How about a game thread for the Duke game?

[Barton Fink]

We would go undefeated if we had Boozer at the 5.

[Borenutz]

I thought we were a basketball school?

Try to keep up. It's November, it's baseball season.

[Pig Benis]

Knox has been a total no show.

[Barton Fink]

Knox has been a total no show.

He has been disappointing. He started slow last year too.

[Thin Red Swine]

Knox is turning into the disappearing man like Tramon Mark.

I would've never guessed he played 23 minutes.

[red death]

I know the refs let Boozer do whatever...

But here goes:

We are not getting what I thought we would by bringing back a core nucleus from last year.

Knox.  He is lost out there.  2 points tonight.  Cannot get his own shot.  He's not doing anything else either.  Last year he blocked shots, was active on the boards. This year just a complete no show in big games.

Wagner.  He just doesn't have it.  A 5 star recruit who is just, at best, an average college guard.  He doesn't shoot well, makes extremely questionable decisions in shot selection, and hasn't improved at all.  He will never sniff the NBA. Compound this with the fact that Cal loves him for some reason, which is a problem. 

Brazile.  He's mid.  He's not physical enough to be in the post.  He does at least 2-3 things a game that leave you dumbfounded.  He's still a knucklehead.  He doesn't have the ability to drive.  He can hit a 3 but when he does he's going to brick 2.  He's a putback player and a spot 3 shooter. Still,  he gave us 11 tonight and does get rebounds.  He hasn't improved.

Billy.  He has improved.  He has made steps that I hoped the other 3 would have to this point. The lone bright spot year over year.  The only guy who's made strides in his game. 

Pringle and Ewin.  Pringle is the most physical interior player we have, but he's getting swallowed up.  He's limited offensively too.  Doesn't really ever affect the game.
Ewin is soft, loafs, but does have some skill.  He's great at the line too.  Not particularly athletic.  Not going to block shots.  He's meh.

I hate to say it, but this team is a long way off.  Last year we even managed to beat Michigan at MSG.  We've lost both big games so far this year.

This team is Acuff and Thomas and Richmond so far.  Which is wild,  because as I said I thought the upper guys would carry and the young guys would struggle.  It's been the opposite.

We have carried no momentum over from our run last year so far.

This team needs a signature win.  They will get a chance against Louisville.  If they drop that one, it starts to bring the pressure. 

After the 3 guys I mentioned, I don't have much confidence in anyone else.  It's a long season and Cal is great, but beating Winthrop at home by 1 and struggling with Samford, as well as 2 typical Arkansas losses against the good teams, isn't leaving me feeling very good.

[animal]

Well we'll get um next time

[Show-Me Hog]

red death good analysis and pretty spot on. Having good sports writers and analysis is what makes the woopig dues worth it.

We better win a couple of these "marquee matchups". Arkansas fans are tired of moral victories, or We Almost Always Almost Win, across the board in the Big 3 sports.

Things I trust from watching so far:
Acuff with the ball in his hand.
Richmond's energy and effort.
Thomas's shooting WHEN he isn't forcing a shot, when it happens naturally within the flow.

That's really about it. Captain Obvious negative stuff that we've all noted:
Brazile is a hot and cold head case.
We don't have the big mens to go toe to toe with teams that have big mens.

One thing I think I see is that Richmond and Knox fill the same role but Billy does it better. They are both Fred Sanford level junk men. They are not special or even good with the ball in their hand like Acuff is. They are not good off ball shooters like Thomas is. They need to scrap and get rebounds and exploit holes in the other team.

[HTL]

Knox is pressing bc he thought this was the money year. Brazile is Brazile hot then cold. Need Acuff and Wagner to drive to the basket more.

[HOGSRUNWILD]

There aren't many teams that will stop Boozer if:

1) He is able to use his off hand/arm to clear out/hook/push EVERY FUCKING TIME he has the ball.  EVERY SINGLE TIME
2) Walk like he is doing the electric slide while camped out in the lane.
2) You breath on him, it is a foul
3) He can maul our Big and no foul



I mean if any one of those was changed, it is a different ballgame. 

I mean, that is just the way it is, but change any even one of those and he is either in foul trouble or his offensive effectiveness drops WAY down.

[HTL]

Need to get this W Wednesday. Looks like it could be a track meet.

[The Whyte Boar]

Yeah, Knox is pressing.  At the end of last year he might have been a second round NBA pick.  At this rate he is headed for new NIL deal at Central Missouri State or some such next year.

And we need some W's.  We could be a bubble team.

[Son of Spam]

almost always almost win.

Gotta get that second almost in the joke.

This should be our motto..no matter the sport.

[buff2.0]

There aren't many teams that will stop Boozer if:

1) He is able to use his off hand/arm to clear out/hook/push EVERY FUCKING TIME he has the ball.  EVERY SINGLE TIME
2) Walk like he is doing the electric slide while camped out in the lane.
2) You breath on him, it is a foul
3) He can maul our Big and no foul



I mean if any one of those was changed, it is a different ballgame. 

I mean, that is just the way it is, but change any even one of those and he is either in foul trouble or his offensive effectiveness drops WAY down.

He can also bring a lawn chair and a picnic blanket and camp out in the lane as long as he wants.

[buff2.0]

Y'all calm down.  We lost a close one on the road to Michigan State, who appears to have been severely underrated, and a close neutral site game to #4 Duke with massive help from the refs.  We have holes in our team right now but that's why you schedule these kinds of games.

Winning 2/3 of Louisville, Texas Tech, and Houston will get us back on the right path.  Lose 2 of those 3 and the SEC schedule will be a fight for a double-digit seed.

[bigpig]

When was the last time this program (any sport) won a big game when it really mattered, or when we had a huge audience, etc?

[red death]

When was the last time this program (any sport) won a big game when it really mattered, or when we had a huge audience, etc?

Well, last year in the tournament we beat St. John's and Kansas. Michigan at MSG was a pretty big game.

Went to Rupp and beat Kentucky.

[BleedinRed]

When was the last time this program (any sport) won a big game when it really mattered, or when we had a huge audience, etc?

The 1994 National Championship.  

[flash23]

We would go undefeated if we had Boozer at the 5.

He's the missing piece for our team. I doubt he'd get the benefit of the doubt from the refs like he does with Duke, but he's still probably the top college guy right now. I'm waiting on this supposed Kenny Payne magic when it comes to big men. Last year and this year we just have very little post presence.

[vegashog]

Well, last year in the tournament we beat St. John's and Kansas. Michigan at MSG was a pretty big game.

Went to Rupp and beat Kentucky.

#1 kansas and #1 gonzaga in back to back ncaa's.

and i agree about payne. he was supposed to be the big man whisperer.