If Cal says no to the Pelicans and Anthony Davis then I doubt he'll ever go pro. Cal is the best recruiter in the world. Do you all honestly believe he couldn't talk Davis into staying in NOLA with him for more money than anyone else can pay him? Come on now.

I hope he goes, maybe a new coach can actually win a national championship, not just get to the final four and take a poop.

I hope he goes, maybe a new coach can actually win a national championship, not just get to the final four and take a poop.

 

:no:

I hope he goes, maybe a new coach can actually win a national championship, not just get to the final four and take a poop.

 

With that line of thinking, I suppose you think that UNC should have canned Dean Smith instead of naming the builidng after him.

With that line of thinking, I suppose you think that UNC should have canned Dean Smith instead of naming the builidng after him.

 

Who?

I hope he goes, maybe a new coach can actually win a national championship, not just get to the final four and take a poop.

 

You mean win a championship like the guy who coached the team to the 2012 title?

:no:

 

He just likes to stir the pot with ridiculousness.

Here's what has to happen for Calipari to take an NBA job:

 

• Because of the compensation package at UK, and the way salaries are now for NBA head coaches (only Doc Rivers, at $10m per year, makes more than Cal's current salary), I see no circumstance where Cal accepts an NBA head coaching position at a pay rate that's not at least $10m per year.

 

• That, in turn, would require a team owner to make a man who was a smashing failure in his first stint in the NBA the highest-paid coach in the league this time around, with no guarantees. I just don't see an NBA team taking that risk when they would likely feel, based on history, that they can get just as good a coach for $2m per year, and pocket the other $8m (or more) they would be paying Calipari.

 

I just don't see any scenario where an NBA team is going pay him that much with no guarantee he's going to be any better than the first time around.

 

Calling Cal's first stint in the NBA a smashing failure is a little harsh. It was disappointing but he did make the playoffs and one year was the strike.

Calling Cal's first stint in the NBA a smashing failure is a little harsh. It was disappointing but he did make the playoffs and one year was the strike.

 

Did he win championships? Did he do anything remotely resembling what he's done since he left the NBA? And how hard is it to make the playoffs in the NBA anyway?

 

If I'm an NBA team owner, I'm probably going to be looking at the long list of high-profile college coaches who came to the NBA with much fanfare and didn't replicate their collegiate success in the pros. And with the price tag it's going to take NBA team owner me to entice Calipari away from UK, it would make it really easy to just pocket a few million extra and hire an NBA retread coach, and not bother with the uncertainty about whether Calipari's worth the risk when there's no guarantee he can succeed in the NBA.

Did he win championships? Did he do anything remotely resembling what he's done since he left the NBA? And how hard is it to make the playoffs in the NBA anyway?

 

If I'm an NBA team owner, I'm probably going to be looking at the long list of high-profile college coaches who came to the NBA with much fanfare and didn't replicate their collegiate success in the pros. And with the price tag it's going to take NBA team owner me to entice Calipari away from UK, it would make it really easy to just pocket a few million extra and hire an NBA retread coach, and not bother with the uncertainty about whether Calipari's worth the risk when there's no guarantee he can succeed in the NBA.

 

I didn't say he had great success just that calling it a smashing failure was a little harsh. Listen I agree for the most part paying college coaches a high amount doesn't make sense.

 

Cal is in a unique situation where a large number of young talent in the NBA has played for him. No coach in history has put this much elite talent into the NBA in a short period of time. So if Cal sold an owner on being able to sway former players they be inclined to pay.

 

I personally am in your boat I'd pay a young NBA asst. before I overpayed a college coach.

Cal turned down $10m per year and full control at Cleveland last year.

 

Big number for teams to start at with Cal.

Cal turned down $10m per year and full control at Cleveland last year.

 

Big number for teams to start at with Cal.

 

Was it already known LeBron was going to Cleveland at that point?

Was it already known LeBron was going to Cleveland at that point?

 

No.

Yeah, was the Brandon Knight team considered "stocked"?

 

Wouldn't really consider them "stocked" without Kanter, but they did have:

 

Brandon Knight (5*, McDonald's All American and in the running for best player/best PG in his class, top 5 in his class),

 

Terrence Jones (5*, McDonald's All American, top 10 in class),

 

Doron Lamb (McDonald's All American, top 20 player in his class),

 

DeAndre Liggins (4*, #28 in his class),

 

Darius Miller (4*, Top 40 in his class);

 

 

3 McDonald's All-Americans, though freshman, who were top 5, 10, and 20-25 in their class, and a couple of Juniors who were in the 30's and 40's in their classes isn't a bad start.

 

Poole was a freshman but another guy who was a top 50 guy too. Out of high school, Vargas was a 4*, top 50 guy as well. Harrelson was offered by Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, and a few schools when he got his release. Throw in them getting to practice against Kanter and it's not exactly as if they were hurting for talent. I'm sure plenty of teams would love to have those kinds of numbers.

 

A better way to describe it might be that they weren't "stocked" by Kentucky, North Carolina, or Duke standards, but it isn't as if you see many teams with 3 McDonald's All Americans, seven guys who were top 50 in their high school class, six of which eventually play in the NBA, on the same college team and think "no talent".

Wouldn't really consider them "stocked" without Kanter, but they did have:

 

Brandon Knight (5*, McDonald's All American and in the running for best player/best PG in his class, top 5 in his class),

 

Terrence Jones (5*, McDonald's All American, top 10 in class),

 

Doron Lamb (McDonald's All American, top 20 player in his class),

 

DeAndre Liggins (4*, #28 in his class),

 

Darius Miller (4*, Top 40 in his class);

 

 

3 McDonald's All-Americans, though freshman, who were top 5, 10, and 20-25 in their class, and a couple of Juniors who were in the 30's and 40's in their classes isn't a bad start.

 

Poole was a freshman but another guy who was a top 50 guy too. Out of high school, Vargas was a 4*, top 50 guy as well. Harrelson was offered by Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State, and a few schools when he got his release. Throw in them getting to practice against Kanter and it's not exactly as if they were hurting for talent. I'm sure plenty of teams would love to have those kinds of numbers.

 

A better way to describe it might be that they weren't "stocked" by Kentucky, North Carolina, or Duke standards, but it isn't as if you see many teams with 3 McDonald's All Americans, seven guys who were top 50 in their high school class, six of which eventually play in the NBA, on the same college team and think "no talent".

 

Which is why I was saying your statement of this years team being closer to the 2013 NIT is a little crazy. This coming years UK team resembles the 2011 final four team much more than the 2013 NIT. As you just posted that 2011 team did have some talent, and also had experience. Sounds a lot like this years upcoming team to me.