Sheppard, Dillingham, Reeves, Theiro/Mitchell and Ugo is a top 5 lineup. But we have a coach who can't get out of his own way due to loyalties/stubbornness. He obviously will let a season derail to not hurt some players.
We Have The Players To Be Elite
- Thread starter jedwar
- Start date
He is fooling around trying to get Wagner & Edwards going (Edwards has played better of late) with extra minutes. In the meantime, Big Z can’t get any action in the 2nd half. In fact, not many meaningful minutes at all. Oh yeah, he was in the game when we made that big run to end the first half. Surprise, surprise.
Listen, I know Big Z has some defensive liabilities. However, I’d have rather let him play last night than what Ugo & Bradshaw gave us. We need a big man to step up!
Listen, I know Big Z has some defensive liabilities. However, I’d have rather let him play last night than what Ugo & Bradshaw gave us. We need a big man to step up!
Yep but it's been happening for a while. Best thing that could happen is IF he resigns or the powers that be end this shitshow once and all by buying him out. Something has got to give.
That’s right just imagine if we had the right coach….. We’d be damn near unstoppable!
No excuse for being this bad none. We do have incomplete players but the coach is still the biggest reason we are sucking. The guys that are good on offense are bad on D. The guys that are good on D are terrible on O.
Definitely! I would love to see this roster with a decent coach, not even a great coach but a decent coach.
Cal has been exposed for how bad of a coach he really is.
he just lost to an OVC coach without their leading scorer and probably zero NBA players on that roster.
Cal has been exposed for how bad of a coach he really is.
he just lost to an OVC coach without their leading scorer and probably zero NBA players on that roster.
You're very welcome. Thank you for your wonderful and well thought out post.
23/24: We have the players to be elite
14/15: We have the players to go 40-0
09/10: We have the players to play in FF
None of these things happened/will happen.
Who's the common denominator?
14/15: We have the players to go 40-0
09/10: We have the players to play in FF
None of these things happened/will happen.
Who's the common denominator?
Edwards is playing better but he really had nowhere to go but up. Knocked down three 3’s last night which is great but that is all he did. Not a single rebound in 19 minutes of action. Last 6 games (with him playing “better” he is averaging 21.1 minutes/game. 9.5 pts, 2.3 reb, .08 assist, .08 turnovers, 1 steal, 0 blocks. Other than scoring a few buckets/game he is pretty much non existent elsewhere.
We got 5 regualr season games left. This team is who they are, and no reason to expect any changes (to anything) to end the year.
Those 5 guys played over 140 minutes of the possible 200 and if not for Reeves foul trouble that number is almost 150 and 75% of game time.
Our coach may be TERRIBLE! But our KenPom rating(not rank) is closer to 16-10 Duquesne than it is the top team in college basketball. That isn’t an elite team no matter who is on the sideline.
I think if our best players were playing more mins and starting, then we'd be an elite team. It may be too late to be elite now. IDK. But I do know when one guard gets 22 or so mins and gives nothhing and the other guard gets about the same and gives 21 pts, then something is amiss. We should have been playing out best lineups and best players since December at the latest.
Come on now, man. Something about being someone’s son and taking hearts comes to mind.
This current version of Cal would have Davis splitting time with Vargas. I feel like I’m only half joking.
Actually we have the players to be tied for 5th in the SEC standings.
I'm convinced that Cal could have actual NBA players right now and lose with them.He's broken.
Calipari is many things. But, he is not an idiot. As OP mentioned, he knows what our best lineup is. That’s who was on the floor at the end last night.
The fact that he intentionally doesn’t play the best players bc of his recruiting promises or perceived “loyalty” to families is coaching malpractice and alone should be grounds for firing with cause. I know it’s not but it should be.
I was at the game and it’s a joke watching him on the sidelines. All the LSU fans were laughing he doesn’t coach just literally yells at the refs all game. All I could do is agree with them. UK basketball has become a joke.
The fact that he intentionally doesn’t play the best players bc of his recruiting promises or perceived “loyalty” to families is coaching malpractice and alone should be grounds for firing with cause. I know it’s not but it should be.
I was at the game and it’s a joke watching him on the sidelines. All the LSU fans were laughing he doesn’t coach just literally yells at the refs all game. All I could do is agree with them. UK basketball has become a joke.
Elite players and a hall of fame coach is not getting the job done. We lost to a former Murray State coach and a rebuilding LSU team without their top scorer. It's got to be coaching decisions, average coaches could win big here with the players we have. What more could a program ask for, best tradition, Rupp arena, best fan base and some of the best players along with a hall of fame coach. we are getting beat at home more and losing more to unranked teams with coaches and players not even close to what we have. Nine million a year is really expensive when you are a middle of the pack SEC team that doesn't win the SEC tournament and loses in the first or second round of the NCAA tournament. This is not Kentucky basketball.
I want to thank you for making the post but mine is legit . Still many willing to go down with the ( Cal) ship. This forum carries some weight . You know Cal sees it .
Honestly, the projected “best lineups” that have Tre over Adou are just missing the mark. If you want to run Tre with Adou, okay. But Tre over Adou kills us defensively, and Tre isn’t exactly lighting it up on offense either. Tre is a nice piece. But Adou does most things far better than him. One will play in the league. One will play overseas.
I appreciate the post. And that most definitely should be the lineup that sees the most run...
But I don't agree with the premise that playing that lineup the majority of the minutes makes UK elite.
This is a flawed roster...unfortunately, which 100% falls on Cal.
Speaking only to the lineup you listed above:
No doubt Shep and Dilly are much better alternatives then Wagner and Edwards, but man, do they do some stupid things out there (which is 100% to be expected of freshmen). Dilly was awful in the first half, then looks like Iverson in the second half. Which is why we affectionately call him good Rob/bad Rob. He is just not consistent at this stage in his basketball life.
Shep has head scratching TOs, and still is out of position defensively way too often...but he should be the starting PG. He alone was responsible for turning the ball over on a terrible pass, then gets lost defensively on the next possession as his man hits a wide open corner three. Super quick 5 point swing. Again, expected inconsistency from a freshmen.
Ugo and Thiero are sophomores, who were 100% expected to be projects. I am very happy with their development, and could see them both being big time next yr. But we are still one year early, with both of them.
That leaves Tre and Antonio. Reeves has been a stud, no complaints about him. Tre is tough to watch defensively (as is most of this team). But I give him less leeway, since he is in his fifth yr of college bball. Like his leadership, and his ability to hit from deep (which he hasn't recently), but he is not a guy I would build around.
Simply put, I just see a flawed team, which is 100% on the coach
I'd roll with the bennies from here on out. Shep, Dilly, reeves, adou and Mitchell.
Play them all 35 minutes a game. Let ugona, edwards, Wagner and Bradshaw play 6 and change each.
We aren't winning anything that matters anyways but that may get us one round further n ncaaa.
Play them all 35 minutes a game. Let ugona, edwards, Wagner and Bradshaw play 6 and change each.
We aren't winning anything that matters anyways but that may get us one round further n ncaaa.
Yeah we have some slight degree of physicality , Mitch dont be liking no contact . And we dont have a 5 ... so ... Adou it is .
I don't think that's quite a top5 lineup. Mainly becaudse we are lacking rebounding and post offense.. and are still figuring out defense. I think that lineup is more in the 25-15 range. I'm very concerned that a front court with Mitchell and Ugo is going to just be too limited offensively (and even defensively, despite the block from Ugo).
Shep still disappears. Dilly is very close to getting what he wants, I think he just needs to play a little smarter (shot selection, defense). Reeves is great, cant ask for much more from him. Thiero is more of a multi-tool to me, can't really rely on his offense.
What is Cal saying when he said on that last timeout" we had a lot of people coaching and that's alright". Is he saying he don't have control of the huddle at time out?
