I have been critical of and skeptical of this team. It's one game but it's a big one. Happy to see my skepticality was misplaced and unwarranted.....until the next loss.
I'll admit club
- Thread starter sambowieshin_rivals
- Start date
Merry Christmas. Trust in Cal- it would do you wonders.
I’ll admit I thought we’d lose. Glad I was wrong!
Until the next loss LOL. That's the problem. Stop waiting for the next loss or the wheels to fall off. This team is rounding into forum and today are PG emerged.
What exactly are you eating crow for?
A few weeks ago, I was frustrated because we were playing terribly. Tonight we played our best game of the season. Does that mean we didn't play terribly a few weeks ago?
A few weeks ago, I was frustrated because we were playing terribly. Tonight we played our best game of the season. Does that mean we didn't play terribly a few weeks ago?
That people have to learn the normal process of a season here at Kentucky under Cal. Far too much weight is put on early season results. No reason to freak out if we play poorly early on. Will we win the title? Idk, we don't have super talent to cover deficiencies early like 2012 or 2010. But we will be ready to contend.
I'm eating crow because it tastes good today. I really didn't expect us to pull out a win against the Cheats. I never stated this on the Rafters but that doesn't make it any less crow worthy.
Folks should not be as fickle as one loss or one win making the difference between insane negativity towards Cal & "I was wrong, Cal's the man".
It's just stupid!
It's just stupid!
I don't even watch many games till they get near Christmas. You can't tell anything in November games and there are too many schlep games in between the big opponents. I watched Duke and that was just a team that was way overconfident because of the bahamas getting overwhelmed by better talent because they didn't execute and then let go of the rope early. That game warped their confidence quite a bit imo and they are finally getting it back. I believe we had too many bodies at the guard position also. Herro was struggling to get in rhythm coming on and off the floor too often. With Quade gone I believe he really starts to get in a groove over the next few weeks and will be one of our strongest assets through SEC play. This is going to be a tough year in the SEC, most of the games are going to be against teams that are either really well coached or have several really good players and 3 or 4 teams have both.
Mentally, I was prepared for UK to lose the game but still thought we had a decent chance to win as always.
I wasnt planning on them having a defensive coming out party against an offense like Carolinas.
They were "willing passers" (cal speak) today and that helped as well.
I wasnt planning on them having a defensive coming out party against an offense like Carolinas.
They were "willing passers" (cal speak) today and that helped as well.
I obviously wanted us to win, but expected a loss. However I think we all get an out. That was not the same team we’d seen the first 10 games. Their effort and intensity was at a whole different level. I think it was as much about Duke as UNC. They were embarrassed, and UNC was the first game since against an elite team to prove a point. They did, and are back in the conversation.
To me it’s pretty simple. We got back to playing fast, uptempo, in your face, balls to the wall Basketball.
Pretty much how we played for four games in the Bahamas when this team looked great.
Hopefully we keep this same uptempo and pressure defense the rest of the season.
Pretty much how we played for four games in the Bahamas when this team looked great.
Hopefully we keep this same uptempo and pressure defense the rest of the season.
I have to confess, I've been a little down about it all, since the end of last season actually. Outside the SEC Tournament and the Louisville game, the team was very hard for me to watch. The games in the Bahamas were impressive, but then the Duke fiasco hit..and I slipped into my own personal slump of enthusiasm about it all.
All that being said, I had a funny feeling we'd win yesterday and look going doing it. Yesterday was one of the greatest team efforts I've seen from UK in years, and the encouraging thing for me is we looked like a complete team, without some of the holes that the last few years have exposed. Even Nick looked pretty good the brief time he played. College basketball is a funny game, and of all the sports..it depends so much on who gets hot when. I'm excited for the first time in quite a while.
All that being said, I had a funny feeling we'd win yesterday and look going doing it. Yesterday was one of the greatest team efforts I've seen from UK in years, and the encouraging thing for me is we looked like a complete team, without some of the holes that the last few years have exposed. Even Nick looked pretty good the brief time he played. College basketball is a funny game, and of all the sports..it depends so much on who gets hot when. I'm excited for the first time in quite a while.
I am happy but still skeptical. Everyone is comparing Hagans to Rondo. It was one game. Last week Baker hit two shots...how many did he hit....it’s not a sprint it’s a marathon....Let’t enjoy this win. My biggest games are U of L and UT....hate them.
My crow is because I thought by how both teams had been playing that we had zero chance to beat the Cheats. I was wrong, wrong brings on crow eating.
I'm still not certain this is going to be a great team. I am fairly certain it's not going to be a fiasco.
I'm not knee-jerk enough that I ever really thought that, anyway, but every coach has had at least one team where things just spiraled down way below expectations, and never came back up (I think 13-14 UK came very close to that, but then the tournament run happened. Even more than 12-13, when I think the expectations were more out of whack with the actual talent, even before the team suffered a death blow injury when they finally seemed to be finding a groove).
With the recent recruiting losses and the way things ended last season, it was hard not to be negative.
I do think we might be in a Cal lull. It happens. From 05-06 through 14-15, Cal went 327-52, and 35-8 in the tournament. The only thing that prevents that from being mentioned with runs by the greatest coaches in the games history is that there was only 1 title, when it certainly should have been at least 2, and easily could have been as many as 4.
From 94-95 through 96-97, Krzyzewski went 55-40 (even if 19 of those games get dumped on poor Pete Gaudet). And honestly, from 1998 through the present, he has not been a great tournament coach. But because he's been around so long, all that matters are the titles, and he's managed to snag 3 more.
Roy Williams followed up his 09 title with a 6 year run that saw a 156-64 record, and no FF's.
If Cal stays around long enough, he'll get another title. Maybe not this year, maybe not next, but I think he's too competitive to just fade away in the manner some HOF coaches did (Knight and Crum leap to mind).
I'm not knee-jerk enough that I ever really thought that, anyway, but every coach has had at least one team where things just spiraled down way below expectations, and never came back up (I think 13-14 UK came very close to that, but then the tournament run happened. Even more than 12-13, when I think the expectations were more out of whack with the actual talent, even before the team suffered a death blow injury when they finally seemed to be finding a groove).
With the recent recruiting losses and the way things ended last season, it was hard not to be negative.
I do think we might be in a Cal lull. It happens. From 05-06 through 14-15, Cal went 327-52, and 35-8 in the tournament. The only thing that prevents that from being mentioned with runs by the greatest coaches in the games history is that there was only 1 title, when it certainly should have been at least 2, and easily could have been as many as 4.
From 94-95 through 96-97, Krzyzewski went 55-40 (even if 19 of those games get dumped on poor Pete Gaudet). And honestly, from 1998 through the present, he has not been a great tournament coach. But because he's been around so long, all that matters are the titles, and he's managed to snag 3 more.
Roy Williams followed up his 09 title with a 6 year run that saw a 156-64 record, and no FF's.
If Cal stays around long enough, he'll get another title. Maybe not this year, maybe not next, but I think he's too competitive to just fade away in the manner some HOF coaches did (Knight and Crum leap to mind).
I just hope when we do loose again. We reflect seton hall lost. Then when we loose again hopefully we reflect the 3rd lost. Each step of way building towards redemption on some damn team from durham n.c.
In 1 and done era. It only takes one season to right the ship. I dont think this is over. People are forgetting we are in 1 and done age. Our loses are not just on the court during this final drought. Its also few other things. It could very well flip and land just right. We celebrate once more. I still believe. Will always will. Ya just never know. Judging a team in season is leverage of odds. But not always the tru measure stick. Most non of anybody picked uconn to win crown. Or butler to be there. Folks need to chill out. Ball goes through hoop in march. Things change. Every year tough teams in all brackets, bad matchups. All kinds of stuff added to our string of loses.
We didn't see this one coming,I didn't think we would beat them either.Being wrong is not as bad as folks let on sometimes.
Does that mean we won't play terribly next week? There are still areas of concern, I loved the win and enjoyed it as much as anybody but we still have a long way to go. A lot of positives I hadn't seen before but there are 3 months to go.
Nobody needs an out for thinking we would lose yesterday. We weren’t even favored.
Nobody needs an out for recognizing that we’ve played poorly for much of the season.
But there are a lot of posters around here who are far past the point of rational discussion of our pluses and minuses. A lot of those posters are suddenly silent, for some reason. They don’t get an out from me, nor do they deserve one, imo.
It’s like some have never seen us succeed later and instead of sooner. It happens most years under Cal.
Decent post. I can agree for the most part. I would simply say our new guys are learning how to play at the college level speed.
Spacing, passing, blocking out, shot selection, and D were all improved. They will keep this learning curve up and I can’t wait to see the end results.
Perfect!!! I would never say or even think that a UK win was not an option or wasn’t going to happen against any foe. What the *** is that????
Everyone has been frustrated. Everyone has had fair criticism and critique. If you called for staff to be fired, said that Cal is not a Coach, said anything about the players that wasn't constructive, then those things are out of line and unacceptable. We all say, why is Cal doing this or that. What is wrong with thinking we may lose a game? The over the line say, the game has passed him by Faaar Cal. This team sucks so bad they will miss the NIt...JMO
But it isn't one game. Since the Seton Hall game started we have been a different team. Yes we lost to Seton Hall but we played great D . That kid just couldnt miss from 3 and he was defended well. And then once we lost Green we even went to another level . The last 2 games we have played the D we played against Seton Hall but on offense we have had much more defined roles as I said in the other thread I started about this . It isn't one game. It isn't 10 games either but it is a good trend .
This. Ita fair to have criticized the way they had played and decisions Cal had made. Its also fair to say people need to be patient. Internet makes everything an either or proposition when there's a whole lot of grey area. Politics makes that starkly apparent. Same on here. I said Cal needs to change his strategy, still think that, glad we are coming together at a critical time.
Never understood the angst related to a team that was 7-2 before last night and was clearly showing improvement from game to game. Especially Johnson. If Kentucky was 2 and 7, then yes, but 7 and 2??
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