Feels weird to say, but this is not the same team
- Thread starter YankeeCpt
- Start date
Coach has totally forgotten about Hawkins and Willis. I think both could have helped us this game.
We destroyed UCLA, beat UNC by 14, and won at Louisville after Alex got hurt, so you're way off in that regard.
We've regressed since the break. Not sure why, but we have.
We've regressed since the break. Not sure why, but we have.
Not sure what happened, but this team seems worse, not better after camp Cal. We seem to need to get in a hole before playing defense and our bigs haven't been able to hit shots. We know we will see the 2-3 zone and our offense is to pass the ball back and forth around the arc and shoot a 3.
We are #1, but are not playing like it.
GBB
We are #1, but are not playing like it.
GBB
I agree. That losing Alex was bigger than many, perhaps most realized. Look at what's happened to the rebound margin in recent games. Alex was a man on the boards. While he's a very nice young man he was also probably the toughest player we had. I just don't think Willie, Dakari, or Karl bring that quite as much as Alex did.
But as for using Willis to go back to the platoon I prefer to go with Cal's judgement.
But as for using Willis to go back to the platoon I prefer to go with Cal's judgement.
Something is definitely wrong with this team. There are a few that (I won't mention their names, because I don't want to create friction between players), that I trust anymore. Had it not been for those few, we would have lost this game.
Someone mentioned this does not look like the team we knew before the holidays, and I agree.
Hopefully, they will come out of this funk and remember what they were doing right.
I can't decide if we were not defending as well as we could against Texas A & M or the home team played out of their minds for this game. Terrible officiating by-the-way.
Glad we pulled this one in our favor. GO CATS
Someone mentioned this does not look like the team we knew before the holidays, and I agree.
Hopefully, they will come out of this funk and remember what they were doing right.
I can't decide if we were not defending as well as we could against Texas A & M or the home team played out of their minds for this game. Terrible officiating by-the-way.
Glad we pulled this one in our favor. GO CATS
The coaches in the SEC are not incompetent boobs. Each game we play will have tape and a blueprint of what gives our team trouble. Granted we are not playing like we did early on but we are getting the best shot from every team we play. The SEC teams are coming up with new game plans and adding to previous successful plans against us.
We do have to learn to play against a zone.
We do have to learn to play against a zone.
I think this gam really showed how we have lost some intensity since Alex Poythress got injured. No toughness today when our guys were getting pushed around and fouled hard. Early on in this season I thought Poythress became our "Enforcer" when things like that started happening. Now it seems our guys are a bit timid. I don't want the team to play dirty, but you got to stick up for yourself and your teammates. When one of the team gets fouled hard, sometimes you may need to do a little more than go over and help them up or pat them on the back.
Yep miss Alex when teams get physical. His game isn't pretty, but he's one tough dude. Can finish thru contact...gets a couple offensive put backs/dunks when we need it, relentless rebounder. Definitely missing AP in these type of games.
Don't agree with Willis, he couldn't help in a game this physical.
Hawkins, not sure why he doesn't get a look when the Harrisons are getting blown by on the perimeter and shooting this poorly. At least he can guard and is a willing passer.
Don't agree with Willis, he couldn't help in a game this physical.
Hawkins, not sure why he doesn't get a look when the Harrisons are getting blown by on the perimeter and shooting this poorly. At least he can guard and is a willing passer.
I agree with this, although to some it may seem fairly obvious. I didn't see too much complaining honestly after the Ole Miss game. But after this one, sheeeeeesh!
IMO, we had the same problems on the interior D that we did against Ole Miss, and the same issues with attacking the zone as we did against Ole Miss. We basically just chuck up a bunch of threes on kickouts, which is fine if you are an undermanned team with no size. Which we are not.
The difference is that Ole Miss knocked in a bunch of treys on TOP of tearing us up on the interior. While A&M is just not as good (not that Ole Miss is); after watching A&M a few times I feel they'll finish in the bottom 3 of the league.
We have plenty of time to work on these things, and we have a good start at 15-0 that we can afford to take some lumps and be totally fine. I believe we will take some lumps for sure. My question is: what changed and why?[/B]
For instance, we do not execute in transition now. There are no more lob opportunities. We throw up prayer-inspired layups as opposed to giving it to the open man on the break. We throw down into the post about 1000% more, with bigs in post-up position, and they consistently kick it back out if they don't turn it over.
It honestly looks just like a different style of play to me. No more "drive-and-kick" or "drive-and-drop" or "drive-and-lob" or just drive and take it. Not sure why we seem to have changed, unless Cal already knows what he's got, so "lets just feel this out and see how we play this way."
We've been playing against zones ALL FREAKING SEASON, and have not looked this bad.
This post was edited on 1/10 5:34 PM by Raroyder
Trust in Cal. He will have these boys ready by tournament time. He is letting them flirt with losing. He knows what he is doing.
I think there are a couple of issues with this team right now, and they actually started before the Louisville game.
1). First of all, Andrew Harrison didn't just have a bad game at UL, he had a complete mental breakdown during that game, and I don't think its a coincidence that this happened after the twins went home for the holidays. I think Daddy Harrison got on their a$$ about shooting more, etc, and the twins are in a mode of trying to do to much and trying to pad their stats more than focusing on what's best for the team. I think Cal will eventually rein that in.
2) I think the clutter that arose after that game - the crap about Ulis being better etc, is starting to effect the team. Again, I think this will pass.
3). I think the greatness of this team has been somewhat overhyped. I think there are certain media types who love to do that with Cal teams just to ramp up the pressure. I still think we have the potential to be a very good team, but there is going to have to some reining in of the egos and expectations.
In the final analysis, UK fans need to remember that what happens in January and February doesn't really matter to some extent. Again, the main thing is to win enough to stay Top 4. Failing that, fine, Top 8, etc. Ultimately it comes down to winning 6 in a row at the end of the year.
1). First of all, Andrew Harrison didn't just have a bad game at UL, he had a complete mental breakdown during that game, and I don't think its a coincidence that this happened after the twins went home for the holidays. I think Daddy Harrison got on their a$$ about shooting more, etc, and the twins are in a mode of trying to do to much and trying to pad their stats more than focusing on what's best for the team. I think Cal will eventually rein that in.
2) I think the clutter that arose after that game - the crap about Ulis being better etc, is starting to effect the team. Again, I think this will pass.
3). I think the greatness of this team has been somewhat overhyped. I think there are certain media types who love to do that with Cal teams just to ramp up the pressure. I still think we have the potential to be a very good team, but there is going to have to some reining in of the egos and expectations.
In the final analysis, UK fans need to remember that what happens in January and February doesn't really matter to some extent. Again, the main thing is to win enough to stay Top 4. Failing that, fine, Top 8, etc. Ultimately it comes down to winning 6 in a row at the end of the year.
I too cannot for the life of me figure out how the last 2 games Willis and Hawkins cant get clock. The Ole Miss game our guards couldnt get stops why not try Hawkins? Hell he shut down Russ Smith last year I'm sure he could hold his own. Couldve used Willis to stretch the A&M zone defense as they continually collapsed in the lane. As shaky as the defense has been at allowing guys to get in the paint theres no way these two couldve done any worse on defense. Why not simply insert either into the 2nd platoon which the players have grown comfortable with this year jmo
Exactly, Don.
I used to expect two points when the ball went inside. Now I expect a turnover. Especially with Dakari.
Alex was the leader. Alex was very unselfish and probably was respected by everyone on the team. Andrew is not a leader. He is too worried about he and Aaron's stats. Not bashing but it is a very obvious situation. Winning a natty without a junior or sr leader is very hard. We don't win in 2012 w/o Darius.
