I remember MJ had a finish similar to this once. Man, Murray turned out to be a good one. Sucks that his team was basically a 2-man show.
Jamal Murray crazy shot
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I remember MJ had a finish similar to this once. Man, Murray turned out to be a good one. Sucks that his team was basically a 2-man show.
Reminds me of the basket Bledsoe made against Morehead State in 2009.
Just another wasted opportunity at a title. That’s what comes to mind when I see all these guys, don’t get me wrong I love sga, Murray etc but man that was a lot of talent without the enchilada.
I know 15 years all this talent and 1 title…. I’m just glad he’s gone and we have this fresh start now.
I had to watch it three times to convince myself that his foot didn’t touch the floor before he released it. Either way, a hell of a shot!
It wasn't. Another myth created by fans to support Cal. This team had a 2nd round exit.
IU beat them because Yogi Ferrell outplayed Ulis, OG Anunoby locked up Murray, and Poythress no showed as he was capable of doing.
Cal wrecked that team by thinking Skal was a post player like his previous bigs--and not letting him play face up 4 and then not talking Skal into staying as the stretch 4 next to Bam on '17 team cost them the NC IMO.
Cal wrecked that team by thinking Skal was a post player like his previous bigs--and not letting him play face up 4 and then not talking Skal into staying as the stretch 4 next to Bam on '17 team cost them the NC IMO.
Too bad this isn’t the WCF. Two great teams. I hate seeing Murray or KAT lose. Murray elevates his game so much in the playoffs, one of the best like Jimmy Butler.
We had nobody to stop their big man. As you said Skal was not a post player. Dakari Johnson would have changed that team completely. Thomas Bryant I think was their big man that year.
Great call! Bryant (another who wanted to come to UK) just killed them that game. But that's 3 Pros we named so not like it was a heavy slanted advantage. '16 team at least won the SEC Championship in Nashville.
Nobody can tell me that Cal ran the right offense for that team either.
Briscoe was such a horrible fit for both '16/'17. Never understood the fit and killed them in certain games.
Besides talking down to the fans, this is my biggest complaint about Cal. Terrible roster construction. The pieces, while individually elite, rarely fit well together. Or at least rarely enough to only win one title with about 40 first rounders.
Cal’s only championship team in 2012 went 7 deep. To win it all with that few players means to me that those few pieces fit perfectly together. Basically with senior Darius Miller and Lamb and Jones only returning because of the NBA lockout, Cal lucked into the perfect roster combination.
I love the fact that Pope talks openly about how building a roster is like “making a stew”. He understands the concept of complementary pieces equaling more than the whole.
Pope's roster building falls in line with what Pitino did when he was here--at least from seeing how he's recruiting the Portal. Also what successful coaches have done throughout--build the best team-not just get the most talent.
The '16 team should've had Dakari as so many have mentioned. The recruiting was just odd too-they had so many whiffs (Malik Newman, Jaylen Brown specifically) and then playing Skal out of position.....but Ulis/Murray covered a lot of warts.
Briscoe is still the oddest fit for a UK guard in the Cal successful era '10-'20.
Always one player short or one player who clogged up the sub patterns. Drove me freaking crazy.
I fully believe that Pope can recruit to Pitino’s level. Tough in the first year with not having many relationships with elite HS kids but it will come IMO.
Peterson, Boozer twins, and Jasper Johnson will be an interesting first pool of targets. Riley too, apparently.
Edit: With Brooks and Hart I have zero worries that Pope’s previous obstacles to recruiting will have any effect at UK.
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Briscoe was one of the guys who could have played at St Johns and done well and made the nba but he was not the elite PG that could lead a team to a title and everyone knew it.... but he was rated #1 so we had to get him.... Typical Cal.
I know, they were just poorly constructed overall. One of the best back courts ever but no big men and Cal couldn’t use Skal to his strengths just like big Z.
Jasper Johnson would be a huge get. I mean he’s from the Lexington area! Get it done!
Skal was out on the perimeter the majority of that season on offense. After 5-10 games of being a no show he tried using him away from the paint. People remember what they want though and that's not an insult, it just happens. Big Z ? He was 20 ft from the basket every possession he was in the game. Whether he got the ball was a dif story. In college basketball if you are 7 ft, you will be in the paint some. As you should be
AD was a generational talent on that team or Cal is still ofer in NC.
Zero NC for his career without AD and 6 other NBA pros on that team.
What a waste of talent by one "coach".
Nah, he had Z posting up later in the year. I don’t even think he shot a 3 the last handful of games. In both tourney losses he was parked in the paint. He tried using Skal outside a little more be he ran the same action he always did. Guards off floppy action and that did nothing for him getting good looks. He also sucked defensively and got pushed around.
Skal was a 7 footer who got us no rebounds, could not defend, and was soft as melted cheese.
Jmo but I thought him keeping mulder parked on the bench was a head scratcher. Not saying he was a star but he definitely could contribute. He made an NBA roster and hung around s couple years iirc but all he ever got here was garbage time.
He was just another in a long line of examples where cal has his guys and everyone else is just screwed and there only for practice bodies.
Unfortunately Cals philosophy never prioritized shooters with regards to running plays for them or setting up the offense to generate open looks. Mulder was just one in a long line of “shooters” that was pretty much stifled here.
He just never got off the bench. Everyone at the time just assumed his combination of athleticism, shooting, and size must somehow not be translating. That was all blown up when he made an NBA roster and got minutes from time to time.
So obviously it wasn't mulder. What was it that kept him glued to the bench?
So many great teams we could have had, had Cal just talked players into staying. But he had to further his help these kids agenda. Meeks in 2010, Skal in 2017, Dakari Johnson in 2016.
I mean “a 2-man team” was exaggerating a little but not much. Briscoe had some strengths but he was a terrible fit. Poyhtress was soft as Charmin and Skal was useless. The only post presence was Marcus Lee who could catch lobs and sway an occasional shot. Ulis and Murray were the only legitimate offensive weapons. Outside those 2 guys it was not a good team at all.It wasn't. Another myth created by fans to support Cal. This team had a 2nd round exit.
I’ll give you that for sure. I’ve always felt they were just a sweet 16 team that crapped the bed a round early.
Yeah Mulder was a good player. Not using him was a crime but again he wasn’t a five star, and Cal never pandered to older players like his freshman.
IU had 3 really good college players and 1 great pro on that team. It wasn’t a bad roster at all honestly. Our lack of big man cost us the game though.
I'd have played Mulder over Briscoe. But I'd have started Hawkins over Briscoe with '16 and '17 teams as well. Briscoe's game was too ball dominant and everyone who talks of him playing out of position forgets how horrendous the team played when he got opportunities to run the PG position be it injuries to starting guards or they were resting or in foul trouble. It was terrible.
BRICKsoe was the worst shooting guard I’ve ever seen. He was an incredible slasher and ball handler, could get pretty much anywhere he wanted, and was great finishing on the inside. His shot was just so damn broke that everyone played off of him and it stifled the offense. If he had an even decent shot he’d been a fantastic player.