Week until KY - What is your list?

[GTNavyNuke]

Winning beats losing.

Good effort. Let's see how much we develop as we play into shape.

But I still like Pastner and so does my wife. Young blood.

 

[YlJacket]

After watching KY/KS last night - if we run the 1 on 5 dribble drive offense KY may set an NCAA record for blocks. They are the embodiment of long and lean shotblockers. On the other side, if you move the ball like KS did you can get shots.

If we play defense beyond 18 feet from the basket, our coaches should be taken out at dawn and shot.

Although KS got away with playing a smaller lineup, I expect we are going to need to play the new bigs in order to rebound the ball. I don't see our guards getting double digit rebounds like the KS guards did. I hope they have fully installed the zone D as it is likely our best shot.

If we get back on D like we did against GSU, KY will fill their warehouse with poster dunks and highlight film.

Having said this though, we have a good chance to keep this close and then anything can happen. If we can pack a zone in and rebound the ball, KY has not shown they can make shots. Guards should dig down on the block and worry about the kick out as a way second priority. We also cannot afford live ball turnovers. We have to at least get shots up or out of bounds turnovers so the D can be set.

Whatever the under is - take it. If we get back on D it will be easy money.

In my most smug, bourbon fueled posting - Pastner must be reading my posts

OK so he didn't read the part about playing the new bigs - throw that out But he/we did a great job of getting back, making them make shots and keeping the turnovers low. If we hadn't scored so damn much I would have won my under bet as well - can't believe they ****ed that up for me.

Back to reality - the obvious comment is Moses is playing out of his mind. Congrats to him and if there was any confusion about him or Sarr for the NBA I hope that got answered tonight.

But beyond that Pastner made the game the way it had to be to be successful tonight. We had 6 turnovers to their 21. Even though we got out rebounded and they shot better than I thought they would from 3 - that was basically the game. They are young and play like they think they are still an uber athletic AAU team - give them live ball turnovers and they make you look silly - make them play BB and make shots - not so much.

Most of all - we competed like our season was on the line (and it was) and they didn't. I didn't think they competed and Seth Greenberg on ESPN said the same thing. This KY team doesn't really know how to compete at the NCAA level. But more than dissing KY, we competed at a level I wish to hadies we had competed in our first 2 games. We would be 3-0 if we had. So CJP gets full credit for competing hard tonight but a big WTF for the way we competed the first 2 games.

Good win - let's see if we can dig our way out of the hole we have dug for ourselves so far and still get somewhere near the bubbly area this year.

 

[Techster]

If you would have told me Devoe scores ZERO points AND we beat Kentucky by 17 I would have said you were smoking something (and asked where I could get some). That's what happened. Give it to Devoe, he contributed in other ways. Might have been his best assist/turnover game with 5 assists and just 1 turnover. Also had 3 steals.

Team overall had a good night with turnovers. Just 6 turnovers all game compared to UK's 21. We keep that up and I promise you we are going to the NCAAT.

Bubba Parham apparently likes playing Kentucky. Another good game against Kentucky (he had a monster performance against them at his previous stop).

Anyone feel a LOT better about our PG situation next year with Sturdivant stepping in? BTW, you can tell the team enjoys having Strudivant on the team.

Moses >> Sarr. Moses is a GD beast...and it's just fun watching him play now. Not sure of his NBA prospects, but IMO, he's one of the best PFs in the country. Anyone notice that drive at the top of the key against 2 defenders for a bucket? That's Giannis level game.

We played with a REALLY short bench. Moore and Sturdivant were our only bench minutes. Obviously we won so you can't argue with it against Kentucky, but it's going to be difficult to keep with that when ACC play starts.

I don't care that Kentucky is full of freshmen, that's the #1 recruiting class and one of the best coaches. We won convincingly. Winning >>>> losing. Nice to be back on the winning side. That is the team we thought we had before losing to GA state and Mercer.

 

[MidtownJacket]

Will also add that Sturdivant stepped onto the floor today like a seasoned NCAA Guard - I love razzing the NCAA = Great guard play plant from CJP last season, but to be fair he is right on the money and I like what we saw from #1.

The Devoe situation is interesting I thought he played a better "team game" at cost to his own stat line obviously, but it also helped us keep TOs almost non existent and, dare I say, Scheme around a more athletic 1-4 than what we had? Also, #5 at the 5 is symphonic. He is just taking what he wants on O and D. If he can keep the motor and drive through ACC play I think we have a legit shot at an ACC POY in him. Check the sig, if you know you know.

 

[GTHomer]

We played with a REALLY short bench. Moore and Sturdivant were our only bench minutes. Obviously we won so you can't argue with it against Kentucky, but it's going to be difficult to keep with that when ACC play starts.

This obviously worked against Kentucky however this will concern me as the season progresses. Very happy to see Sturdivant play productive minutes as I believe he can be a key as we go into ACC play.

 

[CuseJacket]

You “play a deep bench” folks are already triggering me this year, and we are only 3 games in.

I don’t care if we play primarily 7 all year. Lot of top teams do that and do it well. If that’s where our cut off is based on quality production, then no need to waste some of our 200 minutes each game and save ourselves for the NIT.

 

[Techster]

You “play a deep bench” folks are already triggering me this year, and we are only 3 games in.

I don’t care if we play primarily 7 all year. Lot of top teams do that and do it well. If that’s where our cut off is based on quality production, then no need to waste some of our 200 minutes each game and save ourselves for the NIT.

I'm going to repeat "we need to play more guys" after EVERY game...if for no other reason than it will trigger Cuse. Challenge accepted, Cuse...