So Let's Talk UNC-Wilmington

[azubuikefan]

It was doable especially in the Marshall game. Marshall had an utterly horrible team. We simply gave up too many open shots. High scoring means more trips up and down the floor. It doesn’t give latitude to stop defending.

More trips = more shots = more points. Not saying our defense was perfect or anything but 118 to 55 isn't a reasonable score. 96 UK had a fantastic defense and gave up 100 point to LSU when they put up 80+ in the first half.

 

[-BBH-]

Their best win is Murray State by 2. They also lost to Appalachian State by 30. Don't think this is the caliber of team as St. Joes. Still, they come in and get hot, could be closer than it should.

 

[Cats192]

I'm getting some GSW vibes off this team. Tre Mitchell can be our undersized center like Draymond, who creates his own mis match problems.. and then we have a plethora of guards (and reserves) who can just pepper teams from all over the floor. Maybe a little like Baylors title team offense from a few years ago. Just too many great guards, with great ball movement, and all can create their own shot.

I'm starting to believe that maybe the bigs coming back might throw this team off. I certainly want to insert them to see.. but it's possible. That golden state team at its peak just wasn't going to lose much.. and even their losses that year seemed more like throwaway games in an 82 game season.

I think you combat that by easing them in slowly. I think Cal will bring Bradshaw along pretty slowly since he's been recovering from an injury. I'd love to see the kid play 10 minutes Saturday to get his feet wet and figure out how to fit within the offense. Slowly ramp him up from there.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

More trips = more shots = more points. Not saying our defense was perfect or anything but 118 to 55 isn't a reasonable score. 96 UK had a fantastic defense and gave up 100 point to LSU when they put up 80+ in the first half.

You are wasting your time with him.

He doesn't like UK scoring a lot so his bitchfest trend is to whine about D.

 

[davekersey]

ESPN has us as 86.1% favored

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

It was doable especially in the Marshall game. Marshall had an utterly horrible team. We simply gave up too many open shots. High scoring means more trips up and down the floor. It doesn’t give latitude to stop defending.

As the great Herb Brooks once said- "the legs feed the wolf". A great fast paced offense serves as great defense. You take their legs and they have no lift on their jump shots. That's why Cal's plow mule slow down offense has let teams back in the game in past years (including Kansas this year). I'm hopeful we continue to press the pace.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

ESPN has us as 86.1% favored

ESPN couldn't analyze their way out of a wet paper bag.

 

[kybassfan]

As the great Herb Brooks once said- "the legs feed the wolf". A great fast paced offense serves as great defense. You take their legs and they have no lift on their jump shots. That's why Cal's plow mule slow down offense has let teams back in the game in past years (including Kansas this year). I'm hopeful we continue to press the pace.

Passing is the only difference to pace. Pass, get open shots, move on. Kids can’t pass in years before.

 

[WildcatNC]

Having a shot blocker waiting will let us REALLY press up in the 3 line and guard. If someone gets by Bradshaw can swat it or cause the miss and rebound it.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Having a shot blocker waiting will let us REALLY press up in the 3 line and guard. If someone gets by Bradshaw can swat it or cause the miss and rebound it.

EXACTLY!

Rim protection helps the perimeter defense just as much as it helps the interior defense.

Guys can really get after it, play passing lanes, etc. knowing they have Bradshaw and/or Big Z back there to clean up the mess and discourage driving lanes.

Bradshaw and Big Z will take this team to a whole different level that College Basketball is not ready for.

 

[WildcatNC]

EXACTLY!

Rim protection helps the perimeter defense just as much as it helps the interior defense.

Guys can really get after it, play passing lanes, etc. knowing they have Bradshaw and/or Big Z back there to clean up the mess and discourage driving lanes.

Bradshaw and Big Z will take this team to a whole different level that College Basketball is not ready for.

I'm salivating over Reeds fast hands, passing lane anticipation, stealing, etc when he can be really aggressive when those guys get back.

 

[TheDude73]

Ain't skeered. They just lost to Appy St by 30. They let some school called Columbia Inter score 80 on them. They are currently in a game against the almighty East Carolina Pirates, down 2 (but the game just started).

They are going to be walloped at Rupp in 2 days.

Their schedule so far with bolded games pointing to why I'm not at all worried:

Mt Olive
W
105-66

UNC Asheville
W
83-66

Columbia Inter
W
116-80

Murray St
W
83-81

Appalachian St
L
86-56

FGCU
W
71-55

 

[grevey35]

I'll be on my 6th bar on our annual "Dads Christmas Mall Bar Crawl".

The game thread could get spicy!

This reminds me. https://i.redd.it/mrs-roper-pub-cra...pg?s=ce04156bbd248d3490270a717197e80dc3b47f1b

 

[Fox2monk]

Phew boy, no rest for the Wicked.

This team coming into Rupp is ANOTHER hot shooting team.

They shoot 43% from 3 as a team, which ranks SECOND (#2) in ALL of College Basketball (Kentucky ranks 5th in this category).

They average 85.7 PPG which ranks top-25 in College Basketball as well.

They have 5 players shooting 45% or better from 3FG and 4 players averaging double figures.

The good news is that we're really good, and their rotation somewhat maxes out at 6'7 and shorter.

But I think this is going to be another challenge- could be a St. Joe's level challenge, especially if no Wagner and/or there is a hangover effect from Miami. Maybe not, but we'll see.

Any update about Wagner?

 

[Fox2monk]

I'm getting some GSW vibes off this team. Tre Mitchell can be our undersized center like Draymond, who creates his own mis match problems.. and then we have a plethora of guards (and reserves) who can just pepper teams from all over the floor. Maybe a little like Baylors title team offense from a few years ago. Just too many great guards, with great ball movement, and all can create their own shot.

I'm starting to believe that maybe the bigs coming back might throw this team off. I certainly want to insert them to see.. but it's possible. That golden state team at its peak just wasn't going to lose much.. and even their losses that year seemed more like throwaway games in an 82 game season.

We need those bigs, we can always run the small “death” lineup when needed but we need rim protection and rebounding to get thru the year and certain games.

 

[$Z71$]

Phew boy, no rest for the Wicked.

This team coming into Rupp is ANOTHER hot shooting team.

They shoot 43% from 3 as a team, which ranks SECOND (#2) in ALL of College Basketball (Kentucky ranks 5th in this category).

They average 85.7 PPG which ranks top-25 in College Basketball as well.

They have 5 players shooting 45% or better from 3FG and 4 players averaging double figures.

The good news is that we're really good, and their rotation somewhat maxes out at 6'7 and shorter.

But I think this is going to be another challenge- could be a St. Joe's level challenge, especially if no Wagner and/or there is a hangover effect from Miami. Maybe not, but we'll see.

Digging in deeper they have scored 83, 83, 71, 56, 105 and 116. The 105 and 116 were against non Division 1 opponents. Not to mention they are at 40 points scored as I type with 15 minutes left in second half against East Carolina.

Cant just look at averages this early in the season. They aren’t a high powered offense at all. The numbers are skewed by the two games against Mt Olive and Columbia International.

 

[davekersey]

I'm going to do a Cal type thing with you guys. So tell me what is it that Reed has that Tyler had also?

 

[bigbluelou]

I'm going to do a Cal type thing with you guys. So tell me what is it that Reed has that Tyler had also?

Fearlessness. Won’t shrink from the moment.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

I'm going to do a Cal type thing with you guys. So tell me what is it that Reed has that Tyler had also?

He's a walking bucket.

 

[davekersey]

Fearlessness. Won’t shrink from the moment.

That's a good one but I had something else in mind

 

[davekersey]

He's a walking bucket.

That's a good one also but keep going

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Wilmington just lost to east carolina

 

[Tampa_cat54]

I'm going to do a Cal type thing with you guys. So tell me what is it that Reed has that Tyler had also?

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

UNCW shot 3/23 from 3 tonight. We all know they are hitting 10 3s for sure Saturday

 

[IroquoisPliskin]

Blew a double digit lead too. They really shouldn't have lost that game

 

[blue cincy]

Interesting. I wonder how in the hell KenPom and the NCAA stat site are so far off. KenPom shows them ranked #77 at 36.5%

Going to their site, pulling up the box scores of their games, they have one game they shot 20 or 31 attempts from 3, the rest are 20%,33%,35%40%40%45% most being like 8 of 22 or 9 of 22 something like that. Worst was 3 for 23 against east carolina.

 

[blue cincy]

They lost to App State by 30 giving up 86 points and scoring 56 and they lost to East Carolina by 8 74 to 66. That is their 2 biggest opponents they have play, other were UNC Ashville, Mount Olive, Murray State (2 point win in OT), Columbia International, Florida Gulf Coast.

 

[blue cincy]

They lost to App State by 30 giving up 86 points and scoring 56 and they lost to East Carolina by 8 (74 to 66). That is their 2 biggest opponents they have play, other were UNC Ashville, Mount Olive, Murray State (2 point win in OT), Columbia International, Florida Gulf Coast.

 

[Stonewall12]

If UNCW is smart they'll try to run high screens for layups and long threes. We need to solve those long enough to weather the storm until Shep finally gets into the game.

😂 true
At least Rob or Reed will start most likely cause I doubt DJ plays

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

😂 true
At least Rob or Reed will start most likely cause I doubt DJ plays

They said today he is good just sore, so I think he probably plays

 

[UKWILDCAT2004]

They said today he is good just sore, so I think he probably plays

Jack pilgrim had something posted on the ksr board but its on their pay one so I don't know what it said.

 

[WildcatNC]

Jack pilgrim had something posted on the ksr board but its on their pay one so I don't know what it said.

Good game to rest him if you need too. Need all hands on deck by UNC.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I like the idea of Sheppard getting 35 minutes.

 

[Smashcat]

 

[gharding07]

Ain't skeered. They just lost to Appy St by 30. They let some school called Columbia Inter score 80 on them. They are currently in a game against the almighty East Carolina Pirates, down 2 (but the game just started).

They are going to be walloped at Rupp in 2 days.

Their schedule so far with bolded games pointing to why I'm not at all worried:

Mt Olive
W
105-66

UNC Asheville
W
83-66

Columbia Inter
W
116-80

Murray St
W
83-81

Appalachian St
L
86-56

FGCU
W
71-55

Well you should have been. I told you guys they are no joke.