UK's frontcourt doesn't need to be great, they just need to be decent. Defense will be important. This team is much more athletic and longer than the 2016 team.
Guards Win NCAA Titles!!! R-E-L-A-X
- Thread starter MarcSilver19
- Start date
This is accurate.
But when one says "guards win championships" it typically implies the bigs don't matter.
And if it's as simple as having the best guards--Ulis and Murry or Fox/Monk should have won.
Yup and I think you made my point that all it comes down to is having the right matchup and having a little luck on your side in March. Basketball is all about matchups. I just want to be one of the teams with a chance and I think considering it will probably be a down year in college basketball we will have a shot. And there is for sure more pressure, but I believe our guys probably have some of the most pressure put on them just throughout the season which makes them more prepared for March. As Cal says it's not for everybody and the kids who have thrived here were great under pressure.
I think what everybody is talking about when they call Juzang the next SGA or Herro is just referring to where they were ranking wise. I'm just high on his ability to create and make shots and I think his game models Booker than anyone else (not calling him the next Booker, just has a similar type of game). The way he plays translates well to today's game.
I'm higher on Maxey than most just because I think he can score at all 3 levels and defend at a high level as well. He may not be as good of a shooter as Knight or Murray, but I think his scoring will be on a similar track to those two.
Quickley was a 5 star coming out of high school that at least means something and there's no way you can even compare him to Matthews (freshman) or even Mulder (juco transfer). He's an experienced guard who can defend and was starting to find himself at the end of the year.
EJ was one of the best rebounders just in terms of per 40 min. I remember him distinctly in the Florida game keeping possessions alive and that last 10 min with him and PJ on floor was the best defense we played all year. He has the quickness and length that some big man just do not have. If he develops a touch around the rim, which is what he struggled with, he's got a lot of potential. You know there's a reason he was ranked ahead of Zion in 247 final rankings.
Just thought your comparison of this team to 2016 is totally off. The pieces could fit very nicely and they could actually be great defensively. 2016 was probably Cal's worst team defensively and this one has the potential to be great. We're also not that young for a Cal lead team.
I keep going back to what Cal said about not really needing another big. I think he knows more about his team more than you or me and if he thought we needed Blackshear I gotta think he would have put on full court press to get him. I think he's happy with what he's got.
No, I'm being real. We get our hopes up every year and think that all our holes will be plugged and all of our guys are going to turn the corner.
But then we lose 9 games and wondercwhat happened.
Bottom line is, this team has some issues that won't be easily fixed.
IMO, missing on Blackshear puts a big nail in our coffin.
Maybe you should wait to see how the team plays before you rule the season a loss cause of not getting Blackshear, the same Blackshear who was in foul trouble when he played against us two years ago
Man, this season is going to stink for you.
Every year has uncertainty.
Every year we have flaws.
Even when we are the overwhelming favorite, it's not a guarantee. See 2015.
Just sit back and enjoy the ride.
The 2016 could have went further in the tourney, but we were given a lower seed than we deserved and we were given an absolutely brutal bracket for us.
Even if we had gotten passed IU, we would have had to deal with UNC, a team with an even better inside game than IU.
We didn't stand a chance in that bracket.
Even if we had gotten passed IU, we would have had to deal with UNC, a team with an even better inside game than IU.
We didn't stand a chance in that bracket.
Same concern this reason if we run into good inside players.Nick and EJ are enough against most teams we will play but I'm curious to see them against Michigan State and Kansas and how they deal with it.
Uh, where did I say the season was a lost cause???
Yeah, Blackshear got in foul trouble in a game. Whoopty freaking do. I guess AD and KAT never got in foul trouble huh?
Here's what you need to do though, go back, reread my post and edit your post.
Thanks.
PS: it's not "loss" cause, it's "lost" cause.
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What is it with you guys? Go back and read my post again.
Maybe I need to change the verbiage where I said missing on Blackshear puts a big big nail in our coffin. I didn't say it was the final nail, I didn't say we were going to suck.
I'm simply saying that we are short one important piece.
We can do exactly what Texas Tech and UVA did last year, we can go on an Auburn run, but do you or do you not feel like missing on Blackshear makes it much tougher?
You're not at all being real. You're being a pessimistic individual who only sees or points out the flaws in the team. However, go ahead and entertain us with all the teams that will be superior to UK next season.
Eventually you'll figure it out.
We are no longer getting top 5 recruits, but guys are still leaving after a mediocre season.
If that's going to happen, you better return a bunch of players or land the best grad transfers to fill the voids (PJ Washington's void this year)
Now, we are returning more players than usual, but in my OPINION, we are not very good in the front court.
I know that takes the air out of your sails and you don't like to read the truth, but that's exactly what it is, the truth.
Also, we see it posted on here every year. "College basketball is down this year". I wish people would stop saying that. It was even said multiple times prior to the 14/15 season. It's not true. There will be teams that nobody is even thinking of, that will be exceptionally strong, Texas Tech 2019 is a prime example.
Lastly, I never said we were going to suck, we'll still be very good, I just think we'll be one front court player short.
You can disagree all you want, that's your opinion.
Gotcha.
Usually "nail in our coffin" means it's over and we are done, so that's how I took it.
Nah, I probably should have used a different analogy.
A lot of great discussion and enjoy reading people's different takes. My response to a few of the topics:
-'16 team was flawed upfront not having anyone in middle so Skal could play the 4 offensively and allowed to be their 3rd best perimeter shooter.
-IU was tough matchup for UK because they had Ferrell who could play with Ulis and wasn't disrupted by his quickness/speed. OG Anunoby was fantastic defensively on Murray, and Bryant was a handful inside. Poythress who had big moments in '14 Tournament didn't have game needed and rest of team was meh. Aside from Murray, IU's had better NBA players out of that '16 matchup with Anunoby and Bryant and Ferrell has stuck in league. Then look what happened to them when they faced UNC. The L was coming be it then or after, that wasn't a great UK team at all. Losing Jaylen Brown hurt a great deal to that team--much like the losses of Muhammed and Bennett hurt '13.
-Need time to figure out who plays well together but I love the experience returning in Hagans/Quickley to help the younger players who bring some explosive talent. Never hurts to have guys who have been in practices, been around program after wins/losses, and understand how things operate. Playing wise, I think Hagans can easily improve as a shooter, his stroke wasn't awful, it's awkward looking and hesitant, and really his biggest improvement needs to be in finishing on the drives to hoop. Quickley was very improved by end of year and most of the championship teams mentioned had that guard who comes in and can sustain play or run team. UVA with Clark. Nova had Booth in '16, and Gillespie in '18, UNC had Britt, Duke with Cook and Grayson Allen's best Duke game IMO was in National Title game in '15. UConn had Napier/Boatright which UK could throw out there too in terms of style if they control tempo.
-Upfront, this team has enough considering they've been planning on small ball all along. It's what we've heard since end of this season, so you have guys like Brooks/Whitney added to Richards/Montgomery/Sestina--who fits small ball approach and allows the guards to play their game more then Reid Travis did last year with his need to be close to basket and lack of shooting. Opens lane.
-Montgomery is key for '20 whether another big is added or not. He needs to play to level his talent has been talked about since he was a FR in HS. Flashes of it have been shown and if he does that consistently, this will be a typical contending team for UK come March.
Thing is we'll get to see how our takes unfold for '20 once the season plays out, until then none of us are right/wrong, but enjoy talking basketball anytime of year, so appreciate the thread and everyone's take.
-'16 team was flawed upfront not having anyone in middle so Skal could play the 4 offensively and allowed to be their 3rd best perimeter shooter.
-IU was tough matchup for UK because they had Ferrell who could play with Ulis and wasn't disrupted by his quickness/speed. OG Anunoby was fantastic defensively on Murray, and Bryant was a handful inside. Poythress who had big moments in '14 Tournament didn't have game needed and rest of team was meh. Aside from Murray, IU's had better NBA players out of that '16 matchup with Anunoby and Bryant and Ferrell has stuck in league. Then look what happened to them when they faced UNC. The L was coming be it then or after, that wasn't a great UK team at all. Losing Jaylen Brown hurt a great deal to that team--much like the losses of Muhammed and Bennett hurt '13.
-Need time to figure out who plays well together but I love the experience returning in Hagans/Quickley to help the younger players who bring some explosive talent. Never hurts to have guys who have been in practices, been around program after wins/losses, and understand how things operate. Playing wise, I think Hagans can easily improve as a shooter, his stroke wasn't awful, it's awkward looking and hesitant, and really his biggest improvement needs to be in finishing on the drives to hoop. Quickley was very improved by end of year and most of the championship teams mentioned had that guard who comes in and can sustain play or run team. UVA with Clark. Nova had Booth in '16, and Gillespie in '18, UNC had Britt, Duke with Cook and Grayson Allen's best Duke game IMO was in National Title game in '15. UConn had Napier/Boatright which UK could throw out there too in terms of style if they control tempo.
-Upfront, this team has enough considering they've been planning on small ball all along. It's what we've heard since end of this season, so you have guys like Brooks/Whitney added to Richards/Montgomery/Sestina--who fits small ball approach and allows the guards to play their game more then Reid Travis did last year with his need to be close to basket and lack of shooting. Opens lane.
-Montgomery is key for '20 whether another big is added or not. He needs to play to level his talent has been talked about since he was a FR in HS. Flashes of it have been shown and if he does that consistently, this will be a typical contending team for UK come March.
Thing is we'll get to see how our takes unfold for '20 once the season plays out, until then none of us are right/wrong, but enjoy talking basketball anytime of year, so appreciate the thread and everyone's take.
Excellent post.
Montgomery is a huge, huge key to the season. We need him to make a big leap, especially on the offensive end.
I envision a small ball lineup:
Hagans and Maxey in the backcourt (1 and 2 spots) with Quickley spelling them.
Whitney and Brooks on the wings (3 and 4 spots) with Juzang (3) and Sestina (4) spelling them.
Montgomery in the post (5 spot) with Richards spelling him, plus Sestina playing there, when needed.
Adding Dante changes the strategy and allows Montgomery to play more on the perimeter (4 spot). The downside will be less minutes for the young wings to split.
Yep. Our fan base tends to get over-excited about size, but the truth is guard play is usually what makes the biggest difference in the NCAA tournament, not the big guys.
Other than the exceptions of 2012 UK and 2017 UNC, it's mostly been perimeter-dominant small ball lineups that have been dominating the tournament in today's era.
Other than the exceptions of 2012 UK and 2017 UNC, it's mostly been perimeter-dominant small ball lineups that have been dominating the tournament in today's era.
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If you go back from 2000 to date guards have led teams that won the NCAA tourney in scoring all but 5 years. Last year Va's top three scorers were guards and Villinova the year before top 2 were guards. Bigs are important, but the days of dominate big men are over at present. I,along with others think our big men will be more than serviceable. As someone noted It's always been about match ups.
While I agree with this take, I think it comes down to how Cal manages his style of play.
If he's going small-ball, then three point shooting HAS to be a bigger part of his offense. It has to. All but a couple of those title winners from 2000 on, were great three point shooting teams. Our 2012 title team, even though they had dominant bigs, shot the three ball exceptionally well. Same with UNC 2017.
Cal loves to play through the post, but if he's going small ball, that has to change.
Good post, and you're right that none of this matters until that first game and we see how they play together.
I will have to say just based on social media (Instagram) that it seems as if EJ is taking this offseason more seriously and hopefully it will translate to something on the court. Last year, after EJ performed well during the aired practice Cal called him out and said he wished he would do this every time. I think EJ had a little bit of the "too cool for school" act and probably thought he did not need to work as hard as everybody else. Then I think he saw how hard PJ worked this year and then was rewarded with being the 13th pick. Maybe that turned on a light for him and he knows what he needs to do know to reach his potential.
I do love this collection of guards though. They might just have all the qualities you would want in guard play - scoring, playmaking, shooting, defense. Maxey has potential to be star, Quickley/Hagans provide stability and experience, and Juzang is a wildcard but hopefully could become that dead-eye shooter.
Jeff is right though that we need to see shooting for this team to be successful if we go to the small ball/dribble-drive offense. Hagans really does not have that bad of a stroke it is funky but he was a pretty solid FT shooter which can hopefully extend back to 3 point line. In terms of shooting, I see Quickley, Maxey, Juzang, and Sestina as being the main options with Whitney and Brooks able to knock the open ones down. Hopefully two of those players become automatic if left open. I also have to think that the 3-point line moving back will help us more than most teams.
I do wonder what will be this team's "bad matchup" will be. Believe will have best set of guards in every game we will play but maybe not always the best guard. Maybe Michigan State? Kansas? Guess we'll get to find out after that first game.
Fun to talk about UK basketball and hear everybody's opinion.
Good points all around.
Think EJ will be motivated by what he was told by NBA personnel. It's one thing to have everyone tell a guy he's a 1st Rounder and will be a star as guys like Montgomery have heard since they were 13/14 but another when actual people who work in the League tell you "You'd be borderline 2nd/likely undrafted" and specifics they want to see improve are exactly what your coaches at UK have been saying. That's why Cal produces excellent pro players no matter where they were ranked. He is honest and gives them truth and it meshes with what NBA people will tell them. He's not trying to make you stay for his benefit.
Agree on guards/wings, really excited to see how they fit together once season begins. Really nice group of combinations and defensively should be the best backcourt UK's had in a while.
Always need to be able to make shots. It's easier to get better looks in DDM/Drive and Kick approach where bigs aren't posting all the time and can step out and hit some shots too. Nick Richards has a nice stroke from baseline and EJ Montgomery is better facing up, but think EJ's passing abilities will show better this year too.
Right now I'd say a team like Kansas who has the big man group of Azubuike, DeSousa, McCormack as huge players who can lay a body and bang. A way that this team could help combat that is pressure on the ball/extending pressure. Also would help if Montgomery could hit shots along with Sestina and pull them out of paint.
Would love to see them get 1 more big, but in a 40 minute game, only so many minutes and they have a deep team for that already.
One area think Cal doesn't get enough credit is in his adjustments to fit how a team will play based on personnel. He's had great teams at UK but some were post up, some were perimeter based, some were so good they did both (12 and 17 offensively) and he makes his best scorers versatile and doesn't let them do 1 thing only which makes them/team easier to defend. When he does go to dreaded "stall ball" in latter part of season, helps to have great guards who can make shots/plays late in clock, which hopefully this group lives up to as potential is there.