Kentucky vs. Missouri: Game Thread

[catfaninin]

Cal's use of Richards is totally baffling to me. He starts, plays 3 minutes scores a couple of points and grabs a couple rebounds and heads to the bench pretty much for the rest of the game. This is not intended to say that he is a great player.I see the same flaws that everyone else does. But he isn't the only flawed player. I think given the minutes some other guys get he could do better.

[lilproUK98]

More like "Shoot Camp."

Tyler Herro can't get here soon enough....

And for that matter Johnson and Quickly too.

[Katmendo]

Cal's use of Richards is totally baffling to me. He starts, plays 3 minutes scores a couple of points and grabs a couple rebounds and heads to the bench pretty much for the rest of the game. This is not intended to say that he is a great player.I see the same flaws that everyone else does. But he isn't the only flawed player. I think given the minutes some other guys get he could do better.

I'd like to see Wynyard in there more. I like his energy. The worst thing that can happen s he'll get some quick fouls, but that's no different than Richards.

I love Richards' touch at the line, and, given time, he could develop into a lethal weapon from 17' and in. But, as of now, he doesn't move his feet well, he has some serious issues in catching the ball regardless of where it's thrown, and doesn't really affect that many shots. Besides which, UK's commitment to shot blocking has KILLED us by allowing easy weakside offensive rebounding.
So, IMO, we need someone who will be physical, move as best they can, and go get boards.

And don't mistake this as "the back up quarterback" thinking, because it isn't. Wynyard won't win the game outright, but he can give 10-15 minutes and get in there and get boards. Put he and JV under the basket and I suspect our rebounding numbers would greatly improve.

[Joneslab]

Cal's use of Richards is totally baffling to me. He starts, plays 3 minutes scores a couple of points and grabs a couple rebounds and heads to the bench pretty much for the rest of the game. This is not intended to say that he is a great player.I see the same flaws that everyone else does. But he isn't the only flawed player. I think given the minutes some other guys get he could do better.

I actually like Sacha more. He'll battle, I like his touch, and I just think he's the better overall player in virtually ever facet. When you've got a guy out there who cannot catch the basketball it's a problem.

Richards is way, WAY behind.

[Lighthouse]

When I see a player like Vanderbilt catch a pass on the wing, look around and none of the others are moving at all, and he decides to dribble into the paint, pivot and put up a shot, it makes me wonder what Cal is looking at. He states all the time, if a player isn't doing what he's looking for, he's out. Could the problem with this team be that Cal doesn't back up what he says?

[catfaninin]

I actually like Sacha more. He'll battle, I like his touch, and I just think he's the better overall player in virtually ever facet. When you've got a guy out there who cannot catch the basketball it's a problem.

Richards is way, WAY behind.

I think they are pretty much the same player right now. But I think the potential for Richards is so much higher. He has a fabulous touch also. And has shown some really good post moves. But at 10 minutes a game he won't show many of them. He certainly has plenty of issues but time on the court might go a long ways in fixing some of them.

[Joneslab]

I think they are pretty much the same player right now. But I think the potential for Richards is so much higher. He has a fabulous touch also. And has shown some really good post moves. But at 10 minutes a game he won't show many of them. He certainly has plenty of issues but time on the court might go a long ways in fixing some of them.

Agree with Richards' potential, even though it might be a long way off. And I generally agree with running young big men out there for the experience even if they're struggling.

But Richards can't catch the basketball at times. It's beyond anything I've seen at UK for a young big. Just mystifying.

Having said that, Lighthouse makes a good point. This offense looks really weird. So many guys standing. Some of that is out of habit (Knox). But these guys are simply not coached up.

It's crossed my mind that Cal may just be burnt out. We look shockingly hapless and disorganized at times. People will say that's how Cal's teams look, but not at this point in the season. He's clearly struggling with the fact that we don't have a lot of elite players, but more than that they just look strange. Like the entire offense really doesn't have a true function.

It boils down mostly to talent as it always does, but Cal's going to have to coach 'em up or this season's gonna sink.

[catfaninin]

Agree with Richards' potential, even though it might be a long way off. And I generally agree with running young big men out there for the experience even if they're struggling.

But Richards can't catch the basketball at times. It's beyond anything I've seen at UK for a young big. Just mystifying.

Having said that, Lighthouse makes a good point. This offense looks really weird. So many guys standing. Some of that is out of habit (Knox). But these guys are simply not coached up.

It's crossed my mind that Cal may just be burnt out. We look shockingly hapless and disorganized at times. People will say that's how Cal's teams look, but not at this point in the season. He's clearly struggling with the fact that we don't have a lot of elite players, but more than that they just look strange. Like the entire offense really doesn't have a true function.

It boils down mostly to talent as it always does, but Cal's going to have to coach 'em up or this season's gonna sink.

There is plenty of talent there to be far better than what we have saw.

I sometimes wonder if it is an issue of being overcoached. With the constant substitutions there is never any kind of flow. I wonder at times if they even know who is in the game. Maybe just picking a group of 5 and letting them play would be helpful.

I watched Villanova earlier. They looked like a machine. They are far from the most talented team in the country but they sure look good. And their starters all played 35 minutes. If they make a mistake they go on. Without looking over their shoulder for a sub. Without the constant shuffling of players.

[Blue Heaven]

Missed a lot of the game yesterday due to my Daughters swim meet but caught up. Some things I have noticed:
Does anyone know how to take a charge? Mizzou drew quite a few from us. Do we even have a charge call this year?
Like others have said, A LOT of standing around.
After the WVU game I thought we turned a corner but Mizzou just physically whipped us all game. That really didn't surprise me and now the WVU game looks like an anomaly.
Good things tend to happen when JV is on the court. The guy deserves more minutes. Before his foul trouble he was in and out of the game.
I could really give a crap less about the 3 pt streak. Just win baby!!!

[KCKUKFan]

Richards has been about what I expected going into the season, but his inability to dunk the basketball is a major point of concern.

I've never seen a seven footer miss so many dunks.

[KCKUKFan]

Re: Cal.

He is coaching these guys into the ground, and some teams that works wonders for in Jan/Feb. I'm not sure about these guys, though, because I'm not sure they have the natural ability to perform the way Cal is expecting. As Will has mentioned, the "elite" just isn't there in this group.

[KevinHall]

There is plenty of talent there to be far better than what we have saw.

I sometimes wonder if it is an issue of being overcoached. With the constant substitutions there is never any kind of flow. I wonder at times if they even know who is in the game. Maybe just picking a group of 5 and letting them play would be helpful.

I watched Villanova earlier. They looked like a machine. They are far from the most talented team in the country but they sure look good. And their starters all played 35 minutes. If they make a mistake they go on. Without looking over their shoulder for a sub. Without the constant shuffling of players.

I love watching Villanova. They are what I wish UK could be. They are fun to watch. Just a well oiled machine. Not perfect but they know what they are doing. UK looks lost and I doubt they are going to find themselves this year. But that what happens when you have a total team turnover. This is the aspect of Cal I truly hate.

[Joneslab]

Re: Cal.

He is coaching these guys into the ground, and some teams that works wonders for in Jan/Feb. I'm not sure about these guys, though, because I'm not sure they have the natural ability to perform the way Cal is expecting. As Will has mentioned, the "elite" just isn't there in this group.

He's screaming at them, but I'm not sure they're being coached.

I watch a lot of high school ball. Youth basketball too. You can always tell when kids are coached. You can see it.

It could be that Cal just doesn't have enough to work with. But the standing/bad habits/sulking should have been worked out by now.

I always think sports is about talent. It begins and ends with talent. Coaches don't hold magic wands. There is absolutely a significant talent problem with this team, and when you add in the youth that's a toxic mixture. But this team does some odd things that suggest there's a disconnect between players and coach.

All this said, the game is really hard if you can't shoot the ball. This team can't shoot and I think our other issues extend outward from there. If we could post it we could offset that, but we have no one who can consistently post. So I don't envy Cal this task to finish out the season.

[40bill]

There's an old rag about a coach losing a team.

I'm not real sure Cal ever had a hold of this one. I had thought Diallo being there a year he would have been a leader. I just am not seeing that so far.

[Lighthouse]

There's an old rag about a coach losing a team.

I'm not real sure Cal ever had a hold of this one. I had thought Diallo being there a year he would have been a leader. I just am not seeing that so far.

I feel the same way. However let's cut to the chase here. We, as very knowledgeable basketball and Kentucky fans, are well aware of what we've seen from this young man. From the beginning, he has demonstrated a selfishness in his play, that is probably from his realizing how limited his shooting is, and although he is very athletic it looks like to me that all the hype about his decision last year to go or come back, was a show because I can't imagine that the GM's in the NBA couldn't see his limitations. That coupled with his constant confrontations with Cal demonstrates how desperate he is. I don't in any way want this young man to fail in his dream of playing Pro ball, and only wish to state my opinion.