Rotation going foward

[Dontworryboutit23]

Can we all agree that Kentucky should just go back to small ball and live with it at this point. Sheppard dillingham reeves adou and Mitchell start. Wagner, Edwards and Ivisic/burks off the bench and live with it. Play your best weapons together, and stop trying to force big lineups with the hope the defense gets better, it’s not, so just go back to small ball

 

[Catfanlou]

I agree .

 

[bucsrule8872]

I agree, but Bradshaw and Edwards have to play a lot to improve their draft stock.

Stay focused on what is really important….

Draft Night!

It’s UK’s best night of the year!

LOL!

 

[Aike]

Basically. Still think Mitchell needs about 20 minutes tops, and Z needs at least that much.

But it’s criminal to avoid playing your best players together. Pretty clear that Cal keeps trying to prove a point, and failing every time he tries.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Basically. Still think Mitchell needs about 20 minutes tops, and Z needs at least that much.

But it’s criminal to avoid playing your best players together. Pretty clear that Cal keeps trying to prove a point, and failing every time he tries.

It’s sad Mitchell is the best option we have at frontcourt defense because he isn’t great either but he is the best option uk has right now

 

[The Snoke]

I agree, but Bradshaw and Edwards have to play a lot to improve their draft stock.

Stay focused on what is really important….

Draft Night!

It’s UK’s best night of the year!

LOL!

Absolutely right. We need to remember what really matters. All UK fans need to remember we should be the sacrificial program to the NBA Gods. Cal has got this program right where he wants it. A sacrificial lamb. Thanks coach.

 

[bucsrule8872]

G Sheppard/Wagner
G Dillingham/Wagner
G Reeves/Thiero
F Thiero/Mitchell
F Mitchell/Onyenso

 

[UKAlum84]

wagner
dillingham
reed or reeves
adou
tre/big z

I'd try that for a while and see if anything gets better.

 

[UKFAN4L]

Small ball is a great idea, because either way we are getting dominated on the boards.

 

[Jeff Sykes]

UK hasn't been the same team since the 7 footers got healthy. Cal just can't help himself but to play them and as many of them at the same time as he can.

 

[rolaid]

I agree bench the three 7’ but he will never do that makes to much sense

 

[sefleming]

And switch up defenses I know I'm dreaming.

 

[UKAlum84]

wouldn't it be great if we could improve defense efficiency? I mean, I'd love to have that metric get better as the season unfolds.

 

[mcnicKY91]

The lineups are irrelevant...this team has no problems scoring, regardless of what five are out there.

The problem will always be defensively. It does not matter which five are out there, or what the combination of five is, nobody, and I mean nobody, can defend on this team.

So you all can trot out what you think the best five his, but it doesn't matter...because nobody on this team defends.

So go back to your small ball lineup with Tre at the five. It will not matter whatsoever. Not sure why this is so hard for ppl to see.

 

[crawfords corner]

The 7 footers we have are not physically capable of defending SEC basketball players consistently. They are either too skinny or are limited in mobility like Onyenso.

Edwards, Ivisic, Bradshaw, and Onyenso should all split the time available when Thiero and Mitchell need breaks. If someone wants to say Ivisic should be the first guy in I guess that's fair. As I said in another thread though, I actually think Burks is a better option. If he's given time out on the court to get some experience you'll see his defense even improve. He's just not being given the chance.

Ivisic and Bradshaw are frankly just too weak physically to defend in the SEC or against OOC players like Graham Ike.

 

[cats2010]

The lineups are irrelevant...this team has no problems scoring, regardless of what five are out there.

The problem will always be defensively. It does not matter which five are out there, or what the combination of five is, nobody, and I mean nobody, can defend on this team.

So you all can trot out what you think the best five his, but it doesn't matter...because nobody on this team defends.

So go back to your small ball lineup with Tre at the five. It will not matter whatsoever. Not sure why this is so hard for ppl to see.

How well can the team defend in a defense that is not Man to Man?

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I remember when somto was getting some noise about reclassing in the summer, he couldn’t be any worse right now than Bradshaw & ugo

 

[SkyPrince1]

I agree, but Bradshaw and Edwards have to play a lot to improve their draft stock.

Stay focused on what is really important….

Draft Night!

It’s UK’s best night of the year!

LOL!

He better hope there were no scouts in the stands yesterday(unlikely).
AB got abused by Huff.
Guarding Ike was a joke.
Playing just makes it worse as he's just producing more unflattering game film.

 

[bucsrule8872]

The lineups are irrelevant...this team has no problems scoring, regardless of what five are out there.

The problem will always be defensively. It does not matter which five are out there, or what the combination of five is, nobody, and I mean nobody, can defend on this team.

So you all can trot out what you think the best five his, but it doesn't matter...because nobody on this team defends.

So go back to your small ball lineup with Tre at the five. It will not matter whatsoever. Not sure why this is so hard for ppl to see.

This is true.

But we are getting killed on middle ball screens. Having a more mobile, quicker (and experienced) guy at the 5 could help a bit, especially when your coach believes in switching every screen.

 

[chroix]

I remember when somto was getting some noise about reclassing in the summer, he couldn’t be any worse right now than Bradshaw & ugo

He’s a presence. Would have helped a lot.

 

[chroix]

Yes. Go with the OG squad and roll with it. The tinkering crap ain’t getting it done clearly.

 

[chroix]

I’d also be 100% fine with letting Ulis coach the rest of the season.

 

[cathouse]

Can we all agree that Kentucky should just go back to small ball and live with it at this point. Sheppard dillingham reeves adou and Mitchell start. Wagner, Edwards and Ivisic/burks off the bench and live with it. Play your best weapons together, and stop trying to force big lineups with the hope the defense gets better, it’s not, so just go back to small ball

Might want to run this by Cal first.

He saw absolutely no reason to play his #2 scorer more than 5 minutes in the second half.

The more the fans complain about the lineup, the more Cal will try to show them they are just Bennies and are wrong.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

UK hasn't been the same team since the 7 footers got healthy. Cal just can't help himself but to play them and as many of them at the same time as he can.

I dont think the small ball will do any better. They should have lost to st. Joe's and just lost a close game to KU with it.

If we don't want to count uncw because a big played then we also can't count the unc win.

At this point who cares and I'm all for trying it.

Cal wont do it though.

 

[TheDude73]

Only time we should ever see Bradshaw or Onyenso again is if Mitchell or Z are in foul trouble. And Z shouldn't be out there more than maybe 12-15 minutes total.

I said it in the game thread - we beat UNC and nearly beat KU with small ball. As soon as we got Bradshaw, then O and Z, we started falling apart. It's a trend line that's as easy to see as the sun in the sky on a hot, clear sunny Kentucky summer day. We started sucking as soon as the bigs started returning.

And Cal will stick with Edwards and Bradshaw - two of the most non-value added players on our team (more like liabilities) - because of his obsession with how he looks with kids in the NBA. The fact that he used a freaking KENTUCKY press conference to brag about 7 NBA All Stars tells us all we need to know. Cal's first and foremost priority is this perceived "legacy" of "putting" kids into the NBA. Most intelligent fans already see right through this crap - you can't tag yourself as responsible for someone's success because you recruited them and had them on your college team for 5 months one year. I mean, how often have we seen star players at UK not win much of anything (or even go cold or struggle often) go on to the NBA to suddenly explode and become superstars? That's not freaking Cal or even Kentucky. They were LET LOOSE when they got out of UK and Cal - he/we had nothing to do with it!

 

[NociHTTP]

Erin says:

 

[Greatestalltime]

Bradshaw seems to be overtaking Edwards as most disappointing. He was getting murdered by that dude. Let Z play if someone is going to get killed at least he makes us much better on O.

 

[BlobUK]

Is there another coach in any sport that doesn't play their best players? Play Reed, Reeves and Rob 30 minutes a game.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

There's not a rotation we have that will overcome any competent team going forward. The bigs are flawed in one way or another. Two can't play D, one can't on O. The rest of team is allergic to D except Thiero, but that's one dude.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Might want to run this by Cal first.

He saw absolutely no reason to play his #2 scorer more than 5 minutes in the second half.

The more the fans complain about the lineup, the more Cal will try to show them they are just Bennies and are wrong.

Make ulis Welch and the basketball Bennie’s on here the coach and we would atleast play the best guys

 

[mcwildcats04]

Bradshaw seems to be overtaking Edwards as most disappointing. He was getting murdered by that dude. Let Z play if someone is going to get killed at least he makes us much better on O.

That play where he literally had his back on Ike facing away from him as he went up for the dunk/layup (can't remember) was so pathetic. Bradshaw has zero business being in the game against a physical big.

 

[cathouse]

That play where he literally had his back on Ike facing away from him as he went up for the dunk/layup (can't remember) was so pathetic. Bradshaw has zero business being in the game against a physical big.

Bradshaw didn't even know he had the ball from the way it looked.

 

[mcwildcats04]

Bradshaw didn't even know he had the ball from the way it looked.

Yeah, that could be it too. I'd have to go back and see the replay. But, just speaks to another deficiency if so (lack of awareness). It's really hard watching him play when he's not bringing much to the table on either side.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Maybe this year’s “tweak” will be going back to small ball.

I feel like going back to small ball might be the only thing that could spark a run.

But who am I kidding, we are pretty much done until Cal is gone.

 

[mcwildcats04]

Maybe this year’s “tweak” will be going back to small ball.

I feel like going back to small ball might be the only thing that could spark a run.

But who am I kidding, we are pretty much done until Cal is gone.

Feels like small ball is the only hope at this point. And hope the small ball crew can make incremental improvements on D before the NCAAT.

 

[TTTblue24]

Why do we never go under a ball screen 25 ft from the goal?? And why is our defensive rotation so awful on the back side?? Pick n roll has been a staple of college basketball for yrs, why is it so hard to game plan for it?? It wasn’t like the zags were making step back 3s from 27 ft, it was a means to dive the big to the paint…..play the play my goodness, does no one in the $1000 suits pay attention?? So frustrating to watch over and over, bet anything Beard will continue to run this play until we show we can defend it……which I have no confidence we will.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Feels like small ball is the only hope at this point. And hope the small ball crew can make incremental improvements on D before the NCAAT.

It at least gets the best players on the court.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Maybe this year’s “tweak” will be going back to small ball.

I feel like going back to small ball might be the only thing that could spark a run.

But who am I kidding, we are pretty much done until Cal is gone.

His tweak was gonna be if Burks got going and acting like he discovered an out of this world secret. I agree though, small ball can atleast make it to where they make the tournament

 

[AzubuikeandFitch]

This is true.

But we are getting killed on middle ball screens. Having a more mobile, quicker (and experienced) guy at the 5 could help a bit, especially when your coach believes in switching every screen.

Why do we never go under a ball screen 25 ft from the goal?? And why is our defensive rotation so awful on the back side?? Pick n roll has been a staple of college basketball for yrs, why is it so hard to game plan for it?? It wasn’t like the zags were making step back 3s from 27 ft, it was a means to dive the big to the paint…..play the play my goodness, does no one in the $1000 suits pay attention?? So frustrating to watch over and over, bet anything Beard will continue to run this play until we show we can defend it……which I have no confidence we will.

It's been a point of contention for me since Cal got here. The bigs overextend on all ball screens and typically stand up out of a stance... constantly either out of position or get beat off the dribble.

 

[FirewithFire]

I am 100% behind this idea, but I'm not sure Mitchell has much left in the tank.