Game thread LSUvskentucky

LmdCat

Heisman
Jan 8, 2006
23,627
18,895
0
Right, they have some good pieces, I just need to see more.
I think the more you want to see won't occur without a coaching change. Cal repeatedly puts his team in position to lose. It is what he does best. By the way, why has it taken this long for Cal to use the lobs to the basket considering the leaping ability of this team? This use to be a main staple for a Cal coached team. Wheeler is probably the only player who can't easily play well above the rim.
 

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
47,700
71,064
113
I think the more you want to see won't occur without a coaching change. Cal repeatedly puts his team in position to lose. It is what he does best. By the way, why has it taken this long for Cal to use the lobs to the basket considering the leaping ability of this team? This use to be a main staple for a Cal coached team. Wheeler is probably the only player who can't easily play well above the rim.
He was talking about LSU.
 

qwesley

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
17,606
23,461
0
Wheeler will miss free throws in March to end UK’s season, be it the NCAAT or the NIT. Guaranteed. It’s a joke Cal even allows him on the floor late in a close game after what he did in that St Peters game.
He doesn't just have him out there, he runs action to get him the ball.
 

qwesley

Heisman
Feb 5, 2003
17,606
23,461
0
I'll take the W! But, we have to be more decisive on offense down the stretch and just play with more confidence. At the end, everyone looked scared to take a shot. Like to see Livingston be more aggressive attacking the rim and trying to get a shot. Too often he's just taking a 3 or deferring. He needs to try and score more around the basket. He's a good free throw shooter too if he gets fouled.
Not much of a dribbler and shies away from contact at the basket.
 

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
16,247
16,745
113
I'll take the W! But, we have to be more decisive on offense down the stretch and just play with more confidence. At the end, everyone looked scared to take a shot. Like to see Livingston be more aggressive attacking the rim and trying to get a shot. Too often he's just taking a 3 or deferring. He needs to try and score more around the basket. He's a good free throw shooter too if he gets fouled.
Yes. Players are scared and that is why Wheeler always ends up with the ball so often late in the shot clock. It is NOT by design.
 

kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,327
72,159
113
You might be right but, I don't guess I understand why a Kentucky fan wants to see more from LSU.
Yes, I was talking about LSU. I said I don't know how good they are, I need to see more of them to know.
 

LmdCat

Heisman
Jan 8, 2006
23,627
18,895
0
Wheeler will miss free throws in March to end UK’s season, be it the NCAAT or the NIT. Guaranteed. It’s a joke Cal even allows him on the floor late in a close game after what he did in that St Peters game.
You might want to consider why it is that the ball is in Wheeler's hands to get fouled. It is Cal who wants Wheeler dribbling down the clock. Again, Cal is the one who keeps setting Wheeler up for fan criticism with repeated poor coaching decisions.
 
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CrimsonCats_rivals

All-Conference
Mar 22, 2022
1,737
3,538
61
There were a few rays of hope tonight. Toppin showed up again and proved that his game against Louisville may not have been a fluke after all. Oscar may have looked more like last year’s version of himself tonight than in any other game this season, and as much as I can be critical of him, Wheeler also had a really good game up until the last 5 minutes or so.

Unfortunately, those last 5 minutes happened and can’t be totally ignored. Cal nearly cost us another game by going to stall ball with a late lead, we missed crucial free throws, and we looked shaky at best handling full court pressure in the closing seconds, which all added up to a game we should have had in the bag being legitimately hanging in the balance with less than 10 seconds left. I fear we won’t ultimately accomplish much this year if we can’t get more efficient at finishing close games.
 

LmdCat

Heisman
Jan 8, 2006
23,627
18,895
0
He doesn't just have him out there, he runs action to get him the ball.
You are exactly right. Cal is the one who repeatedly sets Wheeler up for failure. However, Wallace is no better at shooting free throws than Wheeler. To be honest, the team is an extremely poor team at free throw shooting. I was surprised that Oscar shot as well as he did tonight because he has been shooting about 64%.
 

WTF Cat

Heisman
Dec 4, 2022
5,514
25,690
113
There were a few rays of hope tonight. Toppin showed up again and proved that his game against Louisville may not have been a fluke after all. Oscar may have looked more like last year’s version of himself tonight than in any other game this season, and as much as I can be critical of him, Wheeler also had a really good game up until the last 5 minutes or so.

Unfortunately, those last 5 minutes happened and can’t be totally ignored. Cal nearly cost us another game by going to stall ball with a late lead, we missed crucial free throws, and we looked shaky at best handling full court pressure in the closing seconds, which all added up to a game we should have had in the bag being legitimately hanging in the balance with less than 10 seconds left. I fear we won’t ultimately accomplish much this year if we can’t get more efficient at finishing close games.
We had them on the ropes... and Cal stall ball and Wheelers FT miss made this closer than it needed to be.
 
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kyjeff1

Heisman
Sep 8, 2012
51,327
72,159
113
They were good enough to be ranked 26 which is higher than we are.
They're still largely an unknown. They've played Kansas state and an injured Arkansas.

We are also an unknown. Which is why I want to onow more about who we just beat.

So, if LSU goes to Alabama and get drilled by 20, well, they're not very good.

But if they go to Bama and win, or keep it close, well, they're pretty good.
 

DaDirtyLeb69

Heisman
Jan 4, 2022
44,908
71,711
113
Take it one game at a time. I didn't think we could beat LSU. If not from some crazy "A" officiating towards the end of the first half and some even crazier late game coaching, we would have won this game by double digits, imho.
That’s the best way to take things now, this team nor fanbase can afford to look ahead
 
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LmdCat

Heisman
Jan 8, 2006
23,627
18,895
0
They're still largely an unknown. They've played Kansas state and an injured Arkansas.

We are also an unknown. Which is why I want to onow more about who we just beat.

So, if LSU goes to Alabama and get drilled by 20, well, they're not very good.

But if they go to Bama and win, or keep it close, well, they're pretty good.
I have to disagree with us being an unknown. We suck! It doesn't mean that we won't get better, but currently we are simply not a well-coached team. As for using LSU's play against Alabama for a measuring stick, that won't really tell us anything. Surely you won't say that Perdue sucks because they were beaten by Rutgers even though it has happened in back-to-back years. I think we should celebrate the team for its victory tonight instead of considering reasons downplay the victory, imho.
 

wccat

All-American
Apr 8, 2009
5,553
8,457
66
Yes. Players are scared and that is why Wheeler always ends up with the ball so often late in the shot clock. It is NOT by design.
They play scared because their coach coaches scared and not to lose. Run down the clock and hope/pray we don’t lose.
 
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CincyUKFan

All-American
Dec 1, 2009
4,585
7,578
66
its ridiculous that Cal doesn't have a set rotation by January

even more absurd given the Bahamas

horrible coaching, just f'ing horrible
At this point, I’d rather see Thiero than Reeves too. Reeves plays no D, makes bad mistakes at crucial times (tonight a moving screen), is a volume shooter who often takes bad shots, and hasn’t played well against good competition.
 
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bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
47,700
71,064
113
We have the worst home court advantage in the country. We get no calls, and we have a quiet crowd outside huge games.
Crowd helped tonight. Got loud when LSU kept cutting it close. Told Shows exactly what they thought of those back to back calls. Booed Hannibal for being a mini-Bron and bulldozing.

But what I rally loved was booing Cal’s stall ball or at least getting loud when we would stand around until the 6 second mark. Fans are sick and tired of that!
 
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*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
46,764
85,457
113
Crowd helped tonight. Got loud when LSU kept cutting it close. Told Shows exactly what they thought of those back to back calls. Booed Hannibal for being a mini-Bron and bulldozing.

But what I rally loved was booing Cal’s stall ball or at least getting loud when we would stand around until the 6 second mark. Fans are sick and tired of that!
I don’t understand why we try and run an offense all game until that point. It’s amazing to me. It’s not smart, we don’t shoot FT’s well so it’s not a good strategy to try and get fouled.