I know our chances probably aren’t great. We have not been a good three-point, shooting team most of the year year. Sure could use a quad one win however.
Unless Kentucky just loses the game, I think it will involve the team playing really good defense, the 3s and FTs going in and... Kugel having to have a great game, including offense going down the stretch. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But there is always hope.
If the officials just give UK the advantage, probably lose; how many times have we seen this? (as all other visiting teams to Rupp have) Does anyone think it will change?
Yes, but then I don't think there would be enough firepower to win the game. Kentucky would need to assist us. Not that there is anything wrong with that.
I know the fans and UK corches go apoplectic at any perceived missed or bad call; not sure SEC refs have the chutzpah to make the correct call contrary to what the partisan fans think. I think the home cooking at Rupp is worse than football at Tuscaloosa or Auburn and that’s saying something.
I've never come across such a pattern on any other message boards... I'll tell y'all what, UF's chances of winning are a whole lot better than UNC Wilmington's were when they came to Rupp early this year. Kentucky's offense hasn't been the same in the last two games and Cal's old habits (playing multiple bigs/non-shooters at the same time and taking less 3's overall) have been emerging more and more now that UK has multiple front court options. I think odds are better than y'all seem to think.
Rem, I think Kentucky has the perfect program for them to pull out of their two game funk. They will be lazor focused as always when we come to town. We are short of depth that will play. Home cooking and focused Kentucky is not the way the Gators will upset them. Y’all over looked UNC-Wilmington, the Gators never, maybe back in the forties. We will give a fight but will wear down at the end. CTG is young and has shortened the bench to the detriment of building team comraderie and being able to finish strong, during games and the season. We will have 15-20 turnovers which is not great for winning on the road.
We have a good rotation. Most teams are 8 deep at most with significant minutes per game. We are 7 deep, because Aberdeen and Haugh don't really get much burn lately. CTG would have to shave some minutes off of Clayton, Richard, or Zyon to expand to 8 players. I'm not sure that would help the team right now. If anything, I'd like to see more of Rishwain. Denzel is good, too... he just needs more burn. But as far as depth, 7 is fine. College is only 40 minutes, unlike 48 in the NBA. Most guys could play the whole game with just the timeouts being enough breaks for rest. If the argument is that we need more depth because we need a certain missing skill that is currently on our bench, that would be hard to argue.
I am all for Rishwain playing some of Riley’s minutes and as for Aberdeen, he needs to learn when to get rid of the ball and use his teammates. He probably would hit more threes than Kugel, but that isn’t saying much at this time. Even Shimmy taking a few of Handles rest minutes and moving Condon to PF and let him shoot from the arc more, let him get comfortable instead of giving it up to teammates that force the ball whether inside or out. He is open a lot from there, once he gets going from the outside, it would make us a better team. As for Haugh, quit playing him at PF and let him get comfortable at his position that he has garnered his attention. It is getting late in the season quick, I wish we would have known the strengths of the freshmen and played Rishwain more in relief who has good basketball IQ and size. We are not going to get better with these guys on the bench.We are wearing down our starters and it showed up the last two games with our short bench.
I don't know anything as fact, it just seems like Shimmy would have gotten in in the last 2 games if Golden was interested in continuing to build the team to the end. I know that stout and height travels, but he would have been put in in a friendly environment. As far as guard depth, Aberdeen is still in play (sort of) as he does get into games (and I am sure being observed) but I am afraid the Rishwain experiment, unless there is a HUGE disaster, is over. He is one step before the walk-ons with Kubs. I don't know when or against who he could have been given many more minutes, but what I saw, besides good height, is he really did not set up well taking 3s. I figured he would get into a rhythm and shoot it and perhaps the passes to him may not have allowed it, but I saw off-balance shots. It all feels like it is Kugel or bust when it comes to guard depth. And that is why I am not optimistic about the upcoming games.
UK is the only SEC basketball team that gets home cooking on the road. Even though UK lost at T A&M the refs bent over backwards to try to gift them a road win.
