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Author
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Topic: Observations from last night
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 10-18-2014 09:35 AM
I thought that the one player that could be the biggest surprise and who could be the player that could be the difference in winning a championship is Devin Booker and his outside shooting. What impressed you the most?
Are Kentucky fans tired yet of hearing about how insanely athletic, long and talented the 2014-15 Kentucky basketball team is going to be? I’m going to hazard a guess at ‘no,’ so I’ll add fuel to the fire with some observations from the Wildcats’ open practice on Thursday:
All the off-season chatter we’ve heard about Dakari Johnson losing weight and getting in better shape is true. He played with physicality last year, but he’s now practicing with a very refined physicality that was missing before. He looks much leaner and quicker on the court. Not to mention he ran the floor harder and more consistently than probably any other big man today. And that’s saying something, because…
Karl-Anthony Towns practices with a kind of intensity that is really unique in any high-level basketball player. That’s not to say other players don’t practice hard; it’s just that Towns really has an energy about him that makes him different. It seemed like every dunk from him was an absolute slam, and he can sprint the court well. He never really had to be encouraged to sprint down-court, because he always just started doing it. Trey Lyles was never far behind, living up to the “dog” label placed on him by his coach.
The first five-on-five scrimmage featured Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Marcus Lee, Towns and Lyles going up against Alex Poythress, Willie Cauley-Stein, Devin Booker, Johnson and Tyler Ulis. It was every bit as physical as you would imagine, and that competition was encouraged by the coaching staff. If a guy was standing around waiting for a rebound, he was admonished for not going after it. Johnson went especially hard to the boards, and his competition with Towns was really fun to watch. Towns is still a freshman and will be raw in some ways, but going up against a much more refined Dakari Johnson in the paint at practice will pay huge dividends.
In the second scrimmage, Johnson and Towns simply switched teams, so that Johnson was aligned with the twins, Lee and Lyles; and Towns went with the rest.
Not that there will be a dark horse on this team, since everyone has so much talent and has been talked about so much, but I’d say the closest to that “dark horse” label would be Booker. He’s slithery on defense, and has a very athletic grace about him that makes his play very smooth. He got his hands in several passing lanes on Thursday and is quick with his feet on defense.
The floor-slapping is back: Players went through a defensive drill during three-on-threes, where when the whistle blew, the team on defense would crouch down and slap the floor to get the play going. The players really seemed to get into it, too – we know that the dunks, the alley-oops and the wow-how-did-they-even-get-their-bodies-to-do-that plays will happen on offense this year, but what will set this team apart (and create that killer instinct in them) will be how they respond defensively. There was a lot of energy on Thursday during defensive drills, and you have to think John Calipari finds that encouraging.
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Poythress is poised for a breakout season. On the basketball side of things, he still looked every bit of an athletic freak on Thursday that he’s always looked like. When he jumps for a rebound or a dunk, it’s as if time stands still – Poythress is one of those players that just kind of hangs in the air longer than gravity should allow, and his athleticism is crazy. But more than anything, Poythress looked relaxed and happy to be out on the practice court. There have been many times, especially during his early career, where that wasn’t the case. His fellow junior, Cauley-Stein, said it himself at Media Day Thursday: There were times when Poythress was “miserable” his freshman year. That certainly didn’t look the case on Thursday, and when Poythress’ attitude is up, so too is his play.
What will be interesting to watch happen this year will be Andrew Harrison and Ulis’ development at the point guard position. Ulis is every bit as tenacious and fearless as we’ve heard, and that will push Andrew to be better, too.
Marcus Lee is still a human pogo stick.
Actually, check that: Besides maybe Johnson, pretty much everyone on this team is a human pogo stick, as well as long enough to account for lateral movement. Showing more than just their talent, though, this team looked smooth. Things clicked. There were times when someone didn’t sprint downcourt fast enough, or when he didn’t go up for a rebound hard enough, but overall, everything just looked smooth – exactly how a team with this much talent should look.
Link
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 10-18-2014 09:44 AM
Here is video of Booker being interviewed. He is going to be one heck of a good teammate and fan favorite.
Video Link
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Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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boomdaddy
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Member # 2644
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posted 10-18-2014 11:19 AM
UK should be the favorite to win it all and they will be very good out of the gate this season. That being said, It is not basketball season yet and I can't get excited about madness anymore. Maybe if they hadn't played in the Bahamas, I would have been more interested in getting a peek of them. The event is great for those fans that are interested in it and is especially great for recruits to see how crazy the fan base can be.
Posts: 8791 | From: paris, ky | Registered: Mar 2006
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Bama Cat
Player
Member # 153
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posted 10-18-2014 11:47 AM
I was disappointed because they didn't show the full 2 hours on the local station as they havve since this thing started. But I can see the problem they had with the royalties that would have to be paid for each players song they used. I just can't understand what has happened in the past? Did the players not have their own songs in the past. I know they said that they didn't want to take away the songs each one wanted to use during their intros. But my number one reason for wanting to watch BBM was for the player intros, not the basketball scrimmage. We'll have plenty of time to see them play. BBM to me is a production, not a BB game.
In another area, I did notice from what they showed on the replay that Zimmerman and Brown were among five or six kids sitting behind the Blue team bench. I am feeling pretty good about our chances with both of them. After them I am still feeling good about Bragg and Briscoe. Those 4 would satisfy me well. Z and the 3 Bs. ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
[ 10-18-2014, 11:50 AM: Message edited by: Bama Cat ]
Posts: 14169 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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Old Norm
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Member # 1482
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posted 10-18-2014 11:48 AM
If not for the recruiting tool aspect, I don't think the University would spend the money on it. I know I wouldn't. I also would not drive the 200 miles, just to see it live.
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Pray For Our Country!
Posts: 36271 | From: Western KY | Registered: Aug 2001
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SCWC
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Member # 2464
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posted 10-18-2014 03:31 PM
Bama, I am just the opposite of you when it comes to Madness. I used to watch it all the time until Cal started bring in rappers like Drake etc and made it such a big time production. Spending 300 thousand dollars on last night is ridiculous to my way of thinking. I hope they get a good return on their investment. I already know all the players and see the individual introductions with their own selected songs as total overkill. I am probably too much old school, I would rather see their scrimmage, shooting etc rather than the other hype. I got the whole thing on ESPN3 but did not watch any of it after watching the men warm up. Seeing Matthew Mitchell do his song and dance routine each year has become just too much for my individual taste and to me that ruins Midnight madness the way I would like to see it.
[ 10-19-2014, 05:36 AM: Message edited by: SCWC ]
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 10-18-2014 04:42 PM
Ray, I agree with you. It should be about the team and players and heck with the bells and whistles. I liked this article because it was "only" about the players.
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Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 10-18-2014 04:52 PM
The one thing that impressed me the most last night was in the scrimmage both sides played hard and didn't give a inch. In past years the games were not near as competitive as we seen last night......We are going to be awfully good and can't help but to even think a little bit about 40-0, I know I shouldn't do that but.....
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Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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SCWC
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Member # 2464
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posted 10-18-2014 05:50 PM
Bruce, there was some defense involved in last nights scrimmage. This team like each other but are very competetive, even in their intra squad scrimmages, that will make them all better. And this is going to be a good ball handling, good passing team also.
[ 10-18-2014, 05:50 PM: Message edited by: SCWC ]
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 10-18-2014 11:12 PM
Ray, when you practice every day against each other it's like playing Duke or Arizona every practice. That has to make you better.
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Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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Green-Bean
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Member # 13551
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posted 10-19-2014 12:35 AM
quote:
Originally posted by SCWC:
Bama, I am just the opposite of you when it comes to Madness. I used to watch it all the time until Cal started bring in rappers like Drake etc and made it such a big time production. Spending 300 thousand dollars on last night is riduculous to my way of thinking. I hope they get a good investment on their return. I already know all the players and see the individual introductions with their own selected songs as total overkill. I am probably too much old school, I would rather see their scrimmage, shooting etc rather than the other hype. I got the whole thing on ESPN3 but did not watch any of it after watching the men warm up. Seeing Matthew Mitchell do his song and dance routine each year has become just too much for my individual taste and to me that ruins Midnight madness the way I would like to see it.
This is exactly how I feel, I liked it at memorial coliseum, I didn't miss a one. I thought Drake was a male duck.
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I was Born A Wildcat!
That's All I'll Ever Be!
Posts: 2290 | From: Newport Ky. | Registered: Mar 2014
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Bama Cat
Player
Member # 153
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posted 10-19-2014 09:50 AM
But it attracts the recruits! I know all we're looking for is banners.
Posts: 14169 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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Old Norm
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Member # 1482
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posted 10-19-2014 10:01 AM
When it comes to recruiting, they have to think like a 16 or 17 year old. Therefore, it has no chance to be anything other than stupid!
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Pray For Our Country!
Posts: 36271 | From: Western KY | Registered: Aug 2001
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boomdaddy
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Member # 2644
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posted 10-19-2014 11:45 AM
quote:
Originally posted by Old Norm:
When it comes to recruiting, they have to think like a 16 or 17 year old. Therefore, it has no chance to be anything other than stupid!
For the record, I was glued to the TV for Cal's first year intro and Madness. When John Wall came out dancing, I knew Calipari had brought the swagger back to Big Blue Nation.
After that season, I take it for granted that Cal and his staff will bring in top recruits every year and make a deep run into the tourney. I don't worry or fret about how his teams will do. I always have the feeling that Kentucky is in the best hands it has ever been or ever will be.
Even the year Cal missed the tourney, his team likely would have made the sweet 16, had Nerlens Noel not been injured. That is a pretty strong statement, since Cal was caught without a great point guard.
If Cal wins his second title at the end of this season, the media and the fans will look pretty stupid about questioning weather his style of play or recruiting works.
Posts: 8791 | From: paris, ky | Registered: Mar 2006
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Old Norm
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Member # 1482
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posted 10-19-2014 12:27 PM
I completely agree that Cal is the best, and the BBM is just part of it. I guess I'm just too old to appreciate the youngster's idea of great entertainment. I did enjoy the scrimmage a lot. THAT, to me, was entertainment.
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Pray For Our Country!
Posts: 36271 | From: Western KY | Registered: Aug 2001
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SCWC
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Member # 2464
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posted 10-19-2014 01:42 PM
Norm, you expressed all of our opinions on this topic very well. We are all huge Cat and Cal fans and no one was criticizing Cal, the players he recruits or the way he coaches. Most older fans want to see the team but not all the hype that goes with Midnight madness anymore, that was what I read in every post on this topic.
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boomdaddy
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Member # 2644
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posted 10-20-2014 10:27 AM
quote:
Originally posted by SCWC:
Norm, you expressed all of our opinions on this topic very well. We are all huge Cat and Cal fans and no one was criticizing Cal, the players he recruits or the way he coaches. Most older fans want to see the team but not all the hype that goes with Midnight madness anymore, that was what I read in every post on this topic.
I don't think anyone was criticizing Cal, but some think all the money spent on Madness is not necessary. If Cal and his staff want to put on the glitz for recruits, who am I to question? I am sure they had sponsors for the event. Men's Basketball and Football bring in money for the university. I do think they should be allowed to spend money promoting themselves. I include myself with a lot of others that don't care for Madness anymore. But, the recruits are the ones that they need to attract, not the life long fans and alumni who follow the teams no matter what.
[ 10-20-2014, 10:28 AM: Message edited by: boomdaddy ]
Posts: 8791 | From: paris, ky | Registered: Mar 2006
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