Lessons from last year's UK-Michigan game

[MdWIldcat55]

I rewatched the London game. A person can learn from that experience. A few observations:

1. Kentucky won. Not a small point. The Cats didn't have that much more talent 1-4 than Michigan and won the game on a neutral court.
2. Oscar was still recovering. It was an early season game and Oscar was still not close to his 2021 form after the medical procedure.
3. Oscar was still a much better rebounder. He out-rebounded HD 14 -to - 9 and got several more critical rebounds.
3. Dickinson dominated the ball for Michigan. Their offense was a lot of standing around waiting to throw the ball into Dickinson.
4. Dickinson took TWENTY THREE shots. He was 10-23. 43 percent is not that great for a 7-footer playing that close to the basket.
5. Michigan's other players looked a little frustrated with the pace. It felt like Dickinson was slowing down the offense. The other players took some rushed shots after failing to get the ball into him.
6. Kentucky's offense was much more open and diverse. The Cats had five players in double figures. Dickinson and Howard were pretty much the whole scoring threat for Michigan.
7. Onyenso had as many blocks in five minutes (3) as Dickinson did in 35. He is really not a rim protector.

I've been on the record here since Dickinson entered the portal saying he wasn't a good fit for the Cats with several very talented young players who will want to push the pace and get scoring opportunities. Watching the UK-UM game didn't make me change my mind. Dickinson had a great stat line on the surface. But I don't see him fitting with Wagner, Edwards, Reeves, Dillingham, and so on in a multi-faceted offense. And Ugo is already a better rim protector, as Oscar is a much, much better rebounder if he returns.

 

[bookerfan66]

Okay Kyle Tucker.Do your damage control.

 

[YardCat]

I’m to the point that I don’t care where he goes, just go somewhere. If it’s here great, if not, move on.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Okay Kyle Tucker.Do your damage control.

I honestly don’t understand this infatuation with HD myself. He’s nothing great. JMHO.

 

[JerseyCat84]

The spin cycle is in overdrive lol

 

[UK96GOAT]

I rewatched the London game. A person can learn from that experience. A few observations:

1. Kentucky won. Not a small point. The Cats didn't have that much more talent 1-4 than Michigan and won the game on a neutral court.
2. Oscar was still recovering. It was an early season game and Oscar was still not close to his 2021 form after the medical procedure.
3. Oscar was still a much better rebounder. He out-rebounded HD 14 -to - 9 and got several more critical rebounds.
3. Dickinson dominated the ball for Michigan. Their offense was a lot of standing around waiting to throw the ball into Dickinson.
4. Dickinson took TWENTY THREE shots. He was 10-23. 43 percent is not that great for a 7-footer playing that close to the basket.
5. Michigan's other players looked a little frustrated with the pace. It felt like Dickinson was slowing down the offense. The other players took some rushed shots after failing to get the ball into him.
6. Kentucky's offense was much more open and diverse. The Cats had five players in double figures. Dickinson and Howard were pretty much the whole scoring threat for Michigan.
7. Onyenso had as many blocks in five minutes (3) as Dickinson did in 35. He is really not a rim protector.

I've been on the record here since Dickinson entered the portal saying he wasn't a good fit for the Cats with several very talented young players who will want to push the pace and get scoring opportunities. Watching the UK-UM game didn't make me change my mind. Dickinson had a great stat line on the surface. But I don't see him fitting with Wagner, Edwards, Reeves, Dillingham, and so on in a multi-faceted offense. And Ugo is already a better rim protector, as Oscar is a much, much better rebounder if he returns.

I like your 7th point. Onyenso looked promising early in the season and should have been a part of the rotation by the end of the season. I don’t understand why Cal refused to give him playing time.

 

[CrimsonCats]

I honestly don’t understand this infatuation with HD myself. He’s nothing great. JMHO.

I think the intrigue wasn’t necessarily that anyone thought he was going to singlehandedly carry us to a championship so much as there was some thought that his ability to pass and shoot from the perimeter would be a better fit for maximizing our freshman guards and their scoring off the dribble than a center who’s anchored to the paint on offense. Not that any of that matters now that he’s going to Kansas.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

I think the intrigue wasn’t necessarily that anyone thought he was going to singlehandedly carry us to a championship so much as there was some thought that his ability to pass and shoot from the perimeter would be a better fit for maximizing our freshman guards and their scoring off the dribble than a center who’s anchored to the paint on offense. Not that any of that matters now that he’s going to Kansas.

I get what you mean. However, I like the fit with Oscar as well. Having a generational rebounder gobble up misses from all these talented pieces is intriguing to me. We won’t have to run offense through Oscar with the other guys we have. Oscar will be able fill the role he does best and thrive IMO.

 

[jjsomer]

I honestly don’t understand this infatuation with HD myself. He’s nothing great. JMHO.

I agree...he's not great. If he were, he would be in the League. The truth is that he's a great college 5. He will be in the discussion for NPOTY this upcoming season.

 

[Smashcat]

I like your 7th point. Onyenso looked promising early in the season and should have been a part of the rotation by the end of the season. I don’t understand why Cal refused to give him playing time.

That’s been a head scratcher for me as well, particularly after welding Hopkins to the bench then watching him become a star at Providence.