Will Cal Keep Playing 10 Guys?

[CincyUKFan]

With every game from here on out being significant, do you think Cal will continue playing this many guys? Also, do you think it makes sense to do that?

Two of last year’s final four teams played 7 guys and the other two played 8.

Looking at recent box scores of this year, I see UCONN and Marquette each playing 7 guys against each other, and Tennessee and South Carolina doing the same.

Thoughts?

 

[Thats An Awful Idea]

If depth is a strength, why wouldn't you utilize it? Do Uconn, Marquette, South Carolina and Tennessee have the quality 1 - 10 that we have?

 

[JonathanW]

We will unless a few more guys separate themselves from others. Right now the only ones thst must play are the 3 R’s, Theiro, and maybe Wagner.
Edwards is showing some signs. X has too. Bradshaw has played well past 2 games. Mitchell may be healthy first time since 2023 and just needs to quickly knock some rust off. And being deep is a good thing in SEC-T when you could play 3-4 days straight.
So we should, and hopefully will stay with 10 in the first half, and then in 2nd half go with best 7-8 THAT NIGHT (which may change game to game).

 

[CincyUKFan]

We will unless a few more guys separate themselves from others. Right now the only ones thst must play are the 3 R’s, Theiro, and maybe Wagner.
Edwards is showing some signs. X has too. Bradshaw has played well past 2 games. Mitchell may be healthy first time since 2023 and just needs to quickly knock some rust off. And being deep is a good thing in SEC-T when you could play 3-4 days straight.
So we should, and hopefully will stay with 10 in the first half, and then in 2nd half go with best 7-8 THAT NIGHT (which may change game to game).

I think you’re right about guys not separating themselves, especially the bigs. I do believe at this point that Mitchell has separated himself in a negative way and doesn’t need to see the court in close games. But this late in the season - for the other three bigs - maybe it’s time for Cal to just go with big Z. I mean if this guy actually makes one or two of those three-point shots, then nobody is thinking about Ugo or Bradshaw.

There were three games tonight in which ranked teams played one another, and across all six of those games only seven players for each team played meaningful minutes. I just have to think there’s something to that.

And even in the NBA there are many nights in which the Celtics- the best team in the league - only play 8 guys (and they play far more games than we do).

 

[Big Foot 275]

With every game from here on out being significant, do you think Cal will continue playing this many guys? Also, do you think it makes sense to do that?

Two of last year’s final four teams played 7 guys and the other two played 8.

Looking at recent box scores of this year, I see UCONN and Marquette each playing 7 guys against each other, and Tennessee and South Carolina doing the same.

Thoughts?

Cal said in the post game he was not going to shorten the rotation.

 

[BBBLazing]

The best thing about this team is depth that can pick someone up that isn't playing well. So, the bigs will play based upon who is playing well and the guards will play based upon who is making shots. Our offense probably needs all 10, but there will be times when we only need 6 or 7.

 

[mebeblue2]

of course he will
why would he limit our team by killing our depth

 

[MegaBlue05]

It would be smart to use our depth in the conference tournament, especially if we lose at UT, fall to the 5 seed and have to play on Thursday.

I would consider shortening to 8 for the NCAAs, but we've played 10 all year so I would imagine it won't change.

If it were me: Dilly/Reed/Reeves/DJ will rotate at guard with at least two, preferably three, on the floor at all times, Edwards/Theiro rotate at the 4, 5 by committee taking into condieration matchup and hot hand, Mitchell odd man out to play spot minutes in case of foul trouble or the need to go small.

 

[ukwazoo]

Using 10 is fine. But we need them to play defense.

 

[247CATS]

When is depth considered a bad thing?

 

[Greatestalltime]

When is depth considered a bad thing?

When people get ideals in their head that sound right without weighing factors like others have mentioned—this team has more talent 1-10 than all other teams in NCAA.

 

[AGEE11]

You don't make that drastic of a change this late in the year.

We've moved Wagner to a 2, Edwards to a 4 and both are paying dividends. We've got the right people playing the most minutes and are seeing more of the Reed/Rob/Reeves lineup.

 

[KA4Prez]

No. 8-9, barring foul trouble.

One of Mitchell, Onyenso or Bradshaw will see limited action in every game. They might get 3-7 minutes, but it won't really be "rotation" minutes.

Foul trouble changes this, however.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Yes, to an extent.

Main rotation is showing itself.

4 guards
Edwards, Thiero, Mitchell

The bigs are the question. At least one of them need to step up consistently. That is the issue. Seems to be a different one every game. So if someone doesn't step up I am sure he will run all three out there to try it.

 

[Ugoff]

We're going to need every one of them if we don't get the bye next week.

 

[KA4Prez]

Yes, to an extent.

Main rotation is showing itself.

4 guards
Edwards, Thiero, Mitchell

The bigs are the question. At least one of them need to step up consistently. That is the issue. Seems to be a different one every game. So if someone doesn't step up I am sure he will run all three out there to try it.

Big Z is ahead of the other bigs.

I would agree that Onyenso and Bradshaw won't combine for over 15 minutes.

 

[Rockfly78]

With every game from here on out being significant, do you think Cal will continue playing this many guys? Also, do you think it makes sense to do that?

Two of last year’s final four teams played 7 guys and the other two played 8.

Looking at recent box scores of this year, I see UCONN and Marquette each playing 7 guys against each other, and Tennessee and South Carolina doing the same.

Thoughts?

FIFY

“Can Cal just stop playing DJ please?”

 

[JonathanW]

FIFY

“Can Cal just stop playing DJ please?”

He played well again last night.

 

[Rockfly78]

He played well again last night.

Absolutely. He and Edwards playing well could be a gamechanger in March.

 

[MegaBlue05]

He played well again last night.

Not according to OP who hates Cal so much he irrationally hates DJ by extension.

 

[Seth_C]

More importantly, will he play any of our best statistical lineups more than 30 seconds? Our best playmakers are almost never in the game together.

 

[Thats An Awful Idea]

More importantly, will he play any of our best statistical lineups more than 30 seconds? Our best playmakers are almost never in the game together.

Probably because we have no consistency from any lineup we use. If we didn't change lineups to continually find the hot hands, we would be far worse off.

 

[UK90]

Typically he shortens the rotation when we get near tourney time. As do most coaches.

But this year may be different simply because this roster is different. Except for the 2015 team, I don’t think he’s had any that were this deep in talent. There ain’t that much difference between our 8th through 10th men and dudes who are starting for this team. That’s an unusual situation.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Not according to OP who hates Cal so much he irrationally hates DJ by extension.

Lol I know, it's really something.

DJ drops 19 points otherwise we might lose to a bad Arkansas team....crickets from the OP.

He's made like 9 of his last 13 3FG attempts...crickets.

Scored in double figures in 3 straight games? Crickets.

Has only had more than 2 TOs in a game a total of like 3 times all season...OP likes to say Wagner is a turnover machine.

It's complete, irrational, blind hate at this point for no reason.

 

[JonathanW]

More importantly, will he play any of our best statistical lineups more than 30 seconds? Our best playmakers are almost never in the game together.

Uh...they have played quite a bit together the past few games. You can't play them together most of the game together, because they each need rest, and only 1 guard to put in for the 3 R's.

 

[JonathanW]

Typically he shortens the rotation when we get near tourney time. As do most coaches.

But this year may be different simply because this roster is different. Except for the 2015 team, I don’t think he’s had any that were this deep in talent. There ain’t that much difference between our 8th through 10th men and dudes who are starting for this team. That’s an unusual situation.

Typically it's clear A is better than B, and C is better than D.
This year, one game Onyenso is the best C, the next game it's Z, the game after that it's Z again, and the next one it's Bradshaw.
Same for Theiro, Edwards & Mitchell.
Would it be nice to know which 3-4 of those 6 will be better in any given game and just play them? Of course it would. But none have separated themselves. Will Theiro probably has.

 

[UK90]

Typically it's clear A is better than B, and C is better than D.
This year, one game Onyenso is the best C, the next game it's Z, the game after that it's Z again, and the next one it's Bradshaw.
Same for Theiro, Edwards & Mitchell.
Would it be nice to know which 3-4 of those 6 will be better in any given game and just play them? Of course it would. But none have separated themselves. Will Theiro probably has.

Yep, there just ain’t much difference between our first five and second five this year. Indeed, this is the first UK team ever where I might bet on the bench to beat the starters if they played each other.

It’s a most unusual roster situation, which makes shortening the rotation … as we normally do at tourney time …a more confusing task.

 

[permdaddy]

We have to play musical chairs with the bigs to see who has it that day. Unless that changes I don't see how you can shorten the rotation. The other 6 are locked in playing well. If one big would separate we could have a 7/8 man rotation. Nothing we have seen so far indicates any of them separating though it's a guessing game every night.

 

[ganner918]

We need to run 6 guys at the 1-4. Reed, Rob, DJ, Reeves, Edwards, Thiero. Limit Mitchell at the 4. May have to play multiple guys rotating at the 5 to see who's having a good day. Z looks most promising but he's not gonna be a 30 min every night guy most likely, and there are games he gets pushed around or fouls too much.

 

[UK90]

The other 6 are locked in playing well.

Isn’t it more like seven? I’d say Thiero has earned his way in as well.

It’s usually best to shorten your rotation in March. But that’s tough to do with his team. We’ve got seven guys who’ve earned their way in, and we still can’t figure out who’s the best from our three centers …which leaves 10 players that still can’t easily be cut out.

Tough decisions may need to be made.

 

[JonathanW]

Isn’t it more like seven? I’d say Thiero has earned his way in as well.

It’s usually best to shorten your rotation in March. But that’s tough to do with his team. We’ve got seven guys who’ve earned their way in, and we still can’t figure out who’s the best from our three centers …which leaves 10 players that still can’t easily be cut out.

Tough decisions may need to be made.

I would say it is only best to shorten your rotation IF there is a clear difference, meaning the same 6-7-8 play the best each game. But thst is NOT the case with this group.

 

[mebeblue2]

With every game from here on out being significant, do you think Cal will continue playing this many guys? Also, do you think it makes sense to do that?

Two of last year’s final four teams played 7 guys and the other two played 8.

Looking at recent box scores of this year, I see UCONN and Marquette each playing 7 guys against each other, and Tennessee and South Carolina doing the same.

Thoughts?

what happens when you only have 7 quality guys and one gets hurt or foul trouble
every coach in the country would love to have our depth of quality players

 

[CRZ4UK]

He played 10 all year with the greatest collegiate team ever assembled. We lost in the final four. He should pick his poison and go with them. He won’t. We lose in the round of 16 most likely. The platoon system was the dumbest thing Cal ever did. He should have run teams to death. He used two different half court teams. Ugh.

 

[FilsonCat]

He's going to need to keep rotating the bigs. I foresee lots of cheap fouls on our post players in the SEC and NCAA tournaments. We are gonna need a lot of depth just to put lineups on the floor. Refs are going to disrupt the flow of our games and not let us get up and down the floor.

 

[BigKari]

If Tre still isn’t 100% he needs to be playing spot minutes only. Ugo is matchup dependent, but I’d never rely on him. That puts us at 8 with two more options available who have played big minutes. Fine with Wagner starting but he needs to be in there with 2 shooters, so either Rob or Reed need to start. Probably Reed since Rob tends to pick up cheap fouls. Seems like Edwards has been most effective at the 4 so he needs to be starting there. Start Ivisic. Antonio Reeves fully understood it when he was asked if the Tennessee game is basically like a postseason game now. I don’t think he said yes specifically, but he was pretty adamant how important it’s gonna be to not have to play Thursday. It’s time to turn the wrench on this rotation.

Wagner - 25
Sheppard - 35
Reeves - 32
Edwards - 20
Ivisic - 25

Dillingham - 27
Thiero - 20
Bradshaw - 10
Onyenso - 3
Mitchell - 3

 

[permdaddy]

Isn’t it more like seven? I’d say Thiero has earned his way in as well.

It’s usually best to shorten your rotation in March. But that’s tough to do with his team. We’ve got seven guys who’ve earned their way in, and we still can’t figure out who’s the best from our three centers …which leaves 10 players that still can’t easily be cut out.

Tough decisions may need to be made.

I was counting Adou. Z, Ugo, Bradshaw and Mitchell are the 4 that I don't think are locked in for any amount of minutes given the way they have played.

 

[UK90]

I was counting Adou. Z, Ugo, Bradshaw and Mitchell are the 4 that I don't think are locked in for any amount of minutes given the way they have played.

OK, I was assuming you were including Mitchell.

I know Mitchell has looked shaky lately, but he’s had a locked in starting spot whenever healthy and at 31.5 mpg is still leading the team in minutes per game …so I just can’t see Cal cutting him out of the rotation.