Just now, futurecoach said:

Also I thought  I realized what coach honestly fits the best for what UK fans what. UK fans want top recruits, but yet they complain if to many one and done. UK fans want talented guys who will stay too. A guy who gets top players, but also has a good amount who stay is Bill Self. Yet UK fans probably would still complain about him too, since he only has one title. 
 

So basically there is no coach that UK fans wouldn’t complain about lol. 

I feel like a proud father reading this.

10 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

I like Mitz and think with his experience he can be good. However, I think if they let Clark play the point. That would give them their best and most explosive lineup. 

I'm fine with giving Clark a shot.  He certainly has the handles.  But I question his ability to be a floor general. 

5 minutes ago, Randy Parker said:

I'm fine with giving Clark a shot.  He certainly has the handles.  But I question his ability to be a floor general. 

Possibly, but maybe that mindset could change to be. If he is given the role to be the pg. 

For those complaining about players leaving, being 1 and done, that’s what we initially signed up for with Cal.  Come for a year help us get a banner of some sort, then go get your millions, “succeed and proceed” I believe was the slogan.

Occasionally we get a Darius Miller, Dominque Hawkins, Polson, or Willis we get to know through a TV screen for 4 years, instead of 1.

Cal was the AAU coach with the best players who ran you out of the gym, that’s peak Cal.  He once said “we’re gonna come to your hometown and beat your team”. “You will hate us.”  Now we’re like some version of Virginia, or Villanova, that’s not his game.

6 hours ago, futurecoach said:

Possibly, but maybe that mindset could change to be. If he is given the role to be the pg. 

And therein lies one of the big flaws in a one and done system.   You've got such a limited amount of time with that kids.  In someone like Clarke,  you've got a kid with exceptional athletic ability who is certainly at UK just to refine his game and audition for the NBA.  That's what Cal sold him on and that's what he'll do for him.   He's not going to play someone out of position in regards to where they'll be drafted.   You will see him work to improve an aspect of a player's game to benefit both the player and the team.   But these elite recruits don't come to Kentucky to learn a new position--especially not one that they aren't going to play in the NBA.  And changing a natural scorer with a good handle, like Clarke,  to someone to run the point and facilitate other's offense in a couple of months-- that's going to be really tough.   

There's a lot to improve on with the offense.  Surely numbers like these will get better:

So far UK is 9-47 from 3 for 19%.  Clarke and Boston are 0-19.  

As a team UK has 31 assists and 52 turnovers.  Mintz and Askew, the primary point guards have 12 assists and 16 turnovers.   

 

And this is a stat that has got to improve by leaps and bounds given Cal's offensive philosophy:  through 3 games UK has only shot 7 more free throws than their opponents.   His really good teams make more free throws than their opponents attempt.   

 

Three games is a tiny same size,  but it shows just how far this team has to go offensively.   I still like them though.  They've been very good defensively.   Defense is an effort thing.   For them to continue to play hard while struggling on offense shows me that they're buying into what Cal is trying to do.  They just have to figure out how to execute it on offense.   

8 hours ago, Randy Parker said:

I think it's a different outcome if Sarr stays out of foul trouble, but that young man fouls like a freshman.  Just stupid stuff.

Was really disappointed with him last night.  I'd have thought he'd know better than to make some of those awful fouls that he made.

Good things happen when he touches the ball in the post, whether he scores, cuts off of him (like Jackson's massive dunk early) or better looks from outside.  Sarr is the key right now.

I don't love Boston and Clarke together.  I feel like they have the same strengths and probably the same weaknesses.  

I will admit that I don't know a lot about Fletcher but I think I give Donatae Allen his minutes.  A lineup with Clark, Boston, and Fletcher doesn't do it for me.  Especially if Sarr isn't on the floor.

A few things about the game specifically.

Jackson looked great.  Love him on the boards.  Love him as a help defender.  But man, those two threes that he let Wilson get off were rough, especially when he came down and decided he needed to try and match him.  Not great, especially with 4 mins left, which I heard Cal get on him for.

Toppin, you also don't shoot threes under 4 mins.  There is a reason you were open.

 

One real positive I see with this team, I feel like they do really well at rotating over on defense.  I feel like usually early in the season the team sucks at that but they are great at it.  Dickie V tried to get on them the one time for not rotating, well it was right after Sarr picked up a foul and headed to the bench.  The player that didn't rotate was Jackson, who also didn't want to risk fouling.  Was actually a smart play by them.

That game set back basketball about 50 years. It was brutal to watch at times.

I am sorry, I know we have a lot of college basketball lover / NBA sucks crowd, but the product is night and day. That said, I still get sucked in to watching UK as I can't help myself.

The PG play is non-existent and I am not sure who fills that role. It needs to be Askew, but Mintz at least looks somewhat competent and can knock down a shot or two. Either way, there is no commanding presence on the court at this time. Hopefully Askew can take a substantial leap as the season progresses. I think this is Cal's toughest coaching ask while at UK, especially given the surrounding COVID circumstances.

Ok, so did the KU player that was "sick" not have COVID or am I missing something? Dude was experiencing all the symptoms; yet, because he tested negative he was allowed to play. Given the climate - even if he is negative - he should not have been out on the court, imo.

The four teams combined in the Champions Classic went 18 for 85 from long range, or 21%. UK was 3 of21 for 14.2%, KU was 5 of 21 for 23.8%.

I still think Mintz's foot was on the line.

48 minutes ago, bugatti said:

That game set back basketball about 50 years. It was brutal to watch at times.

I am sorry, I know we have a lot of college basketball lover / NBA sucks crowd, but the product is night and day. That said, I still get sucked in to watching UK as I can't help myself.

The PG play is non-existent and I am not sure who fills that role. It needs to be Askew, but Mintz at least looks somewhat competent and can knock down a shot or two. Either way, there is no commanding presence on the court at this time. Hopefully Askew can take a substantial leap as the season progresses. I think this is Cal's toughest coaching ask while at UK, especially given the surrounding COVID circumstances.

And I’m on the opposite side of the fence. The one-and-done/AAU mentality has diluted the quality of college basketball to the point that I’m now a college hoops sucks/NBA lover guy.

i watched The Curse of Oak Island last night, and they never find jack.