Did Cal stop recruiting defenders or stop teaching D?

[Jamal Mercer]

Because if I remember, we’ve had some good defenses.

It is amazing how bad we are. Following non shooting bigs out to the 3 point line, leaving lanes wide open. STILL, don’t know how to guard a ball screen, etc…

Infuriating to watch.

 

[Mike-McD]

He doesn't believe in zone, and Edwards can't guard an aircraft carrier and runs under screens.

 

[WildcatNC]

Pretty sure our good Defense left with Robic.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

He doesn't believe in zone, and Edwards can't guard an aircraft carrier and runs under screens.

It would be cool to see on a couple possessions. Kentucky continues to be the easiest team in America to prepare for.

All anybody can ever say when someone brings up a zone is “then you are givinb up wide-open threes“

We are already giving up wide open 3s with our current man to man so that point doesn’t make sense.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Well people bitched about offense so we have that now. If we are gonna lose rather lose an entertaining high scoring affair than a rock fight.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Well people bitched about offense so we have that now. If we are gonna lose rather lose an entertaining high scoring affair than a rock fight.

Ok…I actually agree with this.

That early 2000s Syracuse-UK tourney game still gives me nightmares.

 

[DreadLox]

We are already giving up wide open 3s with our current man to man so that point doesn’t make sense.

The team that leads the country in 3 defense is S. Illinois: 26.0%

The last 3 games for UK: 26.6%
Overall: 30.8%

We rank 67th out of 362. Top 10% or so.
You seem to be able to be able to eyeball the difference, but we're as good (+/- 1%) as Baylor, Alabama, Purdue, Mississippi, Xavier, Virginia.

 

[ukatecowboy]

The team that leads the country in 3 defense is S. Illinois: 26.0%

The last 3 games for UK: 26.6%
Overall: 30.8%

We rank 67th out of 362. Top 10% or so.
You seem to be able to be able to eyeball the difference, but we're as good (+/- 1%) as Baylor, Alabama, Purdue, Mississippi, Xavier, Virginia.

3 defense is not my concern, we can’t stay in front of people. We have to be one of the easiest teams to in the country to get in the Lane. Play a damn zone !!!

 

[MychalG]

Cal's guards have never been able to guard on the perimeter and this team is no different..

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I suspect some players will emerge through as good defenders. Almost every year, someone steps up as a great on ball defender. But in early January this is sometimes where we struggle.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

The team that leads the country in 3 defense is S. Illinois: 26.0%

The last 3 games for UK: 26.6%
Overall: 30.8%

We rank 67th out of 362. Top 10% or so.
You seem to be able to be able to eyeball the difference, but we're as good (+/- 1%) as Baylor, Alabama, Purdue, Mississippi, Xavier, Virginia.

Fantastic today

 

[NavyCat88]

They won’t start playing D until they get to the league.

 

[jwphelps]

Because if I remember, we’ve had some good defenses.

It is amazing how bad we are. Following non shooting bigs out to the 3 point line, leaving lanes wide open. STILL, don’t know how to guard a ball screen, etc…

Infuriating to watch.

Cal has never been good at teaching defense, unless he has a really great shot blocker then he teaches funnel the ball to the lane so they can block it, unfortunately we are still funneling the ball to the lane or just can't keep the ball out of the lane since no one can actually play good man to man defense, which Cal can't teach.

 

[ukjenning44]

He evidently can’t coach both at the same time

 

[JwUKFan11]

Much harder to defend when you want to get out in transition, shoot lots of 3's, and score in the 90's. You don't get to have an offense like ours and also hold teams to under 60.

 

[Johnfarrel]

Don't know if they can't play defense or won't play defense but if they don't start playing it they won't go far. Giving up 97 points to A&M won't get it done.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

Much harder to defend when you want to get out in transition, shoot lots of 3's, and score in the 90's. You don't get to have an offense like ours and also hold teams to under 60.

Our issues on defense are not because we are running and gunning. People are blowing by us in a half court game 15 seconds into the shot clock. With zero rim protection most of the time.

It makes no sense that it’s still this bad this late in the season.

 

[Eccain01]

Our Guards arent great but I expected that coming in. Our Bigs being this bad and Edwards being this bad are the biggest issues

 

[UKNothinButNet]

Easy answer. Playing defenses isn’t a priority in the NBA, just like zone.

 

[JwUKFan11]

Our issues on defense are not because we are running and gunning. People are blowing by us in a half court game 15 seconds into the shot clock. With zero rim protection most of the time.

It makes no sense that it’s still this bad this late in the season.

Yeah we only had like 10 blocks as a team today.

 

[The_Answer1313]

It’s not defending the 3 that’s the issue.

It’s defending the 2. Has been post 15

 

[EliteBlue]

Cal's guards have never been able to guard on the perimeter and this team is no different..

Yep. The difference is we don’t have dominant shot blockers and rebounders at the 4 and 5. Cal has played a defensive style that is based on riding the hip and funneling the drive to the middle and then challenging the shot w a shot blocker and cleaning up misses. Hes never really emphasized staying between your man and the basket. Its biting us this year bc we aren’t cleaning up misses or giving too easy of looks at the basket instead of an effective challenge

 

[JFCats22]

Basketball has flipped from being defensive focused to offensive focused. Players have a huge chunk of responsibility in the terrible defense. It’s a lack of effort a lot of the time.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Because if I remember, we’ve had some good defenses.

It is amazing how bad we are. Following non shooting bigs out to the 3 point line, leaving lanes wide open. STILL, don’t know how to guard a ball screen, etc…

Infuriating to watch.

We had amazing defenses 2010-2015. I’d go as far to say it was Cal’s team signature.

 

[rolaid]

This team can’t play man - we need to hard hedge and make guards hit the roll man
But unfortunately the gate opens and guards get all the way to the rack
Just horribly coached

 

[fatguy87]

I think it’s baked in to Cal’s system.

 

[NociHTTP]

Easy answer. Playing defenses isn’t a priority in the NBA, just like zone.

And if they're not going to play defense here, then just sit them and play the 2-3* guys who will scrap out there and fight like their lives depended on it. Doesn't matter if you're losing 92-92 or 75-65, a loss is a loss. Cal just refuses to let his "bench hold him hostage" lol.

 

[NociHTTP]

We had amazing defenses 2010-2015. I’d go as far to say it was Cal’s team signature.

And the guys we're getting aren't any better than the ones we had then, the difference is Cal.

 

[katwest]

Anytime you have guards driving to the basket every time down the floor you should be able to draw some charges, because they would have run over our ass every time they drove today. But we don’t do that, well coached teams do, why don’t we?

 

[The_Answer1313]

Basketball has flipped from being defensive focused to offensive focused. Players have a huge chunk of responsibility in the terrible defense. It’s a lack of effort a lot of the time.

I agree with this.

Not just the players but everyone focuses on the offense. Most of the talk in past seasons is always offense offense offense. Only reason we are even talking defense now is because the offensive is effective and attractive lol

 

[Soupbean]

Because if I remember, we’ve had some good defenses.

It is amazing how bad we are. Following non shooting bigs out to the 3 point line, leaving lanes wide open. STILL, don’t know how to guard a ball screen, etc…

Infuriating to watch.

It’s hard for anyone to play man to man defense in todays game especially for players who’ve just come out of high school where there is little training at this intensity level. The level of athletes in college combined with how you are allowed to carry and cup the ball and change direction and reset footing on one cupped dribble, it’s just really hard, not to mention taxing and physically griding.

That’s why I keep saying you have to mix in other defenses with man. With our quickness and ability to steal we would be a great half putt trapping team which you can do out of a match up zone. But Cal is committed to playing it th hard way and grinding through man to man

 

[YardCat]

Our Defense might suck and we lost today but I’m so much happier with this team then the last few years going back to Covid.