Vandy coach Kevin Stallings. (Victoria Graff photo)
By LARRY VAUGHT
Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings says it’s not hard to know why Kentucky is so good offensively this season.
“Really, really good players. Their scheme is good, but the players are really good,†Stallings said. “In our case, Anthony Davis was terrific and we didn’t provide a lot of resistance for him. But it’s just more that they are just good. They are set up well. They play well together. They are big and long and skilled and they pass to each other well and they share it.
“They are a hard cover for anybody, but there were things we could have done if we had not failed to execute that could have given us a little better chance. Again, the reason you don’t play perfectly against a team like that is they put you in spots not to play well.
Stallings says Kentucky has also made tweaks to its offense that have made the Wildcats more productive.
“They have adjusted their offense quite a bit. He (John Calipari) suits it to his personnel, which is what good coaches do,†Stallings said. “They put their guys in spots to be the most effective they can be. That is what all of us are trying to do. Certainly that is what John has done and they run their offense very well.â€
Stallings said his team “expected†to play well at Kentucky and did.
“Kentucky had to play well and they did, especially on offense. We were just beaten by a better team,†the Vanderbilt coach said. “I did not think our defense played the way we could have at times, but again they are obviously a terrific team and we have to be better defensively that we were (to beat them).â€
13 Responses to Vandy coach Kevin Stallings says Wildcats “have adjusted their offense quite a bit” to become even better
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Does anyone besides me think Stallings is blowing a lot of smoke UK’s way to give them the big head and get them over confident because he wants to see the Cats lose? How many times does it take to say the Cats are great? We certainly know they are. The team knows they are. Heck everyone knows that. Except Bob Knight of course. At some point opposing coaches will try to puff you up so you’ll start believing the hype hoping that you won’t show up some game and you’ll lose. The Cats will still need to win over Vandy in the SEC tournament some way. Maybe they won’t play head to head but if UK loses then Vandy has a much better shot of winning the tournament.
I’m not saying Stallings doesn’t think what he’s saying is true. He’s just saying it a little too often IMO. I smell a rat. I’ve seen him try stuff like that before. It sometimes works too.
BTW the reason I mentioned Knight is that he listed the best teams in the country on “Mike And Mike In The Morning” and UK wasn’t one of them. He listed the best players in the country before on that show and Davis wasn’t one of them. Gregg Doyel has a great write up on that on the CBS site. You can read that here:
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/5881996/35032079
You are probably right about Stallings trying the reverse psychology approach. However, his tactics will not work, as I’m sure the team pays Kevin Stallings no attention. I do like the link you provided, and I’m glad a national writer has finally pulled Knight’s card! He is a bitter old man, and I feel sorry that he hates himself so much he must spew his hatred around to others.
He might be King but the offense has gotten better. I noticed that the plays not only get them points but they get them from the players personal sweet spots. The threes, the curles for Lamb. Most of Millers threes come from the same position on the floor.
Cal is playing to their strengths which makes it easier for them to be consistant offensively.
And Knight is an IDIOT BUT ESPN ALLOWS IT
KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. GO BLUE AND GET READY FOR SOME GUMBO!!!!! TWICE
Did Stallings say that Cal is a good coach???! This story should come with a warning, I almost choked to death on my coffee.
King, You may be right about Stallings – Who knows??
However we have to agree that Cal has made adjustments to make this team stronger. As we know he does a lot more than just “roll the ball out”.
Thanks for the link to the Doyel article. At least there is one national media person with some sense. Linda had a link to him last week & I am impressed with Doyel.
UKFMLY is right – Knight is an idiot & proves it almost everytime that he opens his mouth, or throws a chair or chokes someone, …………………
ESPN is terrible – Do they not realize that U.K. fans are also customers of their advertizers? The old days of turning the sound down & listening to the radio are back!
Yeah I know Cal has done a masterful job. Everyone knows it. That’s why I find it odd that he’s piling so much praise on the Cats. He doesn’t want UK to win. IMO Donovan has done a lot of the same thing lately too. I’ve seen SEC coaches gang up and spew praise constantly before in an effort to get a good team to not play well even if it’s just for one game.
I think that after his outburst about scheduling he is going out of his way to smooth things out. It may hurt his pride to do it,, but he’s just telling the truth as the whole country see’s it anyway.
Stallings threw out some “CoachSpeak”? Oh My Gosh what will we ever do? And Doyels article has been retracted/taken down, seems the fellas over @ KSR jumped the gun a bit as far as what was said and how it was positioned. Don’t get me wrong Knight is a sad sad case indeed. Trying to come off as the Julius Caesar of college basketball but succeeding at only pulling off a better 3rd grade Daffy Duck imitation. Not that he has anything left to save as as a credible knowledgeable source for the world of college BBall. He hasn’t done anything relevant on a basketball court in 20+ years, don’t believe me? Ask Texas Tech….then that gig went so well he drug his sociopathio son into the the HC’s seat, so he could finish off the “Knight Legacy”….Don’t believe me? Ask Lamar University…..I’d like to say that Knight and Digger are both washed up, long gone over the hill has beens, but Digger isn’t even a has been. You could count Phelps’s significant wins on 1 hand!
Sorry Greg but that story is still up at the original location:
http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/5881996/35032079
Cal has done a great job with these young players, this year’s offense has more weapons and depth. Even the defensive strategies are more polished. How much of that is attributed to the hiring of Kenny Payne?
I live in Nashville, and I have noticed his attitude has definitely changed. I think he has mellowed somewhat. I personally believe he has had to become more personable because once James Franklin came in as football coach, Franklin took over all of the publicity. Stallings is not the most personable person on a good day, but I do think he is trying to let folks see his “softer” side. He has even laughed in interviews lately. Ask Larry. That NEVER used to happen.
Maybe that’s true but I’ve seen this kind of attitude before. It wasn’t that long ago either. I believe it was during the 2009 season.
No $hit