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Why Wouldn't Sheppard Start?

Avenue for him to start depending on how Cal manages the small lineup.

If he were to go 3G and slide Edwards to 4 until bigs are back/ready, he could start.

I like that idea tbh. Will be tough vs Kansas. We really need Bradshaw back. If we don't have him by Kansas that game is going to be incredibly challenging unless we just run them to death. They have 500lbs between Dickinson and Adams to contend with. Without a true big the game plan will have to be to run them out of gas.
 
People spend wayyyyyy too much time worrying about starters. Reed might start if we go fast line up if we go fast line up he just won't but will play stater minutes.Our starters will be DJ/Reeves/Edwards/Mitchell/Bradshaw if we go classic line up ( this is by xmas when everyone is back ) . If we go fast it will be DJ/Reeves/Edwards/Thiero/Mitchell or Bradshaw.

But to start at KU where Bradshaw won't be playing yet he just might start as I could see it being DJ/Reeves/Shep/Edwards/Mitchell . He won't start Big Z with so little practice time at that point.
 
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I think it makes more sense to have the firepower of Dilly and Reed off the bench. All these guards are gonna play a lot. The obsession with who starts is silly.
Agree ... too much talent to sit these guards. All will play meaningful minutes IMO, as they should. Hoping the season will bring some needed joy to BBN. It sure looks promising ... more so now than in recent years.
 
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Hensley unless the other team goes really big, I wouldn’t be opposed to crunch time lineup of Wagner, dillingham, Sheppard, reeves, Edwards, Mitchell or Bradshaw when healthy at all, maybe theiro because of his hustle
 
I think the 1-4 positions are set with Wagner, Reeves, Edwards and Mitchell. I believe Ugonna is the surprise player on this team and becomes the starting center.
There is not another team in the country with the bench that Kentucky has.
 
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I think it makes more sense to have the firepower of Dilly and Reed off the bench. All these guards are gonna play a lot. The obsession with who starts is silly.
Shit, it's kind of silly til he falls in love with another sahvir Wheelers or forgets who on the bench, or don't want to take nobody heart. I agree that it is silly but I do worry about Cal sticking with some guy who may not b producing and yet everyone in the country notices a guy should be getting minutes over that guy struggling but not bringing him in.
 
Avenue for him to start depending on how Cal manages the small lineup.

If he were to go 3G and slide Edwards to 4 until bigs are back/ready, he could start.

I like that idea tbh. Will be tough vs Kansas. We really need Bradshaw back. If we don't have him by Kansas that game is going to be incredibly challenging unless we just run them to death. They have 500lbs between Dickinson and Adams to contend with. Without a true big the game plan will have to be to run them out of gas.

Part of me just wants this lineup anyway. Bring the bigs on slow and don’t be as dependent on them needing to be productive as we’ve been in the past.
 
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One of the most valuable commodities in a basketball game is time, and Sheppard directs the offense faster than anyone else on the team. I think he's the best PG on the team.
Reed is more of a SG. Can he play point? Sure, but every 2 guard in the country “can” play it but it’s obvious it’s not where he is the best fit. Wagner is without question the best PG on the team.
 
I think the 1-4 positions are set with Wagner, Reeves, Edwards and Mitchell. I believe Ugonna is the surprise player on this team and becomes the starting center.
There is not another team in the country with the bench that Kentucky has.
And not another team in America whose coach hasn't seen his players on the bench.
 
Shit, it's kind of silly til he falls in love with another sahvir Wheelers or forgets who on the bench, or don't want to take nobody heart. I agree that it is silly but I do worry about Cal sticking with some guy who may not b producing and yet everyone in the country notices a guy should be getting minutes over that guy struggling but not bringing him in.
One of those things is going to happen because he's not focused on the things needed to win championships. He's got his own goals.
 
As I watch the Rockets get drubbed by nearly 30 on opening night, due to basically a collection of athlete-first players, severely lacking true basketball ability and IQ.. (something we're familiar with regarding Cal's recent teams)

.. you need at least ONE basketball player on the court at all times. We're probably OK with Reeves.. but it wouldn't hurt to run Dilly at the point with Shep and Reeves on either side of him, for what would be an absolutely lethal combo, IMO.
 
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Personally until we have a center that you feel comfortable starting, I would run the following lineup:
1-Rob
2-DJ
3-Reeves
4-Edwards
5-Mitchell

That would allow Reed to be the first man off the bench for anyone at the 1-3 spots that has to come out and play big minutes.
 
Who is better? Dude looks confident and has tremendous hustle. Honestly who is it?
Consider this; he comes off the bench, opponents think this white guy can’t play but he comes in as a sub, passes, scores, rebounds, defends and he demoralizes other team.
 
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The players will play their way into or out of the line up. Our best five if everyone is healthy is Bradshaw, Edwards, Sheppard, Dillingham and Wagner. Thiero probably first off the bench. The rest determined in practice and how they perform when called on. I've never thought Z would get more than 5 minutes or so per game if everyone is available. Cal will with the known until he learns more. Right now the known is Reeves and Mitchell. And if they are still main rotation players come February then we just aren't as good as expected.
 
Is shep better than DJ? No
Is shep better than Reeves? No
Is shep better than Edwards? No
Is shep going to play the 4? No
Is shep going to play the 5? No

Shep will be the 6th-7th man. I for one love the idea of his spark coming off the bench.
As a team player who sees the floor well and anticipates the next pass and who is a very decent shooter, he’s better than them all. He has the “it” factor in all aspects of the game.
 
Our best lineup with the available players now imo is

1. Rob
2. DJ
3. Reeves
4. Edwards
5. Mitchell

Rob and DJ are interchangeable, but I'd prefer DJ catching the ball in motion and going downhill hard. Rob has a quicker first step.

This is a good small ball lineup.
 
The players will play their way into or out of the line up. Our best five if everyone is healthy is Bradshaw, Edwards, Sheppard, Dillingham and Wagner. Thiero probably first off the bench. The rest determined in practice and how they perform when called on. I've never thought Z would get more than 5 minutes or so per game if everyone is available. Cal will with the known until he learns more. Right now the known is Reeves and Mitchell. And if they are still main rotation players come February then we just aren't as good as expected.
You really think Reeves isn’t in the Top 6 and Theiro will come off the bench before him ?
 
People have to pump the brakes on Reed. Much like Dillingham, he’s going to have some good games, but we don’t know what he’s going to do against anyone with a pulse.

I want all these guys to kill it, but history says that not all of our freshmen are going to be world beaters.
 
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