Thoughts on the Games in Indy Last Night

[CampHoosier 3,697]

I went to Banker's Life to see the games last night and here are a few thoughts I had. I know a lot of you watched on TV as well so I thought it may be a good discussion.

 

1. MSU lost, but they are going to win the B1G. You heard it here first. They didn't capitalize on a lot of opportunities but I got a feeling this team will be ready in January/February to take the conference.

 

2. UK is unreal. They made a somewhat overrated KU team look like Iona. The KU fans left so early it was like a UK home game. I have no idea who is going to take them down. 

 

3. Duke is for real and Coach K has really transitioned in to a devloper of one and dones. Couldn't believe some of those kids were Freshmen

 

4. UK and KU fans are the worst fans in the entire world aside from any fan located in Cleveland or Philadelphia. Not even a question. Duke fans were great. MSU fans saw my IU Tshirt and asked if I would be rooting for the conference etc. and were great.

 

5. To win that big, on a neutral court no less, really shows that these UK Freshmen are truly not scared or rattled like teams of past. I pray they get too big of heads and nosedive somehow. But as of right now, there is nothing about their game I could find fault with. Scary good. 

[biteoftheapple 4,115]

Izzo teams as a general rule do improve heading into conference games, so yes, I agree MSU will give Wiscy a good run.

Kansas I hope they are overrated. Duke is for real, but Kentucky looks to be a great unit.

[cthomas 6,299]

Kentucky may be the best collection of talent I have ever seen on the collegiate level.  Of course, the majority of them should be in the NBA right now instead of making a sham of the student-athelete concept.  They may lose a game along the way, but I don't see them being beaten.  I hope I'm wrong but that team looks like a National Champion to me.

[schoosier 3,451]

Outside of a major scandal or plane crash, UK will walk to the championship. They have two starting fives that can wax any others best 5. They played so unselfish with great defense; I don't see any other teams competing. All 10 players won't have a bad game on the same night plus they will never get in foul trouble. How Calipari can take stars and make them play as role players is to be commended. They have bought in to the program. Litterally lol.

[WayneFleekHoosier 47,916]

Kentucky may be the best collection of talent I have ever seen on the collegiate level.  Of course, the majority of them should be in the NBA right now instead of making a sham of the student-athelete concept.  They may lose a game along the way, but I don't see them being beaten.  I hope I'm wrong but that team looks like a National Champion to me.

I fully agree. Most athletic collegiate team ever? They are not a great shooting team though. That is their only weakness. Booker is a good shooter and the Harrison's are streaky. Lyles is a good shooter for a big.

I don't love the Harrison's. I think they are overrated to some extent. That front court though is wildly athletic and talented.

It will take a hot shooting, guard oriented team to beat them. Remember, not even a week ago they were down 5 at half to Buffalo????

One problem is, Florida is down this year. Usually they get it done but not sure they have the fire power to do it. Louisville may be the best obvious choice to get it done.

[Candystriped 67]

I agree about UK, probably the best team coach Cal has had. Unfortunately...
 

Duke, I don't think it all too powerful. They have great guard play. Okafor struggled going up against people of similar height and when push came to shove he got in foul trouble. Duke is definitely in a class of their own but if another big team has great guard play, they are matched. After they got beat out of the tourney early last year with Parker, I don't really fear them anymore.

The only major disagreement I have is with MSU. They just looked bad last night. They played no D. Dawson did rebound like an animal and their new grad transfer can hit the wide open three. Ive seen Michigan St, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Wisconsin play so far this year and after all those games I definitely think Wisky continues to be the dominant team in the conference but I think we can hang with and beat anyone else in the conference. MSU and Michigan weren't impressive to me. 

[Chips&Dipo 1,461]

Kentucky seems really good defensively. Offensively, half of their points came from put back dunks. That being said, they are a very good team. Scary talented, but no pure shooters. Probably will win out in the SEC, tournament is always a crap shoot to guess. Their perimeter defense isn't very good. People were getting into the lane, then getting swated to the 9th row. Probably by design by the Coaching staff, but if they would have played a team with some shooters, this game could have been very different. Spread them out.

 

Duke, I think, looks like more of a complete team. Inside out game is present. Would have been a better match-up against Kentucky.

 

Jury is still out on MSU. People say that B1G is a big man's league. Costello (Alllllllisoon) is nothing too impressive if you ask me. Granted Jahil is a young Tim Duncan (he uses the BACKBOARD! WHAT!?).

 

Kansas was greatly overrated in my opinion. However, I think a poor game plan and Kentucky superior size may have exacerbated the situation.

 

Side note, scored free tickets for the game tomorrow! Cha-ching!

[CampHoosier 3,697]

Kansas looked absolutely terrible. Hopefully just vastly overrated. Duke is very very good and I really felt that if MSU had capitalized on some very poor decisions in the 1st half, that game goes a different way. UK just never seemed like it got out of rhythm. Not even a little.  

[brtjohns 711]

if this uk team doesn't run the table, I'm ready to write in stone no team ever will again.  they have a couple formidable non-conference challenges ahead in texas, unc and louisville, but the first two are in rupp and louisville doesn't have much depth, especially in the frontcourt.  harrell cant handle rebounding and interior defense duties by himself in that game like he could in some.  uk wont get challenged in a horrible sec other than possibly in gainesville, then ride into the big dance just as confident and dominant as their championship team from a couple years ago.

 

I'd love to see gonzaga run into them in march.  that's the only team I can think of that would have a solid chance of the upset.  a veteran team with great shooting and a big, strong, skilled frontcourt of 3+.  are there any other teams like that?  arizona, wisconsin and virginia maybe, but they lack either depth or size in their frontcourt.  duke might if they gave plumlee jefferson's minutes, although they're pretty young and similar to kansas who got run off the floor last night.  if you're gonna beat uk, have to shoot lights out and be able to handle the backcourt defensive pressure and prevent their big men from dominating the paint for most of the game.  from what I saw of gonzaga vs smu, bulldogs could do it.

[LazOffTheBench 3,638]

My thoughts: I hate Cal and UK.

[Hutch89 2,939]

I hope that the one-and-done rule goes away.  Cal would just go to the NBA where he belongs if that were the case.

[ALASKA HOOSIER 11,256]

I flippin' hate...hate...hate kensucky

[Candystriped 67]

Another thought from the MSU Duke game, I can't stand Dickie V. His head is so far up Duke and UNC's butt its not even funny haha. The whole Syracuse and UNC scandals suck because they will both get off without any trouble and ESPN and the national media will never put any blame on them for anything

[coonhounds 8,787]

My thoughts were r program is nowhere near those four teams and that is depressing also sadly r undefeated season is likely to get duplicated in impressive fashion and that stinks. First game was fun to watch the second one stunk early so I went to bed lol

[Candystriped 67]

My thoughts were r program is nowhere near those four teams and that is depressing also sadly r undefeated season is likely to get duplicated in impressive fashion and that stinks. First game was fun to watch the second one stunk early so I went to bed lol

After last nights showing by MSU and Kansas, I think we could play with either one easily. Maybe Duke because of our guard play. Other than Okafor they don't really have another big man in my opinion.

[WayneFleekHoosier 47,916]

I know UK looked like world beaters last night but Kansas played into that perfectly.  Terrible game plan, overrated, etc.

 

UK still has Providence, Texas, UNC, and Louisville in the non-con.  Plenty of chances plus, as sad as the SEC is, all those ROAD games in the SEC will be a hurdle. 

 

Let's just say this for now, they won't be missing the NCAA's this year. haha

[CampHoosier 3,697]

One thing I thought you guys might like was the UK fans sitting in front of me. They had to look on their iPhone every time a player subbed in to see who it was. They had to look up the number online. Then later on Andrew Harrison knocked a shot down and they yelled "Lyles baby!" 

 

The KU fans were just all around crap. They had these pom poms and clappy things and started throwing them about 3 minutes in to the 2nd half. One guy about 10 rows down tore in to a woman wearing a UK shirt. It was completely accurate and hilarious, but unbelievably vulgar. I mean C word vulgar 

[CampHoosier 3,697]

In the Kansas fans defense, she did yell "Go Cats eat dem birddds!!!" every 2 minutes. It was beyond annoying. 

[GloryDays 5,913]

   Dick Vitale finally said something that made sense.

 While praising the Paycats for their mighty roster he added that the one year requirement should be changed to straight to the league or 3 years in school.This is a mockery of the system and its getting really hard to watch.And no I wouldn't feel differently if it was us instead.Well maybe that's not entirely true but wrong is wrong.

 This is nothing akin to what collegiate athletics should be.

[colonel06 1,913]

I fully agree. Most athletic collegiate team ever? They are not a great shooting team though. That is their only weakness. Booker is a good shooter and the Harrison's are streaky. Lyles is a good shooter for a big.

I don't love the Harrison's. I think they are overrated to some extent. That front court though is wildly athletic and talented.

It will take a hot shooting, guard oriented team to beat them. Remember, not even a week ago they were down 5 at half to Buffalo????

One problem is, Florida is down this year. Usually they get it done but not sure they have the fire power to do it. Louisville may be the best obvious choice to get it done.

 

 

Kentucky may be the best collection of talent I have ever seen on the collegiate level.  Of course, the majority of them should be in the NBA right now instead of making a sham of the student-athelete concept.  They may lose a game along the way, but I don't see them being beaten.  I hope I'm wrong but that team looks like a National Champion to me.

However,  the KU fans still can't get over the "Wat Shot" and seems to be stuck squarely in their collective craws.