UCF

[ToledoCat#3]

I still think the bench will play significant role as we move forward. They are talented guys. The youngin's will either get better fast or be looking to transfer after the season is over. IMHO

[SCKSCat]

Before the game we were 78th ranked in KenPom.
We are now 62. Evidently blowout wins have value.
Setting the starters would not have been a good idea.
They need game experience playing the right way.
The substitutes need to get use to playing with the starters.

[Puffdad]

Before the game we were 78th ranked in KenPom.
We are now 62. Evidently blowout wins have value.
Setting the starters would not have been a good idea.
They need game experience playing the right way.
The substitutes need to get use to playing with the starters.

??? Just for conversation purposes expound on your last 3 sentences.

[SCKSCat]

Tang’s comments......
On the attention to detail defensively in the Big 12…
“You start in the Big 12 and everybody’s a little bit more locked in. Obviously, we would like to play better earlier. I believe that the fact that we were in so many close games earlier in the season and figured out how to win, allows us to grow in a way that we wouldn’t have been able to grow had we had blowouts, and everybody thought we were really great. The focus is a part of the maturity that we’ve talked about.”

My point is that they have to play this way consistently and for every game. Familiarity with each other in a game situation and learning how to play intense defense comes from playing together.

[katlander]

My guess is that Coach Tang is playing the long game. He knows the young guys are hungry to play in B12 games. Evidently, they are not totally buying in or are otherwise not behaving in the proper manner. So, he decided that this is a good time to get their attention. So he is setting his satchel down and calling their bluff. It's like okay, if you are not going to play ball, team ball, during the week then you will not play in the games. If you are not going to buy in and do what we need you to do to get better, then you can sit and think about it.

We need all hands on deck. If the young guys work hard and improve we could be very good come March. There is just not enough time to slow walk them. What better game to make this point then one in which we are up by 30. If I am correct this is probably the low water mark for substitutions.

[pharaohcat]

IMHO players gain more in practice than a few min.s in the game, of course I could be wrong.

[xtrawildcat]

I think most of us would have liked to see more of the young guys.
I do not think he is trying to send them a message with playing time.
I think he likes playing with a short rotation and is trying to get that rotation established.
Practicing the last two week with Glover screwed up their rotations in practice prep for the Big 12 season.
I hope the young guys get minutes going forward. More for next year than this year.
But we'll see.

[SCKSCat]

I think most of us would have liked to see more of the young guys.
I do not think he is trying to send them a message with playing time.
I think he likes playing with a short rotation and is trying to get that rotation established.
Practicing the last two week with Glover screwed up their rotations in practice prep for the Big 12 season.
I hope the young guys get minutes going forward. More for next year than this year.
But we'll see.

I agree. Thanks for knowledgeable input. I think that all of the players want to win and do whatever Coacb thinks has to be done to win. In the post game comments Perry and Kaluma were ebullient about Finister's performance in the UCF. I don't see the starters as being arrogant. The TEAM is gelling into cohesive unit. The point about Glover is important. This team has been dealing with chaos for too long and now it's time to have basketball joy, Tang style.

[SCKSCat]

We need scoring every game, but N'Guessan's contributions were huge in this game.

[tmcats]

We need scoring every game, but N'Guessan's contributions were huge in this game.

no team wins with one guy, but dng's a key to wildcat victory. i don't see this team winning many perhaps any without him playing well on the boards and defense. he's uber athletic. he also seems to care.