Mr. Kennedy Meeks

[Tom79]

He will continue to catch and shoot in a more fluid motion, don't care about the "no lift" bull. When our bigs are being fed by our guards, guards need to get the ball in quick to them and the resulting catch and shoot is generally successful. Meeks and Bradley are the top two rebounders in the country. KM is currently injury free and we are seeing the guy play well as a result.
Jericho needs to see more of the Unseld in the Meeks!

 

[imajericho]

He will continue to catch and shoot in a more fluid motion, don't care about the "no lift" bull. When our bigs are being fed by our guards, guards need to get the ball in quick to them and the resulting catch and shoot is generally successful. Meeks and Bradley are the top two rebounders in the country. KM is currently injury free and we are seeing the guy play well as a result.
Jericho needs to see more of the Unseld in the Meeks!

Before my time = /

 

[imajericho]

There is no reason to think he'll taper off. In fact he finished stronger as he got healthy.

Do you still think there is no reason? He is actually tapering off earlier than expected.

I also think with that Bradley sub late that Roy Williams thinks Bradley is a better defender which might be foreboding Bradley jumping into the starting line up down the road.

 

[carolinablue34]

Do you still think there is no reason? He is actually tapering off earlier than expected.

I also think with that Bradley sub late that Roy Williams thinks Bradley is a better defender which might be foreboding Bradley jumping into the starting line up down the road.

We need both of them to play better. They should have stepped up in Berry's absence, and they've been disappointing as a result.

 

[imajericho]

Bradley is only going to get better with time on the court and chemistry.

Personally, I think Robinson, Seventh, and Bradley all can be good players given time. i am very upbeat regarding their prospects.

 

[Archer2]

Isaiah and Kennedy both had disappointing games last night. They are what they are. Some nights they're great, some nights they're quite average. I've come to accept that. With Joel back at PG though, they'll get a little better shots, our offensive spacing isn't nearly as good without our star facilitator.

 

[plm]

Meeks plays lazy at times and that is when he struggles. his inability to move his feet defensively on ball screens really hurts our defense. I agree Joel will definitely make Meeks game better but Meeks has got to hustle and help himself.

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Hicks-Meeks both miss Berry something fierce, but miss Theo even more.

 

[gary-7]

Do you still think there is no reason? He is actually tapering off earlier than expected.

I also think with that Bradley sub late that Roy Williams thinks Bradley is a better defender which might be foreboding Bradley jumping into the starting line up down the road.

Not at all. It's called a situational substitution. We were up 2 and needed a rim protector. If we were up 3 that substitution would not have been made.

 

[dadika13]

Not at all. It's called a situational substitution. We were up 2 and needed a rim protector. If we were up 3 that substitution would not have been made.

Yeah - it was a great sub. That sub had nothing to do with Kennedy and everything to do with how long Tony is.

 

[Archer2]

And that rim protector saved the game, great substitution by Roy, as Bilas pointed out. He also gushed about Tony's offensive rebounding and called Kenny the "most improved player in the ACC" twice. Good game for our underclassmen.

 

[DSouthr]

Do you still think there is no reason? He is actually tapering off earlier than expected.

I also think with that Bradley sub late that Roy Williams thinks Bradley is a better defender which might be foreboding Bradley jumping into the starting line up down the road.

Roy put Tony in for his shot blocking length, it was a great call on Roy's part, I commented to myself when I saw him put Tony in. It was a 2pt game and Roy figured that Barnes would try to have his guys take it inside and hope for the foul call or the make and maybe the and 1. Roy countered with Tony's length so that Tony did not have to get as close with his length to risk the foul call yet still alter the shot, Tony altered it with a sweet shot block.

 

[imajericho]

So you are saying our starting center cannot protect the rim with extra size and his own sizable amounts of blocks?

I agree with the substitution. However, with the game on the line he went with Bradley over every other option.

 

[imajericho]

Let me clarify this.

He went with a freshman with 8? games experience in that situation over a senior center.

1. It signals Roy is very comfortable with Bradley to make good decisions.

2. It means Roy thinks Bradley is a more capable defender (and to be honest, it probably has to deal moreso with him thinking Bradley is a more capable rebounder. I believe the substitution was moreso to give the best personnel to corral the rebound on a miss to limit a second shot.)

 

[TPFKAPFS]

One of the most noticeable genius moves by Roy!

TB is a natural shot blocker with very good timing. He was what we thought he was and we should crown him!

 

[Archer2]

Let me clarify this.

He went with a freshman with 8? games experience in that situation over a senior center.

1. It signals Roy is very comfortable with Bradley to make good decisions.

2. It means Roy thinks Bradley is a more capable defender (and to be honest, it probably has to deal moreso with him thinking Bradley is a more capable rebounder. I believe the substitution was moreso to give the best personnel to corral the rebound on a miss to limit a second shot.)

I think it was both of those things. Tony has a 7-6 wingspan, a huge advantage in that situation, especially when a foul puts UT on the line with a chance to tie. Also, Kennedy was visably upset that he didn't make both FT's on the previous possession. And the last thing you want is someone making a foolish foul while trying to compensate for something he thought he should have done, but didn't.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

So.....speaking of Bradley, this year when we're in the national championship game and we've just tied it up with a ridiculous miracle 3 with less than 5 seconds left, can we have Bradley guard the inbounds pass under the basket instead of, you know, not guarding it at all?

I'll hang up and listen

 

[Butterbutt44]

So.....speaking of Bradley, this year when we're in the national championship game and we've just tied it up with a ridiculous miracle 3 with less than 5 seconds left, can we have Bradley guard the inbounds pass under the basket instead of, you know, not guarding it at all?

I'll hang up and listen

I was yelling..at the screen.. guard the inbounder.. Im still having flashbacks.

 

[Archer2]

^^^^

Don't take the bait, fellas.

 

[Butterbutt44]

^^^^

Don't take the bait, fellas.

What bait? You wouldnt have guarded the inbounder? Just wondering. Because youd be in the severe minority of any relevant basketball mind on the planet.

 

[superstar57]

Let me clarify this.

He went with a freshman with 8? games experience in that situation over a senior center.

1. It signals Roy is very comfortable with Bradley to make good decisions.

2. It means Roy thinks Bradley is a more capable defender (and to be honest, it probably has to deal moreso with him thinking Bradley is a more capable rebounder. I believe the substitution was moreso to give the best personnel to corral the rebound on a miss to limit a second shot.)

It means Bradley is special! It means we have a team with multiple parts, and we have a coach who uses those parts to win games.

Meeks is who he is, and surprisingly we are seeing he is even better than expected. I am enjoying seeing Meeks this year.

Bradley is a freak and in todays game he has to be considered gone after this year or atleast test the water. There will be points during the season when he will be the best player on the court, so why not give him some end of the game pressure situations early in the year.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

^^^^

Don't take the bait, fellas.

It's not really bait. That play broke part of me forever. Roy will regret that decision for the rest of his life (and he's said that in interviews).

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Monday morning QBing is always so easy.

 

[Butterbutt44]

Its not really monday morning quarterbacking, mikeirbyusa. There was really no good reason NOT to have someone on the inbounder on that play. we literally gave up almost 35 feet of court by not doing so, and its been said a million times by greater basketball minds than anyone here that it shouldve been done.

 

[coryfly]

He should have guarded the inbounder for sure. There is logic in not guarding the inbounder but much better logic in guarding him. Regardless, we still were ok if someone just picked him up at some point, which never really happened. You don't have to guard him in the backcourt to guard him. The real mistake was never truly guarding him at all. I assume someone was supposed to come up and get on him at some point. Maybe not though.

 

[soap - new and improved]

^^^^

Don't take the bait, fellas.

And another one bites the dust!

 

[Archer2]

Again, don't rise to the bait. it's an obvious attempt to derail yet another thread, something a few fans take some perverse pleasure in doing.

 

[DSouthr]

I think it was both of those things. Tony has a 7-6 wingspan, a huge advantage in that situation, especially when a foul puts UT on the line with a chance to tie. Also, Kennedy was visably upset that he didn't make both FT's on the previous possession. And the last thing you want is someone making a foolish foul while trying to compensate for something he thought he should have done, but didn't.

Yeah, I mean you pretty much said it, Roy went with a 7'6" wing span over a center with little lift and normal reach. Roy was also pretty darn pissed that Meeks took that shot rather than passing it back out killing clock and maybe getting the ball to a higher % free throw shooter with less time left on the clock.

 

[Tom79]

Uh, on the inbounds, what was it 8.9 seconds or so left. 7'6" wingspan low, perhaps force the inbounder to throw it longer thereby wasting 2-3 precious seconds...but yeah, most of us would have guarded the inbounds play since it was under their basket...

 

[Butterbutt44]

Uh, on the inbounds, what was it 8.9 seconds or so left. 7'6" wingspan low, perhaps force the inbounder to throw it longer thereby wasting 2-3 precious seconds...but yeah, most of us would have guarded the inbounds play since it was under their basket...

????

 

[TPFKAPFS]

Guys Hicks was supposed to close out on the shooter and he didn't come out far enough to challenge! He said this himself and putting this on Roy is beyond foolish! Guarding the inbounder isn't a bad idea, but how would that have stopped him from getting the ball? He cut and was running free; guarding him like we were coached to do would have handled it!

 

[Tom79]

at the end of the Tenn game Hicks had already fouled out.

 

[Butterbutt44]

Guys Hicks was supposed to close out on the shooter and he didn't come out far enough to challenge! He said this himself and putting this on Roy is beyond foolish! Guarding the inbounder isn't a bad idea, but how would that have stopped him from getting the ball? He cut and was running free; guarding him like we were coached to do would have handled it!

Guarding the inbounder exponentially reduces the chances of the things you mention happening. Less than 5 seconds left it's a total blunder to not guard him there no matter what other excuses you use. Sure we didn't do a great job guarding Jenkins but Roy knows deep Down he screwed the pooch there big Time.

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Its not really monday morning quarterbacking, mikeirbyusa. There was really no good reason NOT to have someone on the inbounder on that play. we literally gave up almost 35 feet of court by not doing so, and its been said a million times by greater basketball minds than anyone here that it shouldve been done.

Oh but it is! Roy gets short changed way to often here by the keyboard coaching experts.

 

[tw3301]

Yeah, I mean you pretty much said it, Roy went with a 7'6" wing span over a center with little lift and normal reach. Roy was also pretty darn pissed that Meeks took that shot rather than passing it back out killing clock and maybe getting the ball to a higher % free throw shooter with less time left on the clock.

Yeah I didn't understand why Meeks took that shot instead of passing it out to burn clock.

 

[Archer2]

^^^^^

Something that as a Senior, you just ought to know. Is it me, or does it seem that players just aren't as basketball savvy as they used to be? Perhaps it's because they're relying more and more on ever increasing physical attributes and becoming less and less "student" athletes every year.

 

[JimmyinVA]

^^^^^

Something that as a Senior, you just ought to know. Is it me, or does it seem that players just aren't as basketball savvy as they used to be? Perhaps it's because they're relying more and more on ever increasing physical attributes and becoming less and less "student" athletes every year.

if you figure it out please let us know. the cause is a mystery but the trend you're describing is real. for some reason smart plays aren't consider "highlights." physical domination like slam dunks and blocked shots get highlighted. even blocked shots are admired for swatting it out of bounds (dumb) rather than keeping it in play to get possession.. these kids probably never even heard of bill russell.

 

[mikeirbyusa]

Do you still think there is no reason? He is actually tapering off earlier than expected.

I also think with that Bradley sub late that Roy Williams thinks Bradley is a better defender which might be foreboding Bradley jumping into the starting line up down the road.

He's playing better than Hicks.

 

[soap - new and improved]

if you figure it out please let us know. the cause is a mystery but the trend you're describing is real. for some reason smart plays aren't consider "highlights." physical domination like slam dunks and blocked shots get highlighted. even blocked shots are admired for swatting it out of bounds (dumb) rather than keeping it in play to get possession. these kids probably never even heard of bill russell.

AMEN! In many cases, if you can block it, you can stop it, and pick it out of the air. I wish our coaches could get our players to understand this, and act accordingly!

 

[JimmyinVA]

AMEN! In many cases, if you can block it, you can stop it, and pick it out of the air....!

or swat it toward our basket rather than out of bounds. bill russell's blocks were often the start of a celtic fast break.