9 hours ago, Matney said:

When this team was being assembled Cal was expecting another elite player (Sharpe) to be the alpha.

 

I had forgotten all about him and how he was supposed to be in this class. Man, he would have been a beast on this team.  Probably don't get both Reeves and Frederick in the Portal, but I could live with that.

I honestly think Calipari listened to the noise to much after the shortened COVID year. Between that and different circumstances that caused him to miss on top level recruits, which were mentioned (e.g. Penny to Memphis, Sharpe and etc,).  I think he tried to redefine his approach in buidling a team a little, because so many told him he needed to and his ego told him that he could be the best at capitalizing on the transfer portal and he could build teams through that.  Or that he needed to bring in a lot more shooters.

"Do what you do well" ~ Heard someone say that once.

Calipari recruits stud freshmen well, used to be extremely well, and sounds like it will be for next season. He has an absolute proven track record of bringing in young talent, preparing them for the NBA, helping raise their draft prospects and it used to also correlate in Kentucky success.  He's lost his path and what made him Calipari.  Everyone wanted older and more experienced players.  Everyone wanted shooters (I do want shooters still, I was one).  But do what you do well.  Who cares about the noise and KSR.

I want one more year with Calipari, primarily because I want that recruiting class.  And if that doesn't lead to success, however we define it.  I'll be ready to move on.  I'm not quite there yet, but pretty much on my horizon.

4 hours ago, mcpapa said:

And as a side note, I see Deuce and the Parker brat all chummy and liking each other’s posts a lot on this thread. 
 

The end times approach. 

Me posting BBN's meltdowns over Cal: 

Unreal that people are still defending Cal and actually want him for another year. What is he going to do with this great recruiting class coming in that he hasn’t done with this year’s veteran clad team and player of the year. If he can’t win with this year’s talent and athletes, a group of unproven freshman he has absolutely no chance with, none!

1 hour ago, nikeman49 said:

Unreal that people are still defending Cal and actually want him for another year. What is he going to do with this great recruiting class coming in that he hasn’t done with this year’s veteran clad team and player of the year. If he can’t win with this year’s talent and athletes, a group of unproven freshman he has absolutely no chance with, none!

I would argue that this team has considerably less talent than most of Cal’s other teams. A NPOY who is dominated by an athletic big man at Bama. 
 

So much talent that the 3 primary scorers go 3/30 against Alabama. No offensive scheme on Earth can handle the 3 primary scorers shooting so poorly.

You can blame Cal for a drop off in recruiting. You can disagree with his coaching style, especially late in games (I personally believe in calling timeouts to make sure my team is all on the same page). You can not like his comments or the way he doesn’t answer questions but just says what he wants. It is really hard to blame him for kids missing shots. It is really hard to blame him that Oscar can not defend pick and roll against top tier athletes (there is a reason he is around 50 in most mock drafts). 
 

I still see this team as lacking in talent and am not sure a single player could get meaningful minutes for many of Cal’s better teams. 

On 1/10/2023 at 10:45 AM, nikeman49 said:

Where did this guy get his figures and information? I could make a chart saying exactly the different thing.

Please do.

7 minutes ago, Matney said:

I would argue that this team has considerably less talent than most of Cal’s other teams. A NPOY who is dominated by an athletic big man at Bama. 
 

So much talent that the 3 primary scorers go 3/30 against Alabama. No offensive scheme on Earth can handle the 3 primary scorers shooting so poorly.

You can blame Cal for a drop off in recruiting. You can disagree with his coaching style, especially late in games (I personally believe in calling timeouts to make sure my team is all on the same page). You can not like his comments or the way he doesn’t answer questions but just says what he wants. It is really hard to blame him for kids missing shots. It is really hard to blame him that Oscar can not defend pick and roll against top tier athletes (there is a reason he is around 50 in most mock drafts). 
 

I still see this team as lacking in talent and am not sure a single player could get meaningful minutes for many of Cal’s better teams. 

There is no offense, no offensive sets that are productive, and Oscar can be taught how to handle a screen and that’s on Cal also, I think Oscar, Toppin and Reeves could start for any team Cal has ever coached , or tried to coach, absolutely no excuses for the inconsistency with this team, making 10 million a year for this nonsense.

1 minute ago, nikeman49 said:

There is no offense, no offensive sets that are productive, and Oscar can be taught how to handle a screen and that’s on Cal also, I think Oscar, Toppin and Reeves could start for any team Cal has ever coached , or tried to coach, absolutely no excuses for the inconsistency with this team, making 10 million a year for this 

You think Oscar Toppin and Reeves start in these lineups?

 

Wall, Bledsoe, Miller, Patterson, Cousins

Teague, Lamb, MKG, Jones, Davis

Harrison, Harrison, Lyles, Willie, Towns

I’d love to hear what three players you remove from those lineups to replace 3 players that are so talented they started their careers at WVU, Rhode Island, and Illinois St. 

9 minutes ago, Matney said:

You think Oscar Toppin and Reeves start in these lineups?

 

Wall, Bledsoe, Miller, Patterson, Cousins

Teague, Lamb, MKG, Jones, Davis

Harrison, Harrison, Lyles, Willie, Towns

I’d love to hear what three players you remove from those lineups to replace 3 players that are so talented they started their careers at WVU, Rhode Island, and Illinois St. 

Well, maybe not those 3 squads.

Hard to picture Cal playing second fiddle to an average football program. 

If Cal leaves I don't know how much of the incoming class doesn't go to Kentucky, but I can guarantee that DJ Wagner doesn't end up in Lexington. But he might end up 60 miles west. That would be a real gut punch. 

Reed Sheppard will be at Kentucky no matter who the coach is.

Kentucky does not recruit itself unless it is an in-state kid who has been told his whole life Kentucky is the only thing that matters. Especially in this day and age, kids could care less about program history. That is not the fault of Coach Cal either, it is like this in all aspects of life.

Rupp Arena has never been the loudest arena in America, but what I can't get over lately is how empty it looks as well. 

 

 

10 hours ago, mcpapa said:

And as a side note, I see Deuce and the Parker brat all chummy and liking each other’s posts a lot on this thread. 
 

The end times approach. 

7 hours ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

I want one more year with Calipari, primarily because I want that recruiting class.  And if that doesn't lead to success, however we define it.  I'll be ready to move on.  I'm not quite there yet, but pretty much on my horizon.

Yes.

7 hours ago, MJAlltheWay24 said:

I had forgotten all about him and how he was supposed to be in this class. Man, he would have been a beast on this team.  Probably don't get both Reeves and Frederick in the Portal, but I could live with that.

Frederick would've been here already, I think he just wanted to be closer to home.   But Rieves, yeah probably not, what's he averaging, 4 or 5 points a game and a rebound?

I hope my dreams come to. I won't cheer for UK basketball until he is gone.

1 hour ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

I hope my dreams come to. I won't cheer for UK basketball until he is gone.

This line of thinking makes no sense to me. 

Someone is either a fan or they're not, you don't just turn it on and off.