12 minutes ago, gchs_uk9 said:

The favorite player of every Kentuckian over fifty years old is Kyle Macy, who transferred from Purdue. Portal’s been rejuvenating for decades!

The greatest UK team off all-time (IMO), the '96 team, had a pair of transfers in Derek Anderson and Mark Pope.

15 minutes ago, gchs_uk9 said:

The favorite player of every Kentuckian over fifty years old is Kyle Macy, who transferred from Purdue. Portal’s been rejuvenating for decades!

...this

2 hours ago, John Anthony said:

The whole “role the ball out” thing.  I hope you’re right, it’s been since what 2015 since the last final 4?  It’s time for Cal to take/lead us back. 

 

3 hours ago, John Anthony said:

We won 9 games last year, settle down lol.  Clearly, he struck gold with Oscar and Grady in the portal.

The outcomes with this team are just all over the place.  I think UK is a top 5 team.  I also think they could lose in the 2nd round or go to the title game.  

Let’s not do this again and act like Cal hasn’t put teams together that weren’t capable of winning it all since 2015. The 2017 probably wins it all if it beats UNC (the team that did win it all) in the elite 8, yet was one last second shot away. The 2019 team was literally one shot a way too from the final four. Then Covid took away the chance of the 2020 team from making the final four, when they were a legit contender that year too. Quite honestly 2018 and last year probably were the two years where the teams never felt like a team that could win it all, especially last year obviously. 
 

Which what you said about possibly being a top team or losing in the 2nd round is very true. However, that could be said about every team in the country. The NCAA tournament is so hard to win, especially in a one and done tournament. Shoot one of the most dominant teams in the last 10 years in the 2019 Duke team. Which had 3 players drafted in the top 5, barely survived on last second plays in the second round and sweet 16, before eventually losing in the elite 8. Virginia a one seed lost to a 16 seed, then next year wins it’s all. Anything can happen. 
 

Its just truly hard in a one and done tournament to make those runs. That’s just what makes the runs we had from 96 to 98 and from 2011 to 2015 so special. Those types of runs are not suppose to happen. Yet those types of runs completely spoil our fan base in the process thinking it is easy and should happen more times than not. 

It's been a few hours and I'm still pumped about this win. 

 

Let's go Bungles!!!!

Kentucky finished January finished #3 in KenPom.

Awesome win and definitely raises hopes for a title. Here is what gets me most excited about how UK played and this win - it is the end of January. This is usually when Cal's teams are starting to put it all together and showing potential. The way they played yesterday is how Cal teams look in March. This team is a month and a half ahead of schedule.

I will chalk up the last few games and evolution of this team to the power of the transfer. Cal is not teaching from scratch. Wheeler, Oscar, Grady ... they know what is necessary in college basketball, they understand the vision of what they need to win it all and they have game experiences that put them way ahead of the typical Cal team. Most importantly, they are leaders on the floor. You have to have players who can lead the team to win a title. The coach can only do so much no matter how good. The number one role of the coach is find your team leaders and help them set the example and be the true leaders of the team.

This is going to be a fun run from here on out.

Here are two things from yesterday that really impressed me. 

1. Cal has clearly been pushing this team to play up tempo all year. I don't remember him pushing the ball up the floor like this - not like this. Even after made baskets they approach it like a fast break opportunity. It is like Cal went to the Roy Williams coaching camp this summer. Cal's UK teams have never been truly good half court offense teams IMO. Cal's half court offense is good when he has the stud player who can dribble drive and not be stopped individually. Going uptempo like they are creates more offensive opportunities before a defense is set.

2. Last night's half court offense was the best I have ever seen from a UK team in Cal's tenure. There was motion; playing fast in half court; aggressive, attack the basket mentality. If they play half court offense like that, look out. 

I will add, Cal's teams always play great defense. It truly is what makes Cal's teams so good. But last night their defense was in top form also. I have grown to expect that from Cal's teams, but last night took it up to a higher level. The switches were great. Rotation was fantastic. Everything was highly contested and no open looks anywhere on the court for Kansas.

That game last night was as good as I have ever seen a UK team play under Cal.

One more note about last night's win. UK was that dominant on the road at Kansas and won that easily with Ty Ty going 1-9 from the floor and scoring 2 points. Chew on that one for a minute.

8 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

One more note about last night's win. UK was that dominant on the road at Kansas and won that easily with Ty Ty going 1-9 from the floor and scoring 2 points. Chew on that one for a minute.

Yeah, I thought about that last night too. Got virtually nothing from on of our best players, probably playing through his injury. 

Who knows how this all play out but you gotta like this team's potential. If healthy.

24 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

Yeah, I thought about that last night too. Got virtually nothing from on of our best players, probably playing through his injury. 

Who knows how this all play out but you gotta like this team's potential. If healthy.

Nothing in the scoring column. But, there is this - Ty Ty adds a lot on defense, 3 steals; led the team in assists with 5; only one turnover; 3 rebounds. Proof that even on a bad shooting night a player can do a lot to help his team win. 

18 minutes ago, Voice of Reason said:

Nothing in the scoring column. But, there is this - Ty Ty adds a lot on defense, 3 steals; led the team in assists with 5; only one turnover; 3 rebounds. Proof that even on a bad shooting night a player can do a lot to help his team win. 

Very true, I was only thinking of scoring.

14 hours ago, gchs_uk9 said:

The favorite player of every Kentuckian over fifty years old is Kyle Macy, who transferred from Purdue. Portal’s been rejuvenating for decades!

Macy also had to sit out a year.

1 hour ago, Voice of Reason said:

Nothing in the scoring column. But, there is this - Ty Ty adds a lot on defense, 3 steals; led the team in assists with 5; only one turnover; 3 rebounds. Proof that even on a bad shooting night a player can do a lot to help his team win. 

Not to nitpick or anything but Wheeler had 8 assists to lead the team.  Not to take anything away from TyTy of course.

15 hours ago, futurecoach said:

 

Let’s not do this again and act like Cal hasn’t put teams together that weren’t capable of winning it all since 2015. The 2017 probably wins it all if it beats UNC (the team that did win it all) in the elite 8, yet was one last second shot away. The 2019 team was literally one shot a way too from the final four. Then Covid took away the chance of the 2020 team from making the final four, when they were a legit contender that year too. Quite honestly 2018 and last year probably were the two years where the teams never felt like a team that could win it all, especially last year obviously. 
 

Which what you said about possibly being a top team or losing in the 2nd round is very true. However, that could be said about every team in the country. The NCAA tournament is so hard to win, especially in a one and done tournament. Shoot one of the most dominant teams in the last 10 years in the 2019 Duke team. Which had 3 players drafted in the top 5, barely survived on last second plays in the second round and sweet 16, before eventually losing in the elite 8. Virginia a one seed lost to a 16 seed, then next year wins it’s all. Anything can happen. 
 

Its just truly hard in a one and done tournament to make those runs. That’s just what makes the runs we had from 96 to 98 and from 2011 to 2015 so special. Those types of runs are not suppose to happen. Yet those types of runs completely spoil our fan base in the process thinking it is easy and should happen more times than not. 

The 2017 loss to UNC in the regional finals was a rob job. North Carolina was gifted that game by the officials, particularly the one with the roofing company. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. ?

6 hours ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

Yeah, I thought about that last night too. Got virtually nothing from on of our best players, probably playing through his injury. 

Who knows how this all play out but you gotta like this team's potential. If healthy.

The one player who can not be replaced Oscar.