Monk outdid Tayshaun for best performance against UNC, right? I mean, Prince's five threes will remain legendary, but today was a different kind of beast.
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Awesome game. These guys have no fear. When they learn to play defense, and they will, look out!! Only 9 or 10 turnover, {I've seen both numbers}, in a game like that with freshmen handling the ball? That's unheard of.
And what can you say about Monk? This w2as a very experienced UNC team. To let them take the lead late and then still win the game? Defies logic.
This is a special UK team.Comment
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Fox was sensational as well but Fox had a legendary performance!Comment
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Tayshaun's performance was awesome for five minutes. And what a five minutes it was. I don't recall what the rest of his game was like that day, but he certainly didn't stay hot like that.
This might have been in the top five most impressive individual performances I've seen from a college basketball player, all things considered.
Also, the dude a couple posts above made a great point: this team only had ten... count them... TEN turnovers. In an up-and-down, fast-paced, high scoring basketball game. With a freshman backcourt. Unbelievable.Comment
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I only saw the first part of the game and the last 8 minutes of it. That was enough to see it was an epic. It really reminded me of the 92 Duke game where both teams were just trading blows going the stretch. If this were an NCAA game it would be talked about for ages. Still one of the best regular season games I have seen. Monk is amazing. He could very well go down as the best one and done player Cal has had. And that's saying a lot. Great win and it should give these guys a lot of confidence when they are in close games later in the season.Kentucky fan since 1971.Comment
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I'm still trying to figure out where Willis has gone. I would rather play four guards with Mulder out there.Comment
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Didn't get much of an opportunity yesterday in part because Monk and Fox dominated the shots, but also because I think Cal felt like Gabriel could battle on the boards a little better. Willis did hit his only three. Not sure if he got another shot attempt.
Gabriel almost fumbled the game away at the end but I thought he battled. Had some breakdowns...if you'll notice teams just try and pick on both Willis and Gabriel defensively; they'll just get them out away from the basket and line drive them to the goal. But there were movements in the game where both Gabriel and Humphries were making it hard for Carolina to do what they always do to teams on the glass: bully them.
That we outrebounded them was arguably the biggest stat in a game packed with crazy stats.Comment
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Going forward if this team is to take the next step obviously their individual defense will have to improve some, but also we must figure out, and by we I mean Fox, how to force Gabriel and Willis to add some productivity. Do that and we will be next to unstoppable.
It's shaping up to be a crazy March, folks.
Monk and Fox both were scintillating. Do you remember what a beautiful day we had yesterday, 63 + degrees in the middle of December. Thank you Malik and thank you radiant heat.Comment
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I thought Gabirel added quite a bit of productivity. Not a good defender at all right now, but he and Humphries were big reasons the rebounding numbers were what they were. Gabriel couldn't grab a few of those boards but he made it so that there was at least a scrap and UNC couldn't just grab it and stick it back in.
Also thought Briscoe was highly important to what we did in that game. Didn't get many cracks offensively but his 7 boards were huge.
For this team to get where it needs to be it needs a defensive stopper. All championship teams have a guy who can lock down the other team's best. Briscoe showed some flashes of this last year but I think because this team runs so much and is so keyed in on how to get out in transition, their ability to dig in and really guard kind of flies out the window.
It becomes a philosophy more than anything. And that philosophy doesn't need to change. You always play to your strengths and this team's strength is screaming up the floor. But if Cal can find a balance between solid halfcourt D and staying as dangerous as we are in transition, then we'll hit our ceiling. If not, we'll continue to be susceptible to being outscored the way we were against UCLA.Comment
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Gabriel might benefit greatly from the upcoming practice marathon. He has to do so for us to keep from just wearing Fox and Monk out by tournament time, because SEC teams will play them extremely physically. I'm not saying that they will be injured intentionally so that they can't complete the match, just that it really wears a freshman down over the course of a season.
I watched OSU and UCLA yesterday (missed our loss against them) and as I watch Leaf I kept asking myself why Willis can't give us even half of Leaf's production and presence. His spacing is excellent and when the aggressive move is available he will complete it. It would complete us imo.Comment
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Leaf is a special player. Coach's son. Fundamentally gifted probably as much as anybody in college basketball.
Willis isn't on that level but he can still be a vital player. He and Gabriel have to shore up this thing where they can't keep guys in front of them off the dribble. Neither can guard straight line drives at all, and teams are starting to pick on both of them.Comment
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