I, like most of us, am concerned about meeting them in the E8, but this could be a key factor. They are 45th in defense, and we are #1. Also, while they are #1 in offense, we are #7. So, basically if both hold to form, we should be able to keep them from scoring as much as they usually do, but they should have a harder time holding us. Also, I think they might have some trouble with Jackson coming back right before the tourney. We've seen how much trouble teams can have when a starter is out for a long time and comes back for the NCAA tourney.
Key factor is possible meeting with Wisconsin
- Thread starter SilentsAreGolden
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I rewatched the final four game last week. Our athleticism really bothered Wisconsin, and that's when we made our run in the 2nd half. If we stand around and do andrew-aaron pass back and forth then an iso drive, they'll have a good shot. But if we make good inside out passes and tons of lobs, we'll destroy them.
Dakari and Randle kept Kaminsky in check last year, I have no doubt that Willie and Karl and co can do the same.
Dakari and Randle kept Kaminsky in check last year, I have no doubt that Willie and Karl and co can do the same.
We are not really "destroying" anyone recently. We won't be destroying Wisconsin if both teams make it to that game. There could be many traps along the way.
On the other hand, if Dakari starts playing better, same with Lee, and Booker is reliable from 3, we could start winning a bit easier than waiting until 10 minutes to go.
But, it took a last second shot to beat Wisconsin last year and we don't have our 2 lead guys who were scoring in that game.
On the other hand, if Dakari starts playing better, same with Lee, and Booker is reliable from 3, we could start winning a bit easier than waiting until 10 minutes to go.
But, it took a last second shot to beat Wisconsin last year and we don't have our 2 lead guys who were scoring in that game.
Yeah we don't have Young and Randle but you can't possibly be suggesting that we were a better team last year?
We are MUCH BETTER this season.
We lost randle and young and gaines towns, Lyles, booker and Ulis. Towns is emerging as a force down low and he has a jump shot. Booker is a better shooter than Young and lyles has a very diverse skill set. Ulis is lightening quick and an excellent passer. They obviously make up for what we lost in randle and young. I'm sure Wisconsin is a better team too, but this year's team is so much better than last year's. Moreover, we actually play defense this year. And it is tops in the country.
I do not think we would crush Wisconsin. It would be a reasonably close game. Or maybe a very close game. But your logic doesn't make much sense...
I do get the argument that as the overall #1 we should get the 8th of the teams seeded 1-8, but since the committee head already said today geography means more it's likely going to be Wisconsin unless they end up with a 1. I don't understand the, almost what seems like fear of them by some UK fans. UK is the better team, and should have a few more hours to rest should we both make the regional final. Since being the overall #1 is apparently worthless in terms of who we play that's about the only benefit I can see from it other than playing our first two in Louisville which we'd get to do anyway even as the 4th #1 seed. What po's me more is the prospect of pairing Duke with Gonzaga which if that happens means Duke is essentially the overall #1 no matter what the committee says. If they are going to designate an overall #1 seed then it should mean something.
People don't want to face them because they are methodical, have a player of the year candidate, and returned 5 of their top 6 players from a team that outplayed Kentucky for 39 minutes and 55 seconds last year.
I resent this statement and it is 100% not true. Way to insult our team from last year Saul. Just because they got a lucky foul call at the end and went up 2 does not mean they "outplayed UK for the whole game up to that point" as I seem to remember UK going on some runs in that game as well and being up like 8 at one point.
To the thread's topic, I agree with the OP. Wisconsin is the same ole news and UK knows what to expect. Wisconsin does not have anything on this year's UK team as far as knowing what to expect. WCS did not play last year, and the 4 frosh we have this year play much better D and give better combined offense than what we lost with Randle and Young (the latter of which played no D and the former was average IMO).
And UK has destroyed plenty of teams lately. Arkansas was an easy blowout win (and easily the toughest team UK has played in SEC play talent wise), SC by 34 (who is playing better heading into the SEC Tourney), AU by 35, etc. I'm sure 78 will run along to tell me the latter two do not count ,but for some reason he wants to count games like UT and MSU on the road (where UK ended up winning by 18 points) against them as not playing well. Anyone with a brain (and 78 is a smart guy on here so he has one) knows UK plays its best against the better competition. The Ark game only reinforced that notion as most people had forgot that since OOC play. UK may very well lose in the NCAA Tourney or the upcoming SEC Tourney as well, but it won't be to a team like Wisconsin. No sir.
We are a better team than last year but not as difficult a match up defensively for Wisconsin as last year was . Wisconsin doesn't have athletes and they struggle to contain ultra athletic players like Randle , Young and Poythress all of which we don't have . Willie is athletic but not in a scoring fashion that Randle was , nobody on this team was even close to the athleticism that Young had , name one player that would even attempt his dunk on Uconn , Poythress can't be replaced either . We have skilled players but there is no question that we were more athletic by a lot last year . Wisconsin will have an easier time guarding us this year but they will have a more difficult time scoring on us .
Wisconsin has nothing for this squad...
more experienced, more confident, better defensively, deeper, more offensively talented frontcourt with KAT and Lyles...
not saying it would be a beat down...but I think 10-15 point win...
more experienced, more confident, better defensively, deeper, more offensively talented frontcourt with KAT and Lyles...
not saying it would be a beat down...but I think 10-15 point win...
We are #1 in the country, have been all year. We are going to have to win minimally three tough games to win it all and possibly as much as five. Really does not matter who is in our bracket, the only team that can truly beat KY is KY themselves. They have come close many times since SEC play began, hopefully the bright lights being back on brings back the dominant team we saw early on but if not going to be tough no matter who the opponent is.
Wisconsin in process of drubbing my 2nd favorite team Ohio State on the road right now. I know they didn't have Frank Kaminsky at Rutgers by my god how did they lose at Rutgers ? That is one of the things probably keeping Wisky off the 1 line. Remember Traevon Jackson has not even played a game since Jan 11th and they think he will be back for the tournament.
Wisky should not be in our region that is 1 and 5 in the same region that sucks for both teams.
Wisky should not be in our region that is 1 and 5 in the same region that sucks for both teams.
And evidently Jackson won't be back next week for Big Ten tourney as they had previously suggsted. That hurts, as it could have helped their stock if he had played and they dominated.
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anon_q409idbs5m40a
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No disrespect to Wisconsin, since they are a very good team, but who else does the Big Ten have that could really make a run in the tournament? You hear a lot about the media discrediting the SEC but the Big Ten is really not that much better this season. Who has Wisconsin beaten that would rank anywhere near a 2 or 3 seed?
The statement of no one being athletic as Young is ridiculous. Booker is more of an athlete than young. I guarantee Booker is faster and can jump higher than Young. Better shooter and passer also. Poys athleticism is no more helpful on offense than Willies.
This post was edited on 3/8 5:45 PM by UKDC80
This post was edited on 3/8 5:45 PM by UKDC80
I think Booker is a much much better player than Young. Better a defense, better shooter, and will be a better NBA player.
But James Young was an incredible athlete. Could Booker do this? No.
One dunk doesn't prove to me anything. Booker gets out and runs way better than Young Did. You think Young could run the floor ,go off one foot, full speed and finish like Booker, you're nuts. When JY tried that, he looked like he had concrete in his shoes and just slung the ball towards the Rim hoping for a foul. He was a two footed leaper, which he used on that awesome dunk.
What are you talkng about. We just beat UF by 17 and had Ark. down by 31 til we took our foot off the gas. Wisconsin is slow and plodding. They are the same team they were last year. We are vastly better and they didn't have to face WCS last year. We will destroy them. The more I watch them the more confident I become.
You don't know what the term athletic means , Booker cannot jump higher than Young . Good grief what led you to even suggest that , Young could get his own shot and many times bailed us out in late shot clock situations . Booker is great , he is a better shooter , passer and possibly ball handler but none of those things has a touching thing to do with athleticism . Booker can't take his man the way James could either .
Obviously you like Bookers skill set better than Youngs but that's not what Wisconsin had trouble with either . Wisconsin had trouble staying in front of Randle and Young , nobody on this team can take their man off the dribble and command a double team like those two could .
As good as Young and Randle were, the tended to be ball stoppers and didn't play a whole lot of D either.
Playing Wisconsin in the Elite Eight sucks, but it mainly sucks for them. IMO, they are the 3rd best team in the country (behind us and Duke), and they are going to have to beat #1 just to go to the Final Four.
What a sucky way to seed a tournament.
Playing Wisconsin in the Elite Eight sucks, but it mainly sucks for them. IMO, they are the 3rd best team in the country (behind us and Duke), and they are going to have to beat #1 just to go to the Final Four.
What a sucky way to seed a tournament.
Let's see...Dakari's more athletic than Dakari was last season. Bothe Twins are more athletic than both Twins were last season, Ulis is a tremendous upgrade in quickness AND toughness than anyone playing his position last season, Towns is a total upgrade in athleticism, Lee is as I remember nick-named Pogo for a reason, Booker could probably guard two Young's, (I know for sure Booker can stop his man and Young never could.) I know for a fact that Wisconsin will have five people guarding them at all times instead of four. (No knock on Young but he was notorious for sleeping on the defensive side of the ball, AND as one had stated previously in this post, please tell me you are completely ignoring WCS NOT playing last season in that game, AND not the least, Trey seems to be making his presence known. Add that up and tell me again how UK is not more athletic????
How many times has it been stated that the Twin's and Dakari came into this season in a ton better shape. I guess not enough for you to notice it.
Oh well, you bet on Wisconsin and I'll take the Cats so you won't have to worry...
We are noticeably better team than last year.
The key is how well Wisconsin can handle our size and athleticism. Which is actually much better than last year. While Young maybe more athletic than Booker, that barely means anything because...
Twins are noticeably quicker and more athletic than last year's twins.
WCS is far more athletic and better at defending than Randle ever was. (Randle was not his dominating rebounder he usual was, so don't bring the whole he was monster rebounder)
KAT is far more athletic than Dakari Johnson, who btw is more athletic than last year's DJ.
We are also better shooter than last year, which would allow more spacing for our guards to dominate.
Only reason that annoys about playing Wisconsin during Elite Eight is the fact that if Wisconsin were to play Gonzaga 10 times, Wisconsin would probably beat Gonzaga freaking 9 times. There's a huge gap between 2-5 and 6 - 8.
The key is how well Wisconsin can handle our size and athleticism. Which is actually much better than last year. While Young maybe more athletic than Booker, that barely means anything because...
Twins are noticeably quicker and more athletic than last year's twins.
WCS is far more athletic and better at defending than Randle ever was. (Randle was not his dominating rebounder he usual was, so don't bring the whole he was monster rebounder)
KAT is far more athletic than Dakari Johnson, who btw is more athletic than last year's DJ.
We are also better shooter than last year, which would allow more spacing for our guards to dominate.
Only reason that annoys about playing Wisconsin during Elite Eight is the fact that if Wisconsin were to play Gonzaga 10 times, Wisconsin would probably beat Gonzaga freaking 9 times. There's a huge gap between 2-5 and 6 - 8.
I don't know if you could fail to understand my post any more than you have , no way you read my posts on this topic . First off Dakari is not going to be facing the basket and taking his man off the dribble as Randle or Young would and that is what gave Wisconsin trouble . Or maybe you do think Dakar is capable of this , so that makes him getting in shape irrelevant because being in shape is not what Wisconsin had trouble with .
Do either twin have the athletic ability of Randle or Young and did Wisconsin have trouble guarding them last year ? No because again they are not ultra athletic and Wisconsin struggles to move laterally or jump with players with that ability . Ulis is an upgrade but they all can't play on the floor at the same time so your attempt to gain overall athleticism by aggregate has nothing to do with my point and useless .
Why would you count Lee as a bonus when he played on last years team as well ? Not to mention yet again that he will not be giving Wisconsin trouble in the same fashion as Randle or Young ? Can you even see the difference offensively between those three or even why UW had difficulty guarding them ?
I've already stated that this years team is better than last year , you would hope deductive reasoning could be applied and conclude that I think we would still win but that was a lot to ask I guess . I also stated we are better defensively and UW would struggle with that but have an easier time guarding us as well , so it's again confusing why you ranted about bookers defense over Young when I already stated as such .
Obviously you failed to interpret what I was trying to convey , which is UW couldn't guard or stay in front of Randle or Young and that led to a lot of defensive breakdowns (help defense) . Do you think they will have that same kind of problem with Lee ? I hope not . Dakari ? Please say no . Or anyone else on this team ?
I never said we would lose and i'm most definitely not worried . I was simply trying to point out were we had success against UW last year and how we don't have that component this year but was better in other ways . The reading comprehension on this board is dreadful and just because someone is discussing differences between seasons does not mean they give up , ok Jim Jones kool aid maker .
If we meet them in the Elite 8, Wisconsin would be playing a very deep team on 2 days rest, rather than a week to prepare if we were to meet in the final four. Could also be a key factor.
They do not have the athletes or the talent to play with us. The only thing that could save them is that we can't hit the broadside of a barn, they can't miss, and the refs take pity on them. Two of the three won't cut it. They'll need all three.
They have a much larger problem matching up with us that we do them.
We are going to face some talent along the way. May as well stop worrying about who we meet. We have the best team this year so lets enjoy the ride and have some fun.
We are going to face some talent along the way. May as well stop worrying about who we meet. We have the best team this year so lets enjoy the ride and have some fun.