How do we keep getting the overachieving low-seeded opponent?

[gbl97]

Cal sucks and we should have beaten Oakland. However...

None of the other 14 seeds got within 16 points of their 3-seed. But we get the dude who almost beats an NCAA record with 10 threes in a game. Our defense stinks, but seriously, we would have beaten any other 14 seed.

What about St. Peters in 2022? We get the 15 seed that is so hot they not only beat us, but win two more games to advance to the Elite Eight.

It's kind of BS, tbh.

 

[ChicagoCat1990]

It doesn't matter how much a team like St. Peter's or Oakland overachieves or plays above their season stats. The talent gap is wide enough that we have no business losing to them.

 

[ukjenning44]

we would have beaten any other 14 seed.

If you think this you’re on drugs.
Oakland wasn’t any better, Cal is that much worse.

They will get boat raced next game.

 

[meteordealer]

We have a coach who likes to underachieve. Such as starting, and giving the majority of minutes, to our least productive players all season.

 

[fisherscatfan]

Kentucky Wesleyan shut that dude down last year. FFS it is Cal’s lack of prep.

 

[RunninRichie]

Oakland will get beat by 20 or 30 next game. UK is that awful.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

OP, we have a head coach who constantly underachieves with far superior talent. Hopefully, that problem will be rectified sooner rather than later.

 

[VAWildcat15]

Same reason we kept magically playing guys who went nuts from three every game this season.

Or, if the same thing keeps happening over and over again, maybe it’s your fault and not a fluke.

Who is the common denominator in all of this?

 

[NociHTTP]

Cal sucks and we should have beaten Oakland. However...

None of the other 14 seeds got within 16 points of their 3-seed. But we get the dude who almost beats an NCAA record with 10 threes in a game. Our defense stinks, but seriously, we would have beaten any other 14 seed.

What about St. Peters in 2022? We get the 15 seed that is so hot they not only beat us, but win two more games to advance to the Elite Eight.

It's kind of BS, tbh.

They didn't over-achieve. We under-achieved. Will you come up with a thread about the refs, next? Cal sucks, and we had lazy players afraid of ruining their draft status with an injury.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

We need a coach that watches film and prepares for the other team. The I am not worried about what they do is just laziness.

 

[ruppcat]

If you think this you’re on drugs.
Oakland wasn’t any better, Cal is that much worse.

They will get boat raced next game.

Gotta a bet with my kid that's exactly what will happen.

 

[kennyskywalker34]

This is Kentucky. I'm old enough to remember when UK destroyed these rinky dink teams by 30 In the first round.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Well our coach told us all the answer last week. Kentucky doesn’t have the players watch film and just has them focus on themselves. That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard a coach say, and it shows. Kentucky wasn’t prepared at all for this game or many games before this, because our coach goes into with arrogant ass approach of “ we’re Kentucky, we can beat anybody”. Well news flash cal teams don’t give a shit that your Kentucky anymore, they don’t have any fear at all and in fact look foward to playing you.

 

[Swifterz]

We don’t. We are the underachieving higher seed, with coach Cow.

 

[catzfanjim]

Well our coach told us all the answer last week. Kentucky doesn’t have the players watch film and just has them focus on themselves. That’s the dumbest shit I’ve ever heard a coach say, and it shows. Kentucky wasn’t prepared at all for this game or many games before this, because our coach goes into with arrogant ass approach of “ we’re Kentucky, we can beat anybody”. Well news flash cal teams don’t give a shit that your Kentucky anymore, they don’t have any fear at all and in fact look foward to playing you.

Teams like to play at Rupp Arena now also because they know that they can win. We used to dominate at Rupp and now we lose to teams that shouldn't stay within 20 points of us. We play better on the road for some reason.

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

Shouldn't matter. Kentucky as a three should squash most 14s like a bug.

 

[Skyguyb27]

This team didn’t know how to defend. With all the open looks Oakland caught fire. They weren’t scare or intimidated to begin with and UK didn’t punch back.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

Single elimination tournaments will come with luck and bad luck. Go look at some of those final 4 runs at the beginning of the Cal era. A lot of bad opponent shooting performances and pulling out 50/50 games, that hasn’t been the case lately. Ironically the good luck came in a huge wave and now the bad luck is too.

His problem is his roster construction that hasn’t produced great regular seasons to help offset this ridiculous level of postseason failure.

 

[Supafuzz75]

Cal sucks and we should have beaten Oakland. However...

None of the other 14 seeds got within 16 points of their 3-seed. But we get the dude who almost beats an NCAA record with 10 threes in a game. Our defense stinks, but seriously, we would have beaten any other 14 seed.

What about St. Peters in 2022? We get the 15 seed that is so hot they not only beat us, but win two more games to advance to the Elite Eight.

It's kind of BS, tbh.

You dumb..

 

[Ugoff]

This is like when we bemoan unheralded player x who comes into Rupp Arena and torches us for 8 threes. When it happens over and over it isn't a fluke, it's a trend.

 

[bbncal02]

Wrong Question.

"How do we keep LOSING to the overachieving lower seed opponent?"

is what you should be asking.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Told my buddy right before tip we were going to lose. I saw the faces and it was just like last two years. Terrified and tight. This is a coaching issue. No prep. No game plan. No adjustments. No line up continuity. No development. When I listened to Cals pre tourney presser / all he talked about was visiting home town, being best buddies with Oakland coach, and creating millionaires - and doing all of these things he literally sounded like a complete moron - I knew we were in trouble. Dude has lost it. I’m convinced he is ate up and completely distracted by proving he’s the smartest guy in the room, and loses all sense of actual reality. He’s a narcissist egomaniac without the attention to detail. He’s a blow hard. He’s washed up.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Also Kentucky and cal play like somebody is holding a gun to their head and the other teams plays lose and free.

 

[jeffky]

Oakland will get beat by 20 or 30 next game. UK is that awful.

Youre back 😆

 

[crestcat]

If you can keep running the same play and no adjustments made it makes you look pretty good. That’s why we get torched regularly.

 

[KTBFFH92]

Kentucky could’ve played Stetson and Stetson would’ve been dancing on our grave

 

[ArcadiaFan]

Teams get up to play THE GOLD STANDARD!!! After all playing Kentucky, it's EVERYONE"S SUPER BOWL!!!!!!

 

[Jack2936]

Twilight zone defense

 

[IFerg1969]

Cal sucks and we should have beaten Oakland. However...

None of the other 14 seeds got within 16 points of their 3-seed. But we get the dude who almost beats an NCAA record with 10 threes in a game. Our defense stinks, but seriously, we would have beaten any other 14 seed.

What about St. Peters in 2022? We get the 15 seed that is so hot they not only beat us, but win two more games to advance to the Elite Eight.

It's kind of BS, tbh.

A good team that actually played D wouldn’t have allowed that guy to go off.

 

[RunninRichie]

Youre back 😆

?

 

[Ugoff]

Oakland neutralized our athletic advantage by controlling the tempo and turning the game into a rock fight. This coach isn't smart enough to win rock fights, as we've seen over and over.

 

[Lovebaskelball]

Teams get up to play THE GOLD STANDARD!!! After all playing Kentucky, it's EVERYONE"S SUPER BOWL!!!!!!

But I do not like being the Buffalo Bills.

 

[gbl97]

Oakland wasn’t any better, Cal is that much worse.

You don't think Oakland played better than the other 14 seeds? Did you watch the other games?

Not sure how that's controversial...

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

Teams get up to play THE GOLD STANDARD!!! After all playing Kentucky, it's EVERYONE"S SUPER BOWL!!!!!!

Beating a CCC coached team should not be looked at as a crowning achievement for a team these days. Kentucky does not strike fear into anyone today.

 

[ukjenning44]

You don't think Oakland played better than the other 14 seeds? Did you watch the other games?

Not sure how that's controversial...

I’m saying the other 14 seeds would look like Oakland did against us.
Texas A&M topped 90 points two times this season. Both games against us.

Cal makes opposing coaches and teams look much better than they actually are.

 

[jeffky]

?

My bad it's runnin rammel 😆

 

[BlueRunner11]

Veteran players with something to prove combined with decent coaching, motivation, and an actual game plan to expose our weaknesses.

I’d guess Oakland and St Peters coaches both spent more time preparing and readying their teams in a week than Cal has his whole tourney career.

Our guys looked shockingly unprepared in every aspect.

 

[gobigblue812]

Cal sucks and we should have beaten Oakland. However...

None of the other 14 seeds got within 16 points of their 3-seed. But we get the dude who almost beats an NCAA record with 10 threes in a game. Our defense stinks, but seriously, we would have beaten any other 14 seed.

What about St. Peters in 2022? We get the 15 seed that is so hot they not only beat us, but win two more games to advance to the Elite Eight.

It's kind of BS, tbh.

Play like our ranking?

 

[kywildcatsfannumber1]

I’m saying the other 14 seeds would look like Oakland did against us.
Texas A&M topped 90 points two times this season. Both games against us.

Cal makes opposing coaches and teams look much better than they actually are.

D-2 or D-3, whatever Goehlke was, he looked like Curry out there.

 

[vernoncoy]

Cal sucks and we should have beaten Oakland. However...

None of the other 14 seeds got within 16 points of their 3-seed. But we get the dude who almost beats an NCAA record with 10 threes in a game. Our defense stinks, but seriously, we would have beaten any other 14 seed.

What about St. Peters in 2022? We get the 15 seed that is so hot they not only beat us, but win two more games to advance to the Elite Eight.

It's kind of BS, tbh.

I have been thinking the same thing but then I look back and remember UNCW. Maybe it is just the lack of coaching but it seems we would have matched up better against the other 14 seeds (and even the 13 seeds). Oakland's players and coach predicted the outcome because they knew Cal would screw the team up. Man this sucks!!!