Hedley Lamar @ UK game thread

[Joneslab]

Well we won considerably easier than UL did tonight. Not bad, just gotta keep growing.

Akron had a guy named Tyler Cheese.

[KCKUKFan]

It's different playing one game. You can roll the dice in one game. He doesn't like that the third game in three days is going to be against a Kansas/Duke/Michigan St. sort.

And honestly, the marketing and NBA exposure for the players is more if you play those showcase games. There's more attention on those games because often with those games it's the only thing on. Maui has to fight against all these other tournaments and is just one event in a sea of others.

But Maui would be for the fans. It's an awesome fan experience. As we all know, Cal doesn't make decisions with the fans in mind a lot of times.

It doesn't bother me a ton except when I turn on the TV this week and never see us on. I think Feast Week is one of the neater, more exciting things that happens in college basketball and that Kentucky is literally never part of it is pretty disappointing.

I'd rather beat Lamar by 25 than lose by 10 to North Carolina, followed up by a 7 point loss to a similar team the very next day, but that's just me.

[Joneslab]

I'd rather beat Lamar by 25 than lose by 10 to North Carolina in November, followed up by a 7 point loss to a similar team the very next day, but that's just me.

That's assuming we would lose. This year's team would but many of Cal's teams wouldn't. We beat North Carolina at a neutral the last two times we played them in the regular season IIRC.

And we used to actually go into North Carolina in early December every other year. Hard to fathom that.

The early schedule is all about finding ways to maximize NBA marketing potential but protecting our youth at the same time. I get it. But I've always had this thought in my head that the reason Cal soured on Maui was that he took a beat-down to Jim Calhoun in the 2010-2011 season and he vowed then he was just never going to do that again.

[Joneslab]

[KCKUKFan]

Nick Richards has rounded into a good basketball player; something that I never thought I'd ever say.

[JFCats22]

Nick Richards has rounded into a good basketball player; something that I never thought I'd ever say.

It does seem that way. However, the two "difficult" games we have played so far (MSU and Evansville) he was pretty much a no show.

He has been awesome in the other 4 games but they were some really bad teams. I hope he has built some confidence and continues the great play but I need to see it against a decent team to really feel confident that this is really who he is.

[KCKUKFan]

It does seem that way. However, the two "difficult" games we have played so far (MSU and Evansville) he was pretty much a no show.

He has been awesome in the other 4 games but they were some really bad teams. I hope he has built some confidence and continues the great play but I need to see it against a decent team to really feel confident that this is really who he is.

He was a no-show against Evansville, but so was everybody else, so I'm willing to give him a break. And let's not be calling Evansville a difficult game -- that is a mediocre basketball team that we should've beat by 20.

I thought he did some really good things against Michigan State, even though he fouled out.

Moreso than the improved box scores, he is just showing more basketball skill this year. His hands are much improved, his footwork is better, and he's getting lower and in better position. Hasn't really been pushed off the block like he has before. He is reminding me of the jump that Willie Cauley made between his freshman and sophomore season.

[Joneslab]

It does seem that way. However, the two "difficult" games we have played so far (MSU and Evansville) he was pretty much a no show.

Thought he was pretty solid against Michigan St. Really played well defensively.

This team is okay-to-solid at the 1, 2, and 5. Still searching at the 3 and 4.

Kahlil Whitney in particular is a mystifying player and you can tell they're really working with him to figure out what sort of identity he has. He's the kind of athlete who needs to just dunk the ball when he gets close, but for some reason he doesn't. And he's an erratic shooter to put it kindly so you can just leave him open.

Would like to see him have a break-out game but he looks really behind to me.

[J.Jennings]

Nick is slowly becoming that guy i had hoped for 3rd season in, sometimes it just takes time for these kids. Remember it took some time for past UK hero's for guys like Padgett Shepard Harrellson, in the 80's you was lucky to play at all the first two years of college.

Sestina and Juzang need to hit a couple of shots and get some confidence, we should be fine if they do...

[J.Jennings]

Let's be honest, folks, Evansville game was a fluke, it just was. No we are not high powered and all mighty but that game just happened, still sucks but just one of many games this season...

[JFCats22]

He was a no-show against Evansville, but so was everybody else, so I'm willing to give him a break. And let's not be calling Evansville a difficult game -- that is a mediocre basketball team that we should've beat by 20.

I thought he did some really good things against Michigan State, even though he fouled out.

Moreso than the improved box scores, he is just showing more basketball skill this year. His hands are much improved, his footwork is better, and he's getting lower and in better position. Hasn't really been pushed off the block like he has before. He is reminding me of the jump that Willie Cauley made between his freshman and sophomore season.

I totally agree with what you said. I fully believe he is improved. Just how much is what I'm not sure of yet. That's why I would like to see him do it against some decent competition (will we ever play a good team again?)

[Joneslab]

Of course Evansville was a fluke but the fact remains, very few of Kentucky's other teams not coached by Billy Gillispie have lost to a mid-major.

You have to go back to when we lost to Dayton in 1999 and then Western Kentucky in 2001.

The problem with going back to those two teams is that neither of them was very good. So this team is in rarefied air when it comes to losing those kinds of games, and a fan can't help but wonder how those other teams found a way to win those types of games when this one couldn't. It could well be that this team is just fatally flawed.

[Lighthouse]

I totally forgot about the game last night so I don't have any comments about that game. However, I believe this will be a break out year for Nick Richards, and how successful he is this year will determine whether he returns for his Senior year. Remember why he wears the number 4. He and 3 from his family are his motivation, and for that reason, I wish him great success.

[J.Jennings]

Of course Evansville was a fluke but the fact remains, very few of Kentucky's other teams not coached by Billy Gillispie have lost to a mid-major.

You have to go back to when we lost to Dayton in 1999 and then Western Kentucky in 2001.

The problem with going back to those two teams is that neither of them was very good. So this team is in rarefied air when it comes to losing those kinds of games, and a fan can't help but wonder how those other teams found a way to win those types of games when this one couldn't. It could well be that this team is just fatally flawed.

Besides actually losing to Evansville, the biggest problem with losing to Evansville is now that every team we play actually thinks and believes they can beat us, that is why we have to stay on our A game.


I agree. losing to Evansville was pretty historic but it happened, can't just pack it up for the year, have to keep working and getting better.

[J.Jennings]

On another note, love the attitude of Maxey, that kid is always in a good mood and just having fun, hard not to roof to him. That behind the back play ticked Cal off but it was almost spectacular lol lol lol