So, about Kentucky...

[TheDude1]

So, how much of that was who Kentucky actually is as a team, and how much was just the weird outlier sort of game that happens sometimes? It seemed Travis, Herro, and Johnson played roughly about as expected, but the rest really disappointed. Given how many were freshmen or guys who have played complimentary roles before, how much of that is who they actually are as players? I can’t help but think it is a lot more about random shitty game, although they are missing the sort of top tier talent that Cals teams usually feature... there is often a big gap between the very tippy top talent and just top talent.

 

[JimboBBN]

We suck

 

[TheDude1]

We suck

Ahhh, you are awake. Brb.

 

[TheDude1]

We suck

Realistically, I think you suckED... but I can’t see that being what happens, or the team that shows up, here on out.

 

[JimboBBN]

I’m not sure how Kentucky will beat a good team this year. Extreme possibility of losing 10 games or more this season. Kansas and duke are legit

 

[kyjeff1]

It was both. Duke is just tremendously talented and were on point from the outside, which was unexpected.

They also look great in the paint too.

UK's defense was the worst defense I've ever seen from a Cal coached team. It looked like Billy Gillispie was coaching it.

Duke didn't even have to move to get open threes and driving the lane looked like a layup drill.
I think duke is a great team, they shouldn't be 34 points better than this UK team though. Something was really off with UK.

We saw mediocre performances in the exhibition games and thought it was just players going through the motions. They couldn't stop straight line drives by D2 players and they couldn't defend the perimeter either. That wasn't players going through the motions, that was who UK actually is.

I don't know what UK has been doing in practice all summer and fall, but it surely wasn't anything defensive.

UK isn't even a top 25 team right now. Duke is great, but they won't win many more games like that, in fact, I bet you'll get better challenges from most of the middle of the road teams you play.

 

[Hank_]

For that game, intensity was a bigger discrepancy than talent.

Duke came out on fire and UK didn’t ratchet up the intensity on the defensive end in order to get back in the game.

UK has a PG problem right now. Hagans will come along, but it looks like it’s going to take longer than anticipated.

 

[VAWildcat15]

Probably both. I doubt Duke is 40 points better when our Cats play their best game. But I also doubt our best game is enough to come close to closing that gap. Looked like a bunch of chumps last night, will have to play way better than that for even a Sweet Sixteen or Elite Eight to be possible.

 

[Tucson_Cat]

If Kentucky doesn’t play better defense its going to be an amazingly long year. Duke played great but UK didn’t even put up resistance. Straight line drives to the hoop and catch and shoot 3s all night. You let anyone do that and it’s trouble let alone a super talented team.

 

[toonces11]

I’m not sure how Kentucky will beat a good team this year. Extreme possibility of losing 10 games or more this season. Kansas and duke are legit

I don't think UK is anywhere near as bad as they looked last night. They have length and athleticism---they just need to actually run offense. Ran into a buzz saw last night but will probably do a 180 for the next game.

 

[bkingUK]

AIDS

 

[Big_C_KU]

UK decision making was horrible. I've never seen a UK team begin a game taking so many contested long jumpers. Many of them weren't even 3s but long 2s. Then you add UK's horrid defense along with playing 3 guys who are ready to go in the NBA now and you get the score you do.

Duke is scary good but not invisible. I also think UK will right the ship and get things figured out but they were overrated. They had a lot of talent but imo they don't have anyone who has the talent of Wall or Cousins or Davis or Towns or Fox or any of their previous top 10 picks. I think their roster is a little better than what they had last year.

 

[TheDude1]

Some of UKs defense wasnt really THAT bad, in that the three guys who were getting to the hoop were the top three recruits in the country last year. Some NBA teams will struggle to contain the dribble/driving of those guys, ESPECIALLY Zion and RJ. It may have been partially just that... you can be defending well, but some of those shots, where Zion and RJ absorbed RIDICULOUS contact and STILL finished... well, that's not the defenses fault.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

Both fan bases need to take a step back and see it for what it is. One game in the beginning of November.

Was fun for Duke fans, not so much for Kentucky fans. But will not be the determining factor for either team.

 

[ravenman10]

I thought that was some of the worst offense I’d ever seen to start the game. Uk came out and played pick up ball with no semblance of an offense. I thought for sure they would try to pound the ball inside but instead continued to settle for long jumpers which lead to run outs for duke. I think it snowballed from there and doubt crept into their heads.

They are not a well coached team and or refuse to listen to their coach. Uk was the worst team I saw last night. Duke was the best but not by 40 points.

Same thing happened to KU years ago and it snowballed. Then when they played again it was a single digit game later in the year. I think that would be the case with these two teams.

Duke isn’t invincible as a previous poster said. Their weakness is inside but Kentucky never tried to take advantageous that. I guarantee you if they played Kansas that KU would get a paint touch for a big EVERY possession and make duke defend. Just terrible gameplay and execution from the jump.

 

[RipThru]

I don't think UK is anywhere near as bad as they looked last night. They have length and athleticism---they just need to actually run offense. Ran into a buzz saw last night but will probably do a 180 for the next game.

That's been a problem for a while. "Elbow" and "Open" are Middle school sets and we couldn't even make a wing entry pass to start those two sets.

 

[Big_C_KU]

Some of UKs defense wasnt really THAT bad, in that the three guys who were getting to the hoop were the top three recruits in the country last year. Some NBA teams will struggle to contain the dribble/driving of those guys, ESPECIALLY Zion and RJ. It may have been partially just that... you can be defending well, but some of those shots, where Zion and RJ absorbed RIDICULOUS contact and STILL finished... well, that's not the defenses fault.

I fully believe if Barrett went somewhere that he dominated every touch like Durant, Beasley, and Young did last year he'd average scoring numbers similar to those players. He has the full repertoire and he has the mindset. Dude is filthy and will probably still averaged 20+.

One thing is obvious. You can't get into a fast paced, NBA open style game with Duke. They will kill you. I can see Duke struggling a lot more with the teams that want to slow it down and play halfcourt. These games where there's a lot of obvious NBA talent on the court always turn into these open court style games.

 

[ExitFlagger]

I never understood the comparisons to 2015 Kentucky, but now they look that much more insane.

Also couldn't see how so many could look at each roster and conclude that Kentucky would win easily.

 

[GE Nole]

UK will get better. It's never as good as it seems, nor as bad as it seems. Plus, the SEC isn't a night in and night out grind, so they will have plenty of opportunities to work on some steps while still getting wins just due to shear athleticism.

All the said, Duke looked extremely good.

 

[shockey4064]

-definitely need a point guard to step up

-offense can’t go to Herro often against that kind of athleticism

-PJ and Quade are not elite players but they should be a ton better than that

-Johnson and Travis were ready to play and no one else was...they are our best players anyways

-Absolutely no defense whatsoever

 

[JimboBBN]

I was really disappointed at the talent difference last night. Duke had the three best players on the court, and we had no one even close to them. I would hate to see them play us in March

 

[TheDude1]

I was really disappointed at the talent difference last night. Duke had the three best players on the court, and we had no one even close to them. I would hate to see them play us in March

Well, there can be quite a gap between a top 1 2 3 type guy and a top 10ish guy. I mean... that's like comparing John Wall or Anthony Davis or Jabari Parker with Henry Elleson or Archie Goodwin or Mouphtaou Yarou. So I think it is natural to see a REALLY big impact when there are THREE of those on one side of a 5 on 5 game, you know?

 

[kl40504]

Both fan bases need to take a step back and see it for what it is. One game in the beginning of November.

Was fun for Duke fans, not so much for Kentucky fans. But will not be the determining factor for either team.

Duke is very talented and could go 40-0

 

[TheDude1]

Duke is very talented and could go 40-0

You literally quoted a post that said "both fan bases should take a step back and see it for what it is" and then didn't take a step back to see it for what it was.

 

[JimboBBN]

Well, there can be quite a gap between a top 1 2 3 type guy and a top 10ish guy. I mean... that's like comparing John Wall or Anthony Davis or Jabari Parker with Henry Elleson or Archie Goodwin or Mouphtaou Yarou. So I think it is natural to see a REALLY big impact when there are THREE of those on one side of a 5 on 5 game, you know?

We were supposed to have better depth, better 1 through 9 as opposed to Duke being better 1 through 5. But it was just overwhelmingly a mismatch for UK. Very hard to watch.

 

[TheDude1]

We were supposed to have better depth, better 1 through 9 as opposed to Duke being better 1 through 5. But it was just overwhelmingly a mismatch for UK. Very hard to watch.

For sure, but sometimes depth doesn't matter in a game with so few people playing I think. Like... if you had a team full of NBA role players... all NBA players, but not stars... and then put them up against a team of five All Star starters and then three scrubs, who do you pick, you know? You only really need three or four decent subs, I think...

Plus, Duke's depth was being WOEFULLY underestimated by everyone but Duke fans.

 

[UKcats1988]

Defense is garbage, guard play is bad, play an antique offense. Couldn’t believe the talent disparity last night.

 

[JimboBBN]

For sure, but sometimes depth doesn't matter in a game with so few people playing I think. Like... if you had a team full of NBA role players... all NBA players, but not stars... and then put them up against a team of five All Star starters and then three scrubs, who do you pick, you know? You only really need three or four decent subs, I think...

Plus, Duke's depth was being WOEFULLY underestimated by everyone but Duke fans.

Sorry man, can't take away any positives from last night. Top 3 hardest game to watch since Cal has been here.

 

[RockChalkRally]

Last night had a lot to do with how good Duke was. Duke forced UK to make some really bad decisions. I don't think last night's performance from UK is representative of what UK will be from here on out.

 

[HRTheCard]

Idc what anyone says. That trio of players.....2 of them are different types of OAD players. They are the best since A.D. and it's easily the best trio since idk when. I can't think of 1 opposing player that will stop Zion or Barrett.

 

[toonces11]

Idc what anyone says. That trio of players.....2 of them are different types of OAD players. They are the best since A.D. and it's easily the best trio since idk when. I can't think of 1 opposing player that will stop Zion or Barrett.

The only type of player that can hold up zion will have to have a whole lotta tonya harding in him.

 

[kyjeff1]

Bottom line, Uk got punched in the mouth and wilted.
Duke is great, no doubt, they are going to do that to a lot of teams, but UK laid down, played selfish and never even thought of playing defense with any kind of cohesion.
For UK, that kind of loss can have long term affects or they can brush themselves off and do something about it.
But they are not a good basketball team right now, I mean, they couldn't defend the two D2 teams they played in the exhibition games.
Cal has his work cut out for him this year for sure.

 

[superhusker33]

What a nasty beating.

 

[rockchalk4ever]

Idc what anyone says. That trio of players.....2 of them are different types of OAD players. They are the best since A.D. and it's easily the best trio since idk when. I can't think of 1 opposing player that will stop Zion or Barrett.

I don't know that it would be wise to try to stop them with a single match up approach. I'd pack the lane, and make them shoot jumpers. Duke looked scary good last night, but I believe they can be beat with a good game plan. A committee approach, all on the same page is the best bet IMO. KU has a pretty deep squad, and I think it would be a fun game to watch. UK will get better, and hell...Duke likely will as well. That's nuts.

 

[ExitFlagger]

Now Kentucky fans can see that it wasn't just blind hate to downplay the Bahamas games.

 

[ExitFlagger]

I don't know that it would be wise to try to stop them with a single match up approach. I'd pack the lane, and make them shoot jumpers. Duke looked scary good last night, but I believe they can be beat with a good game plan. A committee approach, all on the same page is the best bet IMO. KU has a pretty deep squad, and I think it would be a fun game to watch. UK will get better, and hell...Duke likely will as well. That's nuts.

I highly doubt that Duke shoots that well consistently. But the "Duke can't hit the broad side of a barn" narrative was wishful thinking from the start.

 

[bkingUK]

Obvious Takeaways:

Duke is the title favorite. Most dominant team since 2015 Kentucky.

Kentucky is more realistically a 15-20 ranked team. No reason to think otherwise unless they prove it. Luckily, we will have plenty of chances to do that this season.

 

[KerryRhodes]

Next time start out with lower level teams.

Work the kinks out.

Way to early to start out 2 vs 4

 

[rockchalk4ever]

I highly doubt that Duke shoots that well consistently. But the "Duke can't hit the broad side of a barn" narrative was wishful thinking from the start.

I agree that it's unlikely that Duke will routinely be that hot, but I'm not sure I follow with the barn reference. Was that being said a lot?

 

[bkingUK]

I agree that it's unlikely that Duke will routinely be that hot, but I'm not sure I follow with the barn reference. Was that being said a lot?

No