Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down: UK vs. Winthrop
- Rating: No Rating
As far as cupcakes on different teams schedules, Winthrop is a pretty good cupcake team.
Thumbs UP:
Doron Lamb - WOW!!!! That's pretty much all that needs to be said!!! WOW!!!!! Even more impressive is that he scored on 11-12 shooting and 3-3 from the FT line. Even more impressive is that he did all that without turning the ball over.
Brandon Knight - Sure he scored 21 points but what I love is that he didn't take a million shots to get that 21 points. 8-15 is much better than than some of the 7-25 kind of nights he has had this season. Only 2 assist but that doesn't due him justice on how he ran the team offensively and distributed the ball..I thought he did a great job.
DeAndre Liggins - IMO, the MVP on this team up to this point. He just does it all and despite already being a Junior, he continues to get better.
Darius Miller - Okay, so he still wasn't as aggressive offensively as we like BUT he did play really solid defense and got 9 rebounds. ONLY 1 turnover!!! That's the kind of effort we need from everyone on this team despite how they are doing scoring the ball.
Josh Harrellson - He continues to do what he needs to do for this team....rebound at a high rate. I would have liked to seen more today but nevertheless he still got up to the 10 rebounds he needs to get, at the very least, every single game regardless if it is a good team or bad team.
Thumbs Down:
Team Defense: Although very good at times, I still saw a lot of youth in this team defensively. They came out of FIRE offensively but then started to slack defensively, then we started missing shots, and sorta let Winthrop back in it late in the first half.
This team needs to learn that you can't always control if the ball goes in the hoop but you can control your focus and effort on the defensive end and rebounding the ball.
Control what you can control...which is effort, intensity, and focus.
DeAndre Liggins - Yes he makes both list. The only issue I had with Liggins really isn't much of a thumbs down...I just don't like seeing him go 2-3 from the field. He needs to take more shots, especially driving to the basket drawing fouls. There was a time in the past I never say this BUT.....TAKE MORE SHOTS DeANDRE!!!
What a great success story!
Josh Harrellson - He too makes both list. Although he is overachieving and got 10 rebounds today...he needs to get more than offensive rebound, especially against Winthrop. We don't have to have big time scoring (although it be nice) from the Center position for us to do special things this year but we do need for Josh to be a rebounding BEAST at both ends of the court.
Terrence Jones - So what, you had a bad offensive day! Guess what? It happens.
However, that is no excuse for not playing hard and smart defensively. That's no excuse for not playing with great effort attacking the offensive and defensive boards.
That is no excuse for not having at least 1 steal, 1 block, and more than 1 assist.
Someone your size should always have a ton of rebounds. Someone at your positions with your skill, ball handling, speed, and athletic ability should have at least 3 assist per game, a few blocks, and a couple of steals.
I know he is young and is still has a lot to learn. Jones needs to realize that despite days he may be off offensively scoring the ball, he can still dominate the game in so many other ways. LEARN to DOMINATE when you are not scoring...that is what really special players are able to do....he will get there hopefully and when he does...WATCH OUT!!!
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by SaveUK on -
Thumbs Down: On not setting up a few plays in the first half for our best 3 point shooter to get a few 3 point shots off (Josh Harrellson). If he can get an early knock down from behind the arch that would really open up the driving lanes. PLUS if Josh could bring his man out to guard him beyond the arch, that would allow Miller, Jones, and even Liggins to post up the guy guarding them.
-
Permalink Reply by BostonCat2001 on -
lamb was amazing. and i'm not talking about his offense. his defense was great.
liggins is just a man out there. i wish ESPN kept deflections as stats, because he had a bunch tonight. going after loose balls, jump balls and driving and dishing. great, great game.
knight is really, really coming into his own as a point guard. under control more, looking for teammates, but also looking for his offense. and playing some good, solid defense.
terrence jones had a bad game. its happens, but i think cal is trying to use him on the post more to build up that part of his game. he needs to have that beast mentality all the time.
hood i thought had a bad sequence in the 2nd half when he got playing time. he didnt get through a screen. the guy drove it on him a bunch. and he fouled on 1 play. and gave us nothing on the offensive end during that sequence. i personally would like to see poole in that spot because i think he can defend better
our defense was up and down. i sort of expected it. everyone has their eye on the clock ready to get home. i was actually pretty impressed with the energy and focus for the most part.
-
Permalink Reply by SaveUK on
-
Everyone on this team is starting to understand and believe in their role. Last years team didn't really understand the whole "role" thing, this years team does.
Now we just need Jones to understand his role which is....to be beastly despite how his offense is going. He is UK's All-American this year....once he realizes that and takes on that role, he will dominate in so many ways regardless how he is scoring from game to game.
-
Permalink Reply by Bart Gilliam on -
I'm suprised how much this team has grown at this point in the season. We are getting better on D, not were we won't to be yet but were getting their. Lamb is playing very well right now, not just on offense but on defense as well, also he moves great without the ball, he knows how to use screens and passes the ball very well. The one thing that I would like to see Lamb do a little bit better is handling the ball when he has to run the point, I'm not talking about his one on one ability he's great at that, I'm talking about getting the ball to his teamates on time, feeding the post things like that. With that said when Knight is not on the floor, I don't think I would let Lamb run the point especially when he was scoring like he was today, if he has the hot hand like that I would let him run off screens and get his feet set and knocked down those 3's.
-
Permalink Reply by Bart Gilliam on
-
Oh yeah, I give the game a thumbs up.
-
Permalink Reply by Bellco Cat #6759 on -
Liggins is winning me to his side-he played his bestgame of the year. He did the things we need him to do, let the game come to him, not force things. He should lead the team in assist about every game. It was hard for me to forgive Liggins for doing a no no for me--not going into a game for scrap minutes--I'm past that now he's finally getting it!!!! Jones just needs to grow up.
-
Permalink Reply by Mike Martin on -
My only concern to this point is Jones. I'm hoping the kids wakes up pretty soon or it will cost us a few games this year. IMO he simply needs to stop trying so hard to get his offense working. If he simply plays smart defense and lets the game come to him on the offensive end he'll be fine, but he's trying to force the issue on offense and it's costing him and the team. It dosn't make any difference now with the teams that are not at our level, but it will when we play teams as good as we are. I like to see Cal tell him not to shot a jumper until he dunks at least three balls. That way he's already on the board and not trying to score when he's so pumped up.
I think Hood will be fine if he can continue to get minutes and learn to get around those screens mentioned above. I liked the offensive rebound he had and the assist to Vargus. Both of those plays showed he's willing to put team first.
Knight is just special.
Lamb was a freak! I can't believe he broke the freshman scoring record. If he keeps that up he may break Meeks record this season too, setting another freshman record the process.
Liggins just continues to impress. I love the way he and Branden attack the lane and drop those running floaters, that's just to smooth.
Miller was Miller. The floaters mentioned above should be his game with his slashing style and control, but he just dosn't seem to be on board the whole game for some reason. It's understandable to a point with Jones, he's young, but Miller has no excuse. He has the size and ability to put up really gaudy stats every game, but can't seem to figure it out for some reason?
If Miller and Jones can get on the right page, this team can go a long way in the big dance. If not we'll be lucky to make the final eight like last year. If Josh and Vargus continue to progress, or better yet Kanter get on the floor, it will allow Jones to play more on the outside which I believe will help him overall because of his slashing ability, but being short handed down low has forced Cal to play him differently. He's just getting used to playing in the post and it will take a little while.
Overall awsome game though. Fun to watch the guys get off the way they did!
-
Permalink Reply by SaveUK on
-
He is just going through a Freshman slump, it happens. Wall went through a stretch there in the SEC were he was struggling. It took Cousins half a season to learn to stay on the court at least 20 minutes a game.
Bledsoe would break a 3 point shooting record one game and barely hit the rim the next.
I think Jones will be fine
My biggest concern is that this team doesn't have a player that can absolutely take over a game by themselves against anyone, anywhere, anytime.
We have a several "Eric Bledsoe/Patrick Patterson" type of elite players but no Wall or Cousins.
This team is going to have to do it as a "TEAM", that is their strength. And do it defensively!!! While not turning the ball over a lot.
If they can continue to play as a "Team", grow as a "Team", and get better as a "Team"....they will be hard to beat come tournament time.
If we can get the NCAA to pull their heads out of their butt and do the RIGHT THING....we could have that player that can take over a game in Enes Kanter.
-
Permalink Reply by BostonCat2001 on
-
the "TEAM" thing is key and i think its why you see Cal stick with his 6 or 7 guys. knight, liggins, and lamb are starting to take over games as a group with their play on both ends of the court.
i see other programs mess around with substituions, getting guys experience, etc. but those guys likely wont be in the games that matter latter in the year anyways. so why play them now if you dont have too? i like how Cal said....we only play 6 pr 7 guys....but how good are those guys when they are in there?
© 2012 Created by KSN.
