Frustrated but I see a Silver lining

[IL Wildcat]

I will admit that I was pretty frustrated most of the night. Happy we won, but not with several other things...

1. I thought we'd come out ready to play , coming off that loss, but we didn't. Down 10-0 and then 12-2. This will get you beat against a good team.

2. I thought we'd run away with it once we got the lead to double digits. We didn't. Let them stay in it because of lack of execution on offense by starters and poor D.

3. I was frustrated with the officials most of the night. It seemed we were getting a road whistle all night. They called it tightly against UK but loosely against A&M all night. Travis can't buy a foul but we got whistled for every touch foul. I was wondering if A&M was going to even get to 7 fouls in the 2nd. Do the Aggies foul? Ha!

4. I was frustrated that A&M, which came in shooting about 25% from three, made 50% in the 1st half and finished 8-17 for the game. Just like Alabama, they'll return to earth next time out. Don't tell me it's just bad defense. Beer muscles is what Cal used to call it. Everyone's Superbowl. Whatever, I hate it.

But the silver lining...
1. Hagans continues to play well. He's looking more and more like a Calipari point guard with his running of the offense. He's getting penetration with his quickness and he's finding the open man and making the right plays. And what can you say about his D? He's one of the best I've seen in some time. Don't even try to cross him over, and forget passing it across his face or over his head. His long arms and quick hands make him lethal.

2. Herro is becoming more consistent. I think he's at his best when he's not just camping out at the three point line, but he's moving well, coming off screens, making mid-range shots, and taking it to the rim. These things help him get better looks from 3. I think he's not worried about the shot or the release as much, and he's making them at a better rate.

3. The bench players came to play tonight. PJ, Travis, and KJ were out of sync early, but the team made the run with Quickley, Baker, EJ, and Richards in there. All 4 of those guys made solid contributions in this game and it made a huge difference. The bench was an efficient 9-13 from the floor, including 3-4 from 3. They scored 23 points.

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers. Richards has been improving more and more in his limited time. He had 2 big blocks and finished at the rim well. Montgomery was good too, with 2 blocks in limited minutes. Baker made an unbelievable shot from the corner and completed the 4pt play, but his defense is pretty good, too. I really believe the ceiling of this team depends on these 4 players.

4. We closed out a game that could have slipped away. The team is making plays down the stretch when the game is on the line. A&M cut it to 2 with just under 8 minutes to play (which never should have happened) and the Cats could have let this game get away, but they made the plays to seal the win.

 

[BlueDevilWildcat]

I will admit that I was pretty frustrated most of the night. Happy we won, but not with several other things...

1. I thought we'd come out ready to play , coming off that loss, but we didn't. Down 10-0 and then 12-2. This will get you beat against a good team.

2. I thought we'd run away with it once we got the lead to double digits. We didn't. Let them stay in it because of lack of execution on offense by starters and poor D.

3. I was frustrated with the officials most of the night. It seemed we were getting a road whistle all night. They called it tightly against UK but loosely against A&M all night. Travis can't buy a foul but we got whistled for every touch foul. I was wondering if A&M was going to even get to 7 fouls in the 2nd. Do the Aggies foul? Ha!

4. I was frustrated that A&M, which came in shooting about 25% from three, made 50% in the 1st half and finished 8-17 for the game. Just like Alabama, they'll return to earth next time out. Don't tell me it's just bad defense. Beer muscles is what Cal used to call it. Everyone's Superbowl. Whatever, I hate it.

But the silver lining...
1. Hagans continues to play well. He's looking more and more like a Calipari point guard with his running of the offense. He's getting penetration with his quickness and he's finding the open man and making the right plays. And what can you say about his D? He's one of the best I've seen in some time. Don't even try to cross him over, and forget passing it across his face or over his head. His long arms and quick hands make him lethal.

2. Herro is becoming more consistent. I think he's at his best when he's not just camping out at the three point line, but he's moving well, coming off screens, making mid-range shots, and taking it to the rim. These things help him get better looks from 3. I think he's not worried about the shot or the release as much, and he's making them at a better rate.

3. The bench players came to play tonight. PJ, Travis, and KJ were out of sync early, but the team made the run with Quickley, Baker, EJ, and Richards in there. All 4 of those guys made solid contributions in this game and it made a huge difference. The bench was an efficient 9-13 from the floor, including 3-4 from 3. They scored 23 points.

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers. Richards has been improving more and more in his limited time. He had 2 big blocks and finished at the rim well. Montgomery was good too, with 2 blocks in limited minutes. Baker made an unbelievable shot from the corner and completed the 4pt play, but his defense is pretty good, too. I really believe the ceiling of this team depends on these 4 players.

4. We closed out a game that could have slipped away. The team is making plays down the stretch when the game is on the line. A&M cut it to 2 with just under 8 minutes to play (which never should have happened) and the Cats could have let this game get away, but they made the plays to seal the win.

Hagans is getting better every game, great to see....

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

I will admit that I was pretty frustrated most of the night. Happy we won, but not with several other things...

1. I thought we'd come out ready to play , coming off that loss, but we didn't. Down 10-0 and then 12-2. This will get you beat against a good team.

2. I thought we'd run away with it once we got the lead to double digits. We didn't. Let them stay in it because of lack of execution on offense by starters and poor D.

3. I was frustrated with the officials most of the night. It seemed we were getting a road whistle all night. They called it tightly against UK but loosely against A&M all night. Travis can't buy a foul but we got whistled for every touch foul. I was wondering if A&M was going to even get to 7 fouls in the 2nd. Do the Aggies foul? Ha!

4. I was frustrated that A&M, which came in shooting about 25% from three, made 50% in the 1st half and finished 8-17 for the game. Just like Alabama, they'll return to earth next time out. Don't tell me it's just bad defense. Beer muscles is what Cal used to call it. Everyone's Superbowl. Whatever, I hate it.

But the silver lining...
1. Hagans continues to play well. He's looking more and more like a Calipari point guard with his running of the offense. He's getting penetration with his quickness and he's finding the open man and making the right plays. And what can you say about his D? He's one of the best I've seen in some time. Don't even try to cross him over, and forget passing it across his face or over his head. His long arms and quick hands make him lethal.

2. Herro is becoming more consistent. I think he's at his best when he's not just camping out at the three point line, but he's moving well, coming off screens, making mid-range shots, and taking it to the rim. These things help him get better looks from 3. I think he's not worried about the shot or the release as much, and he's making them at a better rate.

3. The bench players came to play tonight. PJ, Travis, and KJ were out of sync early, but the team made the run with Quickley, Baker, EJ, and Richards in there. All 4 of those guys made solid contributions in this game and it made a huge difference. The bench was an efficient 9-13 from the floor, including 3-4 from 3. They scored 23 points.

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers. Richards has been improving more and more in his limited time. He had 2 big blocks and finished at the rim well. Montgomery was good too, with 2 blocks in limited minutes. Baker made an unbelievable shot from the corner and completed the 4pt play, but his defense is pretty good, too. I really believe the ceiling of this team depends on these 4 players.

4. We closed out a game that could have slipped away. The team is making plays down the stretch when the game is on the line. A&M cut it to 2 with just under 8 minutes to play (which never should have happened) and the Cats could have let this game get away, but they made the plays to seal the win.

I really would like to see Quick take 8-10 shots per game. Kid went 3 for 5 last game and 5 for 5 this one. He is a killer from 3 and it's starting to look like it did in all those 3 point contest. We need to get him more shots, let him take PJ's 3's. I like he is 0-5 last 2 games.

I could say the same thing for Baker and somewhat EJ. I would like to see these guys get more attempts to know we can count on them when others are off. That shot by Baker was great where he got fouled with a guy flying into his face. Would love to see him take at least 6 from 3 in a game to see what he can do. One of the two or even both show they can sustain it and it really makes us a dangerous team from outside with Herro's shot starting to fall.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Better be careful @IL Wildcat , you’ll be called a “Superman” and “dumbass” and accused of “baiting” and you’ll be told to stop making false superlatives about our play against the worst team in the SEC. Happened to me and I made the same observations as you.

https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/nice-win-young-cats.284673/

Maybe so, but that's ok. It's true that our starters didn't play well tonight, but the good news is that the bench stepped up. That's the sign of a good team. Most teams lose when 3 of their starters play poorly, but we won. If people can't see that, there's not much to say. The stats tell the story. The good news is that the starters will get it fixed. The better news is that the bench is starting to put it together. When it all comes together, this team can play with anyone.

 

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

Maybe so, but that's ok. It's true that our starters didn't play well tonight, but the good news is that the bench stepped up. That's the sign of a good team. Most teams lose when 3 of their starters play poorly, but we won. If people can't see that, there's not much to say. The stats tell the story. The good news is that the starters will get it fixed. The better news is that the bench is starting to put it together. When it all comes together, this team can play with anyone.

Guard play was excellent. Nick was on the verge of having a breakout game until he got his 2nd foul and had to sit. I thought EJ gave us some good minutes too.

 

[Wildcats1st]

I will admit that I was pretty frustrated most of the night. Happy we won, but not with several other things...

1. I thought we'd come out ready to play , coming off that loss, but we didn't. Down 10-0 and then 12-2. This will get you beat against a good team.

2. I thought we'd run away with it once we got the lead to double digits. We didn't. Let them stay in it because of lack of execution on offense by starters and poor D.

3. I was frustrated with the officials most of the night. It seemed we were getting a road whistle all night. They called it tightly against UK but loosely against A&M all night. Travis can't buy a foul but we got whistled for every touch foul. I was wondering if A&M was going to even get to 7 fouls in the 2nd. Do the Aggies foul? Ha!

4. I was frustrated that A&M, which came in shooting about 25% from three, made 50% in the 1st half and finished 8-17 for the game. Just like Alabama, they'll return to earth next time out. Don't tell me it's just bad defense. Beer muscles is what Cal used to call it. Everyone's Superbowl. Whatever, I hate it.

But the silver lining...
1. Hagans continues to play well. He's looking more and more like a Calipari point guard with his running of the offense. He's getting penetration with his quickness and he's finding the open man and making the right plays. And what can you say about his D? He's one of the best I've seen in some time. Don't even try to cross him over, and forget passing it across his face or over his head. His long arms and quick hands make him lethal.

2. Herro is becoming more consistent. I think he's at his best when he's not just camping out at the three point line, but he's moving well, coming off screens, making mid-range shots, and taking it to the rim. These things help him get better looks from 3. I think he's not worried about the shot or the release as much, and he's making them at a better rate.

3. The bench players came to play tonight. PJ, Travis, and KJ were out of sync early, but the team made the run with Quickley, Baker, EJ, and Richards in there. All 4 of those guys made solid contributions in this game and it made a huge difference. The bench was an efficient 9-13 from the floor, including 3-4 from 3. They scored 23 points.

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers. Richards has been improving more and more in his limited time. He had 2 big blocks and finished at the rim well. Montgomery was good too, with 2 blocks in limited minutes. Baker made an unbelievable shot from the corner and completed the 4pt play, but his defense is pretty good, too. I really believe the ceiling of this team depends on these 4 players.

4. We closed out a game that could have slipped away. The team is making plays down the stretch when the game is on the line. A&M cut it to 2 with just under 8 minutes to play (which never should have happened) and the Cats could have let this game get away, but they made the plays to seal the win.

Just not buying silver lining number 2. He was 3-12 vs bama and had 12 points. Herro is very streaky and I’m afraid that is going to be how his freshman season goes. I don’t see him leveling out to hit 50% a game and he is a volume guy. I actually think how he shows up one game to carry the team then struggles the next is a huge concern for us. It was definitely the difference va bama

 

[IL Wildcat]

Just not buying silver lining number 2. He was 3-12 vs bama and had 12 points. Herro is very streaky and I’m afraid that is going to be how his freshman season goes. I don’t see him leveling out to hit 50% a game and he is a volume guy. I actually think how he shows up one game to carry the team then struggles the next is a huge concern for us. It was definitely the difference va bama

Well, if you're looking at his entire body of work and seeing the actual trend, you'll see that you're wrong on this one.

He was 4-12 against Alabama, yes. That included 2-6 from 3. If that's all you're considering, your conclusion would be correct.

But look at his last 4 games aside from that one. In his last 4, he's..
30-52 from the field for 57%
12-27 from 3 for 44.4%

So, yes, I stand by my claim that Herro is becoming more consistent. Now, if you cherry pick any one game, you can find evidence to support your theory. But the trend is moving in the right direction.

 

[Smashcat]

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers.

Very nice, especially the 3 steals.

 

[Dward13]

I think herro’s issues are just adjusting to college. His stroke is pure. He’s one of the best shooters we’ve had under Cal. Maybe the best. But he’s a freshman. He’s been pretty good imo.

They’re all adjusting one way or the other. Either to college, or a new team. Even the guys that came back have to adjust to a new team since there were only 3 of them(now 2).

I’m disappointed that they’re struggling because of how good they looked in the summer but honestly it’s not hard to find reason for why it’s playing out the way it is. Just wish more of our teams under Cal were the dominant types. But no team is dominating consistentlu in this era. Kansas is the closest to it but I wouldn’t trade with them because of Selfs abysmal tournament track record. Duke is dominant right now but they’ve underachieved the previous 3 years.

 

[CatfanMike47]

Well, if you're looking at his entire body of work and seeing the actual trend, you'll see that you're wrong on this one.

He was 4-12 against Alabama, yes. That included 2-6 from 3. If that's all you're considering, your conclusion would be correct.

But look at his last 4 games aside from that one. In his last 4, he's..
30-52 from the field for 57%
12-27 from 3 for 44.4%

So, yes, I stand by my claim that Herro is becoming more consistent. Now, if you cherry pick any one game, you can find evidence to support your theory. But the trend is moving in the right direction.

Look who is cherry picking, enough said!

 

[KyFaninNC]

I will admit that I was pretty frustrated most of the night. Happy we won, but not with several other things...

1. I thought we'd come out ready to play , coming off that loss, but we didn't. Down 10-0 and then 12-2. This will get you beat against a good team.

2. I thought we'd run away with it once we got the lead to double digits. We didn't. Let them stay in it because of lack of execution on offense by starters and poor D.

3. I was frustrated with the officials most of the night. It seemed we were getting a road whistle all night. They called it tightly against UK but loosely against A&M all night. Travis can't buy a foul but we got whistled for every touch foul. I was wondering if A&M was going to even get to 7 fouls in the 2nd. Do the Aggies foul? Ha!

4. I was frustrated that A&M, which came in shooting about 25% from three, made 50% in the 1st half and finished 8-17 for the game. Just like Alabama, they'll return to earth next time out. Don't tell me it's just bad defense. Beer muscles is what Cal used to call it. Everyone's Superbowl. Whatever, I hate it.

But the silver lining...
1. Hagans continues to play well. He's looking more and more like a Calipari point guard with his running of the offense. He's getting penetration with his quickness and he's finding the open man and making the right plays. And what can you say about his D? He's one of the best I've seen in some time. Don't even try to cross him over, and forget passing it across his face or over his head. His long arms and quick hands make him lethal.

2. Herro is becoming more consistent. I think he's at his best when he's not just camping out at the three point line, but he's moving well, coming off screens, making mid-range shots, and taking it to the rim. These things help him get better looks from 3. I think he's not worried about the shot or the release as much, and he's making them at a better rate.

3. The bench players came to play tonight. PJ, Travis, and KJ were out of sync early, but the team made the run with Quickley, Baker, EJ, and Richards in there. All 4 of those guys made solid contributions in this game and it made a huge difference. The bench was an efficient 9-13 from the floor, including 3-4 from 3. They scored 23 points.

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers. Richards has been improving more and more in his limited time. He had 2 big blocks and finished at the rim well. Montgomery was good too, with 2 blocks in limited minutes. Baker made an unbelievable shot from the corner and completed the 4pt play, but his defense is pretty good, too. I really believe the ceiling of this team depends on these 4 players.

4. We closed out a game that could have slipped away. The team is making plays down the stretch when the game is on the line. A&M cut it to 2 with just under 8 minutes to play (which never should have happened) and the Cats could have let this game get away, but they made the plays to seal the win.

Why do you think we get so many bad refs, that hate us?

 

[the stat man]

I have to agree on the whistle tonight , it seem AM was able to body check and be a lot more physical than UK. Am was down twelve and made a comeback by playing very very physical and yet only had two fouls to show for it to UK's seven and I am not saying UK didn't commit the seven fouls either. Pat Adams was on the game so what can you expect I guess !!

 

[Big Cat fan]

I've said the last 3 weeks it's been a bad year. This team lack talent for Kentucky standards and the only good team we beat is UNC.

I got heat from the slow ones on here. Once again welcome to Tubby ball once again. I tell it like it is

 

[awf]

I have to agree on the whistle tonight , it seem AM was able to body check and be a lot more physical than UK. Am was down twelve and made a comeback by playing very very physical and yet only had two fouls to show for it to UK's seven and I am not saying UK didn't commit the seven fouls either. Pat Adams was on the game so what can you expect I guess !!

I really don't know why people are complaining about the officiating..........looked like the same old, same old that UK always gets in Rupp.........I think the word that describes it best is......typical.....

 

[awf]

I've said the last 3 weeks it's been a bad year. This team lack talent for Kentucky standards and the only good team we beat is UNC.

I got heat from the slow ones on here. Once again welcome to Tubby ball once again. I tell it like it is

I bet if you get this printed on 100,000 yard signs ........... plant them in yards all around Lexington........and you might get a couple people to agree with you.......

 

[uk78]

There are a number of problems our team has and none of them are the refs. A & M was coached in the second half to have players drive to the basket and we had no defense for it except when Richards was in there. But, he is a liability in other parts of the game with bad hands and limited offensive moves.
Reid is not a shot blocker and is challenged to stay in front of his man if drawn out to the top of the key in switches. He also seems to be struggling at present perhaps on his role.
Hagans is much improved but doesn't shoot the ball very well from the outside.
PJ is a problem. New Rule. You are not allowed to take any 3's.
Herro is a good player maybe the best overall on the team. But, we have to wait to see him have a great performance against a really good team.
Montgomery may have had his best game. But as a 5 star, he remains a disappointment.
Johnson had an off game and seemed to not be playing as a team member.
No one else is that special.

 

[Sparkaces1]

The silver lining I see is Hagans is getting better every game and at the end of the day guard play generally wins games in the NCAA tourny. Our bigs have to raise their level, Travis just has a lot of trouble finishing and I'm not really sure why that is, it's not like Stanford was playing nobody, I think he had a 20/10 game on Ayton last year.

 

[caneintally]

I will admit that I was pretty frustrated most of the night. Happy we won, but not with several other things...

1. I thought we'd come out ready to play , coming off that loss, but we didn't. Down 10-0 and then 12-2. This will get you beat against a good team.

2. I thought we'd run away with it once we got the lead to double digits. We didn't. Let them stay in it because of lack of execution on offense by starters and poor D.

3. I was frustrated with the officials most of the night. It seemed we were getting a road whistle all night. They called it tightly against UK but loosely against A&M all night. Travis can't buy a foul but we got whistled for every touch foul. I was wondering if A&M was going to even get to 7 fouls in the 2nd. Do the Aggies foul? Ha!

4. I was frustrated that A&M, which came in shooting about 25% from three, made 50% in the 1st half and finished 8-17 for the game. Just like Alabama, they'll return to earth next time out. Don't tell me it's just bad defense. Beer muscles is what Cal used to call it. Everyone's Superbowl. Whatever, I hate it.

But the silver lining...
1. Hagans continues to play well. He's looking more and more like a Calipari point guard with his running of the offense. He's getting penetration with his quickness and he's finding the open man and making the right plays. And what can you say about his D? He's one of the best I've seen in some time. Don't even try to cross him over, and forget passing it across his face or over his head. His long arms and quick hands make him lethal.

2. Herro is becoming more consistent. I think he's at his best when he's not just camping out at the three point line, but he's moving well, coming off screens, making mid-range shots, and taking it to the rim. These things help him get better looks from 3. I think he's not worried about the shot or the release as much, and he's making them at a better rate.

3. The bench players came to play tonight. PJ, Travis, and KJ were out of sync early, but the team made the run with Quickley, Baker, EJ, and Richards in there. All 4 of those guys made solid contributions in this game and it made a huge difference. The bench was an efficient 9-13 from the floor, including 3-4 from 3. They scored 23 points.

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers. Richards has been improving more and more in his limited time. He had 2 big blocks and finished at the rim well. Montgomery was good too, with 2 blocks in limited minutes. Baker made an unbelievable shot from the corner and completed the 4pt play, but his defense is pretty good, too. I really believe the ceiling of this team depends on these 4 players.

4. We closed out a game that could have slipped away. The team is making plays down the stretch when the game is on the line. A&M cut it to 2 with just under 8 minutes to play (which never should have happened) and the Cats could have let this game get away, but they made the plays to seal the win.

Simply Quick needs to be on the floor even if Hagans is . He is instant offense. Hagans has become the better pg ( never in a million years did I think that would happen ) but Quick just can score big time. I think even if we have to go small and have PJ at center and KJ at PF . I don't mean starting but for stretches especially against smaller teams like A&M was.

 

[westerncat]

Like most of you I was glad to get the win but was disappointed with our play. Washington should be hard to stop every game but it looks like he is just going playing enough to get by.
Another thing that bugs me is when a team plays a zone defense against us (2-3) it's like we have never see one. We should destroy any zone with the shooters we have. The middle is always open but no one seems to understand that.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Hagans picked up 4 assists last night. Should have easily been 8-10. We missed some wide open looks from 3 late in the second half. Hagans is really starting to understand how to play, the speed he needs to play at, and can get into the lane and find the open shooter. We start hitting some of those wide open looks we will be much better off. I like Hagans a lot; he’s going to be extremely tough in February and March.

IQ also getting more comfortable. and Herro is legit. Out guard play can really take us far if we can just get consistency from PJ and Reid.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

The silver lining I see is Hagans is getting better every game and at the end of the day guard play generally wins games in the NCAA tourny. Our bigs have to raise their level, Travis just has a lot of trouble finishing and I'm not really sure why that is, it's not like Stanford was playing nobody, I think he had a 20/10 game on Ayton last year.

He is just not athletic enough, plain and simple. He’s a little slow, takes too long to react.

 

[Ky_Bred_Cat]

Something's not right yet with this group. Lack of ownership, as Cal says, as well as a leadership void seem to be a problem. On court leadership is still in flux.

 

[BassProCat]

Just not buying silver lining number 2. He was 3-12 vs bama and had 12 points. Herro is very streaky and I’m afraid that is going to be how his freshman season goes. I don’t see him leveling out to hit 50% a game and he is a volume guy. I actually think how he shows up one game to carry the team then struggles the next is a huge concern for us. It was definitely the difference va bama

The difference in the Bama game was letting Mack go 6-6 on 3s in the first half.

And we missed at least 3-4 easy buckets at the rim.

 

[ManitouDan]

Better be careful @IL Wildcat , you’ll be called a “super fan” and “dumbass” and accused of “baiting” and you’ll be told to stop making false superlatives about our play against the worst team in the SEC. Happened to me and I made the same observations as you.

https://kentucky.forums.rivals.com/threads/nice-win-young-cats.284673/

I'll calling BS on this claim... Il Wildcat clearly stated some frustrations and clearly stated a couple things that should NEVER happen . 9UK's post that he linked to was nothing of the sort . Total apples and oranges . Your post was so vague and totally positive with no mention of the real negatives ( falling down 10-0 and 12-2 , bigs not showing up , A and M's 3pt shooting , cutting the lead to 2 etc etc ) that I assumed your post was a pretty slick troll attempt to bring out the 100% sunshine pumpers . When a performance has silver linings that means you kinda have to search for something , and these were also clearly stated by Il Wildcat . Your post was just a Rah Rah , realax , we will be great in March type of stuff . Totally different.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Look who is cherry picking, enough said!

Ha! This guy picks ONE game out and uses it to make the case that Herro isn't a good shooter or isn't improving. I am trying to see where the trend is going, so I'm using his 4 most recent games. And by the way, his numbers are still trending upward from where he started this season even if you include that Alabama game in the numbers. So, no, I'm not cherry picking. The other guy was. He was basing his ENTIRE argument on ONE game.

Your statement is hilarious to me- "look who is cherry picking, enough said." No, it's definitely not enough said. This is one of those ignorant statements people make when attempting to win an argument. Trouble is, most of the time it's not true, like right now. So, let me ask you a question- if you wanted to see how Herro's shooting is TRENDING, how would you do it? Well, you look at what his percentages were in early games and then you compare it to his more recent games. You don't look at ONE game. You look at a group of games. In fact, the best way is to look at the most RECENT games to see if there is a trend. Please tell me how I'm cherry picking Mr. Enough Said. Ha!

 

[ManitouDan]

There are a number of problems our team has and none of them are the refs. A & M was coached in the second half to have players drive to the basket and we had no defense for it except when Richards was in there. But, he is a liability in other parts of the game with bad hands and limited offensive moves.
Reid is not a shot blocker and is challenged to stay in front of his man if drawn out to the top of the key in switches. He also seems to be struggling at present perhaps on his role.
Hagans is much improved but doesn't shoot the ball very well from the outside.
PJ is a problem. New Rule. You are not allowed to take any 3's.
Herro is a good player maybe the best overall on the team. But, we have to wait to see him have a great performance against a really good team.
Montgomery may have had his best game. But as a 5 star, he remains a disappointment.
Johnson had an off game and seemed to not be playing as a team member.
No one else is that special.

excellent post

 

[ManitouDan]

I will admit that I was pretty frustrated most of the night. Happy we won, but not with several other things...

1. I thought we'd come out ready to play , coming off that loss, but we didn't. Down 10-0 and then 12-2. This will get you beat against a good team.

2. I thought we'd run away with it once we got the lead to double digits. We didn't. Let them stay in it because of lack of execution on offense by starters and poor D.

3. I was frustrated with the officials most of the night. It seemed we were getting a road whistle all night. They called it tightly against UK but loosely against A&M all night. Travis can't buy a foul but we got whistled for every touch foul. I was wondering if A&M was going to even get to 7 fouls in the 2nd. Do the Aggies foul? Ha!

4. I was frustrated that A&M, which came in shooting about 25% from three, made 50% in the 1st half and finished 8-17 for the game. Just like Alabama, they'll return to earth next time out. Don't tell me it's just bad defense. Beer muscles is what Cal used to call it. Everyone's Superbowl. Whatever, I hate it.

But the silver lining...
1. Hagans continues to play well. He's looking more and more like a Calipari point guard with his running of the offense. He's getting penetration with his quickness and he's finding the open man and making the right plays. And what can you say about his D? He's one of the best I've seen in some time. Don't even try to cross him over, and forget passing it across his face or over his head. His long arms and quick hands make him lethal.

2. Herro is becoming more consistent. I think he's at his best when he's not just camping out at the three point line, but he's moving well, coming off screens, making mid-range shots, and taking it to the rim. These things help him get better looks from 3. I think he's not worried about the shot or the release as much, and he's making them at a better rate.

3. The bench players came to play tonight. PJ, Travis, and KJ were out of sync early, but the team made the run with Quickley, Baker, EJ, and Richards in there. All 4 of those guys made solid contributions in this game and it made a huge difference. The bench was an efficient 9-13 from the floor, including 3-4 from 3. They scored 23 points.

That's 2 games in a row for Quickley making some threes. He was 2-2 tonight. But he also made defensive plays tonight, with 3 steals of his own tonight. He also had 2 assists and 0 turnovers. Richards has been improving more and more in his limited time. He had 2 big blocks and finished at the rim well. Montgomery was good too, with 2 blocks in limited minutes. Baker made an unbelievable shot from the corner and completed the 4pt play, but his defense is pretty good, too. I really believe the ceiling of this team depends on these 4 players.

4. We closed out a game that could have slipped away. The team is making plays down the stretch when the game is on the line. A&M cut it to 2 with just under 8 minutes to play (which never should have happened) and the Cats could have let this game get away, but they made the plays to seal the win.

good observations , there was some good and some bad . Well presented .

 

[CB3UK]

Agree except about Herro. I need to see more but he has seemed to settle in. Still seems to erratic for me to feel like he's as consistent as he can be.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Why do you think we get so many bad refs, that hate us?

I'm not sure if you're being serious or not. I don't know that they hate us but there is no question we don't get the calls at home that we once did. I can remember when Pitino was the coach back in the 90s and we would get most every call, especially the "when in doubt" kind of calls that officials have to make every game. We don't get those calls. I think we sometimes get a more favorable whistle on neutral courts than we do at Rupp. That crew last night seemed determined to not give UK the benefit of any doubt. I'm amazed that, although it was UK who held the lead the entire second half, the Cats still ended up with more fouls.

 

[KYFOSSIL]

I've said the last 3 weeks it's been a bad year. This team lack talent for Kentucky standards and the only good team we beat is UNC.

I got heat from the slow ones on here. Once again welcome to Tubby ball once again. I tell it like it is

In the first plac it’s been less than a third of a season and we are 11-3 with a win over the 9th ranked team at the time and manhandled UL in their gym. The same UL that beat MSU.
We lost to a very solid SH team shooting out of their ass, the best team in the country, and an SEC away game. This team lacks maturity and cohesiveness which they will gain. If you want guarantees then bring a college basketball fan isn’t the right thing for you.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

I've said the last 3 weeks it's been a bad year. This team lack talent for Kentucky standards and the only good team we beat is UNC.

I got heat from the slow ones on here. Once again welcome to Tubby ball once again. I tell it like it is

Tubby Ball? You really see that? Curious if you actually see that, or if you’re just frustrated at losing a few games early? I see a team that can be good enough to get a final four.

 

[anon_013cn8yrfncx2]

Why mention the refs. Cats had a 12 point lead at the half, all on free throws. FGs even in the first half, both 2s and 3s.

It was not unexpected the refs would even it up in half 2, same as at Bama.

Cats refuse to play with a sense of urgency against lesser opponents. Again, not that surprising.

 

[TheDude73]

Funny how you get 20 likes for saying the same as many of us said last night (about being frustrated with that display even though we won), yet as you have seen, several of us took slaps from the "pumpers" for being too negative in other threads.

Maybe our delivery isn't as fluffy, or perhaps there are too many easily-offended puffcakes (I hate the term "snowflakes" as it reminds me too much of political discord), or maybe there are just too many people that ride on their wishful thinking that all will be great, gambling on their optimism only to be the ones running back here in March with "told you so" commentary and reviving every negative UK/Cal thread ever posted in Rafters history. Either way, it's perfectly OK to be happy with a win, but frustrated with how we got the win. Not sure why this equates to some as being a Debbie Downer...

 

[TheDude73]

Like most of you I was glad to get the win but was disappointed with our play. Washington should be hard to stop every game but it looks like he is just going playing enough to get by.
Another thing that bugs me is when a team plays a zone defense against us (2-3) it's like we have never see one. We should destroy any zone with the shooters we have. The middle is always open but no one seems to understand that.

I disagree with you on how this team manages a zone. This is an awesome year when compared to some of Cal's previous teams that somehow lost their noggins anytime a zone was put in front of them. How some of Cal's previous teams just froze up and got deer-in-the-headlights looks on their faces when a zone was thrown at them was one of the most frustrating things I've ever seen in my life.

 

[IL Wildcat]

Why mention the refs. Cats had a 12 point lead at the half, all on free throws. FGs even in the first half, both 2s and 3s.

It was not unexpected the refs would even it up in half 2, same as at Bama.

Cats refuse to play with a sense of urgency against lesser opponents. Again, not that surprising.

I wouldn't disagree with the things you said other than to say it's not the refs' job to "even it up." It's their job to call what is happening on the floor. Also, I'm not saying UK didn't foul when they were called. I'm simply saying TX A&M also fouled quite a bit in the second half. Pretty much every time we went into the post, we got fouled. I think what coaches, players, and fans want from officials is consistency. And, if I'm being entirely honest, it would be nice to get a little home cooking from time to time. We don't get that at Rupp, in my opinion. Many others do- even crappy teams. I was watching SC and Miss St after our game and SC was getting some home cooking for sure. They ended up winning that game, too. Anyway, this was just one of several things that aggravated me. The most frustrating thing by far was our lack of intensity from the jump.

 

[TheDude73]

Why mention the refs. Cats had a 12 point lead at the half, all on free throws. FGs even in the first half, both 2s and 3s.

It was not unexpected the refs would even it up in half 2, same as at Bama.

Cats refuse to play with a sense of urgency against lesser opponents. Again, not that surprising.

Because free throw discrepancy is rarely the only indicator of referee preference. These guys are professionals at knowing exactly when and where to inject their influence on a game - and it's not always reflected in free throw quantities.

#1 example: No calls, or the types of fouls called (on the floor vs. shooting), as well as Pat Adams' absurd 4 technical, one flagrant bologna replay review that took nearly 10 minutes of time from the game. Anyone notice that the only person running to the monitor during replay review was Patty Adams himself? And he was the one that called the shot clock violation at the end and ran to the screen to put time back on the clock to give A&M one more chance to hit a shot and beat that spread (no proof, but boy wasn't that convenient?).

I'm not convinced that these bad refs just have it out for UK because it's Cal and Kentucky. What I am convinced about is that UK is a cash cow when it comes to Vegas betting lines, and with the anonymity of online sports betting, we'd be fools to believe that college referees are completely innocent when it comes to using their situational refereering decisions and having money on games.

Refs may not be making the shots for the kids in games, but they have all the power in the world to increase the number of chances for a team to make shots by controlling the flow of the game, or picking the right times to make certain calls (and no-calls).

 

[IL Wildcat]

I disagree with you on how this team manages a zone. This is an awesome year when compared to some of Cal's previous teams that somehow lost their noggins anytime a zone was put in front of them. How some of Cal's previous teams just froze up and got deer-in-the-headlights looks on their faces when a zone was thrown at them was one of the most frustrating things I've ever seen in my life.

I agree with this TheDude73. This team seems to handle the zone with much better efficiency than previous Calipari teams. It helps that we have some guys who can knock down shots. But we also seem pretty good at flashing guys to the high post and/or setting a pick at the top of the zone and then finding guys on the opposite low block for easy buckets. I think they're pretty good against the zone.

 

[TheDude73]

I agree with this TheDude73. This team seems to handle the zone with much better efficiency than previous Calipari teams. It helps that we have some guys who can knock down shots. But we also seem pretty good at flashing guys to the high post and/or setting a pick at the top of the zone and then finding guys on the opposite low block for easy buckets. I think they're pretty good against the zone.

Only complaint I have this year is who we elect to take the three point shots against a zone. No reason at all Washington or Travis should be launching from out there. They need to do a head fake and then get that ball across court to Johnson, Herro or another player that actually hits them.

 

[BigBlue1992]

College basketball refs are terrible but I don’t want all the 50/50 home court calls. It won’t get you ready to play on the road where you won’t get any of them. A team shouldn’t get them all anyway no matter where the games at. They didn’t impact the game enough last night to where we shouldn’t have beat a 6-6 team with 8 scholarship players by 25 points.

 

[StubbornPenny]

As someone on here said, “you have to play Travis, but you can’t play Travis.”