We are not alone. Michigan State got killed by pick and roll.
I mean there's a reason that every NBA team runs pick and roll as their #1 offensive set, it is hard to defend. Nothing is insightful about saying teams struggle to defend it. What Vecenie said that made 100% sense is you need roster versatility and that means capable players who can run guys off the 3pt line into the paint where there's rim protection. My biggest complaint with Cal and recent Kentucky teams is their time/score defense. Late in a game, you have to protect against the 3pt shot until the last possession of a 1 or 2 pt game. If you are up 4--"hug" or get up on the guards and force 2 pt shots. That is #1 objective. Can't speak to how many times they let an opponent take a 3pt shot and been burned.
I agree 100% about the subbing issues. Time after time we’ve seen momentum and leads killed because of it and all you get is a “sorry” at the end of the game. Cal continues to be our biggest opponent.
A great piece....just can't be the centerpiece for a championship caliber team. I'm not sure he'd accept the reduced role that would be best for team success
I’m sure he’d accept whatever role that made his team successful. He’s still gonna get his rebounds, which would lead to several points. Just quit trying to run the offense through him and quit putting him in compromising defensive scenarios.
Maybe I’m remembering wrong but I thought Lance came in for Jacob Toppin and was guarding Keyontae Johnson. Maybe Cal just wanted to keep length on Johnson because we had done a good job on him defensively. Don’t get me wrong, I agree with you. I hated it but I’m thinking that was the reason.
Maybe I'm starting to get dementia, but swore Cal mentioned wanting to make sure Oscar didn't get his 2nd Foul. I know one thing, if you are correct I apologize for being wrong, but I'm not going to go back and watch a second of that game again. Also I hate all of Lance Ware's minutes, so I'm biased against using him at any time. For his dunk he made, he blew a dunk because he couldn't gather and be composed to just go up and finish-cost them 2 pts with a traveling violation.
The problem can be both. I'm probably in the "ready for Oscar to leave" camp at this point. He's a generational rebounder, but that's all he's great at. He struggles a lot on defense, is a soft finisher around the rim, has a pretty poor midrange game despite trying to take more of them, zero three point game, and often tries to do way too much with the ball and brings it from above his head down into a double or triple team and gets it stripped. And while it might not necessarily be his fault, I do think there's something to the rumors about him causing friction off the court.
If Cal said that then you’re probably right. I couldn’t bring myself to listen to anything post game. I agree that Lance should never see the floor. Great kid but not good enough to play at Kentucky.
That is another stupid opinion. To discount a double-double machine is insanity. Maybe there is some anti-Christian agenda.
To build further upon your post I don’t think most fans realize the significance of rim protection. It was the double crappy punch of Oscar’s pick n’ roll defense AND his abysmal rim protection ability that crippled our defense the last two years. Even Cal realizes how much better his UK teams were historically that had elite rim protection he spoke at length about it before the season even started. KAT got all the attention in 2015 but WCS was the primary reason that team was so successful with his elite defensive versatility and rim protection.
Good lord 🙄 No group is better at finding nonexistent "persecution" than Christians.
Absolutely. Perfectly stated. My only problem is no matter how raw, you had a guy on the bench who was the best shot blocker/rim protector in HS basketball on your bench and he can't get 10-15 mins a game? Yet we get Lance Ware for his garbage minutes.
To say Oscar should not have been an All-American this year is silly talk.
I have zero clue how dialed in Jack Pilgrim is but yesterday on Sources Say he spoke about how we might lose Ugonna to the Big East because he ‘“made promises” to the people who brought him into the country from Africa and they are trying to obtain the largest bag possible. If we lose him it’s going to crush me because I believe so much in his potential to anchor an ELITE college defense.
It's extraordinary that anyone could think anything different. Oscar and Wallace were the only players that could consistently play up to our standards. We were just a very deficient, undeveloped roster created by an absentee coaching staff.
I agree
I'm fine with Oscar coming back , thrilled really , but his role is the offense has to do a 180 .. he really just needs to be a garbage man .
Ware my be a good person but he does not belong on any top program
But he won’t. So you can’t play him if you’re trying to win championships.
There again .. players first ... leads to where we are currently . Refused to play the Bennie lineup all season . Was months late sending Cason to the PG spot .. refused to start IQ FORVER .. played that dipshit that was always lost over Derek Willis ( Gabriel ??) for over 1/2 a season . Wouldnt play Liv in the right spot this year . Refused to play B Hopkins period . Wouldnt play Theiro .. its endless it seems . Its all on Cal and his roster management , and then the PT he decides to give each play .. its all nonsensical to the point we are a laughing stock.
