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The Good! The Bad! The Ugly! TAMU Edition

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  • Joneslab
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2014
    • 39604

    #1

    The Good! The Bad! The Ugly! TAMU Edition

    The Good

    * The win. That was the very embodiment of gut-check time last night, with the flu raging and Quade out and the team's toughness (h/t Billy Gillispie) being called out from all corners. But the Cats got it done. We were all dizzy and confused and enraged when the horn sounded, but they got it done.

    * Did I say the Cats won? What we were staring at if we would've lost that game was a truly frightening proposition. I feel like the phrase "NIT" would maybe be floating around a little today. One can't overstate what a massive W that was last night.

    * Hami time. When the team looked like it was fading, Hami Diallo took the game over. His run early in the second half was a thing of beauty, and for the first time in a couple of weeks he injected himself into the flow of the game. That's the Hami we have to see if this team has any chance to be a solid basketball team by March.

    * PJ Washington's final field goal. Washington roared back after crampgate with 16 points, but the final drive--to put the Cats up 5 with about a minute left--was an NBA move if I've ever seen one. He took Robert Williams, a potential lottery pick, to the basket with relative ease with the left hand, and that basket pretty much iced the thing.

    * The Cats' offense. For a team that was without its best outside shooter, Kentucky did some really good things offensively last night against the SEC's best defensive team. In the second half they hardly missed, and if they could have found a way to contain Tyler Davis that would have been an easy W. At one point in the second half they were over 65%. That's pretty solid for a team missing a key player and playing five freshmen almost all the time.

    * Shai returning to form. After a hiccup against Tennessee, Shai looked like his old self out there, playing a ridiculous 39 minutes, scoring in those wild angles, and looking like an all-SEC player.

    * The rebounding battle. I felt like if Kentucky could just kind of hang around in rebounds it would be a positive, but not only did Kentucky hang around--they beat TAMU by one in rebounding margin. Probably the craziest stat in a wild game.

    * The clutch free throws until the very end. Yes, things got squirrely in the last minute, but a lot of guys stepped up and nailed big free throws in the last minutes. I was especially impressed with Sacha Killeya-Jones' two in the last three minutes.

    * Oddly, Kentucky and Texas A&M is turning into a legit SEC rivalry. These games seem to always be wild and come down to the last minute, and they're often very fun to watch. In the last three or four years we have played some classics against the Aggies, and I'm glad we ended up on the right side last night.

    The Bad

    * The inability to guard Tyler Davis in the second half. Davis picked up a deluge of loose balls and just put them in with ease in the last 10 minutes. At one point he was TAMU's offense, and it was frustrating to watch him scoop up virtually every loose ball and just turn around and put it in the basket.

    * The zone did some good things, but it also allowed TAMU to break out of what was a pretty crazy shooting slump. They came into that game last night ice cold, and the zone let a couple of guys get going. It was ironically a change to man to man there in the last five minutes that I thought confused TAMU enough to stop them on a couple of possessions and ultimately win the game for Kentucky.

    * Shai's decision making a couple of times in the second half. TAMU was running doubles at him virtually all through the second half, and there were times when Shai panicked. The late turnover was especially rough, but there were other times he had a guy open and the ball stuck in his hands too long. A good learning experience for him.

    The Ugly

    * The last minute. You saw a dose of virtually everything there, from tissue-paper soft play to freshmen insanity to weird bounces that went TAMU's way. But more than anything these Cats are going to have to get stronger with the basketball when teams run wild traps at them. The Shai turnover was brutal because he could have easily called a time-out; the Knox turnover was more brutal because why was he in the corner?; and the weird way we defended in transition--first on the Robert Williams dunk with nobody around him and then on the very last play--reduced me to a screaming wild man in my living room.

    * Speaking of that last play: it was a foul. Not much more needs to be said about it. That Doug Shows of all people missed the call was hilarious, but it was definitely missed. Also:

    * Why did Wenyen Gabriel play that last 10 minutes in such a wild fashion? If you go back and watch the last five to ten minutes, you'll notice Wenyen fouling almost every time somebody is in his area. A couple weren't called. But he was constantly out of position and playing in such a strange way that I'm not sure what he was doing. I guess as Cal would say he just lost his mind, but there's no need to wrap Tyler Davis up in that situation. Just get in front of him and try to deflect the pass. That TAMU was able to set up what was essentially a post-up with 3 seconds left on a full-court situation was maddening and odd. That's just guys not knowing what the situation is and getting completely lost. Wenyen has to be smarter.
  • KevinHall
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2014
    • 6857

    #2
    Another good write up Will.

    A good point about this UK/A&M matchup. Since A&M has joined the SEC it seems every game is down to the wire. This is turning into a good rivalry.

    I will be glad to see Kyle Davis finally graduate. He kills UK every time and doesn't seem to do this to anyone else. Oh well there are just some players who really get it going when they play against UK.

    This will be a good win on the NCAA resume when its all said and done. A&M may have the best mix of talent and experience in the SEC. With almost everyone back for them now they should really get things rolling.
    Kentucky fan since 1971.

    Comment

    • SCBlu
      Senior Member
      • Oct 2014
      • 1016

      #3
      Will. Thanks for another insightful post-game analysis.

      Comment

      • UK8STL11
        Senior Member
        • May 2017
        • 696

        #4
        Definitely a good win. A lot of ups and a lot of downs. PJ seems to be really headed in the right direction. Richards - not even sure what to say about him at this point. The last :50 may have been the death of me. Up 5, turn the ball over, miss FTs, no defense, and give him basically a chance at a layup to end the game (Shows may be my new favorite ref) was maddening. Insanely hard to have all of those things fall apart in a blink.

        But, give them major kudos - they won. A loss would have been season altering, IMO. They have their two easiest road games coming and then a date with Florida in Rupp.

        Comment

        • KCKUKFan
          Senior Member
          • Nov 2014
          • 14228

          #5
          This is a win that will ultimately look very good on selection Sunday.

          A&M is a good basketball team, and they will undoubtedly get it together.

          That last minute, though... yeesh.

          Comment

          • Spiritof96
            Senior Member
            • Oct 2014
            • 13503

            #6
            This is the first full game I have seen since Kansas. I don't think I enjoy watching "young" teams "learning" to play hard. Was the 2013 team this annoying? If they stayed for three years, this team could be really good.
            Originally posted by John Stuart Mill
            ​He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that... He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them...he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
            Originally posted by Robert “Hoot” Gibson
            No matter how bad things may seem, you can always make them worse.
            RIP: Charlie Munger​

            Comment

            • J.Jennings
              Banned
              • Oct 2014
              • 7005

              #7
              Very lucky win and we did everything possible to just give it away. Beside the flashes of greatness in the Louisville game, this team just isn't that good right now, hope it changes...

              Comment

              • Spiritof96
                Senior Member
                • Oct 2014
                • 13503

                #8
                Originally posted by J.Jennings
                Very lucky win and we did everything possible to just give it away. Beside the flashes of greatness in the Louisville game, this team just isn't that good right now, hope it changes...
                We stink.

                In happier news SG-A reminds me of a young Andre Tyler Iguodala.
                Originally posted by John Stuart Mill
                ​He who knows only his own side of the case knows little of that... He must be able to hear them from persons who actually believe them...he must know them in their most plausible and persuasive form.
                Originally posted by Robert “Hoot” Gibson
                No matter how bad things may seem, you can always make them worse.
                RIP: Charlie Munger​

                Comment

                • J.Jennings
                  Banned
                  • Oct 2014
                  • 7005

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Spiritof96
                  This is the first full game I have seen since Kansas. I don't think I enjoy watching "young" teams "learning" to play hard. Was the 2013 team this annoying? If they stayed for three years, this team could be really good.
                  "Junk basketball" gets old but it is what it is....

                  Comment

                  • Joneslab
                    Senior Member
                    • Oct 2014
                    • 39604

                    #10
                    Originally posted by Spiritof96
                    Was the 2013 team this annoying?
                    By this week in that season that team had already lost 5 games so the answer is yes.

                    This team's ceiling is higher than 2013. That team had some things going on in the locker room even before they got torn apart by an injury. But like 2013, and 2014, and 2011, these guys can't really have off-nights from any key individual player. Injuries make the whole thing shaky. That's what made last night a little more pleasing: the fact that they were without Green and still won. They need everybody chipping in virtually all the time or the whole thing starts to go haywire.

                    Comment

                    • Joneslab
                      Senior Member
                      • Oct 2014
                      • 39604

                      #11
                      Kentucky shot 56% against a top 10 defense without its starting point guard.

                      I don't think that's junk basketball, really. Maybe it's just me.

                      Texas A&M is a good team when its got all its dudes. Ask West Virginia.

                      Comment

                      • justford
                        Senior Member
                        • Oct 2014
                        • 4669

                        #12
                        Just really impressed with PJ the last few games. Don't know what happened but he is really playing great. Hope he continues to do so.

                        Comment

                        • KCKUKFan
                          Senior Member
                          • Nov 2014
                          • 14228

                          #13
                          This team played some very good basketball last night. It's a matter of piecing it all together for 40 minutes. Usually Cal can get his guys to do that by March.

                          And, yes, 2013 was easily this annoying. So was 2014. And 2010.

                          Comment

                          • J.Jennings
                            Banned
                            • Oct 2014
                            • 7005

                            #14
                            Originally posted by Will Lavender
                            Kentucky shot 56% against a top 10 defense without its starting point guard.

                            I don't think that's junk basketball, really. Maybe it's just me.

                            Texas A&M is a good team when its got all its dudes. Ask West Virginia.
                            Well it sure in the hell aint pretty but hey, a win is a win and i'll take it with one of Cal's youngest teams he's ever had. I think we still have a few guys who are still trying to adjust D1 basketball, a few are pressing and putting more pressure on themselves, and some are over thinking instead of playing. Cal is so demanding that some are afraid to make a mistake, it's just a combination of many things and like every other year, hope it gets worked out when it really counts....

                            Comment

                            • J.Jennings
                              Banned
                              • Oct 2014
                              • 7005

                              #15
                              The good thing, we won. If not, i agree with Will, people would be going crazy today had we lost that game...

                              Comment

                               

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