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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 02-09-2017, 11:10 AM:
 
Can this team win a championship?

That’s what it boils down to, right?
This is Kentucky, after all, college basketball’s gold standard. John Calipari can fixate on the NBA Draft, but to the fans it’s all about championship banners. Kentucky hangs eight. Big Blue Nation wants a ninth. Same as it ever was. Or will be.

So, based on what we’ve seen to this point, is this team good enough to win an NCAA title?

Let’s start by breaking down the talent:

Malik Monk: The freshman beat North Carolina (47 points) and Georgia (37). He is learning how to get to the free throw line, but needs to join the crash-the-glass effort. He has zero rebounds over the last two games. Still, when on, Monk is a monster. ESPN’s Chad Ford ranks him as the sixth best prospect in the 2017 NBA Draft.

De’Aaron Fox: Lightning fast as advertised, Fox is not yet a perimeter threat. He’s made a paltry 18.2 percent of his three-point shots. Rajon Rondo made 30.3 percent and John Wall 32.5 their freshmen years. Still, Draft Express ranks Fox as the draft’s eighth best prospect.

Isaiah Briscoe: The sophomore has improved his free throw and three-point shooting. He makes things happen, though not all good all the time. Briscoe leads the team in turnovers. He’s also dropped to No. 81 on the Chad Ford big board. (Could he back for a junior year?)

Bam Adebayo: Bam can jam with the best. He hasn’t enjoyed a double-digit rebound game since Dec. 3, however. He’s still learning how to play with fouls. And he has slipped to No. 27 on Ford’s Top 100 list. “One NBA exec compared him to Florida’s Patric Young,” wrote ESPN’s draft analyst. “He looks the part, but doesn’t always play the part.”

Link
 

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Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 02-09-2017, 11:21 AM:
 
This years team has the talent. They are not playing very well, currently. If they don't turn it around, they won't even win the SEC tournament.

This team may not make the sweet 16 or they may go to the final four and make noise. This team is still a work in progress.

Time is running short with this team......Willis cant hit a shot to save his life....his head is messed up.....Bam cant make a lay up ....his head is messed.....Briscoe. his head is messed up...

Maybe Cal needs to quit messing with them and figure out how to get their heads right.

Of course, I am not a big time coach of a D1 program. What do I know.
 

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Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 02-09-2017, 03:27 PM:
 
imo it got bad when coach insisted in feeding bam in the post. before it was free flowing now everything is forced.....
 

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Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 02-09-2017, 03:32 PM:
 
I don't see this team having a shot at a national title. We have ABSOLUTELY NO inside game, and there are far too many teams out there that do have very good inside games. Too many for us to sneak by in the tournament.

We will go as far as the three-point shot takes us. If Cal was smart, he would take a number from 1989 Rick Pitino and put Cal's Bombinos on the court. Monk, Fox, Mulder, Briscoe and Willis would be the starting five with a goal of shooting 30 three-pointers per half. Gabrielle and Hawkins would be the two subs off the bench.

[ 02-09-2017, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: PaulCat ]
 

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Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 02-09-2017, 04:32 PM:
 
Ed, as usual, you are right in your assessment. Bam is a very talented athlete, good size and great athleticism, he is just not a very good basketball player right now and I don't see Cal having enough time this season to make him what we need to control the middle. NCAA caliber guards offensively but not defensively and lack of consistent inside play have to be improved a ton if this team are to go far into March Madness. As fans, all we can do is hope.
 

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Posted by CatFanInYankeeville (Member # 2025) on 02-09-2017, 08:39 PM:
 
Simply, no. We are not good enough to win a title.
 

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Posted by Trey Ball (Member # 332) on 02-09-2017, 10:18 PM:
 

quote:

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Originally posted by ukcatfannfl:
imo it got bad when coach insisted in feeding bam in the post. before it was free flowing now everything is forced.....

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