Vandy's Facemask Kid
- Thread starter On-On-UK
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3 for 4 makes him an incredible shooter? Sure he's a good shooter, but Booker shoots at the same clip almost every game.
He's sure to be a thorn in our side every year. Oh well, Vandy always seems to have one or two of them - doesn't help them make it further than us in the tourney though.
I feel bad for him. The kids at camp knew he couldn't swim so they pushed him in the lake. Mama was pissed.
It helped that they were all WIDE OPEN. It is pretty simple with him...you guard him, he is a non-factor.
Very few have made Riley and non factor so far. He's crafty and knows where to go to get looks, especially in transition. The kid shoots about 80% from 3 on the fast break.
Not sure how Lachance got away from Wisconsin. I have seen him in person 3 times and he is a baller.
I'd never heard of him prior to the game, but from the first 2-3 minutes i knew he was going to be a thorn in our side for the next 4 years including this game. shooting and IQ where a given, but he also looked pretty quick for a pale skin.
He did.
But Booker was very lethargic in that game. Our screens were about as bad. There were possessions where Booker literally stood in one spot for 25 seconds of the shot clock.
Some of that is Cal: the game was clearly designed around the post. We went back to the well time and again, and I think it made the guardplay stale and staid.
Honestly, in half of a season, he has already jumped into my group of favorite all time Commodores.
Earlier in the year, LaChance had back to back 26 point games fyi (one was against Purdue).
I attended last nights game and actually felt sorry for him the first 3 or 4 possessions of the game he seemed lost and I thought the Harrisons are gonna take him down low and punish him. By the end of the game I cringed every time he got the ball, and could not figure out how you lose him going down the court, if I was Cal I would have pulled the old Hoosiers line and would have waned to know what flavor gum he was chewing.
Not the kid, it was Cal that kept Booker from getting off any shots.
"The kid" and the other Jr High player were open because we were terrible and defense last night, particularly ball screens and transition.
Duke has their pugnacious floor-slappers, Vandy has their under-the-radar guys that seemingly have 9-year scholarships and can flat shoot it. Phil Cox begat Scott Draud, who begat Barry Goheen, who begat Billy McCaffrey...
Riley LaChance - sounds like a character conjured up in the mind of Stephen King.
Riley LaChance - sounds like a character conjured up in the mind of Stephen King.
We have another one coming in next year, Cameron Justice. He's not a 5 star or anything, but apparently is a nice player with a really good body for a two guard (Knott County central fyi).
Made me actually LOL- all of this is the truth! God I hated those guys. Is little Riley going to be wearing that mask all four years?
Doubtful as he has had a rough go of it in the five games he's had to wear it. It keeps sliding on his face and it has to mess with him. Last night was his first good game with the mask on fwiw.
I'm guessing that he can't wait to be done with it.
Gotta be. If you are a 6'3 white guard, you better be willing to out work EVERYBODY.
I've just seen highlights but he has a pure stroke. He'll have a hard time getting on the floor next year as we have Riley LaChance, Nolan Cressler (transfer who averaged 17 a game at Cornell his sophomore yr), and Matthew Fisher-Davis ahead of him, but from what I can tell, he will eventually get his chance.
I would be very surprised if we aren't a contender next year. Stallings has done a good job of rebuilding in short order after a disastrous 2 years previous to this one.
I have a feeling he'll wear it all four years just to be annoying. I wouldn't put anything past a Vandy player
From Vandys website:
Averaged 23.0 points and 2.6 assists and was named a unanimous first-team All-State by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and the Associated Press...Was voted the top point guard in the state of Wisconsin by Wisconsin Hoops,
Chose Vanderbilt over Minnesota, Iowa, Creighton, Baylor, Butler, Xavier, San Diego, Missouri, and Ole Miss.
An interesting list.
Averaged 23.0 points and 2.6 assists and was named a unanimous first-team All-State by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association and the Associated Press...Was voted the top point guard in the state of Wisconsin by Wisconsin Hoops,
Chose Vanderbilt over Minnesota, Iowa, Creighton, Baylor, Butler, Xavier, San Diego, Missouri, and Ole Miss.
An interesting list.
Winning an SEC Title.
We're about to be pretty good. Next year's class should really compliment this current team.
Obviously UK will be the favorite, I'm just saying we'll be in the mix (or should be).
A contender? Right!
The Commodores have won three SEC regular season titles (1965, 1974 and 1993) and two SEC Tournament championships (1951 and 2012).
Impressive!
That 2012 Vandy team was the best team Stallings has had, great shooters and a tough big man with some good complimentary players. They really challenged UK in all 3 games and I really thought they were going to do some damage in the tournament
. but no, they get in, I believe, as a 5 seed and don't even make it out of the first weekend. If Stallings coached every game like the opposition was UK he would have a much better record.
Oh yeah, LaChance is pretty good, kid can shoot and he seemed to be able to get into the lane and hit midrange shots too. Nice player. He'll never see the sweet 16 but that's okay . for him.
Oh yeah, LaChance is pretty good, kid can shoot and he seemed to be able to get into the lane and hit midrange shots too. Nice player. He'll never see the sweet 16 but that's okay . for him.
Friedas...
I've seen some clips of this Justice kid and he definitely looks for real. My dad is from Knott County and told me all about him (before he committed to Vandy). I came away very impressed with the skills he displayed. I'll be shocked if he doesn't become a starter before end of next year. He could possibly be even better than LaChance if given a "chance". See what I did there?
No, his entire freshman season makes him an incredible shooter. Going 3-4 against the best defensive team this decade in Rupp is just another example of this.
The above is the type of ish I can't stand about this place. Are we not allowed to discuss/praise opposing players without some BS disclaimer ("This praise is meant to be in no way disparaging to any UK player."). Grow up. Booker AND LaChance are great shooters. Tip your cap to the kid.
Exactly...remember Stallings whining because they were having to play too many Thur/Sat games while UK was the Tue night headliner? Instead of using that as a teaching point to prepare for the type of turnaround you have to do in the tourney, he chose to be negative and a victim. Of course he doesn't acknowledge that no one sells out or makes special shirts when Vandy comes to town. Good coach basketball-wise but does not set a winning tone for his players. That mindset is also probably why he has so many transfer out as well.
Kid's averaging 14 a game as a freshman and shooting 42% from three. I guess no one has guarded him all year then.
BTW, in basketball, you're going to have open shots. It is literally impossible to guard every shot. It has never happened, not once, in the history of basketball.
Hey I'm a HUGE cat fan but we should know better than anybody that "history" doesn't amount to a whole lot. How much did we have to hear about our early NIT exit last year and went all the way to the title game? Even after that...we still have to hear about that crap.
Did history mean anything to Florida when they won back to back titles with Donovan? No question, I expect Kentucky to be "head and shoulders" above every SEC team next year (as they are this year) but that doesn't mean there are no teams that will put us to the test and possibly even beat us.
Next year, I think it will be us with LSU and Vandy fighting out for #2. I give a slight edge to LSU due to their recent recruiting. The SEC is starting to wake up and let's not count Florida out so quickly. They have had a tough go of it this year but so did we last year and we ended up far exceeding anyone's expectations.
Good luck to your Vandy team Freidas, you seem like a very classy fan. Maybe SeattleKat is just messin' with you. I'm not real familiar with all my fellow Cats fans around here so it is hard for me to tell who is "playfully" ribbing and who is being unnecessarily disrespectful. All fan bases have their share of obnoxious fans and I have no doubt been one myself on many occasions.
Anyway...this has been a very exciting season thus far. I can't wait for the next game and the next all the way to the Madness in March! GO WILDCATS!!!
This post was edited on 1/22 9:06 AM by SLONER67
LOL...I assume that was a stab at me but I'm sure I'm not the only one who gave Friedas the benefit of a doubt. I like to see the good in people regardless of whether they are a Kentucky fan or not. If that doesn't sit well with you then sue me. I can be respectful with non-UK fans and still bleed blue. Believe me, I'm capable of putting disrespectful fans in their place if they ask for it. I've done it many times before on other forums. I'm new here so I don't know everyone and as far as I'm concerned...everyone is ok with me until they prove to me that he/she isn't ok.
As of right now...I'm good with everyone. From what I have read so far, it looks like Friedas has been a pretty good sport at a lot of ribbing. Whether or not he did anything to warrant such ribbing is not for me to say. Like I said...I'm new here and don't have a lot to go on.
So anyway...
GO WILDCATS!!! Let's get back to dominating our opponents!
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