Ulis and Booker
- Thread starter CATonFIRE
- Start date
I agree. Teague turned out great, but we tend to remember "End-of-season-Teague" rather than "Much-of-the-year-Teague." He struggled for a while. Ulis would now have a year of experience under his belt and is already a great outside shooter.
Wall and Bledsoe - much more dynamic....but lacked consistent outside shooting.
It's a debate I would like to continue having, but it obviously rests on Booker returning.
I love Tyler. Teague was a bulldog on defense, Ulis is great in the open floor, but we all know he will be a liability against guards that take him into the paint.
By season's end Teague's penetration was highly efficient and led to Davis and Jones' lobs and creating space for Lamb. I think he left a year too early for the NBA but the kid played well to get us a championship.
Hopefully Tyler can lead the way as well.
But as of today, he and Booker are not in my Top 4 of Cal's tenure.
The late January, early February Ulis and Booker were incredibly dynamic. Probably just behind Wall and Bledsoe.
The late March, early April Ulis and Booker (mostly Booker) were flawed.
Booker has to get stronger. He was manhandled in the Wisconsin game. I love his overall game: deceptive speed, hellacious aggression, freaky confidence. But you can't play at a super high level when you get worked like he did by virtually everybody Wisconsin ran at him.
Ulis is going to be one of the greatest Kentucky point guards of the modern era before he's done at UK. He gets some minutes late against Wisconsin and I think we may be celebrating today.
This post was edited on 4/7 3:55 PM by Joneslab
The late March, early April Ulis and Booker (mostly Booker) were flawed.
Booker has to get stronger. He was manhandled in the Wisconsin game. I love his overall game: deceptive speed, hellacious aggression, freaky confidence. But you can't play at a super high level when you get worked like he did by virtually everybody Wisconsin ran at him.
Ulis is going to be one of the greatest Kentucky point guards of the modern era before he's done at UK. He gets some minutes late against Wisconsin and I think we may be celebrating today.
This post was edited on 4/7 3:55 PM by Joneslab
He also said at Kentucky, I just pointed out just the last 7 years that they are not, IMO, in the top half of that group.
Can Booker gain consistency throughout an entire season ala Lamb?
Can Tyler prevent the drives and post ups?
Can they lead us on a good run in the tourney?
As of now they have both been second stringers, if they end of us as super dynamic I am all for it!
I agree Ullis and Booker are great but I also agree with Brian.....we've had some really strong back courts.
I think Ulis/Booker has the potential to be as effective or more as those. Im not really into what players look like individually anymore. Wall/bledsoe was not a great college combination, as weird as it is to say it. Great show, but you have GOT to hit big shots in our tournament. Wall/Bled weren't those guys.
Epps/Delk was my favorite all time, and I think Ulis could make the latter combination even better. Once Ulis is developed into a guy who can finish off plays, he's going to be the best point guard in college.
If Booker stays as well as Dakari and we land Newman and Zimmerman along with Skai and Briscoe and Matthews
We are the favorites to win it all next season and preseason numero uno whether some of you guys like it our not.
We are the favorites to win it all next season and preseason numero uno whether some of you guys like it our not.
We don't so much have a personnel problem, we have had a "clutch coaching" problem. Ive always thought Cal didn't value scorers enough, but still, personnel isn't the big elephant sitting heavy in this room. there is a false narrative that this board has peddled for a while now and our talent gap has covered it up until the big ones(minus '12). Cal has never addressed some glaring issues with his philosophy, and if he doesn't allow some adaptation to this tendencies, he could easily end up 10 final fours and 1 title. Final fours are hard enough to win, and UK isn't Duke so we will play tough roads.
People don't want to hear we are pre season favorites again because it tells them we have no personnel issues, and , well, that just can't be. It has to be on the players, because it can't be on Cal.
Kentucky Basketball þ@kentuckybballof 43m43 minutes ago
Tyler Ulis has officially announced he is staying with Kentucky! https://instagram.com/p/1L4JMqxchc/
Tyler Ulis has officially announced he is staying with Kentucky! https://instagram.com/p/1L4JMqxchc/
Man, I loved those back courts. But are they the most "dynamic"?
Wall and Bledsoe, neither had a legitimate outside game. They were fast and strong, but I'd say they were very similar in style. Knight and Lamb had the shooting factor, Knight was a damn floor general and could play defense. This is probably the most dynamic backcourt we had, but I'd put Ulis/Booker at #2. They can shoot all over the floor, they can drive at will. Ulis can pass and play defense as well as any of the guards listed above.
Ulis and Booker really compliment each other. I have been waiting for a back court that is fast and smart, but can really facilitate the offense. We could really have that next year.
