Kentucky vs. North Carolina: Game Thread

[DA#23]

Evolve with the game. Saban adjusted by opening up to the new era of offense and how he weighed it in total.

[DA#23]

Which is true, we will need to evolve. But Kentucky’s issues are much more widespread than that. We can’t even play our own style well enough to see how effective it still is. We can’t make basic basketball plays, we have a new roster every year, one of the guys slated to be a star on the national level left the game early yesterday because he’d fouled out and somehow people , including his coach, are addressing the guy that was crying rather than the guy who flat out just left.

Heck, we have a guy who supposedly is injured and hasn’t played a single minute out there fielding press questions after a loss.

So the issues right now are too widespread for offensive style of play to be of consideration right now. We can’t even play basketball in general

[Dwight Schrute]

I don’t really know what Tucker is saying here. I’m ignorant about college football. What’s he arguing that Cal should do exactly?

Saban adopted the spread offense style that has become prevalent in college football and with their talent they have a pretty incredible team. But he wasn’t always that way.

The equivalent is for Cal to recruit players who can shoot at all 5 positions and play the way modern college basketball teams play.

[lilproUK98]

Saban adopted the spread offense style that has become prevalent in college football and with their talent they have a pretty incredible team. But he wasn’t always that way.

The equivalent is for Cal to recruit players who can shoot at all 5 positions and play the way modern college basketball teams play.

And we don't even need to look as far as Saban. UK's football coach is (in theory) doing the same thing ....

[Joneslab]

I don’t think Saban is a good example for anyone in college basketball. Radically different sport. There’s not much parity in college football, plus you don’t have to contend with the one-and-don’t thing.

[George]

I don’t think Saban is a good example for anyone in college basketball. Radically different sport. There’s not much parity in college football, plus you don’t have to contend with the one-and-don’t thing.

You’re overthinking this, Will. The comparison goes no further than both coaches being elite but only one showing a willingness to adapt.

[Dwight Schrute]

You’re overthinking this, Will. The comparison goes no further than both coaches being elite but only one showing a willingness to adapt.

Exactly.

[Dwight Schrute]

I don’t think Saban is a good example for anyone in college basketball. Radically different sport. There’s not much parity in college football, plus you don’t have to contend with the one-and-don’t thing.

As DVZ said, this is overthinking it. The similarities are that they’re both elite coaches that were being usurped by younger guys. Saban adapted, Cal as of yet has not.

[Joneslab]

I still don’t quite get the point. Is Cal’s issue about “adapting”? I think it’s more that he simply can’t keep anybody and he’s missing on elite players. Ironically he needs to revert—to the Calipari of 2006-2015.

[KCKUKFan]

Every Cal team during his tenure at Kentucky has ended up being solid defensively and offensively by the end of the year. This year might be the first time we don't see that, and as it was noted earlier in the thread, it might be better for all parties if this season just collapses. As a coach, he's no different than he's ever been, and I'm not sure he's falling behind or anything. This year is an outlier in that he has a team that is woefully behind and hasn't bought into what he's selling. A lot of these guys that we thought were going to be impact players immediately have either been scouted incorrectly or are just really behind. If you rely primarily on new faces to make your team work, and just one of them turns out to be a dud, then you're facing an uphill battle. We have about three of those duds right now. It doesn't help that one of our "all-ACC" transfers isn't very good, either.

Where Cal needs to "adapt" is being able to hold onto players, pro-ready or not, for more than a year. He also needs to stop piecing together rosters in the summer. Being able to land one or two legitimate top 3 players here and there would help, too. As far as coaching, frankly, I'm not concerned.

[DA#23]

Terrence Clarke walked out yesterday before 00:00. I've seen hardly any mention of that online, which includes looking on Rupp's Rafters some.

I find that surprising. He fouled out and instead of being on the bench with his staff and his team, I guess he went to the locker room. That's not cool.

[George]

Terrence Clarke walked out yesterday before 00:00. I've seen hardly any mention of that online, which includes looking on Rupp's Rafters some.

I find that surprising. He fouled out and instead of being on the bench with his staff and his team, I guess he went to the locker room. That's not cool.

Kyle Tucker reported this once or twice, but later said it was incorrect and that Clarke did not leave the court early.

[DA#23]

Oh, well thank you for that info. That's a bit reckless on Tucker's part. I found the game in its entirety on Youtube and probably will watch as much of it as I can stomach.

I saw the part where Fletcher is crying and Jai Lucas is toweling his face.

[DA#23]

Wait a minute, it looks like after he fouled out Clarke is sitting in his chair talking to Calipari, makes a gesture with an outstretched arm (not the middle finger) while talking/arguing, and then you can clearly see Calipari point away.

At 1:25:47 he commits his 5th foul.

At 1:27:28 you can see him say something, Calipari hears it, and goes over to pursue. At 1:27:41 Calipari still is arguing with him and points to the locker room.

Then later on the camera shows him still on the bench ?? What in the world?

[George]

I still don’t quite get the point. Is Cal’s issue about “adapting”? I think it’s more that he simply can’t keep anybody and he’s missing on elite players. Ironically he needs to revert—to the Calipari of 2006-2015.

No, there's definitely a need for adaptation. He still covets length and athleticism over, say, shooting ability, and he still trains his bigs to play a style that hasn't been in fashion since the late 00's -- even when it's clear to anyone who watches basketball that in today's game, every player should be able to shoot, and big men no longer live in the paint.