UK vs Nicholls game thread

kybassfan

Heisman
Jul 1, 2005
20,032
16,368
113
Ok, some of you have been struggling with reality lately. This one counts. The ticker tocked. 1 - 0.

Whine and rip out your hair all you want, but….This was not that bad. Few shots drop, fix done blunders on defense, get a couple of players healthy and we’re on track.
 

anon1777473514

Heisman
Jul 30, 2024
6,464
12,940
113
If we just had a decent half of the first half, we score 100 easily
Yeah but if we played second half defense in the first half, we would have given up more than 70 points to Nicholls. We have to be better or we won’t beat Pat Kelsey. I don’t want to imagine a world where we lose to Pat Kelsey.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
46,763
85,456
113
I said we won’t know the real team until like Janurary at earliest and that’s if we can ever get healthy. We may take some early lumps. I didn’t expect that, but injures have definitely taken a toll and some players are not living up to the hype.
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
46,763
85,456
113
Ok, some of you have been struggling with reality lately. This one counts. The ticker tocked. 1 - 0.

Whine and rip out your hair all you want, but….This was not that bad. Few shots drop, fix done blunders on defense, get a couple of players healthy and we’re on track.
I sure hope so, a lot to work on. Getting healthy will solve a lot of issues. Hope we eventually can be.
 

BMR1987

Senior
Mar 5, 2025
270
646
87
Second half was better but we've got to get better real quick. The Georgetown exhibition and the first half tonight were alarming. A lot of sloppy passes, bad shot selection, bad body language and energy. Chemisty and cohesion more than anything has to improve if we want to get where we want. There is still plenty of time but now is the time to get serious and our guys need to play if they're truly healthy enough to play. What we saw tonight is not going to cut it in real games against the big boys and even some of the better mid-majors. Chandler dunk was amazing, though. He shows flashes, just needs to become consistent.
 

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
47,700
71,064
113
Yeah but if we played second half defense in the first half, we would have given up more than 70 points to Nicholls. We have to be better or we won’t beat Pat Kelsey. I don’t want to imagine a word where we lose to Pat Kelsey.

But we didn't. I haven't seen the stats yet, but I would imagine each team had a ton more possessions in the second half as well. I think defense will be a bit better with our guys fully healthy. And JQ back out there.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,454
62,073
113
Honestly... no. At least so far, I'm just not seeing the hallmarks of a team that will seriously contend for a title. The Purdue game seems like fool's gold at this point... and/or Purdue was vastly overrated. But it's early, and we haven't seen our actual team yet with so many guys dinged up. So hopefully we get healthy and we end up looking way better soon. I just don't know how optimistic I should be that this will come to pass.

Youre kind of answering your own concerns though. Of course this team will improve. Every year UK improves unless theres a major injury.

I think beating a Kenpom 160th team by 26, down a few players, down our most important player (starting point guard).. I dont really think I can expect much more. Now if they play like this in january, thats a problem. But I see no reason to think that
 
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hotelblue.0

Redshirt
Sep 18, 2025
19
24
3
here’s the bottom line. like always, the guy to beat us is a scoring combo guard who is quick. other than that you’re not scoring much on this team.

dioubate, aberdeen, oweh can all lean on people defensively. once we get q, that will make 4 guys in our starting lineup.

johnson and chandler will each have some big games for us. moreno and v look way more serviceable than i anticipated. guys like garrison, noah are all going to contribute.

we lack some shooting overall. we lack high level quickness. but we don’t need 85 points this year. maybe 70. we will blanket people inside the arc. we get some defensive chemistry and the big guy, and we will be in every game and hard to beat by march.
 
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bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
47,700
71,064
113
If Pope starts DA that would’ve prolly happened.

Makes no sense not to start DA if you was gonna play him regardless cuz you can still limit his minutes if he’s starting.

I think it was more he thought we'd probably not need him that early. Whelp....
 

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
47,700
71,064
113
I mean after the Georgetown game what would make him think that ….they played zero urgency w/o DA compared to him playing vs Purdue. I get it was Nicholls but signs are right in front of you.

Pope isnt Cal.
 

hotelblue.0

Redshirt
Sep 18, 2025
19
24
3
i would trap the hell out of teams with this lineup. you go one side and it’s aberdeen and oweh, the other way it’s aberdeen and chandler or dioubate. this team has some pitino type fibers to it.

i kind of wish we could get away with aberdeen being pg. we obviously need lowe’s speed and scoring though.
 

Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,024
4,185
108
Omg lol. This is Pope’s version of “we haven’t worked on zone”. SMH. I love Pope but gimme a break

I actually think it’s 100 accurate. You could easily see they’re not linked up offensively. Pope doesn’t run Calipari offense. His offenses require a lot more movement and team oriented play. I don’t think they have worked too much on it and I think it explained why they looked so bad offensively.

Something to remember is we’ve got 5 on the floor at times that have never played together at all. He probably realized from last year that his offenses offense offense Offense isn’t going to cut it in the SEC. He went out and recruited defensive stoppers, he adjusted. Pope himself isn’t used to that kind of team either.

This team if healthy will be one of the best as long as health is stable and Cam Williams decides to play basketball. He’s my main concern right now. When JQ comes back watch out.

Also, that little issue that we haven’t played a game with our starting point guard. Kind of makes a difference.
 

Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,024
4,185
108
He’s gonna be good when he gets consistent.

Man, he’s still so young. He’s gonna be a straight leader ballin his *** off. Pope knows what he’s doing. He’s retaining guys and building real teams. We haven’t even got started.
 
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BassProCat

Heisman
Jan 5, 2017
12,181
28,113
81
I actually think it’s 100 accurate. You could easily see they’re not linked up offensively. Pope doesn’t run Calipari offense. His offenses require a lot more movement and team oriented play. I don’t think they have worked too much on it and I think it explained why they looked so bad offensively.

Something to remember is we’ve got 5 on the floor at times that have never played together at all. He probably realized from last year that his offenses offense offense Offense isn’t going to cut it in the SEC. He went out and recruited defensive stoppers, he adjusted. Pope himself isn’t used to that kind of team either.

This team if healthy will be one of the best as long as health is stable and Cam Williams decides to play basketball. He’s my main concern right now. When JQ comes back watch out.

Also, that little issue that we haven’t played a game with our starting point guard. Kind of makes a difference.
I’m gonna point out the obvious but the O will look smoother when Lowe is back…yeah I know im Captain Obvious
 

true-blue1

Heisman
May 15, 2007
12,762
11,210
93
I thought after we beat Purdue we improved in the following areas compared to the prior season, we were more physical, blocking out and rebounding but after watching the last 2 games we haven’t. I sure hope they pull it together!
 
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Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,024
4,185
108
I’m gonna point out the obvious but the O will look smoother when Lowe is back…yeah I know im Captain Obvious

we’re fine. Cam and the energy was my problem. I don’t expect these guys to come out of the gate on all cylinders without their PG and best big man, with a rusty aberdeen to start..


Pope is telling the truth you could see they weren’t synced up offensively. Probably the reason for the standing around. There were times there were 5 guys on the court and 4 have never played for pope and not one played with anyone else on the court. You will not look well adjusted to offense when very few know exactly what to do and definitely don’t know what the man next to them is gonna do. And they still showed flashes of what they will be.

people continue to talk about those exhibitions. They are not real games. We don’t know what painter pope were doing. They are throw aways. Wish people could understand this.