34 minutes ago, Randy Parker said:

Fredrick & Reeves are 5-26 from 3 against opponents that can walk and chew gum at the same time. 

Yeah, Cal should have reached a little deeper into the portal.

5 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

The problem with the idea that the Cats will improve is that the competition will also get better also.

But if I can't hope and believe in that, I might as well not watch this season anymore and just wait until Novemeber 2023. And I just won't be that fan.

Tshiebwe's defensive inadequacies are kinda glaring. I love him but he's just not great on D until the ball hits the rim.

I wrote in the game thread that I made a statement 8 years ago that Cal will never win another national title unless he has 3 shot blockers that can guard every position on the floor like Davis, Jones and MKG, I still stand by that

Just now, MJAlltheWay24 said:

Tshiebwe's defensive inadequacies are kinda glaring. I love him but he's just not great on D until the ball hits the rim.

He's made some dumb fouls in the two big games.  Maybe he did that last year too, but I don't remember that.

2 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

But if I can't hope and believe in that, I might as well not watch this season anymore and just wait until Novemeber 2023. And I just won't be that fan.

There is a whole lot of parity in college basketball today, UK will not win every time the ball is tossed up.

27 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

This is definitely a statistic that jumps out to me. These two have very much struggled against top tier competition so far.

Our guard play is very frustrating.  Wallace is easily our best backcourt player, even with the expected freshman mistakes.  Wheeler, Fredrick, & Reeves just aren't getting it done.  

A very small ray of hope is Toppin hitting some really good shots in the second half. 

I have a lot of questions with regard to Cal, and my fear that his best days are long gone.  Next year's recruiting class is the only positive I have about the program.  At the same time, these guys are missing some very open shots.  Very open.

2 minutes ago, Randy Parker said:

Wallace is easily our best backcourt player, even with the expected freshman mistakes.

Love me some Wallace, everything about his game. 

I thought Livingston would be my guy this year, but I think he's lost on this team right now.

Just now, MJAlltheWay24 said:

Love me some Wallace, everything about his game. 

I thought Livingston would be my guy this year, but I think he's lost on this team right now.

Agreed on both.  I don't understand why Livingston is seeing so little time.  It would be more understandable if Fredrick and Reeves were doing anything at all, but they aren't. 

My degenerate buddy loved Kentucky tonight. He's not a UK fan.

After the game, he was fired up about the disparity of the foul calls in the game. I told him, "no one in BBN is talking about that at all. They got outplayed."

UK = 22 Fouls. Zags = 12 Fouls.

53 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

The problem with the idea that the Cats will improve is that the competition will also get better also.

That theory always seems to be proven wrong come tournament time. Plenty of teams that struggle early and lose game, figure it out and ended up playing better than almost everyone by tournament time. UNC was the perfect example of that last year. Same with UCLA the year before. 
 

With that said it definitely would be nice not to have to wait all year and hope they figure it out.  
 

I do think they have the pieces, but Cal needs to figure out his rotations and exact roles. There definitely is not rhyme or reason for some of the things they have done so far. 

3 hours ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

Love me some Wallace, everything about his game. 

I thought Livingston would be my guy this year, but I think he's lost on this team right now.

I am not so sure about Wallace.  His turnovers against Michigan State almost single-handedly cost us the game the last few minutes and overtime. He had a couple terrible passes today at the end of the game just literally throwing the ball to nobody. Maybe someone was supposed to be there but he does it multiple times a game I’m hoping it is freshman mistakes and he learns how to pass Sunday.  He started out doing ok today then not so much. 

Kentucky is now 1-1 against the Zags. Kentucky beat the Zags 80-72 in the maui invitational in 2002.

1	2	T
UK	33	47	80
GONZ	32	40	72

 

There are great shooters that need structure in offenses, screening and ball movement with purpose, Fredrick and Reeves both need this and Cal can’t provide that, one high screen and playground basketball, Cal said after the game last night that Oscar hadn’t practiced enough to settle into the offense!!!! Really!!! What offense? He said they had nothing but dribble drive going last night!!!! Has there ever, ever been anything different!! What a joke!!!