“Duke game will be harder than I thought”. Couple of different ways to interpret that, to me I read that as He thought they would beat Duke pretty easy. You notice he’s not saying the typical if we don’t play good we’ll get killed like he does early in most seasons. I think he is very confident and last night was more about playing different combos and that team was pretty damn good.
Anybody catch Cal comment after game
- Thread starter Sparkaces
- Start date
This team can turn it off and on, which has plus and minuses. They will need to play in the “on” mode for 40 minutes to beat dUKe..
Hopefully, the defense will take a giant step forward on Tuesday.
Hopefully, the defense will take a giant step forward on Tuesday.
Cal knew full well what this team is capable of, his quote is coach speak.
I'm concerned about the Duke game, but then I remember we have some highly competitive guys like Herro, PJ, and Johnson. Reid can be thrown in as well. These guys will possibly make some mistakes due to jitters.. but they'll be engaged 110%. That you can count on.
If Kentucky loses, it won't be because lack of effort.
I'm concerned about the Duke game, but then I remember we have some highly competitive guys like Herro, PJ, and Johnson. Reid can be thrown in as well. These guys will possibly make some mistakes due to jitters.. but they'll be engaged 110%. That you can count on.
If Kentucky loses, it won't be because lack of effort.
Duke will have jitters too. Huge first game. Big time atmosphere. Glad we’ve got key players with experience. I like our chances.
Everything your saying applies to them as well. 3 best players playing their first college game they have no clue how to play any D as well. I predict our D will be a lot better than theirs.
Actually this team in the 1st 6 games has played some great D in stretches but when you have 6 new players it is going to take time to be a good D team . If that isn't obvious I don't know what to tell you. What is so impressive is how good we are offensively though. Also Johnson and Hagans have a higher defensive ceilings then any freshman we have ever had minus MKG or Noel. As I said a few weeks ago the first 2 months we will win by outscoring people , the last 2 months we will win by holding opponents to 55-65 points IMO . Which is how good teams develop. Much easier to learn D then O . You either are a scorer or not . We have a whole team of weapons.
Not that 1 game in November matters much , even against Duke but Duke doesn't have shooters and that is what is needed to keep up with us.
My prediction is 88-79 UK . Duke has a 10 pt halftime lead and then we come out in the 2nd half and out score them by 19 as guys like Herro drain tons of 3s.
I don't know why we try to analyze everything Cal says. You guys are going to drive yourselves crazy trying to keep up with Cal's coach speak. He sends way too many messages to different people (players, fans, opposing coaches, media etc… ) and there is no way of knowing what is a real comment and what is an inside comment intended to send a message.
Cal is a master at delivering messages when the microphone is on. He's so good at it that he doesn't even have to prepare.
Just tune in at 10pm Tuesday night when the game tips (we're following a game where a BIG10 team is playin, the one BIG10 team that always finds a way to milk a game way longer than a game should last and still end up losing by 15).
Cal is a master at delivering messages when the microphone is on. He's so good at it that he doesn't even have to prepare.
Just tune in at 10pm Tuesday night when the game tips (we're following a game where a BIG10 team is playin, the one BIG10 team that always finds a way to milk a game way longer than a game should last and still end up losing by 15).
Last edited:
I think the Duke game will be sloppy at times since it's the first game of the season but in the end UK wins and that's all that matters to me.
I read it as a message to the players that it’s time to pucker up butter cup because beating duke will take focus and execution
We've played pedestrian like basketball several times in the pre-season during Cal's tenure and then came out a totally different team for the big early games. We will see an entirely different team next Tuesday, have faith. Let's get it on!!!!
Last edited:
Back in the good ole Bahama Daze I had thought we would kill Duke with the balance of our team play. Now I'm thinking we in trouble. We not stoping individual drives at all and Duke has three lottery pick drivers. it's like trying to stop 3 Diaz's from last night, only much better Diaz's.
Pressure is more on Duke with all the hype they’ve received.
I think he means exactly what he said. For whatever reason, in the two exhibition games this team has looked nothing like the one we saw in the Bahamas, or frankly the one he's been bragging about in practice. Effort has been inconsistent at best, lacking at worst. Defense is poor. PG play has been shaky to be kind.
When those issues showed up in the first exhibition, Cal likely assumed it was an aberration. When the same problems showed up again in the second game, he's a bit more concerned. He knows there's no such thing as "flipping a switch" for the "big" games. That's just a kind way to describe a team that is inconsistent.
When those issues showed up in the first exhibition, Cal likely assumed it was an aberration. When the same problems showed up again in the second game, he's a bit more concerned. He knows there's no such thing as "flipping a switch" for the "big" games. That's just a kind way to describe a team that is inconsistent.
I feel pretty good about our chances with Duke. I think our kids will rise to the occasion.
I thought of that too. May actually see zone, if Cal really wants to beat K.
AD’s defensive ceiling was pretty high.
If they do it together they will be fine. When the lights come on will they all try to be the star and do it by themselves?
That could be a good thing. They may be more concerned about getting their numbers than playing together unselfishly. That doesn’t usually end well, even if they’re extremely talented.
Who is duke going to guard successfully? Who is going to stop Reid or PJ in the paint? Who I going to guard The Johnson? Who is going to stop Nick? Yadda, Yadda, Yadda....that is and should be duke's concern. That should be the premise... HA, I only mentioned four players...as Clubber used to state; "I gotta lotta more for you, gotta lotta more. Come on..."
Last edited:
6 blocks and held opponent to 37% shooting from the field. That defense smart guy!
Don’t watch any of the season then, bud!
In front of 23 thousand. Wondering which way the Kansas crowd will swing for UK Duke.
I totally believe you. You are not very confident now. No doubt about it. I think the other "guys" believe you too.
Somebody cares. I'm not sure who but somebody does.
Actually, I think that probably plays in our favor. More pressure on Duke players as individuals to show up and play for themselves.
Oh, he'll be on here for every game pretending to be a UK fan.
F Dook! Our guys will show up with the big lights on. They have ha to hear all the dook talk just like us. They will be ready!
I am not sure any group of individuals will beat this UK "team". (Even this early in the season.) It will take a team effort and selfless play for another team to beat UK this season.
I don't think this is really very accurate. Under Cal preseason performances have been pretty indicative of how the season goes. Here are the average margins of victory in preseason games under Cal, more recent first.
25.0, 36.7, 75.0, 56.0, 58.5, 28.5, 39.0, 64.5, 49.5, 50.5.
Exhibition games may be meaningless, but UK usually wins by 40 points or more. Prior to this season, all preseasons with average margins of victory under 40 points ended with double-digit loss seasons (2018, 2014, 2013). And this preseason is the only one during Cal's tenure with 2 sub-30 margin-of-victory games.
This suggests that this year's team may be less far along in its development than any team under Cal.
I guess I would buy stock in this theory if the control group never changed.Your assessment can hardly be a useful tool in determining much of anything outside of the loose correlation you highlighted between double-digit loss seasons and scoring margin.
Further, if Cal scheduled a terrible team for Friday's game and UK won by 65 instead of 20+ points, your entire assessment would have to take a different narrative. That seems pretty arbitrary, actually.
I agree that it's hard to know if the correlation means anything. It's worth noting, though, that UK has played Transylvania 3 times in the past, so at least that team is not especially better or worse than the usual exhibition team. The 28-pt win is the smallest margin of victory against them.
Probably because the UK's defense stinks right now, and they can't seem to throw a pass to the post. Those two things will make you feel the way Cal feels.
Latest
-
01
KSR
Bio Blast: Youngstown State Penguins
-
02
KSR
KSR Show, 9/1: Listen live from 10 a.m. to noon for Mark Mitchell reactions and more
-
03
KSR
KSR Today: Mitchell Back at Mizzou, Stein Kicks Off Kentucky Game Week
-
04
KSR
Mark Pope shares not-so-subtle response to losing Mark Mitchell
-
05
KSR
KSR's 2026 Kentucky Football Season Predictions