IF we get healthy, we may have a weird situation where we're a better overall team because of the injuries.

[Cats192]

I would certainly never wis for injuries or these tough stretches where we lose so many games.

But our guys have had to learn to dig in and fight for wins. Our defense has improved dramatically (and will get even better when Robinson and Butler are back).

Noah has been able to show that he's a solid role player. Perry has improved. Chandler has been able to find his way a little bit. Almanor has really found his niche as an elite catch and shoot 3 point threat.

If we're healthy going into the post-season, going through the fire may have helped us find some things we were missing.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

I said the same think in another thread. Even if we get 2 of our injured 3 back, we will be much better off having had to scrap for wins in the interim.

 

[BlueBomb]

I would certainly never wis for injuries or these tough stretches where we lose so many games.

But our guys have had to learn to dig in and fight for wins. Our defense has improved dramatically (and will get even better when Robinson and Butler are back).

Noah has been able to show that he's a solid role player. Perry has improved. Chandler has been able to find his way a little bit. Almanor has really found his niche as an elite catch and shoot 3 point threat.

If we're healthy going into the post-season, going through the fire may have helped us find some things we were missing.

That's not weird at all. Completely logical. Good point,

 

[trueblujr2]

Better in the sense that we would now have far more experienced depth with the Freshmen and Almonor being relied on more. But If we hadn't had those injuries, we would have had a more cohesive starting five and rotation that would have gotten stronger as the season wore on and we are likely a top 1-2 seed and don't lose some of the conference games we lost.

 

[drcats2013]

Been saying it for a good while now and have seen others as well. Its pretty much common sense, though

 

[LineSkiCat14]

There's gonna be some 2, 3 or 4-seed out there that will not be happy to play us in the middle rounds. We were a 2-seed possibly looking at a 1-seed.. that got knocked down because of injuries, but could be coming back to the tournament healthy as a 3 through 5-seed.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Forcing guys to step up and Williams, others getting better before our eyes KY has proven they can beat very good teams. Theirs a reason KY has the 9th best odds to win the Natty.

 

[yabbadabbadoo]

Surely people ain’t just realizing this

Main thing is GETTING BACK Butler and Robinson by SEC tournament time

 

[runt#69]

Forcing guys to step up and Williams, others getting better before our eyes KY has proven they can beat very good teams. Theirs a reason KY has the 9th best odds to win the Natty.

That's my feeling. If the oddsmakers are pegging Kentucky at #9 to win the title this year, with everything considered, and still #9 ?

I just want to see this team enter the NCAA tournament as healthy as they can be. We will be as battle tested and battle wise and any team in the country. We just need to get back to as full a rotation as we can for that run.

I'd run with them and Coach Pope against anyone this year.

It's great that the "weird situations" have forged such a tough Kentucky team.

Pope's Patchwork Rollercoaster Cats !

Go Big Blue !

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Chandler still doesn't deserve the pt he's getting imo. Glad to see him play well finally but he probably cost us the texas game and helped dig us a giant hole bs ole miss.

If hes going to play, and seems he is, he definitely doesn't need to be handling the ball.

 

[ukfan1622]

Chandler still doesn't deserve the pt he's getting imo. Glad to see him play well finally but he probably cost us the texas game and helped dig us a giant hole bs ole miss.

If hes going to play, and seems he is, he definitely doesn't need to be handling the ball.

With Butler, Robinson, and Kriisa out Chandler pretty much has to play. This weekend we play 'bama and either Chandler or Perry or Oweh has to guard Mark Sears. If we use Oweh and a ref decides to take him out of the game it would be a blowout so that leaves Perry or Chandler guarding Sears. I love the way the light seems to be coming on for Perry offensively(he's finally looking for any opportunity to put up a shot like Almonor) but the thought of him guarding Sears much gives me nightmares.

 

[BlueSince92]

The only way it would be weird is if we do the Misery thing and hobble all our best players on purpose January 1st to shock the scrubs into brilliance.

And hey, if that gets results, bring it.

 

[GoNoles111]

Chandler still doesn't deserve the pt he's getting imo. Glad to see him play well finally but he probably cost us the texas game and helped dig us a giant hole bs ole miss.

If hes going to play, and seems he is, he definitely doesn't need to be handling the ball.

He has to play.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Regardless of how the season turns out, all this experience for the Freshmen will pay off in the long run. Nobody ever expected Perry to log a start this season or for Noah to be more than a victory cigar. These Freshmen have helped us win some games without our main guys. When they are the main guys, we will look back and say that this stretch helped them develop into great players for us.

 

[BBNinSC]

With Butler, Robinson, and Kriisa out Chandler pretty much has to play. This weekend we play 'bama and either Chandler or Perry or Oweh has to guard Mark Sears. If we use Oweh and a ref decides to take him out of the game it would be a blowout so that leaves Perry or Chandler guarding Sears. I love the way the light seems to be coming on for Perry offensively(he's finally looking for any opportunity to put up a shot like Almonor) but the thought of him guarding Sears much gives me nightmares.

Put Noah on him? Use some size to our advantage

 

[BBNinSC]

I would certainly never wis for injuries or these tough stretches where we lose so many games.

But our guys have had to learn to dig in and fight for wins. Our defense has improved dramatically (and will get even better when Robinson and Butler are back).

Noah has been able to show that he's a solid role player. Perry has improved. Chandler has been able to find his way a little bit. Almanor has really found his niche as an elite catch and shoot 3 point threat.

If we're healthy going into the post-season, going through the fire may have helped us find some things we were missing.

I have thought about this exact same thing. I do worry about some of our injured players being rusty in critical upcoming games or the substitution patterns changing this late in the season.

 

[ukfan1622]

Put Noah on him? Use some size to our advantage

I like Noah's defense so far but I'm afraid he just doesn't have the quicks to guard Sears. The thing that makes Sears almost impossible to guard when he's on is that he is very quick AND very strong and he can shoot; the combination is a nightmare for any defender.

 

[Bluegrassking]

Chandler still doesn't deserve the pt he's getting imo. Glad to see him play well finally but he probably cost us the texas game and helped dig us a giant hole bs ole miss.

If hes going to play, and seems he is, he definitely doesn't need to be handling the ball.

Do you have eligibility to take his spot?

Otherwise, we need the body and he is growing into a better player as we speak.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

He has to play.

Do you have eligibility to take his spot?

Otherwise, we need the body and he is growing into a better player as we speak.

I understand now he has to play out of necessity. However he also played before it was a necessity.

I have no real issue with him as long as he isnt asked to handle the ball. He has a terrible handle and throws weak passes around the perimeter.

 

[trueblujr2]

I like Noah's defense so far but I'm afraid he just doesn't have the quicks to guard Sears. The thing that makes Sears almost impossible to guard when he's on is that he is very quick AND very strong and he can shoot; the combination is a nightmare for any defender.

When they played last Sears was just chucking them up from 30 feet out. If defenders are guarding him at the line he just goes out further.

 

[Tprinceuk]

Yeah if we can get Carr as close to 100% and Robinson and Butler back there's not a guy on the team that I would be worried about when Pope calls their number, if were lucky enough to get healthy and stay healthy march is going to be a fun ride.

 

[pauled]

I just hate losing games we should have won because of injuries!

 

[pauled]

I think I heard we’ve played 7 games with a healthy roster!😳

 

[YardCat]

He has to play.

I agree with you and he is stronger and a lot bigger than Perry. Make Sears have to shoot over size and make him drive into the paint and make him finish like we made Ziegler from UT.

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

Really like how Chandler, Perry, and Noah are getting considerable playing time. Helps us this year but really impacts us next year and going forward. I have enjoyed this season more than any other not including championship seasons.

 

[ukfan1622]

When they played last Sears was just chucking them up from 30 feet out. If defenders are guarding him at the line he just goes out further.

Yeah, he's just a beast. Not being able to guard Sears doesn't make somebody a bad defender because when he's on I don't think anybody can stop him.

 

[Stretch98]

I agree with you and he is stronger and a lot bigger than Perry. Make Sears have to shoot over size and make him drive into the paint and make him finish like we made Ziegler from UT.

Chandler has the length to make it difficult for Sears to shoot over him and the quicks to stay in front of Sears when he drives to the basket. With Perry on Sears, we would be forced to help too much and other Bama shooters would be left open at the three-point line. Perry will still have his hands full with Philon and Holloway. Their guards are absolute jets.