They are putting it together and will continue to do so, lead by Nich Richards. We have the pieces, just have to execute. I have faith it’s coming. Cal will get a good laugh at all who say he can’t coach.
Cats will win #9
- Thread starter SouthernINcat
- Start date
Funny it wasn't long ago this was the worst team in the Cal era posted by some. This is one fickle fan base. Either this team is winning a championship or playing in the NIT.
I've been enjoying the process all season! It's been great watching this team grow up. I believe this team is final 4 bound and it's gonna be extra special to see the hard work pay off for Hagans, Quickley Nick and Ej. You can really see the chemistry and making of an Elite Team.
And not to take away from Maxey, Nate, Keion and Zuzang. They're paramount as well..
And not to take away from Maxey, Nate, Keion and Zuzang. They're paramount as well..
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Would be nice but guards have to value possessions more. If the careless turnovers continue there isn’t a round they can’t not lose in.
We're good enough to win #9.
1. Everyone says guards win championships. Well, we have the guards. Hagans is up and down. But he's on pace to break UK records in assists and steals. He's maybe the best defensive PG we've had under Cal.
Maxey is special. He'll be a top 10 pick. He has moments of brilliance (MSU, Louisville). He needs to bring that all the time come March.
IQ is a spark. He's the 3 point shooter we have to have making shots. He's able to create his own offense. He can play both spots.
2. We have the size to win it all.
Richards has become a star. He's scoring at will on the inside. He's rebounding and blocking shots like a star.
Sestina and Montgomery are good enough to compliment Nick. They've got to rebound and play defense consistently. Brooks is another nice piece that can rebound and play defense.
We should make it VERY difficult on our opponents to score in March. And if/when the offense stalls, the defense carries you over the hump.
3. College basketball has no special teams. Think about it. Who are we afraid of this year? Can teams beat us? Yes. But are there any teams that would be massive favorites against us on a neutral court? No.
4. We've got the close game grind down to an art. Winning against Texas Tech was a testament to knowing how to win a close/tight game. We've gotten used to having to play through bad officiating. A lot of teams feel that they can't beat the refs and the world is agains them. This team revels in it. 5 against 8. Every game.
1. Everyone says guards win championships. Well, we have the guards. Hagans is up and down. But he's on pace to break UK records in assists and steals. He's maybe the best defensive PG we've had under Cal.
Maxey is special. He'll be a top 10 pick. He has moments of brilliance (MSU, Louisville). He needs to bring that all the time come March.
IQ is a spark. He's the 3 point shooter we have to have making shots. He's able to create his own offense. He can play both spots.
2. We have the size to win it all.
Richards has become a star. He's scoring at will on the inside. He's rebounding and blocking shots like a star.
Sestina and Montgomery are good enough to compliment Nick. They've got to rebound and play defense consistently. Brooks is another nice piece that can rebound and play defense.
We should make it VERY difficult on our opponents to score in March. And if/when the offense stalls, the defense carries you over the hump.
3. College basketball has no special teams. Think about it. Who are we afraid of this year? Can teams beat us? Yes. But are there any teams that would be massive favorites against us on a neutral court? No.
4. We've got the close game grind down to an art. Winning against Texas Tech was a testament to knowing how to win a close/tight game. We've gotten used to having to play through bad officiating. A lot of teams feel that they can't beat the refs and the world is agains them. This team revels in it. 5 against 8. Every game.
You mean maybe, just maybe, the great prognosticators forecasting the demise of Cal and this team were sadly mistaken?
Really??
Really??
We have some pieces. Turnovers and fouls are a real thorn in the side.
Gonzaga and Baylor are fantastic teams.
Gonzaga and Baylor are fantastic teams.
A
anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y
Guest
Did you say fickle? At least we all cheer for ONE team.
It's great that we've made some strides in the last few weeks. We have some good wins. And this season, anyone could win it. But, I still think this roster is towards the bottom of the Cal teams at UK. We're fortunate no other team has a great roster this season, either.
He can coach. No question. So can his staff. But he is capable some stubbornness that lingers even after lessons should be learned. We all know him well, and I wouldn't have another single coach anywhere. He has been, and still is, the right guy for the job. Quickley's curl and three-point basket to end the half an obvious sign of being prepared for the moment and great coaching.
For UK to make a deep run in both tournaments, here is what (I think) they need to do. It largely is based on injuries, fundamentals, and continued, expected improvement.
Hope for no season-ending injuries.
Fundamentals. Just do the fundamentals correctly, and do them as you should have been taught in grade school. I cannot and will not score in the 70s if I do not have good putting fundamentals. Same is very true in college basketball for any high amount of success. Maxey's failure to block out aggressively on the FT shooter last night is a prime example, and TT got the rebound. Lazy square passes that get picked off. Unforced traveling on a simple move. Cutting off the baseline drive. Staying between your man and the basket. How many too easy lay ups did Texas Tech get last night? Staying on the floor and not going for head fakes that put you and your teammates out of position. Not over-penetrating on offense. Stopping stupid, no-count fouls, especially trying to get over a screen 40 feet from the basket. Picking up your dribble. Clean much of that up, and this team legitimately becomes a contender. Many less turnovers!!
Continued Improvement. Richards had an All-American performance last night. If that continues, along with great play from Hagans, this too will allow a very deep run. Maxey must play better, but he did have some great assists at critcal moments last night. Brooks and Juzang now have more minutes. They too must improve their play overall. Sestina must also foul less (more feet, less hands), and lead this younger team in all things. Montgomery is now giving much better minutes for longer periods of time...more consistent performance. I see that improving too.
Coach Huggins ties Coach Rupp last night with 876 victories and is now in seventh place for all-time coaching wins. Rupp has been dead 43 years and yet only six other coaches have rivaled his win total. That's also playing many less games per season during his time. It's a testament to his legacy and what he did from 1930-1972 that continues today...our amazing winning tradition.
Some of us have stayed the course for the entire year. We are often called sunshine pumpers for believing in our team and coach. I never will understand the people who jump on and off. You are either a fan or you or not. You can be pissed and critique things because it's never going to be perfect, but that NIT talk and we are about on course with UNC was ridiculous. I get frustration, but not giving up on the team after a loss. I have defended this team all year like others on here. It's like they say, haven't you all seen this movie enough times yet to get that will have a chance more times than not and almost always.
We have to fade injuries and just keep tightening up our offense and taking care of the ball, and I'd say we can beat anybody.
Of course UK will win number 9, "I never thought they wouldn't, I'm just wondering when...." -Stumpy
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Nov. Beat #1 Michigan St.
Dec. Beat #3 U of L
Jan. Beat at #18 Texas Tech
Feb. ?
March.?
April.?
Who wants to be next?
Dec. Beat #3 U of L
Jan. Beat at #18 Texas Tech
Feb. ?
March.?
April.?
Who wants to be next?
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Like there have said we have every piece we need to win. We have to stop turning the ball over though. The three is falling now, we shoot FT’s, we have a legit big man, we are rebounding now. Just stop the boneheaded plays and extend leads. That’s what we must do from now on.
Still working on that part of our maturity. Pick a guard because they’ve all had tough moments.
The one thing that worries me is an injury.
Hagans or Richards especially.
Otherwise, this is a great year to have three All-Conference level guards and the best all-around center in the country. If guys like Juzang and Sestina can make shots and Brooks and Montgomery can play D and rebound, we have all the makings.
Hagans or Richards especially.
Otherwise, this is a great year to have three All-Conference level guards and the best all-around center in the country. If guys like Juzang and Sestina can make shots and Brooks and Montgomery can play D and rebound, we have all the makings.
You cant worry about that bro., it will drive you to the edge and quite possibly over it if it happens.
We have the horses and a few in the stable.
Id still like to see more consistency from Maxey and Hagans before I get on the title train. We are definitely starting to look like a team. This year it's anyone's tourney. We ain't scared.
I know there is nothing we can do about it, but it's hard to shake the fact that many recent UK teams have been snake bit by that "I word"
Are you still of the assumption they are just like the 2012-2013 team that you were comparing them to a few weeks back? :joy:
My only issue with our play yday was the turnovers- 15 total for our starting 3 guards- way, way too many
The refs have been stealing our leads lately. I even said when we went up 10, "Here come the refs"
A
anon_013cn8yrfncx2
Guest
Certainly not a stretch, but the margin for error is extremely small. Nick in foul trouble, a bad shooting game by IQ, or a bad floor game by AH, or a Maxey game like the last two. Any injury at all.
Matchups will be key. So many factors. Micro-management may read its ugly head again. Seeding probably only providing one game with a lesser opponent.
I’m not a glass half full type so I’d say I’m not anything more than hopeful at this point. We shall see. Things look better than they did a month ago. The obviating of having to find time for KH is part of that.
GO CATS. Beat Vandy.
Matchups will be key. So many factors. Micro-management may read its ugly head again. Seeding probably only providing one game with a lesser opponent.
I’m not a glass half full type so I’d say I’m not anything more than hopeful at this point. We shall see. Things look better than they did a month ago. The obviating of having to find time for KH is part of that.
GO CATS. Beat Vandy.
Maybe one day we can get some story's about how other teams should be afraid of UK. (Not that it matters what I think but...) I'm kind of over listening how these Cats should be worried about who they are playing next. I'd like to see a story about how the next team UK faces should be worried about the "L"....jmusao...
I liked Cal's input about TT spending all their energy on charge calls and they are good at it. Had like 6 charge calls...
If Gonzaga and Baylor are the two teams to worry about, I like the Cats chances this year for #9
No team scares me this year. Our guys are putting it together. They could've easily folded after all the bad calls. Nope, we wanted it more. And our three headed monster of a backcourt and Nick playing at an all American level, bring on anyone.
Hagans is a beast and a great leader. Watch the play where he broke up that lob. You'll be amazed where he started from. He's a dog and goes hard on both ends. He's Quickly, pun intended, becoming one of my favorite UK players ever.
It's also possible we lose to a ****** team but still.
Hagans is a beast and a great leader. Watch the play where he broke up that lob. You'll be amazed where he started from. He's a dog and goes hard on both ends. He's Quickly, pun intended, becoming one of my favorite UK players ever.
It's also possible we lose to a ****** team but still.
I'd love for this to be true, but I've seen a few teams that are clearly better. The ball would have to bounce our way quite a bit. We are just a few games removed from south carolina...
I'm much less afraid of Baylor than the other team. We will struggle to score more than we will in playing great defense. That's the way it usually is under Cal. I just wish we would were deeper. That lowers our ability to defend.
0% chance. no one can win 5 on 8 for 6 straight increasing difficulty games . Emmert and refs wont let us win a title with Cal again.
our best chance will be next year with Barnhart being chairman of the NCAAT committee but even then I suspect adidas will pay off a ref to screw us and go rogue in the tournament at some point.
our best chance will be next year with Barnhart being chairman of the NCAAT committee but even then I suspect adidas will pay off a ref to screw us and go rogue in the tournament at some point.
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