Kentucky vs St Peter's Game Thread.

[Joneslab]

That white kid with the cool stache cut hard off screens designed to create an open shot for him. High level stuff. Every team but one in college knows how to do it. 32 of them are still alive.

Truth.

By far the most common way Grady got open this year was if we could run it down the court before the defense got set. This is why I think Wheeler was an effective point guard for this particular team for the most part: because Wheeler could get the ball down there so fast he could generate those transition baskets. Those were essential for this team.

When our opponents started to figure out the run game, we had no counter. And that's when Grady started to really fall apart.

STILL though I think defense was by far our most glaring and damning problem. I thought our defense would get us at some point for the last month of the season, and it ultimately did. But that still doesn't forgive the unbelievable issues Calipari had adjusting to the way teams started to defend us late in the year.

[Catsrock]

Truth.

By far the most common way Grady got open this year was if we could run it down the court before the defense got set. This is why I think Wheeler was an effective point guard for this particular team for the most part: because Wheeler could get the ball down there so fast he could generate those transition baskets. Those were essential for this team.

When our opponents started to figure out the run game, we had no counter. And that's when Grady started to really fall apart.

STILL though I think defense was by far our most glaring and damning problem. I thought our defense would get us at some point for the last month of the season, and it ultimately did. But that still doesn't forgive the unbelievable issues Calipari had adjusting to the way teams started to defend us late in the year.

100%

Cal’s behavior on the bench showed he cared as much as ever. But the lack of design of an offensive scheme or defensive positioning with a team this old almost makes me think he was too lazy to coach them. And I’ve never thought of Cal as lazy.

[Lighthouse]

Something was wrong in Grad's head. He looked confused and once upon a time he never passed on shots like he did in the last few games. Will mentioned how Cal pressured Booker to drive, and it makes me wonder if he did the same to Grady and it messed him up.

[Jeff ROCKober]

Truth.

STILL though I think defense was by far our most glaring and damning problem. I thought our defense would get us at some point for the last month of the season, and it ultimately did. But that still doesn't forgive the unbelievable issues Calipari had adjusting to the way teams started to defend us late in the year.

The last two years the defense has just been awful besides Oscar. Kentucky usually has a defensive stopper and players that can stall dribble penetration. I feel Toppin was way underutilized on Thursday night for his defense and could have contributed more on the offense as well.

........and Chico and Man star killing us with the outside shots. Oscar going 0-2 on free throw line and Wheeler going 2-6 as our best free throw shooter and dinosaur arming his last free throw and next play throwing ball away. Washington was really bad on Thursday as well and reminded me of the Duke game. Not sure how this team lost their mojo and confidence so badly over 5 weeks. A total collapse and that's on Cal.

I am watching the games this weekend because I love college hoops. But two years in a row not even in the final 32 makes me sick. Go Marray State!!

[Joneslab]

Matt Jones with a tweet saying Kentucky was 162nd in nation defensively in the last 10 games.

Think about how many guys just went off against us. it was happening game after game. Very weird and suggestive that the team quit. Or the coach quit. Or both.

[George]

Matt Jones with a tweet saying Kentucky was 162nd in nation defensively in the last 10 games.

Think about how many guys just went off against us. it was happening game after game. Very weird and suggestive that the team quit. Or the coach quit. Or both.

Does Cal still have the endurance to last a full season?

[Joneslab]

Does Cal still have the endurance to last a full season?

He definitely doesn't have the cleverness to overcome adjustments. I believe this is why we see those struggles early in the season: takes him awhile to figure things out.

Then when teams adjust he's back to the drawing board...and this year at least the clock ran out on him as he was clearly trying to understand how to counter the counter.

That said, we never were a very good defensive team. It was just in the middle of the season we were pretty awesome offensively so we covered up a lot of defensive sins.

But in the last three weeks or so the defense just collapsed. TyTy was a culprit so often in that.

[George]

TyTy’s dad tweeted something like “Year 1 in the books,” and now some of the fan base is doing that classic thing where they think it’s a hint that the expected lottery pick will make a surprise return.

How do people continue to do this to themselves?

[George]

He definitely doesn't have the cleverness to overcome adjustments. I believe this is why we see those struggles early in the season: takes him awhile to figure things out.

Then when teams adjust he's back to the drawing board...and this year at least the clock ran out on him as he was clearly trying to understand how to counter the counter.

That said, we never were a very good defensive team. It was just in the middle of the season we were pretty awesome offensively so we covered up a lot of defensive sins.

But in the last three weeks or so the defense just collapsed. TyTy was a culprit so often in that.

One more area in which Sharpe may have helped. Not saying he’d have made us a top-ten defensive team, but he has the build and athleticism to be a Liggins-type stopper.

[Joneslab]

TyTy’s dad tweeted something like “Year 1 in the books,” and now some of the fan base is doing that classic thing where they think it’s a hint that the expected lottery pick will make a surprise return.

How do people continue to do this to themselves?

This is why I make it a rule to not follow any players, players' families, coaches, or anybody associated with the program on social media. I don't want to get into a game of National Treasure with the families of future millionaires. Not worth my time.

Literally anything could happen this spring and summer with UK basketball and I wouldn't be surprised.

[Matt Dillon]

Does anyone except me think Cal's behavior was odd after the team arrived in Tampa? I saw a clip where he appeared very upbeat almost to the point of being overconfident. He said 'we're ready' and 'I've put in a tweek'. Normally, coaches try to appear lowkey. It's almost as if he was saying St. Peter's will be no problem.

[George]

This is why I make it a rule to not follow any players, players' families, coaches, or anybody associated with the program on social media. I don't want to get into a game of National Treasure with the families of future millionaires. Not worth my time.

Literally anything could happen this spring and summer with UK basketball and I wouldn't be surprised.

I don’t follow any of them. Follow enough UK writers, though, and the algorithm does the rest.

[Catsrock]

Something was wrong in Grad's head. He looked confused and once upon a time he never passed on shots like he did in the last few games. Will mentioned how Cal pressured Booker to drive, and it makes me wonder if he did the same to Grady and it messed him up.

Grady’s simply not fast and athletic enough to create his own shot if someone is glued to him. Cal’s solution: show them you can hit floaters or get to the rim—then they’ll sag off a little on your outside shot. With Monk, Murray, Booker that may work. With this group of non NBA stars what may have worked better? Run a friggin play to get open shots!

And then yes—get back in defensive position.

[justford]

Matt Jones with a tweet saying Kentucky was 162nd in nation defensively in the last 10 games.

Think about how many guys just went off against us. it was happening game after game. Very weird and suggestive that the team quit. Or the coach quit. Or both.

My son and I were discussing this very thing. I can’t recall a Uk team regressing on defense as much as this one did.

[Catsrock]

TyTy’s dad tweeted something like “Year 1 in the books,” and now some of the fan base is doing that classic thing where they think it’s a hint that the expected lottery pick will make a surprise return.

How do people continue to do this to themselves?

Good question indeed.

But on the flip side—why does the NBA continue to do this to themselves?

Don’t get me wrong. When we get a recruit who is top 5 to top 14 (lottery) prospect I want him to fully succeed and I accepted long ago that with Cal that means he’s outta here. But if he comes in and has a disappointing year why does he remain a lottery pick. How does high school and AAU show more than a year against college competition? Tyty showed nice midrange skills before his injuries but the year as a whole didn’t show
that much. And there are much better examples the last decade than him who were still drafted very early. It seems that signing with Cal ensures your draft stock whether you live up to the hype or not.