Ugonna will play against UNC

[Catzman]

I came up with so many Ugonna jokes, and never got to use them😢

Ugonna try anyway?

 

[GoAndRunIsGoneAndDone]

We put up a ton of points, but so did our opponents. We were getting killed on rebounds and if you don’t remember what happened last time a decent big man was on the other side, watch the champions classic. What did HD go off for? We lost because we didn’t have a big man.

^^^^This^^^^
We had zero for him and we've lost the battle of the boards in most every game so far. Hurts less when our shots are falling than when they aren't. Every night can't and won't be like the Miami game. We definitely need bigs. Teams like uncw had no answer for a solid big. Frankly, Bradshaw was horrid in that game but looked like a different person against Penn. We have two games to judge him by. The first...couldn't be much worse and the second, while much better, can still get a lot better.

 

[docholiday51]

I think where Ugo may be able to help is when/if we get in foul trouble. UNC is #16 in the nation when it comes to getting to the free throw line. They also rebound the ball very well- which isn’t a surprise.

Not a good match-up for us unless we rain a few 3's down on them and get into a transition game to take Bacot out of the game a little

 

[dl51344]

To be honest I believe we will win the UNC game. If we have 2 bigs I am even more confident. I have never been confident about winning any other game before. Their big is a brute but not as as quick as ours.

 

[GoAndRunIsGoneAndDone]

To be honest I believe we will win the UNC game. If we have 2 bigs I am even more confident. I have never been confident about winning any other game before. Their big is a brute but not as as quick as ours.

I agree. Our two bigs>than their one and they can't run with us, either. It'll be an uphill battle for anyone, if shots are falling on only one end of the floor, though. We need to make a few shots but same goes for anyone.

 

[cats2010]

Sorry man, but you're the one playing the fool. Ain't no one talking about him starting or playing 36 mins. But with a potential All-American 7-footer on the floor, you want as much depth as possible in this game. Bradshaw is a twig and will get bullied, we saw what Dickinson did to Mitchell and Adou, so why on earth wouldn't we want Ugo available for this game?

Bradshaw has NEVER played against someone like Bacot before - he can't play 30 plus mins in this game. And again, Mitchell ain't the answer. The answer is depth depth depth. And Ugo weighs about 25lbs more than Bradshaw, so he'll be tougher to bully...

Plus, if it's a track meet - depth depth depth. Can't have Bradshaw on the floor (only played 2 games) for a track meet - he'll fatigue the quickest out of everyone.

Some of you boys are expecting a poor man’s AD to step foot on the court with UGO returning. He wasn’t that good last year and doubtful very good this year. I hope he has improved but a decent margin but I’m not counting on it. Marginal improvement from him will still mean he’s not very good. He’s not quick, footwork very slow in the post as most decent big men scored through him last year with relative ease. Zero offensive ability. Love for him to prove me wrong but expecting much of anything against UNC is not realistic. Set yourself up for disappointment though, doesn’t bother me.

 

[mcwildcats04]

Coming up at 7 PM CT:

 

[cats2010]

What if all of our big men get in foul trouble? You f'n moron

Well aren’t you just full of Christmas cheer!!!!

 

[UKortho]

Some of you boys are expecting a poor man’s AD to step foot on the court with UGO returning. He wasn’t that good last year and doubtful very good this year. I hope he has improved but a decent margin but I’m not counting on it. Marginal improvement from him will still mean he’s not very good. He’s not quick, footwork very slow in the post as most decent big men scored through him last year with relative ease. Zero offensive ability. Love for him to prove me wrong but expecting much of anything against UNC is not realistic. Set yourself up for disappointment though, doesn’t bother me.

Ryan Lemond said he was getting whipped on a daily basis by Marvin Stones son last Summer.

 

[JonathanW]

Some of you boys are expecting a poor man’s AD to step foot on the court with UGO returning. He wasn’t that good last year and doubtful very good this year. I hope he has improved but a decent margin but I’m not counting on it. Marginal improvement from him will still mean he’s not very good. He’s not quick, footwork very slow in the post as most decent big men scored through him last year with relative ease. Zero offensive ability. Love for him to prove me wrong but expecting much of anything against UNC is not realistic. Set yourself up for disappointment though, doesn’t bother me.

I don’t think anyone is comparing him to AD. Not even Noel. But you saying he is not good is equally ridiculous. He is about where Richard’s was. Not bad for a commentary player.

 

[rob_47]

First rounder????? He has zero offensive ability from 12-15 feet from the basket, let alone from 22 feet where all in today’s NBA are required to be able to knock it down from. Others, like you, have pointed out his per 40 block numbers (mostly against cupcake U part of the schedule) but fail to recall the numerous times his man scored through him with relative ease.
*
I think those expecting good things from him, forget great, are going to be vastly disappointed. He simply is not going to fit in with the makeup of this team or allow us to be the best version of ourselves. So far we have already seen a much better player in Bradshaw take away from that, albeit a small sample sizde, and hopefully that trend does not continue.

He is a lot better than you seem to think he is. We will see what all unfolds but he has plenty of good qaulities and he has a decent jumper. He definitely isn't as bad as you are making him seem. He will be an nba player.

 

[cats2010]

I don’t think anyone is comparing him to AD. Not even Noel. But you saying he is not good is equally ridiculous. He is about where Richard’s was. Not bad for a commentary player.

I mean we will all see for ourselves and if he has improved it makes us that much stronger. I did say a poor man’s AD but I don’t think he is even close to what Richard’s was as a sophomore and Richard’s as a sophomore drove everyone nuts. Granted we had Oscar last year but UGO still didn’t see the floor past Jan. 7. Not a good sign for those expecting good things from him this year. All just MO but as stated we will all see for ourselves over the next few weeks how well his play has progressed.

 

[CatsFanIL]

Some of you boys are expecting a poor man’s AD to step foot on the court with UGO returning. He wasn’t that good last year and doubtful very good this year. I hope he has improved but a decent margin but I’m not counting on it. Marginal improvement from him will still mean he’s not very good. He’s not quick, footwork very slow in the post as most decent big men scored through him last year with relative ease. Zero offensive ability. Love for him to prove me wrong but expecting much of anything against UNC is not realistic. Set yourself up for disappointment though, doesn’t bother me.

LOL! Oh this should be good, can't wait to see you back up those assertions. We can all ramble BS nonsense whenever we want, but can you back it up? HE PLAYED LESS THAN 7 MINUTES A GAME LAST YEAR AS A RECLASS FRESHMAN, yet you have the authority to label him as "not very good", "not quick", "footwork very slow" "scored on with relative ease" "zero offensive ability". 7 minutes a game, but you're some kind of guru on his ability, eh?

So in 7 minutes a game, he was able to average 2.5pts, 1 block, and 2.6 rebs. 1 block per every 7 mins sure doesn't seem like many guys are scoring on him easily.

He had 2 games last year with 10 rebs. Go back and watch his play during the Michigan game - show me where he was a liability ANYWHERE in the game.

Blows my mind that dudes on here think it's some kind of misery to have Ugo returning. But there's no shortage of posters on here that don't actually know basketball

 

[DreadLox]

Nope. People are venting, and for good reason. Calling fellow fans "so-called fans" IS trolling.

There were tons of snide accusations that none of the three 7 footers would ever play. Now there's tons of accusation that their play will make things worse. I couldn't tell you that they were the same people since I don't read user names, but the 180 degree change is hysterical. There has to be some people working both sides of the street.

 

[cats2010]

LOL! Oh this should be good, can't wait to see you back up those assertions. We can all ramble BS nonsense whenever we want, but can you back it up? HE PLAYED LESS THAN 7 MINUTES A GAME LAST YEAR AS A RECLASS FRESHMAN, yet you have the authority to label him as "not very good", "not quick", "footwork very slow" "scored on with relative ease" "zero offensive ability". 7 minutes a game, but you're some kind of guru on his ability, eh?

So in 7 minutes a game, he was able to average 2.5pts, 1 block, and 2.6 rebs. 1 block per every 7 mins sure doesn't seem like many guys are scoring on him easily.

He had 2 games last year with 10 rebs. Go back and watch his play during the Michigan game - show me where he was a liability ANYWHERE in the game.

Blows my mind that dudes on here think it's some kind of misery to have Ugo returning. But there's no shortage of posters on here that don't actually know basketball

Dude!!! I promise you I know more about basketball than you. Ever been paid to coach? I have!!!! Michigan was the only game of substance he actually played in last year for the most part and he got 4 points, 2 blocks and 2 boards in 7 minutes. Most of his averages you just mentioned were obtained against the cupcake U part of the schedule. His last meaningful action was 11 minutes at bama Jan . 7 where he managed 4 boards and a block. Never really played after that. Sorry if my opinion of him differs from yours. Will see when he steps on the court. Certainly hope he can add something, I will be pleasantly surprised if he does. I think it’s funny that I can’t form an opinion of him in a 7 minute/game average but you can 😂

 

[CatsFanIL]

Dude!!! I promise you I know more about basketball than you. Ever been paid to coach? I have!!!! Michigan was the only game of substance he actually played in last year for the most part and he got 4 points, 2 blocks and 2 boards in 7 minutes. Most of his averages you just mentioned were obtained against the cupcake U part of the schedule. His last meaningful action was 11 minutes at bama Jan . 7 where he managed 4 boards and a block. Never really played after that. Sorry if my opinion of him differs from yours. Will see when he steps on the court. Certainly hope he can add something, I will be pleasantly surprised if he does. I think it’s funny that I can’t form an opinion of him in a 7 minute/game average but you can 😂

I'm currently a HS coach - and it doesn't matter what you claim, I can tell from your post you don't "know more basketball than me DUDE!!!!"

Been paid to coach now for the last 15 years
Division 1 student manager
Been paid to write about college basketball
Been paid to breakdown game film for other coaches
Appearances on multiple podcasts to talk hoops

You didn't form an opinion. You formed nonsensical BS. But carry on being miserable about UK getting a 7-footer back from an injury...

 

[Mike-McD]

Guys guys guys. Calm down.

Bottom line, Ugo is over seven feet tall. He doesn't have to get 10 blocks a game to be effective. At that height he will at the very least "bother" the opponents' shots. That goes a long way toward making them gunshy. And he might actually grab a handful of boards. If he gives Mitchell and Bradshaw 10 minutes of rest without losing the game then that's a win.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Ugo as our 9th man (10th man after Z gets back) is awesome stuff.

Why dog on that? At no point will he be asked to be a critical piece to this team. He's 5 fouls and 1 to 2 blocks per game.

 

[cal=8]

Per Pilgrim

We'll need him at times, especially on the road in the SEC. Also, his spot mins can help Mitchell stay fresh. IMO getting Ugo back is huge..

 

[davekersey]

I think Bacot, and trying to contain him will be a key point if not the most important point in our game against UNC. He draws a ton of fouls and so it might be necessary to rotate the two seven Footers. But I'm thinking Cal may not play Ugonna anyway. Bacot is the all-time rebound leader in the history of North Carolina basketball and second in double-doubles. So if Bradshaw and Mitchell cannot handle him could be that Cal May insert him to see if he can help out

 

[Smashcat]

▪ North Carolina leads the all-time series with Kentucky 25-17.
▪ As UK head man, John Calipari is 7-4 vs. the Tar Heels.
▪ North Carolina coach Hubert Davis is 0-1 against UK.
▪ Since the CBS Sports Classic began in 2014, North Carolina, at 6-3, has the best record of the four participating teams. However, UNC is only 1-3 vs. UK in the CBS Sports Classic. The Tar Heels are unbeaten versus the other two participating programs, having gone 3-0 vs. UCLA and 2-0 vs. Ohio State.
▪ UK is 4-5 in CBS Sports Classic games. The Wildcats have not fared as well vs. UCLA (1-2) or Ohio State (0-2) as they have against North Carolina (3-1).
Advantage: Kentucky.

Read more at: https://www.kentucky.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/mark-story/article282967753.html#storylink=cpy

 

[JonathanW]

I think Bacot, and trying to contain him will be a key point if not the most important point in our game against UNC. He draws a ton of fouls and so it might be necessary to rotate the two seven Footers. But I'm thinking Cal may not play Ugonna anyway. Bacot is the all-time rebound leader in the history of North Carolina basketball and second in double-doubles. So if Bradshaw and Mitchell cannot handle him could be that Cal May insert him to see if he can help out

Bacot is their Oscar. Oscar kept you in games, but he didn't win you games. Same for Bacot. UNC goes as RJ Davis goes (although the F transfer is helping him out), if Davis goes for 20 I'm worried, if we keep him below 15 we win handily.

 

[Padsfs07]

I think Bacot, and trying to contain him will be a key point if not the most important point in our game against UNC. He draws a ton of fouls and so it might be necessary to rotate the two seven Footers. But I'm thinking Cal may not play Ugonna anyway. Bacot is the all-time rebound leader in the history of North Carolina basketball and second in double-doubles. So if Bradshaw and Mitchell cannot handle him could be that Cal May insert him to see if he can help out

I think RJ Davis is more important. He's been crushing it this year and getting to the line a lot. Also, Harrison Ingram is shooting lights out from 3 (46%)

 

[502 Wildcat]

If we simply try to go toe-to-toe with Bacot in the paint, we will lose. He's too strong and too skilled in the paint.

The way you take him out of his A-game is to make him defend. Keep the pace up, make him run, and make him guard on the perimeter. Bradshaw and Tre will need to take some perimeter shots.

He's an unbelievable rebounder, like a taller Oscar, but he is extremely vulnerable defensively.

 

[Cats192]

I think Bacot, and trying to contain him will be a key point if not the most important point in our game against UNC. He draws a ton of fouls and so it might be necessary to rotate the two seven Footers. But I'm thinking Cal may not play Ugonna anyway. Bacot is the all-time rebound leader in the history of North Carolina basketball and second in double-doubles. So if Bradshaw and Mitchell cannot handle him could be that Cal May insert him to see if he can help out

Yup! Agreed.

Even if they're doing a good job, it helps to have another 7 footer that can bang with Bacot in case the others get in foul trouble or just need a breather.

 

[EdgeHD]

Lately teams like UNCW and Penn have just been driving into the lane and finishing. Our man defense is bad except for Reed. Bradshaw helps but Onyenso is really what we need for rim protection and interior defense. Onyenso is not where Bradshaw is offensively. But Onyenso will change our team defensively.