He has made it further and with less talent. Which it comes down to being able to execute in a half court offense. You have to do that in the tournament, and that is why UK lost last year, and why this years team is in the final four. Put Knight on last years team, they are about the same and maybe get to the final four. Put Wall on this years team, and I doubt they make it to the final four. It all comes down to being able to execute in the half court, and that is what Wall struggled with. Plus his turnovers were costly last year too in the half court.

I wouldn't say that Wall 'struggled' in the half court. He did against a goofy 1-3-1 defense in the tournament but that was really the only time I can remember. Let's keep in mind that he did finish 2nd to Turner for National Player of the Year.

I wouldn't say that Wall 'struggled' in the half court. He did against a goofy 1-3-1 defense in the tournament but that was really the only time I can remember. Let's keep in mind that he did finish 2nd to Turner for National Player of the Year.

 

Last year our best offense was when we was running. When we got in the half court offense, that is when we saw a lot of the turnovers by Wall. Him trying to drive, with people collapsing on him and then trying to force something. I am not saying he was always bad in half court, however that was the weak part of his game. Especially since he was not the best at shooting, when he was hitting the outside shot though too. Then he was unstoppable, he just was inconsistent with it. They are both great pg's, just in college I would take Knight.

It wasn't just that Wall wasn't a good shooter, it was that plus there were no good shooters on the team. Replace Bledsoe with Lamb at the 2 and how much would it have opened things up for Wall (and Cousins)?

It is certainly worth pointing out, especially when you look at the overall talent level of both teams.

 

Would UK have beat WVU last year had Knight been on the team instead of Wall? Me thinks probably.

 

Would last year's UK team have beaten Ohio State and UNC this year? Me thinks probably.

 

Two different tourneys. Two different sets of scenarios. Until last night UK was the underdog/hunter. Last year's team was the hunted. How many games did that team lose last year? It took a gimmick defense that nobody uses primarily to beat them.

It wasn't just that Wall wasn't a good shooter, it was that plus there were no good shooters on the team. Replace Bledsoe with Lamb at the 2 and how much would it have opened things up for Wall (and Cousins)?

 

The same could be said about this years team, when it comes to post scoring. This years team doesn't have someone you can just throw the ball into the post like Cousins, and Patterson to have score. If Knight had that, he would have even more wide open looks.

 

We should just be happy that here at UK, that we had two great PG's the last two years!

Does everyone forget that Wall missed the wide open jumper badly in the SEC tourny that big Cuz got the put back on...I will take Knight over wall with 15 seconds left and we need a basket from the PG position.

 

So that is the one time Wall failed to deliver in the clutch. At least UK still won when he didn't deliver that time.

The same could be said about this years team, when it comes to post scoring. This years team doesn't have someone you can just throw the ball into the post like Cousins, and Patterson to have score. If Knight had that, he would have even more wide open looks.

 

We should just be happy that here at UK, that we had two great PG's the last two years!

 

I don't think anyone isn't happy. Intriguing discussion for me as an outisder.

Would last year's UK team have beaten Ohio State and UNC this year? Me thinks probably.

 

Two different tourneys. Two different sets of scenarios. Until last night UK was the underdog/hunter. Last year's team was the hunted. How many games did that team lose last year? It took a gimmick defense that nobody uses primarily to beat them.

 

I agree that they probably would have beat UNC. However Ohio State would have been different I think. Ohio State plays great defense, they also had a great inside game like we did. However unlike us, they had guys who could shoot the ball. It would depend how our outside shooting was against OSU, if we were hitting some three's then yeah we probably win. Last year's team if they were hitting outside shots, they would not lose. However they had plenty of games when they were cold, but just had the talent to overcome it. OSU would have talent too, and could shoot. So if we were not hitting, then OSU probably wins or have a good shot at it.

The same could be said about this years team, when it comes to post scoring. This years team doesn't have someone you can just throw the ball into the post like Cousins, and Patterson to have score. If Knight had that, he would have even more wide open looks.

 

We should just be happy that here at UK, that we had two great PG's the last two years!

 

Point taken, but I would argue that its easier for a good shooting team to gets shots without a post presence than for a bad shooting team to go against a packed in defense simply because there's more space to operate on the perimeter vs. in the paint.

 

It's become quite obvious to me in college basketball today that if you have a good shooting team that can take care of the ball, you can win big with one solid player in the paint. Duke cut the nets down last year with a team that is very similar to what UK has this year. If you have a team that can't shoot, it doesn't matter how much talent you have its going to be really difficult to win 6 straight in the Big Dance.

Last year our best offense was when we was running. When we got in the half court offense, that is when we saw a lot of the turnovers by Wall. Him trying to drive, with people collapsing on him and then trying to force something. I am not saying he was always bad in half court, however that was the weak part of his game. Especially since he was not the best at shooting, when he was hitting the outside shot though too. Then he was unstoppable, he just was inconsistent with it. They are both great pg's, just in college I would take Knight.

 

Wall's ability to get to the rim caused those turnovers. He still shot a better % front the floor than Knight. Not to mention, if Wall makes a pass and it hits Bledsoe in his hands and goes off of his chest and out of bounds that is a turnover for Wall. How many turnovers came after he penetrated and made a pass to someone who wasn't prepared or ready for the pass? Despite his turnovers he was still in the top 10 for assists per game wasn't he? How many of those turnovers would have been play of the year worthy had the ball been caught?

I agree that they probably would have beat UNC. However Ohio State would have been different I think. Ohio State plays great defense, they also had a great inside game like we did. However unlike us, they had guys who could shoot the ball. It would depend how our outside shooting was against OSU, if we were hitting some three's then yeah we probably win. Last year's team if they were hitting outside shots, they would not lose. However they had plenty of games when they were cold, but just had the talent to overcome it. OSU would have talent too, and could shoot. So if we were not hitting, then OSU probably wins or have a good shot at it.

 

If Harrellson could handle Sullinger I am sure Big Cuz and Patterson would have too. I thought all year and the whole tourney that UK could beat OSU. I have no doubt that Wall and company could too.

He has made it further and with less talent. Which it comes down to being able to execute in a half court offense. You have to do that in the tournament, and that is why UK lost last year, and why this years team is in the final four. Put Knight on last years team, they are about the same and maybe get to the final four. Put Wall on this years team, and I doubt they make it to the final four. It all comes down to being able to execute in the half court, and that is what Wall struggled with. Plus his turnovers were costly last year too in the half court.

 

I think that is a more a compliment to Cal than Knight when you say made it farther with less talent. We don't know the dynamics of these teams. This team may be more coachable for all we know but Liggins and Miller are way better players this year than last and that has to count for something. I would think Cal had to do a lot more coaching with this group than he did last year. Plus he had to babysit Orton and Orton's dad last year as well.

If Harrellson could handle Sullinger I am sure Big Cuz and Patterson would have too. I thought all year and the whole tourney that UK could beat OSU. I have no doubt that Wall and company could too.

 

UK lost to WVU because they couldn't make shots, they had plenty of wide opens looks to do it. They just couldn't make the shots. I admit if UK was making shots, nobody would have beat them. However OSU had guys who could score inside, and outside. So if UK was not hitting they probably lose. Last years team didn't do well when they were not hitting outside shots. UK's team last year was no doubt more talented than this year teams. However that doesn't mean they were a better tournament team. In the tournament you have to be able to limit turnovers, and make outside shots when you can. Those were two problems last years team had, they were turnovers and making shots. Those are two big problems to have in tournament time. That is why as a college pg, I would take Knight. He gives the team a better chance in the tournament. You see that all the time, most teams who make the final four have pg's who protect the ball and can make shots.

I think that is a more a compliment to Cal than Knight when you say made it farther with less talent. We don't know the dynamics of these teams. This team may be more coachable for all we know but Liggins and Miller are way better players this year than last and that has to count for something. I would think Cal had to do a lot more coaching with this group than he did last year. Plus he had to babysit Orton and Orton's dad last year as well.

 

So Knight has had less talent around him than Wall, and he was still able to lead them to the final four. We have seen how Knight took off, once he started having some guys who started to score some in the post in Harrellson. Imagine if he had someone like Cousins all year down low, where teams had to respect the inside game more. So Knight has less talent around him, yet he has less turnovers, and does better in the half court game in the tournament.

I think there were too many egos on last years team...the only true ego guy I see on this team is Jones, and for the last month they have won without him having big time games. They didn't have a blue collar guy last year and it hurt them. This year they seem to know their current roles and are performing well within those roles. With that said, as a college point guard, I will take Knight.