Reeves today

[kyjeff1]

Literally the only other major one is guarding pick and roll which can be fixed some. He’s not a good but GREAT college player and we have fans who want him gone. That’s ignorance in the purest form.

You said Oscar's only flaw is he can't shoot 3's and then you said he was a top 10 player at UK… in its history, then you called others "ignorant". Not your best moments.

Look, Oscar is wired to rebound, he lets small guards drive right at him and lay the ball up and he absolutely cannot guard the p-n-r. Cal has coached him for 2 years and he still hasn't fixed the issues.

I want Oscar back, but only if Cal fixes the defensive issues and pulls him out of the paint on offense, but you can't attack knowledgeable fans for saying it's time to find a 5 that can protect the rim.

And no, Oscar is not top 10 all time at UK.

 

[kyjeff1]

Tell me more about the other 8 NPOY guys UK has had.

I guess it comes down to the criteria. If it’s NPOY, then Oscar is the best of all time at UK. Is that what you guys think?

If so, where do you put AD, Mashburn, Antoine Walker, Kenny Walker, Wall, Delk, Goose, Issel, Bowie, Groza, Hagan, Macy, Dampier, Robey, DA, Rex, Wayne Turner, Randle and Fox?

The guys on that list carried their teams much further than Oscar did. All those guys ran into trouble in the tournament, but dug in and made plays nobody else could.

Oscar is the best rebounder I've ever seen, but other than rebounding, what is putting him in the top 10? The NBA doesn’t want him for a reason.

 

[BasketBallJunkie-UK]

You said Oscar's only flaw is he can't shoot 3's and then you said he was a top 10 player at UK… in its history, then you called others "ignorant". Not your best moments.

Look, Oscar is wired to rebound, he lets small guards drive right at him and lay the ball up and he absolutely cannot guard the p-n-r. Cal has coached him for 2 years and he still hasn't fixed the issues.

I want Oscar back, but only if Cal fixes the defensive issues and pulls him out of the paint on offense, but you can't attack knowledgeable fans for saying it's time to find a 5 that can protect the rim.

And no, Oscar is not top 10 all time at UK.

I agree with what you said, imagine that lol. Oscar, offensively is probably a top 10 all time UK player, but for a player that is as fast as he is, has no lateral quickness. He usually is in the drop position on the pnr, because he is terrible on the pnr. I think there's a roll for Oscar and Cal could do with Oscar what the team did with Toppin in 22, help him defense. They'ld call it out when Toppin was isolated. With our guard play Oscar could be a beast on offense, even moreso than before. Definitely in the rebounding dept and I imagine most times he's going to have to rebound to get his pts. He has trouble kicking it back out. Could barely score over 70 pts this last season and that also was a huge problem. We will be scoring probably 10-15 pts a game more than this past season. That will make some problems not look as bad lol.

Last season we relied heavily on Reeves, that won't be a problem this year either. We've got some dogs and they can score.

Neither Reeves nor Oscar will be getting the minutes they have been getting. There's better team talent ahead of them. But I would rather have Oscar back, than get someone from the portal. He's better, much better.

I guess we'll know about Livingston and Reeves by the end of this week. The guy from San Diego would be a great pick up if Livingston doesn't return.

 

[kyjeff1]

I agree with what you said, imagine that lol. Oscar, offensively is probably a top 10 all time UK player, but for a player that is as fast as he is, has no lateral quickness. He usually is in the drop position on the pnr, because he is terrible on the pnr. I think there's a roll for Oscar and Cal could do with Oscar what the team did with Toppin in 22, help him defense. They'ld call it out when Toppin was isolated. With our guard play Oscar could be a beast on offense, even moreso than before. Definitely in the rebounding dept and I imagine most times he's going to have to rebound to get his pts. He has trouble kicking it back out. Could barely score over 70 pts this last season and that also was a huge problem. We will be scoring probably 10-15 pts a game more than this past season. That will make some problems not look as bad lol.

Last season we relied heavily on Reeves, that won't be a problem this year either. We've got some dogs and they can score.

Neither Reeves nor Oscar will be getting the minutes they have been getting. There's better team talent ahead of them. But I would rather have Oscar back, than get someone from the portal. He's better, much better.

I guess we'll know about Livingston and Reeves by the end of this week. The guy from San Diego would be a great pick up if Livingston doesn't return.

I agree with most of this, but I think we should temper our expectations on the class of guys coming in. I think they're good, but it wouldn't surprise me if one, or 2 of them end up being busts and we usually see freshmen hit a wall at some point.

We need veterans, if we don't get a few, this will be another very disappointing season.

 

[BasketBallJunkie-UK]

I agree with most of this, but I think we should temper our expectations on the class of guys coming in. I think they're good, but it wouldn't surprise me if one, or 2 of them end up being busts and we usually see freshmen hit a wall at some point.

We need veterans, if we don't get a few, this will be another very disappointing season.

We'll get some veterans. I'm alway optimistic going into a season. I don't know if we'll be final 4 type good, but we're going to make a run in the tourney. Definitely needs to be tempered early, but I think the makeup of this team will surprise you.

 

[Montana81]

I agree with most of this, but I think we should temper our expectations on the class of guys coming in. I think they're good, but it wouldn't surprise me if one, or 2 of them end up being busts and we usually see freshmen hit a wall at some point.

We need veterans, if we don't get a few, this will be another very disappointing season.

Dillingham and Bradshaw scream “bust” to me. Especially if we really try and play Bradshaw at the 4.

One thing i’ll say about this team however…Cal needs elite rim protection to have an elite defense. Enter Ugo. Cal needs at least one deadeye shooter(Reeves) and guards and wings that can facilitate(Wagner and Edwards) to field an elite offense(Elite offense = top 10 which we’ve only done 5 times under Cal and has become more or less a requirement to win a title)

I remain skeptical of Cal’s ability to still actually coach an elite team. But i could see the pieces working out.

 

[kyjeff1]

Dillingham and Bradshaw scream “bust” to me. Especially if we really try and play Bradshaw at the 4.

One thing i’ll say about this team however…Cal needs elite rim protection to have an elite defense. Enter Ugo. Cal needs at least one deadeye shooter(Reeves) and guards and wings that can facilitate(Wagner and Edwards) to field an elite offense(Elite offense = top 10 which we’ve only done 5 times under Cal and has become more or less a requirement to win a title)

I remain skeptical of Cal’s ability to still actually coach an elite team. But i could see the pieces working out.

If I had to guess, I would say Bradshaw and Dillingham will be the ones that struggle the most.

I hope Wagner and Edwards play up to their billing. If Wagner isn't as good as advertised, we're beyond screwed.

Your last statement about Cal, is spot on. I'm not sure what it is, but that guy has the yips, every string he pulls, is the wrong one and he's trying his best to pretend like it's not happening.

The biggest problem is, he just keeps pounding the same nail with the same hammer, he refuses to believe it's not working, he refuses to believe HE is the problem.

 

[BasketBallJunkie-UK]

Dillingham and Bradshaw scream “bust” to me. Especially if we really try and play Bradshaw at the 4.

One thing i’ll say about this team however…Cal needs elite rim protection to have an elite defense. Enter Ugo. Cal needs at least one deadeye shooter(Reeves) and guards and wings that can facilitate(Wagner and Edwards) to field an elite offense(Elite offense = top 10 which we’ve only done 5 times under Cal and has become more or less a requirement to win a title)

I remain skeptical of Cal’s ability to still actually coach an elite team. But i could see the pieces working out.

Dillingham will amaze you and then piss you off the next trip down the floor lol. He's so quick, especially with a step back jumper or blow by with his hesitation move. I don't think he'll be a bust. IDK I think Bradshaw would be more consistent at the 4 than Toppin. If he can defend at the 4, then I think he creates match up problems especially with Ugonna at the 5. I've watched several of his games and he seems to play in the flow of the offense. I think he's too thin for the 5. But he's gonna see minutes at the 5.

 

[Montana81]

Dillingham will amaze you and then piss you off the next trip down the floor lol. He's so quick, especially with a step back jumper or blow by with his hesitation move. I don't think he'll be a bust. IDK I think Bradshaw would be more consistent at the 4 than Toppin. If he can defend at the 4, then I think he creates match up problems especially with Ugonna at the 5. I've watched several of his games and he seems to play in the flow of the offense. I think he's too thin for the 5. But he's gonna see minutes at the 5.

Toppin was really good on offense the last 3 months of the season. Averaged something like 14/7/3 on 50/40 shooting splits. I don’t see bradshaw getting close to that.

 

[UKAlum88]

You think Oscar's only flaw is that he can't shoot 3's?

No, I said that’s the complaint. I did say his only other major complaint is pick and roll defense.

 

[UKAlum88]

You said Oscar's only flaw is he can't shoot 3's and then you said he was a top 10 player at UK… in its history, then you called others "ignorant". Not your best moments.

Look, Oscar is wired to rebound, he lets small guards drive right at him and lay the ball up and he absolutely cannot guard the p-n-r. Cal has coached him for 2 years and he still hasn't fixed the issues.

I want Oscar back, but only if Cal fixes the defensive issues and pulls him out of the paint on offense, but you can't attack knowledgeable fans for saying it's time to find a 5 that can protect the rim.

And no, Oscar is not top 10 all time at UK.

Name 10 players with better stats, resume or both? I’m not expecting a real answer here. Just more ignorance.

Y’all want polished NBA all-stars that will turn down tens of millions to stay at UK 4 years to please your ego. Get over it, it’s not going to happen.

 

[BasketBallJunkie-UK]

Toppin was really good on offense the last 3 months of the season. Averaged something like 14/7/3 on 50/40 shooting splits. I don’t see bradshaw getting close to that.

I guess the 2 pts 4 rebounds against k-state was stuck in my mind. Other than that, he was pretty good the last 3 months of the season. Bradshaw won't need to be that good, but he will be consistent. I like how he plays in the flow of the game and I like the balance we should have

 

[Montana81]

I guess the 2 pts 4 rebounds against k-state was stuck in my mind. Other than that, he was pretty good the last 3 months of the season. Bradshaw won't need to be that good, but he will be consistent. I like how he plays in the flow of the game and I like the balance we should have

I think you’re right about the K State game just being stuck in peoples minds because Toppin was in double figures 15 of our last 17 games and that included 6 double doubles. He was arguably our most consistent player.

 

[kyjeff1]

No, I said that’s the complaint. I did say his only other major complaint is pick and roll defense.

It wasn't just his pnr defense, he didn't defend much at all, he hunted rebounds. Small guards scored at will in the paint, because he backed off hoping to get rebounds.

 

[UKAlum88]

It wasn't just his pnr defense, he didn't defend much at all, he hunted rebounds. Small guards scored at will in the paint, because he backed off hoping to get rebounds.

Nothing to do with worrying of fouling out, right? If Oscar fouled out, our chances of winning that game dips drastically!! He played cautiously because of the tik tak foul calls. His PNR defense is our main worry if he comes back. He isn’t a rim protector either but that’s easy, play a rim protector at the 4.

 

[kyjeff1]

Name 10 players with better stats, resume or both? I’m not expecting a real answer here. Just more ignorance.

Y’all want polished NBA all-stars that will turn down tens of millions to stay at UK 4 years to please your ego. Get over it, it’s not going to happen.

See post 122 for your answer. Oscar has generational rebounding stats, other than that, he’s a below par athlete, a terrible defender and a below average shooter. What are these great stats you're trying to pass off?

Is he better than AD, Mashburn, Wayne Turner, Macy, Goose, Kenny Walker, Antoine Walker, Dampier, Delk, Issel, Groza, Mercer, Anderson, Bogans, Wall, Fox, Ulis, Murray, or Randle? No, he's not.

Again, he is a generational rebounder, but he plays below the rim, can't move well laterally, is a poor defender, can't pass out of the paint, can't hit free throws and can't shoot, but you, somehow, have him in the all-time top 10 at Kentucky. No way.

 

[kyjeff1]

Nothing to do with worrying of fouling out, right? If Oscar fouled out, our chances of winning that game dips drastically!! He played cautiously because of the tik tak foul calls. His PNR defense is our main worry if he comes back. He isn’t a rim protector either but that’s easy, play a rim protector at the 4.

Excuses.

You think Issel, Mash, Walker, Goose, Randle, AD, Rex and Cousins didn't have to worry about picking up fouls? It was just Oscar huh? Yup.

Your issue is, you're getting blinded by Oscar's rebounding and you're ignoring all the flaws.

Dennis Gates called his shot before UK went to play Missouri last year. He literally told a recruit, that UK was targeting, that his guys were going to destroy UK and he told the kid that because he knew Oscar couldn't defend, but you have him in the top 10 at UK. No way, not close.

 

[Montana81]

Excuses.

You think Issel, Mash, Walker, Goose, Randle, AD, Rex and Cousins didn't have to worry about picking up fouls? It was just Oscar huh? Yup.

Your issue is, you're getting blinded by Oscar's rebounding and you're ignoring all the flaws.

Dennis Gates called his shot before UK went to play Missouri last year. He literally told a recruit, that UK was targeting, that his guys were going to destroy UK and he told the kid that because he knew Oscar couldn't defend, but you have him in the top 10 at UK. No way, not close.

That’s the first i heard that. Who was the recruit?

 

[UKAlum88]

See post 122 for your answer. Oscar has generational rebounding stats, other than that, he’s a below par athlete, a terrible defender and a below average shooter. What are these great stats you're trying to pass off?

Is he better than AD, Mashburn, Wayne Turner, Macy, Goose, Kenny Walker, Antoine Walker, Dampier, Delk, Issel, Groza, Mercer, Anderson, Bogans, Wall, Fox, Ulis, Murray, or Randle? No, he's not.

Again, he is a generational rebounder, but he plays below the rim, can't move well laterally, is a poor defender, can't pass out of the paint, can't hit free throws and can't shoot, but you, somehow, have him in the all-time top 10 at Kentucky. No way.

Only one of those guys that you named can say they were the best player in college basketball, at any point of their career. Oscar produced and produced big in the tournament, both years.

If he had the supporting cast most of those other guys had, we would be talking about having another title and maybe back to back titles.

Even Jordan needed Pippen to finally get over the hump! Oscar never got his Pippen.

 

[kyjeff1]

That’s the first i heard that. Who was the recruit?

Heck, I don't recall, but it was talked about on here after that game.

 

[kyjeff1]

Only one of those guys that you named can say they were the best player in college basketball, at any point of their career. Oscar produced and produced big in the tournament, both years.

If he had the supporting cast most of those other guys had, we would be talking about having another title and maybe back to back titles.

Even Jordan needed Pippen to finally get over the hump! Oscar never got his Pippen.

So, you're putting Oscar ahead of Issel, Mashburn, Anthony Davis, John Wall, Dampier, Delk, Turner, Rex, Goose and both Walker's, simply because he won an award and can rebound??? Wow.

 

[UKAlum88]

So, you're putting Oscar ahead of Issel, Mashburn, Anthony Davis, John Wall, Dampier, Delk, Turner, Rex, Goose and both Walker's, simply because he won an award and can rebound??? Wow.

AD is the other guy to win the POY, dummy! 😂

 

[kyjeff1]

AD is the other guy to win the POY, dummy! 😂

Which means nothing in this discussion.

So, just answer the question. Are you saying Oscar is > Issel, Dampier, Mashburn, Goose, Kyle Macy, Rex Chapman, John Wall, Julius Randle, DeArron Fox, Tyler Ulis, KAT and Atoine Walker??? That's what you're saying???

First of all, it's an award that is voted on and 2nd of all, it's a team sport.

Didn't Garza, from Iowa win the award? Is Garza better than Mashburn now too?

Zack Edey just won NPOY, is he better than Dan Issel? Is he better than John Wall?

Frank Mason won it in 2017, is he better than Antoine Walker?

Frank Kaminsky, Trey Burke, Doug McDermott, Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Hansbrough, Evan Turner, TJ Ford, Jameer Nelson, Andrew Bogut and Elton Brand, must ALLLL be better than Jamal Mashburn, Dan Issel, Rex Chapman, Wayne Turner, Antoine Walker, John Walll, Tyler Ulis and DeArron Fox, simply because those guys won NPOY and our guys didn't. Is that what you're saying?

At some point, you're going to realize how stupid your take is.

 

[UKAlum88]

Which means nothing in this discussion.

So, just answer the question. Are you saying Oscar is > Issel, Dampier, Mashburn, Goose, Kyle Macy, Rex Chapman, John Wall, Julius Randle, DeArron Fox, Tyler Ulis, KAT and Atoine Walker??? That's what you're saying???

First of all, it's an award that is voted on and 2nd of all, it's a team sport.

Didn't Garza, from Iowa win the award? Is Garza better than Mashburn now too?

Zack Edey just won NPOY, is he better than Dan Issel? Is he better than John Wall?

Frank Mason won it in 2017, is he better than Antoine Walker?

Frank Kaminsky, Trey Burke, Doug McDermott, Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Hansbrough, Evan Turner, TJ Ford, Jameer Nelson, Andrew Bogut and Elton Brand, must ALLLL be better than Jamal Mashburn, Dan Issel, Rex Chapman, Wayne Turner, Antoine Walker, John Walll, Tyler Ulis and DeArron Fox, simply because those guys won NPOY and our guys didn't. Is that what you're saying?

At some point, you're going to realize how stupid your take is.

No need for a book. You were wrong and embarrassed yourself with your lack of knowledge. Writing a book of opinions doesn’t help your case.

 

[Drcatfan]

It is hard for me to get past the fact that Reeves had an absolute dud of a game in the most important moment. Wheeler did the same the previous year. I'd like to see us get more "dogs" that rise to the challenge or big moments.

 

[OmahaCats]

See post 122 for your answer. Oscar has generational rebounding stats, other than that, he’s a below par athlete, a terrible defender and a below average shooter. What are these great stats you're trying to pass off?

Is he better than AD, Mashburn, Wayne Turner, Macy, Goose, Kenny Walker, Antoine Walker, Dampier, Delk, Issel, Groza, Mercer, Anderson, Bogans, Wall, Fox, Ulis, Murray, or Randle? No, he's not.

Again, he is a generational rebounder, but he plays below the rim, can't move well laterally, is a poor defender, can't pass out of the paint, can't hit free throws and can't shoot, but you, somehow, have him in the all-time top 10 at Kentucky. No way.

One thing I will give Oscar besides rebounding of course, is his steals per game are always good. He’s not a rim protector clearly. But he can have active hands at times

 

[JonathanW]

I think you’re right about the K State game just being stuck in peoples minds because Toppin was in double figures 15 of our last 17 games and that included 6 double doubles. He was arguably our most consistent player.

What people forget is that almost every player ends his season with a loss. And most of those losses occur in part because the better players on the team had a bad game.

 

[JonathanW]

One thing I will give Oscar besides rebounding of course, is his steals per game are always good. He’s not a rim protector clearly. But he can have active hands at times

Steals is an impotant but often missed/forgotten stat. A Steal is better than a blocked shot, because it not only prevents a shot but in ensures possession (although I'd love to see a shot blocker just go up and catch the ball instead of swat it away). IMO, Steals > Rebounds > Blocked Shots > Assists

 

[JonathanW]

It is hard for me to get past the fact that Reeves had an absolute dud of a game in the most important moment. Wheeler did the same the previous year. I'd like to see us get more "dogs" that rise to the challenge or big moments.

Had we won the KSU game, that wouldn't have been an important/big game. It would have just been another step. But yeah, any tournament game I guess you can say is a big game. And LOTS of good players have a bad game in the NCAA-T. SEC POY did for Bama. Reeves is streaky, JUST LIKE ALMOST EVERY 3PT SHOOTER!

As bad as Wheeler could be, he wasn't bad vs SPU the year before. Yeah he had a couple late TOs and missed FTs, but otherwise was probably our 2nd best player that game. It was our injured guys (Tyty & Grady) along with Mintz and Brooks that were really bad that game (well and Cal for forgetting who Toppin was the 2nd half).

 

[kyjeff1]

No need for a book. You were wrong and embarrassed yourself with your lack of knowledge. Writing a book of opinions doesn’t help your case.

So, you're not going to answer the question?

Just answer this one: Is Garza and Frank Mason > Jamal Mashburn and Dan Issel?

 

[kyjeff1]

One thing I will give Oscar besides rebounding of course, is his steals per game are always good. He’s not a rim protector clearly. But he can have active hands at times

So, does that put him over Dan Issel, Mashburn, Wayne Turner, Rex, Antoine Walker and Goose Givens?

 

[Montana81]

Man…there has been a major influx of new posters over the last few years that have comically bad takes almost always defending the results over the same time period in some way. Strange

 

[UKAlum88]

So, you're not going to answer the question?

Just answer this one: Is Garza and Frank Mason > Jamal Mashburn and Dan Issel?

It’s hard to gauge a player from the 70’s against a guy from today.

As far as Mash and Mason, early 90’s is still hard to compare to today. I will say they produced very similar for their college teams. I personally would take Mash but Mason had a monster senior season.

 

[Catfan2226]

Which means nothing in this discussion.

So, just answer the question. Are you saying Oscar is > Issel, Dampier, Mashburn, Goose, Kyle Macy, Rex Chapman, John Wall, Julius Randle, DeArron Fox, Tyler Ulis, KAT and Atoine Walker??? That's what you're saying???

First of all, it's an award that is voted on and 2nd of all, it's a team sport.

Didn't Garza, from Iowa win the award? Is Garza better than Mashburn now too?

Zack Edey just won NPOY, is he better than Dan Issel? Is he better than John Wall?

Frank Mason won it in 2017, is he better than Antoine Walker?

Frank Kaminsky, Trey Burke, Doug McDermott, Jimmer Fredette, Tyler Hansbrough, Evan Turner, TJ Ford, Jameer Nelson, Andrew Bogut and Elton Brand, must ALLLL be better than Jamal Mashburn, Dan Issel, Rex Chapman, Wayne Turner, Antoine Walker, John Walll, Tyler Ulis and DeArron Fox, simply because those guys won NPOY and our guys didn't. Is that what you're saying?

At some point, you're going to realize how stupid your take is.

Bingo

 

[kyjeff1]

It’s hard to gauge a player from the 70’s against a guy from today.

As far as Mash and Mason, early 90’s is still hard to compare to today. I will say they produced very similar for their college teams. I personally would take Mash but Mason had a monster senior season.

You're joking, right?

 

[The_Answer1313]

I don't believe Oscar is actually anywhere near a top 10 UK player.

That being said, I'm not so sure why he would have to be.

The only question at this point that needs answered is the same with Reeves. Does Oscar coming back make us a better team considering both his strengths and weaknesses.

I believe so. Others might not.

But the top 10 talk is kind of meaningless to me. He doesn't need to be top 10. He just needs to be better than the existing options.

 

[UKAlum88]

You're joking, right?

So you’re saying Mashburn had a drastically better year than Senior Frank Mason? Show me?

 

[kyjeff1]

I don't believe Oscar is actually anywhere near a top 10 UK player.

That being said, I'm not so sure why he would have to be.

The only question at this point that needs answered is the same with Reeves. Does Oscar coming back make us a better team considering both his strengths and weaknesses.

I believe so. Others might not.

But the top 10 talk is kind of meaningless to me. He doesn't need to be top 10. He just needs to be better than the existing options.

Excellent post.
I love Oscar, he’s incredible, but he has major flaws that are fixable, but not getting fixed.

 

[Catfan2226]

It’s hard to gauge a player from the 70’s against a guy from today.

As far as Mash and Mason, early 90’s is still hard to compare to today. I will say they produced very similar for their college teams. I personally would take Mash but Mason had a monster senior season.

Do you even remember Dan Issel or Kenny Walker..How about Winston Bennett or Charles Hurt...or even Jamal Magloire...any one of those 5 would handle Oscar and they wouldn't back down.First elbow Oscar throwed would result in fists coming back

 

[UKAlum88]

Do you even remember Dan Issel or Kenny Walker..How about Winston Bennett or Charles Hurt...or even Jamal Magloire...any one of those 5 would handle Oscar and they wouldn't back down.First elbow Oscar throwed would result in fists coming back

We are talking basketball, not boxing.