Was his decision not to return a blessing in disguise? Look I love Oscar but this team wouldn’t work with him on the floor. We would still be running offense through him, but since he left this team shows a lot of potential and the spacing is very important.
Oscar
- Thread starter Kentucky_SportsX
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Not really, I would love to have him since we don’t really have a big right now. Dickinson at Kansas wouldn’t push him around.
He would have clogged the middle some but he could still rebound if we didn’t go thru him and had him working on his jumper.
He would have clogged the middle some but he could still rebound if we didn’t go thru him and had him working on his jumper.
I would have still accepted Oscar back with open arms.
If he wanted to come back, you take him and make it work. But like you said, I think overall this team fits better without a big like him.
When our rebounding sucks this season you might change your mind.
Yes!!! I said this last year. Like you, I love Oscar and think he is the best college rebounder in the last 30-50 yrs. He also had a very high motor. He’ll be one of my all-time favorites.
HOWEVER, he wasn’t made for modern basketball. He also couldn’t defend the pick and roll and was getting picked on.
Nothing would make me happier than to see him develop a respectable jump shot and to have a long pro career. But, he forces a coach to play a certain way and would have been a bad fit for what they want to do.
Did I say how much I loved watching Oscar play!
He had a nose for the ball, but people are ignoring the fact that there were times that he put Oscar and Oscar's rebounds ahead of doing things for the better of the team. Likable guy on the court.
Better team without him this season. Wouldn’t work with O clogging the lane. Just wouldn’t work. Love the dude, but best he moved on.
There is no reason Oscar can’t thrive for any college team being a garbage man and rebounder. He just needed to be utilized better and not as a focus on offense. We had a great offense with him in 2022 before Cal completely lost his mind with how to play him in 23.
There will be games where we wish we had him but overall I like the roster as is. Add Bradshaw and we'll be deadly.
You’re not going to win big in today’s basketball world when your best player and offensive threat is a back to the goal big. Love Oscar but he does not fit with this team.
Oscar was a nice story in middle of "doom and gloom" but extremely limited and weakness iut weight positive .... Mitchell is the truth
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I'd love to have Oscar on this team or any other team. He played harder than anyone we've seen here in the last 5 years and his ankles weren't made of glass. When we play a team with legit big men and get dominated on the boards, we'll get to see the value Oscar brought. He was tough, durable, and one of the best college basketball rebounders of all time.
No! Absolutely not. He would be doubting everyones Christianity and make this team not enjoy basketball. Worst 3 years of basketball for UK. Out of here!
He also still ran the floor well, Mitchell would hide his deficiencies better than Livingston could IMO. Cal needed to play different and let him get his points on put-backs and cuts/lobs. I’d love to see him with these guards as his first year showed how good we could be when they were healthy. He also shot the mid range pretty well.
UCONN just won a title with a dude who played very similar to him so yeah it’s possible.
The worst 3 years of basketball for UK? Atleast you’re not dramatic or anything.
Yeah, I mean what dumbass would want the best offensive rebounder in KY history on our team. Makes zero sense. Especially since all three current big man are stranded on the bench.
(ok, you guys got the jacket ready for the OP?)
(ok, you guys got the jacket ready for the OP?)
Oscar was a good player against certain opponents. His lack of lateral quickness and difficulty defending in space hurt the team quite a bit at times. There's always room on a roster for someone who can get you double digit rebounds a game like big O.
Thiero could end up playing a similar role, and he's a quick twitch athlete who can recover much better off a pick than Oscar.
Thiero could end up playing a similar role, and he's a quick twitch athlete who can recover much better off a pick than Oscar.
When you have no one else you do.
Oscar would fit perfectly with this team.
You wouldn’t have to run anything thru him.
He was the focus last season because we had no one else you could make the focus.
You want to run offense thru Toppin?
Livingston started to come around late.
Loved Oscar, but his defense was atrocious. He couldn’t guard his shadow.
We needed a reset. He was an absolute liability on defense and offered 0 rim protection. Enjoyed while he was here but we were 1-2 with him in the NCAA tournament and couldn't even get to the Finals of the SEC tournament with him.
Not his fault everyone was hurt his first year, not much help his second year. Him and Reeves carried us all year. Wallace was a beast but it takes more than 3 dudes to win.
Yes he had some issues on defense but a real coach could have found ways to help cover that
Tre and Oscar are literally the same height, also yes we will miss his rebounding but can Oscar spread the floor like Tre and consistently knock down the three ball? The answer is no, call me crazy but Tre will end up being a better player than Oscar. Oscar had one job and it was rebounding. He clogged the lane constantly and would throw up wild shots. This team is much better without him, time will tell
That’s true. Giving up the POY is a choice any sane person would make. Especially when your front court is decimated. So what if he averages over a dozen boards. I mean who needs some that plays constently like that?
His leaving likely ends up being a net positive, but watching opponents have wide open offensive rebounds turn into layups is frustrated I must say. One thing you could always count on Oscar is to prioritize rebounding. I don't think I want Oscar back but he spoiled some of our guys not ever needing to worry about rebounding. He worried enough about it for everyone.
The negative of course is clogging up the paint and his struggling passing out of the double team.
The negative of course is clogging up the paint and his struggling passing out of the double team.
He just wasn't a good fit. Back to the basket bigs just don't cut it when they are the focal point offensively. Especially when they are undersized like Oscar was. I'm still glad we had him though for all the bad stuff.
Only at UK would you have fans claim the team is better without a former POY.
A team with zero healthy big men, at that.
When we get made fun of by other fanbases, I will always remember the incompetence in this thread.
PS: Op is a troll and most of the replies are as well.
A team with zero healthy big men, at that.
When we get made fun of by other fanbases, I will always remember the incompetence in this thread.
PS: Op is a troll and most of the replies are as well.
The grass is obviously greener at UK. He went from an incompetent coach at WVU to a coach who turned him into the Player of the year at UK. Not hard to figure out why but it requires thinking and…. Ehhhhh never mind.
What is the point of this thread? To subtly bash an ex player and ex National Player of the year?
The fact that the team couldn't do better with Oscar falls squarely on the shoulders of our non-coaching coach. He could have changed strategy and the way we play to maximize Oscar's strengths and minimize his weaknesses. But our coach has no strategy other than doing as little coaching as possible and taking as much credit he can for players getting drafted.
The fact that the team couldn't do better with Oscar falls squarely on the shoulders of our non-coaching coach. He could have changed strategy and the way we play to maximize Oscar's strengths and minimize his weaknesses. But our coach has no strategy other than doing as little coaching as possible and taking as much credit he can for players getting drafted.
Good lord the mental gymnastics some of our fans are capable of…
Oscar on this particular team wouldn’t be the focal point. He’d be able to rebound and clean up…with the occasional back to the basket look. He ran the floor so well too. Not wanting him over what we currently have (NOTHING), is honestly one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen on this site. And that’s saying something.
Wtf is wrong with some of you people?
Oscar on this particular team wouldn’t be the focal point. He’d be able to rebound and clean up…with the occasional back to the basket look. He ran the floor so well too. Not wanting him over what we currently have (NOTHING), is honestly one of the dumbest things I’ve ever seen on this site. And that’s saying something.
Wtf is wrong with some of you people?
Oscar was a poor ball handler, atrocious defender and below avg shooter. He caused issues with the team dynamics, he didn't even live at the lodge, he didn't appear to take well to hard coaching, and he didn't possess much athleticism, so lob options were pretty limited.
His one great skill was rebounding, but even that often came at the expense of other things. When you give up more than you offer, you're just a net negative.
As a person, Oscar seemed like a good dude who could really connect with fans. As a player who can help a team reach a championship level, Oscar seemed like a liability.
I'm much happier with what we currently have, and the 3 bigs are all a better fit for this team.
His one great skill was rebounding, but even that often came at the expense of other things. When you give up more than you offer, you're just a net negative.
As a person, Oscar seemed like a good dude who could really connect with fans. As a player who can help a team reach a championship level, Oscar seemed like a liability.
I'm much happier with what we currently have, and the 3 bigs are all a better fit for this team.
Losing Oscar means the Wildcats' shooting percentage better go up by at least 15%.
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