Maybe Our Players Are Overated

[mrhotdice]

I’m no Cal supporter but this team appears to have no players that are very savvy and that shows when they play. UK has no PG. and that is one of the reasons they look so bad. Good not great PGs know when to run and when to slow it down. we run when we should walk and visa versa. Oscar is basically a non athletic player and can’t play against teams with guards. He can rebound because of his size, and he can score if a PG gets him the ball in a position we’re his strength overpowers his defender. Good not great PGs understand spacing which this team understands dribbling. The dribble drive doesn’t work if the player dribble drives to the corners of the floor We’re he basically traps himself because of bad spacing. so many time this year you see aUK guard drive to the basket with his head down. who teaches that ? PGs are the QBs and IMHO that’s 75% of UKs problem.

 

[Yardeth]

We don’t have a player that can get his own. We don’t have any buckets and that falls on recruiting

 

[Formerly Imafan4evr_]

Our incoming players, whether transfers or recruits, have been overrated for several years. None of them are program-changing talents. They’re much more evenly matched with opponents than Calipari can possibly manage to win with. He needs overwhelming talent to cover up his pitiful coaching. He hasn’t had that since 2015 (and still managed to bungle that one in the Final Four).

 

[Paulyv94]

This is what I am thinking. Talked to a guy that was at the game and said there were numerous times Cal would tell a player to set a screen, or run a play and they ended up not doing what Cal wanted at all. This team has one good college player and that is Tshiebwe. Hopefully this team can get some quality wins and figure it out, but this is looking like a NIT team at best rn. Im passed being mad and now I am just sad that these guys can't work together. Reeves is a overrated shooter who cannot create his shot unless hits a fast break 3 or a pull up 156 ft jumper, which is a horrible shot to take. Collins is absolutely not ready for D1 ball. Tshiebwe is not the same. Livingston looks lost. Just a bunch of pieces that do not work together. Hard to say if Sharpe was on this team if we would look any better. Probably, but hard to convince me at this point.

 

[Paulyv94]

Our incoming players, whether transfers or recruits, have been overrated for several years. None of them are program-changing talents. They’re much more evenly matched with opponents than Calipari can possibly manage to win with. He needs overwhelming talent to cover up his pitiful coaching. He hasn’t had that since 2015 (and still managed to bungle that one in the Final Four).

To be fair, refs blew a shot clock violation, that swung the game in the last 3 minutes.

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan_rivals377587]

Not near as overrated as the 9 million dollar man.

 

[Tngamecock]

To be fair, refs blew a shot clock violation, that swung the game in the last 3 minutes.

 

[ukcatz12]

Yes our players are overrated. They were hyped way too much after the Bahamas and because they're upperclassmen wearing a Kentucky uniform. That doesn't mean the coaching hasn't been awful this year. The team was overrated going into the season, but it shouldn't be nearly as bad as it is so far.

 

[DaDirtyLeb69]

Take out the maybe. Everything about this basketball program and atheltic department as a whole is overrated

 

[uk78_rivals88018]

I disagree. Wheeler was a first team P.G. statistically. Oscar was player of the year. Fredrick was the best 3 point shooter statistically at Iowa. We have two top 15 rated Freshman in Wallace and Livingston. Collins last year was in the combine suggested as the best Pro prospect. Ugo was described as a "project" except on the defensive end and we always hear you can't teach 7 feet (plus he was in practice supposed to help Oscar learn to play against taller centers). Theiro showed a surprising physical attack pre-season, etc.

I don't disagree that these players are poor with isolation styled offensively but most of the teams we face are necessarily that individually skilled. What they are able to do is screen for mismatches and also seem to have freedom to shoot. Instead our offense is pass it around the outside and try to do an entry pass to Oscar or drive into traffic. So, I don't blame the players and certainly experts had us preseason top 5 based upon our players.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Ultimately, this will be a bit of both. It's bad coaching and on Cal for not developing them.. but they just aren't good either.

For as bad as Cal has been, he WAS able to get big wins even just last year.. with Grady and Brooks and Ty (when these guys were healthy)..

CJ, Toppin, Collins and others are just not very good. Cal needs overwhelming talent to succeed and most of these guys are just OK.

 

[TFCat11]

Nope. Next excuse…

 

[Randy Bob]

This team is not overrated its the coach there is no leadership.

 

[mrhotdice]

I disagree. Wheeler was a first team P.G. statistically. Oscar was player of the year. Fredrick was the best 3 point shooter statistically at Iowa. We have two top 15 rated Freshman in Wallace and Livingston. Collins last year was in the combine suggested as the best Pro prospect. Ugo was described as a "project" except on the defensive end and we always hear you can't teach 7 feet (plus he was in practice supposed to help Oscar learn to play against taller centers). Theiro showed a surprising physical attack pre-season, etc.

I don't disagree that these players are poor with isolation styled offensively but most of the teams we face are necessarily that individually skilled. What they are able to do is screen for mismatches and also seem to have freedom to shoot. Instead our offense is pass it around the outside and try to do an entry pass to Oscar or drive into traffic. So, I don't blame the players and certainly experts had us preseason top 5 based upon our players.

Tell me one player on this team that has gotten better since Wheeler came to UK from Georgia? wheeler plays out of control and does exactly what a PG on this UK team needs to do to lose games. wheeler is not the drink, he needs to be the spoon that stirs the drink. Great PGs are few but being a good PG requires no ego. Assists are more important than points. wheeler plays like he’s trying to prove he’s a NBA PG which is nuts

 

[uk78_rivals88018]

Tell me where Wheeler has been coached properly. Like I posted about Collins yesterday, does Cal ever say stop doing that (outside jump shots), this is not your game, or does he sit and say make plays?

 

[bushrod1965]

There are several good college players on this team if they were in the right system. The coaches job is to adapt his system to the skill sets of the players he has, otherwise it’s the square peg - round hole syndrome. The sum of the parts won’t exceed the value of the pieces if the pieces are not being used correctly. IMO, that’s the train wreck we’re experiencing.

 

[revcort]

Ultimately, this will be a bit of both. It's bad coaching and on Cal for not developing them.. but they just aren't good either.

For as bad as Cal has been, he WAS able to get big wins even just last year.. with Grady and Brooks and Ty (when these guys were healthy)..

CJ, Toppin, Collins and others are just not very good. Cal needs overwhelming talent to succeed and most of these guys are just OK.

Yep, I think this is correct. Bad coaching and average players. Reeves is also timid, to add to your list there. And to be honest, Wallace has made some plays at times but he isn't really an alpha dog, either. Livingston has a D1 body but needs another year. So, in crucial moments, when we must have baskets or even stops on the other end, these guys don't step up. Maybe they can't step up. I don't think they have bad attitudes or won't accept coaching. I think it's just that they lack the ability and can't make the plays needed. The whole thing ultimately falls on Calipari, though. There's no way around it. And maybe these guys COULD make the plays if they were put in a position to do so. I would also add, if any team ever needed to zone for stretches, it's this one. That would have put a stop to Alabama's dunk party. But Cal won't play zone, ever, and opponents know it.