Brooks and Whitney...

[MdWIldcat55]

...are fixin’ to go Beast Mode on Kentucky opponents. It is going to be fun to watch.

Happy Thanksgiving Cat fans. A good day for some Smooth-style predictions. This is mine, and I have a high degree of confidence in it.

 

[akaukswoosh]

Works for me.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

We will miss Sestina make no mistake about it but hopefully the young bucks step up and we don't take any Ls.

 

[drbubba]

Let's go bananas.

 

[ORCAT]

They need to step up NOW and take up some of the slack from missing Sestina. As Cal says, next man up and it's their time. Let's do it guys!

 

[Jonathan40330]

I'm doubting "beast mode" is an apt description. I believe both will offer meaningful minutes with minimal to moderate contributions with the occasional "good game".

 

[HerrosHeroes]

Only playing once a week while Nate heals is beneficial as well.

 

[pardaisy]

Only playing once a week while Nate heals is beneficial as well.

Will need the freshmen to step up. Going miss Nate’s leadership as he was the vocal one on the floor.

 

[KyFaninNC]

They need to grow up fast. Hopefully they will.

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

Only playing once a week while Nate heals is beneficial as well.

Beneficial to the team's record, but not so much to the young guys' growth curve. I can't see how practices can be real competitive (in a 5 on 5 setting) as shorthanded as we are.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

...are fixin’ to go Beast Mode on Kentucky opponents. It is going to be fun to watch.

Happy Thanksgiving Cat fans. A good day for some Smooth-style predictions. This is mine, and I have a high degree of confidence in it.

I hope you're right, buddy. I've been high on KW for a long time now. Just waiting for him to have that breakout game. Same goes for Brooks.

I believe KW is a beast waiting to be unleashed. Once the college game slows down for him, I look for him to be a big time contributor. The extra playing time the two of them will get from Nate's injury should prove to be very beneficial for the both of them. If there's one silver lining to this injury, that would be it.

 

[bucsrule8872]

It will be good minutes for them. It will help them in the long run.

Hopefully Cal likes what he sees of the small ball lineup and uses it more often.

We will miss Sestina’s ability to rebound and talk on the floor. His banging as well. Plus he stretches the defense with the threat of the 3 point shot (though it’s not falling, coaches/players know he is a capable shooter). We should be better defensively, since Sestina is a liability on that end of the floor. Brooks and Whitney are a lot quicker/more athletic and shouldn’t get burned by guards on the switch.

This could be a blessing in disguise. If these guys get going offensively, then when Sestina comes back Cal won’t have to play him so many minutes.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

My hope is that we all look back on the month of December as that critical period when KW and KB took a massive step forward from a development standpoint. More minutes = more time to learn.

 

[4UK]

I don't ever want to see someone get hurt, but this solves three glaring issues on the team.

For starters, Hagans, Quickley and Maxey are 3 of our 4 best players. They really need to be on the court together for as many minutes as they can handle.

Second, Sestina is a liability on defense. This should be a good/great defensive team, but that advantage was negated with Sestina on the floor. Teams knew all they had to do was isolate him and wait for him to break down.

And finally, at this point in their careers, Brooks definitely and Whitney, maybe to a lesser degree, are more small-ball 4's than wing players. They both bring a ton of good qualities to the floor, but hanging out on the wing and shooting threes isn't one of them. This will force them to play in a way that they -- and frankly Cal -- may have been reluctant to do otherwise. This, in turn, will open up more minutes for Juzang to hopefully gain some confidence and find his shot, which we will need.

The downside, obviously, is now you are perilously thin.

 

[TNCatfanforever]

These two becoming significant contributors can make a huge difference

 

[jameslee32]

I like my team. Especially when healthy.

 

[jameslee32]

I don't ever want to see someone get hurt, but this solves three glaring issues on the team.

For starters, Hagans, Quickley and Maxey are 3 of our 4 best players. They really need to be on the court together for as many minutes as they can handle.

Second, Sestina is a liability on defense. This should be a good/great defensive team, but that advantage was negated with Sestina on the floor. Teams knew all they had to do was isolate him and wait for him to break down.

And finally, at this point in their careers, Brooks definitely and Whitney, maybe to a lesser degree, are more small-ball 4's than wing players. They both bring a ton of good qualities to the floor, but hanging out on the wing and shooting threes isn't one of them. This will force them to play in a way that they -- and frankly Cal -- may have been reluctant to do otherwise. This, in turn, will open up more minutes for Juzang to hopefully gain some confidence and find his shot, which we will need.

The downside, obviously, is now you are perilously thin.

:100points:

 

[revcort]

We will miss Sestina make no mistake about it but hopefully the young bucks step up and we don't take any Ls.

Their time for developing slowly just ended. Sestina was the insurance policy against those 2 being wet behind the ears. So, it's time to step up and show your quality. The guy who must step up his game immediately is Whitney. If he doesn't, he's gonna hurt the team. But it actually could be a great opportunity for him. It starts in tomorrow's game.

 

[ubtrapper_rivals103836]

I like Whitney. You can just tell he's trying to do the things Cal is teaching him. He has the right attitude and skill set to become a legit lottery pick. Maybe not after 1 year but after 2 for sure.

Brooks can be that guy after a couple years in our program. He has to get stronger for the way he plays but if he comes back next year and works on his shooting as well, he has the potential.