Pope statement that Players not leaning on /trusting the system

[Fox2monk]

This may be the heart of it. Players have not fully invested in the system and instead of making the next pass, screen, or cut they go try to get a bucket. Ive wondered why Robinson looks passive in the offense.....but it makes sense that he is the only one who has played this system before and is playing within the offense when others arent.

I agree with Pope, we didn’t run our stuff last night, that’s why we have not shot well lately. Gotta keep doing what works.

 

[Fox2monk]

That is what I got out of Coach’s statement, they need to cut crisper and harder and set better picks when the defense gets tight. Make contact and make the officials make a call.

Butler is the only guy on the team that consistently gets that right now IMO.

 

[Fox2monk]

It looks like our Centers are the ones trying to do too much, especially Williams. There were several times last night when him, Carr and Garrison backed there man down, but didn’t throw it back out when the double team came.

People have to remember they are still learning to play with each other in game situations. It will come.

 

[UKAlum84]

Guys are going to grow up this season.

Its amazing we had almost 100 point avg for scoring in a game......

Clemson just had the right environment and the right matchups.

 

[Fox2monk]

We know from experience, but it takes a new team awhile to gel. This is an entirely brand new team, it likely won’t be until February (as we’ve seen before), until we see the full version of what this team has to offer.

We’re going to lose more games, as long as we’re not being blown out during the progression, I’ll remain optimistic. It’s when all of your quality opponents blow you out that you should raise the white flag. That’s TBD. We’re about to find out a lot about these guys Saturday. A high quality opponent, in a hostile environment in a bounce back game from their first lose, 4 days later.

Character test incoming.

I’ll take being in games and not losing games that we should never lose and get better while we do it anytime over losing 10 games hoping one dude who looked like trash all year finally has a game.

 

[Fox2monk]

I don't agree that Clemson is a bubble team. If they were a bubble team UK would have been favored in this game by more than what they were. They wouldn't have been an underdog in some computer models either.

24th in Kenpom
24th in BPI
32nd in Bart Tovik

Maybe they play worse than the ratings suggest the remaining of the season but they seem more to me like a fringe top 25 team than a bubble team.

The point with the Duke game tho drives the whole point home here. Both these games were close. One game we executed down the stretch. Carr made big shots. The other game, we did not execute down the stretch. Oweh missed a couple of threes that could have changed the outcome.

Neither game was drastically different than each other. It just seems to me like an overreaction because there's a 1 in the L column now.

Of course from Pope's standpoint you look for things to improve upon. And there was actual in game improvement IMO. The guy that was destroying us on the boards in the 1st half did not do the same in the 2nd half. It was clearly we were making adjustments as the game went on.

There just seems to be at least to me losses we need to make up some narratives as to why we lost and some of the time, those narratives are just false.

Clemson is gonna bust ACC teams at home this year. That’s a tough environment. I bet they beat Duke and UNC if they play there.

 

[susan2361]

I wonder if Carr is feeling the pressure of providing more than he may be capable of ?? Just a thought ... as he was perhaps and arguably the fourth best player on Wake Forest last season.
I really like him, but cannot help but think we may be expecting too much from him. ???

I worry that the players worry about upsetting BBN. They shouldn't but BBN has a history of being a maniacal fan base. Yes, we are the best fan base and also the most knowledgeable. And we've all seen how BBN can get extremely upset when things don't go right. I just hope the players don't worry about pleasing BBN and not upsetting them too much. They don't need to be worrying about things like that. The pressure on these guys must be tremendous.

 

[CatsFanIL]

This may be the heart of it. Players have not fully invested in the system and instead of making the next pass, screen, or cut they go try to get a bucket. Ive wondered why Robinson looks passive in the offense.....but it makes sense that he is the only one who has played this system before and is playing within the offense when others arent.

I get what Pope is saying, no gripes at all. But I do wonder what Clemson had to do with those issues. They applied a TON of pressure on the 3-pt line, just like Duke did to start the game when we struggled against them. Adjustments were made and obviously we went on to win that game. I'd have to go back and watch with more intent to see if the same adjustments were made - but let's be real, 7-27 from 3 just isn't going to win a great deal of games when also struggling at the rim and also struggling from the FT line.

Again, no gripes with Pope's comments, but I just wonder how much of Clemson's defensive gameplan had more of an impact than our players not "trusting the system"

 

[CatsFanIL]

If players do not “trust” the offense, why does he keep them in the game ??

Because this early in the season, whether fans like it or not, players have to play thru struggles in order to develop and learn how to execute at game-speed against live competition

 

[CatsFanIL]

I kind of feel like this is a particular issue in regard to Kriisa and maybe why he seems a little lost. It doesn't appear to me that Kriisa makes cuts with the intent to score at the rim if not followed, and instead he's just perfunctorily going through the lane and on out to the corner. His career has been as a spot up shooter, and it feels like he's struggling not to want to revert to that. I notice he comes down and tries to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible and then heads straight for the 3pt. line on the side. That's not how Butler handles the PG duties. Maybe I'm off base, but I'm thinking Kriisa is one of the guys that has to learn to trust the system better and then his production may improve.

This could definitely be true. I think Kerr is GREAT at getting the ball up the floor with speed - which Pope wants because it doens't allow the opposing team defense to get set up early. I think the players have a great deal of freedom, like we see with Butler getting to the rim early in possessions sometimes, which I love. But once entering the first pass, Pope's PG usually screens away, typically the first screener of their Zoom concept. Then they turn into a spot-up shooter like you mentioned, or the "shake" guy on the drive.

If Kerr inches closer to his ceiling, we're going to be really really good. But right now he's shooting very poorly. We're in early December, ain't no need to panic just yet with him

 

[blackcat714]

Pope needs to beat Gonzaga loss to them and Louisville and things will get toxic around here.

 

[brookslouky]

Yea, we have one guy who has played for Pope before. There is going to be a learning curve. I'd say we are probably about the 20th best team in the country.

 

[billoliver40]

Pope needs to beat Gonzaga loss to them and Louisville and things will get toxic around here.

Yeah....heaven help if the trolls get fed more...they'll turn into Ogres.

 

[The_Answer1313]

I get what Pope is saying, no gripes at all. But I do wonder what Clemson had to do with those issues. They applied a TON of pressure on the 3-pt line, just like Duke did to start the game when we struggled against them. Adjustments were made and obviously we went on to win that game. I'd have to go back and watch with more intent to see if the same adjustments were made - but let's be real, 7-27 from 3 just isn't going to win a great deal of games when also struggling at the rim and also struggling from the FT line.

Again, no gripes with Pope's comments, but I just wonder how much of Clemson's defensive gameplan had more of an impact than our players not "trusting the system"

Exactly. Are the players not fully invested in the system or did Clemson just take us out of that system. I tend to think it’s more the latter.

 

[CRZ4UK]

I feel like some of this is just a massive overreaction.

We lost a road game by 2 possessions. Would the same thing be said had we won the game by 2 possessions? Did the players trust the system in the Duke game?

I get it. We lost. Everyone needs a reason. And Pope has to sit up there and say something.

But it could just be a simple "they played better than us".

When you miss over 20 three point shots, you usually lose. We have shooters. They aren’t hitting shots. Pretty simple.

 

[Skyguyb27]

If players do not “trust” the offense, why does he keep them in the game ??

If none of them bought in, he can’t go all Hoosiers on us.

 

[HagginHall1999]

I mean we had 15 f*^%#g wide open 3s we bricked and missed SEVEN free throws. We can’t have god awful shooting like that anymore. Just putrid shooting all around.

Yep, those are the types of games that will cost you in tourney. The double whammy...

Signed,

UK Wildcats
1995- 7/36, 12/16
2003- 4/16, 15/24
2010- 4/32, 16/29
2019- 5/21, 12/21

 

[AshWilliams]

Yep, those are the types of games that will cost you in tourney. The double whammy...

Signed,

UK Wildcats
1995- 7/36, 12/16
2003- 4/16, 15/24
2010- 4/32, 16/29
2019- 5/21, 12/21

The worst one to me is 2014 Championship game against UConn - 5/16, 13/24 and we lost by 6.

 

[Tf2217]

We missed how many open shots?
We lost by 4 after getting mugged the whole game and not getting obvious calls like the Double dribble.
Shoot better than absolutely miserable would be a decent start. We shot insanely bad, and lost by 4 to probably a top 2 team in the ACC it is what it is live and learn.

 

[AJG-15]

How many teams that solely rely on 3 ball without a solid inside presence do you know to win a national title?

As our former coach used to say , you are fraud if you don’t have a big man to score inside….

With really elite at one category : catch and shoot by Kobe Brea. We are good at PG with Butler both on offense and defense. We are good offensively at 4 with Carr. The rest of positions or facets of the game we are just deep and experienced at individual level but not as team or under Pope system.

So buying into Pope” system consistently at a high percentage is going to be important but might not be enough to bring us number 9 this year. From I have seen, Alabama, Auburn, TN, Gonzaga and Duke( in March ) are better than us. I am not sold yet on Kansas , UConn and Houston.

 

[Fancatstik]

Didn't Carr actually make those plays down the stretch directly against Maluach?

No he was injured and had to sit. Duke was beating us pretty well while Maluach was in.

 

[megablue]

I kind of feel like this is a particular issue in regard to Kriisa and maybe why he seems a little lost. It doesn't appear to me that Kriisa makes cuts with the intent to score at the rim if not followed, and instead he's just perfunctorily going through the lane and on out to the corner. His career has been as a spot up shooter, and it feels like he's struggling not to want to revert to that. I notice he comes down and tries to get rid of the ball as quickly as possible and then heads straight for the 3pt. line on the side. That's not how Butler handles the PG duties. Maybe I'm off base, but I'm thinking Kriisa is one of the guys that has to learn to trust the system better and then his production may improve.

Your observation is the same thing I see.
He has taken 36 shots and 33 are threes. That is 92% of his shots.
He does not look to and/or cannot reliably score inside the arc. In his career, a little over 80% of his shots have been threes. He is a spot-up shooter, primarily, which is not ideal for a point guard … although it may work in Pope’s system. To my view, his defense does not make up for his lack of offensive prowess, unfortunately.

Kerr Kriisa College Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Kerr Kriisa - Stats, Game Logs, Splits, and much more

www.sports-reference.com

 

[G-PIP]

No he was injured and had to sit. Duke was beating us pretty well while Maluach was in.

That's not actually correct. At just under 2 minutes, with UK down by 1, Carr took it to Maluach one-one, drove him to the paint and scored an and-one over & through him. No help, no screen. Just an isolation against Maluach. Carr also scored over Maluach in the first half, but that one at about the 1:50 mark was maybe the biggest play in the game for UK.

 

[sosoblue]

Just make shots especially open 3's. You can always say better defense but no Koby Brea in the last few minutes of the game that was a head scratcher for me.