Reed vs. Auburn pressure
- Thread starter ORCAT10
- Start date
They were bringing it too. There were a number of times I couldn’t believe how physical the refs allowed it to get. Was really impressed with how we held up. Had not been previously.
Play of the game was the pass to Thiero. Then he missed the dunk.
That pass was sick.
There were two calls that went memorably in our favor:
- Goaltending (it wasn't goaltending, but the ball wouldn't have been ours...this is something that has gone against us ALL SEASON and finally went the other way but this rule must change going forward, it's absolutely batshit)
- Broome didn't foul Dillingham when he was whistled for it (although he probably did by any reasonable definition prior to that)
Other than that, just about EVERYTHING else was whistled strongly in Auburn's favor, as we've come to expect in games down there.
Among the most notable examples: every time our guards were dribbling in any direction they were shoved HARD off course (reacting noticeably to the contact) and almost never benefited from a call for this. It was egregious.
Somehow, survived the atmosphere and the ref-job. I was shocked and thrilled by the final result.
- Goaltending (it wasn't goaltending, but the ball wouldn't have been ours...this is something that has gone against us ALL SEASON and finally went the other way but this rule must change going forward, it's absolutely batshit)
- Broome didn't foul Dillingham when he was whistled for it (although he probably did by any reasonable definition prior to that)
Other than that, just about EVERYTHING else was whistled strongly in Auburn's favor, as we've come to expect in games down there.
Among the most notable examples: every time our guards were dribbling in any direction they were shoved HARD off course (reacting noticeably to the contact) and almost never benefited from a call for this. It was egregious.
Somehow, survived the atmosphere and the ref-job. I was shocked and thrilled by the final result.
Auburn put serious ball pressure on us. DJ Reed and Rob all had trouble handling the ball cleanly. Imagine less talented guards or only one lead guard trying to handle that for 40 minutes. It's a big reason for the success they've had this year. Our guys did a great job considering.
He is so damn poised man.
I'm starting to think you do whatever you can to get him back next year. Him as a 2nd year player will be so impactful for us, especially as we might not have an elite PG. Then, he can show the NBA he can play both guard positions which every team would love to have coming off the bench as a 6th man (like an IQ).
Couple his return with maybe one of Edwards/Bradshaw/DJ... Thiero, Big Z and Ugo.. our incoming class.. and all we really just lose Wing talent with Dilly and Reeves (but we have that coming in).. thats a Final4 team where Reed simply wont allow early losses.. and then he can get drafted in the 20s and Cal can ride off into the sunset.
I'm starting to think you do whatever you can to get him back next year. Him as a 2nd year player will be so impactful for us, especially as we might not have an elite PG. Then, he can show the NBA he can play both guard positions which every team would love to have coming off the bench as a 6th man (like an IQ).
Couple his return with maybe one of Edwards/Bradshaw/DJ... Thiero, Big Z and Ugo.. our incoming class.. and all we really just lose Wing talent with Dilly and Reeves (but we have that coming in).. thats a Final4 team where Reed simply wont allow early losses.. and then he can get drafted in the 20s and Cal can ride off into the sunset.
Got to be honest, I wouldn’t have been shocked if he got swallowed up by the pressure a bit. Ridiculously tough atmosphere for a freshman PG.
I think Zeigler got into him a bit when we played UT, and was part of the reason we were never really in that game. Will be interesting to see his growth between those two games when we go into Knoxville next month.
I think Zeigler got into him a bit when we played UT, and was part of the reason we were never really in that game. Will be interesting to see his growth between those two games when we go into Knoxville next month.
Reed is so poised it's insane. How many times has he made a mistake only to immediately bust his ass trying and succeeding to get a steal. It's happened at least half a dozen times this season. It's not 2-3 possessions later either. Its the same sequence.
He can even have an Anthony Davis style game where he doesn't have a great offensive game, but he makes up for it on the defensive end. Only it's not blocked shots, but steals. Look at his stat line yesterday.
Only 4 points, but he had 5 steals and Im pretty sure 4 of those ended in points for Kentucky. That somewhat makes up for the lack of offense. Then he had 5 rebounds. That helps defensively too. Finally, he finished with only 3 assists, but had only 1 turnover in 30 minutes while going against a very good defensive Auburn team.
The guy is just special.
He can even have an Anthony Davis style game where he doesn't have a great offensive game, but he makes up for it on the defensive end. Only it's not blocked shots, but steals. Look at his stat line yesterday.
Only 4 points, but he had 5 steals and Im pretty sure 4 of those ended in points for Kentucky. That somewhat makes up for the lack of offense. Then he had 5 rebounds. That helps defensively too. Finally, he finished with only 3 assists, but had only 1 turnover in 30 minutes while going against a very good defensive Auburn team.
The guy is just special.
Ziegler is not a good matchup for Sheppard defensively. Wagner (who did not play in the first UT game), on the other hand, has the quicks and speed to stay with Ziegler and keep him out of the lane; and he will relish the NY/NJ aspect as a personal challenge.
His basketball IQ is off the charts. He sees the court so well it's to believe he's just a freshman.
When I played if you reached out and touched the offensive player at all it was immediately called a hand check. Now you can pretty much put a saddle on the offense and ride em til they buck you. Of course, palming the basketball was a thing when I played too.
All of our guards still got pushed out to half line. We had trouble with traps in on ball situations. Not as much as the South Carlin’s disaster but still needs to be better. Using the “floppy“ set helps a little, but our points need to be able to break down and finish with little slide step jumpers in the lane when their man when the are over playing so much.
Reed did score using that "Slide step jumper" a couple of times last night, but should have shot the ball more from the 3. Auburn is a great defensive team with their guards being strong and quick.
I thought we handled it pretty good except for DJ and Rob making reckless passes. Reed has to play PG because no one else on the team can pass or see the floor like he does.
It does seem like quite a few Reed TOS have been quickly followed by a Reed steal or block.
A sign of maturity not to sulk but to just player harder.
All of the guards played well and helped with the pressure. None of them tried to do too much. That’s the key against that kind of pressure. Don’t be afraid to pass it off to someone in a better situation.
I love this too. He almost always atones for his mistakes, often times immediately.
