This team needs a healthy and playing well Dajuan Wagner to have any success when it matters.

17 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

I will say it before anyone else does. Cal has got to have them foul after Dillingham's miss. I've become a believer in that strategy over the years in that situation.

I am starting to lean that way. You have to be careful though. If the other team knows that is how you play it, they are going to jump up and shoot a shot when you get close and try to get 3 free throws, even at half court.

If you foul as soon as they throw it in, the game becomes a free throw shooting contest and you are letting the other team score with the clock stopped.

For example, UK was up 3 with 10 seconds left. Foul immediately and Florida hits two free throws. Now it is a 1 point lead with 8 seconds left. You better hit your 2 free throws when they foul you back.

15 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

Onyenso sure is showing out for this team.

I agree 100% but if he has the best game of anyone on the floor we are going to lose more games than we win especially vs. the mid to upper teams in the SEC.

Well that sucked. The Cats are now 0 and 2 on the season when Sheppard has started and both of those losses were at home. Sheppard has had great numbers in those games, but unfortunately they have lost them both. Which Sheppard is probably the smartest player on the team, but this is now two games where he has had completely boneheaded plays at the end of the game. The first was fouling a three point shooter when up four at the end of a game. Then today completely losing track of his guy and stepping inside when the team was up 3. 
 

For my zone guys on here, I do agree Cal at this point needs to at least start trying to mix in some zone. We are now about to hit February and even with having a shot blocker down low, the defense still keeps getting lit up. So at this point need to at least try something new and mix in some zone. 

1 minute ago, Voice of Reason said:

I am starting to lean that way. You have to be careful though. If the other team knows that is how you play it, they are going to jump up and shoot a shot when you get close and try to get 3 free throws, even at half court.

If you foul as soon as they throw it in, the game becomes a free throw shooting contest and you are letting the other team score with the clock stopped.

Heck, even just fake or jab at them like you are going to foul.

2 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

This team needs a healthy and playing well Dajuan Wagner to have any success when it matters.

Agreed. It’s not a coincidence the Cats are 0 and 2 when he has been out.

Quit whining you big babies.

4 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

For my zone guys on here, I do agree Cal at this point needs to at least start trying to mix in some zone. We are now about to hit February and even with having a shot blocker down low, the defense still keeps getting lit up. So at this point need to at least try something new and mix in some zone. 

They need to mix it in but I sure don't trust Sheppard and Dillingham to stay true to zone principles haha

Just now, TheDeuce said:

Quit whining you big babies.

They cost me money tonight haha!

1 minute ago, futurecoach said:

Agreed. It’s not a coincidence the Cats are 0 and 2 when he has been out.

1,000%

2 home losses this year just happen to be the only 2 games Wagner missed.  I said at the beginning of the year that this team will go as far as Wagner takes us.  I love Reed Sheppard and am tickled to death that he's been so good this year.  But this is D.J. Wagner's team.

The Cats had 35 FG's with 10 being three pointers compared to the Gators who had 32 FG's with 12 being three pointers. The difference was from the line the Gators were 18-22 and the Cats were just 11-17.

4 minutes ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

They need to mix it in but I sure don't trust Sheppard

He might do pretty well MJ that is what he was playing (Zone Principals) most of the night anyway. lol

3 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Quit whining you big babies.

So I put my LOL guy on this post but took it away because you didn't laugh at my first post in this thread.

9 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

For my zone guys on here, I do agree Cal at this point needs to at least start trying to mix in some zone. We are now about to hit February and even with having a shot blocker down low, the defense still keeps getting lit up. So at this point need to at least try something new and mix in some zone. 

I'm not a zone guy, but I am fine with trying it.  Still don't believe a zone is going to cover up the defensive shortcomings of this team.  And certainly will not take away their overall team softness.

Where's Billy Clyde when you need him? 

In looking at the remainder of the league schedule 5 of the 10 remaining games are vs. teams that are tied with us or ahead of us in the conference. Three of the five games are at Rupp the two on the road are at Tennessee and Auburn.