Evansville 67 Kentucky 64

[John Anthony]

I believe Cal purposefully undercoaches his team in November and December to make them figure it out ... but still. That’s gotta be his most embarrassing loss at Kentucky.

 

- Pat Forde

[futurecoach]

I completely agree with you, but if I had to put money down, I'd say they make it to the second weekend and that might be it. I just don't know if they are going to shoot well enough from the outside and don't see that improving a ton. Their offense will get better and hopefully their inside game as well, but I just don't think they'll improve much from deep. There defense could win them a lot of games though.

 

I am going to spell his name wrong probably. However, I honestly would like to see Juzang get more minutes. He is a good shooter too.

 

I think once they develop some type of identity and flow with their offense, the shooting will be better. Right now it looks more like one on one stuff and not much ball movement or trying to get the ball to the open guy. Maxey, Quickley, Juzang, Sestina are all guys who will prove to shoot it well imo. The problem is Maxey is probably the only one who can create his own shot off the dribble and shoot it well. The other guys can shoot imo, but are more catch and shoot guys. Which would mean they will need better ball movement, and making that extra pass.

[futurecoach]

44 post and no Cal out coached, I would have lost money on that bet.

 

Which in this case would have been fine. Cal himself even said he was out coached in this one.

[John Anthony]

Which in this case would have been fine. Cal himself even said he was out coached in this one.

 

He’s admitted it a few times in recent years.

[MJAlltheWay24]

I am going to spell his name wrong probably. However, I honestly would like to see Juzang get more minutes. He is a good shooter too.

 

I thought the same thing last night. Guessing he is quite a step back defensively from our other guards and you know how that sits with Cal.

[MJAlltheWay24]

He’s admitted it a few times in recent years.

 

There are times when he is definitely outcoached and there are also times when he says that he's outcoached to try and protect some of the heat from his players.

[John Anthony]

There are times when he is definitely outcoached and there are also times when he says that he's outcoached to try and protect some of the heat from his players.

 

Great point, I’m 5+ years in on saying he’s superstar dependent (Wiseman), if he doesn’t have that guy or guys, he’s earning that 9 mill trying to teach.

[futurecoach]

Great point, I’m 5+ years in on saying he’s superstar dependent (Wiseman), if he doesn’t have that guy or guys, he’s earning that 9 mill trying to teach.

 

Which you have 5 years ignored the responses to that. He has already proven with 2 final four teams that really weren't superstar heavy. The 2011 and 2014 teams didn't have the type of stars you like to say they must have for him to win. The guys on those teams, are similar to the same type of guys he has gotten these last few years. The only difference is they have fell literally one shot short in two elite eights in 2017 and 2019. When in 2011, and 2014 they were the team that made those shots. Brandon Knight against OSU, Liggins against UNC. Then Harrison for 3 straight games to make the finals. So your argument has really been shot down plenty of times on him being super star dependent.

[16thBBall Fan]

Which you have 5 years ignored the responses to that. He has already proven with 2 final four teams that really weren't superstar heavy. The 2011 and 2014 teams didn't have the type of stars you like to say they must have for him to win. The guys on those teams, are similar to the same type of guys he has gotten these last few years. The only difference is they have fell literally one shot short in two elite eights in 2017 and 2019. When in 2011, and 2014 they were the team that made those shots. Brandon Knight against OSU, Liggins against UNC. Then Harrison for 3 straight games to make the finals. So your argument has really been shot down plenty of times on him being super star dependent.

 

I agree, Cal is a great recruiter, great Coach and really gives back to the community in Lexington among other things, he was born to coach at UK. Cal’s fatal flaw in the past years has been his defensively philosophy of AUTOMATICALLY switching ball screens and having our 4/5’s guard the other teams 1/2/3’s on the perimeter and leaving our 1/2/3’s having to try and box out the other teams 4/5’s and giving up key off rebs, if you think I’m off my rocker go back and watch films, especially in the tournament. We won it all in 2012 because we had 4 people that could basically guard any spot on the floor on his switching, (Davis, Jones, KG and Miller) and still could rebound the ball which is why I’ve said ever since that year he’ll never win another title unless he 1) has 4 players like those 4 again OR 2) changes his defensive philosophy defending ballscreens. Yes, even the 2015 team, NO way that team should’ve lost to Wisconsin, again, go back and watch the film and see how many times that hurt us, especially in key situations, more than anything else that’s why we lost. We would not have beaten MSU last week if he hadn’t changed and had them helping, scrambling and recovering, which obviously is a lot harder to teach and harder to get the players to do every game, which is the main reason we got beat last night, they’re kids and they were really full of theirselves, the effort needed to guard and rebound wasn’t there, it had nothing to do with Cal’s coaching.

[The Professor]

I saw where Jeff Goodman has dropped Kentucky to #15 in his personal poll.

Not that his poll means that much but I suppose they will drop quite a bit in the coaches/media polls.

[mcpapa]

I saw where Jeff Goodman has dropped Kentucky to #15 in his personal poll.

Not that his poll means that much but I suppose they will drop quite a bit in the coaches/media polls.

I look for somewhere around 8.

[The Double Deuce]

I saw where Jeff Goodman has dropped Kentucky to #15 in his personal poll.

Not that his poll means that much but I suppose they will drop quite a bit in the coaches/media polls.

 

I like Jeff, but he is the journalistic representation of the coaches he covers. What I mean by that is this: coaches lie 100% of the time they have a press conference, it is understood and expected, and done to support whatever narrative they are trying to put forth to the fan base. Jeff is the same, he is far more about making a point, being outrageous, or trying to be compelling -- rarely what he actually believes. Him knee-jerking and dropping UK to #15 is so on-brand for him it is nauseating. "Come at me BBN, you guys hate me anyway..."

[16thBBall Fan]

I like Jeff, but he is the journalistic representation of the coaches he covers. What I mean by that is this: coaches lie 100% of the time they have a press conference, it is understood and expected, and done to support whatever narrative they are trying to put forth to the fan base. Jeff is the same, he is far more about making a point, being outrageous, or trying to be compelling -- rarely what he actually believes. Him knee-jerking and dropping UK to #15 is so on-brand for him it is nauseating. "Come at me BBN, you guys hate me anyway..."

 

You’re right on about him!

[John Anthony]

Which you have 5 years ignored the responses to that. He has already proven with 2 final four teams that really weren't superstar heavy. The 2011 and 2014 teams didn't have the type of stars you like to say they must have for him to win. The guys on those teams, are similar to the same type of guys he has gotten these last few years. The only difference is they have fell literally one shot short in two elite eights in 2017 and 2019. When in 2011, and 2014 they were the team that made those shots. Brandon Knight against OSU, Liggins against UNC. Then Harrison for 3 straight games to make the finals. So your argument has really been shot down plenty of times on him being super star dependent.

 

1 title with the best player in school history, sorry my man, the proof is in the pudding. That will be his legacy, along with 45 other first rounders who couldn’t win one.

[futurecoach]

1 title with the best player in school history, sorry my man, the proof is in the pudding. That will be his legacy, along with 45 other first rounders who couldn’t win one.

 

Your right the proof is in the pudding. He has made two more final fours without the superstars you said. He also has made the finals without a superstar as you say in 2014. Then last second shots away from 2 more final fours without superstars. Doing this in one of the hardest tournaments in all of sports to win, since it is a one and out tournament. In both 2011 and 2014 they beat teams with more talent than them to get to the final four and finals. So you are right the proof is in the pudding. He hasn't needed superstars to win. In fact his 2011 and 2014 teams without the true superstars as you said, actually did better or equal to teams that did have the stars like 2010 and 2015. So yeah basically kills your argument.