What's the expectation?
- Thread starter CUT-NETS
- Start date
If we're 100% healthy and we get just two out of the four inconsistent frontcourt guys (Poythress, Lee, Skal and Humphries) to play close to their potential each game, the sky's the limit. We could even get away with just one of those guys "showing up" depending on how hot our backcourt + Willis is, and the matchup.
Another moronic question by CUT-NETS. It's so obvious what you're doing, that I hope people don't even respond. If the consensus is the Elite 8, and if UK doesn't make it that far, you're going to come back claiming how poorly Cal did with the best backcourt in the country, blah blah blah. And if they make it further, we just won't hear from you. You really are the worst kind of *******.
We should win the National Championship or the entire season will be a huge disappointment. If we don't win the National Championship this year with that kind of talent, it will be an indictment on Calipari's entire tenure as a coach at UK.
Is that what you're looking to hear?
You just played right into CUT NETS' hand with this post.
Tyler Ulis is arguably the greatest point guard in Kentucky basketball history. Jamal Murray is scoring at an unreal clip. There have been numerous threads on here discussing how they could potentially be the greatest backcourt in UK's history.
If it is a two on two tournament, I like our chances. However since 5 players will
take the court for both teams, I think it depends on the matchups.
I said a couple of months ago that anything above the sweet sixteen is gravy. I still stand by that. After losing 7 guys to the NBA and starting with a brand new team - AGAIN, I think that's realistic. We have 2 great guards -and no low post presence whatsoever, so we'll see. Here's hoping for a 2014 UCONN type run, but we could be upset for the first time ever under Cal before the sweet sixteen this year so who knows. Luckily you could say that for about 50 different teams this year. This will be a wild tourney, even more wild than usual.
Oops, oh well. It's not like Cal has been a disappointment in the NCAA tournament so I'm not sure what OP is getting at if that's his angle. We could lose in the first round for the next 5 years and Cal's NCAA record and accomplishments would still be incredible.
Check out the all time NCAA Tournament winning percentage leaders by coach:
It takes more than just a great backcourt. I think you will agree that Teams like Michigan State and North Carolina are terrible matchups for us and if we met those teams the odds of UK winning would not be as good as they would be for most other teams.
Would you agree with that?
Last edited:
Sweet 16 would be good for me...anything beyond that is unexpected success...losing in first round would be really bad, losing 2nd game would be a little disappointing
While I do agree with some of the things he says he loves to bait and that's what he's doing right now. He's setting it up for later. If the cats don't win the title he will revive this thread and put it in our faces.Oops, oh well. It's not like Cal has been a disappointment in the NCAA tournament so I'm not sure what OP is getting at if that's his angle. We could lose in the first round for the next 5 years and Cal's NCAA record and accomplishments would still be incredible.
Check out the all time NCAA Tournament winning percentage leaders by coach:
http://www.dbwoerner.com/basketball/coaches/all_115.html
The truth is this team has too many holes to be thought of in the same level as 2010, 12 and 15. It's just a down year so he thinks his logic applies here. It doesn't.
I think it all depends on match ups. A team with bruising bigs like Purdue could give us fits. I think if we play good ball and get solid contribution from our frontcourt and Willis comes back to what he was before injury then we can make a run at the title. Alot of if's in this but we have the ability to cause any team we play fits.
Best backcourt, not best team. In a very down year we are ranked #22 with some bad losses.
As hard as Calipari has worked to get our frontcourt up to par it hasn't worked.
Would you agree that Cal has worked hard with our bigs?
I don't think Cal made a concerted effort to get our bigs involved until this last Florida game.
Aside from kansas, msu and probably unc, kentucky might be favored against every other team in the field. A lot depends on matchups. I think uk would do very well against oklahoma for example. I can even see uk being favored against a potential one seed like virginia and villanova.
Dirk minniefield is hard to beat:sunglasses:but Tyler in that conversation is definitely there..
Agreed with this. Avoid those three until at least the Elite 8 and we'll be golden. Kansas actually doesn't scare me since we've proven we can hang with them but I'd rather avoid them for as long as possible if given the choice.
This team. This year in college basketball. Nothing will surprise me. We could lose the first game or win it all. It's a crazy year and this team is really good, but at times, really struggle.
With Cal coaching, we are likely to get out of the first weekend at the very least, but as crazy as it has been this season, nothing is guaranteed.
With Cal coaching, we are likely to get out of the first weekend at the very least, but as crazy as it has been this season, nothing is guaranteed.
Regardless how good the back court is, it's easy to see it's all going to come down to how well the front court plays; offensively, defensively, rebounding and staying out of foul trouble. It's been that way all year.
Yes, this team will go as far as Ulis and Murray can take them, but imo, it ultimately depends on how much help the front court gives them.
With Murray averaging over 20ppg and hitting on 38/68 from 3 at 56% and avg. 8 or 9 rpg. and Ulis is near 20ppg and 10apg. we have the best backcourt right in basketball. Then we how Briscoe, Skal, Lee, and Poythress played Tuesday night at Florida and now with Willis near 100% healthy and ready to come back we could be looking at our 3rd Final Four in a row with all the pieces we have now healthy and our bigs playing better Tuesday night at Florida. If we could get a decent draw and seed and say get the South Regon as a #3 or a #2 Seed that would possibly get us to Louisville for our Sweet 16 and Elit 8 games and that would be huge advantage for Kentucky to get to our 3rd straight FInal Four and 5 out of 7 since Coach Cal arrived in Lexington.
I think we can make it to the final four and even win it all. If we don't I'm not going to blame Cal or get mad. We will just reload and do it again next year. At least with Cal we have a chance every year.
Ku is a much better team right now. They have been ripping really good B12 teams on the road. I thought the Texas game Monday night was going to be close but Ku ripped their heart out then made them eat it.
It's pretty sad that you pay for a monthly subscription to troll here.
Hopefully we win it all for no better reason than you losing your sanity.
Anything higher than sweet 16 is a gift. The backcourt will only go as far as the front court will allow. That's our real weakness and the reason I don't expect more from this team.
I really think Kentucky is a bit of an unknown. I haven't watched nearly as much as you guys have, but they seem like a team that could be out early, or make a run to the Final Four and beyond. If I had to make a pick, I would trust in Calipari and say they make a run, good coaching can do that, especially in the tourney.
If I was another team, I would focus all of my energy on taking Murray out of the game and make Ulis and co beat you. I know Ulis is a great point guard, but he has to have players that can take advantage of his playmaking, and I don't know if Kentucky has players that can do that consistently other than Murray. However, I would think teams have tried that already, and obviously nobody has been able to slow Murray down yet.
If I was another team, I would focus all of my energy on taking Murray out of the game and make Ulis and co beat you. I know Ulis is a great point guard, but he has to have players that can take advantage of his playmaking, and I don't know if Kentucky has players that can do that consistently other than Murray. However, I would think teams have tried that already, and obviously nobody has been able to slow Murray down yet.
The Texas blowout is an aberration, Uk ripped South carolina on the road too. Ku is the most consistent team but if you look at the personnel on both teams, kentucky can hang and beat them.
That`s why Willis is so important for Kentucky. Without him, your strategy works. But, if you add another shooter, it opens up driving lanes for Ulis to score and for lobs since teams can`t just put a wall Inside.