They better put their cards on the table this year and get it done, cant see many of these guys coming back next season might be the biggest exodus ever, they are nearly all starters at the vast majority of colleges.
With Big Z in the mix I give you my updated starting five for your Kentucky Wildcats
- Thread starter HerrosHeroes
- Start date
It's nice to have a team filled with eight or nine legitimate options.
Top 9 usually play for Cal. If everyone is healthy, I see this as the top 9.
1. Wagner
2. Reeves
3. Edwards
4. Mitchell
5. Bradshaw
6. Dillingham
7. Sheppard
8. Ivisic
9. Onyenso
Thiero is going to be our utility/injury replacement guy. If anyone is out, he steps in and plays anywhere on the wing (2-4 spot). Knowing our injury history over recent years, he probably plays quite a bit this season. He might even start right out of the gate considering Onyenso and Bradshaw are still recovering from offseason injuries and Ivisic might not be up to speed by the time the season starts.
Hart and Burks probably see spot duty/mop up minutes.
1. Wagner
2. Reeves
3. Edwards
4. Mitchell
5. Bradshaw
6. Dillingham
7. Sheppard
8. Ivisic
9. Onyenso
Thiero is going to be our utility/injury replacement guy. If anyone is out, he steps in and plays anywhere on the wing (2-4 spot). Knowing our injury history over recent years, he probably plays quite a bit this season. He might even start right out of the gate considering Onyenso and Bradshaw are still recovering from offseason injuries and Ivisic might not be up to speed by the time the season starts.
Hart and Burks probably see spot duty/mop up minutes.
I'd say take away 5 minutes each from Reeves and Mitchell and split it between Shep, Dilly, and Ivisic and that would be close to what we see.
Cal will tell them what he always tells them, "You gotta defend. I can't hide you." What we don't know yet is who is gonna stone up and say "I got my guy locked".
That guy(s) right now could be anywhere from 1-10 on the depth chart. But if he emerges ....... Success is that simple for this team (just like 2012). They have depth and speed. A dawg defensive attitude is all they have to find.
That guy(s) right now could be anywhere from 1-10 on the depth chart. But if he emerges ....... Success is that simple for this team (just like 2012). They have depth and speed. A dawg defensive attitude is all they have to find.
Could see that but with youth of team I imagine Mitchell and Reeves will lead team in mpg if it isn't DJ.
Do we think Reeves is the Jodie Meeks that didn’t return when we had Wall and Cousins?… that missing piece? I totally forgot he was coming back he really gives us that extra weapon that can shoot long range. I’m getting pretty excited for this season especially with Big Z officially on the roster.
It sounds like everyone in this thread agrees: there aren’t any issues with this team’s talent.
Could give a rats a$$ who starts. The question is, who loves to play DEFENSE, that's what determines, most of the time, who's going to be champions. Guarantee you Cal is sending that message to this team. This team has the talent to go places as long as they have the guts to go get after it.
Seems like starters 1-4 are basically set in stone. I could see a scenario where Theiro starts at the 4 and Mitchell starts at the 5. Regardless, the 1-3 is pretty much set, with Mitchell at the 4/5, depending on that fifth starter. JMO.
I think it’s likely that one of the 7 footers start, because Cal loves size/length.
Cal has never been a fan of small ball, so I can’t see him playing Thiero at the 4, unless the big guys aren’t ready or aren’t good enough.
But Ivisic and Bradshaw are both expected to be OAD, so unless both of them turn out to be overrated, you have to think one starts.
If healthy, I think Bradshaw is the guy.
Cal has never been a fan of small ball, so I can’t see him playing Thiero at the 4, unless the big guys aren’t ready or aren’t good enough.
But Ivisic and Bradshaw are both expected to be OAD, so unless both of them turn out to be overrated, you have to think one starts.
If healthy, I think Bradshaw is the guy.
Theiro will be an impact player this year…and I don’t mind him coming off the bench… with the thinking that he will demoralize the opponent by his fresh legs and play!!!
AlohaCat
Yeah I mean the fact remains that the best teams in College Basketball, and Cal's best teams at UK, have had elite rim protection, which is something we have SORELY missed the last 3 years.
I would wager that at least one of Bradshaw or Big Z will be on the floor at all times this year to hold down the paint, and I think they are both versatile enough that we could play them both together and not sacrifice anything.
But I don't see Mitchell manning the 5 spot for us pretty much at all.
I agree. but still a lot of football to be played,
No way I see Theiro playing less than 15MPg this year. He seems to get better every game and after this summer it looks like he has Cal’s confidence so far.
I still think we will have a good overall year for football. Georgia is that good and Stoop’s teams never show up on the road against actual great teams. They can beat good teams, but Georgia is in a tier by themselves.
We will have 5 or so of them return IMO. The actual NBA guys will go, reeves will graduate, and we will get 3-4 Freshman and then transfers to fill out the roster.
I agree with some type of platoon system. We have the players to do it and I loved seeing the other teams so worn out that they were bent over hanging by their britches at the knees huffing and puffing. That was great to see.
full court pressure the whole game would be a nice start
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I think Thiero, Ugo, Sheppard, Hart, and Burkes return, possible Dillingham depending on how he plays. I think 2 years of strength would benefit him more than anyone on the team.
I don't see it. In Canada, Thiero was our toughest player, our best rebounder, and our best defender. He has to and will see double-digit minutes.
There was a LONG post on this months ago (by me), but Cal's UK teams 9th man minutes (only counting guys who played 1/2+ of the games) are:
10.4, 1.2, 1.4, 5.0, 7.0, 10.9*, 8.6, 8.3, 0.8^, 6.9, 12.3, 10.2!, 5.7, 6.4
So only 4 of his 14 9th men averaged double digit minutes. The median was 6.95, and the mean was 6.8.
* In 2015 Lee was 10.9, but if you include Poythress who only played 8 of 39 games then 9th would be Johnson at 16.3.
^ In 2018 Brad (walkon) was 0.8, but if you include Vanderbilt who only played 14 of 37 games, then 9th would be SKJ 13.0.
! In 2021 Ware was 10.2, but if you include Clarke who only played 8 of 25 games, then 9th would be Allen at 12.4.
I just don’t see where Thiero is going to fit if everyone is healthy.
Wagner and Dillingham will get all the minutes at the 1.
Reeves and Sheppard will get most of the minutes at 2, with Wagner playing there some when he is on the floor with Dillingham.
Edwards gets most of the minutes at the 3 and Reeves probably plays the rest.
Cal will be reluctant to play a 6’6-6’7 guard at the 4 spot unless he has no other option.
We only have four guys over 6’8. Cal will play them all, most likely.
If Thiero plays double digit minutes, it’s because either we had injuries or somebody didn’t live up to the hype.
Now I could see him beating out Onyenso for the 9th man spot, since Onyenso is really behind due to injury and really hasn’t shown us much. But Cal will want to keep his bigs in the game, if possible. Cal loves size/length.
In the end, if everyone is healthy, I just don’t see Thiero playing much.
No idea, but I'm now thinking he'll be here by Wed. evening.
Any info he gets is way outside the UK circle; I talked to Bruiser at a satellite camp in June and he laughed when I mentioned Jones' name. Said "he doesn't know anything because we don't talk to him anymore". Also said "I told him at some point he'd get SOMETHING right". 😁
I look for what Tucker or Ben Robert says mainly now, sometimes pilgrim gets good news
I hope so. Because even if he is ready or not Kentucky is going to need some mins from him early
This. Assuming everyone is healthy, Z and Ugo play sparingly compared to Mitchell and Bradshaw. And you can only have two of the four on the court at once. Certainly seems to be better depth than recent years. Now just hope they can perform well enough for Cal to trust them enough to play.
It seems like Tucker hasn't had as much "intel" lately as he's had in the past- wondering what that's about.
He hasn't had hardly any scoop of his own in a while.
Z is a borderline 1st round pick.
And Cal just went through an insane amount of effort and probably used up a ton of favors to make it happen.
He is playing more than 5 MPG, it's a complete guarantee.
Yeah I’ve noticed that as well, I’m mainly looking at Ben roberts now because he usually has good stuff and is pretty accurate
Yep. And, hopefully fun to watch. I hope we get an introduction to him Wed. or Friday evening.
