Skal's line mildly encouraging

[MdWIldcat55]

Had to work and missed the game. Came here and dog paddled through the usual toxic waste after an uninspired performance.

But saw nothing on Skal. So I checked the box score, and see he had five and four in 14 minutes with a block. Seems mildly encouraging. Or am I just grasping at any positive straw?

 

[jrpross]

I agree actually. He didn't scream "top 5 draft pick" but when he was in, it looked like he was supposed to be in. He didn't do anything that made me yell "GET HIM OUT FOR GOD'S SAKE!!!" at the screen. So he must be improving.

 

[Katsure]

A little of both. Baby steps.... but I'll wait.

 

[Smashcat]

He had a nice dunk off an ally-oop tonight. No reason they aren't looking to throw up at least two of those per game for him.

 

[SilentsAreGolden]

It was respectable for a freshman that wasn't hyped as the #2 incoming frosh. In the first 6 games, it looked like he was on his way to living up to that reputation. Since then he's been a pedestrian first year player at best, and much worse at times. Basically, he isn't the player we thought we were getting. In the old days, he's a 4 yr player, but in this era, he's gonna be a first rounder. Go figure.

 

[Nubb16]

Had to work and missed the game. Came here and dog paddled through the usual toxic waste after an uninspired performance.

But saw nothing on Skal. So I checked the box score, and see he had five and four in 14 minutes with a block. Seems mildly encouraging. Or am I just grasping at any positive straw?

grasping imo

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Play him 28 and if he gives us 10 and 8 and 2 blocks I'd take it. That said, clearly Cal does not trust him to give him anymore run at present and that is ok.

 

[deplion]

He still had trouble catching and holding onto the ball, and he still got pushed around a lot.

On the other hand, he did make a couple of decent plays on both ends.

As others have said, if he is a normal Frosh on an average team, then the fans probably see it as a reasonably good game. Given our expectations for him though, there wasn't too much there tonight to get excited about.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

He still had trouble catching and holding onto the ball, and he still got pushed around a lot.

On the other hand, he did make a couple of decent plays on both ends.

As others have said, if he is a normal Frosh on an average team, then the fans probably see it as a reasonably good game. Given our expectations for him though, there wasn't too much there tonight to get excited about.

His hands must be weak. He cannot hang on to the ball under any kind of pressure

 

[The_Answer1313]

I thought in the 4 mins he played against Bama he did well.........1 block 1 rebound.

Then he went and got dumb fouls and essentially took himself outta the game.

 

[deplion]

Play him 28 and if he gives us 10 and 8 and 2 blocks I'd take it. That said, clearly Cal does not trust him to give him anymore run at present and that is ok.

Unfortunately, if Cal played him 28 minutes at this point, he would also have 14 fouls.

 

[CELTICAT]

Mildly encouraging is about right. He wasn't God-awful, which is better than some of his teammates could say.

 

[jrpross]

Unfortunately, if Cal played him 28 minutes at this point, he would also have 14 fouls.

Actually that was another mildly encouraging thing tonight. Only 1 foul in 14 minutes.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Actually that was another mildly encouraging thing tonight. Only 1 foul in 14 minutes.

Yeah, that was encouraging. His fouling on D has perhaps been the most perplexing thing for me of late. He also had 4 rebounds in just 14mins. We are grasping here, but it has been so bad lately we have really had to retard our expectations for him going forward.

 

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

Skal also altered a few shots tonight.

 

[Cawood86]

He is better but he is not an asset yet. But I do see improvement, but it is painfully slow. Mid January now. Gotta start making more strides. KU looms in two weeks. I shudder at it right now.

 

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

He is better but he is not an asset yet. But I do see improvement, but it is painfully slow. Mid January now. Gotta start making more strides. KU looms in two weeks. I shudder at it right now.

KU is not the juggernaut everyone is making them out to be. By reading their Scout board, their guards are average at best. Can't handle pressure very well and can't guard athletic guards. Our bigs show up in Lawrence, we could walk out with a W.

 

[dave5164]

Being #1 or #2 in the 2015 class and all the hype Skal brought to Kentucky and even in his first 6 games before UCLA he had scored 90 points for average 15ppg. The UCLA game is where everything went down hill for Skal and hopefully he is now working his way back up to getting 30 minutes and scoring double digits and double digits in rebounds. That is why I think Coach Cal is taking this slow and how Cal talked about No time table and working with Skal to help him be in Top 5 of NBA Draft. If we can get Skal back to double/doubles to help Lee and Poy underneath that will a huge help as we move further in SEC Play and more ready when March Madness hits.

 

[Cawood86]

KU is not the juggernaut everyone is making them out to be. By reading their Scout board, their guards are average at best. Can't handle pressure very well and can't guard athletic guards. Our bigs show up in Lawrence, we could walk out with a W.

Our bigs are the problem with this team. But you are right. That game will be crazy. Fans will be nuts. KU will be super hyped. If UK can survive first 6-8 mins and UK frontcourt shows up, it could be interesting.

 

[know1]

The line was more encouraging than watching him play.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

From an expectation-less level, Skal was okay.

From the proverbial OAD level, I'm still waiting to see what scouts saw last summer that prompted them to think this kid was the #2 pick in the draft. There's more supportive evidence for multiple shooters in the Kennedy assassination than there is for Skal being a top 20 pick (even based on potential for those of you who want to remind us how the draft works).

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Skal also altered a few shots tonight.

Baby steps. I'll take it.

 

[caneintally]

The line was more encouraging than watching him play.

Actually no. This was his best game since November and the last 2 games he has played with much more passion. I like his development but it is going to take some time. Like I have said for a while I think he has a much better chance of coming back then say guys like Lee and Ulis who are who they are and are ready for the NBA .

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

... his first 6 games before UCLA he had scored 90 points for average 15ppg. The UCLA game is where everything went down hill for Skal and hopefully he is now working his way back up to getting 30 minutes and scoring double digits and double digits in rebounds. That is why I think Coach Cal is taking this slow and how Cal talked about No time table and working with Skal...

UCLA is the game where Ulis gave him the shove to get him going, and to me the look on Skal's face spoke volumes. Not blaming Ulis at all, but I still wonder if that shove did more damage to Skal's psychic than we know.

 

[The_Answer1313]

Yeah but let's be honest before the UCLA game we played weak teams with the exception of Duke and he didn't do much in that one game against good competition either.

Kenpom breaks stats down on the players pages by tiers. We played four teams in tier A (LSU, Duke, UL and UCLA). He had a grand total of 18 points in those 4 games so 4.5 ppg

Tier B teams (Bama and OSU)..........he scored 2 points total (1 ppg)

So I don't think it was Ulis, moreso we just started playing stronger competition.

 

[KA4Prez]

Skal would play more but the guy is literally allergic to defense and fouls on every play. He went from 0 to 3 fouls in the Alabama game within like 4 minutes (one was a technical, but still, a foul prone guy can't be getting T's either).

This offense doesn't need him to be a post scorer, but if he constantly hacks, he's not going to play more than backup minutes.

Then again, Marcus Lee just hacks too.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Mildly is a very good word to describe Skal. Good call OP. But all of our bigs are mild. Very mild and I doubt it will change. They just don't have the talent or intestinal fortitude to be dominate players.

 

[Rhavicc]

UCLA is the game where Ulis gave him the shove to get him going, and to me the look on Skal's face spoke volumes. Not blaming Ulis at all, but I still wonder if that shove did more damage to Skal's psychic than we know.

Lol wait.. You're suggesting that a shove mentally broke Skal? I highly doubt that any grown person would have their psyche (not psychic) broken by a shove by a teammate. Next.

 

[BBUK]

Lol wait.. You're suggesting that a shove mentally broke Skal? I highly doubt that any grown person would have their psyche (not psychic) broken by a shove by a teammate. Next.

Ha Ha...I wish there was a shove emoticon I could use... As close as I can get BUT, if you were gonna have a shove weaken your psyche.....Ulis' would do it....At least Chuck says so.

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

Lol wait.. You're suggesting that a shove mentally broke Skal? I highly doubt that any grown person would have their psyche (not psychic) broken by a shove by a teammate. Next.

Thanks for the spelling lesson. I'm not suggesting...just wondering. Don't know how old you are, but I've known a lot of 18 year olds who I would not consider 'grown'. Still a lot of maturing to do. Second, put yourself in his shoes if you can. Earthquake as a kid. Comes to a new country. A few years later you're playing in front of 20,000 screaming fans. That's a lot for a young man..and add on that he basically played little high school ball. I'm just saying that his confidence level may not have been as high/strong as say a Cousins, KAT, etc. And a shove from a teammate on national TV may have had a somewhat adverse effect. And again, not blaming Ulis. In fact I thought he was right in trying to get Skal motivated.

 

[UK90]

The UCLA game is where everything went down hill for Skal and hopefully he is now working his way back up to getting 30 minutes and scoring double digits and double digits in rebounds. .

This is not really true. It actually began in the Duke game, where he got destroyed by Plumlee inside and was utterly horrible defensively and on the boards. We only came back in that game because Cal benched him and put in Humphries.

Only reason his early numbers were better is because we were playing patsies like NJIT and Albany. But the first time he faced real competition (Duke) he got thoroughly exposed, and it's been the same story against every real opponent we've played. BUT I'll concede last night was not as bad as his other recent games--it was a step in the right direction, even if only a baby step.

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

Yeah but let's be honest before the UCLA game we played weak teams with the exception of Duke and he didn't do much in that one game against good competition either.

Kenpom breaks stats down on the players pages by tiers. We played four teams in tier A (LSU, Duke, UL and UCLA). He had a grand total of 18 points in those 4 games so 4.5 ppg

Tier B teams (Bama and OSU)..........he scored 2 points total (1 ppg)

So I don't think it was Ulis, moreso we just started playing stronger competition.

Agree 100%...but I still wonder.

 

[wkycatfan]

It's an archaic theory nowadays, but Coach Hall used to say it took until the middle of the sophomore year for the light to come on with most freshmen. It may apply to Skal.

 

[The_Answer1313]

It's an archaic theory nowadays, but Coach Hall used to say it took until the middle of the sophomore year for the light to come on with most freshmen. It may apply to Skal.

It's still true today. The biggest improvement is from Freshman year to Sophmore year usually.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

The sooner that we all (including the team) get past the fact that he's not playing like a lottery pick, the better. We ONLY need him to play like a Freshman that's here to learn and contribute where possible.