LSU 65 Kentucky 60

[16thBBall Fan]

Final what a strange last 30 seconds. A tough loss the Cats played hard especially with Wheeler out and Washington struggling with leg cramps the last 12 minutes.

[GOREDDEVILS]

Kentucky Played a good game without Oscar most of the 1st half and TyTy down with cramps and Sahvir out. I think Kentucky is the better team when the whole team is available.

[MJAlltheWay24]

Man that was an annoying finish.

[futurecoach]

The injuries sucked, but I definitely was not a fan of the lineup Cal used the majority of time after Washington went out. Basically played with 3 big guys for the last 12 minutes, and it’s not a big surprise that the offense did basically nothing after that. 
 

I know Cal obviously doesn’t believe in Allen, but this would have been the game to use him. Which I think he shown last year that he can help the team when given a lot of minutes. Which I think this game could have been the game to use him, especially in the second half once Washington went out. So if Cal didn’t use Allen today in the second half, then that’s pretty much the answer for the rest of the year if he will play or not. 

[sportsfan41]

11 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

The injuries sucked, but I definitely was not a fan of the lineup Cal used the majority of time after Washington went out. Basically played with 3 big guys for the last 12 minutes, and it’s not a big surprise that the offense did basically nothing after that. 
 

I know Cal obviously doesn’t believe in Allen, but this would have been the game to use him. Which I think he shown last year that he can help the team when given a lot of minutes. Which I think this game could have been the game to use him, especially in the second half once Washington went out. So if Cal didn’t use Allen today in the second half, then that’s pretty much the answer for the rest of the year if he will play or not. 

Allen got minutes and didn't really do anything with the minutes he got.  

[futurecoach]

21 minutes ago, sportsfan41 said:

Allen got minutes and didn't really do anything with the minutes he got.  

In the first half he got maybe 4 minutes? Shooters need to be able to get in the flow and rhythm of the game. It’s not a coincidence that his best games last year came when he was actually in the game for awhile, and even able to make a mistake. 
 

I’m not one of those ones who goes man Allen needs to be playing all the time. So far this year there hasn’t been much reason to play him. The only thing I have said this year is I think he should get minutes over Hopkins. However, I do believe this game was the perfect game to play him after Washington went down too. I think he at least brings more to the team, especially offensively, than the lineup Cal used the majority of the last 12 minutes we he basically played 3 big guys the whole time and scored only 2 points in a 10 minute stretch with those guys in. 

[Hatz]

32 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

In the first half he got maybe 4 minutes? Shooters need to be able to get in the flow and rhythm of the game. It’s not a coincidence that his best games last year came when he was actually in the game for awhile, and even able to make a mistake. 
 

I’m not one of those ones who goes man Allen needs to be playing all the time. So far this year there hasn’t been much reason to play him. The only thing I have said this year is I think he should get minutes over Hopkins. However, I do believe this game was the perfect game to play him after Washington went down too. I think he at least brings more to the team, especially offensively, than the lineup Cal used the majority of the last 12 minutes we he basically played 3 big guys the whole time and scored only 2 points in a 10 minute stretch with those guys in. 

 

Allen got 9 minutes. No shots taken. 

Hopkins got 2 minutes. 

Ware 13. He got rebounds and a couple of points. 

 

Is Allen the difference maker?  

[futurecoach]

11 minutes ago, Hatz said:

 

Allen got 9 minutes. No shots taken. 

Hopkins got 2 minutes. 

Ware 13. He got rebounds and a couple of points. 

 

Is Allen the difference maker?  

Most of his minutes came in first half, when Washington was still in. 2 of those minutes came in the second half. Allen showed last year when he got to play a good amount of minutes he can get in a rhythm, do you disagree? Tonight after Washington went out. We had three bigs in together the majority of the time and scored 2 points over 10 minutes. So let’s not act like he possibly couldn’t have helped or done better than having 3 bigs during that stretch. 
 

Once again I know people are sensitive anytime they hear the name Allen. I’m not one of those guys always crying saying he needs to play. I have agreed with him not playing much this year, cause I mean who are you going to play him over? The only one I would have played him over in the games he didn’t get in at all would be Hopkins. However, tonight with the injuries I do think especially in the second half when Washington went down. He would have helped the team more than playing 3 bigs for together, and that lineup of 3 bigs being out scored 20 to 2 during that 10 minute stretch supports that. 

[Voice of Reason]

So close to pulling off a great come from behind win in the last two minutes. If Oscar doesn't throw that ball away with 20 seconds to go after getting the steal, the Cats would have had the ball down 1 with a chance to come from 6 down in the last minute and a half. 

[nikeman49]

No timeout Cal strikes again, how many times and losses will it take to prove to him how a timeout and a little coaching could help the outcome. Probably never.

[futurecoach]

1 hour ago, nikeman49 said:

No timeout Cal strikes again, how many times and losses will it take to prove to him how a timeout and a little coaching could help the outcome. Probably never.

While I agree it would be nice to see him take a timeout sometimes to settle them down. Let’s not act like his strategy of not calling a timeout hasn’t won us many big games. Did you have a problem with him not calling a timeout when they in 2011 beat number one overall seed OSU on a game winning shot by Knight? What about in 2014 when Harrison hit game winning shots against Louisville, and Wisconsin without taking a timeout. What about in 2019 when Herro hit a game winning shot without taking a timeout. His strategy of not taking a timeout has won games when they have mattered most in the tournament. Both strategies have been shown to work and to fail at times. Shoot Pitino in 92 out of a timeout made a horrible decision not to guard the inbounder. Both strategies have been shown to work and fail. 

[LongTimeReader]

Tough loss, but a very gutsy performance by UK. Playing without their starting PG and then their backup PG is out for roughly half of the second half of the game, they found a way to keep it close with a chance to win. This game comes down more to what UK didn't do. They were up by 9 then go 11 minutes with only scoring 2 points, that can't happen on the road and expect to win. Grady was hot to open the second half but then kind of disappeared the last 10 minutes, which is probably directly connected to Mintz running point instead of Wheeler or Washington. Losing to a top 25 team isn't a bad loss, especially in early January but man I hate that it was a loss to Will Wade, what a dork! I mean who zips their 1/4 pullover all the way up? That's what annoys me about the loss, it's that it was to a Will Wade coached team. 

UK will be ok, they fought and had an opportunity to win at the end. Onto Georgia. 

[MJAlltheWay24]

3 hours ago, nikeman49 said:

No timeout Cal strikes again

He was asked about this after the game and he said he was screaming for a timeout but the officials didn't hear/look over at him to grant it.

Hopefully that doesn't hurt your narrative.

[MJAlltheWay24]

Free throws hurt them last night.  Even despite the injuries, they shoot those a bit better, they probably win.

Lance Ware at the free throw line....woof.

[bugatti]

3 hours ago, nikeman49 said:

No timeout Cal strikes again, how many times and losses will it take to prove to him how a timeout and a little coaching could help the outcome. Probably never.

 

2 hours ago, futurecoach said:

While I agree it would be nice to see him take a timeout sometimes to settle them down. Let’s not act like his strategy of not calling a timeout hasn’t won us many big games. Did you have a problem with him not calling a timeout when they in 2011 beat number one overall seed OSU on a game winning shot by Knight? What about in 2014 when Harrison hit game winning shots against Louisville, and Wisconsin without taking a timeout. What about in 2019 when Herro hit a game winning shot without taking a timeout. His strategy of not taking a timeout has won games when they have mattered most in the tournament. Both strategies have been shown to work and to fail at times. Shoot Pitino in 92 out of a timeout made a horrible decision not to guard the inbounder. Both strategies have been shown to work and fail. 

Well, he was trying to call timeout so it is kind of a moot point. But that said, LSU was in the midst of an all time collapse, sans any timeout calls, and UK had the ball. I would not have allowed them to regain their composure in that situation.