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What will be the outcome?

  • UC wins by 13+

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • UC wins by 9-12

    Votes: 10 27.0%

  • UC wins by 5-8

    Votes: 20 54.1%

  • UC wins by 1-4

    Votes: 6 16.2%

  • SMU wins

    Votes: 1 2.7%
  • Total voters
    37
jacobkdoyle said:
This is going to be a wildly unpopular take...But I'm going on the eye test. He's been so much more assertive. For 3+ years he was just another dude out there on the floor. These past handful of games he's looked like I've never seen him look on both ends of the floor. He always moved his feet well but now he's actually being a ballhawk on defense and creating opportunities with strips. There has also only been 1 game lately (Temple) where he wasn't keeping the ball flowing. He's scored in double figures 5 of the last 6 games while shooting 60% FG 42.3% 3FG and 91.6% FT. He's also had at least 1 STL in 11 of the last 12 games (averaging 1.5 in that span), after getting 0 in 2 of the first 3 games. Something is different. I think he has found a way to stop thinking so much. I mean he had a give n go in a 2 man game with Washington for a layup a couple game ago bc he fed him immediately instead of holding the ball. I mean when have we ever seen that from him?
Click to expand...

I agree with you. Also, and I don't have the numbers to back this up, but KJ has been really good rebounding the ball lately. There have been a few times, in key situations, where KJ has gone up and snatched a rebound down around the defensive basket. It's definitely made me take notice.
 
jacobkdoyle said:
This is going to be a wildly unpopular take...But I'm going on the eye test. He's been so much more assertive. For 3+ years he was just another dude out there on the floor. These past handful of games he's looked like I've never seen him look on both ends of the floor. He always moved his feet well but now he's actually being a ballhawk on defense and creating opportunities with strips. There has also only been 1 game lately (Temple) where he wasn't keeping the ball flowing. He's scored in double figures 5 of the last 6 games while shooting 60% FG 42.3% 3FG and 91.6% FT. He's also had at least 1 STL in 11 of the last 12 games (averaging 1.5 in that span), after getting 0 in 2 of the first 3 games. Something is different. I think he has found a way to stop thinking so much. I mean he had a give n go in a 2 man game with Washington for a layup a couple game ago bc he fed him immediately instead of holding the ball. I mean when have we ever seen that from him? He's also finished on fastbreaks that he has created himself. He's actively making plays. All while providing (even more so now that we're in man defense) very important on the ball defense.
Click to expand...
Jake really think a big part of his improved play is that he isn't under intense pressure to score the ball. We have other options which are allowing him to play much more free and easy. Him and Cumberland have really formed a nice tandem at the 2 guard.
 
On his per 40 minute stats:

His rebounds are up, his points are up, his steals are up, his blocks are up, his TO are down, his fouls are down.

Overall his FG% is up, his 2PT FG% is through the roof (56.3%) for a guard, and his FT% is up, along with his FT attempts.

And these are all season long numbers that include his awful start where he had a negative PER for the first 6 games.

Something clicked.
 
WAITE HOYT 2 said:
Jake really think a big part of his improved play is that he isn't under intense pressure to score the ball. We have other options which are allowing him to play much more free and easy. Him and Cumberland have really formed a nice tandem at the 2 guard.
Click to expand...

I know Coach Cronin has told him to "run his race". Having the freedom to do that I think gives him a major confidence boost. His strip to set up Evans's game tying 3 to send the Marshall game to OT was the most underrated play of the season for us. We aren't ranked without that bc we'd have a home loss to Marshall. And I'm not even sure everyone knows that exact play. Fact is, I'd be the first to call it out if I felt he wasn't earning his minutes, but he just is.
 
jacobkdoyle said:
This is going to be a wildly unpopular take...But I'm going on the eye test. He's been so much more assertive. For 3+ years he was just another dude out there on the floor. These past handful of games he's looked like I've never seen him look on both ends of the floor. He always moved his feet well but now he's actually being a ballhawk on defense and creating opportunities with strips. There has also only been 1 game lately (Temple) where he wasn't keeping the ball flowing. He's scored in double figures 5 of the last 6 games while shooting 60% FG 42.3% 3FG and 91.6% FT. He's also had at least 1 STL in 11 of the last 12 games (averaging 1.5 in that span), after getting 0 in 2 of the first 3 games. Something is different. I think he has found a way to stop thinking so much. I mean he had a give n go in a 2 man game with Washington for a layup a couple game ago bc he fed him immediately instead of holding the ball. I mean when have we ever seen that from him? He's also finished on fastbreaks that he has created himself. He's actively making plays. All while providing (even more so now that we're in man defense) very important on the ball defense.
Click to expand...

I don't want to boil it down to one thing but that one thing can go a long way. Confidence. Not just any...6 games ago he started to see his shot fall from 3. So did Cumberland at the same time. I think the rest of their games have fed off the confidence they have from shooting right now. Playing harder on D, seeing the floor better, being more aggressive etc.

First 9 games we were getting 9 PPG combined between KJ and Cumberland and they were a combined 10-58 from 3 for a whopping 17.25%.

The last 6 games they have combined for over 21 PPG and 23 of 44 from deep for a combined 52%.


That is one hell of a step up at the SG position!
 
jacobkdoyle said:
His improvement from the beginning of the year is remarkable. He looks so much more comfortable on the floor. I was, as UCBearcats put it, on a crusade to get him out of the starting lineup at the beginning of the year. Lately I feel like he can't play enough. That topic has been completely shut down. Tough kid. True Bearcat. I hope he keeps up the tenacity.
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KJ has been Sick all year and still is not well, but works hard for Coach Cronin and the team! He has bronchitis and upper repertory issues that are in the process of being maintained! We have had a few guys on the team with the same issues! I pray for all there health because it's everyone contributions that put us where we are at, in addition to the guys buying into the system!
 
Everyone is entitled to there opinion, that's why it's a message board but this site is a KJ bash session. A lot of people forget of all the good thing he's previously done. Mick has always played him in the clutch ever since he was a freshman! Its about trust and you have to earn Cronin's trust and maturity off the court. I love this team and what they all can do, even Quad!
 
I think another thing that has helped KJ's offensive game improve, is his willingness to get some two point jumpers, to get himself going, and not live and die by the 3. Seems like his comfort level has really set in.
 
Basketball.com said:
Everyone is entitled to there opinion, that's why it's a message board but this site is a KJ bash session. A lot of people forget of all the good thing he's previously done. Mick has always played him in the clutch ever since he was a freshman! Its about trust and you have to earn Cronin's trust and maturity off the court. I love this team and what they all can do, even Quad!
Click to expand...

The last 20 or 30 posts in this very thread have all been positive things about KJ.

I really wonder sometimes if people are reading the threads before they post.
 
Can not wait until tip off. I got 4 tickets to the game in section 105. Really think the Cats play well and win the game.
 
#BearcatNation said:
I don't despise KJ, but I think a lot of it was deserved.
Click to expand...

Yeah I'm not going to re-write history and pretend he's been a great player his whole career. He hasn't been. But he's proving to be an important player on a very good team this year, so I'm just focused on that at this point.
 
WAITE HOYT 2 said:
I'm sure he has not played as well as he would have liked but that is in the past. Our production from the 2 guard spot is more then I had hoped for this year between him and Cumberland.
Click to expand...

Yeah the stat of 2 guard production that waterhead posted yesterday is fantastic. We need that the rest of the way.
 
jacobkdoyle said:
I know Coach Cronin has told him to "run his race". Having the freedom to do that I think gives him a major confidence boost. His strip to set up Evans's game tying 3 to send the Marshall game to OT was the most underrated play of the season for us. We aren't ranked without that bc we'd have a home loss to Marshall. And I'm not even sure everyone knows that exact play. Fact is, I'd be the first to call it out if I felt he wasn't earning his minutes, but he just is.
Click to expand...

You're spot on about that play. KJ was huge in that game and bottom line is without him we lose. KJ was also huge against Iowa State and we'd have lost that game without him as well.

If KJ isn't playing we likely have 2 more losses on our resume, it's pretty much as simple as that. If he continues to keep his TO's down and doesn't cause our offense to stall out every time he touches the ball then he's helping our team win games. If he has a lot of TO's and stalls out our offense then his defensive play doesn't outweigh his negative offensive impact. It's a pretty simple, the reason why this is Mick's best team yet is because we can score the basketball. If guys are playing good defense and not hurting us on offensive it's a huge boost to this team, that's KJ right now and let's hope he keeps it up.
 
Last edited:
jacobkdoyle said:
Yes.
Click to expand...

Unless every one buys up tickets today and at the game, it won't.

So many good seats still avail

Like you can buy lower level seats 9 rows back right now from bearcats ticket site.

I'm hoping something changes but maybe people want to watch it on espn since it's so late.
 

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