All this talk

[George]

No, I'm not pleased with it but I'm not concerned either. We had the game in hand the whole game. There was never a chance that we would lose. I would like to see more killer instinct but these are freshmen and no matter how many times you tell them to be concerned about a Northern Ky they just don't get concerned.

I'm not seeing the same Monk others saw that wasn't playing hard. He just missed shots. Still had 12 points. He got a couple rebounds. He blocked a shot. he had a couple assists. He didn't force anything. I remember 1 bad shot. He had 0 turnovers.

But we always play hard. We may not play smart or to the best of our ability but we play hard. I've never seen a Cal team not play hard.

I agree. My only concern is his off-target shot. Needs to sight it in, and quick.

[BJD]

I agree. My only concern is his off-target shot. Needs to sight it in, and quick.

Of course I want him to make them all. he was just off last night. You may not have noticed but at a timeout we had the ball and Monk just took a practice shot since he had the ball. Bounced off the front of the rim. I knew then he was just off. But I don't worry about him. I always think his next shot is going in.

It does worry me when Hawkins hits his first 3. He thinks he's a shooter then. And I wish Briscoe would never shoot. Monk can shoot 20 times and I'm OK with it.

[George]

Of course I want him to make them all. he was just off last night. You may not have noticed but at a timeout we had the ball and Monk just took a practice shot since he had the ball. Bounced off the front of the rim. I knew then he was just off. But I don't worry about him. I always think his next shot is going in.

It does worry me when Hawkins hits his first 3. He thinks he's a shooter then. And I wish Briscoe would never shoot. Monk can shoot 20 times and I'm OK with it.

I did notice, and I thought the same thing. I'm with you on Briscoe, too, even though it helps tremendously if he can hit a shot or two. Get just one to drop and it stretches the floor and opens up more space for the guards to drive.

On the other hand, Fox might've actually found a shot. Not saying he's burning it up, but he's actually knocking down two or three jumpers a game as of late. The importance of that extra wrinkle can't be overstated.

[Westtncat]

Worst 30-5 basketball team in the history of college basketball. Cal got outcoached 35 times but somehow we didn't lose 30 of those times.

No sarcasm. I agree. Its not like I watched the last game and made a decision so its not the drop of a hat either. LIke I said, its hard for a fan to be objective. Fans spend the season thinking if everything clicks we will be awesome while simply looking at other teams performances and evaluating them. Cal doenst have a lot to do with it to me. If the better coach wins then the best coaches would NEVER lose. If it were just on Cal then recruiting wouldnt matter. Thats just a simplistic way to view it. All Im saying is it will be extremely difficult for this team to put together a winning streak against quality teams. We have one quality win all year and thats UNC. You can count Florida if you want but we also got destroyed by 22 by Florida. A team that Vandy beat three times. The SEC is weak as water and IMO it hurts us come tourney time.


So the 2012 team got beat in a half by WKU. That was an anomaly. That team didnt under perform consistently. I bet you anything if you could go back I picked that team to win it all the entire year. I have picked three teams to win it all. I was right 2 out of three. 96, 2012 and our 40-0 team. I am hoping this team can get on a run like the Brandon Knight team did.

By the way, I am not blaming Cal or any individual player just an evaluation of this team.

[Joneslab]

That weak as water SEC is one stupid foul away from being 5-0 in this tournament.

Regardless of what happens from here on, that 16-2 run and the tourney championship were impressive feats.

What this team has to do is the same thing it's done since January: stay close and find a way to beat teams at the very end. It's done that 12 times in a row now.

Not sure why fans keep waiting for them to blow the other team out by 30. That hasn't been happening and isn't going to happen with this group.

[Jeff ROCKober]

....but if you want to look at results for tourney, the SEC has 4 teams in the round of 32, UK beat UNC, they lost to UCLA, Kansas,and Louisville(still in it) beat Michigan State-still in it. So UK has played good competition. The ACC was much deeper but they have teams flaming out as well. Wake, Notre Dame, Miami got pummeled by Michigan State, Maryland-OLD ACC goes down.

.........and UK is on a pretty good win streak.

[Westtncat]

"What this team has to do is the same thing it's done since January: stay close and find a way to beat teams at the very end. It's done that 12 times in a row now."

I agree and will be glad to win any way possible.

[Westtncat]

....but if you want to look at results for tourney, the SEC has 4 teams in the round of 32, UK beat UNC, they lost to UCLA, Kansas,and Louisville(still in it) beat Michigan State-still in it. So UK has played good competition. The ACC was much deeper but they have teams flaming out as well. Wake, Notre Dame, Miami got pummeled by Michigan State, Maryland-OLD ACC goes down.

.........and UK is on a pretty good win streak.

Also a good point.

[Westtncat]

UCLA worries me because thats the one game I feel we played good and still lost.

[George]

UCLA worries me because thats the one game I feel we played good and still lost.

We gave up 97 points and got veritably nothing from Briscoe. We can do better.

[Joneslab]

We also were killed at the 4-spot by T.J. Leaf.

Last night's game notwithstanding, Derek Willis is a much different player now.

But when we get into these next games I really think two things are paramount for us to have a shot.

One is we can't let teams roll off multiple possessions in a row in the second half where they score. We kind of quashed that in the SEC Tournament, but there was NKU last night scoring every time they had the ball late.

Another thing is that Malik Monk has to make shots.

We don't have 8 guys who can click at one time. Monk has to put the ball in the hole as the competition gets stiffer. If not we go home. That simple.

[BJD]

We gave up 97 points and got veritably nothing from Briscoe. We can do better.

We only played well on offense. We didn't guard them.

And it was our first real test against a team that was peaking. I was in Chicago when Alford's son was a young pup and we drilled them . What did they score in the first half of that game? 7 points?

And that was a neutral court. I guess Cal outcoached Alford that day?

We beat UNC on a neutral court. We beat Mich St on a neutral court.

All while learning how to play at this level.

Yes, we got trounced at Fl. But that's the only game we didn't have a chance to win in the closing minutes. And it was a 10 point game with 10 minutes to go. Still, it was a beatdown. It happens. UCLA and Az have both had beatdowns this year too. As has dUKe and UNC.

Our guys are tough and they aren't scared. Fox can have a terrible game but in the last 2 minutes of a close game that dude has ice water veins.

As for last night, my number 1 disappointments were the passes bouncing off Bam's hands. Happened at least 3 times. He's got great hands so I'll take that as an anomaly too.

[Joneslab]

As for last night, my number 1 disappointments were the passes bouncing off Bam's hands. Happened at least 3 times. He's got great hands so I'll take that as an anomaly too.

Yeah, and I thought they tried to enter it into him at odd times.

I don't like when the game comes to be about "GET IT TO THE BIG GUY EVERY TIME."

That's too easy of a game to read if you're a defense. They were packing it in like mad and on a handful of possessions--couple in the first half, at least three or four in the second--we tried to just jam it in there...and got predictable results.

I think the post game should always come organically, even if you have significant advantages down there. The guards have to drive the bus when it gets this late.

[Westtncat]

We gave up 97 points and got veritably nothing from Briscoe. We can do better.

UCLA is going to score and Briscoe didnt just have a bad game, they shut him down.

[BJD]

Yeah, and I thought they tried to enter it into him at odd times.

I don't like when the game comes to be about "GET IT TO THE BIG GUY EVERY TIME."

That's too easy of a game to read if you're a defense. They were packing it in like mad and on a handful of possessions--couple in the first half, at least three or four in the second--we tried to just jam it in there...and got predictable results.

I think the post game should always come organically, even if you have significant advantages down there. The guards have to drive the bus when it gets this late.

He was surprised by the passes. But they were good passes. he just wasn't ready for them because they are not usually passing it to him like that. One time, I believe it was Briscoe that passed, Bam was getting into rebounding position because he knew the shot was going up.

I used to play with a guy that could have been a terrific point guard. he could get into the paint against almost anyone. But he would then try to throw up some squirrely lay up and do it with either hand. You always got into rebounding position when he drove. But every now and then he would change his mind and throw a totally unexpected pass. They were almost never caught because no one was ready. Then he wouldn't pass again because you didn't convert.