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Gonzaga's Zach Collins.
Oddly there isn't a ton of NBA talent at all in this Final Four. Collins, Isaiah Hicks, Justin Jackson, Dillon Brooks, Sindarius Thornwell. Maybe P.J. Dozier. That's probably it.
But I'm not sure that means much of anything. Duke won it just a couple of years ago behind three one-and-dones. You really need to have those types of players. It's essential. The only argument about Cal that for me makes sense is the way Cal tends to preach the NBA and changing players' lives, which may push some players out from time to time who aren't necessarily ready.
But that's a far different thing than saying you don't need those guys.Comment
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The disappointing thing about this is that it's hard to look forward to next year and think "we'll be back." We're gonna be young...again, but we also are going to lack the leadership we had this year. Who's gonna be the Dom Hawkins or Derek Willis?
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Next year's team could be one of the youngest in college basketball history.
Still think if we get Bamba and Knox we'll be a legit title threat.
We talk about talent vs. experience a lot, but a really ironic thing about Cal's teams is that it's recruiting that has had as much of a hand as anything in our uneven teams.
Cal's inability to grab an elite wing other than MKG has been a real issue. Would be great to have a guy who could slash from the 3 at 6/7/6'8". Cal hasn't been able to land that guy and so we often have to match up against the Justin Jacksons and Sam Dekkers of the world with guards.Comment
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Indeed. All of Cal's teams with the exception of '12 and '15 have been incomplete teams because he has so many roles to fill. For some reason, he can't get that elite 6'7" player with the notable exception of MKG.
​​​​​​​I woulda killed to have had a player like Josh Jackson on our team.Comment
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Some discussion about whether Luke Maye walked. Here it is, I don't think he did, or at least not a call that any ref would make with 1 sec in a crucial, tied game. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZg5kzCM_RcComment
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No team has any many UK does that relies on them to win. They are all veteran teams. It took a generational type freshman in Anthony Davis for UK to win one. It will probably take another like him for UK to win another title. Can we wait another 20 to 25 years for that?Kentucky fan since 1971.Comment
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And one thing that Kentucky is going to have next year assuming we get Bamba is size. Lots and lots of size.
You saw how devastating that was for Carolina yesterday. Kennedy Meeks controlled that game and virtually didn't score. They just killed us in the paint and on the glass. Yes, they got away with a ton, but they also were the aggressors. At one point they had blocked 8 shots to our 1.
Next year we're going to come at teams with a fairly incredible amount of length.
The trade-off is that I'm not sure where the shooters are.Comment
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Virginia if you are a ref that is worth a damn you call a walk if it happens no matter how much time is left in the game . You dont let the situation dictate what you call. Period. I have called a foul on the initial jump ball before. You call what is there. You dont put your own version to it. that is the problem with a lot of the college game these days. The NCAA and the refs seem to have their own interpretation of the rules.Comment
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Jackson might be. But these teams do have good experienced players. They have learned by experience what can win for you. Also we did not beat them in the tournament. Tournament play is a whole different beast. If UK had these guys coming back next season I would be all bubbly today knowing they have learned a lot this year and should be even better next season. But as we all know they are all off to make their fortune and its starts all over from the ground up once again next season. It will probably be a good year, maybe make another deep run in the NCAA's. But in the end freshman mistakes will get them knocked out of the tourney. Most of them will go pro and we will start all over again for the 18/19 season.Kentucky fan since 1971.Comment
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Originally posted by John Stuart MillRIP: Charlie Munger​Originally posted by Robert “Hoot†GibsonComment
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No, all college players make mistakes.
I don't look at yesterday's game and chalk it up to freshman mistakes, do you? That's a game that could have gone either way. It came down to literally a last-second shot.
That was a whoever-has-the-ball-last-is-going-to-win situation. As I said elsewhere, it reminded me of the game where we beat Ohio State on the Brandon Knight shot. That Ohio State team was chock full of experience.
You look at Carolina and see two consecutive Final Fours. Well, roll the clock back to when those guys were young. The two teams three and four years ago were double-digit loss teams that were knocked out in the second round.
So it's always a trade-off. Every team at the Carolina/Duke/Kentucky/Kanas level and not just Kentucky is making that same trade-off. You always give up something to get something.Comment
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Yeah, I don't think yesterday was a problem of experience vs talent. They just took away our strengths and made it difficult for us to do anything, and we still came within 2 points of beating them. Had we made our free throws, we'd have won.
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