Tennessee vs. Kentucky: Game Thread

[Lighthouse]

^ That's the secret to Cal's coaching success, more ballers. With his very limited coaching prowess, he has to have superior talent to be successful. For instance Anthony Davis & MKG equals Championship. When he has talent, he does a remarkable job getting them to play as a team, and he can fumble his way to a run through the NCAA Tourney.

[KCKUKFan]

^ That's the secret to Cal's coaching success, more ballers. With his very limited coaching prowess, he has to have superior talent to be successful. For instance Anthony Davis & MKG equals Championship. When he has talent, he does a remarkable job getting them to play as a team, and he can fumble his way to a run through the NCAA Tourney.

To be fair, that's the secret to most coach success.

You ain't winnin' jack in the sport if you don't got dudes. Bottom line.

[Joneslab]

^ That's the secret to Cal's coaching success, more ballers. With his very limited coaching prowess, he has to have superior talent to be successful. For instance Anthony Davis & MKG equals Championship. When he has talent, he does a remarkable job getting them to play as a team, and he can fumble his way to a run through the NCAA Tourney.

This is the case for most every coach.

A question though is: Could you take a coach who's great at strategy and have him coach this team to greatness?

I don't think so. Just don't think they have enough in the roster.

BUT I do think a better coach would have flipped three or four of these games. A better coach definitely protects Oscar more with a zone defense, that's for sure. And if you flip three or four losses to wins then Kentucky's a top 5 team.

I think one of the things about this team that Cal has struggled with is some behind-the-scenes stuff. Just a feeling I get when I watch them. Yeah, there are some "X's and O's" things he's done terribly. But the team has looked very fragile at times and I've often wondered if they weren't as together as good teams should be.

That trend has reversed these last couple of games though.

[Joneslab]

And also, one interesting thing has happened: Cal kinda won an ideological battle against the fans.

That lineup people desperately called for had Reeves on one wing and Fredrick on the other. If you went to Rivals three weeks ago people swore that Kentucky was losing because Cal refused to play that lineup. Have to get two shooters on the floor, etc.

Well, what we've seen here the last couple of games is that Chris Livingston can be a beast on the wing and he's probably the key to any kind of postseason success we could have. Cal stuck with him out there and then the injury to Fredrick opened things up for him more.

So what looked like a terrible piece of strategy has turned out to be pretty smart.

[KentuckyWild2020]

This is a good question but it's hard to figure out what Cal should actually learn. I'm trying to think what he could've done differently with this team to have them beat UCLA, Gonzaga, etc. Because strategy-wise we're not doing much differently. Personnel-wise he definitely should have gone away from Wheeler earlier, and he should've played Livingston more, but both those things have happened and we've still lost here recently (Georgia).

I think Cal, if you got him in a room alone and asked him, would say that the one thing he'd do differently is get talent. This team is probably one more bucket-getter and one elite defensive stopper away from being a contender. That isn't to say that Cal has done well with this team--we all know he hasn't. Not even close. But I'm not sure if he's been taught anything other than, "I wish I had more ballers."

Agreed. Cal will never stand out as the great X's and O's coach or the coach who can develop a player to the NBA but he has recruited all world talent in the past. I guess i am okay knowing he's not a sideline guru as long as he gets top notch talent, just been losing more than winning on the recruiting trail the past few years and it shows.

If Sharpe would have came back based off NBA highlights I have seen of him, we may not be having this conversation. Again it's the talent level at the end of the day.

[justford]

Can the team at least learn to defend the out of bounds play under our basket??

[Catsrock]

And also, one interesting thing has happened: Cal kinda won an ideological battle against the fans.

That lineup people desperately called for had Reeves on one wing and Fredrick on the other. If you went to Rivals three weeks ago people swore that Kentucky was losing because Cal refused to play that lineup. Have to get two shooters on the floor, etc.

Well, what we've seen here the last couple of games is that Chris Livingston can be a beast on the wing and he's probably the key to any kind of postseason success we could have. Cal stuck with him out there and then the injury to Fredrick opened things up for him more.

So what looked like a terrible piece of strategy has turned out to be pretty smart.

Did he win the battle or did Wheeler’s injury bail him out of the argument? I still think if Wheeler were still getting 32 minutes/game then you’d need Reeves on one side of him and CJ on the other. And if CJ continued missing we’d be way outside the bubble.

Take Wheeler out of the equation and we have a short bench but more options on how to play. Take him and CJ out and Livingston has the opportunity to get comfortable—something else the fans (me included)—asked for from day one. I don’t see that as a win for how Cal was determined to play.

But—yesterday also illustrated what Wheeler can do for us. When Tennessee pressed us the combo of Toppin, Wallace and Reeves get really dicey advancing the ball. Wheeler in the game we inbound it and he zips down the court with ease. Little happens once we’re there, but getting there is a breeze. Didn’t matter yesterday because Tennessee couldn’t hit a shot but that won’t be the case every night.

[Lighthouse]

To be fair, that's the secret to most coach success.

You ain't winnin' jack in the sport if you don't got dudes. Bottom line.

You're right, but Cal has to have more because he can't win the X&O part of coaching. Never has.

[Joneslab]

Did he win the battle or did Wheeler’s injury bail him out of the argument?

I think Wheeler's minutes started to shrink back before he got hurt.

And yeah, we could've used him yesterday. You wouldn't have been able to crowd him like Tennessee's defenders were doing to our other guys.

Livingston is the one that's made out in this whole thing though. Has become a totally different player. Cal gets a lot of (deserved) criticism for not growing players. Occasionally though you do see guys make pretty striking jumps--usually they do it about midway through the season, just in time to get them some NBA clout before they leave.

[Lighthouse]

And also, one interesting thing has happened: Cal kinda won an ideological battle against the fans.

That lineup people desperately called for had Reeves on one wing and Fredrick on the other. If you went to Rivals three weeks ago people swore that Kentucky was losing because Cal refused to play that lineup. Have to get two shooters on the floor, etc.

Well, what we've seen here the last couple of games is that Chris Livingston can be a beast on the wing and he's probably the key to any kind of postseason success we could have. Cal stuck with him out there and then the injury to Fredrick opened things up for him more.

So what looked like a terrible piece of strategy has turned out to be pretty smart.

I totally agree. The situation with injuries has given Livingston the opportunity to be the player we all thought and hoped he would be. And when he gets more confident in his drive to the rim. he will be even more The Beast. The 3 he hit yesterday was Huge, and he seems to have that Mike Casey nose for the ball.

[Pobilly]

Pobilly, logging on to wildcatnation.net after Kentucky wins the national championship: "Yeah, so I'm just seeing this. Been watching Below Deck on Bravo. Looks like it was a decent game. See you guys in November."

Have not seen below deck yet. Have watched some odd stuff I would normally not watch. Wolf Blood? / Old Grimm / Picard ./ Strange new worlds. Evil is one i have watched as well.

[Catsrock]

I think Wheeler's minutes started to shrink back before he got hurt.

And yeah, we could've used him yesterday. You wouldn't have been able to crowd him like Tennessee's defenders were doing to our other guys.

Livingston is the one that's made out in this whole thing though. Has become a totally different player. Cal gets a lot of (deserved) criticism for not growing players. Occasionally though you do see guys make pretty striking jumps--usually they do it about midway through the season, just in time to get them some NBA clout before they leave.

I would not have responded to your post if not for you starting it with Cal winning an argument with fans and ending with how smart his move to more Livingston was. Nothing factually wrong about your post. You have a better eye for details than me, all day every day.

Wheeler has had 2 injuries. So he couldn’t play at one point. He didn’t get many minutes the first game or 2 back but his minutes were starting to grow with each game. Then he got hurt again.

So we have 2 guys sidelined with injuries—a point guard and a shooting guard. Cal goes looking down the bench for someone to put in who else is he going to? 7 footer who doesn’t know the game yet? 6-10 beanpole who can jump? Unrated project guard? Nope—6-7 wing ranked 11th in his class by rivals.

I just struggle to credit Cal for giving Chris his opportunity. And as I remember it—when we have struggled this season the fans have asked for a different approach—maybe even a zone since we have guys who can’t guard. Basically try SOMETHING different. But personnel wise—fans have asked for less Wheeler and to a lesser degree more Livingston. Injuries lead to him granting that wish but he didn’t outsmart anyone. And it’s not the lineup has had tried to prove he was right about.

[Joneslab]

I just struggle to credit Cal for giving Chris his opportunity.

Yeah, I think it's a mix. It's partly a decent coaching move, partly luck. He definitely backed into it a little.

As much as Livingston's playing time it's where he plays. Fans have said Livingston's a 4 all year. Cal stuck with him on the wing and it looks like that was a good stick.

I ain't gonna throw Cal a parade or anything but it looks like he got a W with Livingston and it's really changed the team. Will be interesting to see what happens when Fredrick comes back.

More than X's and O's I think Cal struggles with personnel and who to put in at the right times.

[KCKUKFan]

Yeah, I think it's a mix. It's partly a decent coaching move, partly luck. He definitely backed into it a little.

As much as Livingston's playing time it's where he plays. Fans have said Livingston's a 4 all year. Cal stuck with him on the wing and it looks like that was a good stick.

I ain't gonna throw Cal a parade or anything but it looks like he got a W with Livingston and it's really changed the team. Will be interesting to see what happens when Fredrick comes back.

More than X's and O's I think Cal struggles with personnel and who to put in at the right times.

This is mostly right, but I think it goes back to Cal having an idea of what works early and it's like pulling teeth to get him to adjust. The lineup situation was fairly obvious for this team from the outset, but we still see him attempting to play Ware and Oscar together.

He knows. He is just stubborn. He has backed into luck with the Livingston situation.

[Joneslab]

You know, there are times when Oscar and Lance work well together. Like yesterday.

It has to be very particular kinds of situations, mainly ones where we just need Lance to defend. Oscar not having to guard the Bald East European Villain was important for that one stretch.

Dang me but I really like Lance Ware. The guy is so far from a true basketball player it's not funny but he gives you everything he has when he's in there. Some of our other guys can learn a lot from Lance, actually.

Really hope he comes back and has his senior day next year. I love the guy.