EDIT: SHOTS HAVE BEEN FIRED.
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Kyle Tucker- "Increasingly Likely that Oscar Returns"
- Thread starter Tampa_cat54_rivals112262
- Start date
EDIT: SHOTS HAVE BEEN FIRED.
On KSR sounds like it’s Oscar or Ugonna, I vote Oscar.
I'll take Kyle Tucker's info over anything Matt Jones & those clowns have- unless it's Jack Pilgrim saying that, because he obviously is in the know.
We really need good news.Get Oscar,Ugo,Reeves and one more shooter and go.
If Livingston leaves, still think we need one more guy who can play the 4 (to backup Bradshaw who I assume plays the 4 in this scenario).
So a 3/4 shooter would solve both.
Maybe that's why we havent really hit the portal really hard on big guys (besides a zoom call with Dickerson). Maybe Cal believes Oscar will return.
Would be a pleasure to watch Oscar play one more year and I'm highly confident that he'd work on his weaknesses and be ready day 1.
Also having a guy like Bradshaw next to Oscar (who is a 7'1 rim protector) compared to a 6'9 Brooks or Toppin who were not rim protectors, will be a huge help for Oscar as well IMO.
Why did CCC announce his decision for him?
Can't remember ever seeing CCC do that otherwise.
I don’t know why we couldn’t have both. Even if it’s Bradshaw at tge 4 and Oscar at the 5. Ugonna should be in that 7 or 8 mam rotation. There is just no need for Ware to be on the court. He seems to love Kentucky. But he’s just not good enough. And 33% from the ft line ain’t going to cut it
Tucker also said Wheeler would return this season so I would take what he says with a grain a salt…same as Jones
He doesn't bat 1.000, but he has proven to be arguably the most "in-the-know" reporter on Kentucky's beat.
This, paired with Seth Greenberg (who is very close with Cal) saying that he expects Oscar to return, I think it's happening.
Ware's lack of FT shooting ability really is a big issue in my mind. The rest of his game I'm fine with as a backup; but that FT shooting ....
Don't see why Ugo would even think about coming back with O here. jmo
He might not be in a rush for the league like most guys . But one big problem “his handlers”
I'm assuming one of the reasons (in addition to NIL revenue) his handlers wanted him out is because he was stuck on the bench like Hopkins. That's going to happen again if Oscar is here.
They're always in a rush for the league here. Don't do this to yourself.
This would be the back side defense we had in 2012 with jones and Davis. Help side defense will be insane down low
Agreed. Oscar is such a dominating presence(even with his flaws) that he’s going to play a ton but unlike Bradshaw it’s hard to see the 4/5 flexibility. Ugo is strictly a 5, this the problem.
I would love it if Oscar does come back…I just never get my hopes up until it’s official
That’s why I said most of them . Ugo just seems different . Obviously the league is the goal .
Love Oscar but he’s proven two years in a row we can’t win the SEC or go deep in March with him in the middle. It’s time for a change imo. His poor defense kills us.
But he has never once played with any sort of reliable shot blocker next to him (Brooks and Toppin were just as abysmal at protecting the rim).
Bradshaw changes that.
If that’s the case then good luck ugo, you take Oscar every day of the year
It's crazy that Oscar gets the blame for our failures the last 2 seasons.It's our guards that **** the bed in the end.
Bradshaw isn't the shot blocker Onyenso is. It's not even close actually. Ugonna is 100x the shot blocker/rim protector. Bradshaw is good, but this isn't AD/Nerlens level rim protection. Onyenso is an elite rim protector.
Sure, but I am thinking Oscar and Ugo probably won't share the floor a ton together still, so it doesn't really impact Oscar at all.
Oscar and Bradshaw would see the floor together a TON. So I like having a 7'1 guy can do a bit of everything to make up for Oscar's lack of rim protection vs. the Brooks/Toppin combo of the last 2 years.
10,000%.
The other half of the abysmal PNR defense we had all year was our guards' inability to fight through screens or be in the correct position before the screen even arrived.
The guards died on every single screen they saw.
I don't see Wagner and Edwards doing that (Reeves and Rob probably will).
But if they want to put Oscar in a PNR, that typically means whoever Bradshaw is guarding will be in the dunker spot or short corner- AKA Bradshaw will be down there in the paint instead of Toppin.
Quite a different look for a guard trying to rack it.
I’m surprised he responded to that. He must be making progress on not blocking everyone who doesn’t agree or questions him.
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I don't see Oscar getting blamed for the team's failures. I see people discussing his weaknesses. He's a terrible defensive player. It's okay to say that. One of the reasons he's a great rebounder is that he's a bad defensive player. So if he didn't rebound like he does and he can't defend, he'd never play.
Can't speak for others, but I don't trust Calipari if Oscar returns to do what's best for the team and not Oscar.
Bradshaw isn’t much of a shot blocker, Ugonna is.
Bradshaw is probably a slight notch above Toppin in that department because he’s 7’ tall but it’s not considered a big strength of his.
Very true osacr dragged Kentucky in 3 tournament games, but Oscar is bad at defending his ball screens, and doesn’t have the greatest touch around the basket, but still Oscar is great and if he wants to come back then it’s not even a question he is back
I think so too, not to mention if the freshman are better at keeping guard and wings in front of them that would help. Cal has to figure out a way to guard pick and rolls better with him(teaching), or scheme to help him as much as he can. I know that’s a huge ask that a coach tries to coach
.
I think another year of 10-15 minutes and practice would do him a world of good. IMO he’s still a year away from be a capable everyday Center.
Toppin's defense gets crapped on a lot by Kentucky fans and he actually had to do a lot because the team was really bad overall defensively. He's seen as a plus defender by NBA teams. Now at that level it's all about what you do individually and in help/scramble mode. Lateral quickness, etc..
Brooks was a college level maxed player period. He played too much at Kentucky too. Which is why fans don't trust Calipari with deep roster.
The Head Coach mentioned seeing two 7'0 guys playing together quite a bit (I am not excited about that either--having watched how awful the duo of Dickinson and Reed was for Michigan when trying that last year was painful) so it has to be Bradshaw and Ugonna. They are operating like Oscar is gone and he's told the program that he was gone for some time.
Kentucky is operating like he's gone and recruiting to replace his spot on the roster.
Not just that . Outside shooting has also killed us in those two losses . I think more than Oscar’s defense .
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