It all depends on if Cal can land a very good point guard.
Why will next year be any different?
- Thread starter willyclyde
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This year really is an anomaly...yes we know the trend of how things are going and I suspect we will be more likely to have a good, not great team that looses games earlier and we hear excuses...not too young this time but more like...first time playing together, learning each other, it’s on me kind of stuff...that will be enough to make sure we are seeded somewhere between 3 and 8 with a chance to try to make a run...the days of being in the top 5 all year and being a 1 seed are likely over until we develop a team and or land a transcendent talent like AD, John Wall etc...however most of those guys likely go pro route....have to adjust to the times, but I can’t say that I like the one and done or new free agent transfer market approach to college basketball at all.
Cal will not change. He gets young players and then complains about them being young. He then works to push them out the door to make room for more young players. Then brags about how many players he’s sent to the NBA. That’s all that matters after all.
Yeah, I’m waiting to see how that will shake out before starting to think about next season. A lot of unknowns still out there for next year’s Cats.
If we get a good point guard we'll be 2-3 seed range, if we don't we'll be 5-8... I feel like Cal has his guy and I think he's motivated.
As for Brooks, if he ever hopes to play in the NBA, he needs to go somewhere that will run a lot of their stuff through him. Like what ended up happening for Juzang. Not saying he's Juzang or that a place like UCLA is where he should go but it's Brooks best shot. I prefer he stay, but he has to be thinking this.
I don't think anyone is expecting Kentucky will be contending for a national title. Until Caliapri learns how to run an offense those days are history for us.
But I would like to see a winning season next year. Or a least win 10 games. Nine game wins in a season sucks. I would be happy with 16 or 17 next year because it would show improvement.
But National Champions. Nah, not going to happen
But I would like to see a winning season next year. Or a least win 10 games. Nine game wins in a season sucks. I would be happy with 16 or 17 next year because it would show improvement.
But National Champions. Nah, not going to happen
It will be better -how could it get worse? The last couple of players (TBD) added to this roster will be huge. If there's not a way-above-average PG (at least) and another top flight shooter, we may have a lot of the same problems we had this year. If we do add those two pieces, we can win 20 games and make the tourney. Not sure how deep we should be expected to go from there, though. Not a title contender next year unless I've completely underestimated the talent on the team.
They just want to whine because Cal let the players kneel. Nothing will satisfy them short of tar and feathering the man.
I wholeheartedly agree with this. I am really looking forward to watching him play.
Or because they went 9-16 and had one of the worst records in school history. SMDH
EDIT: not to mention recruiting misses, no offense, playing guys that couldn't start on a YMCA team. But yeah, it's the kneeling, you're right.
There's not a D1 coach in the universe that would run their offense through Brooks..........other than Cal.
Just replying to the first point, but math shows that you can't quadruple 0. 0 times anything is..... still 0. Keion came back halfway through so that would be 2 people
truth in a nutshell
don't forget his arrogance to the UK tradition & its fans
Really hard to answer this question without knowing what our final roster is going to be like. So some of this will be hypothetical. Our problem last year was far from just guard play. We had no inside game. We were just to weak and Saar was not an effective post up guy. Big O should be. So with basic minimal improvements from our returning guys. we should be able to generate 5 or more points a game inside. We add a 3rd outside shooter if Mintz comes back should be able to generate 2 or 3 points a game, we more than likely get a better distributor from the portal and if he can shoot at all we could get another couple of points.
Now to understand why this will make a big difference. Let's look at our losses this season of our 16 losses 7 of those were buy 5 points or less another 3 were by 8 points or less and 11 losses we were either leading or within striking distance with less than ten min in the game. Of those 11 we were well within striking distance with 5 min to go in 9. While playing one of the toughest schedules in the country
For the first time we won't be the only team losing more than their fair share of players. The Portal os decimating teams in a year we could potentially be returning more contributing players than normal. Plus at least 4 of the guys we are losing many on here consider addition by subtraction. Fletcher, Clarke hardly played Bostons hurt as much as he helped. And Askew just wasn't ready. Even Jackson couldn't stay out of foul trouble and we usually won the games he didn't.
We more than likely add a pg who not only has experience but is a huge upgrade over a typical freshman pg. Most the guys available have put up better numbers than any freshman pg we could have brought in. We will be able to have exibition games and 4 or 5 cupcake games to work out kinks. So with the hypothetical improvement of pg play and inside play. More player bonding and off season development due to players being vaccinated, plus the actual return of some experience throw in 4 or so easy wins to build confidence. We could easily be going into the tourney with 6 to 8 losses. Which is a drastic difference. Now this is just reading some tea leaves and making some roster assumptions based on what info we have so alot could change plus we need.to see Cal get his fire back so who knows I may be totally wrong with an educated guess. Lol
Now to understand why this will make a big difference. Let's look at our losses this season of our 16 losses 7 of those were buy 5 points or less another 3 were by 8 points or less and 11 losses we were either leading or within striking distance with less than ten min in the game. Of those 11 we were well within striking distance with 5 min to go in 9. While playing one of the toughest schedules in the country
For the first time we won't be the only team losing more than their fair share of players. The Portal os decimating teams in a year we could potentially be returning more contributing players than normal. Plus at least 4 of the guys we are losing many on here consider addition by subtraction. Fletcher, Clarke hardly played Bostons hurt as much as he helped. And Askew just wasn't ready. Even Jackson couldn't stay out of foul trouble and we usually won the games he didn't.
We more than likely add a pg who not only has experience but is a huge upgrade over a typical freshman pg. Most the guys available have put up better numbers than any freshman pg we could have brought in. We will be able to have exibition games and 4 or 5 cupcake games to work out kinks. So with the hypothetical improvement of pg play and inside play. More player bonding and off season development due to players being vaccinated, plus the actual return of some experience throw in 4 or so easy wins to build confidence. We could easily be going into the tourney with 6 to 8 losses. Which is a drastic difference. Now this is just reading some tea leaves and making some roster assumptions based on what info we have so alot could change plus we need.to see Cal get his fire back so who knows I may be totally wrong with an educated guess. Lol
I am cautiously optimistic.
I do not see us as a national title contender, but I can see us improving.
First, we will have a handful of guys back. They will help get the new guys up to speed. We didn’t have that this past year.
Second, the guys will have a full offseason together to gel a bit more. If the pandemic numbers continue to go down and the restrictions continue to be loosened, that will help too.
Third, with a normal schedule, we will have time to develop into a team without being beaten down. Sprinkle in 7-8 more cupcakes and we will likely at least have a winning season.
Finally, if Mintz returns, we should have an experienced backcourt which will mean less turnovers and less losses.
If Mintz does not return and Cal does not find an adequate veteran to replace him, then it’s another year with a Freshman PG and my optimism takes a major hit.
Mintz returning would go a long way in making me feel better about this team. With Mintz, we have the hope of being a tourney team this year. Without him, I am just not sure.
I do not see us as a national title contender, but I can see us improving.
First, we will have a handful of guys back. They will help get the new guys up to speed. We didn’t have that this past year.
Second, the guys will have a full offseason together to gel a bit more. If the pandemic numbers continue to go down and the restrictions continue to be loosened, that will help too.
Third, with a normal schedule, we will have time to develop into a team without being beaten down. Sprinkle in 7-8 more cupcakes and we will likely at least have a winning season.
Finally, if Mintz returns, we should have an experienced backcourt which will mean less turnovers and less losses.
If Mintz does not return and Cal does not find an adequate veteran to replace him, then it’s another year with a Freshman PG and my optimism takes a major hit.
Mintz returning would go a long way in making me feel better about this team. With Mintz, we have the hope of being a tourney team this year. Without him, I am just not sure.
Actually, that’s probably what would get him into the NBA too. It got Chuck Hayes a paycheck for 12 years.
we HAVE to be better next year, because according to the objective analytics, UK was the unluckiest team in college basketball! We will win 5 more games based just on better luck alone.
Out of bounds plays!! ”This is hard”, “They are not robots or machines”, ”I like my team” (especially when they try to get the ball inbounds with no movement whatsoever), ”Make a play” and my favorite “GO!!!!! Which only works when you are screaming hysterically and jumping up and down vigorously!!
y!