Utah vs Kentucky Game Thread,

[lilproUK98]

^ But I'll also say this about Utah: they had a plan. They had an identity. They knew what they wanted to do.

Yeah, Krystkowiak's decision to slow it down for the last 10 minutes and try to sneak out of there with a W almost came back to bite him. But he at least had his team ready and they knew exactly how they wanted to beat us.

What is Kentucky right now? What are we doing out there at any given time? What's the plan, the purpose, the function of what we're doing?

Yes, talent is a concern for Kentucky. And it's also true that if you can't hit shots you always look bad. That's been true since the peach baskets.

But Kentucky is terribly coached, and they were terribly coached at this time last year. If you watch a lot of basketball as most of us do it's easy to see who's coached up and who's just a collection of individuals. Kentucky's out there just doing stuff right now, and it's obvious Cal hasn't put in the necessary work with this team.

Your last paragraph is exactly what I was referring to in my post about Cal's coaching. He is just doing a terrible job, without getting deep into it, he's just kind of not getting it done in several areas. It's really alarming and ridiculous.

[KCKUKFan]

He's busy. He has played a grand total of 2 minutes in the NBA this season.

What a huge freaking mistake he made.

Did he? He comes back and has an EJ Montgomery level year and he doesnt make first round next year.

He was lucky to land where he did, because that org is good at developing players over time.

[Joneslab]

You know a weird thing about Cal's Kentucky teams is that we almost always put up a stinker around this time of year.

I chalk most of that up to the fact that it's usually our first "real" opponent coming out of Cupcake City.

And it also makes sense that it's right around the holidays, etc.

But it's funny that if you look at the days from like December 15th to Christmas, Kentucky usually plays one of its worst games of the year right around this time.

Seton Hall last year. UCLA in 2017. Lost to Louisville in 2016 on December 21st. Ohio St. in 2015. The superteam with Karl Towns doesn't fit into this, but they did have those two really bad games to start the SEC schedule in early January. There was the Baylor game in 2014 played late at night where they looked really bad. Etc.

I agree with everybody else in the free world that Kentucky isn't good. But what we saw last night isn't outside the norm for Cal's teams at this time of year.

Usually (not always) they rebound and put up a surprisingly good game in response. Not sure these guys have it in 'em.

[Joneslab]

And I'm busy with my son's basketball on Saturday so I might not be able to watch Ohio St. One of the first marquee games I'll have to miss since the late 1990s.

Honestly I'm not that disappointed and that pains me a little to say.

[JFCats22]

Did he? He comes back and has an EJ Montgomery level year and he doesnt make first round next year.

He was lucky to land where he did, because that org is good at developing players over time.

He was better last year than EJ is this year. I don't think there is anyway he would have been anything but a really good player who, in a terrible college basketball year, could have looked like a superstar. This draft is also pathetic, he would certainly (barring major injury) been picked much higher than #29

[Dwight Schrute]

I'm doing family Christmas with my Ohio State loving in-laws Saturday, so just chalk it up to pure hell for me.

[Dwight Schrute]

You know a weird thing about Cal's Kentucky teams is that we almost always put up a stinker around this time of year.

I chalk most of that up to the fact that it's usually our first "real" opponent coming out of Cupcake City.

And it also makes sense that it's right around the holidays, etc.

But it's funny that if you look at the days from like December 15th to Christmas, Kentucky usually plays one of its worst games of the year right around this time.

Seton Hall last year. UCLA in 2017. Lost to Louisville in 2016 on December 21st. Ohio St. in 2015. The superteam with Karl Towns doesn't fit into this, but they did have those two really bad games to start the SEC schedule in early January. There was the Baylor game in 2014 played late at night where they looked really bad. Etc.

I agree with everybody else in the free world that Kentucky isn't good. But what we saw last night isn't outside the norm for Cal's teams at this time of year.

Usually (not always) they rebound and put up a surprisingly good game in response. Not sure these guys have it in 'em.

Last year I think we followed up Seton Hall with a win over UNC (honestly I can't remember the exact chronology). It's possible we follow up and smoke Ohio State, but I doubt it.

Gun to my head, I'd say we're consistently down by 8-12 the whole game and lose somewhere in that ballpark.

[Joneslab]

That decision was good for Johnson maybe but therein lies the problem with Kentucky basketball right now.

We need players to start making decisions that are good for Kentucky.

All these teams that win titles have players like that who come back. Kentucky's had a few but they really become important when you aren't getting Anthony Davis types.

[JFCats22]

I'm doing family Christmas with my Ohio State loving in-laws Saturday, so just chalk it up to pure hell for me.

Oh man...I would call in sick to that one!

[Dwight Schrute]

Oh man...I would call in sick to that one!

I wish I could. They're the worst type of sports fans too - couldn't name a single player and most likely can't name the coach, but they'll smack talk all day.

The only (possible) saving grace is that none of them care one iota about the sport of basketball.

[Dwight Schrute]

That decision was good for Johnson maybe but therein lies the problem with Kentucky basketball right now.

We need players to start making decisions that are good for Kentucky.

All these teams that win titles have players like that who come back. Kentucky's had a few but they really become important when you aren't getting Anthony Davis types.

I'm starting to feel about basketball right now the way I did during the end of the Tubby era. Just a general malaise. No real sense that we had a plan going forward and a sense during these big games that we were going to be outmanned.

I know that, in theory, next year is going to be different because we'll have some good players, but I'm skeptical.

[KCKUKFan]

I wish I could. They're the worst type of sports fans too - couldn't name a single player and most likely can't name the coach, but they'll smack talk all day.

The only (possible) saving grace is that none of them care one iota about the sport of basketball.

They probably wont even know the game is happening. Just dont mention it.

im not ready to chalk this season up as a loss (even though i know theyre only average), but next year will be interesting. It should be the most talented roster, top to bottom, since 15. What Cal does or doesnt do with them will speak volumes to his trajectory at Kentucky.

[Joneslab]

This team is probably no different than Tubby's last two. Maybe a little worse.

The difference is that Tubby had guys like Morakinyo Williams coming in the next year. At least now you can have a little hope that there's some talent coming in down the road.

I'm okay with raw teams if I know that the next year might be different. But the longer you get from a national championship every fan is inevitably going to start wondering if Cal peaked back in 2015.

And then you have this other issue with Cal which is the fact that he's reassembling teams every year. I've always been okay with that because I think I don't mind one-and-dones as much as most Kentucky fans, but major problems start to crop up you start having to piecemeal teams together in the summer.

I started a thread here back around June where I argued that the way Cal is building teams now is ludicrous. I think what we're seeing on the court is a byproduct from the desperate, scattered, haphazard way he had to Frankenstein this roster together.

[KCKUKFan]

I'm starting to feel about basketball right now the way I did during the end of the Tubby era. Just a general malaise. No real sense that we had a plan going forward and a sense during these big games that we were going to be outmanned.

I know that, in theory, next year is going to be different because we'll have some good players, but I'm skeptical.

In reality, we were outmanned in those late era Tubby games. Just didnt have the horses.

This is still a very talented roster. Theres no reason we shouldnt be able to beat Ohio State from a pure personnel level. Sure, we dont have the talent that Cals better UK teams have had, but the cupboard isnt close to bare, either.

The general malaise might be a fair comparison, but comparing the states of the programs then and now is not, and is the result of being incredibly spoiled.

Weve been an OT and a buzzer beater away from a FF in two of the last four years. The end of Tubbys tenure wasnt nearly as sunny.

[Joneslab]

In reality, we were outmanned in those late era Tubby games. Just didnt have the horses.

This is still a very talented roster.

Believe we talk a little too much about "talent" as Kentucky fans.

Bill Walton, for all his bizarre rambling last night, made a great point: Kentucky is talented, but he said he worried about our skill level.

I think a lot of times the edges between talent and skill get blurred. They're different.

Talent is upside. Skill is about the right now.

Talent muddies up the water because it makes people say things like, "They're so talented, I can't believe they're playing like this!"

But I'm more concerned about skill. A guy like Kahlil Whitney, for instance, has an ungodly lack of skill. Even a player like Hagans, who's really talented, lacks in some of the really necessary skill categories.