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Ullis and Booker played head and shoulders above Aaron and Andrew yesterday. That isn't lumping the twins together; that's just a fact. But what that means is UK has four guards that all bring something different to the table. We will see games where one, or two or three will play better than the rest because the game flow suits them. Having said that, I haven't seen a game flow yet that doesn't suit Ulis. The kid can play and his ability to focus on what the team needs and being able to deliver time and time again is a gift you can not teach. Andrew will be fine. He's had a great year so far and there will be games that he will be the winning factor. As long as Aaron plays D and hits those key jumpers then he will be fine.
I was hoping the twins would become better lateral defenders but they both got exposed by the UofL guards yesterday. The UofL guards are considered to be some of the better guards in the country (although I do not see it at all with their inability to hit shots). They are quick, they do handle well, and they do defend well as long as the refs let them get away with all the bumps. Both teams got away with a lot of bumps yesterday. So maybe the twins have upped their game but just aren't ready for the better quick guards? And maybe Ulis can help them improve over Camp Cal and the rest of the year.
In the heat of the moment I was with Bilas on the elbow non call (the one that actually connected). But after thinking about it, most here are correct that it should have been called a flagrant one. Ulis WAS in completley legal guarding position and he was not initiating contact. There is no rule at all against that. There is a rule that says contact with elbows above the head is a flagrant one. That should have easily been a flagrant one and it should have been a no brainer. But this was not the finest hour or two for this crew. This may sound a little sadistic, but I was glad they called it as horribly as they did. These kids WILL get games just like this on the road in the SEC.
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I haven't noticed the twins being beaten on defense too much this year. In fact I think both have become very good defenders.
The guards forced Chris Jones into what we needed him to be yesterday: a guy who took a plethora of bad shots. And Rozier had 15 but took a ton of shots.
Aaron was on Blackshear for a good part of the second half and Blackshear did little.
They've made the jump, both of them, to where IMO they're solid defenders. Never thought I'd say that after last year. If we're going to rip them--and Andrew definitely deserved it yesterday--then it's only fair that we look at the improvements they both made.Comment
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I wonder if Andrew is feeling the pressure of Ulis being obviously the better PG at this point? If he is immature, as some think, that could be the reason he's pouting this year. He can't help it, but he's big and slow compared to most PG's, and that could be to his advantage when we play teams with PG's like him. It was so obvious yesterday that he was much slower than the UL guards. I saw the same thing in the Nassau games, and really got on him for standing around and pouting. I'm not down on him, but we need him to play hard no matter what's going on.
John 3:3
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I completely disagree. Especially in the press. Aaron and Andrew were reaching and trying to stay in front with their arms. As for the shots, decent shooters make those wide open shots. It's one thing if that is the game plan but I know Cal and those were not open shots he would give up. The fact they missed them does not make them bad shots.
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Eh. Not a big deal IMO. They've been fine defensively for the most part. Louisville has one guard, Rozier, who's going to have a long career in the NBA. Very tough player. We rotated guys off him yesterday and forced him to a low percentage from the field. Jones played right into our hands, thus the 1 total assist. Teams have one assist because you bottle up all the passing lanes and just force them into one-on-one offense.
Picking on this team's defense is like critiquing the body of a supermodel.Comment
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This is the first time I thought they didn't play great perimeter defense aside from Ulis. Probably a key for that was keeping WCS in the post more than usual. I went through the game a second time yesterday. I think others will see it if they do the same..Comment
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The crazy thing about this team is that we have four or five guys who would be absolute stars on any other team. Like all-conference go-to guys. That they're on this team kind of masks how good they really are.
Towns would be a star. Lyles. Ulis. Aaron IMO. Booker maybe.
WCS is a star defensively.
It's crazy to think we have a guy as good as Trey Lyles and he really blends in so much that you don't notice him out there a lot of times. On a normal team he'd be a horse.
That's where this team and '96 are most similar.Comment
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I don't want to take anything away from the team or the accomplishment. They went in to an arguable top five teams gym and should have won by double digits. I could not have cared less if UK lost yesterday if it meant they improved and won the Championship. I know I am nit picking but I think this team can blow the lid off the 96 team if they shore up a few things.
These guys are stars already and the things they are showing now are much more important than the things they would show if they "were the main man" Showing the NBA you are willing to do all the little things that they usually have to teach college stars to do once they get in the league? The scouts can't put a price on that.Comment
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I also think if the game was called normally yesterday Andrew goes to the line a lot more and it isn't considered a bad game at all. I believe in letting players play but yesterday was crazy. I have seen many games where the whistle was over used but yesterday was not one of them. Pitino teams traditionally rack up a lot of fouls because of their aggressive defense. Even at UK we faced a lot of foul trouble when he coached. They let too much go yesterday. This does not work out well for dribble drive sometimes.Comment
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I like a player who gets pissed off and disgusted with himself when he has a bad game. It's a lot better than having one who doesn't care. Andrew's mistake is letting it affect his play and his demeanor. I thought he had outgrown that but I guess not. IMHO he needs to stick around UK until he grows up even if it takes two more years.
In contrast Cal chewed Aaron yesterday about a mistake he had made and Aaron took it in the proper spirit - listening to Cal's every word while nodding in agreement and even smacking his fist into his palm to show his determination to do better. Twins may be alike on the outside without being alike inside.
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