You of all people on this board should know better. Nene was a super athletic soccer player. He only played bball a few years before turning pro. Nothing we've seen from Wiley, who was born and breed a Bball player, reminds me of Nene.
++++++BOOGZ vs KY++++++ this is not an official thread
- Thread starter Boytano
- Start date
You of all people on this board should know better. Nene was a super athletic soccer player. He only played bball a few years before turning pro. Nothing we've seen from Wiley, who was born and breed a Bball player, reminds me of Nene.
Desen was a beast in the boards and ant rebounded better. We were a better rebounding team last year which allowed us to have more shot attempts. I don’t know if we were better shooting g but we had more attempts at this point of the season last year.
Austin is an overseas player IMO. Could’ve been a decent player in the league 20 years ago but just doesn’t fit currently
That's a borderline concession that we were better with Mustapha and Desean than we are with Wiley and DP I guess??
Wait what argument are you making? Austin didn’t play last night and we lost. We won last year.
That we beat their ass last year without him. I don't think we lost this year because he wasn't there. I'm saying/arguing that we are as good or better without him???? Wasn't that obvious from my first response.
Luc Longley and the like were still drawing a check in the league 20 years ago
I’d just like to add that I don’t think we’re better without Austin. Just for the record.
Not arguing the years. Just trying to think of an unathletic player to compare him too.
No not at all. Parts of the team were but we have a higher ceiling with this team. Chuma and ant have hurt us more than mustangs and desean have helped. We played at our ceiling for most of the season last year and got exposed on our down trend. We haven’t played great this year really and still have competed at a high level. Just need some players to step up. Losing Austin hurt us and we would have won with him last night.
you mean Wiley and Chuma? I think this current squad has a higher ceiling and more versatility. But I think last year's squad clearly had more chemistry and swagger. Like Fishback said last season:
It's hard to argue that we are. But we were _x's better last year. So there's that.
Chuma played last year so no. Chuma isn't a swag guy. He's the best player on this team by far but he doesn't believe it or he doesn't care.
Chuma played better last year imo bc his role was smaller. He needs to get more aggressive and demand the ball more this year but his failure to do so has hurt the team.
No idea if I’ve read all your responses and no idea why you’re being a douche, but this is some pretty bad logic on your part. I have actually been arguing for weeks that we need Austin to adjust to us, and not us adjust to him. I personally think last night he would have helped us a lot, I think when we play teams that have 5 guys on the floor that can knock down 3’s he’s a liability. We aren’t the same team as last year. Mac hasn’t played as well as he did last year. Chuma hasn’t shot the ball as well. Trying to use a game from last year with different players for them and us as an explanation as to why we aren’t as good with Austin is rice-level bad argument.
I'm of the opinion that if he was more agressive and demanding the ball, we wouldn't be discussing Wiley being out for a big game.
Everyone would love to have an ultra athletic 5 that can block shots, rebound defend out on the perimeter, rim run and make 3s. I don’t think that’s super specific to our style. That’s Mac at his best but he gets physically overwhelmed by really big bodies going back to last year. The UK game last year was probably his best ever game.
There’s just games we’re gonna want a big physical presence like Austin. Yesterday was an example. The Duke and NC St games even though we lost Austin kept us in those. The whole draft stock stuff doesn’t mean much to me in terms of college impact. There’s a lot of great college players that aren’t NBA prospects.
As an admitted Staph hater I don’t think we miss him much. He didn’t play in that Bama game. I guess Id take him if given the choice but I’d rather have the ball in Jared, Bryce or Chuma’s hands.
In general I guess I’m just sticking with we’re working through some issues with a higher ceiling while last year we were really clicking with an identity and a chip on our shoulder. But there were signs we were hitting a wall regardless of the devastating injury to Mac. Desean in particular but teams started to up the instensity and take away stuff we liked to do with Bryce and Jared.
There’s just games we’re gonna want a big physical presence like Austin. Yesterday was an example. The Duke and NC St games even though we lost Austin kept us in those. The whole draft stock stuff doesn’t mean much to me in terms of college impact. There’s a lot of great college players that aren’t NBA prospects.
As an admitted Staph hater I don’t think we miss him much. He didn’t play in that Bama game. I guess Id take him if given the choice but I’d rather have the ball in Jared, Bryce or Chuma’s hands.
In general I guess I’m just sticking with we’re working through some issues with a higher ceiling while last year we were really clicking with an identity and a chip on our shoulder. But there were signs we were hitting a wall regardless of the devastating injury to Mac. Desean in particular but teams started to up the instensity and take away stuff we liked to do with Bryce and Jared.
Huh? Him being aggressive on offense has no bearing to the things Wiley gives us on the boards and affecting shots so I think Wiley being out still will hurt. Just goes to show if chuma would step up our team would be that much better. Higher ceiling and stuff.
Agreed. We miss players not playing up to their potential more than we miss staph.
And you're basing that "potential" 100% on games played without Wiley. I guess I'm just wrong here but I see things differently than you and some others here.
Not trying to be agressive but I've wondered from day 1 if we could've been better with him than we were at our peak last year.
I’m basing potential bc of what players have shown and what Bruce has said..whether Wiley is in or not.. I think you are wrong but you have a right to your opinion.
I'm sure I am. And I hope I am. I hope him slowing us down on one end and making us a little better on the other, end's up being just we need come March. We sure didn't excell in March without him last year so I have hope. But I've heard that Guard play wins it in March for the last 35 years too. We'll see.
Austin is even statistically a better rim protector than Mac is this season. Plus he's a way better rebounder. I never in any way have thought we're better without him, but I absolutely think this team can still plenty talented enough to win all the games that he'll miss. Losing Harper or Brown would be more devastating imo. Harper especially.
Don't even bruh
This is an illogical take. UK's team was entirely different last year. In this year's game, they exploited their size advantage to score in the paint and outrebound us. Put Wiley in the game, even if he doesn't score a point, and they score much less in the paint and we likely win the rebounding battle. That would have resulted in us winning by 8+ points.
We have played fast with Wiley in the game plenty this year. He is not the oaf that many making him out to be as he runs the floor on breaks quite well. In fact, he had a great tip in on a missed fast break layup recently. Even if we run on the break without him, its not like we are throwing oops to Mac or Spencer on most of those plays. We are either hitting open threes or getting layups, neither of which requires Wiley to be at the front of the break. I find it hard to believe anyone could fail to see his contribution thus far. He kept us in the game against Duke and would have lost by 25+ without him. We would have beaten NC State had we given him enough post touches. He dominated the glass against TAMU and was a huge reason we blew them out in their gym.
He’s a good college player. Never said he wasn’t. He’s had his moments this season. Never said he hasn’t. The Duke game comment is laughable. The NC State game comment is nothing but an opinion that questions Bruce it seems. We would’ve blown out TA&M with you playing. Because they suck. Hope he makes a big difference in March.
That was some good fun,Cal and Charles now that's a pair!
You surprise me, DV. All off-season you were over at RR all flippant and non-chalant and 'chill' -- in an obvious attempt to demean with your sarcastic tone and faint praise.
But now after a loss your 'chill' seems to have thawed. You can't even come back around any more?
Miss you much. Do stop by again before Round 2. Otherwise, kinda makes you seem less cool than most of us thought you were.
Go Cats!
Go War Eagles!
Nah bruh. Can’t abandon my Greggers, especially during basketball season. Just been busy as hell and don’t get to message board nearly as much as I’d like. Hopefully I’ll be on here some tonight. I still try to read through all the game threads in the days after each game.
A thought or two on the with/without Wiley debate. We benefit greatly from a physicality and rebounding perspective with Wiley available, but I think we give up some free-flowing, more natural feel of the offense when he's manning the low post in Bruce's offense. When Mac plays well, this offense is a better unit than with Wiley. He helps us tremendously with spacing. But Mac HAS to be more productive and avoid foul trouble.With Wiley being out, it's vital that Purifoy step up and give us some solid minutes on both ends. We can't rely on Chuma, Ho Daddy, and Mac to platoon the 4 and 5 for an entire game. Purifoy is going to get his chance over the next 4-5 games, and we need him to step up big and be that 4th guy in the front court rotation.
That four man rotation is the key to our success over the next few games IMO. We need smart, physical play out of all of them. Mac needs to avoid foul trouble and be disruptive. Ho needs to avoid foul trouble because he's going to be disruptive. Chuma needs to find his stroke again and be more aggressive offensively and be smart defensively to avoid any cheap fouls. Purifoy needs to play solid defense, keep taking clean looks, and keep getting more comfortable in games. We need those four guys to be consistent while Wiley is out.
That four man rotation is the key to our success over the next few games IMO. We need smart, physical play out of all of them. Mac needs to avoid foul trouble and be disruptive. Ho needs to avoid foul trouble because he's going to be disruptive. Chuma needs to find his stroke again and be more aggressive offensively and be smart defensively to avoid any cheap fouls. Purifoy needs to play solid defense, keep taking clean looks, and keep getting more comfortable in games. We need those four guys to be consistent while Wiley is out.
I appreciate everyone’s passion - and the juices were flowing Saturday for sure, but the entire Austin debate is simple:
Mac = lower floor/higher ceiling
Austin = higher floor/lower ceiling
Austin and Bruce aren’t a great fit - neither maximizes the others strengths - but he’s a damn good weapon to have at your disposal
Mac = lower floor/higher ceiling
Austin = higher floor/lower ceiling
Austin and Bruce aren’t a great fit - neither maximizes the others strengths - but he’s a damn good weapon to have at your disposal
