Why do you keep feeling the need to defend your article????? Don't see too many other writers going to this extreme to defend what they write. Doesn't do anything but make you look bad. Go to the next story.......
FB Recruiting Skal Labissiere hits rock bottom against Arizona State
- Thread starter Derek Terry
- Start date
Why do you keep feeling the need to defend your article????? Don't see too many other writers going to this extreme to defend what they write. Doesn't do anything but make you look bad. Go to the next story.......
What a jerk thing to say, no wonder you like the op's article so much. Are you the same person?
They hoped to play 15 games but apparently didn't, they had no practice gym and Hamilton was the coach. You are correct in that they did play Oak Hill (at Marshall County), but as you well know he probably just developed bad habits with this type of environment without a real coach, terrible teammates, and only a dozen games.
You tell me how much good he received from this...
For the record, you suck about as bad on HOB as you do on Rafters. The $10 a month doesnt make you smarter or better than folks on here, HOB usually stays a bit more respectful and classier but you seem to be blowing that theory up as well.
Oh, i already addressed the lack of coaching in my original post.
That is what i feel is his biggest problem at the moment. Not lack of in-game inexperience which everyone is pointing to.
I agree that is probably number one, but what difference does it make if when you do play it is so unstructured that all you can do is pick up bad habits?
More so than coaching and playing time, i put the kids issues squarely on Hamilton. He should have never switched his schools his junior year without understanding the rules.
Nope, I just see it differently. Skal will get better when he is forced to, just so he can get his minutes. You can continue to disagree with me but Cal is the one who said it, repeatedly.
Experience is not the problem. You're arguing with a known pumper. You're not going to get anywhere and apparently neither would cal.
If he's not a project, he's just plain awful. Don't see why people would be upset with that characterization. This kid is one of the worst freshman bigs I've ever seen at UK. Shagari Alleyne was more effective out there.
Stick with reading comprehension. Coach speak may be a bit advanced for you at the moment.
Whatever is going on, he's gotta figure it out soon. Not sure coming back to Kentucky a 2nd year is a good idea for him, with what we have coming in. If he's getting yanked this much already, he's going to be riding much more bench next year. Lot of mouths to feed next year.
No. it just seems in every thread you are more interested in the blue colored roses than what's actually happening. Experience is not really Skals problem. It's been explained. Yet, for some reason, you keep saying it. No one wants to bench Skal and never play him. But he does not need to be starting right now, and at this time hes not deserving of more minutes. I get the recruiting angle as well but still.
i want to see Skal succeed. I want to see this team make a deep run. But Skal isn't getting it, and some of our fans aren't either. I give them some slack though, because they aren't used to seeing Cal recruit top 10 players that are this bad. You're fooling yourself right now.
I'm just not sold on his current draft status of he continues to play this bad. The sec is going to eat him alive at this pace. Is there another example of a recruit going that high playing this bad? I can't think of one.
I'd say that laying off for the most part of two years where there was an injury involved as well constitutes inexperience when compared to his competition. You just don't like that because it doesn't lay down with your perception of the solution. If you think I'm alone in my thinking that the kid is suffering from lack of competition in two very important years and lack of experience against this type of competition, you are sadly mistaken.
Proof in the pudding will be if Cal takes him out of circulation for an extended period of time. I can see that for a game or two he might give Skal a period to "decompress", but his minutes will not suffer except from fouls. You can make this bashers versus pumpers but that's BS and you know it. I'm just describing what I think is going to happen and why. Wait and see, then you can beat your chest and crow.
I can tell you this, either that kid achieves his potential or we fall short of what many folks expect of this team. If you think he's gonna reach that potential parked on the pine, you are in for a really unpleasant surprise. It really will become bashers versus pumpers over the summer in that case as we have some idiots that really will start calling for Cal's head.
It is weird. It's like a combination of being a bit overrated, a lack of effort, and a lack of enthusiasm. We've seen 1 or 2 out of recruits at times, but never all 3. It's not a good look for sure.
Scouts will really start to take notice soon, if they haven't already. first ten games of the season aren't a huge deal. No recruit is making or breaking in that time unless it's an injury. But there will be more articles and opinions from here on out. People will start to notice.
Hypothetically, let's say he keeps playing like this all season. no real improvement in any area, physically or mentally.. there's no way he goes lottery, and probably drops to 2nd round. Some team will draft him there based on potential and hopes of a "steal"... but does SKAL decide to go to the NBA at this point? I wouldn't imagine so.
IMO, as far as a future with Kentucky goes, this year is it for Skal.
Scouts will really start to take notice soon, if they haven't already. first ten games of the season aren't a huge deal. No recruit is making or breaking in that time unless it's an injury. But there will be more articles and opinions from here on out. People will start to notice.
Hypothetically, let's say he keeps playing like this all season. no real improvement in any area, physically or mentally.. there's no way he goes lottery, and probably drops to 2nd round. Some team will draft him there based on potential and hopes of a "steal"... but does SKAL decide to go to the NBA at this point? I wouldn't imagine so.
IMO, as far as a future with Kentucky goes, this year is it for Skal.
I still believe in Skal, but his offensive game is not the issue. His fouling is a big issue but it's not the biggest. The guy is completely 100% useless on the other end of the floor. He's not a good rebounder. There's lots of flaws he needs to work through. It's not about a bad game.
Who wants him parked on the pine? Again there's no pint here, you're not getting it. Hopefully everything falls into place for Skal soon.
There's not "lots of flaws". He needs to get stronger and quit bringing his arms down to stay out of foul trouble. Look at his per 40 mins per game stats.
I'm not like some where I'm going to repeat the same shit over and over in the same thread, now that I brought these stats out there do with the knowledge what you will.
I'm not like some where I'm going to repeat the same shit over and over in the same thread, now that I brought these stats out there do with the knowledge what you will.
I'm not worried about Skal or the way the kid is playing at this point. It is still so early in the season to worry about his stat line. He is not playing the way we all had in mind, but really, who's fault is that? It's funny when you have people like the OP hype this kids up so much to be complete beasts and when it turns out they don't walk on water like they first reported, they start writing articles about being a project and needs work. Yeah, no ish. All of these kids needs work. Some more than others. Give this kid another month and if he is still playing the same way, i'll then start to worry. It's obvious the kid has talent. Let's all give the kid some time to get better. With Cal as coach, i'm confident the kid will get there.
This is very close to my point. People aren't used to seeing a kid that high fall. So they apply old UK/Cal logic to it and surmise he's gone like the rest. We will see, but I don't see any way he stays this high or even a first rounder playing as bad as he is.
Pick it up Skal.
Again, he needs to get stronger in his lower body, and play defense with his hands up. Some people make up their own story and over complicate things.
Jugding by the number of responses on this thread, you seem..., nevermind.
Ah, you know better that that. Folks have been advocating his minutes to Lee, Willis or Humphries. It's just not going to happen or if it does, then our season just took a turn for the worst.
For Skal, his path forward is on that floor and I won't be surprised if it gets worse before it gets better. He's just a kid.
I feel like 96% of people wanting Skal benched in favor of lesser talented guys are 1. knee-jerk reactions and/or 2. In the Official Game Thread where it's a constant 2-hour long brain fart.
People that want him benched are only seeing it for the short term benefits and completely ignoring the long term.
Are we better without him on the court right now? Sure you can argue that point.
In order to get where we need to be, he has to figure it out and it won't be from the bench tho.
Are we better without him on the court right now? Sure you can argue that point.
In order to get where we need to be, he has to figure it out and it won't be from the bench tho.
The Shagari comparison is terrible. That guy had the coordination of a brand new great dane puppy. But Skal is really bad for somebody with his ratings. He needs basic role assignments and nothing more. Otherwise, the bench. Humphries can play this game. Whether John Calipari, the man paid to coach the University of Kentucky men's basketball team, is willing to put his reputation on the line as a top recruiter, THE top recruiter in the history of this game, in the back seat for one season to accept the fact that his real job is to put together the best team possible for the #1 program in history . . . that is what is taking place here. Nothing more and nothing less. Honestly, I don't see how future recruits could possibly be annoyed at the sight of Skal being given pine, knowing just how bad he proven himself to be. It is more a matter of future "other" recruits being annoyed. Fans too quite frankly.
Well Clive, if you're going to use stats like that, separate them into stats against teams with and without a pulse, then also factor in the trends as teams learn how to play him. The difference is pretty obvious. I want the kd on the floor but not if he isn't producing. Talent is useless if you don't take advantage of it. No one wants him benched so lesser talented guys can play. I want him to get hungry and use his talent, if he won't do that then at least let someone in who will play at the level necessary.
0,2,6,7,9,10,13,16,17 and 26
Obviously this tells only one stat story. But it's obvious some games he did well and other games he was invisible.
Obviously this tells only one stat story. But it's obvious some games he did well and other games he was invisible.
Skal hasn't really played well at all. He's got some offensive skill, but that's it. He's been abused totally on the defensive end. He cannot play for cal giving that kind of effort in rebounds, and more importantly, defense. It is what it is.
He's had plenty of time to understand this. If he doesn't pick it up before SEC play, I fear what the conference will do to his psyche.
He's had plenty of time to understand this. If he doesn't pick it up before SEC play, I fear what the conference will do to his psyche.
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anon_013cn8yrfncx2
Guest
After never seeing Skal until the exhibition games, I commented at that time, that he looked foul prone. Seems to be the case. He has skills but he doesn't really get the game of basketball yet. It's not clear that he will ever be a competitor and that is a huge red flag. No amount of time/coaching is going to change that very much. It has to come from within. It is not a case of Cal working his so-called magic. IMO he's not likely going to be anything more than marginally better this year. Make him a pick and pop guy and he'd do better but don't see that happening. Seems like a square peg in a round hole situation at the moment. After the UL game we all should have a better reading of the situation.
![[roll]](http://l.yimg.com/j/assets/img/emoticons/classic/roll.r191677.gif "roll [roll]")
How bout get some rebounds you are 7 foot tall. How about playing like the top 2 pick in the draft like Simmons. He is filled with flaws.
Some of the flaws are on Cal as well.
