Here's what this year's team, Pope, Cal leaving and NIL have shown us about college basketball. The freshman are pretty good! The issue with them is that they are playing against Vince Marrow's favorite saying "Grown Ass Men". I don't think most, if any, of us have realized what the new transfer rules have done - especially to major college basketball and the SEC. Just think about this fact. 13 SEC team have won at least 20 games this season, another may join that group this week - and all of them have played really good competition! This year the SEC is almost as good as the "G" league!
These freshman are "freshman" playing against 4th, 5th and 6th year starters that have played good competition, developed their bodies and also developed mentally a different toughness than these freshman had. What I saw from these freshman were freshman mistakes - mistakes made by great freshman as well! It's a huge learning and growing curve now for younger players who compete on the level of UK players and this year was super difficult because of the Covid years factor also.
Realistically only 3 to 5 freshman, at most, can compete and play against the competition our young guys can compete against each year and be successful nearly every game. Name the freshman you have seen that can compete for the entire season against the competition similar to ours? I bet you will be able to count them on one hand and maybe only use 3 fingers at that! Sure lots of them have had many great games - but most of them have played like freshman several different games. Also, those guys probably got to play most of every game - as their team didn;t have the caliber of players ahead of them on the roster like our freshman had to compete against. Bottomline, give our young freshman a couple of seasons to become "grown ass men" and then let's see how they are doing!
Go Big Blue!
These freshman are "freshman" playing against 4th, 5th and 6th year starters that have played good competition, developed their bodies and also developed mentally a different toughness than these freshman had. What I saw from these freshman were freshman mistakes - mistakes made by great freshman as well! It's a huge learning and growing curve now for younger players who compete on the level of UK players and this year was super difficult because of the Covid years factor also.
Realistically only 3 to 5 freshman, at most, can compete and play against the competition our young guys can compete against each year and be successful nearly every game. Name the freshman you have seen that can compete for the entire season against the competition similar to ours? I bet you will be able to count them on one hand and maybe only use 3 fingers at that! Sure lots of them have had many great games - but most of them have played like freshman several different games. Also, those guys probably got to play most of every game - as their team didn;t have the caliber of players ahead of them on the roster like our freshman had to compete against. Bottomline, give our young freshman a couple of seasons to become "grown ass men" and then let's see how they are doing!
Go Big Blue!
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