I’m venting. I’m 50/50 on Cal. But he just got schooled on in bounds plays. The offense is the same as the last 3 years. I’ve been tired of excuses.

29 minutes ago, Breds82 said:

Missing FTs in crucial situations is a Cal thing. Has been since UMass and cost them the title at Memphis and against Uconn. Also Kansas State and Auburn games recently. He is the worst ever in game coach in the country and has been. He refuses to take guys out in situations they shouldn’t be playing.

Which makes the Covid year suck even more. UK had great guards, a good inside game, and was the second best shooting free throw team in the country that year. 
 

What’s crazy is over while the last four years has sucked in regards to success or lack there of. These last four years Cals teams have shot free throws better than the years they were making final fours. The last four years they have shot 73% or better each year. Only the  2015 final four team got to 73% from the free throw line, all the other one shot worse than that. If they would have managed to shoot 73% or better tonight, they probably win. Which I do think when it’s all said and done, this will end up being a good free throw shooting team though. 

12 minutes ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

Out coached again! Time to find a coach that knows Xs and Os!

Izzo is probably the best active Coach in Men's College Basketball with Coach K retiring.

32 minutes ago, Breds82 said:

I’m venting. I’m 50/50 on Cal. But he just got schooled on in bounds plays. The offense is the same as the last 3 years. I’ve been tired of excuses.

I agree the offensive style has to change. Which I am assuming they probably haven’t done any offense as a team with Oscar the last month or so. So hopefully tonight was more let’s keep it basic and feed Oscar.  So I’m hoping they do have a plan to open things up more this year, because they do have the pieces to do it.  I also agree, on out of bounds things. I know Izzo said it was his assistants that came up with and called the out of bounds plays. Cal definitely should do the same and allow an assistant focus on out of bounds plays and let them call it. It doesn’t have to be all the time, but definitely have to have at least a few plays up your sleeve for certain situations. 

5 minutes ago, Breds82 said:

I’m venting. I’m 50/50 on Cal. But he just got schooled on in bounds plays. The offense is the same as the last 3 years. I’ve been tired of excuses.

Agree on your points, just Cal being his normal arrogant self to change things.  Something just about everybody overlooks, when you don’t work on your own out of bounds plays your kids are not learning how to guard out of bounds plays either.  I would like to know how many points we’ve scored on out of bounds plays vs what other teams have scored against us, I bet it’s staggering!

I agree. Just run the old PB and J Stack play for an easy inbounds pass at least. We get nothing. 

51 minutes ago, Breds82 said:

I’m venting. I’m 50/50 on Cal. But he just got schooled on in bounds plays. The offense is the same as the last 3 years. I’ve been tired of excuses.

I mean, did he get schooled or did Tshiebwe have a total mental lapse on defense, which he had a tendency to do from time to time last year?  I mean middle school players know to stay between your man and the basket on an underneath inbound play.  Tshiebwe had a terrible offensive foul, which looked like it was about to lead to a wide open three in the corner for Frederick cause Hauser was sagging off him, or Wheeler had a wide open layup.  Plus the 15 ft jumper Tshiebwe took under two mins in regulation with a man in his face and plenty of time on the clock.  He wasn't quite on his A mental game late, but I definitely give him a pass, especially since he hasn't been practicing.

If you wanted to get annoyed cause UK never runs inbound plays like that, I won't argue with ya.

My frustration tonight was the amount of time that Collins saw because he was basically an empty jersey and felt like he was in over his head tonight.  Felt like Hauser scored all his points, at least in the first half against him.  I know Toppin had foul trouble, but I would have maybe like to have seen Livingston play the four instead of Collins getting as many minutes as he did.

25 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

Which makes the Covid year suck even more. UK had great guards, a good inside game, and was the second best shooting free throw team in the country that year. 
 

What’s crazy is over while the last four years has sucked in regards to success or lack there of. These last four years Cals teams have shot free throws better than the years they were making final fours. The last four years they have shot 73% or better each year. Only the  2015 final four team got to 73% from the free throw line, all the other one shot worse than that. If they would have managed to shoot 73% or better tonight, they probably win. Which I do think when it’s all said and done, this will end up being a good free throw shooting team though. 

I do like a lot of what you say and I think you have good insights, but the incessant pushing of Kentucky as being a national title contender (numerous posts stating this in different ways over the past 3 years) just does not hold merit.  The best predicted seed they had between late Feb. and early March was a 3 seed in the West.  Most had them as a 4 seed and if they would not have made a nice run in the SEC tourney, could have ended up a 5 seed.  You might say they were playing really well down the stretch, but their last 2 regular season games were a home loss to a Tennessee team not going to the NCAA tourney and a 1 point win at home against a Florida team who was either a last 4 in or a play in team.

Wallace is proving more and more to be the dawg that I hoped that he would be.  Love how tough he plays.  The corner three was huge.  All the steals.  Clean up that terrible turnover towards the end and we are alright.

Wheeler was Wheeler.  Had some great moments.  Several really nice assists.  Good pressure defensive, but then bad Wheeler showed his ugly head late.

Those two hit free throws down the stretch we win.

I'm really going to need to see Calipari put some true sets in for this team to get Frederick and Reeves some good looks.  Felt like Izzo was going to make damn sure a guy he saw a lot in the Big 10 didn't hurt him from behind the arc but we gotta get them more looks.

Lots of positives tonight.  Plenty of negatives too.  

47 minutes ago, Breds82 said:

Our offense is the same ole same ole, runs weave or hold the ball until the last possible moment or the other team has a defensive break down.

If we are going to do whatever and then just get the ball in the post to Oscar, I would prefer we potentially do that sooner.  I'd also like to see a wing like Livingston/Toppin flash in the high post and then attack the basket, or draw attention and dump it to Oscar.

11 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

I mean, did he get schooled or did Tshiebwe have a total mental lapse on defense...?

Looked like just a really nice inbounds play. Not sure if it was by design or if the kid cut on his own. Either way, great play.

Just now, cincyswords said:

I do like a lot of what you say and I think you have good insights, but the incessant pushing of Kentucky as being a national title contender (numerous posts stating this in different ways over the past 3 years) just does not hold merit.  The best predicted seed they had between late Feb. and early March was a 3 seed in the West.  Most had them as a 4 seed and if they would not have made a nice run in the SEC tourney, could have ended up a 5 seed.  You might say they were playing really well down the stretch, but their last 2 regular season games were a home loss to a Tennessee team not going to the NCAA tourney and a 1 point win at home against a Florida team who was either a last 4 in or a play in team.

 

8 minutes ago, cincyswords said:

I do like a lot of what you say and I think you have good insights, but the incessant pushing of Kentucky as being a national title contender (numerous posts stating this in different ways over the past 3 years) just does not hold merit.  The best predicted seed they had between late Feb. and early March was a 3 seed in the West.  Most had them as a 4 seed and if they would not have made a nice run in the SEC tourney, could have ended up a 5 seed.  You might say they were playing really well down the stretch, but their last 2 regular season games were a home loss to a Tennessee team not going to the NCAA tourney and a 1 point win at home against a Florida team who was either a last 4 in or a play in team.

UK that Covid year finished ranked 8th in the country. So they were positioned to possibly be a 2 seed depending how they did in the SEC tourney, or a 3 seed if they didn’t do much in SEC tourney. That team definitely had things you would want in a team in the tournament. Good guard play, guys who could shoot, a good big guy down low, and they were a team that drew a lot of fouls and also made their free throws, as evident by being the second best free throw team in the country. They definitely were positioned well to be a team that could make a run that year. 

12 minutes ago, cincyswords said:

and a 1 point win at home against a Florida team who was either a last 4 in or a play in team.

In my head, I'm telling myself that was without their starting PG.  Didn't Hagans sit out that game or am I making that up?