Vital stats that should play in the CAT's favor

[Catswin9]

These stats came from KYLE TUCKER at The Athletic:
https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/

Career Division I minutes on roster:

TEAM	MINUTES
Alabama	21,639 (six players with 2,000-plus)
Ole Miss	21,193 (six players with 2,000-plus)
Kentucky	20,742 (seven players with 2,000-plus)
Texas A&M	20,309 (six players with 2,000-plus)
Auburn	18,027 (four players with 2,000-plus)
Missouri	17,956 (four players with 2,000-plus)
Vanderbilt	16,670 (two players with 2,000-plus)
Texas	16,102 (four players with 2,000-plus)
Tennessee	15,979 (four players with 2,000-plus)
Oklahoma	13,678 (three players with 2,000-plus)
Florida	13,388 (three players with 2,000-plus)
Mississippi State	13,030 (two players with 2,000-plus)
LSU	12,508 (two players with 2,000-plus)
South Carolina	11,073 (two players with 2,000-plus)
Georgia	10,842 (two players with 2,000-plus)
Arkansas	7,706 (one player with 2,000-plus)

 

[Catswin9]

Career made 3-pointers on roster

TEAM	3-POINTERS
Alabama	1,060 (six players with 50-plus)
Kentucky	1,033 (six players with 50-plus)
Ole Miss	796 (seven players with 50-plus)
Tennessee	796 (five players with 50-plus)
Missouri	792 (five players with 50-plus)
Texas A&M	725 (five players with 50-plus)
Auburn	711 (four players with 50-plus)
Florida	672 (three players with 50-plus)
Oklahoma	563 (four players with 50-plus)
Mississippi State	549 (four players with 50-plus)
Vanderbilt	532 (five players with 50-plus)
LSU	445 (three players with 50-plus)
Texas	443 (four players with 50-plus)
South Carolina	401 (three players with 50-plus)
Georgia	369 (three players with 50-plus)
Arkansas	230 (one player with 50-plus)

 

[know1]

And yet many media sources still hesitant to put us very far into the Top 25. This is going to be one sweet year!

 

[zoid1]

Its ok let them sleep on us. Already been rated pre-season top 5 only to fall in the polls week after week by the last regime. Lets see what happens when we're a border line top 25 team according to the "experts" but we know this team is deep, talented, can shoot with a bunch of grown men.

 

[NerlensCat]

If we can play TEAM D at an above average level, we are going to be very very tough to beat.

 

[NociHTTP]

Cal's been staying late at practice.

 

[know1]

If we can play TEAM D at an above average level, we are going to be very very tough to beat.

I don't think that's going to be a problem with this group. At all.

 

[NerlensCat]

I don't think that's going to be a problem with this group. At all.

I hope you are right. But team D is way different than individual D. We have 3 guys who are really good and a 4th who has the potential to be really good. That doesn’t mean we will gel as a team.

I am hoping we will. We had the athleticism last year to be elite, but no want to! You have to want to play defense.

That is what made MJ the best. He wanted to win PERIOD. If that meant him locking someone up, he would do that because he valued winning above all else!

 

[bucsrule8872]

The majority of the SEC teams have 3 or more guys with lots of minutes played. The league is going to be filled with seasoned veterans. I don’t know if having more minutes played is going to be a huge advantage, since everyone else will be able to have 3 or 4 experienced guys out there most of the time as well.

Also, it matters where you played those minutes. A team like Bama has guys back that have played in that system. A lot of other teams have guys that have experience playing in the SEC. Our guys haven’t played in Pope’s system (except Robinson) and have not played in the SEC (except Robinson). That is something to keep in mind.

But most of our guys have played big time basketball. Robinson has played in the SEC and Big 12. Kriisa has played in the PAC and Big 12. Oweh and Garrison have played in the Big 12. Carr has played in the ACC. Butler has a lot of NCAA tourney experience. Kriisa, Brea, and Almonor have also won games in the Big Dance. I think we should be pretty competitive.

The shooting numbers are not surprising. The team is built to shoot 3’s. We better have guys that can shoot lights out when the coaching staff is talking about shooting 35 a game.

Those are some nice stats. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Smashcat]

Arkansas. 7,706 (one player with 2,000-plus).

Yep, that's a Cal team. lol

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

And yet many media sources still hesitant to put us very far into the Top 25. This is going to be one sweet year!

The media is placing way too much emphasis on star power. They are overlooking a UK team that will have ten players who are competent and capable of scoring double digits any given night.

UK will have the deepest team in the nation. It's experienced depth, too. There is really no drop off between the starting five and the second unit.

 

[bucsrule8872]

I hope you are right. But team D is way different than individual D. We have 3 guys who are really good and a 4th who has the potential to be really good. That doesn’t mean we will gel as a team.

I am hoping we will. We had the athleticism last year to be elite, but no want to! You have to want to play defense.

That is what made MJ the best. He wanted to win PERIOD. If that meant him locking someone up, he would do that because he valued winning above all else!

Exactly.

On paper, you put Butler, Oweh, Robinson, Carr, and Williams out there and nobody should be able to score on them. They are all above average defenders. But playing together defensively, is the key. It’s going to take a lot of reps together to jell.

 

[NerlensCat]

The media is placing way too much emphasis on star power. They are overlooking a UK team that will have ten players who are competent and capable of scoring double digits any given night.

UK will have the deepest team in the nation. It's experienced depth, too. There is really no drop off between the starting five and the second unit.

Man, let’s toss the ball tonight. I can’t remember being this excited since The 14-15 season. Even then, I was so worried Cal would screw it up, I have struggled to watch games live since.

Even if the cats disappoint a little in the win loss column, I am so ready for a new style and a coach who actually tries to answer a question. Most importantly the team is here to win first while reaching their ultimate goal.

 

[Dncmaxwell]

Friendly bet (that I hope is WRONG).

Arkansas wins in Rupp this year.

Hate to see it, but think it’s gonna happen.

Arky may be top 3 in the SEC this year.

 

[Killswitch24]

And yet many media sources still hesitant to put us very far into the Top 25. This is going to be one sweet year!

Yea it’s just stupid. As I said the other day every significant thing that happens we keep hearing the same thing - “Kentucky is now possibly a top 25 team”. To the point where I believe we could add a 28 year old Michael Jordan and still be told we’re close to cracking the top 25. It’s turned into some kind of talking point to say the same thing no matter what happens. I think what happened is the media largely believed we would for sure have a rebuilding year not fully understanding that’s not necessary in the NIL era. It’s subconsciously throwing them off or something. They expected a full rebuild and down year at least and that’s not happening but they can’t get off it.

This team shouldn’t be anywhere outside the top 10- 15 and a projected 3/4 seed right now and I wouldn’t argue if it was higher. He’s absurd that we keep hearing the same projection after each nice player we sign.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Friendly bet (that I hope is WRONG).

Arkansas wins in Rupp this year.

Hate to see it, but think it’s gonna happen.

Arky may be top 3 in the SEC this year.

Very possible that Arky wins. They will be fired up to win it for Cal. Cal will likely coach his butt off just to show BBN. Wagner, Thiero, and Ivisic will all play the game of their lives.

 

[Killswitch24]

Very possible that Arky wins. They will be fired up to win it for Cal. Cal will likely coach his butt off just to show BBN. Wagner, Thiero, and Ivisic will all play the game of their lives.

Oh but wait! There’s more!

Pope likely hates Cal (all Pitino players do really) and the last thing Pope wants is to let Cal come in HIS house and do sht. Pope can coach circles around Calipari too, and just because Calipari wants to coach well in that game doesn’t mean he will or even can. He’s been running the “go make a play” offense for decades now. His staff is one of the worst I’ve ever seen assembled by a championship coach. Chin and Payne is bad enough, then he added Brad. lol.

His team lacks great shooters (again) too, and has a lot of youth. We are older, Stronger, plays tight defense and has great shooters.

Just because Calipari is going to try hard doesn’t mean his team can do it. And Rupp will be ROCKIN all game. This is Arkansas with a washed up coach and overrated recruits. Good luck Cal.

Not scared at all.

 

[Phil_The_Music]

Very possible that Arky wins. They will be fired up to win it for Cal. Cal will likely coach his butt off just to show BBN. Wagner, Thiero, and Ivisic will all play the game of their lives.

Maybe. But unlikely. Teams and players tend to play the game of their lives against Cal, not for him.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

If Kentucky stays healthy, somebody better have a sharp pair of scissors.

 

[3Eye]

Defensively, Cal switches everything…Our team will abuse those pigs. Pope has this game circled.

 

[bowfreak]

Defensively, Cal switches everything…Our team will abuse those pigs. Pope has this game circled.

Everyone shoots wide open jumpers and dribbles to the basket and shoots layups against Cal's teams. This game likely will get ugly. They will be athletic but we will be a nightmare matchup for them.