ADVERTISEMENT

So what did we learn

You know he only played 14 min right?
Didn't commit a turnover.
Only took 2 shots making one.
Harris only scored 8 regardless of who was guarding him.
The loss is not on Wheeler.
Wilson got his avg and Grady had a decent game but was a quiet 13.
To me the key for Kansas was getting 17 from Adams and the backup pitched in 2 more.
They matched Oscar.
Oscar continues to play atrocious defense and its not all about his not being able to jump out of the gym.
His reaction time is terrible no way he was this bad last year.
Wasn't playing against length either because Adams is 6'7 225.
Not totally no. It’s Wheeler with Ware. That’s not fair to Wheeler at all. That’s on Cal. He should know better.
 
We had confirmation that we're a mid tier team. If we're fortunate enough to make the tournament, one win is the ceiling for this team, imo.
 
Nah. You can’t sag off CJ. Slump or not. Why would you leave a potential shooter open?

It’s wheeler man. He can’t play with Ware. And that’s what we did all. Night. Long. And KU packed the lane. Self didn’t do any amazing job. He just did what beats Kentucky. It’s not rocket science.
Agree on this. CJ is in a slump, but there isn't one team out there that isn't aware that shooters in slumps break out of them most times in a hurry and a flurry, and they won't want to be the team that becomes the victim.

His presence is very important for spacing. Wheeler's isn't. The KU defense collapsed in the lane when Wheeler was in, but was forced to spread out when we had our three shooters in there (as you said).

Dick wasn't killing it, but he finally drove a nail in our coffin because he kept trying to bust out, and did so with that side step three.

Totally random thought here, but I've been thinking CJ's issue is due to his proposing to his girly friend in the middle of the season. Dude should have waited until April. Now it's all in his head and messing with his shots. Damn women.
 
Last edited:
  • Haha
Reactions: ManitouDan
Again... It's smooth-brain thinking to look at Wheeler's stats and say he didn't hurt us. The minute he goes in, the entire spacing shrinks. This negatively impacts every one else on the floor and per usual, our early control in the game immediately flips and we never catch up after.

"But he didn't have a turnover!" is beyond a juvenile understanding of bball if you can't see the effect that he has on the game and offensive flow.
I didn't say he played well, I said he didn't cost them.the game.
He didn't do anything to help them win either but you have to sub him in. Who else do you have?
Savir has never been great but his play has regressed this season and being relegated to a reserve role seems to only take it down further.
I don't think he understands how to be a spark off the bench.
Everyone had a hand in this loss.
The "Bennie" lineup" doesn't fix all the problems this team has.
 
Nothing I didn't already know.
1. Cal gets outcoached regularly and it happened again. Being that bad against the ball screens is coaching malpractice. Ware/Wheeler in the game at same time...no. Sitting Livingston the entire 2nd half...asinine.
2. Ware can't help us against good teams. Either play Ugonna, or go small with Toppin at Center when Oscar has to sit. If I was coaching against UK and they were in the bonus, I'd play Hack-A-Ware every time he touched the ball.
3. CJ and Reeves are good players but a little suspect against high level competition. Of course you could say the same thing about most of our guys not named Cason or Oscar.
 
I learned Cal got schooled again on his home court. I don't know what hunt the Cats are still in but it is not championship basketball. You say the Cats can compete but they sure have not proved they can win the big games.

Not with John Calipari coaching. Oh, he might win on NBA draft night so how about he hang banners for that. He is on target for another 10 loss season with a squad full of high school All Americans. This team has 7 losses and it is still January. That is pathetic.
What is more pathetic is that coaches are seeing they don’t have to run anything special to beat us. Basic pick and roll basketball that you learn in fourth grade and Cal never runs it nor has he been able to defend it since he has been here. Mitch ought to kick Cal’s ass out so fast it would make your head swim. These losses have to stop now.
 
  • Like
Reactions: kywildcat41086
The "winning streak" was fool's gold. I remember when we celebrated running the table in the SEC, not beating UT, a terrible Georgia team, and a mediocre Vandy team. These were teams we were supposed to beat. I also learned (or rather was reminded of) that Cal is Cal and will always be Cal.
XnRk5Rl.jpg
 
We learned that Cal can't put two good halves together . What is working in the 1st half he goes away from int the 2nd half and we just don't have the talent to hang with good team. Also the SEC is not as good as we thought.
 
I learned Cal got schooled again on his home court. I don't know what hunt the Cats are still in but it is not championship basketball. You say the Cats can compete but they sure have not proved they can win the big games.

Not with John Calipari coaching. Oh, he might win on NBA draft night so how about he hang banners for that. He is on target for another 10 loss season with a squad full of high school All Americans. This team has 7 losses and it is still January. That is pathetic.
If you haven’t followed my posting, this was not an attempt to support Cal. I want him gone yesterday. But I feel they are playing better and have a chance when the right players are getting most of the minutes.

You know, it must really chap Cal’s ass that not only us bennies but also basketball pundits are talking about that efficient lineup he occasionally plays and is forced to be playing more. That’s why he won’t start them and why imo yesterday he put Wheeler and Ware in early. He desperately wants some other group to have success. His stubbornness is perhaps his biggest weakness, other than refusing to actually coach.
 
Tightened the rotation back, shut bench players out, Wheeler for too long at times.
Won’t zone or do anything to stop problems on defensive end, doesn’t spell players at right intervals as far as compilation of team chemistry goes. Other than that, CCC is awesome.
 
The word "spacing" is the most often-used word on this board, it seems. It doesn't matter how poorly you shoot, rebound and defend as a team, as long as you have good spacing.
 
It’s also been used by many people outside of this board when talking about Cal’s line ups and schemes.

Might be something to it huh?
OP's question was what have we learned.
From my perspective, that is what I've learned. "Spacing" has been everywhere, either because it is the absolute key to basketball, or it's an easy talking point.
I do not think spacing matters much if you do not, or cannot, drive to the basket.
 
OP's question was what have we learned.
From my perspective, that is what I've learned. "Spacing" has been everywhere, either because it is the absolute key to basketball, or it's an easy talking point.
I do not think spacing matters much if you do not, or cannot, drive to the basket.
It matters way more. Spacing helps with shot selection. If you’re speeding out a defense it makes rebounding easier. (Two things we sucked at last night because Self packed the lane).

It’s a key component to basketball.
 
It matters way more. Spacing helps with shot selection. If you’re speeding out a defense it makes rebounding easier. (Two things we sucked at last night because Self packed the lane).

It’s a key component to basketball.
Yes. Definitely. He packed the lane. That gave us perimeter spacing ... we didn't even have to do anything to create spacing. They GAVE it to us, challenging us to hit shots. It was similar to Dean Smith against Pitino the first time they met.
 
………………………….The double down at UT was very effective. Then again, Wheeler wasn’t on the floor so the double down was effective because all defenders were taller than a bowling ball.
I don’t remember it exactly that way. Tennessee’s big, Ura Sonfabitch, or whatever his name is, had a career night against Oscar. I do think that the fact that Wheeler was unavailable was instrumental to our victory.
 
We learned what most of us already knew. Calipari WAITS entirely too long to make an adjustment. Why in the world he always waits until halftime to make a critical adjustment is beyond me. They killed us on P&R the entire first half. It was their offense.
 
You know he only played 14 min right?
Didn't commit a turnover.
Only took 2 shots making one.
Harris only scored 8 regardless of who was guarding him.
The loss is not on Wheeler.
Wilson got his avg and Grady had a decent game but was a quiet 13.
To me the key for Kansas was getting 17 from Adams and the backup pitched in 2 more.
They matched Oscar.
Oscar continues to play atrocious defense and its not all about his not being able to jump out of the gym.
His reaction time is terrible no way he was this bad last year.
Wasn't playing against length either because Adams is 6'7 225.
Wheeler in the second half was a good option instead of Frederick, in the first half he came in with Kentucky having a 4 point lead and almost instantly we lost that and ended up down 9 at the half.

Wheeler’s success depends completely on who Cal puts with him, if it’s anyone other than shooters then the team looks awful and a lot of fans blame wheeler.

On Oscar’s defense…. How would you defend in those situations? Wheeler’s man can strait line dribble to the basket 8/10 times. That leaves Oscar two choices, attack the ball or back up for the lob, both result in 2 easy points for the other team.

If cal plays wheeler without switching to a zone or full court press, whoever our 5 man is will struggle on defense.

It’s not wheeler, it is Cal, but Cal won’t change so wheeler gets the blame.
 
Agree on this. CJ is in a slump, but there isn't one team out there that isn't aware that shooters in slumps break out of them most times in a hurry and a flurry, and they won't want to be the team that becomes the victim.

His presence is very important for spacing. Wheeler's isn't. The KU defense collapsed in the lane when Wheeler was in, but was forced to spread out when we had our three shooters in there (as you said).

Dick wasn't killing it, but he finally drove a nail in our coffin because he kept trying to bust out, and did so with that side step three.

Totally random thought here, but I've been thinking CJ's issue is due to his proposing to his girly friend in the middle of the season. Dude should have waited until April. Now it's all in his head and messing with his shots. Damn women.
Problem is UK doesn't have enough shooters for CJ to be in a slump.
 
ADVERTISEMENT