[Spud6]

Don’t matter who was on the floor Reed, Wagner, Edwards, or Reeves. Not a single one could stay in front of the person they were guarding. They went right by them and went to rim and finished circus shot after circus shot all game long. Then we have both bigs going for the block and then that leaves it wide open for an offensive rebound. We are also the worst team at hedging with our big men to help guard pick and roll scenarios. Cal was so desperate he even went to a zone. If we are ever in an X’s and O’s game against a team, we ain’t winning. We won’t make it past the second round of the NCAA tourney because I guarantee we’ll get a matchup against a 11-12 ranked team that have guards that are little and fast as lighting and have one player that goes off for double their season average and never misses a shot.

[Old School Hound]

ZOO
@SayBigDawg
·
5h
All Kentucky fans talk about is them being the standard and these bitches can’t even make it outta the quarterfinals… bitch please

This is a nice way for ZOO to talk about 19 and 20 year old kids. ZOO is a typical KY whiny ass sore loser,

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Wilberforce+
@PaineInTheNeck
Calipari not setting screens to free up shooters. Another year of not winning an SEC regular season or tourney, but he's got those first-round picks to be proud of. #BBN

Players set screens. Coach is too far away from the action to set a screen. KY fans are the absolute worst , especially when they lose.

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WT - Adou Enthusiast
@WildcatsTongue
·
3h
John Calipari was the coach of the greatest college defense of the modern era. 2014-15 Kentucky is statistically miles above any other defense of the 21st century.

How this team is THIS bad at defense is mind-boggling.

Great point. This proves that this group of youngsters is just bad at guarding. Cal is a defensive-minded coach. Always has been. It's silly to think he hasn't done what he's always done-coach them up on D. It just hasn't taken with this bunch. Either they are just not good at it or they just don't want to do it, or both.

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I should have placed bets on T A&M +5 1/2 and the money line today. Would have been huge. But probably done for the year in basketball. Will probably use my winnings at Keeneland + Breeders Cup.

Use some of those winnings for an appointment with a guy named Paul Dalton in Lexington , who provides gambling addiction counseling and therapy services .



***The National Council on Problem Gambling provides a range of resources, including answers to commonly asked questions, a gambling behavior self assessment, information about treatment and
National Problem Gambling Helpline (1-800-GAMBLER) to help connect you with local resources.

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Kyle Tucker
@KyleTucker_ATH
·
8h
Texas A&M, ranked 360th in 3-point percentage, splashes two in a row and jumps out to an 8-1 lead on Kentucky.

Again, I ask, why does it even matter who starts, right?

So, we should start Reed and Dilly instead, neither of which could guard a little girl at a school crossing?

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^^^Cal could use some of his $10 million $$$ a year and hire an assistant for minimum wage to tell him this sh!t.

Cal has VERY good assistants. They ALL provide very good coaching. The defensive lessons have just not taken with this group of youngsters, for some reason. Maybe they are just lazy and don't won't to play lockdown defense, which Cal has coached every season.

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There isn't an argument for not having Shepherd on the floor for the 1st 5 minutes of both halves. Cal gimmick for being too cute x 5.
Only he understands the genius of it because we ignorant hilljacks don't know basketball. I'm almost to the point where I'm afraid to turn my TV or radio on because Cal might be on.

Couldn't agree more.  

Dunning-Kruger effect, in psychology, a cognitive bias whereby people with limited knowledge or competence in a given intellectual or social domain greatly overestimate their own knowledge or competence in that domain relative to objective criteria or to the performance of their peers or of people in general.



KY basketball fans are the poster children for Dunning-Kruger.

---

You’re right Cactus Jack, this isn’t the best game to base the starter argument on. But there are plenty others. Unless Reeves is hot, how is a lineup of him, Wagner, Edwards, Onyenso and Theiro gonna get us out to an early lead?  I’m like JP, please God, make it stop.

I think it's a question of what type of team they're trying to be, how they want to play, and whether they're truly trying to make their opponent adjust to them instead of vice versa. With all of the injuries, eligibility issues, and already having to blend so many new players, it's going to be tough; regardless, it was still doable and others have done more with much less.

Dillingham, Sheppard, Reeves, Mitchell and Ivisic is going to give you the best (and most consistent) offensive line-up. But how many do they give up? When do you see diminishing returns from five scorers versus sticking a defender or two in?

Some loathe platoons, but I'm not opposed overall. I've seen great coaches who, without fail, play certain line-ups for very defined periods. I don't know that this is the kind of coach that Cal is though, at least with an eight to ten man rotation this deep but still so flawed (and more importantly, so young/inexperienced).

In theory, I think that the idea is that Wagner, Reeves, Edwards, Thiero and Onyseno start to set the tone defensively and to see what you'll get from them on offense. They don't let the opponent get hot, and you grind the opponent down before subbing and hitting another gear offensively. Until then, you just run everything on offense through Reeves while the bigs just rim-run and you feel out whether Edwards and Wagner have it that night (read: if they can hit shots that they're being dared to take). The thought is probably "well, if we're not getting anything, then let's do what we'd have done anyway and just go to the offensive line-up to try and outscore them). This works well when you get stops and see that Wagner or Edwards is getting hot, Thiero is going to be effective, or Onyenso is able to block some shots and catch lobs or clean up misses. It gets thrown on it's head when the other team starts hot, your offensively challenged players start slow (except the one you need in your offensive line-up that is in foul trouble) and you have to bring in worse defenders to try to slow the already-hot opposition.


This may be a bit out there, but I think that part of why Dillingham and Sheppard mesh so well is because defensively, you just plan on going all-out and gambling to create turnovers and easy baskets, even if you give up some easy ones. I don't think it's a terrible strategy, and it's definitely more from the new school/analytics side of the coaching spectrum, but I can see the validity to it with how much they can create havoc by gambling on defense and how well Reed compliments Rob being so ball-dominant and looking to be the primary scorer.

I don't know that Reeves and Sheppard play as well together as some may think. I do know for 100% that if you play extended minutes with a line-up with Dillingham, Sheppard, and Reeves & the other team has guards who can score, then you'd better be in a position to score in the mid-90's. Despite everything Dillingham brings, Reeves is still probably the #1 option on offense, or at least the most consistent.

If you can't play all three together, maybe the solution could be to start Dillingham and Sheppard but bring Reeves off the bench. If you tried that, how does a senior take that and is he still going to buy in? I know that we can say what we'd do or what should happen, but if Reeves gets upset and decides to mail it in, then where do you go?


I'm sure that there's a line-up with Dillingham/Wagner, Sheppard, Reeves/Edwards, Mitchell/Thiero/Edwards, and Onyenso/Ivisic that is better than what we normally use in the first five minutes, but regardless of the combo you choose, they'll still have holes (especially if held in isolation).


However you slice it up, I think that all of this works extremely well if Edwards is the player that you thought he was. His offense is behind his defense, but if he were able to defend multiple positions (better) while creating and exploit mismatches, even if it were just for 10-14 points per game, then everything that we're trying to do looks so much better. Look at his performance in our big wins as opposed to losses.

Had Edwards or Bradshaw played up to their ranking, this team could be unreal.

Great post!!! Your basketball knowledge is more than mine, Jet , Van, Gran, Spud and everyone else who post here combined. You are rational and don't let your emotions run amuk when doing analysis. You just state basketball facts.

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PLEASE GOD PLEASE GOD PLEASE GOD PLEASE GOD PLEASE GOD PLEASE GOD PLEASE GOD

God can't help and if he could, he'd tell you he doesn't give a gosh damn about basketball.

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EDWARDS AND BRADSHAW WILL GO PRO AND CAL WILL GET HIS PICTURE TAKEN WITH THEM AND DRAKE AND TELL US WE JUST DON'T GET IT

And Cal will be right. You think you get it but you don't. Again. Dunnig-Kruger.

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^^Yep.  And I'm done.  Not because they lost the game but because of the non-existent defensive effort.
You just don't allow your opposing team to rebound, go coast to coast and shoot an uncontested lay up.  EVER!!!
So I don't care if they win the NCAA, I won't be watching.  I'm just not interested in the type of game that college basketball has become.

This is similar to Kenecht going in for an uncontested dunk, and missing the shot.  smh
And yes, that happened.

I don't believe you.  You'll be in front of the TV, just like every single one of us jabronis on here.

[Old School Hound]

Don’t matter who was on the floor Reed, Wagner, Edwards, or Reeves. Not a single one could stay in front of the person they were guarding. They went right by them and went to rim and finished circus shot after circus shot all game long. Then we have both bigs going for the block and then that leaves it wide open for an offensive rebound. We are also the worst team at hedging with our big men to help guard pick and roll scenarios. Cal was so desperate he even went to a zone. If we are ever in an X’s and O’s game against a team, we ain’t winning. We won’t make it past the second round of the NCAA tourney because I guarantee we’ll get a matchup against a 11-12 ranked team that have guards that are little and fast as lighting and have one player that goes off for double their season average and never misses a shot.

THE BOLDED!!!!  None of those guys can(or are willing) to stay in front of their man. How can Cal remedy that?  Play zone all game? Kinda too late for that.  We just have to hope we can score  99  every game from here on out.

[Old School Hound]

Last four SEC Tournaments(total # of wins):

1. Texas A&M --- 7

2. Alabama --- 6

3. Tenn/Vandy/Miss St --- 5

6. LSU /Arkansas--- 4

8. Mizzou/Florida ---3

10. Ole Miss ---2

11. Georgia/Auburn/SC/ KY --- 1



If we go back to 2019:


1. Texas A&M --- 8

2. Alabama/ Tenn  --- 7

4. Mississippi St. --- 6

5. Vandy/Florida/Auburn ---5

8. Mizzou/ Arkansas/LSU --- 4

11. Ole Miss / KY --- 2

13. Georgia/ SC --- 1

[Spud6]

Idk if Cal puts a lot of stake in the SEC tourney cause you don’t want to get early and then run out for the NCAA tourney but his record in the past few years in the SEC tourney have been laughable and then we haven’t done well in the NCAA tourneys either.

[Old School Hound]

Idk if Cal puts a lot of stake in the SEC tourney cause you don’t want to get early and then run out for the NCAA tourney but his record in the past few years in the SEC tourney have been laughable and then we haven’t done well in the NCAA tourneys either.

Cal most definitely doesn't put much stock in the SEC tourney. He has repeatedly said as much.  Does that carry over to his young men?  Seems like it might have last night. The effort was poor. Also, officiating did UK no favors. Doug Shows hates Cal as much as Run it Up Your Gut does.

[jetpilot]

I can't imagine how dumb it would make me feel to be on here today praising Cal and trying to convince people he's doing a good job.

[Old School Hound]

I can't imagine how dumb it would make me feel to be on here today praising Cal and trying to convince people he's doing a good job.

I'm not praising him for last night, just saying it wasn't his fault they lost. The players looked like they were ready to get back home,  get some R&R  , then head over to Cal's luxurious digs on Sunday to watch the selection show and devour some of Ellen's lip-smacking good cookies. They were not enthused about being in Music City , performing for thousands of Big Blue Knuckleheads who squandered their entire year's salary at the plastic factory in Hillbillyville for a lost weekend in Music Row.

[jetpilot]

I can't imagine how dumb it would make me feel to be on here today praising Cal and trying to convince people he's doing a good job.

I'm not praising him for last night, just saying it wasn't his fault they lost. The players looked like they were ready to get back home,  get some R&R  , then head over to Cal's luxurious digs on Sunday to watch the selection show and devour some of Ellen's lip-smacking good cookies. They were not enthused about being in Music City , performing for thousands of Big Blue Knuckleheads who squandered their entire year's salary at the plastic factory in Hillbillyville for a lost weekend in Music Row.

The concept of accountability by the person in charge continues to baffle you. I'm sure it's not Cal's fault we have won one game in the SEC tournament in 4 years either.

I didn't know Corbin had a plastic factory. I do agree with you though at this point it's stupid to spend money on UK basketball.

[Cactus Jack]

In the first half of the Florida game, A&M's guards had 40 points. At 9:30 mark in the 2nd half, they have combined for 4. Florida has trailed by as many as 18 but now lead by 3. Amazing what halftime adjustments can do.

[jetpilot]

I'm amazed how hard all these teams playing today are trying to win their tournaments.

[RunItUpTheGut]

Gotta have the three R’s on the floor. Even as bad as the defense was they were still +1 in scoring. Had Reeves not got screwed on fouls all night they would have still won.

But let’s keep playing Wagner cause cal doesn’t have the nuts to tell him and daddy he’s no longer starting because he sucks

[plantmanky]

Fire Cal?

[Cactus Jack]

Sheppard played 32 minutes, which was more than anyone else. Dillingham tied with Wagner for the second-most at 29. Reeves was in foul trouble and limited to 18.

There are only 3 players in the entire NCAA who play more than 38 minutes per game (38.4, 38.2, and 38). Only 6 players in the NCAA play above 37 minutes per game. Only 30 players play 36 or more. If you play 35.3 minutes per game, you are in the top 50.

Creighton is the only school that has a player on the list of 30 that even a diehard fans might have a chance at naming if asked to name MPG leaders. If you expand it to the top 50, the only recognizable programs you'll see are Gonzaga and Kansas, and only one of those two has a real chance at playing in the NBA.

All of this to say-- 32 minutes for any player is a lot, especially for a Kentucky-caliber program. To further put it in perspective, on average, Texas A&M has played Wade Taylor 32.8 minutes per game this season.

Giving Sheppard another four to six minutes (and playing him at an NCAA leading pace) still doesn't make a difference in this game. The problem is much deeper than just "give Sheppard more minutes".

[Old School Hound]

I can't imagine how dumb it would make me feel to be on here today praising Cal and trying to convince people he's doing a good job.

I'm not praising him for last night, just saying it wasn't his fault they lost. The players looked like they were ready to get back home,  get some R&R  , then head over to Cal's luxurious digs on Sunday to watch the selection show and devour some of Ellen's lip-smacking good cookies. They were not enthused about being in Music City , performing for thousands of Big Blue Knuckleheads who squandered their entire year's salary at the plastic factory in Hillbillyville for a lost weekend in Music Row.

The concept of accountability by the person in charge continues to baffle you. I'm sure it's not Cal's fault we have won one game in the SEC tournament in 4 years either.

I didn't know Corbin had a plastic factory. I do agree with you though at this point it's stupid to spend money on UK basketball.

Williamsburg.