Game Thread: Kentucky at Tennessee

[Joneslab]

And when you heard those soundbites about how Tennessee took that beatdown in Rupp Arena, you knew our possibility of winning--even with TyTy--was very slight.

I had no idea they reacted to that game like that. To me that was just another Kentucky win. The TV guys said that Barnes was quoted as saying it was the worst moment of his basketball career.

You aren't rolling in to Knoxville and winning that game at 9:00 on a Tuesday night. It just ain't happening. I'm not sure any team in my lifetime save 1996, 2012, and 2015 could do it. They were out for blood.

This is why I say long winning streaks are sometimes not good. The game of basketball is so contingent on attitude and momentum and what kind of stakes there are. If we play them in the SEC Tournament I would almost guarantee the pendulum will swing back. I feel the same about Auburn. We'll be out to cut throats in that game if we get them.

[Joneslab]

We have the 9th best offensive efficiency in America, while Tennessee hovers around 80th.

Try again.

Looks like Pomeroy has us 6th offensively, Tennessee 27th.

Tennessee runs a super screen-heavy system. Barnes has been doing that back to his days at Clemson. It's super old school and contingent on a lot of moving parts. Similar to Tom Izzo or somebody like that.

But that wasn't the reason Tennessee won that game. The reason is that they were focused. On point. Simply put, they wanted it. Their screens were hard. They were doing a lot of pushing and grabbing. They were physical and intense. We were not.

I watched that same Tennessee team early in the year play Villanova. With a few minutes to go in the first half they had like 5 points. Same offense.

[Spiritof96]

This is one of the best offensive teams Cal has had.

That isn't saying much.

We run a lot of action that doesn't accomplish a lot if the other team plays hard and we have too many guys standing around.

If we need to have someone dribble all the time, it needs to a clear-out for TyTy and Oscar to run two-man pick and roll with Grady ready to hit an open 3. EVERY TIME until they stop it.

I stead we get weak screens and dribble handoffs in slow motion so the defense can recover and Brooks is trying to create and brick long 2s...

Wheeler frustrates me. It's two great plays and five pull your hair out !?! plays.

[George]

^ Wheeler frustrates me, too. If I were Cal, I’d forbid him from ever shooting anything beyond six feet.

[Joneslab]

We run a lot of action that doesn't accomplish a lot if the other team plays hard and we have too many guys standing around.

This goes for a lot of college basketball teams, though. We just focus on Kentucky.

One thing about this Kentucky team that makes it elite offensively is how it runs. Maybe the best transition team Kentucky's had in the Cal era outside Wall's team.

Wheeler is a massive part of that. Without him we don't run nearly as well.

Wheeler in the halfcourt can be a liability because of how defenders back off of him. My hope for him is that he somehow finds his groove. Because let's face it, he's not sitting. He's just not. There's a better chance of me playing point guard. The guy is going to play. And should.

But when the game grinds, he can hurt you. Marquis Teague was a little like that...until March. That's my hope for Wheeler: that he finds a groove and makes it so in these more grind-it-out games that you can't drop off him like teams sometimes do.

[Ratt]

That isn't saying much.

We run a lot of action that doesn't accomplish a lot if the other team plays hard and we have too many guys standing around.

If we need to have someone dribble all the time, it needs to a clear-out for TyTy and Oscar to run two-man pick and roll with Grady ready to hit an open 3. EVERY TIME until they stop it.

I stead we get weak screens and dribble handoffs in slow motion so the defense can recover and Brooks is trying to create and brick long 2s...

Wheeler frustrates me. It's two great plays and five pull your hair out WTF!?! plays.

Agree. I know Cal is the coach and I know the team has played great and it's been a great season to date... I personally just hate everything about Wheeler's game. I just don't see where everyone believes this guy is so great... Sure, he does some good things and pushes the ball hard especially in transition. But everything about him drives me crazy. He drives too deep into one of the worst spots on the floor all of the time and I know it is often something he does pretty decent at passing the ball back out. But - if you watch the game closely without shaded glasses on - he's out of control, dribbles so much in the half-court offense that it causes others to stand around because he's just all over the place and they can't get spaced.

Defensively - he's not as great as everyone says. He gets beat often but has Oscar to stop him. Does stupid things with the ball, stupid shots at bad times like last night, and simply has got to be one of the worst shooters in college basketball especially for the amount of minutes he plays. Last night, he was one of the worst players on the court. I personally think many of his stats are 'fluffed' because Oscar bails him out. NOW with all of that said, I do think he does play solid in many games. I think Mintz should be getting more of his time and I know that Mintz isn't a super star.

The issue is that in the tournament, he is going to get pressed hard and he tries to react by playing 'fast' and that's when he is out of control. Also, teams are going to slow them down and make them play half court offense and that isn't always good especially if the opposing team has size/length on Oscar. And honestly, I'm tired of his flopping. He flops often no matter how many UK fans want to point at other teams/players for it. That flop under the basket last night when he lay on the ground was garbage. He didn't get fouled at all, flopped on the ground to try to get the foul call, and then replay showed he looked up at the bench afterward...

Sorry fellas - I just can't stand watching him. He's one of my least favorite UK players of all time. I'll still root for him during the game but my expectations isn't much. KeBron is a close second. Love him but his laziness, lack of defense, always out of position on defense, standing around, and that slow lazy jog up the court that reminds me of EJ bugs the hell out of me. If I was 6-8 and could jump like KeBron - I would have 4/5 fouls every night and try to tear the damn goal down everytime I'm close to it.

[Joneslab]

The only UK players in the Cal era I've not liked are probably B.J. Boston, Ashton Hagans, and Ryan Harrow. Darius Miller was rough to watch for me before he turned into the Miller who was awesome.

If you put the jersey on I'll usually give you the benefit of the doubt. It's easy to give the benefit of the doubt when you play on a team that's in the top five in the nation, but even on our so-so teams I'll try to find a way to root for you.

I like Wheeler, don't love him. He's had some phenomenal games. He's obviously limited. Without TyTy in there and with Grady completely bottled up like last night, he tends to press and he isn't the kind of player who can press and be successful.

But the main thing about him is this: we go nowhere without him. It's kind of like the guys who were clamoring all year for Marquis Teague and Andrew Harrison to be benched. It's a total and complete waste of time.

[Joneslab]

Also re: slowing Wheeler down and making us play in the halfcourt in the tournament.

If that happens then we're doomed. Because Kentucky doesn't have the personnel to beat good teams like that. With a center who's the size of a power forward, a limited amount of playmaking guards, and a power forward who isn't a great physical player, the only chance this team has of winning a national championship is if we can run.

We will not beat good teams playing halfcourt basketball. That's not just Sahvir Wheeler; that's how this team is built.

If your hope is that we're going to become this machine in the halfcourt O and just light teams up in March with Davion Mintz out there getting Wheeler's minutes, then I would go ahead and make other plans for late March because UK will not be in the tournament.

[George]

The only UK players in the Cal era I've not liked are probably B.J. Boston, Ashton Hagans, and Ryan Harrow. Darius Miller was rough to watch for me before he turned into the Miller who was awesome.

If you put the jersey on I'll usually give you the benefit of the doubt. It's easy to give the benefit of the doubt when you play on a team that's in the top five in the nation, but even on our so-so teams I'll try to find a way to root for you.

I like Wheeler, don't love him. He's had some phenomenal games. He's obviously limited. Without TyTy in there and with Grady completely bottled up like last night, he tends to press and he isn't the kind of player who can press and be successful.

But the main thing about him is this: we go nowhere without him. It's kind of like the guys who were clamoring all year for Marquis Teague and Andrew Harrison to be benched. It's a total and complete waste of time.

Agree with all of those except Miller. Even when he want that good, I didn’t think he was unlikeable.

If it were my list, I’d add Goodwin.

[Spiritof96]

Agree. I know Cal is the coach and I know the team has played great and it's been a great season to date... I personally just hate everything about Wheeler's game. I just don't see where everyone believes this guy is so great... Sure, he does some good things and pushes the ball hard especially in transition. But everything about him drives me crazy. He drives too deep into one of the worst spots on the floor all of the time and I know it is often something he does pretty decent at passing the ball back out. But - if you watch the game closely without shaded glasses on - he's out of control, dribbles so much in the half-court offense that it causes others to stand around because he's just all over the place and they can't get spaced.

Defensively - he's not as great as everyone says. He gets beat often but has Oscar to stop him. Does stupid things with the ball, stupid shots at bad times like last night, and simply has got to be one of the worst shooters in college basketball especially for the amount of minutes he plays. Last night, he was one of the worst players on the court. I personally think many of his stats are 'fluffed' because Oscar bails him out. NOW with all of that said, I do think he does play solid in many games. I think Mintz should be getting more of his time and I know that Mintz isn't a super star.

The issue is that in the tournament, he is going to get pressed hard and he tries to react by playing 'fast' and that's when he is out of control. Also, teams are going to slow them down and make them play half court offense and that isn't always good especially if the opposing team has size/length on Oscar. And honestly, I'm tired of his flopping. He flops often no matter how many UK fans want to point at other teams/players for it. That flop under the basket last night when he lay on the ground was garbage. He didn't get fouled at all, flopped on the ground to try to get the foul call, and then replay showed he looked up at the bench afterward...

I'm on the same page. Although I agree that we aren't going far without him either.

The only UK players in the Cal era I've not liked are probably B.J. Boston, Ashton Hagans, and Ryan Harrow. Darius Miller was rough to watch for me before he turned into the Miller who was awesome.

If you put the jersey on I'll usually give you the benefit of the doubt. It's easy to give the benefit of the doubt when you play on a team that's in the top five in the nation, but even on our so-so teams I'll try to find a way to root for you.

I like Wheeler, don't love him. He's had some phenomenal games. He's obviously limited. Without TyTy in there and with Grady completely bottled up like last night, he tends to press and he isn't the kind of player who can press and be successful.

But the main thing about him is this: we go nowhere without him. It's kind of like the guys who were clamoring all year for Marquis Teague and Andrew Harrison to be benched. It's a total and complete waste of time.

I don't "dislike Wheeler" and I don't want him benched. I want him to play MUCH smarter and more in control.

[Joneslab]

I don't "dislike Wheeler" and I don't want him benched. I want him to play MUCH smarter and more in control.

Agreed. But I don't think he's out of control as much as you guys claim. Last I checked he was second in the SEC in assist:turnover ratio. Leads the league in assists and is third in the nation.

He is definitely out of control at times but when a player plays that fast, you gotta live with it occassionally. And Kentucky needs to play that fast because we have an undersized center who can outrun everybody, so that point Ratt made about Oscar bailing Wheeler out--that's true. But it's also by design most of the time.

I wish he would holster the jumpers completely but you can sometimes hear Cal over there imploring him to shoot. He did the same with all his bad shooters, including Marquis Teague.

Defensively he's just okay. Gambles too much at times. Puts more ball pressure on than anybody we have. Turns the ball to parts of the floor that make it easier on the other guys to defend. But he'll also get himself into bad situations sometimes because he plays so close.

All in all he's a good to very good point guard. We could do a lot worse.

We could do better as well, sure. But if you woulda told me Sahvir Wheeler would be sitting here at third in the nation in assists and we'd be ranked 4th on February 16th, then I'm taking that every day of the week.

[Joneslab]

For instance that play where Sahvir Wheeler burns his man at the top and straight line-drives left-handed into a scoop shot high off the glass? And then that ball grazes the front of the rim and there's Oscar to rebound it?

Ratt calls that Oscar bailing Wheeler out.

No. That's a set play Kentucky has run since game #1.

[Spiritof96]

For instance that play where Sahvir Wheeler burns his man at the top and straight line-drives left-handed into a scoop shot high off the glass? And then that ball grazes the front of the rim and there's Oscar to rebound it?

Ratt calls that Oscar bailing Wheeler out.

No. That's a set play Kentucky has run since game #1.

You are reminding me that an "offense" that keys on running the bad offence and then getting an offensive rebound and put back really annoys me.

[Joneslab]

You are reminding me that an "offense" that keys on running the bad offence and then getting an offensive rebound and put back really annoys me.

I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a certified animal down low who offensive rebounds a historic percentage of missed shots.

And honestly this isn't the first year Cal has done that. Used to do it a lot with guys like Davis and even Willie Cauley-Stein.

[Spiritof96]

I wouldn't recommend it unless you have a certified animal down low who offensive rebounds a historic percentage of missed shots.

And honestly this isn't the first year Cal has done that. Used to do it a lot with guys like Davis and even Willie Cauley-Stein.

I know this isn't the first year. I still hate it. NBA offenses don't work the way he wants ours to.