Kentucky Debuts at #45 in First NET

[Joneslab]

Pretty worthless metric on December 4th but that's still a pretty brutal debut for a team that was on top of the world just five days ago. We're sandwiched between college basketball powerhouses Louisiana Tech and UMASS Lowell.

Mark Pope's BYU is 2nd. Houston, a perennial dominator of both KenPom and the NET for almost the past decade, sits at #1.

https://stats.ncaa.org/selection_ran...gritties/34128

[GOCAT15]

I guess I have never really dove into the metrics of strength of schedule, but just glancing at this it is very confusing to me. How is Texas Southern and Eastern Washington #1 and #2 in SOS when they literally both only play a couple power program schools and the rest of their season is in their mid major conferences. On the other hand we are #263 and have played two top ten teams already, and have many more ranked opponents on our schedule and of course SEC games which I would think are just a little higher level competition than the SWAC and BIG SKY conferences.....

Just doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me.

[KentuckyWild2020]

If they want to dance, make them earn it. Losing at home to a team like UNC whatever is unacceptable but also pretty common now in the Cal era... From now on each year, i a counting on a loss or two from the already week cupcake schedule Cal does every year..

[Joneslab]

Ironically there are quite a few Quad 1 SEC teams there but I'm not convinced the SEC is as strong as it's been the last four or five years. There will definitely be enough for us to make a run at a really good seed but I think the conference has more duds at the bottom than it has in recent history.

Weirdly Ole Miss has been the surprise of the conference and they're sitting at 95th in this.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Never thought i would have to bow down and just accept making the DANCE was a accomplishment for UK basketball but that is where it's at these days. Thinking you have a elite team year in year out that will compete for a National Championship is like fairy tale these days, Cal changed the culture of expectations to just being happy of making the tournament.......

Still, i think this team will be fan, still March dangerous, just had that bad awful game at the wrong time... If Cal will just get out of the way and let the team drive itself, we will be fine....

[Joneslab]

The team two years ago I thought could make a Final Four. Obviously didn't.

Last year's team I felt like if they could just get to the Sweet 16 that would've been a minor miracle.

Hard to say about this year but on paper they probably look most similar to the 2017 team...at their best. At their worst you get what we got Saturday and through most of the St. Joe's game. That team is one that could drop several weird games during the season.

[KentuckyWild2020]

The team two years ago I thought could make a Final Four. Obviously didn't.

Last year's team I felt like if they could just get to the Sweet 16 that would've been a minor miracle.

Hard to say about this year but on paper they probably look most similar to the 2017 team...at their best. At their worst you get what we got Saturday and through most of the St. Joe's game. That team is one that could drop several weird games during the season.

With this team it all boils down to making shot. We make shots we win we don't we lose. That could be said for any team any year but the way this team shoots threes, it's truly live and die by the three and i am okay with that, except Saturday to some team that should never get a W in Rupp...


Anyways, i blame this loss on the the loss of Wagner. DJ was really finding his groove getting to the rim kicking it out etc. He may not be getting all the glory like Reed or even Dillingham but it's clear this team needs DJ...

[Lighthouse]

With this team it all boils down to making shot. We make shots we win we don't we lose. That could be said for any team any year but the way this team shoots threes, it's truly live and die by the three and i am okay with that, except Saturday to some team that should never get a W in Rupp...


Anyways, i blame this loss on the the loss of Wagner. DJ was really finding his groove getting to the rim kicking it out etc. He may not be getting all the glory like Reed or even Dillingham but it's clear this team needs DJ...

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.

[Joneslab]

I think it comes down to defense. This team has been pretty bad defensively. Borderline terrible.

If they can figure that out they've shown they have the offense to be elite. Problem is, Cal's defenses have been pretty mediocre for the better part of the last few years, so that doesn't instill a lot of confidence that he'll figure it out. Not sure why but for a man who used to hang his hat on defense, these teams recently have struggled.

[Lighthouse]

I think it comes down to defense. This team has been pretty bad defensively. Borderline terrible.

If they can figure that out they've shown they have the offense to be elite. Problem is, Cal's defenses have been pretty mediocre for the better part of the last few years, so that doesn't instill a lot of confidence that he'll figure it out. Not sure why but for a man who used to hang his hat on defense, these teams recently have struggled.

Probably because playing defense don't get you a first round draft pick.

[Joneslab]

Probably because playing defense don't get you a first round draft pick.

We've had some really good defenders in the Cal era so I don't think that's it.

I think one major thing is that we haven't had that shot blocker Cal had early in his tenure. This team might have a guy like that if the 7-footers can get healthy and he can figure out how to play them.

[Lighthouse]

We have had some great defenders, but every one who was a first rounder, got there because of their offense, except maybe AD. And these kids know it.

[Joneslab]

Also, in the game highlights (or lowlights) that some of these guys post, it's pretty clear Dillingham and Edwards were the culprits on *a lot* of defensive breakdowns.

Edwards isn't ready to be an elite player on either end it doesn't look like but I give him a little slack because he's drawing the team's best offensive player most of the time. That's tough for any freshmen, let alone one who doesn't look like he's ready for it.

But Dillingham has some terrible habits. He's gotten away with some but he sort of reminds you of Ashton Hagans and the way he would reach and put himself into bad situations. That was happening all day Saturday.

Gotta get cleaned up or else we could be looking at a gnarly slide here as the schedule heats up. This game Saturday will not be easy on the road at noon against a team you know will be a "system" team the way these Ivy League teams always are.

[Joneslab]

We have had some great defenders, but every one who was a first rounder, got there because of their offense, except maybe AD. And these kids know it.

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.

[KCKUKFan]

How would we have ranked before Saturday's debacle?