This team has the makings of a Huggins' Cincinnati team, circa 1998-2000.

[bigc45157]

They were renegades. They never won anything. They always lost when it mattered, and they had constant off the court trouble.

I’m good on those teams. If we’re going this direction I’ll take guys like Cals Memphis teams over that. CDR, Dozier, Dorsey etc. They had off the court trouble with some of them but they actually won things.

I guess this is that one time we’ll just have to agree to disagree.

I don’t want to speak for the OP, but in no way do I think he’s referring to the off court antics of those teams, simply roster creation and play-style.

I think it’s an intriguing comparison. Excited to see what this team operates like in the Bahamas.

 

[nkuCATfan]

Define thugs?
Huggy always had scrappy bad-ass athletes who could drive through you or jump over you.

yes please

I would define it as going to prison for tying up your roommate and lighting them on fire. That is what you got with Huggins teams in Cincinnati

 

[Kybluedude]

I would like to see us return to a physically intimidating type team. Cal had those at U Mass and Memphis and early on at UK.

As he has been able to recruit a wider circle at UK we’ve gone to a “ softer” type player. Our opponents are always more mature and it has shown.

 

[JRS_OH_Cat]

I loved his squads back in the late 90s, early 2000s. That injury to K-Mart derailed them in 2000, but they had an incredible team based on physicality, bullying opponents, and a "ride or die" DMX-style attack.

Remember the names during that few year stretch?

Kenyon Martin
Pete Michael
DerMarr Johnson
Kenny Satterfield
Jermaine Tate
Melvin Levett
Steve Logan
Ryan Fletcher

They had a nice combination of physicality and finesse on those teams. I think we might have the same. We have true Cincy-style guys like Oscar, Livingston, Toppin, and Wallace; and we have high-finesse players like Fredrick, Collins, and Reeves.

I hope that our style is one of a defensive dynamo that can take multiple opponents out of a game (Toppin and Wallace are already elite defenders; Kingsley/Collins/Livingston have the potential to be).

I'm becoming more excited the more I get to know this squad. If Toppin and Livingston can develop into beasts, we might just have a shot at a Final Four this year.

Cautiously optimistic at this point.

Horrible comp IMO. Wallace might be similar bit Oscar and Toppin are not the bully/intimidate type. Also, that Cinci team didn’t shoot the 3 very well. I’m hopeful this year’s team will shoot it fairly well.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

That 1996 Cincinnati team was really good as well. They were supposed to be our biggest competition for the title in 1996, along with Kansas. Cincinnati started out like 12-0 or 13-0 IIRC.

Of course, our biggest competition ended up being UMass and to a lesser degree, UConn. Kentucky was really in a class all by themselves that year, in all reality.

 

[SosaUK87]

Wow, didn’t expect you to go for the racist dog whistle 😉

Lol did I get any hits? I’ve been so damn busy with work and dealing with UL/UT/UF fans ****ing up my orders at drive through that I haven’t gotten to spend much time here as I would like to. I’m sure many people are happy about that. Lol.

 

[CELTICAT]

That 1996 Cincinnati team was really good as well. They were supposed to be our biggest competition for the title in 1996, along with Kansas. Cincinnati started out like 12-0 or 13-0 IIRC.

Of course, our biggest competition ended up being UMass and to a lesser degree, UConn. Kentucky was really in a class all by themselves that year, in all reality.

that was also supposed to be the year Gene Keady finally broke through with Purdue. Instead they got taken to OT by their 16 seed and then easily dispatched by Miss State.

 

[KYExtemper]

that was also supposed to be the year Gene Keady finally broke through with Purdue. Instead they got take to OT by their 16 seed and then easily dispatched by Miss State.

No, Tubby's 8 seeded Georgia knocked off Purdue and came VERY close to knocking out finalist Syracuse in the Sweet 16 in a great game.

MS State knocked out UConn in the Sweet 16.

 

[CELTICAT]

No, Tubby's 8 seeded Georgia knocked off Purdue and came VERY close to knocking out finalist Syracuse in the Sweet 16 in a great game.

MS State knocked out UConn in the Sweet 16.

better memory than me obviously!

 

[Cowtown Cat]

No, Tubby's 8 seeded Georgia knocked off Purdue and came VERY close to knocking out finalist Syracuse in the Sweet 16 in a great game.

MS State knocked out UConn in the Sweet 16.

Yep. That Mississippi State team was no joke. Really happy that Syracuse took them out. I think we still beat them in the title game, but Syracuse was a much better matchup for us. Especially after having to play UMass in the F4 two days prior.

 

[Kats meow]

I like it ... I was thinking more along the lines of a Cal Memphis team.

Then they’d better start practicing free throws.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Horrible comp IMO. Wallace might be similar bit Oscar and Toppin are not the bully/intimidate type. Also, that Cinci team didn’t shoot the 3 very well. I’m hopeful this year’s team will shoot it fairly well.

Great comp, actually. You don't average 15 rebounds a game if you're a wallflower, and there's lots of ways to "bully" an opponent. But thanks for your contribution to the thread.

 

[BigKari]

I’d take a white guy that plays like this 16 year old sounds.

View embedded media

Yikes…that made me wish I didn’t have ears

 

[Gromcat]

Yikes…that made me wish I didn’t have ears

AK’s not bad man. That was when he was 16.

He’s been refined. I think he’s got some really good stuff compared to what’s out these days. Came from the bottom.

 

[BigKari]

AK’s not bad man. That was when he was 16.

He’s been refined. I think he’s got some really good stuff compared to what’s out these days. Came from the bottom.

View embedded media

I mean he’s not bad, but not impressive by any means. Like a poor man’s Jack Harlow, who I like but I don’t consider him a standout talent.



Not sure if I’m linking this right, but this made a fan of me. 19 yrs old

 

[Gromcat]

I mean he’s not bad, but not impressive by any means. Like a poor man’s Jack Harlow, who I like but I don’t consider him a standout talent.

View embedded media

Not sure if I’m linking this right, but this made a fan of me. 19 yrs old

He killed that for sure that was a good freestyle. Jack Harlow I can’t do lol. have to ride with AK.

 

[ArcadiaFan]

Hopefully Kentucky has better NCAA Tournament results than those Cincinnati teams. Those 98-00 Cincinnati teams each lost in the 2nd round. Huggins only got to the 2nd weekend of the tournament four times during his time there.

 

[BigKari]

He killed that for sure that was a good freestyle. Jack Harlow I can’t do lol. have to ride with AK.

Yeah you’re not gonna hear me trying to talk you into liking Harlow. His verse in the song “Thru The Night” with Bryson Tiller from a few years back made me think I was going to really like him. He had other good songs but his mainstream singles like “What’s Poppin” and “First Class” are so annoying and overplayed.

Check out EST Gee, a much better rapper from Louisville who has blown up huge this year. I will say it has been cool having a handful of Kentucky rappers on the scene. Only really had Nappy Roots to claim before now.

 

[jauk11]

I loved his squads back in the late 90s, early 2000s. That injury to K-Mart derailed them in 2000, but they had an incredible team based on physicality, bullying opponents, and a "ride or die" DMX-style attack.

Remember the names during that few year stretch?

Kenyon Martin
Pete Michael
DerMarr Johnson
Kenny Satterfield
Jermaine Tate
Melvin Levett
Steve Logan
Ryan Fletcher

They had a nice combination of physicality and finesse on those teams. I think we might have the same. We have true Cincy-style guys like Oscar, Livingston, Toppin, and Wallace; and we have high-finesse players like Fredrick, Collins, and Reeves.

I hope that our style is one of a defensive dynamo that can take multiple opponents out of a game (Toppin and Wallace are already elite defenders; Kingsley/Collins/Livingston have the potential to be).

I'm becoming more excited the more I get to know this squad. If Toppin and Livingston can develop into beasts, we might just have a shot at a Final Four this year.

Cautiously optimistic at this point.

What the hell are you talking about? "Might have a shot at a final four"?

 

[Cowtown Cat]

What the hell are you talking about? "Might have a shot at a final four"?

🤣

 

[Cat06]

Comparing Cincinnati Basketball with UK = Comparing a Led Zeppelin LP to a Boy George LP.

 

[JC for 3]

Living in Northern KY, UC fans flapping their gums at UK fans was a constant in the Huggs era. Just flat out annoying. Funny how it turned out that the Kenyon Martin team was a fraudulent one-man show. Tulsa proved that. Other than that, UC was an annual 2nd round exit from the tournament.

The show they (and their coach) provided off the court was much more entertaining.