UK played way too soft last night. I didn't see any fire in their eyes. You reap what you sow.

This team is so frustrating. For the first time this season I had to turn them off at halftime because they are so frustrating. Briscoe is the most frustrating of all. He reminds me of the Harrison twins where he cost this team with his selfishness and he can't hit the side of the barn most of the time it seems. When he went on a streak last night in the first half of chucking up 3 bricks in a row including missed layups, well that was it for me. In the first half they didn't go inside to Bam at all, I hear they finally did in the 2nd half but that's too late. That is what gets old with UK. Sure we get great recruits but it gets old seeing the same thing ever single year. There is no cohesiveness because of how young the team is every year. When they lose to teams that they should be beating by 20+ is ridiculous. It's coaching too. Coaching has to take some blame here, when you complain about discipline at the beginning of the year and there still isn't any discipline this late in the season then something is wrong.

 

Watching this team is like watching an All Star game, all they do is run down court and force up a shot in about 10 secs. there is no offense, there is no defense, there are only young kids trying to show the NBA they can chuck up shots at will.

 

It's time to start Hawkins in place of Brisco

 

Less than two weeks ago, everyone was praising Briscoe and saying he was the true leader of this team. Guy has a couple bad games and now we quit on him. We don't make a deep run with Hawkins over Briscoe.

 

Agree. However it might refocus Briscoe from Draft to team again.

 

Yeah, even when at his best, I just don't see him making the league.

 

Briscoe reminds me a lot of Keith Bogans. Bogans was an absolutely horrible shooter from the outside his freshman year and shot only 29% from three point land. His junior year Bogans shot only 31% from the outside. He was also only in the 60% range on free throws through his first three years at UK. Both players though were good at driving, and had strong body's to take the bumps while driving the lane. Bogans by his senior year had his best year though.

 

Briscoe is already a better rebounder and this year is shooting 37% from the three point line and 71% from the line. So he shooting improvement with his shot, and I could see his career here being along the same path as Bogans. Who by his senior year was one of the better players in the country.

Briscoe reminds me a lot of Keith Bogans. Bogans was an absolutely horrible shooter from the outside his freshman year and shot only 29% from three point land. His junior year Bogans shot only 31% from the outside. He was also only in the 60% range on free throws through his first three years at UK. Both players though were good at driving, and had strong body's to take the bumps while driving the lane. Bogans by his senior year had his best year though.

 

Briscoe is already a better rebounder and this year is shooting 37% from the three point line and 71% from the line. So he shooting improvement with his shot, and I could see his career here being along the same path as Bogans. Who by his senior year was one of the better players in the country.

 

What's less than zero? That's the chances of Briscoe sticking around like Bogans did....

What's less than zero? That's the chances of Briscoe sticking around like Bogans did....

 

The chances of Briscoe sticking around in college or the NBA? Especially after Bogans Junior year, I don't think anyone would have thought Bogans would have been able to make it in the NBA as long as he did.

The chances of Briscoe sticking around in college or the NBA? Especially after Bogans Junior year, I don't think anyone would have thought Bogans would have been able to make it in the NBA as long as he did.

 

College...

I'll win or lose with guys like Goose Givens, James Lee, Charles Hurt, Melvin Turpin, Dirk Minnifield, ... guys for whom the name on the jersey means more than just a ticket to the next level.

I'll win or lose with guys like Goose Givens, James Lee, Charles Hurt, Melvin Turpin, Dirk Minnifield, ... guys for whom the name on the jersey means more than just a ticket to the next level.

Perfectly said

MJ's post was sarcasm directed at a specific poster...

 

Sorry I didn't recognize that. MEA culpa

I'll win or lose with guys like Goose Givens, James Lee, Charles Hurt, Melvin Turpin, Dirk Minnifield, ... guys for whom the name on the jersey means more than just a ticket to the next level.

 

So the name "Kentucky" doesn't mean anything to these current players?

I'll win or lose with guys like Goose Givens, James Lee, Charles Hurt, Melvin Turpin, Dirk Minnifield, ... guys for whom the name on the jersey means more than just a ticket to the next level.

 

If you're saying "four year guys," well Tubby and Billy were losing with those guys.

 

If you're saying "Kentucky born guys," well most of the current commonwealth kids aren't good enough to play at the level Kentucky plays.

I'll win or lose with guys like Goose Givens, James Lee, Charles Hurt, Melvin Turpin, Dirk Minnifield, ... guys for whom the name on the jersey means more than just a ticket to the next level.

 

Make no mistake about it, those guys would've been all about getting to the next level as soon as they could if a) it were possible back then & b) they were good enough to.

I'll win or lose with guys like Goose Givens, James Lee, Charles Hurt, Melvin Turpin, Dirk Minnifield, ... guys for whom the name on the jersey means more than just a ticket to the next level.

 

Guy's it's simple they came out not ready to play the game before a big game. You see that happen even with experience teams.

 

The whole this team never played hard last night or didn't care is wrong too. The whole second half they were getting on each other. The one play when Tennessee had a player down and we had a 5 on 4. Monk went off on Briscoe for backing the ball back out because it allowed the ref to stop the play.

 

These guys want to win, they just haven't learned the effort needed for every single game out.

Less than two weeks ago, everyone was praising Briscoe and saying he was the true leader of this team. Guy has a couple bad games and now we quit on him. We don't make a deep run with Hawkins over Briscoe.

Briscoe had one game where he scored 40. Remember last year his excuse was he just didn't feel comfortable in the role he was playing in and why he wasn't scoring as much as he thought he should be etc. Well he's had another year under his belt and he still is as un-consistent as can be. That's why I said he reminds me of the Harrison twins, they were painful to watch at times especially when they got into the pass no one else theball mode and I see Briscoe doing that also. I think he is more concerned with putting up numbers for the NBA scouts than he is in the team winning. Hawkins at least we know what we will get, a player who will play hard no matter what and won't try and force his own agenda.

Briscoe is the best defender on the team and the best rebounder.

 

He's had two bad games and we all of a sudden want to act like he's awful? I'd even argue last night he wasn't nearly as bad as everyone is acting. 11 pts, 14 rbs, 5 assists, and 2 TOs....I'll take that every single night.

 

I'd argue outside of Fox, he's the most consistent all-around guy on the team.

I'll win or lose with guys like Goose Givens, James Lee, Charles Hurt, Melvin Turpin, Dirk Minnifield, ... guys for whom the name on the jersey means more than just a ticket to the next level.

You and me both. The one and done has gotten really old and I wish the NBA would do something to either allow kids to go straight to the league after high school or make them sit 3 years like football. It's the same old thing every single year. We all get excited about the recruiting class and then we get frustrated because they play like they did in HS where they were the only one on their team that was good and could do anything they wanted. They don't know how to work together at all and the fundamentals go out the window because they didn't have to do any of that in HS. They are more concerned with their draft status than the team and that has always been my knock on Cal, he is more concerned about getting his kids to the NBA as fast as he can than he is about winning for UK. I also get a little tired of everyone saying it's ok because we make deep runs in the tournament, the problem is we should have more titles than just 1 with the recruiting classes we keep getting. That was always my knock on Dean Smith and Coach K in the 90's and 2000's because they would get top recruiting classes year in and year out and in Dean Smith's example only 2 titles in 30+ years. Cal has been here 7 and has had top class or top 2 class at least 4 -5 times yet only 1 title. This is UK and it may sound arrogant but we can get recruits here, quit thinking we have to push them out the door after 1 season every single year. If they don't want to come here and play for a couple years then I say good luck but we want to build something greater than a flash in the pan. We want consistency. Give me Goose, Walker, Macy etc. That is what was so great about the unforgetables, no names who would never make the NBA but loved playing for Kentucky and made one of the greatest runs with no names than any team in history. Give me Pelphrey and Woods and co.