When you base your program on the freshman you bring in every year, a season like this is bound to happen once in a while. There is nothing wrong with that. To expect otherwise is unrealistic.

When you base your program on the freshman you bring in every year, a season like this is bound to happen once in a while. There is nothing wrong with that. To expect otherwise is unrealistic.

True.

But how could he have missed? He knows what we wants/needs right?

Cal is the only person that has missed on some guys? You'd gladly take the success UK has had with Cal and so would every other reasonable basketball fan in America.

Probably the same way Coach K has missed with guys like Chris Burgess, Shavlik Randolph, etc., etc. over the years. It happens.

:thumb:

I think you are misconstruing "missing" with guys having typical Freshman type seasons. These guys (Poythress and Goodwin specifically) are being asked to shoulder a burden they are unable to do. They are good, but not great at this stage of the game. Nothing more, nothing less. But what other Freshman this season are able to replicate the type of success - at least from an understanding and intensity with the game - of last year's Freshman class? Noel got it and could do it. Bazz could of done it. But that may be it. When NBA GMs are saying there would be 6 or 7 guys in next year's class that would go before anyone in this draft class that is all you need to know.

Very true. These guys would be much better if they could be put in realistic roles. Every other year under Cal there has been an offensive pecking order. 10 and 12 were so talented it didn't matter but you still had guys like Cousins, Wall, Lamb or Jones to get a bucket when needed in the half court. Doesn't exist this year.

People forget the stars next to a recruit's name rarely measures coachability, heart, and desire.

 

I still find it hard to fathom that UK (Coach Cal) can't find 3-4 players that want to stay more than one year and learn the system to help fill out the depth on the team. The 97 team lost Derek Anderson to injury and still advanced to the finals because they were deep.

 

That's my only real gripe is that under Cal the Cats never have a lot of depth. We need a 3-4 project big, and a guard who will not be able to leave early that can actually help win games.

How exactly does one define a player that is "not able to leave"? Hood? Cal should load up the back end of the roster with guys that can't play? That's what is being asked for???

He would never say anything bad about a player...

 

A Look At Mike Krzyzewski, The Winningest Devil In College Basketball History - SBNation.com

 

But that's nothing compared to what he said in private. A feature from Curry Kirkpatrick in ESPN Magazine has magically disappeared from the archives, but in that feature, Coach K is quoted as yelling at Avery's mother, "YOUR SON IS GOING TO **** MY PROGRAM."

 

Not just a basketball coach, but a leader. As the Augusta Journal reported at the time:

 

Reportedly, Krzyzewski used an expletive to tell Simonton that her son was going to mess up his program. She said Krzyzewski was "rude, personal."

 

"Coach K is selfish," Simonton told ESPN The Magazine. "He talks about a so-called close Duke family. But he just wants to protect his program. He lied to us about where William would go in the draft. Late in the first round? Maybe even second round? Come on."

So there's a hearsay article online, written by a Carolina grad? Oh my goodness, the shock of it all? Did you know Kirkpatrick is also the guy that started the Laettner being gay rumors in 1991? What will they come up with next? Seth Curry hates white people?

How exactly does one define a player that is "not able to leave"? Hood? Cal should load up the back end of the roster with guys that can't play? That's what is being asked for???

 

People like Wiltjer or a scrappy guard like Mays. If these guys are role players UK has a good team. If they have to be stars, you get results like this year. Maybe this year was inevitable, but outside of Cal's first team the Cats have not had a lot of depth. I know Cal likes leaving space in case guys stay but it just hasn't been the reality the last few years.

GT I guess I'm wanting more traditional players at the end of the roster. It has been scrubs like Hood or walk-ons the last few seasons. The past two seasons UK has had 2 post players on their roster coming into both years. How does a program like Kentucky do that?

GT I guess I'm wanting more traditional players at the end of the roster. It has been scrubs like Hood or walk-ons the last few seasons. The past two seasons UK has had 2 post players on their roster coming into both years. How does a program like Kentucky do that?

 

Like I said before, talented kids want to play. A low 4 or high 3 star kid is highly unlikely to pick UK because at best they will be playing a bench role in years 3-4...

Just a quick aside...you guys will appreciate how awesome my daughter is. My son and his wife, and my daughter and her fiancee all spent Saturday day and night at French Lick Resort courtesy of moi for Valentine's day. They arranged to get there early and meet in the pub to watch the game because my daughter's fiancee is as big a UK fan as any of you....probably more so. Anyway....He's all decked out in his UK gear (pretty much standard attire for him) their server kept making snide remarks about UK, being an IU fan himself. My son, daughter and daughter-in-law are all UL fans, but they were all rooting Blue out of respect for my daughter's fiancee. My son sends me a text asking me if the servers at French Lick WANT tips. :lol: In the end they do leave a tip because they don't want me to look bad. But my daughter gets the last word. She leaves a charge tip of $4.87, circling the 87 and writing "The last time IU won an NCAA". :lol:

This guy.....lol what a riot....

 

Seems a ton of people on this thread don't agree with you at all. Actually you and me have agreed on many things before. Man, you gotta quit being so sensitive. Seriously.

So there's a hearsay article online, written by a Carolina grad? Oh my goodness, the shock of it all? Did you know Kirkpatrick is also the guy that started the Laettner being gay rumors in 1991? What will they come up with next? Seth Curry hates white people?

 

 

Actually I remember this being reported at the time. It's no big secret that when Avery and Maggette left K was upset at them. I don't know that its the same comparison some are looking for but I figured all along RockPride is really just getting some good points in when he has the chance.

Like I said before, talented kids want to play. A low 4 or high 3 star kid is highly unlikely to pick UK because at best they will be playing a bench role in years 3-4...

 

That's true. Perhaps there is no happy medium with the way that UK recruits. I prefer picking up 4 or 5 of the top 20 guys in the country to having to do it any other way, so I guess I really can't complain :thumb:.

I don't want to read this whole thread and get sick to my stomach again, but I feel obligated to post in it and say this one was rough to watch.

Actually I remember this being reported at the time. It's no big secret that when Avery and Maggette left K was upset at them. I don't know that its the same comparison some are looking for but I figured all along RockPride is really just getting some good points in when he has the chance.

I also know that Coach K was furious about Maggette and Avery leaving....in hind sight...I feel he was right...Brand was the only one ready...also, that was the first time any kid had ever left early, let alone a sophomore and a junior.

Seems a ton of people on this thread don't agree with you at all. Actually you and me have agreed on many things before. Man, you gotta quit being so sensitive. Seriously.

How many, would you say? What have I said, that YOU don't agree with?

 

Bennett. Think that about covers it...

 

Did he actually recruit Smart at all, or it was Harrow and call it a day.