Worst Case Scenario: Skal = Harrow

[sound defect]

Big difference, Skal is a good kid trying to learn how to play against players his size or bigger. Harrow was a head case, a trouble maker, a locker room divider, that caused trouble behind the scene that derailed that team. And, he had already showed he was talented enough to play big time college basketball in his third year.

Trouble maker? Head case? Locker room divider? Where'd you get all of your inside information from? Please let everyone know how you have all of this intimate knowledge of the inner workings of UK basketball.

 

[UK90]

I meant offensively. Skal is a very gifted shooter. Quit asking him to beat and bang inside. Let him be fluid offensively, like Tayshaun.

And what's that do for the lack of rebounding and defense? Because that's a far bigger issue with this team than his shooting.

The whole "don't ask him to bang inside" malarkey ignores the fact that inside is where we NEED him. A 7-footer that can't play inside loses most of his value in being a 7 footer. We don't need another guy floating around the perimeter clanging low percentage outside shots, we've already got enough of those. Instead, what this team needs is a guy who can defend the post, crash the boards, protect the rim, and give us an inside scoring threat. The charmin soft interior defense has been a huge glaring weakness with this team (seriously, when you make Thomas Welsh and Marshall Plumlee look like All Americans...), and it's likely to be the achilles heel that kills us in March if our 7 footer doesn't toughen up soon.

In short, your suggestion that Cal "quit asking him to bang inside" is akin to asking him not to do what his team needs from him.

 

[true blue1]

Skal's body language on the bench during the ASU game stood out to me more than his poor play. Slumped in his chair, head hung. He looked like he is wilting, not struggling, which naturally reminded me of Ryan Harrow.

The general feeling after the ASU game for Skal was "Well, it can't get much worse. Nowhere to go but up." I disagree. He hasn't played real basketball for two years, but if he isn't resilient, he will struggle to survive here, let alone thrive.

Thoughts?

That said, even if were we to be without Skal, I still like this team's chances in March. We will always be a tough out because of our guard play. The shooting will come around; just a matter of time.

 

[pikespeak1]

We can't make him a physical presence, in my opinion. Just not in his DNA. So why not let him be Tayshaun?

Is this some kind of joke? You want a 7' center to be Tayshaun Prince? And not teach him to be but just let him be. What makes you think he has Prince's skill set? Holy moly what bad take.

 

[pikespeak1]

I'd like to hear your take. Why are you confident there is no possibility that Skal will not end up melting down like Harrow?

Harrow melted down because he thought his dad was dying! There is absolutely zero evidence that Skal will turn out like Harrow. That take makes you look like an idiot. It would be like me saying Skal will turn out like Bruce Jenner. Zero evidence of either.

 

[GOING FOR #9]

Holy crap people . Just stop. Kid will be a top 3 pick and be averaging 15 and 7 here every game in a month or so . Patience . Geez . He is just down on himself right now and understandably so.

This is the problem with skal. He knows it and knows he doesn't have to do much to stay top 3. He sat out last year and sometimes that elite player puts it on cruise until the big payday. Cal has to find a way to motivate a guy who is basically locked into the number 2 pick

 

[EvilMD]

And what's that do for the lack of rebounding and defense? Because that's a far bigger issue with this team than his shooting.

The whole "don't ask him to bang inside" malarkey ignores the fact that inside is where we NEED him. A 7-footer that can't play inside loses most of his value in being a 7 footer. We don't need another guy floating around the perimeter clanging low percentage outside shots, we've already got enough of those. Instead, what this team needs is a guy who can defend the post, crash the boards, protect the rim, and give us an inside scoring threat. The charmin soft interior defense has been a huge glaring weakness with this team (seriously, when you make Thomas Welsh and Marshall Plumlee look like All Americans...), and it's likely to be the achilles heel that kills us in March if our 7 footer doesn't toughen up soon.

In short, your suggestion that Cal "quit asking him to bang inside" is akin to asking him not to do what his team needs from him.

You're trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Like asking Tim Couch to run the option. Put Skal in a place where he can be successful for a while to get his confidence back. Getting bumped out of the play by Plumlee and Welsh and everyone else we're playing (wait until Simmons gets ahold of him) is destroying his confidence.

 

[EvilMD]

Is this some kind of joke? You want a 7' center to be Tayshaun Prince? And not teach him to be but just let him be. What makes you think he has Prince's skill set? Holy moly what bad take.

Your mom.

 

[Jkwo]

One bozo made a comment about Towns "slow walk" before the season started last year. He got properly crushed for it. Towns didn't get off to a blazing start last year, but it was clear how good Towns was going to be from the beginning. I don't think you can say the same for Skal.

No way, dude. There was a thread or two on the front page at all times for the first two months of the season wondering aloud how Karl could ever be a top pick and saying that the scouts whiffed on him.

 

[STL_Cat]

No way, dude. There was a thread or two on the front page at all times for the first two months of the season wondering aloud how Karl could ever be a top pick and saying that the scouts whiffed on him.

I don't remember that, at all. I'll take your word for it.

I sure as hell don't remember thinking that about Towns personally. However, I am thinking it about Skal.

 

[Jkwo]

I don't remember that, at all. I'll take your word for it.

I sure as hell don't remember thinking that about Towns personally. However, I am thinking it about Skal.

I'm with you on the second part. My worry about Towns was like a 2/10, while my worry about Skal is about a 4/10 (still not very worried considering how Cal usually has them going by March).

But yeah, people were hammering him pretty hard. Just a loud minority of posters with an incredibly low threshold for things not meeting their expectations immediately.

 

[pikespeak1]

Head case, yes. Derailed the team, yes. Trouble maker (bad kid stuff)? Locker room divider? I wasn't aware of that. I remember him being a good kid who folded when the pressure got on him.

Both of you are wrong.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

I'd like to hear your take. Why are you confident there is no possibility that Skal will not end up melting down like Harrow?

I don't think there is zero possibility but I think it's a very very small chance. Just look at how many times it has happened with Cal's player while he has been here. There is just the 1 player. So logic tells me that there is a extremely small chance. Plus, Harrow had other issues and was a PG that had to run the team.

 

[pikespeak1]

Didn't address the question, but I think adding Harrow's name caused confusion. Let me rephrase:
Why are you confident there is no possibility that Skal will not end up melting down?

You are making bad assumptions. Why do you assume any player won't melt down. There is zero evidence to suggest Skal will melt down.

 

[pikespeak1]

Your mom.

This is literally the best post that you have ever made. A post that for most people would be immature and moronic, is your GOAT. Think about that for a minute.

 

[UK90]

You're trying to force a square peg into a round hole. Like asking Tim Couch to run the option..

Bad analogy. This difference is Tim Couch was obviously not physically built to run the option, didn't have the wheels for it, didn't have the body for it. There was no way to teach Couch to become a good option runner because he simply wasn't born with the raw material for it.

But there's NO real physical barrier that prevents Skal from being able to play inside. For cripes sake, he's an athletic long-armed seven-footer with quick leaping ability and excellent eye hand coordination. Absolutely no reason a guy with that body shouldn't be able to rebound, no reason he shouldn't be able to block shots, no reason he shouldn't be able to defend the post.

Yeah, perhaps improving his inside game might take a lot of hard work, coaching, and a change of mindset, but it should be doable. To instead say "ehhh ..forget about trying make him play inside" , as you seem to be suggesting, is shortchanging both the kid and UK basketball.

 

[Teachable Moe]

But there's NO apparent physical barrier that prevents Skal from being able to play inside. For cripes sake, he's an athletic long-armed seven-footer with quick leaping ability. Absolutely no reason a guy with that body shouldn't be able to rebound, no reason he shouldn't be able to block shots, no reason he shouldn't be able to defend the post.

Well, of course there's a reason. 2 of them. He's built like a reed and he hasn't played much basketball. If people** didn't have the goal of shipping him off to the pros after his freshman year, there'd be no brouhaha at all.

**"People" being parties who would profit from his pro career, BBN, Calipari, and probably Skal himself. If you imagine him on a career trajectory like that of Marcus Lee then you could just enjoy watching his skills and strength develop at a "normal" pace.

 

[EvilMD]

Yeah, perhaps improving his inside game might take a lot of hard work, coaching, and a change of mindset, but it should be doable. To instead say "ehhh ..forget about trying make him play inside" , as you seem to be suggesting, is shortchanging both the kid and UK basketball.

I'm just talking about getting his confidence back. Let him score and feel like he's contributing to the team again and THEN try to working him back into that inside role. Right now the Couch analogy IS correct because that's what you're doing. You're forcing a kid into a role where he's giving you zero points, zero rebounds, and five fouls. The box score doesn't lie in this case. You'll sing a different tune if he does the same thing against U of L and we get beat.

 

[EvilMD]

This is literally the best post that you have ever made. A post that for most people would be immature and moronic, is your GOAT. Think about that for a minute.

Man, you got me with that one. You literally got me with that one. What a douche.

 

[21Goose]

Didn't address the question, but I think adding Harrow's name caused confusion. Let me rephrase:
Why are you confident there is no possibility that Skal will not end up melting down?

I'm confident because since Cal has been here there have been very few meltdowns. We have had great kids. Cal for the most part kept Cousins in line and he has been known to go off from time to time. Skal is struggling. Nobody is more aware of this than him. I'm sure he is frustrated. I felt bad for him after he fouled out. He look confused and crushed. I'd say most on this board would have looked and felt the same way.

Maybe I've misunderstood you but it seems like you are confident that he will meltdown. Why are you confident that Skal will meltdown?

 

[EvilMD]

Maybe Cal is already ahead of us on this. Remember him saying we will slide Wynyrd in there? Maybe Cal plans on limiting Skal's minutes at the 5 for a while until he gets more confidence.

 

[pikespeak1]

Man, you got me with that one. You literally got me with that one. What a douche.

At the very least you are becoming self aware. It's a start. Congrats.

 

[pikespeak1]

Maybe Cal is already ahead of us on this. Remember him saying we will slide Wynyrd in there? Maybe Cal plans on limiting Skal's minutes at the 5 for a while until he gets more confidence.

Since this would be the worst possible strategy, I doubt Cal will try it.

 

[CharlieT71059]

I think
Cal will get him pulled together. I certainly hope so

 

[UK90]

Maybe Cal is already ahead of us on this. Remember him saying we will slide Wynyrd in there? Maybe Cal plans on limiting Skal's minutes at the 5 for a while until he gets more confidence.

I honestly don't even know what this post means, but if you're suggesting that Wynyard is gonna jump into the starting 5 spot immediately upon joining this team at mid-season months behind everyone else ...well then you're just plain nuts.

 

[EvilMD]

I honestly don't even know what this post means, but if you're suggesting that Wynyard is gonna jump into the starting 5 spot immediately upon joining this team at mid-season months behind everyone else ...well then you're just plain nuts.

Cal said it. Why are you and Pikespeak such assholes? Skal had zero points, zero rebounds and five fouls against Arizona State. And yet you act like it's blasphemous to suggest changing things up for him to get his mind back where it needs to be. Clearly he is overwhelmed right now.

 

[screwduke]

This is literally the best post that you have ever made. A post that for most people would be immature and moronic, is your GOAT. Think about that for a minute.