If Oscar had stayed
- Thread starter BBBLazing
- Start date
Mitchell would not have been here. And maybe not Bradshaw either considering the USC rumors.
OK, if Oscar had stayed and we had the same roster we have now......
We wouldn't have the same roster. It's like the knect lovers on here thinking we can trade edwards out for him. It would have meant no reeves instead.
Definitely Mitchell’s because Bradshaw was always starting,
Nevermind. I meant if we had the same roster that we do, but I can't figure out how to edit the title.
I’d trade Bradshaw for Oscar in a heartbeat.
A lot of people said he wouldn’t work with this team but I’ve thought many times he would have been the perfect fit. No clue how it would have impacted the current roster but I’d have loved to have seen him in the mix.
I don’t think I’d label Oscar as a leader. Dude was somewhat on his own for the most part.
If Oscar had stayed, Cal would be clogging up the middle with two bigs, letting Wagner attack the rim with DD offense, and he would completely abandon the Welch 5 out offense that we ran so well while the big guys were injured........
Oh, wait!!!!🤔😱😱
Oh, wait!!!!🤔😱😱
We wouldn’t have gotten Mitchell most likely.
Our rebounding would be better, but our defense stays the same.
We wouldn’t average 90 a game with Tshiebwe at the 5.
Mitchell is a better fit for this team, IMHO.
Our rebounding would be better, but our defense stays the same.
We wouldn’t average 90 a game with Tshiebwe at the 5.
Mitchell is a better fit for this team, IMHO.
His only skill was rebounding. Might be the most overrated player, hype vs skill, that we've ever had.
This 💯. Mitchell is an upgrade over Oscar due to the make up of the roster. It is addition by subtraction.
I think Oscar was a bit of a chemistry killer too. Most kids don’t want to be around someone who is so aggressively faithful. On top of that, the second year he had gotten a pretty big ego and it was visible in multiple ways.
He takes Bradshaws minutes. Bradshaw isn’t the easiest player to keep on the floor. He’s in foul trouble or doghouse. Oscar was a defensive liability too so cal may have opted to play oscar at the 4 and throw 15 fouls between ugo Bradshaw Mitchell. Idk but Oscar’s mentality and body seems to be the missing piece.
The 5 out offense is not a championship winner. Cal let it get to his head that this is what fans want. 100 point games. No not unless you’re defending. This wide open style doesn’t win titles in the ncaa it may work in the nba in 7 game formats but not lose and go home. You need a balanced team defensive and offensively those of us who are life long cats fans know our best teams were defensive juggernauts who could win in the 70s or in the 90s. 96 is the blueprint. That team was scoring mid 80s to 100 points a game. The title game against Syracuse and their zone we had to win it in the mid 70s. Defense defense defense this team better find it or they will go home first weekend I promise
Well we got the short end of the stick on that deal didn’t we.
As much as I hate to admit it, I think Oscar would have limited this team. Instead of kick-outs for open 3’s, he’d take an entry pass and find a way to create a turnover. So far the current bigs will look for open shooters…or in Z’s case, he is the open shooter. Oscar had his upside, but could it have fit within this team?
Cal would of run the entire offense through Oscar to no avail. Just like last year
“All he did was rebound.”
He averaged 16.5 points his last year. And he didn’t just rebound well. He led the nation in rebounds.
“He was aggressively faithful!”
We only ever heard about his faith from second hand sources. We never heard from Oscar.
There were a lot of problems with the teams Oscar was on, and Oscar was at the bottom of those list of problems. The dude was a player of the year and followed that up with a 16.5/13.7 season and some of y’all act like he wouldn’t crack it in the YMCA. He wasn’t the problem. That should be obvious by now. I mean he’s gone and our defense still sucks.
He averaged 16.5 points his last year. And he didn’t just rebound well. He led the nation in rebounds.
“He was aggressively faithful!”
We only ever heard about his faith from second hand sources. We never heard from Oscar.
There were a lot of problems with the teams Oscar was on, and Oscar was at the bottom of those list of problems. The dude was a player of the year and followed that up with a 16.5/13.7 season and some of y’all act like he wouldn’t crack it in the YMCA. He wasn’t the problem. That should be obvious by now. I mean he’s gone and our defense still sucks.
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Oscar was needed last year because UK didn't have a lot of guard depth. This year, that's definitely not a problem.
When this team is at it's best, it revolves around ball movement, spacing the floor, and shooting. Do you honestly see Oscar making the extra pass? He averaged more turnovers than he did assists. How often did we see him refuse to pass out of a double team, turn the ball over when attempting to kick it out, or throw a fit when he wasn't getting the ball? With these guards, Oscar is getting mostly put backs. I don't see him being happy with that.
Tre Mitchell isn't close to the rebounder that Oscar was. However, Tre is very offensive skilled for his size, he stretches the floor, he has a very high basketball IQ, is a tremendous passer, and is also a much-needed vocal leader to an extremely young team.
Another thing to consider is that Thiero has been out for quite some time. He averages 5.5 rebounds a game. Pair that with the three 7 footers improving, and I think we will see that the rebounding won't be a huge concern.
Also, have you ever heard him in an interview? The guy constantly talks about his faith.
Lmao. When he talks about his faith in interviews he thanks God for his opportunities. He never once started giving a sermon. If a Christian thanking God for his opportunities and abilities upsets you then that says more about you and your insecurities than it does him or his faith. That was a ridiculously bad take on your part. I wish more people took their faith as seriously as Oscar does, the world would be a far better place.
Who did you expect Oscar to pass to? He was the most consistent scorer on the offensive for us. Again, his last year he scored 16.5 ppg (I think that was top 3 in the nation btw) on 56% shooting.
Lol at him averaging more turn overs than assists. He averaged 2.0 turnovers his final year and 1.6 assists. Wow, .4 more turnovers than assists for your center that is top 5 in scoring on 56% shooting and number 1 in rebounding at 13.7.
Your boy Mitchell just shot 30% from the field against basketball powerhouse and 10-9 Arkansas. I wouldn’t exactly be singing his praises for his efficiency. I’m not sure why you keep comparing Oscar to Mitchell as they would likely start together with Mitchell at the 4 and OT at the 5.
Here are the stats for UK’s starting big men this year (at least they’ve been the starters of recent memory):
Bradshaw:
7ppg 4.7rpg 0.3apg 0.5TOs 55.4FG%
He averages more turnovers than assists
Tre Mitchell
13.6ppg 7.5rpb 3.3apb 1.4 TOs 54FG%
Oscar (his last season)
16.5ppg 13.7rpb 1.6apb 2.0 TOs 56FG%
Oscar’s off nights were few and far between and he didn’t have a problem with showing up when the rest of the team didn’t care to. To your point about guard play, I think Oscar would thrive with a group of guards around him, especially at the point versus what he put up with his two years here.
I do appreciate that you didn’t bring up his defense. While I do think that was his biggest area for needed growth, it’s pretty clear that was a scapegoat excuse for our defense last season.
1. Tre isn't coming if Oscar returns.
2. Tre is one of the most important players to this team because of the intangibles that he brings. He's got a tremendous basketball IQ and happily makes the extra pass. I love Oscar, but he just doesn't have that.
3. Oscar is a TREMENDOUS rebounder, but a volume scoring center. His success revolves around getting touches. That's what he is. Volume scoring centers are not the recipe for success in today's game. Especially those that cannot defend.
4. Going forward, it appears that Ugonna will be starting. He is improving and is content with his role as a rim protector and role player. That is what is needed for this team, not a volume scoring big that is mostly camped down low and demands the ball.
5. Oscar is a two-time All-American and former POY. He deserves to get the ball. However, this team just has too many weapons for that.
6. You're overreacting about my faith comment. Your affection for him probably has a lot to do with his faith, and there's nothing wrong with that. I have no issue with his religion, nor his consistent talking about it in interviews. However, I do understand where there would be a disconnect with someone who preaches, has his own faith-based youtube channel, and lives away from the lodge.
Everybody is right that we wouldn't have gotten somebody on the team if Oscar returned but it seems more likely that Bradshaw would be the one. I don't see how him being here would affect Mitchell.
A lineup of Oscar, Mitchell, Reeves, and any two of our guards would have been something! Think A&M gets all those offensive rebounds with Oscar there? Our defense would still suck but Oscar would have improved one part of the defense...finishing the stop with the rebound.
A lineup of Oscar, Mitchell, Reeves, and any two of our guards would have been something! Think A&M gets all those offensive rebounds with Oscar there? Our defense would still suck but Oscar would have improved one part of the defense...finishing the stop with the rebound.
"All he does is catch touchdowns." An actual quote from a football coach that traded said wide receiver. His quote was not more ridiculous than yours.
Ugonna, Bradshaw, Z, and Mitchell all would probably not be here. Mitchell committed after Oscar declared for the draft.
But Mitchell didn't come here with hopes of being our center; they would have made a great 4/5 tandem.
I do not believe Oscar's declaration for the draft was the cause of Mitchell coming here. Just because one thing happened first doesn't make it a causal relationship.
It seems to me that a lot of people are assuming that if Oscar returned he would not have
improved in any area. Why would that be? Look at how much Reeves has improved and he
is a 5th year senior. Oscar was good enough this year that the Pacers decided he was too
good for the G League after about 2 weeks and he was averaging about 18 rpg and near that in
ppg.
improved in any area. Why would that be? Look at how much Reeves has improved and he
is a 5th year senior. Oscar was good enough this year that the Pacers decided he was too
good for the G League after about 2 weeks and he was averaging about 18 rpg and near that in
ppg.
It’s quite possible but Bradshaw has done very little to deserve the PT he has gotten much less starting the last 10 games. Until Bradshaw doesn’t start it still hasn’t happened. Remember have to play Hopkins more after the LSU game, only he never played again. Cute you still have that much faith in cal to believe every word he says.
