Got to put Saturday behind us

[Aike]

More I think about it, the worse I feel for our players.

They were put in an unnaturally difficult position, compounded by injury problems.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s the worst we’ve played all year. But consider the uneven nature of competition.

Coach Cal and 3 former players, who all happen to be very talented, rolling in with nothing to lose and this game circled on their calendars since the summer.

On the other side, a bunch of players who have no history with Cal, or DJ, or Adou, or Big Z. They are just being told all week (and farther back) that they had to win this game no matter what. Jimmy Dykes calling it the biggest regular season game ever (or some such nonsense).

Disappointed that they didn’t rise to the occasion, but I refuse to let it define the season.

Time to put it in the rearview and pull for this team that has already given us a slew of fun memories. They will need all the support they can get down the stretch, as they navigate injury concerns and a killer schedule.

 

[STL_Cat]

The season feels like it took a major punch to the gut but it’s a long way from over. We’ll see how the guys respond. We could still match back up with Arkansas in the SEC tournament and exorcise these demons.

 

[TheDude73]

More I think about it, the worse I feel for our players.

They were put in an unnaturally difficult position, compounded by injury problems.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s the worst we’ve played all year. But consider the uneven nature of competition.

Coach Cal and 3 former players, who all happen to be very talented, rolling in with nothing to lose and this game circled on their calendars since the summer.

On the other side, a bunch of players who have no history with Cal, or DJ, or Adou, or Big Z. They are just being told all week (and farther back) that they had to win this game no matter what. Jimmy Dykes calling it the biggest regular season game ever (or some such nonsense).

Disappointed that they didn’t rise to the occasion, but I refuse to let it define the season.

Time to put it in the rearview and pull for this team that has already given us a slew of fun memories. They will need all the support they can get down the stretch, as they navigate injury concerns and a killer schedule.

Yep, I told my wife that I wasn't worried at all. Lots of season left and already this team has overachieved and won some pretty big Q1 games.

We could play Arkansas 3 times this year and they'd never hit that many threes. Had they been on their average of 6 per game, we'd have blown them out, even with how we played. Also, I think had they been missing, Cal would have abandoned the threes and forced them to drive, which I would think would have triggered Pope going to 1-3-1 or 2-3 zone to pack the lane. But the way the game played out - their first 12 points were three pointers. They hit 9 in the first half. A bizarre situation from a team that only shoots 24% all year from the perimeter.

To be honest, I think we played relatively well given our injuries. Arkansas just had their best game of the season, particularly from 3.

If we see them again in the SECT, we will blow them out as they won't keep drilling 10-12 three pointers.

 

[Bluesnky]

Yep, I told my wife that I wasn't worried at all. Lots of season left and already this team has overachieved and won some pretty big Q1 games.

We could play Arkansas 3 times this year and they'd never hit that many threes. Had they been on their average of 6 per game, we'd have blown them out, even with how we played. Also, I think had they been missing, Cal would have abandoned the threes and forced them to drive, which I would think would have triggered Pope going to 1-3-1 or 2-3 zone to pack the lane. But the way the game played out - their first 12 points were three pointers. They hit 9 in the first half. A bizarre situation from a team that only shoots 24% all year from the perimeter.

To be honest, I think we played relatively well given our injuries. Arkansas just had their best game of the season, particularly from 3.

If we see them again in the SECT, we will blow them out as they won't keep drilling 10-12 three pointers.

I think we either need to have Butler healthy or find an atypical way to consistently get into our offense in order to blow them out. It’s going to be hard to beat anyone until that issue is resolved.

 

[Creed Bratton]

Maybe I just never noticed but when did Adou become such a crybaby? He whined every time he took a shot if the refs didn't call a foul. Maybe he was like that when he was here and I never noticed but good Lord he looked like Lebron out there crying.

 

[TheDude73]

I think we either need to have Butler healthy or find an atypical way to consistently get into our offense in order to blow them out. It’s going to be hard to beat anyone until that issue is resolved.

Had they hit just their average in threes (6), that's a loss of a lot of points. We'd have covered the spread quite easily and I think Pope would have implemented a zone defense much sooner had they bricked those first 10 threes rather than going 50-60% in the first half.

 

[Aike]

Yep, I told my wife that I wasn't worried at all. Lots of season left and already this team has overachieved and won some pretty big Q1 games.

We could play Arkansas 3 times this year and they'd never hit that many threes. Had they been on their average of 6 per game, we'd have blown them out, even with how we played. Also, I think had they been missing, Cal would have abandoned the threes and forced them to drive, which I would think would have triggered Pope going to 1-3-1 or 2-3 zone to pack the lane. But the way the game played out - their first 12 points were three pointers. They hit 9 in the first half. A bizarre situation from a team that only shoots 24% all year from the perimeter.

To be honest, I think we played relatively well given our injuries. Arkansas just had their best game of the season, particularly from 3.

If we see them again in the SECT, we will blow them out as they won't keep drilling 10-12 three pointers.

From a “how we played” perspective, Arkansas was 17/8 assist/TO and we were 11/14.

Imo, that’s something we have to get cleaned up, on both sides of the ball.

To be fair, our lack of point guards almost has to be the root of much of this problem. Both from a ball security and distribution standpoint, and a disruption standpoint defensively.

Pope and the team have work to do, but I have faith we can improve. Taking care of the ball is job one, imo.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Feels like were inevitable just limping towards March. Try and win some games and keep us in the 5-7 seed range (Which is where I believe we will fall to), and then hope we can get a win or two and possibly make a Sweet16.

Just doesn't seem like we're getting Butler or Kerr back, and Carr is just injured on and off. So were down 3 guys in my eyes until otherwise, on a team that's already got the makeup of a very good mid-major team. That just isn't going to cut it. The cliche "it is what it is" applies here. Most injured team in D1, playing in the toughest conference, with a thrown-together roster in a coaches 1st year. Can't really expect much.

 

[TheDude73]

From a “how we played” perspective, Arkansas was 17/8 assist/TO and we were 11/14.

Imo, that’s something we have to get cleaned up, on both sides of the ball.

To be fair, our lack of point guards almost has to be the root of much of this problem. Both from a ball security and distribution standpoint, and a disruption standpoint defensively.

Pope and the team have work to do, but I have faith we can improve. Taking care of the ball is job one, imo.

Yes, but I did say "given our injuries", we played decent. Our TOs and drop in assists is totally due to both PGs being out.

 

[Aike]

Yes, but I did say "given our injuries", we played decent. Our TOs and drop in assists is totally due to both PGs being out.

It is, but we still have to take better care of the ball. A lot of that is concentration, or just better understanding of what the defense is doing to take away passing lanes, etc.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

We shot well and out rebounded Arkansas on the offensive glass by 5. The Hogs made a bunch of threes that wouldn’t normally go down.

I don’t see the loss as a serious indictment on the team’s trajectory, with the exception of two things:
One, I’m concerned at Williams’ ability to defend the perimeter. He really struggled to get out on Z. That is a very specific defensive vulnerability that will really apply mostly to 5 out offenses which most teams don’t play.

Two, without Butler or Kriisa, we do not have the speed to defend opposing PGs. We were already a less-than-stellar defense but without a PG, we won’t be able to stop the bleeding. Gotta figure out how to get one of the PGs back.

 

[wardlow]

It is what it is, just another loss. A bit embarrassing being at home, but not as embarrassing as Arky’s record this year.

Missing two PGs and Carr being injured is not a recipe for success. This season has been too good so far to care much about losing to Cal.

Please get Butler and Carr healthy!

 

[wildcat_nation28]

As much the guys are being paid they should perform all the time!

 

[Cowtown Cat]

It is, but we still have to take better care of the ball. A lot of that is concentration, or just better understanding of what the defense is doing to take away passing lanes, etc.

Yep! So many bonehead passes thrown in that game. Turnovers absolutely killed us. We probably win if we just take care of the ball.

 

[Kuhldaddy]

Maybe I just never noticed but when did Adou become such a crybaby? He whined every time he took a shot if the refs didn't call a foul. Maybe he was like that when he was here and I never noticed but good Lord he looked like Lebron out there crying.

Same with Big X. He would commit an obvious foul then throw his hands up in disbelief and smirk.

 

[Aike]

As much the guys are being paid they should perform all the time!

Best NBA team ever still lost 9 games.

 

[STL_Cat]

Best NBA team ever still lost 9 games.

Out of 82 … just to be fair. Point taken though

 

[Rockfly78]

There really is no spin that you can put on this one. We simply cannot afford to lose a home game to the worst team in the SEC right before you go back on the road to face another tough team and right after we went on the road and won a tough one. To win at Tenn and turn around an lose a few days later at home to Arky is what may define our season. It's a trend at this point and it's the kind of trend that says we could lose in the first round of the tournament, or we could knock off a 1 seed. But unfortunately, we would never get to the round where we play the 1 seed. When you look at our incredible wins it makes our losses look that much worse. It simply makes no sense.

Pope will have his work cut out for him going forward because Butler and Carr will not be 100% the rest of the year and Kerr likely doesn't play again. As a matter of fact, Butler may also be done. We have lose 3 of our last 4 and we are about to play a tough road game at Ole Miss. There is no excuse for losing that game to Arky. We lost because they wanted it more and that bothers me a lot.

Go cats

 

[The_Answer1313]

They needed that game desperately as their season was going down the tubes.

That combined with Cal and the former players coming back.

Yeah. It is what it is. Move on to the next one

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

It hurt. But gotta keep going. If we don’t get a point guard back we gonna struggle.

 

[ukcatz12]

The team was definitely put in an impossible position. There was just zero possible way our guys would have been as motivated as the Arkansas guys. It's just human nature. Emotions like anger and the drive for revenge are more powerful motivators than anything Pope could have told our team. That's just the way it is.

Thiero, Z, and Wagner have probably spent the last 10 months with this game circled on the calendar with the intention of proving our fanbase wrong.

 

[The_Answer1313]

The team was definitely put in an impossible position. There was just zero possible way our guys would have been as motivated as the Arkansas guys. It's just human nature. Emotions like anger and the drive for revenge are more powerful motivators than anything Pope could have told our team. That's just the way it is.

Thiero, Z, and Wagner have probably spent the last 10 months with this game circled on the calendar with the intention of proving our fanbase wrong.

Then again I felt like we kinda did. They started off red hot and so were we. I felt like we did match their intensity at least at the start.

What really showed again tho was poor defense. We tried to fight back in that second half but we just couldn’t put enough stops together.

 

[kywildcat41035]

I don’t know if I can get over it this quick the one game on the schedule that Pope had to win in his first season and he didn’t complete the mission. I mean this game to go with the Ohio State, Clemson , Georgia, and Vanderbilt really got me scratching my head. Especially since they are 6-1 against top 15. I love Pope but he’s got to figure out how to keep the players focused and motivated against all level of opponents.

 

[Cats192]

Had they hit just their average in threes (6), that's a loss of a lot of points. We'd have covered the spread quite easily and I think Pope would have implemented a zone defense much sooner had they bricked those first 10 threes rather than going 50-60% in the first half.

Yup.

A lot of people upset Pope didn't go to a zone. Arkansas was on fire from 3. What was a zone going to do? We dared them to make shots. They did.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I had this awful feeling that exact scenario would play out. I woke up Saturday with the same feeling in my gut I had for Wisconsin in 2015.

BBN was all over social media last week guaranteeing blow outs and being obnoxious in general.

This game was the biggest of the year for the Arkansas team and fans. This game was only the biggest game of the year for UK fans. None of these guys played a second for Cal and only Perry was recruited by Cal. Couple that with our injuries to key players and it’s a recipe for disaster.

I was worried one of our former players would torch us. Wasn’t expecting all 3 at once.

 

[JimBR]

Maybe I just never noticed but when did Adou become such a crybaby? He whined every time he took a shot if the refs didn't call a foul. Maybe he was like that when he was here and I never noticed but good Lord he looked like Lebron out there crying.

He learned through watching his coach's interaction with referees.

 

[Emarc]

I don’t know if I can get over it this quick the one game on the schedule that Pope had to win in his first season and he didn’t complete the mission. I mean this game to go with the Ohio State, Clemson , Georgia, and Vanderbilt really got me scratching my head. Especially since they are 6-1 against top 15. I love Pope but he’s got to figure out how to keep the players focused and motivated against all level of opponents.

“ didnt complete his mission.” More than assemble a team, a staff, have them competitive starti from scratch. What more was expected?

 

[TheDude73]

Yup.

A lot of people upset Pope didn't go to a zone. Arkansas was on fire from 3. What was a zone going to do? We dared them to make shots. They did.

Pope is known to play the numbers/metrics. We know we have a defect in 3-point defense, so when they started hitting them, we really had nothing we could do because, well, we always hedge on the perimeter to make up for our lack of athleticism to stop the drive. And Cal's teams are nearly always athletic, driving teams.

The game changer was Arkansas going mad from the perimeter and throwing everyone off. I'm sure even Cal was pleasantly surprised.

 

[stenchymouse]

I'm over it.

No rear view mirror for me, but we really need to get healthy to have any chance of winning in March.

 

[Emarc]

I'm over it.

No rear view mirror for me, but we really need to get healthy to have any chance of winning in March.

Amen.

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

Already gone.
Nobody could’ve foreseen a shit Arkansas situation coming into Rupp and playing like the ‘96 Cats.
They probably would have beaten anyone in the country Saturday night if they played like that

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Convinced Oweh was hurting Saturday.

No Butler.

Carr limited.

No Kerr.

 

[billoliver40]

As much the guys are being paid they should perform all the time!

How much are they being paid? Easier to say that if we know the figure.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

At least it wasn't Evansville, Richmond or UNC Wilmington beating us in Rupp.

 

[Wildcats1st]

That loss is a bad as any and perhaps the most damaging to our program and brand. UK is already in a free fall. Pope has done a decent job but in this day when you basically buy a team and the brand itself gave pope an early boost. That’s over now he’s gotta win. Now he has to be consistent and win the gimmes. Given all the cal driven damage and losing to his bad team of former uk players. It’s a defining loss that’s gonna prevent that top 3 seed, it was to the guy who held our program hostage, it was to a crappy team in turmoil who we couldn’t defend. Maybe I’m wrong and that loss motivates the team but I don’t think so. We have lost some games this year that are a barometer of a persons coaching skills. Pope had to know that ark was the game he had to win that game. Now he has to make a deep run. The next phase will be back to increasing apathy once again

 

[wildcat_nation28]

How much are they being paid? Easier to say that if we know the figure.

well getting paid to do the job/play basketball to perform just like anyone else's career

 

[kywildcat41035]

“ didnt complete his mission.” More than assemble a team, a staff, have them competitive starti from scratch. What more was expected?

BEAT CALIPARI!!!!! You know the previous guy that couldn’t coach for shit! The only thing he was good for was recruiting and that dipped at the end!

 

[rivercatinfl]

Feels like were inevitable just limping towards March. Try and win some games and keep us in the 5-7 seed range (Which is where I believe we will fall to), and then hope we can get a win or two and possibly make a Sweet16.

Just doesn't seem like we're getting Butler or Kerr back, and Carr is just injured on and off. So were down 3 guys in my eyes until otherwise, on a team that's already got the makeup of a very good mid-major team. That just isn't going to cut it. The cliche "it is what it is" applies here. Most injured team in D1, playing in the toughest conference, with a thrown-together roster in a coaches 1st year. Can't really expect much.

Is there a report that Butler won't be back? Just curious.