Why we won, why we almost lost

[WallMashKyBall]

We won because we hit big shots, Brea with his 3s, Butler and Carr with clutch under five minute threes and we hit our free throws. Took advantage of shooting on home court rims.

Why we almost lost was giving up offensive rebounds and the Refs. Who sucked. They gave Florida the Duke 10 point advantage with their calls.

 

[know1]

Our defense and somewhat rebounding was why we almost lost. But we didn't.

 

[KYFOSSIL]

Our defense and somewhat rebounding was why we almost lost. But we didn't.

You cant derend when they call all those shootong fouls

 

[know1]

You cant derend when they call all those shootong fouls

We're UK. Stop with the excuses.

 

[uk78]

Most of the crowd booing about the foul calls were wrong. It was fairly easy to see we were fouling on television. However, there were two that clearly were bad calls that went against us in the second half. Most of the fouls were because we couldn't rebound any where as well as Florida could. Not sure how Pope can fix it as it was why we lost at Clemson.

 

[UKSanders]

We're UK. Stop with the excuses.

It doesn’t matter who you are if the refs call a foul nearly every time the offensive player drives to the goal whether there is a foul or not.

It puts the defense in a bind of both foul trouble and being timid for fear of having another foul called.

Were there times the Cats could have been more dialed in? Sure, especially on defensive rebounding.

However, that AND poor officiating can be additive to explain subpar defense.

 

[KYFOSSIL]

We're UK. Stop with the excuses.

Bite me! Facts arnt excuses. Almost every foul on uk players were shootings and that make a player tentative with defense.

 

[kennyskywalker34]

Florida was number 2 in the nation at offensive rebounding. Might be 1 after today.
I expect Kentucky will more than hold their own on the boards against most teams going forward.
Florida is a legit final 4 threat IMO

 

[wildcat_nation28]

Most of the crowd booing about the foul calls were wrong. It was fairly easy to see we were fouling on television. However, there were two that clearly were bad calls that went against us in the second half. Most of the fouls were because we couldn't rebound any where as well as Florida could. Not sure how Pope can fix it as it was why we lost at Clemson.

the Butler 3pt foul was clearly not

 

[Dead Cat Bounce]

Credit to Alijah Martin for playing like Kobe for a five-minute stretch in the second half. His game definitely belongs under the why we almost lost category.

 

[Bleedin Blue in Ohio]

Why the Cats won -

They hit shots - 14 3's I believe 7 by Brea. Butler and Carr hitting 2 huge 3's down the stretch,
Only 6 turnovers against a physical fast Florida team.
When Martin was going off Pope switched Oweh to guard him at a critical juncture and caused a shot clock violation a d a turnover just before the under 8 time out and during that adjustment the lead stretched back out to 8 after being cut to 2.

Why the Cats could have lost (but didn't)

The 2 guards for Florida are a real handful. They will be a problem for every team they play.
Florida scoring 31 2nd chance points. Florida seemed to get huge offensive rebounds at big moments.

 

[rick64]

Gators 55% FGA, +6 offensive rebounds, +11 FTA, Clayton/Martin 59 points combined.

 

[carbonlib23]

good game...you guys are looking good...

 

[bucsrule8872]

UF’s guards are outstanding, and their bigs are good enough.

Big win against a quality opponent.

We have to win all our games at home and steal 3-4 on the road to have a shot at the SEC title.

12-13 wins might win the SEC this season.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

We're UK. Stop with the excuses.

Dude! That officiating was absolutely horrendous and totally one sided. We weren’t allowed to play defense.

 

[CrazyCat74]

I don't want to defend the refs because (well because most are questionable), but we have a lot of players on the defensive side with slow feet and hands that get into position to defend usually late.

Play defense with your feet and get your hands up otherwise you tend to play catch up when you need to defend your man with the ball.

One of the first things young old school basketball players were taught.

 

[kats23]

Instead of the Basketball Bennies we have a group of the Basketball But-ies.

After every win it’s “well we won but….”

Just shut up and enjoy the games

 

[Seth_C]

I’ll say what no one wants to say for fear of being labeled a Homer. If the fouls were called evenly, if what was a foul on one end was a foul on the other, the game would never have been close. That’s reality. It would have been a blowout in our favor.

 

[The_Answer1313]

while the rebounding was terrible, another alarming thing was the fact we let them shoot 81% from 2.

This on the heels of letting OSU shoot around 71% from 2.

Interior defense needs to be wayyyyy better.

 

[Soupbean]

We won because we hit big shots, Brea with his 3s, Butler and Carr with clutch under five minute threes and we hit our free throws. Took advantage of shooting on home court rims.

Why we almost lost was giving up offensive rebounds and the Refs. Who sucked. They gave Florida the Duke 10 point advantage with their calls.

Second chance points seems to be a weakness of ours. Our bigs box out most of the time but are not quick releasing to the ball, they get stuck on their man. We're good when our guards help rebound especiall Oweh and Butler, then we can transition off their grab and go.

 

[UKBrassowTipIN]

Not always going to shoot that well. Gotta get better on the glass...you don't give those 2nd chance opportunities you provide yourself some cushion.

Also, Brea getting a lot of notice for insane shooting. But Oweh took over on that 16 point run, and butler took over at times too...guy is just a winner

 

[The_Answer1313]

I know I was screaming at the TV every ball that went to UF on the boards but we have to be honest here.

They rebounded 41% of their misses on the season. They rebounded 41% of their misses this game.

We aren't always going to play against a team like this and we were actually a pretty good defensive rebounding team coming into this one.

To me the more alarming number is the high % shots UF got. You can't allow a team to shoot 81% from 2 and think you have any business winning that game.

 

[MrHotDice]

We won cause we are UK at RUPP. Under Pope it has become important again instead of your NBA contract.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Some of you might want to consider that Florida is really good.

 

[wildcat_nation28]

Some of you might want to consider that Florida is really good.

idk but I think with 3 guards they have and offensive rebound ability could be an elite 8 team

 

[cathouse]

We just beat an undefeated Top 6 team.
This wasn't Evansville........

 

[WallMashKyBall]

I hadn't realized they shot 81% from twos. If this game was at neutral or Flordia home court, no way we win. We won because we out shot them from three which I think home court was advantage there.

 

[catzcan]

Bad officiating makes players more tenitive which leads to more fouls and missed rebounds The SEC should be sued for the poor quality of referees they impose on these players.

 

[cathouse]

I hadn't realized they shot 81% from twos. If this game was at neutral or Flordia home court, no way we win. We won because we out shot them from three which I think home court was advantage there.

That 81% is skewed because of all the shooting fouls called on us.
Practically every shot Florida missed inside resulted in us getting a foul called against us, which those misses don't count against your shooting percentages.

 

[The_Answer1313]

That 81% is skewed because of all the shooting fouls called on us.
Practically every shot Florida missed inside resulted in us getting a foul called against us, which those misses don't count against your shooting percentages.

I don't think it was skewed that much.

Plus two games ago, OSU shot 69% from 2.

Those numbers are very alarming. Going back to 1997, they are two of the worst performances ever by a UK team.

 

[The_Answer1313]

We can be honest here.
The numbers currently are bearing out to be similar to last year

An elite level offense with a bad defense.

Can still have a great year tho but we do have to figure something out on that end of the ball.

 

[cathouse]

I don't think it was skewed that much.

Plus two games ago, OSU shot 69% from 2.

Those numbers are very alarming. Going back to 1997, they are two of the worst performances ever by a UK team.

We fouled 20 times and UF shot 35 FT for the game.

You do the math.

I'm not saying our post defense isn't bad, because it is. But when you get to shoot FT on practically every missed FG attempt, it DOES skew the numbers.

 

[The_Answer1313]

We fouled 20 times and UF shot 35 FT for the game.

You do the math.

I'm not saying our post defense isn't bad, because it is. But when you get to shoot FT on practically every missed FG attempt, it DOES skew the numbers.

Some of them were bad calls.

But getting to the line and not fouling on defense are also skill based.

Plus on the twos they were making they were absolutely carving us up to death.

 

[cathouse]

We can be honest here.
The numbers currently are bearing out to be similar to last year

An elite level offense with a bad defense.

Can still have a great year tho but we do have to figure something out on that end of the ball.

Playing more zone is about the only option CMP has. We are much better defensively playing zone, but can't rebound a lick playing M2M and Zone would be worse, but Williams, Jaxson, Brea, Perry and Carr aren't going to suddenly become quicker, faster, better defensive players.

CMP is just hoping to outscore teams at this point. Today, it worked, because we were hitting shots. When we shoot good we win. When we shoot bad, we lose against the better teams.

It is what it is with 22 year old dudes.

 

[chevyman 50]

Ky played great and would have won by 20 or more if not all the bad calls by Refs, and I have complain about Refs before but today was the worse I have ever seen in any game.

 

[cathouse]

Some of them were bad calls.

But getting to the line and not fouling on defense are also skill based.

Plus on the twos they were making they were absolutely carving us up to death.

And we still beat them.

But, that is a different argument. I'm just saying when you shoot FT on 16 of your misses, your FG percentage looks much better than it really was if not for all the foul calls.

 

[The_Answer1313]

Playing more zone is about the only option CMP has. We are much better defensively playing zone, but can't rebound a lick playing M2M and Zone would be worse, but Williams, Jason, Brea, Perry and Carr aren't going to suddenly become quicker, faster, better defensive players.

CMP is just hoping to outscore teams at this point. Today, it worked, because we were hitting shots. When we shoot good we win. When we shoot bas, we lose against the better teams.

It is what it is with 22 year old dudes.

I would like to see how we do rebounding vs other SEC teams.

Because coming into this game, we weren't bad defensive rebounding.

I want to believe this was just a byproduct of UF being so good on the offensive boards vs us being so poor. But I guess the next 17 games or so would bear that out or not.

 

[cathouse]

I would like to see how we do rebounding vs other SEC teams.

Because coming into this game, we weren't bad defensive rebounding.

I want to believe this was just a byproduct of UF being so good on the offensive boards vs us being so poor. But I guess the next 17 games or so would bear that out or not.

We could get better rebounding really quick if we would learn how to block out the man we are defending.

That is Middle School stuff. We have some players who are not interested in blocking out.

THAT has to change if we are to have any luck rebounding in the SEC. And, it is a simple fix. Blocking out and rebounding with 2 hands. Williams can't lift his right arm for some reason.

 

[yes_takeaside]

The one kid for Florida made a number of tough twos.

 

[Rideordiewildcat]

We won because we hit big shots, Brea with his 3s, Butler and Carr with clutch under five minute threes and we hit our free throws. Took advantage of shooting on home court rims.

Why we almost lost was giving up offensive rebounds and the Refs. Who sucked. They gave Florida the Duke 10 point advantage with their calls.

We have the worse home calls of any team I've ever seen. Literally get a worse whistle than the road team regularly.