Pitino's real game plan..

[cal=8]

I don't believe for a moment that Pitino's game plan will be to run with us. I look for Uofl to try 1st and foremost to trap Monk every time he touches the ball in the 1/2 court. They'll also immediately try to get Bam with a couple fouls. I look for them to screen and try to draw charging fouls on the switch. You'll see a desperate attempt to get cheap fouls on us. So #1 game plan will be get us in foul trouble.

I look for them to slow the game way down to limit our possessions. Again, no way they can run with us. If they try we win by 15.

I look for them to zone us and trap in the half court. I don't think they'll press a lot unless they can rattle us on our 1st road game.

Pitino's main plan will be to stop Monk.. He's really good at shutting down a teams star player. Problem for Pitino will be we have at least three other players that could just go off and have a great game and enough talent for a star to emerge.

One things for sure. We'll be playing our first road game against a team that plays a style we've yet to face early in this season. Louisville will pull out all the stops and make it as ugly as they can but it won't be enough. Cat are too fast and our style will win out late in the game.

Kentucky 81 Louisville 74

 

[Jakarii]

I think he runs as much as the team has done in every game. Just beauxsenhe said theybwill run doesn't mean they will try to run at UK level, just means he doesn't plan on slowing it down since they haven't played a slow down game all year. I actually thought it was obvious when he said it

 

[Aike]

You aren't a Wake Forest coach are you?

 

[wromanp7]

I think he runs as much as the team has done in every game. Just beauxsenhe said theybwill run doesn't mean they will try to run at UK level, just means he doesn't plan on slowing it down since they haven't played a slow down game all year. I actually thought it was obvious when he said it

You French bro

 

[Bkocats]

You aren't a Wake Forest coach are you?

oh chit, I nearly spewed my drink
[roll][roll]

 

[cal=8]

I think he's banking on exposing our youth and lack of experience by trying to out physical us and frankly bully our young players. I think they'll flop and pull out all the stops to try to draw fouls. We have way to much talent for them to try to play us straight up.

 

[Ugoff]

One thing is for sure, after what happened at the Papa John's toxic waste dump, they will be desperate for a win. Nothing they try will surprise me.

 

[Icecoldbrewdoggy]

Hack and grab, hack and grab.

 

[wromanp7]

Hack and grab, hack and grab.

In line.

 

[cal=8]

I think he runs as much as the team has done in every game. Just beauxsenhe said theybwill run doesn't mean they will try to run at UK level, just means he doesn't plan on slowing it down since they haven't played a slow down game all year. I actually thought it was obvious when he said it

Louisville has ran this year against bad teams. When they played Baylor they slowed it down and held Baylor to the lowest point total of their 11 games. Well tied with the Oregon game. Baylor scored 107 in their last game. They also played ugly in the Old Dominion, Wichita State game and Purdue game. Those are the only good teams they've played this year. Baylor being ranked 4th this week.

 

[ganner918_rivals60369]

I don't believe for a moment that Pitino's game plan will be to run with us. I look for Uofl to try 1st and foremost to trap Monk every time he touches the ball in the 1/2 court. They'll also immediately try to get Bam with a couple fouls. I look for them to screen and try to draw charging fouls on the switch. You'll see a desperate attempt to get cheap fouls on us. So #1 game plan will be get us in foul trouble.

I look for them to slow the game way down to limit our possessions. Again, no way they can run with us. If they try we win by 15.

I look for them to zone us and trap in the half court. I don't think they'll press a lot unless they can rattle us on our 1st road game.

Pitino's main plan will be to stop Monk.. He's really good at shutting down a teams star player. Problem for Pitino will be we have at least three other players that could just go off and have a great game and enough talent for a star to emerge.

One things for sure. We'll be playing our first road game against a team that plays a style we've yet to face early in this season. Louisville will pull out all the stops and make it as ugly as they can but it won't be enough. Cat are too fast and our style will win out late in the game.

Kentucky 81 Louisville 74

I think you pretty much have it nailed. Deny Monk the ball and trap when does have it. At times I expect to see Fox trapped to see how he responds and if we can make them pay by finding Monk or other shooters open. Sag off Briscoe and Fox in a zone. Try like hell to get Bam in foul trouble, muck the game up, know that they have less of a drop off to their bench than we do. I question, though, if they can get enough points to win. Only way they win is if they dominate the offensive boards and have our big guys in foul trouble.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Slip mickey's in our gatorade.

 

[JoeBeeHall]

Pimptinos Real plan is to get a huge chunk of cash then retire .

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

Plan #1 - lose game tonight
Plan #2 - go to local restaurant
Plan #3 - bang nasty tramp on table at restaurant
Plan #4 - pay for abortion
Plan #5 - pretend he's still legit

 

[RACdad]

I look for a 2-3 zone most of the night with them slowing it down offensively.

 

[ulismyman]

Im gonna be pissed if Mitchell goes off...not a fan

 

[Mojocat_rivals48469]

Surprised to hear DeCoursey - who I like, a lot - say that though he's picking UK, if it's a lopsided game UofL wins. People are putting a lot of stock in Louisvill's defense, but Louisvillle always has a top 5 defense. Cal teams are always a matchup problem for Rick because I) our offense isn't based on sets that are easily scouted and taken away, it's more free flowing, and II) Cal always has multiple guys who are comfortable with the ball, so we're less vulnerable to presssure.

And I think the matchup favors us more this year than most. Everyone is focusing on our offense against their defense. But, for all its warts, we have a top 10 defense, and they struggle at times to score.

So ordinarily, I'd like us. The law of averages is what makes me doubt: they're a top 10 team, Cal usually loses his first road game, and they have to beat us sometime...

 

[On-On-UK_rivals45415]

I think "experience" is over-rated.
IMO if we lose it's because we go ice cold and
they spend all day at the line...

 

[deltasig41_rivals378041]

Despite what Rick said, they're certainly not going to try to run with us. I see a bunch of changing defenses, but mostly they'll run a token 3/4 court press, where they will trap occasionally, to slow our advance and make us run half-court sets. However, UofL isn't a great shooting team, so as long as we crash the boards, we'll still have plenty of transition opportunities. We just need to defend, rebound, and do our thing. We're going to have to make some perimeter shots, to be sure. We've had heroic performances in this game in recent years, and I think tonight is the night Derek Willis has a big impact. He can be the x-factor, since we all know they'll be focusing on slowing down Monk. I think Willis goes for 12 or 15, and if he does, Cats win fairly easily.

 

[AllBall]

I look for a 2-3 zone most of the night with them slowing it down offensively.

This is two teams completely on different ends of the spectrum. UL relies on defense and offensive rebounding while we are an offensive juggernaut. UL has an impressive matchup zone. Pitino's loves to switch defenses regularly and he will certainly do this to try and slow our freshmen guards. The game will be extremely physical. What they lack in talent they try to make up for in hustle. This is a game we need to find out more about our team.

 

[KWilt43atbuzz]

I dont think he will double anyone much as our players are deft at passing and have high BB IQs.

If he zones we will shoot them out of it with Monk, Mulder, Gabriel and Willis.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

Wouldn't be surprised to see a box and one around Monk if he heats up.