Rock.Chalk.Jayhawk!
UK fan here. I’m getting a bit worried about this year’s team. I’m not expecting a juggernaut like last year (That’ll be the 2013 team!), but even though it’s early yet, this team has some real limitations.
Kyle Wiltjer was expected to lead the team in scoring, but it’s become clear that even against subpar teams, he cannot create his own shot, and Calipari doesn’t seem interested in running him off screens to get open. So, he only gets open looks when a defender helps off of him, which they generally won’t do because he’s an elite shooter, or in transition.
The lack of a point guard is glaring, I dearly hope Ryan Harrow comes back to the team and plays at a serviceable level.
Archie Goodwin is a prototypical slashing two-guard, but has been woeful running point.
Nerlens Noel is a skilled shotblocker, but struggles to hold his ground defending in the post, and his free throw issues will be a serious problem in any close game.
Alex Poythress has an NBA body, and shows flashes of dominance, but seems content to be a contributer, rather than a focal point. Again, a real point guard would help.
Willie Cauley-Stein is a useful bench guy, but the way they use him on offense baffles me. Julius Mays is decent.
The rebounding has been weirdly difficult for this team, and they are having a hard time defending the screen, and early in games they don’t get back in transition defense. It’s the weakest team Calipari’s had at Kentucky, but he is a brilliant coach, maybe he can get them to the Elite 8. There aren’t a lot of good teams this year, maybe they can make a real run at it.
In 2013, we’re dominating again.
After watching the beating that IU put on North Carolina last night, I’m not sure whether UNC is nowhere near as good as thought, or IU really is, but either way, I like it. This IU team has more weapons than a Tea Party rally.
This isn’t too far off the mark, but it’s still so early to predict player development with so many freshman on the roster. If they continue to have these kinds of woes in two months, then I would worry. These guys have to grow up fast in today’s game.
Notre Dame 64, Kentucky 50.
Well, that sucked. Kentucky was pretty soundly thrashed, at one point trailing by 20. On the bright side, Noel’s post defense, and the defensive rebounding, was improved. Kyle Wiltjer showed a newfound commitment to taking the ball inside and using his size as well as his shooting touch.
On the down side, the offense is terrible. Notre Dame switched to zone in the first half, and UK’s offense went from “bad” to “nonexistent.” They BADLY need a point guard, Ryan Harrow returned, but was wildly ineffective. Playing Noel and Cauley-Stein together is also ineffective. Notre Dame played 4 guards and a center, poor Cauley-Stein got stuck defending guards out on the wing who can blow by him with ease.
And they play Baylor on Saturday. Cal’s home win streak could be in jeopardy.
Clearly, I undersold this. UK was dominated again, 64-55, this time at home, ending a best-in-the-nation streak of 55 home wins. On the plus side, Nerlens Noel is developing well, he got numerous shots at the rim out of post-ups. He missed the shots, for the most part, but the hard part is the post-move. He’ll figure out the actual scoring.
Kyle Wiltjer continues to disappoint, 1 for 9 from 3 with his usual weak defense.
Quoting myself for effect 
Gonzaga has lost one game to very good guards in Illinois. Beat K State, OK State and is entering WCC play with a game against Butler on the schedule. Looking Good
This year’s UK team isn’t doing the little things, like boxing out for rebounds. And they don’t defend well either.
Woo-hoo! Screw you, Duke!
Time to remind the rest of the country the proper way to celebrate is to turn over police cars and light shit on fire!
I was at the Colorado-ASU game tonight and an ASU player elbowed the Colorado center in the face, knocking him to the ground and knocking him out cold. The Colorado player was whistled for a foul, then carried off the court, never to return.
I have always made it a point to never criticize the officials in sports, but I make an exception for Bob Davidson in baseball, and after this season, all of the PAC-12 basketball refs. They are awful.
I was still on campus during the 2010 riot. I’m glad I resisted the urge to venture down Rt 1…I just don’t like getting beat up by cops or their horses. Duck Fuke!
Still trying to recover from a deep mental funk caused by Nerlens Noel’s season-ending ACL tear. He was far and away the best player on the team, was developing into a solid two-way player, and always came off as a class act. I hope he makes a full recovery and either returns for another year at UK or gets drafted in the top 5.
Huge Maryland win against Duke.
I was lucky enough to see 4 of their 6 games (first round and FF) in the tourney when they won the NC.
Quick story. In Atlanta I was talking to some Indiana fans and was surprised that they despised Duke so much since IU is not in the ACC and they seemed like the nicest guys. “No”, one said, “I think everybody in the country despises Duke”.
Bo Ryan and the Wisconsin Badgers are setting us up for another patented “they can beat anyone, but will lose in a disappointing fashion to a mid-major in the Sweet 16” run.
Knocking on wood, but they are very likely to finish in the top 4 in the league for the 12th consecutive year. The previous best run like that in B1G history was 10 years for Illinois from 46-47 to 55-56. Not even Bobby Knight could sustain a run like that.
Yeah, they are playing really. really well right now. I fear they may be peaking too early. But they will make their 15th straight appearance in the NCAA tournament, tying them for longest current streak, behind Kansas, Duke and Michigan State (tied with Gonzaga. Texas also currently sits at 14 but likely won’t make it in this year). If you look earlier in the thread I kind of called it. They should maybe do better than I predicted, maybe a third round exit as you said.
I was very down on the team through the end of November, beginning of December…so I tip my hat to your early season confidence upthread! I remember the first half against UWGB when they were playing badly after looking awful against Marquette the previous game that they’d be lucky to make the CBI. But the brutal efficiency of the Ryan offense came through right on schedule as usual. Every year it seems at least one college basketball writer always seems to write an “apology” this time of the season about previously discounting the Badgers.
Gonzaga, the #1 team in all the land
Go Bulldogs!!!
Rock
chalk
jay
hawk
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk
uuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
1 - Otto Porter Jr. is much better than Victor Oladipo.
2 - UVa beats Duke, then pisses away a game against BC. Such is college basketball.
3 a - Duke may not charge the court at Cameron very often but they definitely charged the court in the championship over Butler.
b - You can buy posters from allposter.com of stills of Duke charging Cameron.
4 - Weird how Blake Griffin gets injured and comes back for a sophomore season because he was worried about his draft stock (and other reasons) and Noel is still more or less the favorite to go #1 overall.
On behalf of Gophers fans, you’re welcome 