If not for Uconn.....

[mlz01]

"If not for Connecticut, it's possible Calipari would have won three national championships in his five years as Kentucky coach and be in the midst of an epic coaching run."

With all the gushing over UK, it brings me great joy to re-read this article. Yes, I know, we're not in the same league as UK this year....not even close. But I trust in KO and how he'll develop this team over the course of the season into a formidable opponent for ANYONE come March. Enjoy:

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/04/10/3190061/mark-story-forget-duke-uconn-is.html#storylink=cpy

 

[dante]

"If not for Connecticut, it's possible Calipari would have won three national championships in his five years as Kentucky coach and be in the midst of an epic coaching run."

With all the gushing over UK, it brings me great joy to re-read this article. Yes, I know, we're not in the same league as UK this year....not even close. But I trust in KO and how he'll develop this team over the course of the season into a formidable opponent for ANYONE come March. Enjoy:

Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2014/04/10/3190061/mark-story-forget-duke-uconn-is.html#storylink=cpy

The comments section is not what I would have expected they actually gave the huskies their props as being the better team.

 

[Jay-Bone]

It will be very interesting to see how Texas matches up against them. Although, I think they are very hobbled without Taylor, they are one of the few teams that can matchup to Kentucky's size depth. Btw, Turner had another great game the other night, albeit against easy competition. I still can't believe that we contained their frontcourt. I don't think Holmes even scored in the paint.

 

[Matrim55]

Yes, I know, we're not in the same league as UK this year....not even close.

I'm not willing to co-sign on that. Give Purvis, Hamilton, Cassell & Facey two more months before we decide we're not contenders.

 

[Kitaman]

Sorry but uk fans can just stand in line after all the old BE foes who's seasons we ruined and any championship hopes they had over the years.

Also btw: Maui game should be included as we got the trophy.

 

[Kembacity]

I'm not willing to co-sign on that. Give Purvis, Hamilton, Cassell & Facey two more months before we decide we're not contenders.

I have as much belief as anyone else that KO can turn this team into a threat to beat anyone in March, but no matter how good we look at the end of February, we will not be in Kentucky's league unless they suffer a lot of injuries. Get real...

 

[willie99]

I strongly disagree with any statement about not being in somebody's league. I know we're in the middle of blue blood and blue chip season, we're in the middle of overhyped until you're blue in the face season, but blue collar season is just around the corner

 

[willie99]

How many times do we have to be taught the same lesson?

 

[Jay-Bone]

Although the double platoon is scary as hell (if it works), I think they're beatable. They don't have anyone as powerful as Julius Randle (glad he took the championship game off). No one is as good as James Young. The twins can be rattled and beaten, although they are a year wiser and have backup now. Stein is a dufus. Poythress is the same as last year. The freshmen won't have as much playing time to develop. They are deep as hell and I haven't seen all that the new freshman can do yet, but I don't feel that they are invincible.

 

[willie99]

PS: it's always going to be a 6 on 6 game in college basketball. 5 players and 1 coach per side.

 

[willie99]

Although the double platoon is scary as hell (if it works), I think they're beatable. They don't have anyone as powerful as Julius Randle (glad he took the championship game off). No one is as good as James Young. The twins can be rattled and beaten, although they are a year wiser and have backup now. Stein is a dufus. Poythress is the same as last year. The freshmen won't have as much playing time to develop. They are deep as hell and I haven't seen all that the new freshman can do yet, but I don't feel that they are invincible.

Call me naive, but I think the platoon system is a gimmick. It will lead to their downfall, then they'll be talking about all the things squid should have done differently.

It's tradition

 

[UConnSwag11]

The Connecticut men did not win their first national championship until 1999. Yet now with four titles, UConn has won as many men's NCAA championships as traditional hoops royalty Duke — and has won one more than longtime powers Kansas and Louisville (three each).

 

[Jay-Bone]

PS: it's always going to be a 6 on 6 game in college basketball. 5 players and 1 coach per side.

I agree to an extent, but it's not as much as how many players are on the court at one time that makes it so ominous, it's the fact that a completely new well rested team is stepping on the court. A whole other team you have to scout with completely different looks. It's like in the movies where the hero fights one monster and is exhausted, just to find another right around the corner. There's no reprieve. There's no point where Ollie can pull Brimah for Nolan because the other team put their bench chump in. Derek Willis was a top 100 recruit and he didn't even make the first two teams. Thats just messed up. It could be a bust and there has to be drawbacks, but you have to admit it's intimidating. Let's pray for the bust.

 

[Rocktheworld]

I still can't believe that we contained their frontcourt. I don't think Holmes even scored in the paint.

Out-rebounded them as well

 

[mlz01]

I strongly disagree with any statement about not being in somebody's league. I know we're in the middle of blue blood and blue chip season, we're in the middle of overhyped until you're blue in the face season, but blue collar season is just around the corner

I've got many lessons to learn, but this isn't one of them. "Not in the same league" is just a saying Bro. Right now, we're not. Period. KY has an embarrassment of riches and they're blowing out teams, while we are struggling against the likes of Bryant and College of Charleston and already 3-2. But further in my post I did mention that I trust in KO and that we will be a formidable opponent to this years top tier teams come March (hopefully sooner). I think we have some great talent and I love our Coach, but we also have a bunch of guys who look lost and look like they've never been "scorers" before. That will change.

 

[TheChamps990411]

I think Uconns 2004 team would destroy this Uk team. Irrelevent and my opinion but just feels good saying it. Ill take ok4,boone,charlie and Hilton over their frontcourt all day.

 

[willie99]

I've got many lessons to learn, but this isn't one of them. "Not in the same league" is just a saying Bro. Right now, we're not. Period. KY has an embarrassment of riches and they're blowing out teams, while we are struggling against the likes of Bryant and College of Charleston and already 3-2. But further in my post I did mention that I trust in KO and that we will be a formidable opponent to this years top tier teams come March (hopefully sooner). I think we have some great talent and I love our Coach, but we also have a bunch of guys who look lost and look like they've never been "scorers" before. That will change.

OK, I'll forgive you this time. Just don't ever use that expression again , no matter how much you try to soften it up or downplay it later

at the end of the day, Nov and Dec don't matter. We are the program nobody from UK (or Dook) ever wants to see in March, never forget that my husky blood

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I think Uconns 2004 team would destroy this Uk team. Irrelevent and my opinion but just feels good saying it. Ill take ok4,boone,charlie and Hilton over their frontcourt all day.

The '04 team that peaked in late March or the version that lost 7 regular season games? It's sort of an apples/oranges comparison if you're comparing Kentucky on December 3 to UConn in late March.

The issue with Kentucky - at least so far - is not that they're freakishly skilled but that they can throw waves of size at you. They could beat most teams just by firing the ball off the backboard and sending guys to go get it. I think the platoon system is ultimately stupid, unworkable, and a marketing gimmick, but so what? Their ceiling as a club is frightening. People seem to be assuming that they'll be the same team in March while everyone else catches up to them.

 

[willie99]

I agree to an extent, but it's not as much as how many players are on the court at one time that makes it so ominous, it's the fact that a completely new well rested team is stepping on the court. A whole other team you have to scout with completely different looks. It's like in the movies where the hero fights one monster and is exhausted, just to find another right around the corner. There's no reprieve. There's no point where Ollie can pull Brimah for Nolan because the other team put their bench chump in. Derek Willis was a top 100 recruit and he didn't even make the first two teams. Thats just messed up. It could be a bust and there has to be drawbacks, but you have to admit it's intimidating. Let's pray for the bust.

I still on the fence about whether or not to "like" this post, but while I'm debating with myself, I'd like to add that's there's only 200 minutes to be played per game and history tells us 7 guys can absorb 200 minutes just fine.

I'm not from the school of thought that thinks these 20 year kids conditioned by Ollie who was taught by Calhoun are going to get tired.

Foul trouble, now that's different, they can absorb foul trouble better I suppose. But does that involve mixed racial breeding? will blue and white be forced to play with each other? or will the blue rotation get more minutes than the white rotation if one person on the white rotation is in foul trouble?

I'm sticking with "gimmick", that's the best that I can say about the platoon system.

 

[TheChamps990411]

The '04 team that peaked in late March or the version that lost 7 regular season games? It's sort of an apples/oranges comparison if you're comparing Kentucky on December 3 to UConn in late March.

The issue with Kentucky - at least so far - is not that they're freakishly skilled but that they can throw waves of size at you. They could beat most teams just by firing the ball off the backboard and sending guys to go get it. I think the platoon system is ultimately stupid, unworkable, and a marketing gimmick, but so what? Their ceiling as a club is frightening. People seem to be assuming that they'll be the same team in March while everyone else catches up to them.

The healthy uconn team that put Rashad in the starting lineup. Sure its not fair to compare them but i warned you.

 

[chapwilvaug72]

hoopster tenet uno: brick dudes never become weapons no matter the effort

pure shooter has gift or extra sense of eye/hand/bod coord(example: distance, arc, rotation, elevation are calculated without thought in blink of eye as ball is released) and only takes the blink of an eye to find target

put brick dude in gym every day on own and he practices poor habits with problem of nature vs nurture

sledteam doesnt even provide expert shooting instructor; i doubt sledteam even videos players to review and study baseline to where improvements are even plausible to attempt

result is too predictable

example; as one bone gent said other day "what has purvis been doing last 2 yrs" on shooting improvement that now with additional practice will improve; funny stuff

 

[BUConn10]

I think the size of our fully healthy 2009 Final Four squad would beat Kentucky pretty convincingly, they had the size and athleticism at every position, often multiple guys deep, to compete with UK. That being said, if anyone has watched ESPN today, they would have surely seen the 2 minute Duke vs Wisconsin hype up commercials showing off Duke's new guns. This is exactly why UConn's recruiting needs to catch up with its success.

Getting attention like that may seem annoying, or "not UConn" to many of you, but things like that tend to snowball a programs future rankings. When top recruits see these hype ads, they see themselves in them and see how programs like Duke and UK can really advertise their skills to a national audience and help to, quite literally, boost their NBA draft stock single handedly. If UConn even had a resemblance of an average conference to play in, we would still be a few levels below these guys in terms of their success in this category. Scoff at me all you want with you're "we've done fine" statements, but everyone eventually comes back down to Earth, and those that built themselves up properly while at the top will quickly bounce back.

 

[pnow15]

Could not disagree more with statement that we can never be on par with Kentucky.
You can only play five at a time and teams that platoon like Kentucky seldom win.
Boatright can play with any point.
DHam will be an experienced sophomore come tournament time and get lottery talk
Purvis could live up to hype.
Facey gets better every game.
Brimah and Nolan at center have already proven they they can go head to head with Kentucky and with Texas and hold their own. You forget Brimah and Nolan have the rings.
I would love to see Brimah work on the foul line jumper and then corner jumper. His future lies there without another twenty lb weight gain. He has the stroke.
Cassell or Calhoon has to become legit open three point shooter.
TSam has to give Boat six minutes a game.

 

[Scot-e]

Call me naive, but I think the platoon system is a gimmick. It will lead to their downfall, then they'll be talking about all the things squid should have done differently.

It's tradition

I hope you are right. My fear is that it works and completely ruins the college game.
Leave it to the Squid- and I thought I could not like him any less. Stupid me.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I hope you are right. My fear is that it works and completely ruins the college game.
Leave it to the Squid- and I thought I could not like him any less. Stupid me.

It's not going to ruin anything. Even if he plays this way all season, which he won't, it's not like all of a sudden a bunch of other schools are going to be stocking their lineups 10 deep with All-Americans.