Kentucky Got Blasted by GT
- Thread starter TheSpecialSauce
- Start date
People say the league is so tough, yea right. There's virtually no difference between team #4 or #15 and #14. Lots of bad teams. The ACC is bad.
Maybe I’m wrong, but nobody is saying the ACC is tough THIS season. It’s clearly the XII and the B1G. Whoever is 3rd is very distant.
I think this loading up with 18 year old lottery picks isn't working out so well. The turnover and inexperience, these kids maybe talented, but in many cases really raw. Since UK and Duke have gone "all in" on this method, they have been less of a post season factor. I think when these teams run against a decent, experienced, well coached team, they will struggle. They also have wild fluctuations and can beat anybody any night and lose to anyone also.
I mean Duke won the title 4 tournaments ago with 3 1 and dones and Kentucky has been to 4 final fours in the last decade. I’m just not sure I agree at all with it.
There’s many ways to skin the cat but to think they aren’t a factor in a mostly luck tournament just isn’t true. They’ve had as much success as anyone not named Villanova in the last decade, probably more.
I am editing because I looked up the top 10 teams in tourney wins since 2010. No surprise Kentucky is 1 and Duke is 2
You can’t coach up chemistry if it doesn’t exist. These kids are thinking about the NBA prior to their first freshman practice. It takes a really good coach to meld a team of 8-9 contributors. I am not an expert on hoop x and o stuff but just getting 3 NBA type freshman to buy in and actually play defense and run offensive sets is a difficult task.
I think the Covid environment would really hurt a team full of newcomers also. Regardless, the Cats suck right now.
Generally agree with your point but Duke won a National Championship in 2014 with three one-and-dones, Okafor. Tyus Jones and Justice Winslow. It can be done.
IMO, it is just that the top recruits in each class are not equal. We saw this with McD AA Dante Taylor. UK is volatile year to year, and even start to finish in a given year, based on how good those kids actually are and how long it takes them to mesh. In 2014, they were an 8-seed and ended up losing in the title game.
They’ve won 5 games and 4 games in the tournament more than any other team in the last decade and were saying there not successful enough. Quite the brand Cal has curated there.
Agreed on the other part. A guy like BJ Boston (Pine Richland baby!) is considered a lottery pick when he probably needs 2-3 years in college. He’s a very solid prospect but needs a lot of development on his body. Really good IQ though. And they have major PG problems.
But this is why Cal scheduled the toughest non conference. He wanted this team to grow quickly. Will be interesting to watch them if they can grow this year.
What’s the story on BJ Boston and Pine-Richland? Did he grow up there and then leave as a teenager or is he from a transient family?
Dad played at then Richland High school in late 90’s right as it turned into Pine Richland. Had him in 2002ish, lived there until about 2007 then moved to ATL.
I still claim him. Lol
We used to play Richland when I was in school and both of our schools were AA. Times have changed quite a bit.
I don't know, I guess from 1985 (the original Bilas, Alerie, Dawkins group) through 2010 (the Plumlee brothers, Kyle Singler, Nolan Smith) that 25 years, they made 8 Final 4's and 4 titles.
Since that season, 1 title and 1 final 4. So they were making a FF about every 3 years.
I guess Kentucky is about the same as they were under Pitino and Joe B.
Since that season, 1 title and 1 final 4. So they were making a FF about every 3 years.
I guess Kentucky is about the same as they were under Pitino and Joe B.
I think Coach K has turned into a very average coach since he became a lights out recruiter.
I remember playing them and they had 1 black kid. Richland was pretty much a farm school and all white. I was a dumb teenager that saw Tom Pipkins dominate and assumed all black kids were good. I was far from being a really good player, but at the time I was like this kid from Richland wasn’t that good. It would be pretty ironic if he is this kid’s dad.
That was him. Neil walker’s brother was probably on the team at that time as well.
We are touching the exact reason college basketball is still competitive. The one and done phenomena has absolutely hurt the Blue Bloods.
Here is a true baseball story. I was an assistant baseball coach for a summer team when Neil Walker was a So. This was before he really blew up. We had scouted their team and we decided we wouldn’t let Neil beat us. He had smashed like 2 home runs in the game we watched. There were some scouts at our game, but obviously our main objective was to win and could care less about the scouts. We intentionally walked Neil every time there was someone on base and pitched around him when nobody was on to try to get him fishing. Neil’s dad was a coach for his team and needless to say he wasn’t too happy. There were words exchanged between our benches. We ended up winning the game and Neil did quite alright for himself. A happy ending for all. 🙂
Oh man, I was coaching a summer league team in Freeport with my brother in law and an 8th grade Tom Pipkins was playing for Valley. 14 years old, he just gets the ball in the corner, takes a couple of dribbles and just tomahawks from the baseline. I looked at my brother in law, then looked at the little white kids on the bench and started busting out laughing.
We were in an elementary tournament at the New Ken YMCA. He touched the rim in 5th grade. That was right about when I realized my dream of playing pro basketball wasn’t happening. 🙂
Yeah, you would think this would be a really bad year to be relying on a bunch of one and dones.
I think what Cal does with his freshmen is more impressive than recruiting them. I don't personally like it, but thankfully I am a fan of a team that sucks and I don't have to worry about it.
