Kentucky Basketball: ODU Coach -- Kentucky isn't a great defensive team
by Glenn Logan on Dec 2, 2011 1:36 PM EST
in Kentucky Wildcats Basketball
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PrintApparently, Old Dominion Monarchs coach Blaine Taylor isn't all that impressed with Kentucky, according to this article by Andy Katz (Hat tip: Kentucky Sports Radio):
"[Anthony] Davis is dang long. He can pick your pocket from across the street. He's not as long as Henson but he's that kind of guy around the basket."
As it turns out, John Henson and Anthony Davis are both about the same length, with 7'4" wingspans and 6'10-11". Care to try again, coach? I see you do:
Taylor said that Kentucky isn't a great defensive team.
Really? Coach, would it surprise you to learn that the Wildcats are the #1 defensive team in the nation according to Ken Pomeroy and Statsheet.com? Just askin'. Finally:
"[Terrence] Jones is a bit of a prima donna."
Ah, finally one you got a little bit right. Fair criticism, that. Jones has been a bit of a prima donna at times this year with his posing, bowing, and prancing after a big play. With that said, you are batting 33.3%, and that's not particularly good even as a shooting percentage from the three point line. But it is 6 percentage points better than your own team has been able to shoot from the arc so far this year (27%, 303rd in the nation).
A polite suggestion, coach Taylor. Perhaps if you could focus on the deficiencies of your own team, they might be able to win games versus the Vermont Catamounts (RPI #134) as well as giving minor problems to Kentucky. At minimum, you should really get your facts right before offering criticism, or "analysis," as I'm sure you'd characterize it.
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Hey Taylor, U Mad?
Dayman, Fighter of the Nightman, Champion of the Sun
by btcoop71 on Dec 2, 2011 1:38 PM EST reply actions 2 recs
He probably is a bit of a prima donna.......
Being the #1 guy in the #1 team in NCAABB you kinda have to have a chip on your shoulder and rightfully so, I think he carries himself very respectfully though.
I can't disagree that Jones may be a bit of a prima donna
But so are US fighter pilots. They believe they are the best – and they are.
Kentucky Basketball - The Reason for Living
Hope we get them again in the tournament!
For an easy easy win!
They will be 10% better and we will be 90% better!
Go Cats!
by ANGx01 on Dec 2, 2011 2:11 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Last night
I didn’t notice any flexing or 3 googles last night. I could be wrong, but just seemed like they were focused on taking care of business. Especially after Darius’ dunk… I loved the “been there done that” expression.
Watch the replay...
On Miller’s dunk TJones was doing some sort of prancing/howling move. Also, after every dunk he paused for a second under the goal to, um, bask in the moment.
It’s gotten better, for sure, but it’s still there. Same for Teague. Saw at least one 3 Goggle by Lamb.
Miller, on the other hand, handled the dunk exceptionally well. As you said, as if he had done it before.
Jones did a couple of prances, Doron did 3-goggles.
It has gotten better. It could get better still.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
me too!
He seemed a tad bit pleased with himself, but not totally self absorbed. It was such a great and perhaps mature display of emotion, I thought. He was confident and self-assured, but not all screaming in your face about what was, make no mistake about it, an absolute beast of a dunk. A quiet confidence is an awesome quality to have. I loved it.
Davis v. Henson
We’d have to do a kind of “wingspan weigh-in,” but both are known for having 7’4’’ wingspans.
Further, they’re both approximately 6’10’’ and 220#.
Taylor’s a dingus. Epic mustache, though.
HEY Blaine Taylor! Guess what?!?!?
NEWS FLASH: ODU isn’t a great team…..PERIOD
And as far as the posing stuff, You all saw TJ get fouled fragrantly and how did he handle it? Like a pro so I dont care if he is posing after a spectacular play or in excitement for the play of a teamate. Celebrate as much as you want so long as it doesnt efect your game or anyone elses on the team. Nobody said anything about God’sgift screaming like a Banshee everytime he got possesion. Do i like the stuff are guys do all the time no, but they are having fun and winning and as long as that doesnt change who cares? Now we start losing and they keep it up then somthing should be done.
Than is all.
Showboating
I see the KY players giving the 3 over the eye sign after making a three and that isn’t as bad as some of the other things that is done after a dunk, rejection of a shot, just to name some of the things we see the players do. Why is this so bad ?? It’s not like getting in the face of the other team’s players. If every thing is taken away from the players then we will have robots playing the game, is this what we want ?
why is this so BAD
Because ...
… it is taunting, quite frankly. And that is unsportsmanlike.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
And irritating
However, it’s a luxury to be able to complain about sportsmanship instead of getting beaten by mid-major teams at home.
"He still carries a lunch bucket. What's up with that?"
by BlueCollarMan on Dec 3, 2011 8:02 AM EST up reply actions
It is truly a matter of perception,
flexing and posing for the TV camera after a spectacular play is definitely over the limit, three point goggles seems like a more personal response and not so in your face. You want players to understand and practice sportsmanship without taking away any of their pride, pleasure and enthusiasm. Chest pounding, primal screams, pointing to the sky, slapping the floor, where do we draw the line?
If flexing and posing is taunting, what is trash talking? Last season we were proud of Liggin’s ability to get in the head of opponents. Is trash talking sportsmanlike?
I believe in respecting your opponent and that does not include trash talking and in your face type of actions. Miller’s confident and proud swagger after that spectacular dunk is absolutely the classy way of celebrating. Here is hoping some of his teammates were paying attention.
I am all for people expressing their opinions, as long as they back them up with facts.
THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH THE THREE GOGGLES, FLEXING ETC
All these antics are both entertaining and have the effect of energizing the team, motivating them to “make another crucial shot, hit a three, block another shot” also.Clear evidence is Gilchirst, Jones and Lamb. These antics usually spark the team and they begin to play the basketball we all love. (Jones energy in the late first half sparked us in the victory against Kansas, his Dunks and Davis’s blocks in closing of first half set the tone for the second half against St. Johns play) It also proves to the opposing team that you will not be intimidated by them. Remember when you’re at the top everyone is “gunning” for you. Opposing teams will do the same if they were up against the number one team (Kansas Robinson posed a few times when the game was close). Basically it has the effect of taking away whatever energy the other side has and “wakes up” your fans to cheer u on. Fans want to be entertained and players want to have fun playing the game. It doesn’t hurt us in anyway unless the NCAA bans it. Harrelson “angry face” during games last yr was similar. If he didn’t prove to Sullinger that he was not going to be intimidated we probably would have lost that game..He energized the rest of his teammates and was the difference maker. Yes this can be taken overboard but it doesn’t same like it will. Only time i would call it “unsportsmanhip/showboating” is when we are up by 30 and doing these but Cal takes the starters out by this time anyway.
Glenn,
I used your comments about Coach Taylor in an email to him. I kept it quite cordial and told him I hoped ODU and UK get the chance to play again in the NCAAT.
I am sure he will appreciate the comment about The University of Vermont!!
I personally like the swagger of this years team, TJ can go a little overboard, but, the three goggles is just fun!!
GO BLUE!!
This passage was funny
Jones will have his hands full trying to guard Harrison Barnes. That means someone else in the Wildcats’ frontcourt, such as Darius Miller or Eloy Vargas, will need to provide meaningful minutes or even a few more fouls to deal with the Tar Heels’ length.
Uhh Andy – Jones won’t be guarding Barnes except on switches and or maybe for a few possessions here and there just to give him a different look. Miller, Lamb, and Liggins rotated as primary defenders in the Elite 8 and we’ll see something similar this year. Well, not Liggins obviously. That would be some kind of violation.
Also, this is phrased as if Miller hasn’t provided meaningful minutes this year, which is so stupid that I can’t believe that’s what Katz intended, but I don’t see any other way to read it.
1/x doesn't die, it just fades away.
Yeah, I saw that.
I just gave him a break. I got the guy I was after. :-)
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
yeah, I probably should give him a break too
But I re-watched that game a couple of times over the summer and Jones just wasn’t a big part of the defense against Barnes. I can only assume that Katz thought that he was because of the “4” vs “4” thing.
1/x doesn't die, it just fades away.
Yeah.
It bugs me that sometimes these journalists really don’t understand the intimate details of the game they report on.
It is frankly inexcusable for Katz to think that Jones will guard Barnes. It calls into question his understanding of the game he is reporting on.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Here we go again, Glenn.
It’s a long season, let’s all keep our panties where they belong. Haters gonna hate, especially on a team led by Coach Cal.
Seriously though, you’re obviously writing to a particular audience, because the coach was better than 33% correct on his assessment. Of course, I’m taking into account a different context to much of the coaches statements.
I’d say he meant Davis doesn’t play AS LONG as Henson. Key word being “play”. I’d like to think the greatest coach ever has already said that with regards to his comments about Davis playing with his hands down too often.
I do not have those pricey subscription packages to pom and sons’ rankings, but he may have meant that fundamentally their defensive skill set may not match what’s to come. I find that Teague and crew are sending their men to Davis and he’s done well at cleaning up their messes thus far. But that’s hardly a long-term strategy. Most skillful players will learn to either go directly to the chest of the shot blocker or pass the ball on, but not try to shoot around Davis’ amazing wingspan.
Lastly, we all agree, Terrance is Terrance. I said that about a UofL player a few years back.
UK is the best team in the land currently, but I find the quotes pulled into this post to not be so alarming.
by Feathered Biceps on Dec 3, 2011 12:29 AM EST reply actions
Context?
Seriously?
I don’t mean to be unpleasant, but I find your attempt to defend Taylor’s statement utterly risible. How can anyone imagine “contexts” in which this guy’s patently wrong statement is correct? Davis “…doesn’t play as long…” as Henson? In what universe? How many 3-pointers has Henson blocked this year?
Does it even matter to your “context” that Davis has blocked more shots this year than anyone in Division 1, and is averaging almost two more blocks per game than Henson? Not only that, there is no telling how many times he has dunked the ball, and having watched nearly every North Carolina game this year, I can tell you he has dunked more than twice as many as Henson. There is no context whatever where Henson “plays” or “is” or even “looks” longer than Davis. The facts say this, not impressions or guesses.
If $20/year is too steep for you for Ken Pomeroy’s site, you can just roll on over to statsheet.com, which is free (as in beer), and see for yourself. Kentucky is the #1 team in the NCAA in defensive efficiency. Wisconsin is a fairly close second. But by any reasonable definition, Kentucky is great defensive team right now. That is an unadorned, absolutely objective statistical fact. Not only that, any basketball analyst who knows more about the game than Katy Perry will tell you the same thing. Taylor was just being a jerk, and I have had several CAA fans tweet me that he makes this sort of irrational statement all the time.
It is possible UK may not be great by the end of the year, but there is no method to extrapolate that from here with any reliability at all. We have to call them as we see them, and trying to make an argument that Kentucky isn’t really a great defensive team despite the evidence of your eyes and statistical proof is just a form of confirmation bias – you want Taylor’s statement to be true, so you try to imagine a scenario where it would not be totally false.
The reality is, both statements I have identified as false are false. Period.
A Sea of Blue -- Kentucky Sports for the Discerning Fan
Davis certainly played "longer" in the last minute today.
A bias runs both ways. Good and Great. Stats so early are rarely too much to hang a hat on. I get what the coach was trying to say, and my fandom does not make me want to call him an idiot beause he said it. That is all. Not everyone writes, or speaks in such eloquent ways….
Solid win today, and I hope they continue to get fat on wins until Dec. 31.
by Feathered Biceps on Dec 3, 2011 4:23 PM EST up reply actions
UK Holding Opponents To 31% FG And 27% 3-Pt FG (So Far)
Best % that I can remember for UK defense (ever).
UK opponents averaging only 55 ppg.
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