I'm just not as impressed with Poythress' so called "potential" as everyone else is. Maybe I'm missing something. He has no motor, can't dribble therefore is average attacking the basket, and is not great on defense. Everyone says he is a top 10 draft pick.

There must have been a disturbance in the space-time continuum; Bobby Knight actually had some positive things to say about UK.

Harrow is the key to UK this year, and I am afraid that is like building your house on the sand close to the ocean. When things are going well, he is good and when adversity hits, you can't find him unless he is squirming around on the floor.

He is the only player UK has that has good basketball skills and some quickness/athletic ability.

Thanks for pointing that out Dan. If I was the coach of a Top 5 team, I would not want to play UK come March.

At this point......sign me up to play them......maybe not later....but I am not seeing said progress.

At this point......sign me up to play them......maybe not later....but I am not seeing said progress.

 

It comes and goes. They were very competitive with two of the best teams in the country away from home. At this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see a first round exit or see them pull a huge upset.

I'm not seeing the correlation between this squad & the Brandon Knight team. Knight's team had much more in terms of basketball skill, whereas this team has a lot of tremendous athletes. That team, when a big scoring drought like last night hit, had three pretty good options where the guy could get points on his own (Knight, Miller, Jones...Lamb, even, to a lesser extent). There isn't anyone on this team who can do that. The closest guy seems to be Goodwin.

 

The season certainly isn't lost, but they have not "turned the corner" as I thought maybe they had done during the UL game.

Wiltjer couldn't guard a statue. Slowest player to ever wear a Kentucky uniform.

 

He really needs a red shirt year next year. It will do wonders for him physically.

I'm just not as impressed with Poythress' so called "potential" as everyone else is. Maybe I'm missing something. He has no motor, can't dribble therefore is average attacking the basket, and is not great on defense. Everyone says he is a top 10 draft pick.

 

I've said it more than a few times. I don't see it either. If he's a top 10 pick, the team that drafts him will be watching him in the D league for a long time. I'm tired of people telling me he's a good player with a lack of motor or killer instinct, because it's simply not true. Very very limited basketball fundamentals and skills, soft, without the motor is a recipe for disaster..and that's what we're looking at.

He really needs a red shirt year next year. It will do wonders for him physically.

 

It's not going to make him quicker though, so what would it really help?

His effort is his problem on defense. I know he is slow but I'm tired of watching him not even leave the floor to try and block a shot on a smaller guy. Just let them have a layup he finally fouled a guy late in the game on a shot.

I'm not seeing the correlation between this squad & the Brandon Knight team. Knight's team had much more in terms of basketball skill, whereas this team has a lot of tremendous athletes. That team, when a big scoring drought like last night hit, had three pretty good options where the guy could get points on his own (Knight, Miller, Jones...Lamb, even, to a lesser extent). There isn't anyone on this team who can do that. The closest guy seems to be Goodwin.

 

The season certainly isn't lost, but they have not "turned the corner" as I thought maybe they had done during the UL game.

 

I guess I have that 2011 team all wrong in my memory.

 

I don't recall having hardly any confidence in them until the NCAA run they made. The "go to" guys you assert from then I don't recall Darius Miller as being all that until that run. Just up and down as was his career till 2012.

 

I also remember losses at Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss (where no one could take a good last second shot or wanted to), Florida, Vandy, Arkansas. What I recall was a team that did not win a "clutch" game until March.

His effort is his problem on defense. I know he is slow but I'm tired of watching him not even leave the floor to try and block a shot on a smaller guy. Just let them have a layup he finally fouled a guy late in the game on a shot.

 

No, he is slow and his footwork is terrible. He is giving effort, he is just that slow.

I was hoping for a more consistent effort from the Cats in this game based on how they have been playing recently. I just don't see the intensity or the fight not to lose. As Vandy was making its run, it seemed like no one on UK gave a darn that the game was slipping away. I'd also like to see WCS and NN somehow get more involved in the set offense. They are tall and physically gifted. They should be doing more IMO. Maybe if Cal could install a zone, Wiltjer's defense problems could be hidden. I'm not ready to give up on him. He is their best 3-point shooter. He made one or two important buckets last night, although he gave up a lot. Let's face it---what is he---6-10? He shouldn't be guarding people on the perimeter. UK's other players need to be prepared to give help. Hopefully, KW can develop into a Pittsnogle-type of player.

It's not going to make him quicker though, so what would it really help?

 

You'd be surprised. The kid hasn't come close to maturing physically. He will never be above average in the quickness department, but if it can get him to just below and much less of a defensive liability, then it will only help. Having him on the floor as a senior and being able to hold his own defensively will be huge. Also, being stronger will help his rebounding and guarding in the post.

I guess I have that 2011 team all wrong in my memory.

 

I don't recall having hardly any confidence in them until the NCAA run they made. The "go to" guys you assert from then I don't recall Darius Miller as being all that until that run. Just up and down as was his career till 2012.

 

I also remember losses at Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss (where no one could take a good last second shot or wanted to), Florida, Vandy, Arkansas. What I recall was a team that did not win a "clutch" game until March.

 

I didn't say they won everything, nor am I speaking solely of end-of-game opportunities (though they were much better in that regard too). I said they had guys that you could give them the ball or set a play for them & they stood a much better chance at getting something done than this team...especially in instances where a basket is needed to stop the bleeding.

 

That was the year Cal did some post isolation for Miller, which I believe began in the UL game. In that same game, when UL would make a run, somebody (generally Knight) would score to stop the run. They also developed that little hand off from the big man to a guard that they still utilize some today. That move worked, in part, because Brandon Knight could score.