Wheeler 'loss' is addition by subtraction

[BBNWildcat]

Lay off the fans. We were right about Wheeler all along and Cal was WRONG. Just like Cal was wrong about BJB and Askew. So now that Cal is forced to do something that a) he doesn’t want to do, and b) was obvious to the fans since December was the right decision, he is once again strutting around like it was his idea. So yeah, the fans are entitled to take a few scalps. Deal with it, cowbois.

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

Lay off the fans. We were right about Wheeler all along and Cal was WRONG. Just like Cal was wrong about BJB and Askew. So now that Cal is forced to do something that a) he doesn’t want to do, and b) was obvious to the fans since December was the right decision, he is once again strutting around like it was his idea. So yeah, the fans are entitled to take a few scalps. Deal with it, cowbois.

This ^. Wheeler could help Cason and the team if he was just available to give him a breather 5-10 minutes a game but he won’t do it. Terrible teammate. And PLEASE don’t say I don’t know how bad his injury is. I definitely DO know he could just give the team whatever you have and that’s all we ask. The only reason I need to give is ‘common sense’. Go back and check out Jeff Shepherd when he injured HIS upper ankle. Wheeler won’t even put on the uniform.

 

[Bluegrass79]

The kryptonite for this current lineup that we're using without wheeler is team using full court pressure on us.
I don't believe Wallace Reeves Livingston toppin and oscar would hold up very well to a strong pressure defense.

This is when you would need savhir wheeler. Nobody's taking the ball from wheeler with pressure defense. one man wrecking machine against that.

But Wallace and Reeves and the bunch could be susceptible to pressure defense no doubt.

I'm saying basically the 1996 team would beat this team by 50 easy...lol.
it would be a massacre. I say 50 cuz the Rick Pitino back then would not let up. He would wipe the damn floor with em
96' Rick was the most aggressive pressure defense coach that ever lived. Peak level pressure unseen since that team ....by any other team at any school. It truly was a thing to behold.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

The kryptonite for this current lineup that we're using without wheeler is team using full court pressure on us.
I don't believe Wallace Reeves Livingston toppin and oscar would hold up very well to a strong pressure defense.

This is when you would need savhir wheeler. Nobody's taking the ball from wheeler with pressure defense. one man wrecking machine against that.

But Wallace and Reeves and the bunch could be susceptible to pressure defense no doubt.

I'm saying basically the 1996 team would beat this team by 50 easy...lol.
it would be a massacre. I say 50 cuz the Rick Pitino back then would not let up. He would wipe the damn floor with em
96' Rick was the most aggressive pressure defense coach that ever lived. Peak level pressure unseen since that team ....by any other team at any school. It truly was a thing to behold.

Yes they will. They will just trap him and he will turn it over.

Wallace needing a rest doesn’t have anything to do with Wheeler.

There has become a flow to the game. Wheeler is a flow interrupter.

He can’t run an offense. He can’t guard.

There is no reason to play him other than cigar minutes.

 

[yes_takeaside]

Yes they will. They will just trap him and he will turn it over.

Wallace needing a rest doesn’t have anything to do with Wheeler.

There has become a flow to the game. Wheeler is a flow interrupter.

He can’t run an offense. He can’t guard.

There is no reason to play him other than cigar minutes.

Guess we’ll see

 

[kats23]

I said after yesterdays game it’s interesting this team seems to be getting stronger and more cohesive the further we get away from Wheeler playing/practicing with the team. There were rumors of chemistry issues. Guess we’ll see what happens if he comes back but I’m not missing him

 

[phyrekat]

I've been as down on Wheeler as just about anyone, but I firmly agree that if we are going to have a chance at a deep run, we're gonna need some help from him.

 

[fla.cat]

i don’t think it is bashing Wheeler to make a statement that we seem to be better without Wheeler. yes there are some “bashing” him for his past performances and attitude on the bench interpreted. what is bashing and what is JMO can sometimes be a razor thin opinion.
in regard to fatigue of Cason. We have two important Games for seeding. He should be the man, so he can still grow in that position as being his, and if we win our seeding will increase , a notch or two. The regular season imo opinion in the past has been more important than the conference tournament in seeding. Regarding him be tired or exhausted, If we win the next two, then he will have almost a weeks rest before our first SEC game as we Most probably will secure the double by. Our seeding won’t increase much even if we win the SEC, history tells us If my memory serves.
I’m am still undecided if this team can continue this recent good play. A couple more wins of consistent play may help me decide and of course so would beating a very good team in a conference tourney game, but there is a possibility we may not face a good team if one of them falters (there certainly is a history of upsets of good to great teams in the SEC tourney play.
final thought, who would have thought after that lost to Ga at their home coupled with the SC loss and some other recent subpar play, that we would even be thinking about getting in MM much less being a team that others would certainly not want to play. That is a big change as to how I thought I was going to feel a few weeks ago when MM came around,
Go cats….we have to give them credit for this late season play that has put smiles back on our face, and some hope in our hearts.

 

[STL_Cat]

Certainly I think it's time to just say the proof is in the pudding, the team performs at a higher level and is reaching what I feel like it's potential not relying on Wheeler to play 25+ mpg at point guard. Which is what so many of us were saying at the beginning of the season. I feel like the reason you keep seeing these threads now is because of how so many people were so rudely responding to those opinions earlier in the season. You just hate Wheeler, you don't know basketball if you can't understand that Wheeler is this team's point guard and will be all season, Wheeler led the SEC in assists and will be an All-American, etc ...

A lot of us had to hear it from people about how we just didn't know or understand the game if we thought Wheeler's role should be relegated this year. Maybe there would be less of these threads if people on that side of the fence would have been a little more open to opinions back then. jmho as a guy who has been done expressing his opinion on the matter, the case is closed as far as I'm concerned.

 

[bballcat4]

I think this is a fair consensus of what most posters (not all) agree on.

1) Wheeler available to backup Cason for 4-5 mins per half.
2) Fear Cal will overuse Wheeler when not needed.
3) Thiero is a good player, but not a pg.
4) UK is in deep trouble if Wallace gets injured or in foul trouble and Wheeler is unavailable.

I said after Aub game UK cannot win enough games to make a run without Wheeler. This is not so much about Wheeler as it is having a competent backup. (Wheeler is a competent backup.)

Having Wallace and Wheeler are our only hope of making a run beyond the Sweet 16. Depending on our seeding, we may be able to win 2 games without a pure backup PG. Winning 2 games will be challenging, but I don’t see anything past that w/o both players. Playing w/o a pure backup pg is playing with fire.

 

[WalterTheHippo]

To you folks who say "Lay off of Wheeler", are we not allowed to have discussion about a player who played damn near every minute for half a season that really wasn't going well for us? It was obvious to many fans that we needed to disperse those minutes in other ways. I feel we are allowed to be critical of our team and still love them...