[BostonCard]

Maples is a shell of its former self...it pains me every time I walk into the place for a game.  The potential was there had Reid stayed for his final year, but I can't blame him and he's clearly doing well for the Wildcats.

As for Haase, I'm hopeful that this young team will turn the corner next year.  If not, I think the leash needs to be short.  Middle of the road in a down Pac12 is no place to be in an athletic department and a university that strives for excellence in all things.  

What is the short list of up and coming coaches?

I was interested, so I wanted to see how Travis is doing. Obviously the Wildcats are a much better team, and they are ranked #5 and in second place in the SEC.  Travis has started 20/23 games for Kentucky (not sure why he didn't start 3), but since he is on a much more talented and deeper team, he isn't being asked to do as much.  He's playing about 6 fewer minutes per game, and his utilization rate on offense is about 60% what it was last year when he played for us.  His rebounds are down, but not quite as much as his scoring, and his blocks are up, probably because he can be more aggressive as he doesn't have to worry about foul trouble quite as much as at Stanford.  The unfortunate thing for him, though, is despite not being the focus of opposing defenses as he was and would have been at Stanford, his offensive efficiency is not any better than it was last year.  FG% is basically the same as last year (.522 down from .527) and his 3-point field goal percentage is actually worse (.263 down from .295).  I wonder where this leaves him on the draft boards.  I didn't see him in the one mock draft I looked at, but I didn't look exhaustively.

Of course, what he does get is an NCAA tournament berth and a chance to compete for a trip to the final four.  I think a Stanford team with Travis would obviously be better than what we have this year, but I'm not sure how much better, and certainly not enough better to think a final four is a possibility as anything more than a low-seed cinderella (if we even make the NCAA tournament with Travis).

Anyway, bummed that he left, but it seems like he is doing alright for himself at Kentucky, even if it doesn't seem like it is making much of a difference in his NBA prospects.

BC

[BostonCard]

Maples is a shell of its former self...it pains me every time I walk into the place for a game.  The potential was there had Reid stayed for his final year, but I can't blame him and he's clearly doing well for the Wildcats.

As for Haase, I'm hopeful that this young team will turn the corner next year.  If not, I think the leash needs to be short.  Middle of the road in a down Pac12 is no place to be in an athletic department and a university that strives for excellence in all things.  

What is the short list of up and coming coaches?

I was interested, so I wanted to see how Travis is doing. Obviously the Wildcats are a much better team, and they are ranked #5 and in second place in the SEC.  Travis has started 20/23 games for Kentucky (not sure why he didn't start 3), but since he is on a much more talented and deeper team, he isn't being asked to do as much.  He's playing about 6 fewer minutes per game, and his utilization rate on offense is about 60% what it was last year when he played for us.  His rebounds are down, but not quite as much as his scoring, and his blocks are up, probably because he can be more aggressive as he doesn't have to worry about foul trouble quite as much as at Stanford.  The unfortunate thing for him, though, is despite not being the focus of opposing defenses as he was and would have been at Stanford, his offensive efficiency is not any better than it was last year.  FG% is basically the same as last year (.522 down from .527) and his 3-point field goal percentage is actually worse (.263 down from .295).  I wonder where this leaves him on the draft boards.  I didn't see him in the one mock draft I looked at, but I didn't look exhaustively.

Of course, what he does get is an NCAA tournament berth and a chance to compete for a trip to the final four.  I think a Stanford team with Travis would obviously be better than what we have this year, but I'm not sure how much better, and certainly not enough better to think a final four is a possibility as anything more than a low-seed cinderella (if we even make the NCAA tournament with Travis).

Anyway, bummed that he left, but it seems like he is doing alright for himself at Kentucky, even if it doesn't seem like it is making much of a difference in his NBA prospects.

BC