GYERO

[jayroon]

Yes!

We have plenty of FR in this class with talent. Garrison, Oweh, Perry and Noah will be back and with a few more portal transfers instead of FR we are better off.

If anyone should know you can’t win with FR it should be UK fans!

Oweh coming back next year could very well make us a title contender. Long way to go obviously but I think having him and Garrison back are vitally important.

Some roster continuity is important especially with how complex our offense probably can be for a first year guy. Hopefully neither of them get a 2nd round guarantee that they want to take.

Hopefully none of the freshman go in the portal either.

 

[fatguy87]

Our first shot defense feels like it has been adequate. Those second and even 3rd attempts we give teams are killer. Too many are ball watching instead of looking to block out.

Getting a rebound off of one shot is getting increasing rare and it drives me nuts.

We're good, not great, in each of the 4 factors defensively except for turnovers. Offensive rebounds hurt so bad not just due to their frequency, we've played some dominant offensive rebounding teams in recent games that inflates that issue, but because we force so little turnovers. Defending the shot and getting the board is our only route to ending possessions. Even then, our shot defense inside the arc isn't nearly good enough to overcome the total absence of production in a category as important as turnovers.

 

[Nightwish84]

Wrong thread, Nightsweats.

False. In the most random thread on the site, known for its randoms, a photo of an awkward billionaire giving a Nazi salute (which he did multiple times) on Inauguration Day is pretty random. Chill on playing moderator and roll with the posts.

 

[PTI (pti)]

Carrie Underwood was the real National Champion yesterday.

WOW.

<— boner

 

[catlanta33]

False. In the most random thread on the site, known for its randoms, a photo of an awkward billionaire giving a Nazi salute (which he did multiple times) on Inauguration Day is pretty random. Chill on playing moderator and roll with the posts.

False. Trying too hard, lunatic.

 

[cawoodsct]

Had no clue who to root for last night as honestly i dislike both teams equally. Ohio State gets #9. Its now our turn. I think Pope can get it done in the next 5 years.

 

[cawoodsct]

That being said id like to ask you guys what title in major sports is the hardest to win? College football if you get a dominate team its a bit easier (especially if you pay for it like OSU), NFL the Chiefs are 1 damn game from a SB beating the Texans after a pretty subpar regular season, yes they earned it all year in the regular season to get a bye and home field but good lord. What natty is the hardest in the major sports? Are we going to get some NHL answers? Or is it college basketball winning 6 straight? Which sport do you think is the hardest?

 

[cut_itloosedoubledeuce]

College bball. One and done and have to win 6 with usually 4 of those 6 being 50/50 games. Add in incompetent officiating and 1 bad 5 min stretch can send you home.

 

[Wodie Sloot]

Carrie Underwood was the real National Champion. Yesterday.

WOW.

<— boner

“I’ll just sing it.”

 

[Hank Camacho]

Unless they are John Wall / Cooper Flagg level guys as college freshmen, do we even want freshmen who aren't likely to play more than one year here? Caleb Wilson *MAY* be on that level. And he might not. He's almost certainly one and done.

You really get to the point of trying to decide what college freshmen are even for now. Are one and dones that valuable? I have no idea why BYU or UNC would blow the entire bank on one high level freshman. Those guys don't win you titles by themselves. Now if you've got a veteran squad that you can add one of those guys to as a final piece to a title, great!

I'd much rather see Pope focus on making sure that year in and year out we have a veteran heavy squad of proven talent that we selectively add hotshot freshmen to. Otherwise, the only reason we should really be getting freshmen is if we think we can keep them multiple years for continuity. Or at least that's the only thing that seems to make sense to me in the current environment.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Otega Oweh (projected 92nd pick) and Lamont Butler (not even projected to be picked) have been just as good as our absolute best freshmen we’ve ever had, and have been better than 95% of all of our freshmen. If they were in fact freshmen they would both currently be projected to be lottery picks, but because they’re older the NBA hates them, but for me personally I dont give a shit about that. They are hopefully, being older and more mature, also less prone to wilting under pressure in a big tournament game like Wall, Murray, Herro, Sheppard, and all the other freshmen we’ve had. So I see really no reasonable argument for taking more than 3 freshmen ever quite frankly.

Edit: I should mention I’m purely referring to us under Pope, as he seems to be like a less attractive Brad Pitt from money ball in identifying who will flourish in his system and developing them (no one here was that excited about Butler or Oweh when they signed). He seems to be pretty damn good at identifying pieces and that’s much easier to do with portal players.

 

[Century Cat]

As Ron said yesterday, it's so nice not to give even the slightest living F*** about draft status, and/or sitting on pins and needles on an 18 year old.

If this year has proven anything, it's that with the right coach, it's possible to build a top 10 team from absolute scratch. Not something I want to do often, but how can a roster ever be in worse shape than we were in April?

Plus, we've always been a results-first program. I love the framework of guys improving themselves, then coming to the mountaintop for their later years. Because they EARNED it.

We had 15 years of being sold on potential. Nice that the pendulum is swinging back.

Proof >>>>>> potential.

 

[ksta]

- I'm still curious to see what a freshman with lottery talent can do in Pope's system. Obviously the Cooper Flagg guys don't come around every year, but I think there's a real chance that dudes like Kasparas Jakucionus or Maluach or Asa Newell would thrive here and really help elevate us. I mean, Boogie Fland would probably have helped us this year. The team just can't be built around guys like that anymore, unless they're all top-10ish and/or one of them is Anthony Davis.

- I, too, would love Danny Wolf, but unfortunately the NBA knows about guys like that now too and he's almost certainly a first rounder.

 

[UnfrozenCatfanLawyer]

Does Boogie Fland play another game for Arkansas this year?

 

[B.B.d.K.]

 

[anthonys735]

I get BBdk and Geese's take that we need elite frosh sprinkled in. I just don't necessarily agree. At least not sure OADs that will eat up a disproportionate amount of NIL. Much rather target that 10 to 15 through 75th recruit that may take 2 or 3 years to become elite. Hopefully, 25% off the time they end up being elite like Herro, SGA, Booker, etc.

I will say, the guys that are 4/5* freshman that left, when they should obviously stay was a much bigger problem, than the lotto picks. Those guys stick around KU, Duke, and UNC for 5 or 6 years each. But bolted as soon as the season was over at UK.

 

[cut_itloosedoubledeuce]

Basically the only thing lacking on this year’s team is athleticism at the 3 and 4 spot (Jax, Brea, Carr). Butler makes up for his “lack of” athleticism in so many other ways.

Upgrade the athleticism at those 2 spots (portal or freshman) and we are as good as anyone in the country. Key will be to find someone who is athletic but can still shoot like Jax and Brea.

 

[justa]

Does Boogie Fland play another game for Arkansas this year?

We all know the answer to this.


Triggers PTSD

 

[ukwizard]

Haven't seen him.

 

[Strokin_Bandit]

Does Boogie Fland play another game for Arkansas this year?

Maybe. I don’t know. Not really.

 

[Kooky Kats]

Depends on the freshman, but rely solely on babies is a recipe for a disaster if you don’t have generational talent.

 

[TCPUKChamps]

This has never worked John. He did the stupid ESPN one in 2012-2013. Then the Facebook watch series in the late 2010s, now this

 

[august-west]

Any of you guys been to Oxford for a basket game? I figured what the hell so I grabbed tix last night and a room. I assume the gym is pretty small, got tix in the front row of the upper deck, just shy of half court.

 

[ukwizard]

The only worse timing for one of these i can think of is if they did one for his losing record covid team.

 

[m080470]

That failed so badly with our NIT team year. Instead of Archie Goodwin winking at the camera in the intro, it really needs to be Cal himself. I'd add a voice over a'la "Dukes of Hazzard" talking about what BS the Boss Hogg and his boys are up to this week.

 

[Strokin_Bandit]

Expired Randoms:

- College football has the BEST regular season of all major sports only to follow it up with the WORST postseason. I maybe watched the equivalent of one total game for the entirety of the "Playoffs."

- Ryan Kalkbrenner sounds like COCKbrenner. Also, pneumococcal sounds like NewMoonCOCKal.

- This Caorline Fenton chick in my Rivals video feed to my right is quite attractive. (dated, RFN)

- All these cool games for Feast Week, then we get nothing during Christmas Break. Meanwhile, high schools are traveling all over the country (literally) playing in these Holiday Classics. Schedule better, CBB (dated, 12/23/24).

- Will Structure make a comeback? Ed Hardy? Kenneth Cole? Affliction? (dated, circa 2016)

- Related: I saw a pretty nice Duckhead baseball cap at a fine gentlemen's clothing store the other day and almost pulled the trigger. $29. Sorta ridiculous for a cap, but I've seen worse.

- I think I would season a very nice cut of beef with Dot's seasoning. Stuff is crack.

- I was watching the 4-screen option on Youtube TV the other night (not bragging). 2 of those games were SEC games. At the time I turned it on to that option, BOTH SEC games were in a delay because the refs were at the monitor (dated 1/7/25).

- So this particular take was dated back before Feast Week, but is still topical today: I'm good on wanting Z or Theiro back here in UK Blue. They made their decisions. Also, they would be 9th-12th men AT BEST with Pope's style of play.

- This will look revisionist, but here's a take going back to whenever UTjr got their #1 ranking. They don't scare me. Rick Barnes doesn't scare me. No one in the history of being named CHAZ scares me. Auburn is the team to beat.

That's it for now.

 

[Catman100]

That being said id like to ask you guys what title in major sports is the hardest to win? College football if you get a dominate team its a bit easier (especially if you pay for it like OSU), NFL the Chiefs are 1 damn game from a SB beating the Texans after a pretty subpar regular season, yes they earned it all year in the regular season to get a bye and home field but good lord. What natty is the hardest in the major sports? Are we going to get some NHL answers? Or is it college basketball winning 6 straight? Which sport do you think is the hardest?

I think winning 6 straight in college B-ball is the hardest.
I would also add that no other sport has refs affect the outcome of a game more so than college B-ball.
Anybody playing the Chiefs right now might argue that point, but generally speaking, most refs don't change outcomes.

 

[UnfrozenCatfanLawyer]

This has never worked John. He did the stupid ESPN one in 2012-2013. Then the Facebook watch series in the late 2010s, now this

View embedded media

Dark Side of the GOOOOOOOO

 

[cricket3]

There's a Netflix series coming out eventually about our season last year. Why is Cal agreeing to these things?

 

[KingLlama]

I'd say the overabundant narcissism probably has something to do with it.

 

[legalbeagle123]

Any of you guys been to Oxford for a basket game? I figured what the hell so I grabbed tix last night and a room. I assume the gym is pretty small, got tix in the front row of the upper deck, just shy of half court.

Went to the old Tad Pad, but haven't been to the new one. Friend of mine told me there aren't too many "bad" seats because it's still a smaller gym.

 

[jayroon]

- So this particular take was dated back before Feast Week, but is still topical today: I'm good on wanting Z or Theiro back here in UK Blue. They made their decisions. Also, they would be 9th-12th men AT BEST with Pope's style of play.

For next year, I think Z would be a good fit as a backup 5 and we wouldn't be as dependent on Moreno solely in that role. Could use MM when we needed defense more than offense off the bench. Z's shooting and passing would excel in our offense.

Adou doesn't seem to fit the offense but we have a lot of defense and toughness to replace. Butler didn't seem to fit either but Pope unlocked him.

 

[cawoodsct]

 

[ukwizard]

The black guy in the white shirt always kills me.

 

[ShootBag21]

- Anybody else frequent the Kids Workshops at Lowes or Home Depot once a month? My oldest (just turned 3) seems to enjoy for the most part. Of course, he gets the glory of getting the last few hammer strikes in for each microscopic nail after I mumble curse words under my breath finagling with them and getting them in the right spot. The 1.5 year old likes to take a hammer and hit the work bench for a while before throwing it on the ground and then aimlessly walking around the aisles (with supervision.)

- Starting tee-ball with the 3-year-old this spring. Hoping he’s a little bit more coachable in a public setting than he is when we’re messing around in the backyard. I signed up to be an assistant coach – seems like a sweet spot until I inevitably realize the head coach has no idea what they’re talking about.

- Had a buddy over for the Miss St game and we were having a hard time penciling Lamont Butler on where he ranks as UK point guard since the beginning of the Cal Era.

• A: Wall/Ulis/Fox
• B: Knight/SGA
• C: Teague/Andrew Harrison
• D: Wheeler/Hagans/Wagner
• Hell: Harrow/Askew

Maybe between that B/C tier? In the B tier?

- Apple’s plan of having Severance S1 for free trying to get people to subscribe for season 2 worked flawlessly on me. Total sheep. That show is great though – perfectly striking that balance of good drama/bizarre comedy. My favorite show since Succession ended.

- Lass and I heading up to Cincy Friday night for a weekend away from the kids with nothing on the agenda other than drinking/eating. Staying in the middle of OTR. Planning to hit Rhinegeist at some point and have a reservation Saturday at Losanti. WCC/other Cincy folks: where should we watch the Cats Saturday? Any other reqs?

 

[WayneDougan]

• A: Wall/Ulis/Fox
• B: Knight/SGA
• C: Teague/Andrew Harrison
• D: Wheeler/Hagans/Wagner
• Hell: Harrow/Askew

Maybe between that B/C tier? In the B tier?

Knight was the best player on a Final Four team and drained a clutch jumper to put is there. He should be ahead of Ulis. If we make the Final Four Butler could be a B. If he wins MVP in the Final Four he'll be an A.

A) Wall / Fox / Knight
B) Teague / Harrison
C) Ulis / SGA (f you Cal)

 

[cut_itloosedoubledeuce]

Knight was a better college guard than wall. Wall was more important for the program big picture but knight was tremendous.

 

[WayneDougan]

Knight was a better college guard than wall. Wall was more important for the program big picture but knight was tremendous.

SGA scoring 31 a game for a top 3 team in the NBA makes me really happy yet pissed off at the same time.

 

[B Rax]

Shootbag has a 3 year old???!!! *I stumble backwards from my phone, a panicked look consuming my face. My wife asks me what’s wrong, I mumble something about the wrath of ever speeding time. I fall into the polar vortex and turn into a snowman*

 

[B Rax]

Oh and agree on severance. My wife and I rewatched season 1 this weekend bc I had basically forgotten 70% of what happened. It’s really incredible. Maybe a top 3 show all time for me. I’ve heard season 2 is supposed to just as good or better. First episode was a little off for me but I think it’ll be fine.