We saw it a lot during the season, and they never lost because of it, but I think everyone can agree that it backfired tonight.
That Being Said, incredible season.
That Being Said, incredible season.
Cal's Grinder offense......
- Thread starter Wildcats4EverandEver
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With 4 minutes and change, it may be smart with a 3 or 4 possession lead - dumb with a 2 possession lead and flat out ignorant to do it leading by 2.
I'll never view the shot clock the same again - just cost us a national championship.
I'll never view the shot clock the same again - just cost us a national championship.
Cal needs to change his offense....PERIOD.. What a horrible way to end the season...Playing not to lose..We stand around way too much and just are not hard to guard...I am so frustrated there are no words for this.
This team never had an offense all season long, it never looked organized, it was mostly generated off the defense. We had a lead but continued to come down and be totally inept on offense. You can't do that against Wisconsin.
Calipari was outcoached the last 2 games. I still love Cal but he is not a good offensive coach.
Calipari was outcoached the last 2 games. I still love Cal but he is not a good offensive coach.
This was very similar to the second half against Kansas in championship game, difference was a 15 pt lead versus a 4 point lead. The offense does not lend itself to anything but a one on one desperation drive against a set defense. Heck only one guy moves in the offense, the 2 guard, that's it....Sometimes, I think Cal wants to prove how he can grind out a win to be thought of as a tactician.
The 4 pt lead was the worst thing for Cal
The 4 pt lead was the worst thing for Cal
During that drought of 4:30+ there was far too much stalling and waiting for the shot clock to go down to 15 for someone to cut or screen. The non-energetic nature of the offense led to some terrible cuts and screens. It's one thing to set up an opportunity for all that time, another to deliberately do it up 4 with 4 minutes to go.
Choking the clock can lead to choking off the offense.
Choking the clock can lead to choking off the offense.
Went back and looked at last few possessions, we had no set plays once Karl was taken away in post, not sure we didn't need another shooter on court or maybe Ulis to initiate offense.
If the 2guard doesn't get the shot, we're screwed cause no one else moving. I've never understood that all yr, & the fact no one cuts thru the lane when the ball is in the post. Our lack of movement drives me nuts, a good offensive player is always moving. The easiest person to guard is the guy just standing.
This grinder offense doesnt work because we dont have the quickness at the guard position to execute it, and last night Ulis was on the bench at crunch time, WIllie and Trey are basically statues in this offense,
Many games during the season, Cal went to this with a 15 point lead and 6 or 7 minutes to go, it killed our momentum just about every time, but very few complained, i called it the Buzzkill offense, and boy was it a mess last night.
Many games during the season, Cal went to this with a 15 point lead and 6 or 7 minutes to go, it killed our momentum just about every time, but very few complained, i called it the Buzzkill offense, and boy was it a mess last night.
Cal coached scared to lose. He took the shooters out of the game by just trying to go inside. If you know what's coming its much easier to stop it. You dance with the one that brought you. Aaron, Booker and Ulis could have open things up inside if given the freedom to do it. If Cal continues to choke the shooters, then this is how it's going to end.
However Bo seem lose and his players had the freedom to play. They're two big men were the best on the floor the entire night.
However Bo seem lose and his players had the freedom to play. They're two big men were the best on the floor the entire night.
I didn't mind that as much as how it was done. You play to your strengths and Towns many times this year was that strength. But I don't think you can go to it every single possession. Last years game our guards and Young absolutely shredded UW's defense driving the ball. We did it some last night but not nearly as much.
It is the one thing I dislike most about Coach Cal's coaching. It truly sucks. I was jumping up and down last night when we went to it. We had them tired and back on their heels, and this "suck a__, play to not lose, let the defense rest for 20 seconds each time down" offense, if you can call it an offense, cost us the game. And that is all I have to say about that. Go Cats!!
You can't depend on the refs to bail you out. They are way too inconsistent.
Cal needs to eat some humble pie and go to some clinics, talk to some offensive gurus, or do whatever a coach at his level does to get a better offense. He is very weak in that area. If he didn't have elite players to play one on one, we would have even a harder time scoring.
It's not like Cal's the only one doing this. Lots of coaches are doing this, especially when they know the game is going to be called inconsistently. It's a game that's predicated on control and if you don't have control because of an external force, you're going to do something extreme to minimize the impact of the external force.
Last night was an embarrassment of a basketball game for everyone involved. Regardless of how it turned out.
Last night was an embarrassment of a basketball game for everyone involved. Regardless of how it turned out.
The DD offense when executed with the right players is a blast to watch, you mustnt have watched Memphis play in his runs there, they were super fun. The thing with just about any offensse is you need a core group run it for years, like Norte Dames for instance.
Many good points in this thread. Cal's stubbornness could cost him more titles in his career. Agree with the poster above about Cal meeting with some offensive minded coaches to revamp our offense. Bo Ryan would be a good place to start. I like the way Wisconsin keeps people moving. There are many others he could visit..The question is, wil he?
Football coaches do it all the time.
Football coaches do it all the time.
Requires athletic players at the 1,2 and 3, and we did not have that. 'Dribble Drive' wasn't exactly a strength of this team, which is exactly why it seemed we struggled so much on offense. When was the last time we had a really good, athletic 3? It should honestly be a priority going forward. If we could get Brown, Newman and Diallo, I'd be VERY pleased with what we have coming in. Briscoe looked pretty athletic in the McDAA games. If you haven't seen Diallo play, I highly suggest you find some footage. He's a VERY high motor guy, relentless on offense and defense. I want Diallo so bad it's sickening. MKG but at 6'9" and probably better offensively. Zimmerman impressed me with his athleticism during the Slam Dunk contest, but he would be number 2 to Diallo for me. Landing Brown, Newman and Diallo to go along with Briscoe and Skal would be flat out sick in terms of the athleticism department.
Great year but..... What do you think the prop bet odds were that Booker wouldn't even attempt a 3? We had severe tunnel vision last night and I don't know if that was the game plan. Played into Wisconsin's hands of keeping the game close. This gave the zebras and opportunity to add their help in the end.
Some rocket science going on here. He's always coached this way. His thinking is he has better players who execute better at crunch time, and by shortening the game and lessening possessions that advantage becomes more pronounced. All he's done is win 80% of his games, go 22-4 in the tournament, 4 final fours in 5 years, get to the final four at 38-0.......and you guys want him to change what he does?
That makes sense.
You have to be who you are. If you try to be something else it won't work. Besides that, it's a flag to your kids that you are in panic mode.....
That makes sense.
You have to be who you are. If you try to be something else it won't work. Besides that, it's a flag to your kids that you are in panic mode.....
I think he just believes his teams talent will beat the other teams talent.
Cal has done a great job. That's indisputable. But we refuse to press any team, ever. We refuse to employ a zone defense, ever. He doesn't believe in showing guys film because we're gonna do our thing regardless.
His prerogative and, as I said before, he's been successful, but it doesn't give you any room to make too many in-game adjustments to what the other team is doing.
Cal has done a great job. That's indisputable. But we refuse to press any team, ever. We refuse to employ a zone defense, ever. He doesn't believe in showing guys film because we're gonna do our thing regardless.
His prerogative and, as I said before, he's been successful, but it doesn't give you any room to make too many in-game adjustments to what the other team is doing.
Not change what he does in so much as "tweaking" it. He supposedly knows how "tweaking" works, although no one has seen it.
As more and more interviews and info come out about those fateful final minutes, its pretty clear there wasn't stall ball at all. Everyone was supposed to feed KAT. The Harrisons just didn't. Not out of selfishness. No real explanation. Playing tight maybe? KAT had position. Just no entry pass.
No question. We win if ulis stays in. And we win if we forget the shot clock and attack. Cal knows offense. He does not need to clinic. Really? Four out of five final fours with freshmen and sophomores. Really? What he needs to to follow his own advice....don't play to keep from losing. Go go go.
Ulis would have created the proper angle to get the ball to KAT, unfortunately, the Harrisons kept the ball at the end and the results were 3 shot clock violations, 3 missed floaters, and an air ball three. Mix-in a charging foul on Lyles, and a miss by Lyles on a loose ball when he was obviously mugged by Nigel Hayes.....
Statistical analysis by Nate Silver showed UK with a 83 percent of winning, up four with the ball and 5 minutes to go....As painful as it is to say, Cats snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
UK doesn't need to apologize to anybody, this kind of stuff happens.....Incredible team, incredible season.
Statistical analysis by Nate Silver showed UK with a 83 percent of winning, up four with the ball and 5 minutes to go....As painful as it is to say, Cats snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
UK doesn't need to apologize to anybody, this kind of stuff happens.....Incredible team, incredible season.
1. The problem wasn't in taking the air out of it. That's what we do. The problem is they were focusing exclusively in getting it inside to Townes. You wait until 10 seconds to start, try to force it to KAT, they have it scouted and take it away. Now there's 3 seconds left and someone has to jack something. Watch the possessions before and after the 3 empty sets. Aaron gets to the rim easy both times. That's why, generally, holding the ball until the end of the shot clock has worked for us, we have multiple ways to score. But if you focus on just one way, and it's not there....
2. If I were going to second guess anything it would be the rotation. What made this team unique and great was depth, quality depth. Invariably - invariably - the other team was gasping and holding their shorts late in the game. By the ND and Wisconsin games, we played 7 as Dakari and Marcus both just had single digit minutes. That huge advantage was gone. But, just like with grinding it out, playing 7 in the tournament is just who Cal is. He always brings out that Wooden story when talking about it. Not going yo change.....
2. If I were going to second guess anything it would be the rotation. What made this team unique and great was depth, quality depth. Invariably - invariably - the other team was gasping and holding their shorts late in the game. By the ND and Wisconsin games, we played 7 as Dakari and Marcus both just had single digit minutes. That huge advantage was gone. But, just like with grinding it out, playing 7 in the tournament is just who Cal is. He always brings out that Wooden story when talking about it. Not going yo change.....
His article is opinion dressed up to look like analysis.
#1 - I think it was closer to 5-7 seconds on the clock instead of 10. But I haven't watched any replays and don't intend to.
Either way, like you say, if something's not there right then, no time to readjust and you jack it up. And....
#2 - Agree 110% regarding the rotation. It's fine if you don't have the horses, but we did, and there many, many game
examples of the other team being totally gassed in the last 5 to 9 minutes.
I agree that the stall ball appears to be something Cal is just going to continue to do, but I disagree that it is a good thing. We almost lost the 2012 title because of him deciding to start killing clock way too early, and it bit us in the *** on Saturday.
Most of the time, I understand why Cal doesn't change the way we play. We are usually young, and so you want to try and keep things as simple as possible. We usually can win just playing the way we play. Our defense is usually good enough that if we have a lead late in the game, we usually do not need to score much to pull it out. Against a good team that we have trouble stopping, we can't have empty possessions like that. I have issues with it because we do not normally play that way through the course of the game, and that we usually suck on offense when we do it. I agree that if the other team can not stop you, and you can execute playing that way, go ahead. That is not the case most of the time for us.
Most of the time, I understand why Cal doesn't change the way we play. We are usually young, and so you want to try and keep things as simple as possible. We usually can win just playing the way we play. Our defense is usually good enough that if we have a lead late in the game, we usually do not need to score much to pull it out. Against a good team that we have trouble stopping, we can't have empty possessions like that. I have issues with it because we do not normally play that way through the course of the game, and that we usually suck on offense when we do it. I agree that if the other team can not stop you, and you can execute playing that way, go ahead. That is not the case most of the time for us.