Riddle Me This

[BucN1Cat]

Why is it that every year in the tournament some average Joe goes off on us like he's Steph Curry or something? It amazes me how other teams gain so much confidence when they play us.

And on the other side of things, why do we consistently have players that don't show up or decide to have their worst game of the season when needed the most? How many easy layups and open shots did we miss? It happens to us all the time.

If we played with the confidence that other teams have when they face us in the tournament we would have been unstoppable. For some reason we just play super tight and that's on Cal, but at some point the players need to take some blame as well.

Going forward Cal needs to play the players who are playing the best BB. Stop placating players who don't deserve it. We had championship talent this year and got embarrassed. This just can't happen again. Cal, you must change your ways and adapt. I usually defend Cal, but these early exits are no longer excusable.

 

[RunninRichie]

Coaching.

 

[Fox2monk]

Why is it that every year in the tournament some average Joe goes off on us like he's Steph Curry or something? It amazes me how other teams gain so much confidence when they play us.

And on the other side of things, why do we consistently have players that don't show up or decide to have their worst game of the season when needed the most? How many easy layups and open shots did we miss? It happens to us all the time.

If we played with the confidence that other teams have when they face us in the tournament we would have been unstoppable. For some reason we just play super tight and that's on Cal, but at some point the players need to take some blame as well.

Going forward Cal needs to play the players who are playing the best BB. Stop placating players who don't deserve it. We had championship talent this year and got embarrassed. This just can't happen again. Cal, you must change your ways and adapt. I usually defend Cal, but these early exits are no longer excusable.

Read the article from the dude who went off. 1.) we weren’t prepared and looked scared. 2.) we were scrambling not even 10 minutes into the game. 3.) even he though we should change strategy to guard him and we didn’t. That’s all coaching.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Why is it that every year in the tournament some average Joe goes off on us like he's Steph Curry or something? It amazes me how other teams gain so much confidence when they play us.

And on the other side of things, why do we consistently have players that don't show up or decide to have their worst game of the season when needed the most? How many easy layups and open shots did we miss? It happens to us all the time.

If we played with the confidence that other teams have when they face us in the tournament we would have been unstoppable. For some reason we just play super tight and that's on Cal, but at some point the players need to take some blame as well.

Going forward Cal needs to play the players who are playing the best BB. Stop placating players who don't deserve it. We had championship talent this year and got embarrassed. This just can't happen again. Cal, you must change your ways and adapt. I usually defend Cal, but these early exits are no longer excusable.

Coaching.

I remember when Duke played the 1999 regular season game against Cincinnati. Langdon was hitting shots early for Duke. Huggins told his players to foul Langdon on a three point shot and "make him feel it."

It ended up disrupting Langdon's flow to the point where Cincy handed Duke one of their only losses of the season.

Coaching makes all the difference. We have a coach who preaches fearlessness while in actuality, looking like a deer in headlights while nervously gulping bottles of water and looking like a man in a sauna with his wide-eyed look of terror in the closing minutes of close tournament games.

The players feel that.

 

[NociHTTP]

A big part of it is the players we get are not invested in the college experience. It's just a means to an end. It's all Cal talks about. He's not about to SEC tournament. He's all about making sure that NONE of his draft picks are injured in a tournament game. By the end their heads are spinning with visions of the big bucks.

 

[bbncal02]

I remember when Duke played the 1999 regular season game against Cincinnati. Langdon was hitting shots early for Duke. Huggins told his players to foul Langdon on a three point shot and "make him feel it."

It ended up disrupting Langdon's flow to the point where Cincy handed Duke one of their only losses of the season.

Coaching makes all the difference. We have a coach who preaches fearlessness while in actuality, looking like a deer in headlights while nervously gulping bottles of water and looking like a man in a sauna with his wide-eyed look of terror in the closing minutes of close tournament games.

The players feel that.

Used to work in the old day. Now in the SEC they call every single hand check. Unless of course Kentucky plays, then you are allowed to murder them.

Funnily enough, they've let them play in this tourney so far.

I still somewhat hold this philosophy on the floppers these days (especially on "charges"). He wants to take the hit? Make it a HIT.

 

[BucN1Cat]

I remember when Duke played the 1999 regular season game against Cincinnati. Langdon was hitting shots early for Duke. Huggins told his players to foul Langdon on a three point shot and "make him feel it."

It ended up disrupting Langdon's flow to the point where Cincy handed Duke one of their only losses of the season.

Coaching makes all the difference. We have a coach who preaches fearlessness while in actuality, looking like a deer in headlights while nervously gulping bottles of water and looking like a man in a sauna with his wide-eyed look of terror in the closing minutes of close tournament games.

The players feel that.

Yeah, it sucks that Duke is still playing. Looks like a FF for them

 

[CatFanInIlliniLand]

A big part of it is the players we get are not invested in the college experience. It's just a means to an end. It's all Cal talks about. He's not about to SEC tournament. He's all about making sure that NONE of his draft picks are injured in a tournament game. By the end their heads are spinning with visions of the big bucks.

I do believe there’s something to this.

The culture at UK (it might change with current trends) has almost been, “you are a failure if you return for a second year”. One and done is the expectation. Imagine the pressure on these guys, knowing that they have to have a great tournament because their draft stock is riding on it.

Instead of playing like they have 2 to 3 years left, they play uptight. Only pure dawgs survive that pressure. Not the normal minded 18 year old.

 

[UKfanINcoach]

CCC like you needed to ask!

 

[BucN1Cat]

I do believe there’s something to this.

The culture at UK (it might change with current trends) has almost been, “you are a failure if you return for a second year”. One and done is the expectation. Imagine the pressure on these guys, knowing that they have to have a great tournament because their draft stock is riding on it.

Instead of playing like they have 2 to 3 years left, they play uptight. Only pure dawgs survive that pressure. Not the normal minded 18 year old.

Yeah, you may be right because Reed looked like a deer in the headlights out there. By far his worst game of the season. Last year it was Reeves. Dilly looked bad as well

 

[Jazzycat]

If your primary goal is to get your players drafted, why should you prepare for the NCAA? As Noci said above, the goal of the coach is not to win games but to improve his players lives. These kids know that and have no incentive or coaching to win.

Yes, we are in a quandary as UK fans going forward. I sincerely hope the administration can grow a spine over the year and find a decent coach who wants to win in the offseason. This is clearly malpractice going on imo.