So I wil be the first to admit that UK tonight looked very sluggish. Heck at times, I was glad it was only Campbellsville cuz if it had been UL, that woulda been our butts. I know its only an exhibition and still early. I still expect great things from the team this year, but hopefully this is a wake up call for all the crazed fans that wanted to spout off at the mouth WAY TOO SOON!! Now dont get all bent out of shape thinking I am some turn coat, cuz I will bleed blue until I die. I just hope that people will realize that Calipari knew what he was talkin about when he said he have a long way to go. Its all new to these 13 young men and even some of the coaches. The DDMO sounds simple but its not the easiest offense to run plus there is little continuity. what continuity we have is due to the natural brotherhood these guys have formed. the rest comes with time and tests. they will be tested and be better for it. Its still early and there will be a crap load of highlights to watch this season, there is no doubt in my mind about that. GO CATS!!!
Kentucky will be fine. Just to much talent on that team not to be. Knew coach, knew system, 4 knew starters. Will take some time.
Campbellsville is not that good, anyway. Georgetown beat them by 30 twice last year.
Also no John Wall. Who not really a freshman. Only thing that is said is Stevenson is going to get no playing time really this year. He played and went through more then anyone and now is next to the water cooler.
Patterson has no outside presence, and don;t take that from me Calipari said after the game it's clear Patterson needs to play closer to the basket.
By the end of the year Kentucky will be fine. To early to judge any team. Only bad point Calipari said was he thought they play better with playing 4 starters over 29 minutes each. I think with wall they will be better.
The team pretty much played like I thought they would. They're rusty, young, and still learning the new offense. We also seen how athletic and skilled our teams is and saw some some exciting plays. So we will be much better going along, and if anything it defintely looks like Wall is the guy who will make this team go. I expect some better play Friday.
Didn't watch the game but is this the same team that was talked about last year that had no one over 6'6"?? If so why didn't Patterson have a monster game? Was he rusty? I thought UK would win by 50+ putting up over 100points
I watched the game and what I saw was pretty much what everyone is saying. New system, players, coach. Not to mention this is the beginning of the season, and they've not had many organized practices at this point and Wall wasn't in the game. But I was impressed by Bledsoe. And I can just imagine what those two on the floor at the same time will do. Especially if Wall is as good as I think he is.
But they did look a little confused and out of place at times on offense last night. Not because they where playing lazy or selfious just because it's new to them and they weren't into the flow of the game for stretches. But the athleticism is there! It's raw but I think by the end of the season when Calipari has had time to teach them his system and they've been tested a few times and know what to do they'll be just fine.
Dodson impressed me as well I thought he played well. I liked what I saw from Hood as well as Orton and Cousins. Harris was Harris and Stevenson played well but Pat will be fine. Take the coach he's been playing for the last two seasons and what that coach had asked him to do into consideration in this equation. Now all of a sudden he's playing for a coach that's asking him to do pretty much the complete opposite.
But I can't wait to see what they look like as a team by March. With Wall and Bledsoe on the court together along with Pat, Cousins, and either Orton or Dodson this should be a tough team to beat.
I appreciate the realism of the posts so far. Unfortunately I was in Cali in the lab and didn't get to watch the game. However, judging by the lack of posts and the stat line, it must have been a sub-par performance.
I expect this to get better but glad we are really all grounded.
I didn't see the game, but what did happen to Patterson? Since he didn't have a monster game, and Cal wasn't happy with with outside presence, what happened? I thought he looked pretty good playing out on the wing during the blue/white scrimmage, he knocked down a few outside shots and floated to space pretty nicely.
How'd the defense look? Most of you seem to be pretty content with the defense....
Did Ramon Harris get some good minutes? Liggins look any better, or still out of control? Darius play well?
patterson, imho, did not look very comfortable on the perimeter. he didnt handle the ball that well, didnt shoot from outside, and was quick to give the ball up insteaad of being assertive. the D as a team looked good. they need to communicate more cuz there were times when they double teamed someone simply cuz they didnt know who was guarding him, BUT the length and athleticism of this team is syck. if we dont lead the nation in blocked shots, I will be suprised. Bledsoe had a nasty block on a wide open layup. he pitched the shot out of bounds like PPat does. it was nasty. Harris got some decent minutes. it looks like he and miller will be fighting for minutes this year. Miller was hesitant on O, he didnt look as confident as everyone talked about after the under 19 worlds this summer. Harris played good D and even had a couple nice plays on O. Krebs got a couple points in garbage time. Liggins never got on the court. from what KSR reported, coach has not been feelin him over the last week or two. apparently he is still makin reckless decisions that are costin him PT. Orton had a couple blocks and a couple nice plays on O. cousins had I think 4 blocks. took a couple long range shots that didnt fall, but they were not bad shots. Perry stevenson had a couple really nice plays on offense, unfortunately, he may be lucky to get 8 minutes a game. There was a set play with about 3 or 4 minutes left in the game, where krebs moved the ball really well. the team executed the DDO better with second string players that late than at any other point in the game regardless of players. Krebs had the defense movin one way, dropped the ball off to stevenson at the top of the key and he took the ball to the rack and drew a perfect and one. Best play of the game for UK on offense.
Why are they trying to put Patterson on the perimeter (other than it being a requirement of the great DDMO)? The guy is a stud with his back to the basket in the post and he is out there shooting jump shots? Hopefully Calipari will adjust to this and build around Patterson's abilities. UK will be a major player in the national picture if they get all their parts working together.
It really would not have surprised me if this was exactly what Calipari wanted to happen. We still won 74-38 and our defense was very tenacious. Our offensive performance was not awesome but it was not that bad either. We turned over the ball many times but there was a lot of movement and a lot of highlight caliber plays. What we can take from the game is that there is a lot of room for improvement and that is scary for opposition. Remember that we have only had about 10 practices so far and most of our guys are new, they still need to learn this ddmo which is totally opposite of our stand-around-the-perimeter-and-over -pass-the-ball-system from last season. So in that perspective, all of our players are freshmen ready to be molded by Calipari and his staff. We will be great, no doubt about it, just expect a learning curve. Go Cats!!!
I have to input my opinion here on Patterson. Yes, we all kow he is a beast with his back to the basket. He more than proved that last season. But should we pinhole him into that role at the beginning of the season without at least letting him try to develop an outside presence? It might take a game or two or maybe even three, but if his perimeter game evolves, then he is just that much more dangerous. Quit worrying. It has been explained that Calipari knows Patterson's strength is in the post and he made it clear that Patterson understood that he would be in the post when crunch time rolled around. But until then, why worry? Let him give teams another thing to worry about and have to plan around. Let him draw some matchups that he'll be able to exploit late in the season. Let him and Calipari do their jobs.
It was just an exhibition. Don't read too much into it. They could have pounded the ball inside all night to the bigs and scored easily like they did in the first few minutes. That wouldn't have really helped everybody else try to learn the offense and their roles in it. We have to keep a level head and remember that these exhibition games are a learning tool for the players and coaches. There are going to be times when they look a little out of sorts and have some bad play, but most teams are knocking off the rust and doing a little bit of learning this time of the year.
Agreed, it's early so we probably shouldn't read too much into it. But at the same time, just think about how scary it would be if he developed that perimeter presence. Again, he mad a few 3's, or outside shots, in the scrimmage. If the opposing team's center or post players have to go outside and defend that shot, it opens up the lane for offensive rebounds, and I can defintely see this being effective against Vernado from Miss. St. (if he's still there?).
I'm not saying Patterson will be able to master these perimeter skills, but if he develops that shot, or the ability to draw his man outside and then take him off the dribble, then I think UK is in FANTASTIC shape. Whoever matches up against Patterson from the opposing team is not going to be able to defend on the perimeter. It's what makes Harangody so tough, and what made Antoine Walker, Walter McCarty, and Scott Padgett so tough.
I like Coach Cal trying this method eary in the season against these weaker opponents. Test the water, so if he sinks or swims, and then play to his strengths later in the year.
Didn't watch the game but is this the same team that was talked about last year that had no one over 6'6"?? If so why didn't Patterson have a monster game? Was he rusty? I thought UK would win by 50+ putting up over 100points
Puhleaze.... you did watch the game.
I don't know a UL fan who didn't watch it. You guys LIVE for it..... just so you can have something to complain about.
Heck, let's go to planet red hoops and count the threads about UK. I'll bet there's at least 10 on the first page.
I don't know a UL fan who didn't watch it. You guys LIVE for it..... just so you can have something to complain about.
Heck, let's go to planet red hoops and count the threads about UK. I'll bet there's at least 10 on the first page.So you admit being a closet Cardinal?? Why on earth would you be on a UL only website??? Dont answer your hole is pretty deep.
So you admit being a closet Cardinal?? Why on earth would you be on a UL only website??? Dont answer your hole is pretty deep. Dang! Lou has been a little bit testy for a couple of days? Whatzup with that? Feeling ok, Lou?
That's just Lou being Lou man. First you have to know Lou. See his entire family is all UK fans and they rag the guy constantly lol. But as far as the UK fan going to a UL only website that just shows how much he loves his cats.....to go to a site like that just to read about the them! lmao.
UKfan68. Lou does not take me seriously (until UK/UL game). There's a lot of Kentucky folks who are in denial of their heritage...which is to be a fan of UK. Eventually, they come around. All of my daughters have been anti UK at some point in their life. Only because their old man used to smear the tv with apple cores, half full (notice I typed half full) beers, pepsis, whatever I was almost finished eating or drinking. They would wait for the tv to watch their shows, and it was sometimes messed up if UK didn't win handily or, at worst, lose.
tville33, I never was bad to throw things....although I did break a tv after that Laettner shot in '93 . I met a guy that tried to outdraw Marshall Dillion on Gunsmoke lmao.....but as far as fans in denial they all eventually come back around statement. That's sorta like boys that grow up in broken families their momma's take them to the beauty salon to get a style and it takes them until their 30 to figure out men go to barber shops and talk about Kentucky! lmao.
Even my wife that claims she's a UT fan just to aggravate me when really deep down in her heart she bleeds an awful pretty shade of blue! lol.
But Lou's ok. He brings alot of good things to this board.
although I did break a tv after that Laettner shot in '93 93? Are you serious? And you consider yourself a UK, and CBS considers you a top poster. IT WAS 1992!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm kidding, you're one of the best, but you should know that year. I was 9 and I remember it.
