’ve looked great in every summer exhibition game we’ve ever played, including last year. We’ll see if it translates to real competition and hopefully it does.

Competition level not the same in the past.

 

[BlueBomb]

I hope we have a great year but we’ve looked great in every summer exhibition game we’ve ever played, including last year. We’ll see if it translates to real competition and hopefully it does.

This times 1,000

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Don’t tell Matt jones this. He’s ready to force his coaching prowess upon the fan base after one game (where we did everything he cried about last year, ironically)

Your obsession with Matt Jones is becoming Steve Buscemi level weird.

 

[ganner918]

Don’t tell Matt jones this. He’s ready to force his coaching prowess upon the fan base after one game (where we did everything he cried about last year, ironically)

Matt Jones lives rent free in your head

 

[cats2010]

I’ll believe cal is adapting when I see it consistently take place during the regular season. Cals sphincter always puckers up and he reverts to his tired old infective ways, until he doesn’t then nothing has changed.

 

[jace2012]

I believe that Calipari adjusts style of play to his roster. Most coaches do this and without a back to the basket big man Cal had no choice but to change style of play.

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

No doubt Welch will help a lot but we also have high end talent and really good basketball players in roles they are comfortable with, instead of being forced to make a guy play a role he’s not able to handle. It will always be about talent!

This is an excellent point. One thing I will say though, this is with 10 days of actual practice as a team and Welch has been very responsible with player development and offensive work--particularly spacing and shot attempts. The fact the team showed excellent spacing as a young/unfamiliar group in early July is a great sign of what's coming.

The talent shows in pace/speed of the team/players (Reeves return is fantastic as I think he fits in even better with this style of play/team) and spacing leads to more fun basketball to watch due to more efficient and productive offense. Also fun to see more points off defense and the rim protection isn't even with the group yet. They'll get a lot of points of blocked shots igniting breaks.

Also and I know it's nothing in scope of things, but love the uniforms. Give me the same style with home/away and I'm good. Any alternative jersey too-black, gray, whatever, but I think it's a traditional and still stylish look for a program of Kentucky's stature. I will say that I saw an NBA team recently added an alternative jersey and it has checkerboard designs like UK had-may have even been the Raptors but forgot who had them, just laughed thinking of the UK player(s) who will have to be reminded of that when they put them on. LOL

 

[UKBB4Ever]

That lob from Sheppard with :01 left on the shot clock was OOB play perfection. We haven't seen that at UK since Cal got here.

Saw it in the SEC tourney in March. Frederick to Toppin.

Been many more. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

 

[Montana81]

The shot chart yesterday was a thing of beauty and a breath of fresh air.

My fear however is how we played is more a product of missing both of our centers than Cal legitimately making adjustments to his coaching philosophies. We won’t know for sure till at least one of Ugo or Bradshaw are playing. Which won’t be until the season starts.

 

[gbl97]

This team has guys who can take their man off the dribble. First time in 4 seasons? That will change everything.

 

[cmarion77]

This is an excellent point. One thing I will say though, this is with 10 days of actual practice as a team and Welch has been very responsible with player development and offensive work--particularly spacing and shot attempts. The fact the team showed excellent spacing as a young/unfamiliar group in early July is a great sign of what's coming.

The talent shows in pace/speed of the team/players (Reeves return is fantastic as I think he fits in even better with this style of play/team) and spacing leads to more fun basketball to watch due to more efficient and productive offense. Also fun to see more points off defense and the rim protection isn't even with the group yet. They'll get a lot of points of blocked shots igniting breaks.

Also and I know it's nothing in scope of things, but love the uniforms. Give me the same style with home/away and I'm good. Any alternative jersey too-black, gray, whatever, but I think it's a traditional and still stylish look for a program of Kentucky's stature. I will say that I saw an NBA team recently added an alternative jersey and it has checkerboard designs like UK had-may have even been the Raptors but forgot who had them, just laughed thinking of the UK player(s) who will have to be reminded of that when they put them on. LOL

I believe the Kings are the team with the checkerboards, which is funny cause Fox hated our checkerboard uniforms.😂

 

[TheDude73]

Saw it in the SEC tourney in March. Frederick to Toppin.

Been many more. Just because you don’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there.

And there was a time in Cal's first 6-7 years where we were the alley-oop kings of college basketball. If there's one thing Cal has had, it's the lob pass.

Now OOB plays? That's been a pain in our side since he arrived. I can almost hear him coaching "just get the ball in", and that's his strategy.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

We are winning it all.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

It took way too long for Cal to get an OC or something like one. Glad he did

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

I believe the Kings are the team with the checkerboards, which is funny cause Fox hated our checkerboard uniforms.😂

That's exactly who it is! Thanks for clearing that up but that is hilarious.

 

[littlecreek]

The spacing was great and the offense was more fluid. It looked like an NBA offense with almost 5 out. I liked the lineup too.