I love Derek but i unlike most on here call a spade a spade...he stunk last night in every way...go back and watch the game...especially in 2nd half and watch him get pushed around on defensive boards. Look i hope he shakes it off and becomes player hecwas last year but right now he isnt having fun at all
Willis lack of love for the game....disheartening
- Thread starter ulismyman
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Just curious, when did you talk to him? Or are you a mind reader in addition to being a basketball super genius?
Look at his facial expressions and body language...look like he is having fun to you
Looked like he was not having his best game. I didn't get any "vibe" that suggests he was morose about basketball in general.
Its this way, you oversold him. Period. He hasn't lived up to your expectations so you are trying to reconcile that by seeing crap that isn't there.
Bam does the same thing and he should be the "physical leader" FAR before Willis should.
If you don't love the game and program you don't stick around for 4 years, move aside for a freshmen each season, eat scraps, and be the whipping boy.
Being a program guy in an OAD culture is the most thankless position in sports. When the team wins freshmen phenoms walk on water, when we lose it's the fault of the older guys.
We have gotten to an interesting place in this journey where we no longer appreciate role guys for what they are, and we judge them on an unfair scale.
DW probably was never going to be more than what he is so I'm not sure why people see him as some sort of disappointment. He's an 8pt, 5rb, above average shooter. If you projected him to be something else coming out of high school then that is on you.
Maybe, had he gotten 25-30+ mins from his soph season through now and been given a green light and more responsibility from Cal then he'd be something a bit more, but even then I still say he maxes out at 10-12 pts 7-8 rbs. That would be really solid, but it doesn't really change how this season has gone or people's perception of him because folks project such unreasonable expectations on everyone.
If you're not a lotto pick after a year, you're a bust. If you're a guy with a specific skill and not a freak open court hybrid athlete who can play and defend multiple positions, you're a bust. If you're a 3-4 year program/role player type, you're a bust.
Being a program guy in an OAD culture is the most thankless position in sports. When the team wins freshmen phenoms walk on water, when we lose it's the fault of the older guys.
We have gotten to an interesting place in this journey where we no longer appreciate role guys for what they are, and we judge them on an unfair scale.
DW probably was never going to be more than what he is so I'm not sure why people see him as some sort of disappointment. He's an 8pt, 5rb, above average shooter. If you projected him to be something else coming out of high school then that is on you.
Maybe, had he gotten 25-30+ mins from his soph season through now and been given a green light and more responsibility from Cal then he'd be something a bit more, but even then I still say he maxes out at 10-12 pts 7-8 rbs. That would be really solid, but it doesn't really change how this season has gone or people's perception of him because folks project such unreasonable expectations on everyone.
If you're not a lotto pick after a year, you're a bust. If you're a guy with a specific skill and not a freak open court hybrid athlete who can play and defend multiple positions, you're a bust. If you're a 3-4 year program/role player type, you're a bust.
Maybe Willis is just tired of every time he makes any little mistake he gets pulled and yelled at by Cal while "others" on this team that make mistake after mistake and never get pulled because they have 5* by their names.
You're looking at outdated numbers. In reality, Willis is 37 percent on threes and Gabriel around 35 percent.
So, the truth is, there's really not been that much of a difference in their three point shooting. And, if Willis isn't shooting significantly better than Gabriel from the outside, then there's really not much reason to be giving him a lot of playing time.
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Go look at the per minute numbers and the two are about split on stats and neither is significantly better than the other in anything. And let's not pretend that Gabriel is great at D and Willis is awful. Neither are great. The truth is that Willis/Gabriel are pretty interchangeable and playing the one that is better that night is probably the best option.
Sorry, but the facts are one kid has been here 4 years, been prodded, and begged to compete--and the others are or have been here less then 10 months. Out of the 5 Stars you are criticizing--I'll go down the list for you:
Fox--your most important player. How does team look when he's out of game? Or misses games?
Monk--Most explosive offensive player and guy who has to be on court for court spacing to be remotely respectable. Take him out and this team struggles to score.
Bam--He's been playing out of position due to fact the other parts of this team are lacking and unreliable. He's a PF masquerading as a Center. He plays hard every game. Does he play smart? No--he is a FR.
Briscoe--In most classes he's not a 5 star. However, I think he plays hard, and if anything he's trying too hard to be something he's not and has people in his ear that don't help his case. Last night's version was the version that fits this year's team perfectly and when he's at his best.
Gabriel--His strengths in HS were playing near rim and rebounding and shot blocking. He's expanded to be a good outside shooter--and lacks ball handling skills (common theme lately with Young, Poythress and lack of SF). So he's learning on job--I would still go with him and think this team wins with him playing more then Willis. He is going to compete/give effort and you don't have to wonder if he'll show up.
So let's focus on the instate kid. Maybe there's a reason Willis originally committed to Purdue. He wanted the big stage, and UK has delivered. He didn't see court his first two years--and team went to back to back Final Fours, NC game appearance. His role increases, he's an upperclassman that younger players rely on as he's actually played significant minutes--yet he's a guy who doesn't bring intensity or focus and is a defensive liability. So what part of team is crappy? Defense? Yes. Intensity? I'd say they drift. Sounds like your Sr you want to play more. When new people come into a program, they look at how players who have been around approach things. Willis is about as awful of an example as you could set. He disappears, plays scared, doesn't compete when it's hard, checks out, and then is a front runner--when all is going well he'll be rolling. He's a SR who has to be begged to do his role and compete. Sorry--but if anything--this is a signal to Cal that he should avoid more "instate favorites" and go national and stick to the talent he believes in--which was producing the results you all covet.
AMEN.. Willis gets a lot of BS on here and he tries his best. A lot of players looked bad the last 4-5 games.
the simplest explanation is often the best one. willis isnt and has never been, that good.
but he is a ky kid, white, and a shooter...a despite denial by some...those things do matter even if folks are not willing to admit it. but as a result folks have built him into something he was never going to be.
here we are, he is a SR, and now folks are questioning his heart, his love for the game, etc. these people just cant get over he just wasnt that good to begin with. its not his fault your assessment of him from the beginning was way off base.
but he is a ky kid, white, and a shooter...a despite denial by some...those things do matter even if folks are not willing to admit it. but as a result folks have built him into something he was never going to be.
here we are, he is a SR, and now folks are questioning his heart, his love for the game, etc. these people just cant get over he just wasnt that good to begin with. its not his fault your assessment of him from the beginning was way off base.
If Bam was a senior or even a junior I'd agree...
I have no problem with Willis.
He's highly skilled and he seems to be a great kid.
Not necessarily his fault, but I still believe that he's soft.
One of my complaints about Cal...he's had his players who have a very short leash compared to others who can turn the ball over, make lazy passes, play no defense, etc.
Kyle Wiltjer, Poythress the middle of his sophomore season, Marcus Lee his freshmen and most of sophomore year, Mychal Mulder, Isaac Humphries, Derek Willis, and I guess now SKJ all felt Cal's wrath.
They all deserved it at some point, but all players do. And not all players have.
Did you think that maybe it has nothing to do with the number of stars? Maybe he gets pulled because he has been here 4 years and shouldn't still be making the same mistakes that a freshman that has been here 3 months is making? Which would be more frustrating to you as a coach a guy making a mistake that has played 20 games or a guy who has played in almost 100 games making that same mistake?
kev69, your exactly right. Why is it that white players can never be GOOD players for Coach Cal, such as Wiltjer and Willis, but can be good players for other programs, such as Duke, Villanova, Wisconsin, Gonzaga, etc.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
How do you know Willis would be good anywhere else? Wiltjer averaged more points at Gonzaga but he played against weaker competition and was a year older than he was at UK after sitting out a year.
What about skal, bam, fox, skj, the twins...DW isn't the first and won't be the last.one, dare i say, materialized on purpose.
He is what he is....I've seen him hit big shots when we needed big shots and I've seen him make bone head plays at bad times. He's played more the last two years than I ever expected him to...somewhat out of necessity. If it weren't for his three's we'd have gotten run completely out of the arena against Kansas....anyone that expects too much out of him is delusional.
You've obviously never played bball past the 6th grade. Stephon Curry doesn't hit most of his shots every night.
He is very indifferent, just seems to be going thru the motions, probably at this stage of career has tuned Cal out. He is what he is, occasionally can make some 3's. Not interested in defense only occasionally rebounding.
And how do you know that? Josh Harrelson made it to the league, Skal made it to the league and Doron Lamb made it to the league and all averaged at or below what Kyle did his final year here. To think he would have not only not improved but regressed and not made the league is a little presumptuous.
I think this is Willis's problem, he plays not to make a mistake because he knows he will get pulled if he does. Both him and Mulder see they are both on a short leash and play tight. The substitution pattern is not going to change so we are sometimes doing to get a good Willis but most of the time a average or bad Willis.
On somehteams he would be the go to shooter! On this team no one looks go him and he gets discouraged. That is on him though. His job is to do the best he can no matter what. Last year we had an extrtraordinary point guard who made everyone around him better. We don't have that this year. I am not knocking Fox or Briscoe but they aren't that kind of point guard. Oscar Robertson when asked what a point guards duty was, said " to make the last guy on the bench feel important and needed." This team needs that badly. That is on the offensive side on the defense it is hard work and communication that we are missing. If one doesn't take pride in their defense they can't play the game the way it should be played!
Yeah he is a front runner, what about the big shots he hit last year against A&M in the SEC T. None of our players this year are playing up to their capabilities. Plenty of blame to go around. Willis needs to pick up his intensity, but so do the rest of this bunch! We need to play for the University of Kentucky and not for our NBA Draft position and I include Willis in that equation. When the mock drafts come out we have worried more about staying out of foul trouble so we can stay on the floor instead of competing at a high level on defense.
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