Kentucky Debuts at #45 in First NET

[Joneslab]

How would we have ranked before Saturday's debacle?

The formula of this thing is impossible to figure out but just sort of scanning the teams it looks like even if we would've won that game Saturday we likely wouldn't be that much higher. Probably closer to the 30-35 range.

[justford]

Sad to say but I believe this team will not be a good defensive team. We can be better especially if the 7’ guys want to protect the rim. But we are going to have to hit several threes and fast break points will be crucial.

[Lighthouse]

Eh, I disagree with this in a pretty big way. MKG. Nerlens Noel. Willie Cauley-Stein. Nick Richards. Keldon Johnson. Tyrese Maxey. Cason Wallace. All guys who were probably drafted where they are because they had some defensive dog in them.

This TEAM is different in the way it plays and I think that likely hurts the defense. But by and large we haven't really had a good defensive scheme since 2020.

Also it needs to be pointed out that the players we've gotten here recently haven't been entitled one-and-dones for the most part. Cal hit the portal hard, we've had kids who will never sniff the NBA...I know it sounds good to blame everything on one-and-dones but that's not what's going on here IMO.

I totally agree all you mentioned are good defensive players, but I think you missed my point. Several on this team and recent teams have aimed at the First Round and although they were very good on defense, it was their offensive prowess that got them the first round draft. I forgot about MKG and Cauley-Stein.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Somewhat true. But there will be games where we're not shooting well. In those games good defense can make the difference and we play terrible defense now. Surly the coaches see it and hopefully some correction can be made.

Agreed...

[KentuckyWild2020]

In regards to the defense, other teams always seem to have a wide open shot from the 3 with nobody around. Missed assignments, not talking and switching, no hustling back, i don't. At least get there to contest and put a hand in someone's face...

[Joneslab]

In regards to the defense, other teams always seem to have a wide open shot from the 3 with nobody around. Missed assignments, not talking and switching, no hustling back, i don't. At least get there to contest and put a hand in someone's face...

One reason is the team doesn't have a lot of toughness. They don't like being screened, don't like when the game gets physical, and really are still in that high school mold where they don't like the game getting rough. You can run a couple of basic screens and basically knock these guys down, which is leading to a lot of open shots.

Wagner and Thiero are two guys who jump out to me as being ready for physical play. Another reason not having Wagner the other day was kind of a killer.

[KentuckyWild2020]

One reason is the team doesn't have a lot of toughness. They don't like being screened, don't like when the game gets physical, and really are still in that high school mold where they don't like the game getting rough. You can run a couple of basic screens and basically knock these guys down, which is leading to a lot of open shots.

Wagner and Thiero are two guys who jump out to me as being ready for physical play. Another reason not having Wagner the other day was kind of a killer.

I hope DJ can get back soon as possible. I talked about Dillingham early on then Reed but wasn't giving DJ his props. Before he injured himself, last two games he played he was finding his groove, especially when his left handed shots started falling on his drives to the rim, unstoppable...

[Jeff ROCKober]

Edwards is the most disappointing player I have seen so far. His defense is just plain awful. The outside shot has not been there and has missed several easy dunks.
When he is hitting the boards is where I have been impressed by him. I think he will be the main key for UK's Net ranking to move up with the minutes he is playing. Dillingham or Shephard will need more of Edward's minutes if he does not play up to his potential.

[Joneslab]

Edwards is the most disappointing player I have seen so far. His defense is just plain awful. The outside shot has not been there and has missed several easy dunks.
When he is hitting the boards is where I have been impressed by him. I think he will be the main key for UK's Net ranking to move up with the minutes he is playing. Dillingham or Shephard will need more of Edward's minutes if he does not play up to his potential.

Yeah you can't really say Edwards is soft because he'll crash the glass probably better than anybody we have. But he's really weak with the ball and isn't a good jumpshooter, so you can back off him. Definitely has underperformed, which is surprising.

Givens has pointed out on the radio in a couple games I've listened to that Edwards relies on the jumpshot too much early in the game. His first shot is almost always a three. Needs to be a player who gets a couple of garbage baskets to get him going, but he wants to fire a jumper the first time he catches it. To use a cliche, he's having a hard time letting the game come to him.

[justford]

Thiero is a pleasant surprise. Love his hustle and not afraid to mix it up.

[Joneslab]

Kentucky jumps 6 spots to #39 in the NET. North Carolina is one spot above at 38.

To show you how weird this particular metric is, BYU lost to Utah...and dropped one spot to #3.

[Joneslab]

Update on the NET, not that it matters: Kentucky has moved up to #23. So nearly a 20-spot jump in a little less than a month.

A little more work to do to get us into that sweet spot of a top 3 seed. I think if we go, say 14-4 in the SEC and beat Gonzaga in Rupp we should be in that 2/3 seed range.

The UNC-Wilmington game remains a killer but it is what it is. Speaking of them, they play Arkansas today at 5:00.

* Gonzaga is 55th in the NET, which puts them...on the bubble? Is the Mark Few magic finally gone?

[Catsrock]

[QUOTE=Will Lavender;n332160]Update on the NET, not that it matters: Kentucky has moved up to #23. So nearly a 20-spot jump in a little less than a month.

A little more work to do to get us into that sweet spot of a top 3 seed. I think if we go, say 14-4 in the SEC and beat Gonzaga in Rupp we should be in that 2/3 seed range.

The UNC-Wilmington game remains a killer but it is what it is. Speaking of them, they play Arkansas today at 5:00.

* Gonzaga is 55th in the NET, which puts them...on the bubble? Is the Mark Few magic finally gone?[/QUOTE]

Can’t bring myself to that conclusion based on something as odd as the NET.

[Joneslab]

Still, Gonzaga not making the NCAA Tournament would be wild.

[Joneslab]

Another coach who's lost his magic a little: Tony Bennett at Virginia. They're awful.

Seems like a lifetime ago they won that championship. (A championship I still maintain is the luckiest ever to be one in any major sport. I still think about how they did that two or three times a week. They also had those two white guards who got away with more "physical" (read: illegal) play of any two guards I've seen in college in my lifetime. To get open every time down the court they basically used a hammer technique where they punched their defender in the chest.)