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Sleepers recap of Wesleyan game

Really raved about the defense from Butler/Oweh. Were a bit surprised that Oweh started over Brea and that Pope seems to be leaning more on defense to start. (But, hey, the offense worked out just fine too!) They also think that starting next year we will go back to the model of centering around freshmen and this is more of a stop-gap year. I don't know, I think it will be a good balance of key freshmen and key transfers, more so than Cal's approach.

The one potential negative from them was they think we don't have anyone that can consistently create their own shot (did credit Robinson to some degree on this). This may be where it's important for Chandler to develop over the year as he does seem like he has the athleticism to do this.
 
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That is probably my one and only worry with UK this year: Sheer athleticism. They will be able to beat almost anyone.. but if a team comes along that has maybe 2 NBA-ready bodies.. I could see that posing some matchup problems for us.

Under Cal this was usually a strength: Our soon-to-be NBA players just had the size and speed on the competition, and often times, we'd get the win simply because of that, even if the other team might have had better basketball players.

It's a reason I don't want to play a team like Duke come March. Very glad we're playing them early because I'm betting now, that we boat race them in a few weeks. But come March, guys like Flagg might be near impossible to stop.
 
The one potential negative from them was they think we don't have anyone that can consistently create their own shot (did credit Robinson to some degree on this). This may be where it's important for Chandler to develop over the year as he does seem like he has the athleticism to do this.
To me it just sounds like Bar Talk. There's never a time in a game when you only have one player to depend on. UK got shots up after just a few seconds. I suppose if 4 players sprain an ankle simultaneously that it would be nice to have SuperPlayer to go get his, but I'll worry about that later.
 
To me it just sounds like Bar Talk. There's never a time in a game when you only have one player to depend on. UK got shots up after just a few seconds. I suppose if 4 players sprain an ankle simultaneously that it would be nice to have SuperPlayer to go get his, but I'll worry about that later.
Yeah, I think that's a good counter. With the system Pope runs, we're going to have open shooters consistently and not a need for someone to consistently create their own shot. Maybe more of a luxury than a need.
 
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While I agree that pro player ability to generate a shot in crunch time is a nice thing to have, look at the gazillion times over the last few years where average players score on us. This is where pope's offense will help us greatly. We should be much improved in screening, running plays that will generate easier shots, teaching our players how to take advantage on the fly when a defensive player makes the wrong move, and just a general mindset of creating open looks and not worrying about a prior miss. As we get more experience and a better influx in talent over the coming years our system will get even better. I'm not overly worried about losses this year, I just want to enjoy a better system and a humble coach that is trying to win for UK for the most part.
 
Stopped watching when he said this team was exactly like a calipari team. That was in no way, shape, form, or fashion, a correct statement. Lost all credibility at that point
Maybe I misheard but I thought the reference to a Cal team was what next year's team would look like (leaning much more heavily on freshmen). They talked about this team being more of a one-off as so heavily reliant on more experienced players.
 
Really raved about the defense from Butler/Oweh. Were a bit surprised that Oweh started over Brea and that Pope seems to be leaning more on defense to start. (But, hey, the offense worked out just fine too!) They also think that starting next year we will go back to the model of centering around freshmen and this is more of a stop-gap year. I don't know, I think it will be a good balance of key freshmen and key transfers, more so than Cal's approach.

The one potential negative from them was they think we don't have anyone that can consistently create their own shot (did credit Robinson to some degree on this). This may be where it's important for Chandler to develop over the year as he does seem like he has the athleticism to do this.
Oweh can get his own shot aswell.
 
Really raved about the defense from Butler/Oweh. Were a bit surprised that Oweh started over Brea and that Pope seems to be leaning more on defense to start. (But, hey, the offense worked out just fine too!) They also think that starting next year we will go back to the model of centering around freshmen and this is more of a stop-gap year. I don't know, I think it will be a good balance of key freshmen and key transfers, more so than Cal's approach.

The one potential negative from them was they think we don't have anyone that can consistently create their own shot (did credit Robinson to some degree on this). This may be where it's important for Chandler to develop over the year as he does seem like he has the athleticism to do this.
I think we will see more balanced, well thought out rosters under Pope. He won’t just sign 5-6 elite athletes, like Cal. He’ll sign basketball players. He’ll sign guys with high bball IQ’s and guys that can shoot, not just guys that can outjump and outrun everyone.

Look at how he put this roster together, he didn’t just go out and try to get the best athletes in the portal, it got pieces that fit. He signed guys that can knock down shots and guys that can flat out defend.

Also, I don’t expect Pope to totally move away from the portal. He will still sign 1-2 a year from the portal.

And he is going to have some guys that will come back (hopefully). That is going to be key for him down the road. That’s why having Perry, Noah, and Chandler on the roster is so important. They will be very important to this team over the next 2-3 years.

But it’s true, in a sense, as you can see, Pope is not shunning the elite Freshmen at all. He is going to go after top recruits every year, but it’s not going to be like Cal where he will be totally reliant on OAD talent. He’ll have returnees, portal players, elite Freshmen, and multi year Freshmen on the roster.

Pope understands roster construction and will carefully think about every piece he adds in the offseason.
 
Really raved about the defense from Butler/Oweh. Were a bit surprised that Oweh started over Brea and that Pope seems to be leaning more on defense to start. (But, hey, the offense worked out just fine too!) They also think that starting next year we will go back to the model of centering around freshmen and this is more of a stop-gap year. I don't know, I think it will be a good balance of key freshmen and key transfers, more so than Cal's approach.

The one potential negative from them was they think we don't have anyone that can consistently create their own shot (did credit Robinson to some degree on this). This may be where it's important for Chandler to develop over the year as he does seem like he has the athleticism to do this.

To me it just sounds like Bar Talk. There's never a time in a game when you only have one player to depend on. UK got shots up after just a few seconds. I suppose if 4 players sprain an ankle simultaneously that it would be nice to have SuperPlayer to go get his, but I'll worry about that later.

Yeah, I think that's a good counter. With the system Pope runs, we're going to have open shooters consistently and not a need for someone to consistently create their own shot. Maybe more of a luxury than a need.

Agree that it's nice to have a Fox, SGA or John Wall to be able to penetrate/create at any moment.

However, there are 2 things that this team has that counter that need:

1. lot of movement WITH PURPOSE from all the offensive players
2. Multiple perimeter threats on the floor at all times

Part of the reason Cal's offense required an absolute stud PG/creator is b/c the opposing defenses could usually sag big-time into the lane b/c there were never enough perimeter threats on the floor. For the PG/creator, it's a ton easier to create when help defenders actually have to guard the other offensive players or risk getting burned.

It creates hesitation from help defense and opens up the lane. For this team, I see Butler, Oweh Kriisa, & Chandler being guys who could all potentially beat their defender off the dribble...especially with a high pick from Williams/Carr/Garrison/Almonor.
 
I think we will see more balanced, well thought out rosters under Pope. He won’t just sign 5-6 elite athletes, like Cal. He’ll sign basketball players. He’ll sign guys with high bball IQ’s and guys that can shoot, not just guys that can outjump and outrun everyone.

Look at how he put this roster together, he didn’t just go out and try to get the best athletes in the portal, it got pieces that fit. He signed guys that can knock down shots and guys that can flat out defend.

Also, I don’t expect Pope to totally move away from the portal. He will still sign 1-2 a year from the portal.

And he is going to have some guys that will come back (hopefully). That is going to be key for him down the road. That’s why having Perry, Noah, and Chandler on the roster is so important. They will be very important to this team over the next 2-3 years.

But it’s true, in a sense, as you can see, Pope is not shunning the elite Freshmen at all. He is going to go after top recruits every year, but it’s not going to be like Cal where he will be totally reliant on OAD talent. He’ll have returnees, portal players, elite Freshmen, and multi year Freshmen on the roster.

Pope understands roster construction and will carefully think about every piece he adds in the offseason.
I was sure all along that Perry was eventually going to be a fine college player but now I'm convinced all 3 will be excellent with Perry and Noah probably being here 4 years and Chandler likely blowing up his sophomore season and going pro.
 
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That is probably my one and only worry with UK this year: Sheer athleticism. They will be able to beat almost anyone.. but if a team comes along that has maybe 2 NBA-ready bodies.. I could see that posing some matchup problems for us.

Under Cal this was usually a strength: Our soon-to-be NBA players just had the size and speed on the competition, and often times, we'd get the win simply because of that, even if the other team might have had better basketball players.

It's a reason I don't want to play a team like Duke come March. Very glad we're playing them early because I'm betting now, that we boat race them in a few weeks. But come March, guys like Flagg might be near impossible to stop.
We thought this would be the case with the Zion-RJ-Cam trio for Duke in 2019.

And then a bunch of skilled, blue collars Sparties took them down in the Elite Eight.

As good as Flagg will be, he needs help. Duke's supporting cast looks legit. We'll see if they can maintain balance all season. If they do, I'm with you in that I think Duke is the team to beat.
 
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Stopped watching when he said this team was exactly like a calipari team. That was in no way, shape, form, or fashion, a correct statement. Lost all credibility at that point
Sleeper media sucks badly. I have it set to where I don't get their videos recommended anymore.
 
That is probably my one and only worry with UK this year: Sheer athleticism. They will be able to beat almost anyone.. but if a team comes along that has maybe 2 NBA-ready bodies.. I could see that posing some matchup problems for us.
Maybe, but I'd argue that Oweh and Robinson are NBA ready. Butler could give people fits this year and might prove to be a pick if his play continues to shine against stronger comp.

Under Cal this was usually a strength: Our soon-to-be NBA players just had the size and speed on the competition, and often times, we'd get the win simply because of that, even if the other team might have had better basketball players.
Usually, but I think the past 5 years proved that experience, strength, and system could easily outdo talent where none of the other criteria are met. Our bigs were talented last year but got bullied by stronger and more experienced bigs. Our freshman guards folded on the big stage.

I think that college basketball has found the antidote to Cal's 1&D style. Overwhelming talent will still win a lot of games, but a coach of mine used to say that hard work beats talent when talent doesnt work hard. It's not that Cal's freshmen didn't work hard, though, it's that they weren't in college long enough to put in the tough hours to mature both physically and emotionally.

So, having solidly talented guys who've busted their tails for years or hyper talented guys who stay for a year... I'm inclined to take the Pope, Oats, and Hurley system: a healthy mix. We'll still have great talented freshmen in future seasons, but we hopefully won't be as reliant on them. The teams CC assembled in his first few years were special, but it's important to note that we don't have a natty under Cal if it weren't for the NBA lockout keeping Lamb and Jones home. I never liked the 1&D system because it isn't sustainable, but I understood it to be a necessary evil. But, it especially doesn't work if you aren't bringing in the top of the top talent anymore, which Cal wasn't at the end.

It's a reason I don't want to play a team like Duke come March. Very glad we're playing them early because I'm betting now, that we boat race them in a few weeks. But come March, guys like Flagg might be near impossible to stop.
Agreed. I don't think we have a great grasp of how capable Scheyer is, but he's got a team of dogs this year.
 
Really raved about the defense from Butler/Oweh. Were a bit surprised that Oweh started over Brea and that Pope seems to be leaning more on defense to start. (But, hey, the offense worked out just fine too!) They also think that starting next year we will go back to the model of centering around freshmen and this is more of a stop-gap year. I don't know, I think it will be a good balance of key freshmen and key transfers, more so than Cal's approach.

The one potential negative from them was they think we don't have anyone that can consistently create their own shot (did credit Robinson to some degree on this). This may be where it's important for Chandler to develop over the year as he does seem like he has the athleticism to do this.
Maybe someone needs to be reminded that basketball is a team sport and if it is played correctly there shouldn't be a lot of need for self-shot creations. Cal's teams have to because of his playground approach on offense. Well-designed plays should free up players for good shots and because we have so many shooters, I am good with that.
 
I check these guys out fairly regularly. I don’t know their names. The guy on the right is always on there when I have watched. I just started seeing the guy on the left about 2 months ago. They both seem to only watch highlights rather than the whole game. So, their game analysis was shallow. The guy on the left seems to be a Cal nuthugger, because he has been fairly negative about Pope from the beginning and has insisted we were falling back to the Cal method after this year several times even before this game simply because we have some high level recruits. The guy on the right, while he says he was not high on Pope, has had very good things to say about Pope, his recruiting, both the blue-white and the exhibition games. He lets the other guy do most of the analysis and then has a follow up. This was the first time the guy on the left had anything good to say about this team other than some individuals(Chandler). They don’t seem to like Carr at all. I kinda get that, because he is unatetic and weak. But, he knows how to play, at least on the offensive side. I would not hang your hat on anything they say, because they are not serious analyst’s.
 
These are the guys that do not like UK. Do not like Pope. The one guy said something about Kerr Krissa not playing this year like he knows something. Heck they do not even know that Butler played for SDSU for 4 years (if I recall correctly). Things like that and they want to start rumors. Anything to get views. Do not know much about ball if you ask me. Need to stick to review needle point or something like that.
 
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These are the guys that do not like UK. Do not like Pope. The one guy said something about Kerr Krissa not playing this year like he knows something. Heck they do not even know that Butler played for SDSU for 4 years (if I recall correctly). Things like that and they want to start rumors. Anything to get views. Do not know much about ball if you ask me. Need to stick to review needle point or something like that.
Social media is a f-n cancer. They get money for inducing outrage that feeds into likes, comments, and views, and it's not like TV in the 1990s where you can just shut it off and go outside. Social media is ubiquitous.

These guys suck. Their only goal is to get clicks and comments by being bad at their "job." It's honestly amazing how talentless people can get incredibly lucrative careers just by being sh***y at everything.

Like others have said, it's best not to listen to sleepers. They aren't serious whatsoever.
 
To me it just sounds like Bar Talk. There's never a time in a game when you only have one player to depend on. UK got shots up after just a few seconds. I suppose if 4 players sprain an ankle simultaneously that it would be nice to have SuperPlayer to go get his, but I'll worry about that later.
This. It’s become such a talking point that rarely becomes a reality. Sure…in the NBA you iso and give it to Kobe or Lebron types…. Some college teams try that and melt the shot clock and iso late in games.

Reality is, that concept is predicated on thinking you’re going to want to play iso ballin tight game situations bc you only have 1-2 guys you trust shooting outside of 10-15 feet….we won’t. We will run the offense, move the ball, back door cut, screen etc and shot hunt bc everyone can shoot the ball.
 
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Social media is a f-n cancer. They get money for inducing outrage that feeds into likes, comments, and views, and it's not like TV in the 1990s where you can just shut it off and go outside. Social media is ubiquitous.

These guys suck. Their only goal is to get clicks and comments by being bad at their "job." It's honestly amazing how talentless people can get incredibly lucrative careers just by being sh***y at everything.

Like others have said, it's best not to listen to sleepers. They aren't serious whatsoever.
I agree, I see so many terrible people on YouTube that have a million followers for whatever reason. It makes no sense. I’ve seen legit good creators who deserve their followings but many I just don’t get why anyone likes them at all.
 
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Maybe someone needs to be reminded that basketball is a team sport and if it is played correctly there shouldn't be a lot of need for self-shot creations. Cal's teams have to because of his playground approach on offense. Well-designed plays should free up players for good shots and because we have so many shooters, I am good with that.

Yeah this might be the biggest myth of the Cal era. Who was the go get a bucket guy in 1998? 2012? Or Virginias championship team? Lots of other examples. A well prepared and balanced team shouldn’t need to rely on a go to guy. They can do it within a system.
 
Yeah this might be the biggest myth of the Cal era. Who was the go get a bucket guy in 1998? 2012? Or Virginias championship team? A well prepared and balanced team shouldn’t need a go to guy. They can do it within a system.
Doron Lamb, Jeff Sheppard, Kyle Guy. I think Robinson can be that guy for us though.
 
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Doron Lamb, Jeff Sheppard, Kyle Guy. I think Robinson can be that guy for us though.

I don’t think of any of those guys as people who could break down an opponent one and one and get a bucket which seems to be what most people think is a necessary component. They could all hit big shots but they were usually off screens vs breaking somebody down.

Robinson seems more capable of that than others but I still don’t think it is an absolute necessity.
 
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I don’t think of any of those guys as people who could break down an opponent one and one and get a bucket which seems to be what most people think is a necessary component. They could all hit big shots but they were usually off screens vs breaking somebody down.

Robinson seems more capable of that than others but I still don’t think it is an absolute necessity.


Robinson looks pretty damn similar to Antonio Reeves to me, who in many ways was similar to Lamb.
 
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Yeah this might be the biggest myth of the Cal era. Who was the go get a bucket guy in 1998? 2012? Or Virginias championship team? Lots of other examples. A well prepared and balanced team shouldn’t need to rely on a go to guy. They can do it within a system.
I’d say Lamb was the get a bucket guy or MKG in some games.
 
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