Did I think I would ever say this. I think Derek Willis may be the key to this team's success...Kudos to that young man for stepping up and playing big when the team needed it most.
Never in a million years...
- Thread starter TCurtis75
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He's doing well. We as fans need to step back a bit, in my opinion, and keep expectations in check.
Gotta stay aggressive!
IF he brings it in the big games and doesn't disappear when it counts, he IS the key to a title run this year.
IF he brings it in the big games and doesn't disappear when it counts, he IS the key to a title run this year.
Wouldn't say the ( key ) but he's damn sure top 4 player on the team.. We'll see what he does against Kansas and if he shows out against them, he's the real deal Holyfield!
I want to see him do it the rest of the year. But I'm seeing huge improvements and not realy in Derek's abilities but in his confidence and his effort. Coming down with two hands for a rebound almost everytime like cal has stressed. He has looked more active on defense lately too. Really happy for him. Playing him and poythress is a small lineup but it is working.
Derek has been fantastic and without a doubt has been a big part of this team turning the corner. I agree that we should keep expectations in check a bit and make sure he's not just on a hot streak that he can't sustain, but the big difference is that he is making plays which allows Cal to play him even when his shot isn't falling. Used to if he wasn't hitting shots he was essentially useless because he didn't rebound and couldn't defend. He is doing those things now which keeps him on the floor even when he's struggling offensively.
I don't think it's fair to expect 18 and 12 from him on a consistent basis, but a solid 8 points and 6 rebounds average moving forward would be great production for this team.
I don't think it's fair to expect 18 and 12 from him on a consistent basis, but a solid 8 points and 6 rebounds average moving forward would be great production for this team.
A lot of people, including me, didn't see it coming. The first 2 seasons just didn't give us any reason to think it would come to be honest. I thought with more PT against good competition, he would get a little intimidated and feel like he wasn't ready to sit at the big boy table yet, but he's shown that he doesn't lack confidence and is being aggressive. Of course his defense is still not where it needs to be, but now I think he will improved that part of his game as well.
Technically, Derek IS the key to the success of this team. Why? Because if Derek Willis is in the game, he's a hard person to try to zone against. He shoots well enough that teams may decide to not pack their defense into the lane. We saw Missouri play zone last night and Tyler carved them up simply because Willis and Murray are outside threats. If a defense knows a shooter is on the wing, they will cheat towards that shooter leaving driving lanes for our guards. We've seen quite a bit of that these past few games with how easily Tyler has been getting penetration and hitting that floater of his.
I think you can make the argument that he is the key for two reasons. One, his presence on the court changes how other teams defend us and this enables our other players to execute the offense more efficiently. Two, he's taken minutes away from guys who were previously playing a much greater role. This may spur them to play at a higher level.
That doesn't mean he's the best player on the team. But his new role has had ripple effects on the team as a whole that have elevated play the past few games. Whether that continues remains to be seen. If it does continue, however, then I think you can strongly argue that Willis was the catalyst.
He's pretty darn key to our offense. Having him in there stretches out defenses and gives our guards room to penetrate. With Poythress and Lee together, we have two guys who can't shoot (3 with Briscoe, though he's been hitting mid range shots) which made us easier to defend. Derek only has to rebound and defend well enough to stay on the floor, and when he is he's among our most important players on the offensive end.
Cal typically is not playing someone that hurts us defensively. With this team it was becoming obvious we needed to play Willis as we struggled scoring so much. He has really played well offensively, rebounded well and is actually become a better defender. I think it is a major difference in how we have played as of late. By playing Willis more it is also benefiting Skal as he has the opportunity to come in and fill a role vs. being required to be the man.
18 points and 12 rebounds?? Not a key to the team's success? This is what is great aboiut Cal. He can take a player who hardly made an impact last year and get him drafted in the first round
Confidence can be a wonderful thing and Derek's is growing with each game right now. I've said before that his outside shooting threat can open up the inside...
Keep it up DW!
Keep it up DW!
I generally am not a brake-pumper, but...... DW, after his amazing length of the court slam-dunk, had a front row seat as he watched his guy take him off the dribble for an easy lay-up. Key to DW's success is and always will be, can he improve on D? No doubt the O and rebounding is terrific, tho.
ulis is the key.. Derrick is just playing outta his mind right now.. It was mizzou for crying out loud.. KU will be the test but Derrick is %100 not the key ..
Actually it's three straight games, not simply Mizzou. We've had an offensive efficiency of 1.14+ the last three games, which has been the best stretch offensively all season.
It's not so much Derek's individual stat line as it is the spacing that's created when he's on the court. Our offense, as a whole, is more efficient when he's a major contributor.
Ulis has consistently been our best player all year. Yet despite this consistency, that hasn't prevented some pretty poor performances. When Willis is a major contributor, the dynamics of the game change in a way that enables the team as a whole to perform better. That may change as coaches begin to game plan against our new lineup, but if it doesn't and we keep playing this way, then I think you can argue that Willis is the key.
That could be going a bit far, but he is making real contributions. Cal said last night, again, he's not going to play Skal if he won't defend and rebound. Willis does, though admittedly he's not a great defender. At least he's making a big effort at it. He's a guy which developments have opened the door of opportunity for, and he's walked right through it. That's a nice story. And yea, even better because he's a Kentucky kid.
i'm so happy for willis. it seems to be rubbing off too. murray is getting his hands on the ball a lot now defensively it seems. matthews only seems to make a play or two with a foul in a few minutes. however the plays he makes are fearless and he's good for at least a trip to the line and a saved possession it seems. he's no scrub subbing the three. briscoe is even looking well rounded. things are definitely happening. weird we go to ku next game.
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DW has started three straight games and has played fantastic almost the entire time. As a team we have looked so much better in those three games. Coincidence?
Derrick is playing great, and I honestly think he'll improve as the year goes on, when he's in the game now, he's just playing. He used to play with one eye on the bench, kinda playing if he made a mistake he was on the bench. He sure has been a boost to the team the last few games, and Im very glad to see it. I have to admit, I love seeing the Ky guys do well, here's hoping Hawkins can play his best also before the end of the year.
UK's key is everyone become the best version of themselves as basketball players. We are seeing improvements across the board. Ulis is so super consistent, Murray is getting there, Briscoe has been playing better overall lately with his shooting, Skal is still Skal as far as not knowing how to rebound but is scoring better and blocked 5 shots last night I believe, Poy and Lee need to just rebound and score when they can, and yes Willis with his rebounding and improved effort on D has become a very valuable asset. When you have Ulis, Murray and Willis out there for long stretches it is hard to zone UK. That is key to any tourney run...the 3 point shot has to become a consistent weapon for us.
I don't think there is a single key but one of the several thing a that need to happen is for Derek to stay on his current trajectory.
If he does that, briscoe shoots even decent and skal gets his mojo going...it is on.
If he does that, briscoe shoots even decent and skal gets his mojo going...it is on.
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