Reality Check

[UKFAN4L]

I will say that we are definitely better with healthy versions Kriisa, Carr, and Butler.
But the reality is, we are an average Kentucky team that can beat anyone or be beat by anyone. If Calipari were the coach, we would be ranked in the 20’s. The media love for Pope has us at 12.
The reasons we are average that I cannot see changing with a healthy squad:
-No rim protector.
-No perimeter pressure/shot contests
-SOFT. Not much fight (this could potentially get better with Kerr and Lamont).
-Rebounding
I just don’t think those things will change at this point. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t, but Pope needs to get in these guys ass to prove a point. No more Mr. Nice Guy.

 

[SemperFiCat]

It's the defense. Our defense is atrocious. Our talent is fine, our offense is fine, and we have some grit. We just can't stop anyone. We have an amazingly bad defense. It's really that simple.

 

[UKFAN4L]

It's the defense. Our defense is atrocious. Our talent is fine, our offense is fine, and we have some grit. We just can't stop anyone. We have an amazingly bad defense. It's really that simple.

Yeah, and I just don't think it’s fixable.

 

[catlogic15]

My mindset is already on to next years roster additions. Pope has some sizable holes to fill. Just above average players from average mid-major programs won’t cut it here.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Last night just deflated everything man, it just did. That was the one game Kentucky had to win, and calipari coached circles around pope. It’s legit hard to see this team getting to 20 wins right now, it’s very hard. Tuesday feels like a loss, scar at home should be a win, but this team plays like shit against shit competition. Then after that who the hell knows anymore

 

[TOMCATS1990]

I played a lot of basketball all the way through high school. When we played against teams who are far superior athletically we ZONED them. I don’t understand why Pope won’t play zone with a team full of subpar defenders.

 

[jedwar]

I played a lot of basketball all the way through high school. When we played against teams who are far superior athletically we ZONED them. I don’t understand why Pope won’t play zone with a team full of subpar defenders.

I’m sure you know but he said according to analytics Arkansas was 1.5 whatever better against zone. He has a real issue with feel and flow of the game.

 

[rolaid]

He needs to do something different right now on defense
Just try something different
Trap ball screens
Take away the 3 point line make teams hit the tough twos but up on three point shooters
Way to soft on the perimeter - take away the 3’s
I know were slow at spots but 3’s are what get you beat
Did we even scout Z? Doesnt look like it dude was playing horse

 

[ukdesi]

If Cal were the coach, we would be unranked in my opinion. But its not apples to apples -- he would never have a team with this construction -- doesn't fit his style.

 

[BigBlue1992]

Agree 100%. Those are the four things I’ve also been saying will likely be too much to overcome. If we were to cut that list to two, it would be a huge improvement but we haven’t gotten better in any of those areas thus far.

 

[DeerTurkHunter1]

I played a lot of basketball all the way through high school. When we played against teams who are far superior athletically we ZONED them. I don’t understand why Pope won’t play zone with a team full of subpar defenders.

They killed us from 3 anyway. we play zone we get crushed even more. Big Z and DJ would of had 30 each.

 

[Seth_C]

If Cal was coaching this team we would have at least 4 additional losses and wouldn’t even sniff the top 25. I call horeshit on everything else based on that alone.

 

[gojvc]

I played a lot of basketball all the way through high school. When we played against teams who are far superior athletically we ZONED them. I don’t understand why Pope won’t play zone with a team full of subpar defenders.

I thought last night really screamed for it. Especially given that some Cal teams have looked like they’ve never seen a basketball in their life when hit with a zone defense. You actually end up giving up more open, in-rhythm threes in man defense when nobody can keep their man in front of them.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Jones on the postgame show said he needs one more big win to feel safe about making the tourney

 

[UKFAN4L]

My mindset is already on to next years roster additions. Pope has some sizable holes to fill. Just above average players from average mid-major programs won’t cut it here.

Jones on the postgame show said he needs one more big win to feel safe about making the tourney

Crazy to think we are ranked 12 but on the bubble 🤦🏼‍♂️

 

[EliteBlue]

I’m sure you know but he said according to analytics Arkansas was 1.5 whatever better against zone. He has a real issue with feel and flow of the game.

And this is where analytics can be misleading if you’re taking it as pure gospel.

They may be 1.5 percentage points better against a zone…in every other game combined against other teams rosters who may match up better athletically with them.

But we aren’t athletic enough to guard the ball screen against elite athleticism teams (which is Cals whole Offense). We’d likely be a much better zone team against teams that have a significant size/athleticism advantage and then just throw some possessions of man to keep breaking offensive rhythm

Following the analytics is right 90-95% of the time when it comes to your own offensive strategy or lineups. But 5-10% it has to be interpreted

 

[Bluesnky]

It’s not hard to think back to Cal’s teams that did not have someone who could play PG, and how terrible they were. When we didn’t cough up the ball we somehow shot 50%+ from 2 and 40%+ from 3. I don’t even know how we managed that since the offense was being made to start 30 ft from the basket.

We need to find a way to score in the 90s without a point guard. Im not sure that is possible. The defense is what it is at this point. Against Tennessee we made them shoot a lot of threes and they missed. That’s probably the best we can do.

 

[DeerTurkHunter1]

I thought last night really screamed for it. Especially given that some Cal teams have looked like they’ve never seen a basketball in their life when hit with a zone defense. You actually end up giving up more open, in-rhythm threes in man defense when nobody can keep their man in front of them.

False

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Crazy to think we are ranked 12 but on the bubble 🤦🏼‍♂️

I don’t think we are as of right now or close to it, but if they lose Tuesday and lose Saturday at home to scar, then it’s times to become concerned

 

[BlueSince92]

Post like this are always gonna be eaten up by the unwashed masses but ultimately they are disappointment venting and nothing else.

We have not had the most chances of any team in the nation to get the most significant collection of wins.

Nonetheless we have accumulated the most significant collection of wins of any team in the nation.

That is the “reality.”

We do have all kinds of problems especially with our injuries. But if you don’t think all that adds up to the team with the highest ceiling in the nation for better or for worse (at least apart from our injuries), then you’re not dealing with reality. The proof is already in the pudding.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Post like this are always gonna be eaten up by the unwashed masses but ultimately they are disappointment venting and nothing else.

We have not had the most chances of any team in the nation to get the most significant collection of wins.

Nonetheless we have accumulated the most significant collection of wins of any team in the nation.

That is the “reality.”

We do have all kinds of problems especially with our injuries. But if you don’t think all that adds up to the team with the highest ceiling in the nation for better or for worse (at least apart from our injuries), then you’re not dealing with reality. The proof is already in the pudding.

After the Florida game I would have agreed with you, but since then they haven’t been playing great. Tennessee was a one off win, where our gamble on a bad shooting team paid off

 

[UKFAN4L]

Post like this are always gonna be eaten up by the unwashed masses but ultimately they are disappointment venting and nothing else.

We have not had the most chances of any team in the nation to get the most significant collection of wins.

Nonetheless we have accumulated the most significant collection of wins of any team in the nation.

That is the “reality.”

We do have all kinds of problems especially with our injuries. But if you don’t think all that adds up to the team with the highest ceiling in the nation for better or for worse (at least apart from our injuries), then you’re not dealing with reality. The proof is already in the pudding.

I said what I said. We can beat anyone and anyone can beat us. There has been no signs of progression of getting better defensively, so game to game is very unpredictable due to the other teams capability of hitting open shots. For example: Tennessee. If Ziegler goes 3-11 instead of 1-11, we lose. They missed A TON down the stretch. Uncontested.

 

[Bluesnky]

After the Florida game I would have agreed with you, but since then they haven’t been playing great. Tennessee was a one off win, where our gamble on a bad shooting team paid off

It’s Butler. He was hampered against Vanderbilt and out yesterday. Played well against Alabama but we still lost. We beat Tennessee without him with some good luck. He is both our best player and the only real point guard left on the roster. His injury is killing us.