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Gonzaga is gonna be the real deal

Z

zoid1

Senior
Mar 18, 2004
8,952
899
0
Sweet 16 last year 27-8 lost ONE player. Return
Coach- Mark Few
PG- Nembhard 6-0 180 SR started last year 12.7 ppg 4.0 rpg 7.1 apg
SG- Hickman 6-2 190 SR 2 year starter 14.1 ppg 2.8 apg
SF- Micheal Ajayi 6-7 228 SR xfer from Pepperdine 17.1 ppg 9.9 rpg
PF- Ben Gregg 6-10 230 SR started 19 games last year 9.2 ppg 5.8 rpg
C- Graham Ike 6-9 250 SR started last year 16.3 ppg 7.3 rpg

G- Khalif Battle 6-5 185 SSR 14.8 ppg last year with Arkansas
G- Dusty Stromer 6-6 200 SO started 15 games last year 4.8 ppg
F- Braden Huff 6-10 250 SO 9.3 ppg 3.4 rpg
got 3 or 4 other kids that return as role players but low stats.

We play em in the battle for Seattle...
 
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M

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
14,333
14,182
113
zoid1 said:
Sweet 16 last year 27-8 lost ONE player. Return
Coach- Mark Few
PG- Nembhard 6-0 180 SR started last year 12.7 ppg 4.0 rpg 7.1 apg
SG- Hickman 6-2 190 SR 2 year starter 14.1 ppg 2.8 apg
SF- Micheal Ajayi 6-7 228 SR xfer from Pepperdine 17.1 ppg 9.9 rpg
PF- Ben Gregg 6-10 230 SR started 19 games last year 9.2 ppg 5.8 rpg
C- Graham Ike 6-9 250 SR started last year 16.3 ppg 7.3 rpg

G- Khalif Battle 6-5 185 SSR 14.8 ppg last year with Arkansas
G- Dusty Stromer 6-6 200 SO started 15 games last year 4.8 ppg
F- Braden Huff 6-10 250 SO 9.3 ppg 3.4 rpg
got 3 or 4 other kids that return as role players but low stats.

We play em in the battle for Seattle...
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Pope is 1-9 against Gonzaga, so he is due. GO CATS !!
 
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U

UKAlum84

All-Conference
Aug 4, 2022
1,468
1,094
66
Defense could squash the stats though.

How good will gonzaga be on defense compared to UK?

Oakland 3 point shooter had an off game in the tourney, it just was not against us and our defense was not there, which allowed him to make many 3's.
 
bbnkat02

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,065
68,221
113
I think this is the season that kinda set the tone for Zaga. They lost some huge NBA talent but got some good replacements. They aren’t the juggernaut they were a few years ago but they aren’t still not to be overlooked.

If they have a solid year I think Few is able to keep it going. If they tank it could be the beginning of the end prominence wise.
 
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B

Blueheart32

All-Conference
Apr 23, 2021
1,886
2,504
0
bbncal02 said:
Aren’t they still in their basically high school conference this year? Or do they officially start in the PAC-? Now?

They will be good. I just don’t see them being as dominant as they once were.
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Pretty sure they are still West Coast Conference this year. I have no idea how good they will be. I am just passing along what the odds makers are saying. Vegas seems to be pretty high on them but I have no idea.
 
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bbnkat02

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,065
68,221
113
Blueheart32 said:
Pretty sure they are still West Coast Conference this year. I have no idea how good they will be. I am just passing along what the odds makers are saying. Vegas seems to be pretty high on them but I have no idea.
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Yeah sorry not sorry but that conference is a joke. Of course they’re picked to win it. The only threat to them is St Marys and that’s not a consistent threat.

I think they will be good but the act of “well they win their conference every year” gets old. Some major national high schools could win that conference every year too.

It will be interesting once they move. And it will be doubly more so when Few hangs it up.
 
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bbnkat02

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,065
68,221
113
zoid1 said:
What really caught my eye was they were the only team in college with 5 players ranked in the top 150 players. Return over 77% scoring. Return 4 out of 5 starters. Had 2 really good transfers come in.
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They could be really good. Just have to wait and see.
 
*Fox2Monk*

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
43,111
76,818
113
UKWildcats1987 said:
They will flame again n March.

Kudos to them for making 2 final fours and 2 title game appearances though.
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Honestly even that argument is old now. They get it done period anymore. As we have seen even a s16 is not the easiest thing to do even with talent.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
43,111
76,818
113
bbncal02 said:
Aren’t they still in their basically high school conference this year? Or do they officially start in the PAC-? Now?

They will be good. I just don’t see them being as dominant as they once were.
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The PAC is weak AF now, it’s basically the Mountain West which is an upgrade but still not a major conference. Still will have more competition overall.
 
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B

BGCATFAN2012

All-American
Aug 19, 2020
3,702
5,225
113
Nobody has the conference SEC has this year. We will beat the hell out of each other with teams from ACC, BIG 10 or WCC cake walk thier way to February.
Cats will probably lose 8 games because of road games. Gotta take care of home court this season and steal a few on the road or teams like Zags, Devils, and Huskies will win 30 games and take 1 seeds.
 
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bbnkat02

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,065
68,221
113
Fox2monk said:
The PAC is weak AF now, it’s basically the Mountain West which is an upgrade but still not a major conference. Still will have more competition overall.
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Yeah, it's weakened a great deal, but there will still be some better D1A competition:
  • Washington State University
  • Oregon State University
  • Boise State University
  • Colorado State University
  • Fresno State University
  • San Diego State University
  • Utah State University
Shoot, OSU and SDSU have had very good teams in the past. Fresno State has been decent before; and Colorado St has had a couple of good teams at times. Will definitely be a step up in competition for them, although if they stay as good as they have been they should do ok.
 
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bbnkat02

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,065
68,221
113
BGCATFAN2012 said:
Nobody has the conference SEC has this year. We will beat the hell out of each other with teams from ACC, BIG 10 or WCC cake walk thier way to February.
Cats will probably lose 8 games because of road games. Gotta take care of home court this season and steal a few on the road or teams like Zags, Devils, and Huskies will win 30 games and take 1 seeds.
Click to expand...

Doubt Zags get a 1, but they should be a 2. The winner of the SEC will be a 1-seed more than likely. UConn may get a 1 (or should). Other 2 are up for grabs for sure. Duke may be good, may not. They were supposed to be good last year and they were about like us for most of the year. They will be a team to watch, just like us as well.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
43,111
76,818
113
bbncal02 said:
Yeah, it's weakened a great deal, but there will still be some better D1A competition:
  • Washington State University
  • Oregon State University
  • Boise State University
  • Colorado State University
  • Fresno State University
  • San Diego State University
  • Utah State University
Shoot, OSU and SDSU have had very good teams in the past. Fresno State has been decent before; and Colorado St has had a couple of good teams at times. Will definitely be a step up in competition for them, although if they stay as good as they have been they should do ok.
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No doubt game to game they will get harder games.
 
A

AJG-15

All-Conference
Apr 8, 2024
1,469
2,496
78
Pope knows Few tendencies but so does Few. The advantage for this game is with Gonzaga, more returning players and location and fan base.
 
TheDude73

TheDude73

Heisman
Jan 7, 2006
23,936
23,108
113
The Gonzaga love here regularly gets me laughing. And I don't care that they've beaten us twice already in this new series. That's idiot Cal's fault as he's so damned easy to plan for.

I fully believe Pope will give him a quick awakening. He may be 1-9 historically, but he coached a team at a Mormon college. He's at UK now with a team WAY better than any BYU club he's had in the past.
 
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revcort

revcort

Heisman
Feb 20, 2003
32,522
30,904
113
AzubuikeandFitch said:
We were supposed to the previous 2 meetings and we see how that turned out. At least now the coach will make adjustments to make things more difficult.
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Yeah, Mark Few is a very tough match-up for Calipari. Cal's teams, as we all know, always depended on athleticism to overwhelm teams, but struggled with teams who approached the game from a more cerebral standpoint or are able to make in-game adjustments and whose teams are disciplined defensively and able to shut down straight line drives or defend opponents' 3pt shooters. In other words, Few usually presented a problem for Calipari, which is why UK now stands at 1-2 versus Gonzaga. Last season was perhaps the greatest example of Cal's struggles with someone like Few. UK was clearly the more talented team in that game, but Few found a weakness (high pick and rolls) and mercilessly took advantage of it, and Calipari couldn't adjust and fix it until it was too late.

So, the question now becomes, "can Mark Pope match wits and find a way to beat Mark Few?" I'd say Pope can match wits with anyone. But does UK have the same athletic and talent edge this time? I'd say it's closer this time but UK still has the edge, but we're gonna have to develop chemistry, which is something Gonzaga already has. I'm glad that game isn't any earlier. It will give this UK team a chance to find that chemistry before December 7.
 
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bbnkat02

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,065
68,221
113
ArtLaibsGhost said:
Before we crow about our superiority and trash their program perhaps we should beat them at least once.
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Cal and his lack of coaching in the last five years or so.

I can acknowledge their decency performance wise. But put a Kentucky in that conference and we’d always be. a 1 seed.

They need a title to be taken seriously historically though.
 
S

sk73

All-Conference
Feb 16, 2013
3,095
3,126
113
yoshukai said:
LMAO ! Some of you are still so bitter ! This is EXACTLY what I would expect a University of Calipari fan to say.
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Sorry man. I was here way before Cal. Graduate and doctoral studies at UK and have been a Cats fan since I was a kid.
 
yoshukai

yoshukai

Heisman
Dec 21, 2002
28,517
39,682
102
sk73 said:
Sorry man. I was here way before Cal. Graduate and doctoral studies at UK and have been a Cats fan since I was a kid.
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Well that was a pretty ridiculous thing to say then . You don’t think Mark Pope will make in game adjustments?
 
S

sk73

All-Conference
Feb 16, 2013
3,095
3,126
113
yoshukai said:
Well that was a pretty ridiculous thing to say then . You don’t think Mark Pope will make in game adjustments?
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I think Pope can and will make in game adjustments. I doubt it will mean a UK win. I am expecting Gonzaga to win their home game against us. I have hope but not a lot of confidence in winning that particular game.
 
yoshukai

yoshukai

Heisman
Dec 21, 2002
28,517
39,682
102
sk73 said:
I think Pope can and will make in game adjustments. I doubt it will mean a UK win. I am expecting Gonzaga to win their home game against us. I have hope but not a lot of confidence in winning that particular game.
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Well that’s reasonable.
 
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