The Good, The Bad, The Ugly, The Egregious: Vanderbilt Edition

[Catsrock]

If Barry Goheen or Billy McCaffrey were shooting those 3's last night we'd have been toast. But--crazy crap happens in that gym. I'll take the W and hope for improved play next time out. Good season could well be great.

[teamchemistry15]

The extra conditioning and work Fox has been dying seems to be paying off with his mid range shot falling. If he can hit that consistently he'll be unstoppable.

I know we won with six guys in 2012, and I think our top four with any of those two win it this year, but it stops at four this year. Gabriel tries but he just isn't there yet. Willis is awful. Hawkins doesn't necessarily hurt us but he gives little to nothing. Mulder is Mulder. If Tai and SKJ are behind Humphries I'm hoping it's something other than how good they are. I'm hoping they get lazy in practice, have bad grades, or ANYTHING other than not being as good as he has. We really need another guy that can contribute consistently. If Diallo can do that this year then play him. If he can give us 15 minutes a game between the 2 and 3 spots and he produces then you risk him not being here next year. Ten or 15 minutes of production on this team could be the difference in a sweet 16 and title. If Monk or Fox have to sit for long periods of time we are in trouble. If he can fix that problem he plays.

[Joneslab]

I disagree that Willis is awful.

He was just coming off a big game.

The problem isn't that he's awful; he's inconsistent. You can never pencil him in for anything.

Thing about Miller as a senior was that you knew what you were going to get. Put him in and he'd go out there and get it for you. You put Willis in and you never know.

If he could play like he was playing through that stretch of about 6 games last year then he would be fine. But he'll follow 15/7 with a game where he seems disengaged.

I still hold out hope that he and Gabriel can combine to give us a 4 man who can hold the line for the last six games of the year, but if not then a team with a T.J. Leaf can really have us. If you get Bad Willis and run into one of those guys then you're going home.

[BJD]

What none of these young guys understand is how hard everyone plays against UK. That was Vandy's best game of the year. That was their national championship game. They told them before the game to not rush the floor. You think they have to announce that with any other team?

And you can tell guys that's how it is until you are UK blue in the face. They do not get it until they experience it.

That's why so many guys are just not right for UK. Regardless of their talent. Cal does a masterful job of not only getting talented guys but also guys that can handle the UK pressure.

Every road game is bobble head night, white out, black out, orange out, something. It makes a lifetime story for opposing players to be able to say they beat Kentucky once when they played.

It doesn't quite rise to the level of the first Dream Team and the opponents wanting autographs but it's close.

[teamchemistry15]

I disagree that Willis is awful.

He was just coming off a big game.

The problem isn't that he's awful; he's inconsistent. You can never pencil him in for anything.

Thing about Miller as a senior was that you knew what you were going to get. Put him in and he'd go out there and get it for you. You put Willis in and you never know.

If he could play like he was playing through that stretch of about 6 games last year then he would be fine. But he'll follow 15/7 with a game where he seems disengaged.

I still hold out hope that he and Gabriel can combine to give us a 4 man who can hold the line for the last six games of the year, but if not then a team with a T.J. Leaf can really have us. If you get Bad Willis and run into one of those guys then you're going home.

I agree that my use of awful was blown out of proportion. I'll say awfully inconsistent. The thing with him is that we don't need him to be T.J. Leaf or an All SEC performer. We just need a guy that gives us 10 and 5 and hits 40% from three, which he's capable of. If we got 16 and 10 combined from him and Gabriel we would be in great shape. The problem is that we get that one game followed by 5 and 2 with 6 turnovers. I can understand it with Gabriel being a freshman, but not with Willis.