As a fan who was high on their potential, I agree fully with your long term prognosis for this group Grom. As they currently operate, there's nothing that speaks to being anything more than a play in NCAA team. They don't do anything elite as a team. Individuals have talent but there's little cohesion on the court and mixing/matching is taking place too often for no apparent reason.
My biggest critique of what's changed in Cal since the '10-'14 seasons (yes I include '15 in the negative aspect of his approach)is how often he's allowing opponents to determine how the games are played. Using a premeditated approach in sports is awful. Games take on their own lives, and you have to adjust. Plans are great, but any coach who has coached at any level will tell you that more often than not you are adjusting on the fly. It could be due to your opponent's level of play but also is about who is/isn't playing well for your team. Key is to always make your opponent's weakness beat you and not their strength. That said, as everyone here who has read my criticism of the program about this particular aspect, it's how Cal lets the opponent dictate the pace of the game. It's maddening. It's also something you don't have to accept. Never let anyone tell you that you can't speed up your opponent. Absolutely incorrect. The fact is you can, but you also must be willing to accept you'll give up a few hoops while getting them to speed up and overtake an opponent.
Why is this is an issue? At Kentucky where you'll have an advantage you'll want to have more possessions in a game where your manpower advantage wins out. Cal had the deepest team in country and possibly in NCAA history in '15. Now think of how many games were close and scores were low due to allowing his opponents to slow them down, grind...and hope they would get a shot/break here or there. When you have that level of talent, you press and increase pace not because it's best say to play, but it's playing to your advantage as a program--depth/talent. More possessions, better team will win the game 99.9% of the time. That's any sport too. Not just Basketball. If you want to look at a team that Cal did a fantastic job of adjusting to pace it was '17 team. He really let them go and play aggressively. That season was his best coaching job since '14 Postseason IMO. After that...it's been too much of same and as he ages he's afraid of every opponent.
It's Kentucky--you take on big time games and you go in expecting to win. Who gives a crap what THEY are doing. It's Kentucky. Cal is now telling guys "We have to slow it down because Bellermine....." WTF?? **** them. UCLA was in 80s when they beat them. Yale? You are up 25-12 early, offensive attack is flowing and then predetermined subs come in and ruin the chemistry/flow of the game. I'll say this to his defense, if I were running a program, I'd want my top 8 to be guys who can/should get mins and rest should be developmental guys who will be seeing increased mins as careers advance. You'll only be playing 6/7 heavy mins and 8th is a role player usually. It's why '12 was actually higher quality depth then '15 when you think of how much the top 6 could do on the court with Wiltjer being a 3pt sniper as 7th. But at no damn point do I give a **** what "THEY" are doing. We are going to go in and set the tone and they have to adjust. If a player is off, find someone else. If that plan is being shredded, adjust but tone will be fast paced and up/down and aggressive. Cal's letting teams slow them down, his team is walking it up...and possessions are limited. Playing through Oscar isn't good for rest of team overall. It killed them in Michigan State game late.
Cal like most coaches think defensively but the issue is that defense wins games, offense wins championships. Your best defense is often your ability to score the ball. Hard for most to match that. He's got the personnel/potential but turn them loose and get after opponents. Quit living in fear. I mean UK smacks Vols a few years ago, crowd is busting their *** at Rupp and Cal is waving not to say "overrated". WTF?? Rick Barnes is a good regular season coach and a hack in big games. That is until he gets to face his good friend Cal. Then he treats him like a punk.
Whatever happened to the Cal who was willing to do whatever it took and didn't give a damn what everyone thought? Now he's running for office and approval for being a UN Ambassador. Want to do that? Cool. Then quit coaching basketball. Sports isn't about friendship or being fair, it's about doing what it takes to produce championships/wins. This isn't remotely close to the man who was hired and hard for soft older people to get that hate back. Hope it happens but hope isn't a plan nor is anything I'm seeing UK do on the court.
