Things to try?

[bleedsblue5]

We got enough arm chair coaches to come up with a plan.

I propose full press with switching out players when they are gassed. Never stop running. We suck in the half court so run run run. At least make it fun, you can shoot with the first decent look you get.

Just like golf, if you are going to suck just do it quickly.

 

[Tri-Countycat]

I think Popes attempt to shorten his rotation has failed tremendously. We have been losing games but it’s certainly not because of JJ, Noah or Jelavic. The bench is a great motivator most of the time and with this short rotation you’re allowing terrible play. MD played the worst game of basketball I’ve ever seen against Missouri and yet still got minutes due to the rotation.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

There are definitely things I think we could to try to create more transition opportunities but Pope’s defensive philosophy is far too conservative to allow any of them. I wouldn’t mind throwing in a couple of full court presses situationally, but it can’t be token pressure. We don’t have the defensive discipline to win games by making the right rotations, being fundamentally sound and forcing the offense into tough shots. If we play a possession worth a damn, we will bite on a pump fake at the end of the shot clock and give up a wide open three anyway. Frustrating.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

There is nothing for Pope to try. He’s out of ideas.

So just do what he knows to do and do it with effort.

If it’s the last 5 on the bench that will give effort then play the last 5.

 

[peterpiper09]

Hard to try and play up tempo when everybody else seems to want to slow it down. Like the idea though. Force the issue. Good defensive rebounding is key.

 

[FLBBNFAN]

We got enough arm chair coaches to come up with a plan.

I propose full press with switching out players when they are gassed. Never stop running. We suck in the half court so run run run. At least make it fun, you can shoot with the first decent look you get.

Just like golf, if you are going to suck just do it quickly.

I have been wondering why we dont press since we have a lot of bodies and we are decent in transition . I guess we will just continue to dribble on the perimeter and chuck a 3 point brick or airball when the shot clock gets to 2 seconds.

 

[FLBBNFAN]

I think Popes attempt to shorten his rotation has failed tremendously. We have been losing games but it’s certainly not because of JJ, Noah or Jelavic. The bench is a great motivator most of the time and with this short rotation you’re allowing terrible play. MD played the worst game of basketball I’ve ever seen against Missouri and yet still got minutes due to the rotation.

Yep MD was absolutely terrible.

 

[Kyhoward1]

If you have no Halfcourt defense, you full court press to try and get some steals and easy layups (oops forgot we can’t make layups). This also milks the shot clock and maybe allows us to get a defensive stop on the half court.

if you have no Halfcourt offense, you run run run as the OP stated. We have enough bodies to have 2 platoons.

No UK player should get tired. Running and pressing causes fatigue , both mental and physical in your opponent. This team starts too slow in the 1st half so this aggressive “streetball” type play may jump start our guys. Worth a try!

 

[FLBBNFAN]

If you have no Halfcourt defense, you full court press to try and get some steals and easy layups (oops forgot we can’t make layups). This also milks the shot clock and maybe allows us to get a defensive stop on the half court.

if you have no Halfcourt offense, you run run run as the OP stated. We have enough bodies to have 2 platoons.

No UK player should get tired. Running and pressing causes fatigue , both mental and physical in your opponent. This team starts too slow in the 1st half so this aggressive “streetball” type play may jump start our guys. Worth a try!

Agree and at this point what do we have to lose by trying something different. Given Pope played in that system under Pitino it's odd he wont change things up

 

[FLBBNFAN]

We got enough arm chair coaches to come up with a plan.

I propose full press with switching out players when they are gassed. Never stop running. We suck in the half court so run run run. At least make it fun, you can shoot with the first decent look you get.

Just like golf, if you are going to suck just do it quickly.

Agree 100%. The unforgettables weren't 5* guys or super athletic. We pressed and got buckets in transition and spaced the floor. That would give Williams, Chandler,Johnson and Noah some good looks for 3's. Oh well just spitballing here on ideas.

 

[UKreturntogreatness]

Charles Barkley shared it so clear when he watched out team. He observed our offense was good when shots occurred earlier in the shot clock and that we were so bad with sharing the ball the longer we held the worst shots we took. He further pointed out that our bigs needed to stay by the basket for second chances.

My coaching would be very specific. Mo takes a 3 out you go. Aberdeen doesn't pass the ball out you go. A team goes to zone than you have to bring in Chandler and Noah and Cam whether they are on or not as that remains the best outside options. A press would make sense if you are going to use the bench.

I know it might not sound true but trust me when I say I knew we were going to lose our game at the end against Missouri as soon as we slowed down on offense. The turnovers were beyond predictable. Think about it when Lowe drove down passed out to Cam and he had no time to think hits the 3. Then a play or two later the same thing except this time Cam hesitates then shoots and misses. Then our slow down of course led to the turnovers.

 

[wildcat111]

We got enough arm chair coaches to come up with a plan.

I propose full press with switching out players when they are gassed. Never stop running. We suck in the half court so run run run. At least make it fun, you can shoot with the first decent look you get.

Just like golf, if you are going to suck just do it quickly.

With our defense, the opponents would shoot layups and dunks all night.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

With our defense, the opponents would shoot layups and dunks all night.

Like they aren’t now?

 

[kyjeff1]

Ah, yeah, I remember approaching the wife with my ideas of "things to try", that went about as well as a fart in church where you end up sitting in your own pew.

15 games in, Pope has tried new things, but none of these things translate to this team. He went from "shoot 30+ threes a game" to resorting to Cal's stale, clueless offense without the weave.

Back to the church pew.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Ah, yeah, I remember approaching the wife with my ideas of "things to try", that went about as well as a fart in church where you end up sitting in your own pew.

15 games in, Pope has tried new things, but none of these things translate to this team. He went from "shoot 30+ threes a game" to resorting to Cal's stale, clueless offense without the weave.

Back to the church pew.

Honestly, we should go back to shooting the 30 threes. At least we can try to develop some shooters — we aren’t good enough defensively to win scoring 60 points

 

[kyjeff1]

Honestly, we should go back to shooting the 30 threes. At least we can try to develop some shooters — we aren’t good enough defensively to win scoring 60 points

I agree with this. If we try to play every game the way we played the last game, we will go winless in league play.
I'm all for playing the way Alabama plays and tell the guys to take a stance 8' out from the basket for rebounds.
I don't see any other way.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

I agree with this. If we try to play every game the way we played the last game, we will go winless in league play.
I'm all for playing the way Alabama plays and tell the guys to take a stance 8' out from the basket for rebounds.
I don't see any other way.

If I’m Pope I’m going out my way anyway. Go into the huddle today and say, “Listen fellas. I’m sorry for letting y’all down. I pulled us in the wrong direction. We are going to shoot our ****** shot! No matter what the noise says, we are going down swinging. If somebody gives you an inch of space I want you to shoot the **** out of the ball. If we miss, we miss. But we are going down fighting.” A la Kansas game in 1989.

 

[kyjeff1]

"

If I’m Pope I’m going out my way anyway. Go into the huddle today and say, “Listen fellas. I’m sorry for letting y’all down. I pulled us in the wrong direction. We are going to shoot our ****** shot! No matter what the noise says, we are going down swinging. If somebody gives you an inch of space I want you to shoot the **** out of the ball. If we miss, we miss. But we are going down fighting.” A la Kansas game in 1989.

And as soon as they come out to guard against the three, drive the ball and dunk the hell out of it.

 

[UKCowboys]

I would recommend trying a version of the 2-3 zone Boeheim ran at Syracuse, which extends farther than a typical zone and uses more trapping concepts. Pope likes to play two bigs, so we have shot blocking. The team has some kids who are good defenders and some others who can't stay in front of a fire hydrant, and they cant grasp not going under screens.
On offense, they need more motion, back screens, ball screens, cutters, two man clear outs...just enough with the one guy dribbling and four standing there waiting for a pass

 

[chimchim]

Winning. That would be nice to try

 

[FLBBNFAN]

I would recommend trying a version of the 2-3 zone Boeheim ran at Syracuse, which extends farther than a typical zone and uses more trapping concepts. Pope likes to play two bigs, so we have shot blocking. The team has some kids who are good defenders and some others who can't stay in front of a fire hydrant, and they cant grasp not going under screens.
On offense, they need more motion, back screens, ball screens, cutters, two man clear outs...just enough with the one guy dribbling and four standing there waiting for a pass

That was a good zome that Boeheim ran .

 

[Kyhoward1]

With our defense, the opponents would shoot layups and dunks all night.

You are correct. We have only beaten 2 teams with a pulse and neither were very good. Our biggest and, to date only strength is numbers - play to your strength. We play very passive on both ends of the court. Pressing and running are aggressive actions.

 

[sefleming]

Use the bench. Press and zone. Switch up defense

 

[chattanogawildcat]

Sling up as many 3's as possible. JJ, Chandler, Noah and Kam should let them fly all night. Can't hurt.

 

[chattanogawildcat]

Sling up as many 3's as possible. JJ, Chandler, Noah and Kam should let them fly all night. Can't hurt.

Hell, even Oweh. He's shooting 36% from 3.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

I’m agreeing with y’all. We might as well try to outscore people. We aren’t stopping anyone anyway.

We aren’t in shape to run anyone. So get in shape.

 

[RedwoodHigh]

I think Popes attempt to shorten his rotation has failed tremendously. We have been losing games but it’s certainly not because of JJ, Noah or Jelavic. The bench is a great motivator most of the time and with this short rotation you’re allowing terrible play. MD played the worst game of basketball I’ve ever seen against Missouri and yet still got minutes due to the rotation.

Clear message to next years roster that Playing time & rotation is not a given.
If Cats lose today - then go with JJ - Noah & Jelly plus play Hawthorne in an effort to try to build toward next year & NIT BID.