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Topic: Cats have 4 very real problems to solve
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catmandoo
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Member # 1284
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posted 11-08-2018 03:02 PM
A lack of shooting
As I wrote at the time, a lack of shooting was a problem for Kentucky last season that underlines a bigger issue in how Calipari recruits. Cal wants the biggest, fastest, highest-rated prospect at every position. That often comes at the expense of fit. It’s going to be a worry once again.
Kentucky fans will point to Herro as the type of shooter this team needs. Here’s the problem: in the modern game, one shooter isn’t enough. You need shooting at three positions on the floor at minimum. Villanova won the national championship last year in large part because it put five shooters on the floor at the same time.
Travis is a non-shooter who also only blocked nine shots the last two seasons combined at Stanford. If he can’t stretch the floor or protect the rim, how useful is he in the modern game? Washington appears to have some potential as a shooter, but hasn’t proven it yet. Starting two traditional big men — no matter how talented they are — is going to present spacing problems right off the bat.
Outside of Herro, there isn’t much shooting on the perimeter, either. Johnson is capable from behind the three-point line, but it isn’t the strength of his game. Opposing defenses will make him prove his shot all year long. The point guard contingent only offers more questions.
Shaky point guard play
Kentucky found a gem last year in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who went from an overlooked four-star recruit to the Wildcats’ best player. Gilgeous-Alexander wasn’t supposed to be a one-and-done, but he ended up being a lottery pick. Now Kentucky is searching for its new point guard, with three good options but no clear answer.
Ashton Hagans: Reclassified (ie: skipped his senior year of high school) to join Kentucky in June. He was ranked as the No. 12 overall prospect in his class by 247 Sports. At 6’4, he’s an incredible defender who immediately earned Calipari’s respect by starting against Duke. The problem is he’s still a work in progress offensively and isn’t a catch-and-shoot threat.
Immanuel Quickley: A 6’3 guard ranked No. 22 in his class. Quickely offers the best two-way potential of the bunch, combining length defensively (6’8 wingspan) with good passing instincts and an impressive feel for the game. He isn’t terribly explosive going to the rim and his shooting ability remains in development, but he should be a solid starter down the line. He just isn’t at the De’Aaron Fox level UK fans are used to.
Quade Green: A sophomore, and the best shooter of the bunch after hitting 37 percent of his threes last year. He does not seem to be Calipari’s favorite: he played only played 16 minutes against Duke and finished with one point and three assists. Kentucky desperately needs Green to step up and take command of the offense the way another sophomore, Tyler Ulis, once did. If that doesn’t happen immediately, Kentucky has one less shooter on the floor and will ultimately still be searching for its go-to point guard.
Fewer freshmen studs than they’re used to
Keldon Johnson was quietly great against Duke, refusing to back down from the Blue Devils’ trio of superstar freshmen and finishing with 23 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field. He’s Kentucky’s best prospect and potentially its best player. He’s also noticeably a cut or two below Duke’s freshmen stars.
Kentucky fans are used to freshmen like Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish. John Calipari recruited all of them, but each chose Durham over Lexington. Instead, Johnson might be Kentucky’s only first round NBA draft pick this year. He won’t go in the top-five, and it’ll be a fight for him to go in the top-10. ESPN currently has him projected at No. 7.
If you’re banking on one-and-dones, you need players at the level of Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, De’Aaron Fox, and Karl-Anthony Towns. If not, you need multiple freshmen at the level of Trey Lyles, Malik Monk, Devin Booker, Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Knox.
Kentucky’s recruiting class looks great on paper at No. 2 overall, but it doesn’t have the type of instant impact freshmen Calipari typically brings in.
Johnson is going to be really good. Tyler Herro will rebound from a rough showing against Duke. Even Montgomery has considerable upside. It’s a great recruiting class by normal standards, just not Kentucky standards.
The SEC is going to be tougher than usual
Don’t forget Tennessee and Auburn split the regular season league title last year. Both return most of their stars and begin the year in the top-10 of the polls. LSU and Florida are legit. Mississippi State looks good. Vanderbilt is improved too behind Darius Garland, the type of freshman impact point guard Kentucky desperately needed this year.
SEC basketball isn’t a joke anymore. Kentucky might still be the favorite, but it’s going to be incredibly difficult just to win the league, let alone make good on their national title aspirations.
Again, the Duke debacle was one game. Maybe we’ll be sitting here in April laughing at these concerns. But there are real issues, and the Duke blowout exposed them to a national audience. Kentucky will still be a quality team, but maybe they aren’t as elite as some thought.
Link
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http://www.ukfightsong.com/
Posts: 186359 | From: st. augustine florida 32092 | Registered: Mar 2001
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ukcatfannfl
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Member # 1425
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posted 11-08-2018 05:53 PM
"if you’re banking on one-and-dones, you need players at the level of Anthony Davis, Micphael Kidd-Gilchrist, De’Aaron Fox, and Karl-Anthony Towns. If not, you need multiple freshmen at the level of Trey Lyles, Malik Monk, Devin Booker, Gilgeous-Alexander and Kevin Knox."
Amen to that statement. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
I am curious - after that beat down by Duke I have lost some interest in this team, knowing that it is doubtful we even make the FF with this group unless they look and perform at a higher level. Or it could be that I am old!!
[ 11-08-2018, 05:58 PM: Message edited by: ukcatfannfl ]
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ukcatfannfl
Posts: 8771 | From: Inverness, FL | Registered: Jun 2001
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SCWC
Player
Member # 2464
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posted 11-08-2018 07:38 PM
This team have been a major disappointment to me during the last two exhibition games against Transy and Indiana Pa and they were a down right embarrassment to themselves and the University of Kentucky in the Duke debacle Tuesday night. They only have one way to go right now and that is up, hopefully they learned a lot from the Duke beating and will play harder against future opponents. There was a total lack of effort during the Duke game, poorest performance of a Cal coached team since he came to Ky.
Posts: 17777 | From: Myrtle Beach, SC | Registered: Jun 2005
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