I’m seeing the same thing over and over….

[Short-Dawg-69]

We inbound the ball, walk it up, get pressure full court, barely get the ball over the line in time.
Big stands at the 3 point line while guards run and cut, fake hand offs, guards run around like crazy, no one can get open.
Stupid lazy passing, turnover after turn over.

On defense we can not stay in front of the ball, leave shooters open space, don’t go after 50/50 ball, rebound issues.

 

[TopCatCal]

We inbound the ball, walk it up, get pressure full court, barely get the ball over the line in time.
Big stands at the 3 point line while guards run and cut, fake hand offs, guards run around like crazy, no one can get open.
Stupid lazy passing, turnover after turn over.

On defense we can not stay in front of the ball, leave shooters open space, don’t go after 50/50 ball, rebound issues.

The reason we barely get the ball over half court before the 10 second count is because we are playing not only without our starting point guard but our backup point guard as well. And as far as not being able to stay in front of our man on defense is because we are probably the most unathletic team in the entire conference and there's nothing that Mark Pope can do to make our players any faster. I mean John Wall & DeAaron Fox ain't walking through that door.

 

[SemperFiCat]

The reason we barely get the ball over half court before the 10 second count is because we are playing not only without our starting point guard but our backup point guard as well. And as far as not being able to stay in front of our man on defense is because we are probably the most unathletic team in the entire conference and there's nothing that Mark Pope can do to make our players any faster. I mean John Wall & DeAaron Fox ain't walking through that door.

Yep. It can't be stressed enough that Pope did the best he could constructing this roster. This isn't what a Pope roster looks like in another year or two. People seem to act like this was an ideal situation. When the reality is, we're pretty damn lucky to have the roster we do have. People seem to have lost the reality of this year's roster construction and how it even was able to happen.

 

[TTTblue24]

For a team that was said to run n gun and push the pace, we sure walk the ball up floor an awful lot.

 

[Digger-Cat]

We scored 84 points, on the road against some really tough pressure defense, without a pg. I'm not sure we should be complaining about "seeing the same thing over and over" on offense, because that's obviously what we want. We're the #2 most efficient offense in the country.

But yeah, defensively, we are definitely doing the same things over and over and it's not working… .. Obviously.

Pope needs to focus on defending the 3 point shot. Up until now, I don't feel like he has, because we keep doing the same things every game. Our perimeter defense needs to extend out and pressure their guards and shooters. If they go by you, fine, we have bigs in the paint, but giving up open 3 after open 3, is not working. Everyone can shoot.

 

[SemperFiCat]

For a team that was said to run n gun and push the pace, we sure walk the ball up floor an awful lot.

Not sure if you've heard or not, but we don't have a PG. That might have something to do with our pace and push. I'm a bennie, so I don't really know

 

[uk78]

For me, Perry has been the biggest disappointment. The greatest scorer in the history of Kentucky high school basketball, held his own with debate on who was better when both were in high school, Reed or him. He is doing nothing even with the opportunity of the ball in his hands. So, when I read here earlier in the week that Jasper Johnson scored 31 points that was a bad game for Perry.

We were often upset with Cal for recruiting freshman athletes with no basketball I.Q. and now we have mainly experienced basketball players with no athletic abilities. I get that we are missing the key important point guard but it isn't like other teams haven't had injured or missing players as well. There of course is hope for this team and as a fan I will follow our team and program in any event. But, the loss to Arkansas at home still stings and you add Ole Miss and we haven't played Auburn yet, well it could get dicey real soon.

 

[megablue]

For me, Perry has been the biggest disappointment. The greatest scorer in the history of Kentucky high school basketball, held his own with debate on who was better when both were in high school, Reed or him. He is doing nothing even with the opportunity of the ball in his hands. So, when I read here earlier in the week that Jasper Johnson scored 31 points that was a bad game for Perry.

We were often upset with Cal for recruiting freshman athletes with no basketball I.Q. and now we have mainly experienced basketball players with no athletic abilities. I get that we are missing the key important point guard but it isn't like other teams haven't had injured or missing players as well. There of course is hope for this team and as a fan I will follow our team and program in any event. But, the loss to Arkansas at home still stings and you add Ole Miss and we haven't played Auburn yet, well it could get dicey real soon.

We have to play Bama and Tenn again, too.

 

[SemperFiCat]

For me, Perry has been the biggest disappointment. The greatest scorer in the history of Kentucky high school basketball, held his own with debate on who was better when both were in high school, Reed or him. He is doing nothing even with the opportunity of the ball in his hands. So, when I read here earlier in the week that Jasper Johnson scored 31 points that was a bad game for Perry.

We were often upset with Cal for recruiting freshman athletes with no basketball I.Q. and now we have mainly experienced basketball players with no athletic abilities. I get that we are missing the key important point guard but it isn't like other teams haven't had injured or missing players as well. There of course is hope for this team and as a fan I will follow our team and program in any event. But, the loss to Arkansas at home still stings and you add Ole Miss and we haven't played Auburn yet, well it could get dicey real soon.

Perry simply has to get in the weight room. He is still throwing amazingly slow and lazy passes. Passes that would get picked off in a church league game. He's always going to be limited on height. But if he wants to be a true Kentucky PG, he HAS to get stronger and quicker.

 

[BlueBomb]

All I know is that when the game is on, I keep my eyes shut, try to control my breathing, sip on some bourbon, and pray a lot to the Big Cat in the Sky. Times are tough, man.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

Combination of two things:

I think we need to close out more effectively on the outside shooters (if they are hitting shots, see Arkansas and Ole Miss, not UT),
AND
When players drive around us we need more of a challenge from our bigs. Williams, Garrison, and Carr should be using more of their fouls to challenge/block shots rather than just trying to "remain vertical", or worse yet, let them jump over us while we watch.

 

[Stretch98]

For me, Perry has been the biggest disappointment. The greatest scorer in the history of Kentucky high school basketball, held his own with debate on who was better when both were in high school, Reed or him. He is doing nothing even with the opportunity of the ball in his hands. So, when I read here earlier in the week that Jasper Johnson scored 31 points that was a bad game for Perry.

We were often upset with Cal for recruiting freshman athletes with no basketball I.Q. and now we have mainly experienced basketball players with no athletic abilities. I get that we are missing the key important point guard but it isn't like other teams haven't had injured or missing players as well. There of course is hope for this team and as a fan I will follow our team and program in any event. But, the loss to Arkansas at home still stings and you add Ole Miss and we haven't played Auburn yet, well it could get dicey real soon.

Travis Perry was a tremendous shooter in high school but there was never any debate that Reed Sheppard was on another planet athletically and a far better major college prospect. While Sheppard had the ball in his hands constantly, Perry was not the point guard at Lyon County. Perry played in constant motion without the ball and the focus of their offense was to screen for him and get him the ball at the spots on the floor where he was the most deadly. He is definitely out of position playing the point in the SEC but with both Butler and Kriisa unavailable. he was pressed into service in that role. Long term, his highest and best use is to move without the ball and make shots. Think of Steve Alford at Indiana.

 

[TTTblue24]

Not sure if you've heard or not, but we don't have a PG. That might have something to do with our pace and push. I'm a bennie, so I don't really know

Yeah I’ve heard that so many times now that I guess no one else can dribble or try to get an easy bucket off transition other than butler. I always thought the 2 guard and small forward should be able to dribble up the floor and look to start transition as well but maybe not here.
There’s a difference in slowly walking it up vs a little semi trot to initiate some movement, anything to keep us from standing around watching dribble handoffs that aren’t working now but I guess butler is the cure for all our problems.

 

[Smashcat]

Travis Perry was a tremendous shooter in high school but there was never any debate that Reed Sheppard was on another planet athletically and a far better major college prospect. While Sheppard had the ball in his hands constantly, Perry was not the point guard at Lyon County. Perry played in constant motion without the ball and the focus of their offense was to screen for him and get him the ball at the spots on the floor where he was the most deadly. He is definitely out of position playing the point in the SEC but with both Butler and Kriisa unavailable. he was pressed into service in that role. Long term, his highest and best use is to move without the ball and make shots. Think of Steve Alford at Indiana.

This.

 

[runt#69]

I just kept laughing with this song in my head .... lol

 

[catlogic15]

For me, Perry has been the biggest disappointment. The greatest scorer in the history of Kentucky high school basketball, held his own with debate on who was better when both were in high school, Reed or him. He is doing nothing even with the opportunity of the ball in his hands. So, when I read here earlier in the week that Jasper Johnson scored 31 points that was a bad game for Perry.

We were often upset with Cal for recruiting freshman athletes with no basketball I.Q. and now we have mainly experienced basketball players with no athletic abilities. I get that we are missing the key important point guard but it isn't like other teams haven't had injured or missing players as well. There of course is hope for this team and as a fan I will follow our team and program in any event. But, the loss to Arkansas at home still stings and you add Ole Miss and we haven't played Auburn yet, well it could get dicey real soon.

Perry was playing primarily against slow, short, white mountain boys. This is the SEC.

 

[CatsFanIL]

We inbound the ball, walk it up, get pressure full court, barely get the ball over the line in time.
Big stands at the 3 point line while guards run and cut, fake hand offs, guards run around like crazy, no one can get open.
Stupid lazy passing, turnover after turn over.

On defense we can not stay in front of the ball, leave shooters open space, don’t go after 50/50 ball, rebound issues.

I'll answer this from a coaching perspective (HS coach, NOT a college coach)

Pope's "zoom" offense is pretty efficient. But it has its flaws. The system needs players to "read and react" to the defense. We're seeing the pressure and the extended defense (Ole Miss for example) hurting UK's players read/react ability at full speed. Now in the 2nd half, obviously adjustments were made - UK went to more backcuts, more slips on the screens, more rejects on the screens (looks like a backdoor) and Kentucky had great offensive efficiency in the 2nd half - scored over 50 points in 2nd half I believe.

Pope maintains that the 1stH is about collecting data to win the 2ndH. Offensively, UK went from 31 pts in 1stH to 53 pts in 2ndH
Defensively UK gave up 54 in 1stH and 44 in 2ndH. The zone helped, more switching on defense helped, and Ole Miss playing a tad more conservatively helped too.

The offensive execution in the 1stH was really bad, no doubt about it. But came to life with adjustments in 2ndH. Keep in mind, this offense was SUPPOSED to have Butler running the show, then Kriisa - clearly we're without both

Pope and his staff have infinite more basketball knowledge than I do. But I would like to see Brea used more as a screener. Teams are denying him, chasing him everywhere - his defender is NOT going to help on screens. I'd like to see him used more as a screener away from the ball.

I'll also say this - Ole Miss is REALLY good defensively. I don't know what the metrics say, but when you don't typically play against a pressure defense that switches at ALL 5 positions, it can be really, really difficult to figure out

 

[ala_kat2]

We scored 84 points, on the road against some really tough pressure defense, without a pg. I'm not sure we should be complaining about "seeing the same thing over and over" on offense, because that's obviously what we want. We're the #2 most efficient offense in the country.

But yeah, defensively, we are definitely doing the same things over and over and it's not working… .. Obviously.

Pope needs to focus on defending the 3 point shot. Up until now, I don't feel like he has, because we keep doing the same things every game. Our perimeter defense needs to extend out and pressure their guards and shooters. If they go by you, fine, we have bigs in the paint, but giving up open 3 after open 3, is not working. Everyone can shoot.

Our “bigs in the paint” are usually in no man’s land wondering whether to guard the three (ineffectively) or not. We just don’t have a true rim protector even if we do have 2 seven- footers. Pope is in a quandary about how to guard the three without giving up uncontested layups. These guys are just too slow.

 

[Spica Orbit]

Perry was playing primarily against slow, short, white mountain boys. This is the SEC.

---
Yeah, those white boys from the mountains & hollers of western Kentucky.........

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Perry was playing primarily against slow, short, white mountain boys. This is the SEC.

Say what?

The highest point in Lyon County is 670 feet above sea level.

 

[fisherscatfan]

The reason we barely get the ball over half court before the 10 second count is because we are playing not only without our starting point guard but our backup point guard as well. And as far as not being able to stay in front of our man on defense is because we are probably the most unathletic team in the entire conference and there's nothing that Mark Pope can do to make our players any faster. I mean John Wall & DeAaron Fox ain't walking through that door.

Understand and agree. But Pope has to see the fact that he has no ball-handlers to address pressure yet there are no screens set in the backcourt to relieve pressure. Chandler got the ball in the backcourt at one point panicked and picked up his dribble leading to a 10 second count. UK legit has an athleticism problem and Pope needs to adjust to help counter.

2nd half it seems were adjustments going back door, several guys dropping below the FT line extended taking some pressure off the perimeter etc. Did Pope adjust, did the players start executing, did Ole Miss letup? Don’t know and I assume a combo of all 3 but it worked better. It also sounds like the locker room may have gotten a little heated based on Pope’s postgame comments. SC is a bad team so hopefully Saturday will be an opportunity to implement so changes on both sides of the ball