[Old School Hound]

Those two choices aren't close Jack.  They are dead right!!!  I just hate to call out lazy players.  BUT, their education is being supplied and the exposure they're getting is unbelievable!!  And for all their perks, they can't block out???  Or play defense???  Or THINK???

Listen, I've had 5th and 6th grade girls were more fundamentally sound that some of these collegiate players.

Bottom line, if they don't play smart; they don't play.

JMO

AGREE!  If these high-profile "superstars" can't block out and show some assemblance of discipline on defense, then why and the hell are they even out there? Bench their asses! Even if it results in losses, bench their coccyxes!!!

[Cactus Jack]

And what about Reeves? He's an enigma; I can't figure him out. I see flashes of brilliance, then he rectally inserts his head.

Sheppard so far, is more consistent in his defensive playing. I also think he plays smart with great floor vision. I hope he stays another year. I think he needs to polish the edges a little.

For me, the problem with benching Reeves is that Dillingham isn't a great defender either and Sheppard is nowhere near the type of scorer.

Dillingham and Sheppard just fit together very well too. Really good chemistry that I'm sure you get close to replicating if you put either with one of the starting guards.

Part of me thinks it's best to go with a rotation of Wagner, Reeves, Edwards, Mitchell, Bradshaw/Ivisic starting with Ivisic/Bradshaw, Dillingham, Thiero, Sheppard (in ~7 minutes per) and Onyenso (only in emergencies).

Another part of me wonders if a platoon with Wagner, Reeves, Mitchell, Thiero, and Bradshaw playing man & a second platoon with Dillingham, Sheppard, Edwards, Mitchell/Ivisic, and Ivisic/Oyneso (or something similar) playing [a 3-2] zone is just as effective. At least then you've got continuity and force the opponent to prep for some different things. Even if things break down due to injury or foul trouble, you just revert to the eight man rotation that was just mentioned. Same defensively... if zone isn't working, just go back to the man that you'd initially built your team to play and taught.

If you were dividing the team up evenly to scrimmage in practice, that's probably very close to how anyone sets the lineups.

Taking some pressure off of Edwards by letting him come off the bench couldn't be any worse than some of the performances that he's already put up either.

This team may just have too many tweeners-- Wagner, Dillingham and even Sheppard are really combos. Mitchell is a short 4/big 3. Edwards is a 3/small-ball 4. Thiero is a 4/3/small-ball 5. Bradshaw is a 5 that wishes he were a 4. Ivisic is a 5 with 4 skills. None of them are bad when held in isolation, but meshing it all could be tough.

[Old School Hound]

I think the meshing is what's causing Cal to lose sleep at night(although he claims that he sleeps fine). Playing the right combinations and figuring out minutes for everyone has to be challenging. With that said, anyone who doesn't block out, rebound, and bust their tails and play disciplined defense should have their coccyxes on the pine.

[rookie57]

I think the meshing is what's causing Cal to lose sleep at night(although he claims that he sleeps fine).  Playing the right combinations and figuring out minutes for everyone has to be challenging. With that said, anyone who doesn't block out, rebound, and bust their tails and play disciplined defense should have their coccyxes on the pine.

Preach

[Bluecat]

SC beat Tennessee last night. Also Georgia Tech beat UNC. Crazy season as it seems many Top 10 teams losing weekly.

[Old School Hound]

SC beat Tennessee last night. Also Georgia Tech beat UNC. Crazy season as it seems many Top 10 teams losing weekly.

AP Top 10 teams on the road this season are winning at a historically bad 39% rate.  Mediocrity , to say the least. For fans that  like parity , this is just the season for them. For fans that like to watch a lot of high quality basketball teams, they are probably feeling like the villainous NIL, transfer portaling, one & done advocates  took a  big Vince McMahon-like  dump on the college basketball landscape.

[16BBall Fan]

Heck not even on the road Duke lost at home to Pitt who is currently 3-6 in the weak ACC.

[Old School Hound]

Question for you older school folks like me. .. Do you prefer the watered down, no great teams, parity personified college basketball we have nowadays or the college basketball of yesteryear where you had those great teams that everyone tried to knock off but rarely did? I can still remember watching that Notre Dame-UCLA game , where the Irish ended UCLA's 88 game winning streak! Also, one of the most exciting and gratifying games for me was when the '75 UK team beat the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers in the Mideast Region final. The Hoosiers were undefeated champions the following season. Those dominating UNLV Runnin' Rebels under Tark the Shark were something to watch, as well.

[Bluecat]

Well it depends on if we talking about just watching or if we are filling out a bracket lol. No just kidding, I like it where there are more competitive teams. Of course as a UK fan I want them winning everything but honestly it takes luck to win 6 games in the NCAA Tournament. One bad game and you are knocked off. When was the last time the overall #1 won it. Or the clear favorite?

[Cactus Jack]

SC beat Tennessee last night. Also Georgia Tech beat UNC. Crazy season as it seems many Top 10 teams losing weekly.

AP Top 10 teams on the road this season are winning at a historically bad 39% rate.  Mediocrity , to say the least. For fans that  like parity , this is just the season for them. For fans that like to watch a lot of high quality basketball teams, they are probably feeling like the villainous NIL, transfer portaling, one & done advocates  took a  big Vince McMahon-like  dump on the college basketball landscape.

There are still throwback college teams like they were built in the early 90's (one to two really talented young players and a group of veterans). They're just not as likely to be your Kentucky, North Carolina, or Duke... they've shifted more toward your Houston, Baylor, Gonzaga, and the like. I'm not saying everyone from the latter group is that this season, but if you look at the past three years, Houston is. If you want to schedule your DVR for a throwback type team, set up some Cougars games and thank me later. 

Despite there being no doubt that they are one, I left Kansas out of the group of blue bloods because their model has been pretty constant across those eras. They'll have some pretty highly rated recruits, but you can take one look at at least two of their starters and tell that, physically/athletically, they are good to great college players who have no shot at seeing the green room or a second NBA contract.