Texas A&M vs. Kentucky: Game Thread

[teamchemistry15]

I'm going to disagree a little with this. I don't see anything from Washington that suggests he shouldn't be playing. The guy needs to put the ball in the basket a little more but he's still giving you solid games.

He definitely has a motor issue but you have to have him out there most of the time.

I do think Montgomery needs to be playing a little more but I would play him in front of Travis. Richards remains an enigma and if he can help you in about five possessions a game it's a win with him.

When the motor isn't running you can't make it to work on time by pushing your car down the highway.

MKG wasn't a great basketball player, but you had to have him on the floor. I'm not sure it works the other way around by leaving a talented guy out there hoping he decides to try harder.

[Joneslab]

The Ulis/Murray team was interesting because they probably had two top 20 players. They just had almost nothing inside.

Just looking at this personnel, I actually like Tyler Herro better than some of our other freshmen guards. I think he actually gives you a more well-rounded game than Malik Monk, though he obviously doesn't have those insane scoring games Monk did. But he gets after it more.

There are obviously great college players who are invaluable. We usually know who those guys are from year to year. But there's a lot of gray area when you're putting players in arbitrary rankings like that because sometimes a guy's overall value to the team is way beyond how talented he is. We've had players who weren't super talented but they absolutely maxed out their ability and were integral pieces on good teams. Deandre Liggins comes to mind as a guy like that. He wouldn't be anywhere near anybody's top 20 players but he was tremendous at what he did for that team.

[Joneslab]

MKG wasn't a great basketball player, but you had to have him on the floor. I'm not sure it works the other way around by leaving a talented guy out there hoping he decides to try harder.

What Washington is though is a well-rounded player. He'll give you different kinds of things throughout a game. That's invaluable and on most nights (not all) he can overcome his lack of greatness in any one facet by being pretty good in others.

Needs to score more definitely but I think teams are keying on him and Travis a little and they're both having trouble against length. But there's a reason Billy Kennedy spent most of his press conference last night talking about Washington.

I don't think we have anybody to replace him.

[teamchemistry15]

The Ulis/Murray team was interesting because they probably had two top 20 players. They just had almost nothing inside.

Just looking at this personnel, I actually like Tyler Herro better than some of our other freshmen guards. I think he actually gives you a more well-rounded game than Malik Monk, though he obviously doesn't have those insane scoring games Monk did. But he gets after it more.

There are obviously great college players who are invaluable. We usually know who those guys are from year to year. But there's a lot of gray area when you're putting players in arbitrary rankings like that because sometimes a guy's overall value to the team is way beyond how talented he is. We've had players who weren't super talented but they absolutely maxed out their ability and were integral pieces on good teams. Deandre Liggins comes to mind as a guy like that. He wouldn't be anywhere near anybody's top 20 players but he was tremendous at what he did for that team.

Agreed about Herro. He's just a good basketball player overall. He's much better than any of us expected.

[Lighthouse]

I am not saying the team doesn't have any talent. They have a lot of talent and a lot of "could be" and "what if". And maybe your definition of a "college star" is different from mine.

I don't believe, at this time, UK has any "star" players. I think of college stars as the top 15-20ish or so players and I don't think UK has one. If you put all the college players into a bucket and let coaches form a top players list I don't think a UK guy would be in their top 15-20. Maybe Keldon would be towards the back of that list but I think he's a tossup

Crazy things can happen in the NCAA tournament (UK in 20114) but I don't even see any semblance of anything that shows this team is a Final Four caliber team.

I somewhat agree with this. I believe this team has talent, although not exceptional. With the inconsistency on both ends at this point, I dislike this so much, but I agree unless this issue is fixed, we will have several SEC losses, not be a factor in the SEC tournament, and make an early exit in the NCAA. Gosh, that hurt!!

[Dwight Schrute]

Last year we had two really lucky breaks in Arizona and Virginia both getting knocked out in the first round. That loss to Kansas State really chafes my hide because the lane was open for us to get to the Final Four and we blew it.

[Joneslab]

Last year we had two really lucky breaks in Arizona and Virginia both getting knocked out in the first round. That loss to Kansas State really chafes my hide because the lane was open for us to get to the Final Four and we blew it.

It would have been sweet to get to the Final Four but we likely would've been pummeled had we gotten there.

Last year's team just had a lot of flaws that you could see early on. I think this team is on a different level...BUT we haven't seen that level a whole lot this season because they don't guard well.

Talent-wise though this is a different caliber of team.

[Dwight Schrute]

It would have been sweet to get to the Final Four but we likely would've been pummeled had we gotten there.

Last year's team just had a lot of flaws that you could see early on. I think this team is on a different level...BUT we haven't seen that level a whole lot this season because they don't guard well.

Talent-wise though this is a different caliber of team.

Yeah of course, Villanova would've destroyed us. But it's still a Final Four.

[J.Jennings]

Back to the talent part, yes of course we have some talent and i don't want to take anything away from Herro or Johnson but still wish we had that big time can't miss stud to put us over the top, really wish we had a great post player who can get you a bucket. Yes Johnson and Herro are good but i also look at things from a post Kentucky NBA perspective, guys like Johnson and Herro come a dime a dozen, just saying..

Anyways, team has to play defesne i agree, can't let the foot off the pedal at anytime, we just don't have enough star players to afford that luxury at all....

[Joneslab]

Back to the talent part, yes of course we have some talent and i don't want to take anything away from Herro or Johnson but still wish we had that big time can't miss stud to put us over the top, really wish we had a great post player who can get you a bucket. Yes Johnson and Herro are good but i also look at things from a post Kentucky NBA perspective, guys like Johnson and Herro come a dime a dozen, just saying...

Johnson doesn't come a dime a dozen. A guy that strong with that sort of motor who can put the ball in the basket like that? That's special.

I think Hagans is special as well, or at least he's on his way there.

Herro probably not but he does play harder than your average college player, and he's smart.

I think PJ Washington could have a very good NBA career.

We've got some studs. What we don't have is a Zion or a Barrett but those types don't come around very often.

[J.Jennings]

Johnson doesn't come a dime a dozen. A guy that strong with that sort of motor who can put the ball in the basket like that? That's special.

I think Hagans is special as well, or at least he's on his way there.

Herro probably not but he does play harder than your average college player, and he's smart.

I think PJ Washington could have a very good NBA career.

We've got some studs. What we don't have is a Zion or a Barrett but those types don't come around very often.

Until he has to check small fowards Like Lebron or Kd, Tatum. How many SF has Syracuse put out over the years that looked really good in college but flopped?

Anyways, this isn't anti Keldo, i like him and hope he does very well, still hit or miss what type of career he can have, he's just not freakish special or doesn't do one thing absolutely great in my opinion..

As for Washington, i think he will be in and out of the league alot sooner than later, just my opinion, his length will be his downfall..

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Here's the bottomline Will Lavender, if the players are so good then step up and prove it, just don't show up when you want too, makes us all believers. Right now i see on again off again players who have made some piss poor bad teams look very good against us. We may have some star talent but we sure don't have any ALPHA MALES ready to rip your head off, that's for sure....

[Joneslab]

Stats through first 14 games of Kentucky careers.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: 14 points per, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 9-24 from three (37.5%)
Keldon Johnson: 16 points per, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 20-51 from three (39%)

[J.Jennings]

And not to knock on Johnson but Syracuse has had some pretty good guard/fowards over the years who looked great on paper and played very well in college but went on to the NBA to basically never be heard of again if your name wasn't Carmelo Anthony...


Having the top players in a class on your team doesn't guarantee a Championship, ask Duke, I hate the fact Coach K is killing Cal but if the shoe was on the other foot, hell all of us would be outraged at Cal for not winning a title with players like Bagley and so on, , just saying to keep it fair...


Good news about our team is this, still young, still early, hopefully still growing and getting better. May have to take a few more losses and beatdowns for this team to realize it has to play D and hustle at all times but there is still hope. Against North Carolina, hell i wouldn't have replaced Keldon Johnson or Herro with any other college player in America, those two kids was balling that game...

[J.Jennings]

Stats through first 14 games of Kentucky careers.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist: 14 points per, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 9-24 from three (37.5%)
Keldon Johnson: 16 points per, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 turnovers, 20-51 from three (39%)

With all due respect and nothing against MKG, i liked him but his non ability to shoot has really hurt his NBA career so far. Charlotte has drafted over him and he's nothing more than a role player now a days..

Good thing about Johnson is that he can play 2 or 3 so he will be fine, not sure if he will be a star but who knows and hopefully he will...

[J.Jennings]

Here's probably my biggest complaint and others probably feel the same way but won't admit it. We watched a team over the summer play great and most of us all had it in our heads this team would come in and dominate college basketball this year, that didn't happen. The Duke loss cut alot of us deep to the bone, not just the loss but the way it happened and the score and margin. Probably be best for alot of fans including myself to take the attitude that a win is a win, even if it's against a A&M team that isn't that good, just get the W and move on, if we looking for style points and big dominating margins of victory, that aint happening with this group.....