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Topic: What should realistic expectations be for UK basketball be
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 11-05-2021 05:23 PM
The calendar has changed but the shadow of Kentucky basketball’s embarrassing 2020-21 season has proven hard to escape.
John Calipari rebooted his program with two new coaching hires, three much-hyped freshmen and four Division I transfers.
The college sports landscape has been dramatically altered since the Wildcats’ 9-16 season came to an anticlimactic end in a loss to Mississippi State in the SEC Tournament with transfer and name, image and likeness reforms.
While the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, vaccines have allowed Rupp Arena and other venues to return to full capacity.
But is it as simple as dismissing the program’s worst record since the Great Depression as a product of an unprecedented season caused by the pandemic?
Calipari seems to think so.
“Last year is a blip,” the Hall of Fame coach said at Kentucky’s October preseason media day. “That's so far behind me, what we went through. And I learned from it, and you move on.”
Changes could fix UK basketball's issues from last season
No matter how much Calipari wants to pretend like the 2020-21 season did not happen, it is impossible to discuss the upcoming season without the context of the last year.
Since the 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled in the early days of the pandemic, Big Blue Nation has gone multiple years without watching Kentucky in a postseason game for the first time since the program returned from probation in 1991. No player on the roster has appeared in a postseason game for the Wildcats. Only Keion Brooks has played for Kentucky in a regular season game at a full capacity Rupp Arena.
Departures of assistant coaches Tony Barbee and Joel Justus offered Calipari the chance to rework his staff.
He made a move to rediscover the magic of the early years of his Kentucky tenure by luring former UK assistant Orlando Antigua back to Lexington. Calipari hired Antigua’s Illinois colleague and Chicago recruiting ace Ron “Chin” Coleman to fill the third spot on the staff. He also created non-coaching staff positions to help guide players through NIL regulations.
“Everybody knows that this year was an abnormal year, everything that has transpired,” Antigua said. “So, I think that’s an offset of what’s normal and we’re trying to get back to doing the things that we’ve done. Cal’s always requested of his kids and of his staff to get back to working really hard and working together, being a players-first program.”
Kentucky basketball roster: These are the best-case and worst-case scenarios for each player
Calipari remade the roster with the addition of transfers C.J. Fredrick (Iowa), Kellan Grady (Davidson), Oscar Tshiebwe (West Virginia) and Sahvir Wheeler (Georgia) and high school stars Daimion Collins, Bryce Hopkins and TyTy Washington. That group combines with returners Brooks, Dontaie Allen, Davion Mintz, Jacob Toppin and Lance Ware to makeup Calipari’s most experienced roster at Kentucky.
With those players, Calipari’s offensive system is expected to change, placing a greater emphasis on speed and shooting. Instead of his normal strategy of playing multiple traditional post players together, Calipari appears poised to spread the court with four players around one traditional big.
Link
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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m hamilton
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Member # 127
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posted 11-05-2021 09:14 PM
I'd say 6-8 losses is a realistic look at KY's team this year! The way we looked in the second exhibition games makes me realize how mush more work they still have to do on the defensive side of the ball!
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Posts: 123969 | From: vevay, IN USA | Registered: Sep 1999
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Bama Cat
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Member # 153
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posted 11-05-2021 10:42 PM
Mercy me! I never dreamed we'd play as bad as we did in that first half. What is defense??? Didn't look like anyone on the outside knew anything about defending the shooter. To let them hit 10 or 11 3 pointers in the half is downright rediculous.
After watching how well they worked together in the game last week, this was very unexpected. And even in the second half after they decided to guard the 3 point line, they still were more than sloppy. It looked to me like no one had any hands to speak of. How many time did we lose or give up possession of the ball??
Wheeler had way to many turnovers. And where did Brooks disappear to? High scorer in the last game. You can't score on the bench.
Glad to see Toppin back in action. He made a few good moves, and almost busted his head off on that dunk.
I was glad to see that Washington, Allen and Wheeler hit some 3's, as well as a couple others got one too.
Overall I would say we're not very ready to meet Duke. Of course they are at the same stage of the season so they may not be ready for us either. Could be rag-tag game. Oh well, it is what it isand then we can get on to the games we are supposed to win. Hope we don't lose too many of them.
Posts: 14132 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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PaulCat
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Member # 513
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posted 11-06-2021 11:35 AM
Miles was hitting threes from five feet behind the line and they were making contested threes as well. Not much you can do about that. I actually want opponents shooting from that far out - it usually catches up with them like it did last night.
As far as expectations, I see the same old UK that we've seen under Calipari. We'll win two or three games in the NCAA tournament before losing to a lesser team. That's usually what happens when you play a bunch of freshmen.
College basketball just isn't that exciting to me any more.
Posts: 10324 | From: Erlanger, Ky. USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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Tiptree
Administrator
Member # 844
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posted 11-06-2021 12:44 PM
PaulCat,
A bunch of freshmen? Huh?
We saw Wheeler (junior*), Tshiebe (junior*), Brooks (Junior), Allen (Redshirt sophomore), Grady (grad student*), Toppin (Junior), Mintz (grad student), Ware (sophomore). We didn't see CJ Frederick (redshirt junior*). There are only three freshmen: Ty Ty Washington, Bryce Hopkins, and Daimion Collins
The "*" means they transferred into the program this year. Mintz and Toppin were also transfers from prior years.
So, three freshmen played last night. But also two sophomores, four juniors, and two graduate students played. I think that tilts the field heavily towards a very veteran team, NOT the typical freshman-heavy teams Cal has had in the past.
Three are a LOT of talented basketball players on this team. The freshmen and transfers have to learn Cal's system, which they will get nailed down during Camp Cal in December. Competition will be fierce for playing time, and by mid-January, this will be one heck of a basketball team.
[ 11-06-2021, 12:45 PM: Message edited by: Tiptree ]
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Tiptree
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson
Posts: 13596 | From: Terre Haute, IN | Registered: Sep 2000
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Bama Cat
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Member # 153
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posted 11-06-2021 01:02 PM
Oooopps! Did PC step in it??? Sounds like he is just tiring of Cal. I can see why someone might feel that way since he has only won 1 NCAA Championship in 11 years. As they say, close only counts in horseshoes.
I can understand why someone could be tired of UK BB but it is way too early to count this team out. They played very bad in the first half of the game and then picked up the defense in the second half. They showed who was the best team by far, but they still made a lot of errors which is normal at the beginning. I'm hoping they can get it all worked outby the time the SEC schedule gets here.
Posts: 14132 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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clydeh
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Member # 7
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posted 11-06-2021 01:40 PM
I did not get to see the game. Was it at Rupp and was it packed with fans?
Posts: 845 | From: Cullman, AL, USA | Registered: Aug 1999
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PaulCat
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Member # 513
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posted 11-06-2021 02:18 PM
Bama, I step in it all the time. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
Clydeh, it appeared to be a packed house at Rupp. The announcers kept harping on how nice it was to have fans back at the games.
My comments as far as expectations had nothing to do with last night's game. More so just the roster. Miles hit just about every shot possible in the first half. I wasn't disappointed at all with the way we played last night.
This year we do have a lot of upperclassmen. We have four players returning from last year's turd of a team and only one appears to be a starter (Brooks). Cal is basically building a new team every year, but is he finally heading in the right direction? It'll be interesting to see how many players from this year return to play next year. If this was any other program I'd say most of them would return. However, under Cal it wouldn't shock me to see four new starters next year. Only two seniors (technically) on this years team, but I bet we lose four to six players. I hope I'm wrong. And I do have hope that this team will do some major damage in March.
I think I am just tiring of Cal. I can't stand his sideline antics. I wish he'd sit there and let the kids play and do his coaching during time outs.
[ 11-06-2021, 02:19 PM: Message edited by: PaulCat ]
Posts: 10324 | From: Erlanger, Ky. USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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