Question for UK fans ...

[04sportsfan05]

These colleges recruit these kids hard. Very hard. It takes the average kid months to figure out what route to go. When the kids picks his school, does everything right except the fact that he didn't pan out as a basketball player they had hoped, you kick him off of the team to make room for a younger, better player who isn't going to school for a 4 year education whatsoever so the basketball team can hang banners? To me that is wrong, I don't care what school it is, that is wrong. Maybe the school should do a better job of recruiting so situations like this don't pop up. Tubby was man enough to take what Pitino left him and excelled with what Pitino couldn't bare to look at. Billy G took what Tubby left him and well, we see the result of that, but he was a horrible coach anyways. My whole point is that Calipari should do the same. Kicking kids off of the team for the sole purpose of bringing in his recruits and winning next year is despicable. Things are already going to be better next year and beyond whether you kick kids off of the team or not. Winning is that important that you turn your backs on the same kids you cheered for this year because they aren't good enough all of a sudden? After doing all of that and acting the way some posters are acting, and then wonder why a kid like Dominique Ferguson is re-opening his recruitment. I am glad my son isn't a current Wildcat.

 

 

 

The difference between academic and athletic scholarships is that kids on academic scholarships know exactly what they have to do to maintain their eligibility. If you don't have a 3.5 or higher, you lose your scholarship. Athletic scholarships aren't taken away because you averaged 30 seconds a game. If that was the case, someone like Jared Carter would have been kicked off of the team his freshman year.

 

They are not just going to give someone the boot. Please dont act like you think that. They will go out and find these kids a new place to play if they do anything at all. I dont think they will cut people but if they have to so be it. People keep saying UK will do anything to win...but why would you even field a team if you planned on losing???? Please tell me that. we are not cheating or anything, it is something that is legal. As a UK fan, I want to win, as player on that team...they want to WIN, and Coach Cal wants to win. If we didnt want to win we couldve just kept Tubby forever...because everyone says thats why we got rid of him because he was a class act. I hate hearing this stuff incinuating that we are bad people for wanting to win. Why else would we play?

[ladiesbballcoach]

Funny when a coach leaves they say that you signed with the college not the coach, but when a new coach comes in he/she can pull the scholarships of the players who signed with the school and not the coach.

 

Coach can leave.

School can pull scholarships.

Players are the only ones that can receive consequences.

Another example of the meat market college basketball has become.

[PurplePride92]

They are not just going to give someone the boot. Please dont act like you think that. They will go out and find these kids a new place to play if they do anything at all. I dont think they will cut people but if they have to so be it. People keep saying UK will do anything to win...but why would you even field a team if you planned on losing???? Please tell me that. we are not cheating or anything, it is something that is legal. As a UK fan, I want to win, as player on that team...they want to WIN, and Coach Cal wants to win. If we didnt want to win we couldve just kept Tubby forever...because everyone says thats why we got rid of him because he was a class act. I hate hearing this stuff incinuating that we are bad people for wanting to win. Why else would we play?

 

I don't think like that. It's the posts on here where people are breaking down Michael Porter's personal life hoping that he moves to California with his wife and newborn baby so a scholarship opens up. Besides, he can't run the dribble drive motion offense anyways, he won't play so why stay posts. It's the Ramon Harris can't play anymore because of his concussion, so he needs to go posts. It's the Harrellson isn't any good and he's a wasted scholarship posts. Its the well, Cal wanted Liggins, so he can stay posts. It's not me thinking that way, it's those posts that I have seen on here, and heard coming out of peoples mouths in the CKY area that disgust me. And for whatever reason, a lot of people "close to the program" seem to believe that those who can't function in the dribble drive motion offense will be shown the door, or in political correct terms, "the school will find a place for them to play". Sorry, I just don't agree with that practice regardless of the school or schools that practice it.

 

I'm sorry, forgive me for being upset at a man who represents a school as a head coach that would come into my house, get to know my family, take my son's life into his hands(for 4 years) so my son will come play for him at that university, then that man gets fired and then the university tells my son he isn't good enough anymore after they bring someone else in. Then my son will probably have a list of schools that he won't get released to and he will have to sit out a year on top of that. Whatever, yes, that is heartless on the university's part.

 

All I am asking people to do is be honest. Some people have come on here and said "I am heartless and I want to win now". I can respect that even though I don't agree with that mentality. Agree to disagree and move on. But don't try to act all politically correct. No one cares about the kid that the "school was able to find a better situation for" or the kid who "couldn't run the dribble drive motion offense and has a wife and kid to worry about now". Once those scholarships are passed out to the next top recruit, the kid is all but forgotten and no one is checking to see if the "school found a good situation for him" Don't even try to fool yourself.

 

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think one of BCG's early comitments was an SEC caliber player, but had he made it to UK, then he should have been there all 4 years, IMO. He shouldn't have his scholarship pulled after he arrives because all of a sudden he isn't any good anymore. Disciplinary problem, go ahead, pull it. Performance problem, how about the coach does his job and work that much harder to develop the talent that was recruited to play there.

[Hatz]

I don't think like that. It's the posts on here where people are breaking down Michael Porter's personal life hoping that he moves to California with his wife and newborn baby so a scholarship opens up. Besides, he can't run the dribble drive motion offense anyways, he won't play so why stay posts. It's the Ramon Harris can't play anymore because of his concussion, so he needs to go posts. It's the Harrellson isn't any good and he's a wasted scholarship posts. Its the well, Cal wanted Liggins, so he can stay posts. It's not me thinking that way, it's those posts that I have seen on here, and heard coming out of peoples mouths in the CKY area that disgust me. And for whatever reason, a lot of people "close to the program" seem to believe that those who can't function in the dribble drive motion offense will be shown the door, or in political correct terms, "the school will find a place for them to play". Sorry, I just don't agree with that practice regardless of the school or schools that practice it.

 

I'm sorry, forgive me for being upset at a man who represents a school as a head coach that would come into my house, get to know my family, take my son's life into his hands(for 4 years) so my son will come play for him at that university, then that man gets fired and then the university tells my son he isn't good enough anymore after they bring someone else in. Then my son will probably have a list of schools that he won't get released to and he will have to sit out a year on top of that. Whatever, yes, that is heartless on the university's part.

 

All I am asking people to do is be honest. Some people have come on here and said "I am heartless and I want to win now". I can respect that even though I don't agree with that mentality. Agree to disagree and move on. But don't try to act all politically correct. No one cares about the kid that the "school was able to find a better situation for" or the kid who "couldn't run the dribble drive motion offense and has a wife and kid to worry about now". Once those scholarships are passed out to the next top recruit, the kid is all but forgotten and no one is checking to see if the "school found a good situation for him" Don't even try to fool yourself.

 

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't think one of BCG's early comitments was an SEC caliber player, but had he made it to UK, then he should have been there all 4 years, IMO. He shouldn't have his scholarship pulled after he arrives because all of a sudden he isn't any good anymore. Disciplinary problem, go ahead, pull it. Performance problem, how about the coach does his job and work that much harder to develop the talent that was recruited to play there.

 

I think you are asking a morals question and on that thought, I would agree with you.

 

However you shouldn't pretend that this is unique to College athletics. The scenario you described is called "the Real World." The real world does just that. My brother in law worked for years in management at a locally owned IGA, small town KY. He and the owner were "friends" and the he put in years of great work. Many came to that local store just because he was there.

 

But you know what happened? The owner sold the store to a big company and made a mint. He also secured a job for himself in the company structure in their home offices (another part of KY).

 

How did the new company reward my brother in law? They sent a new supervisor who made his life crap. Finally, after months of working under horrible conditions the new super called my brother in law in and told him, "You don't get it do you? I was hired to come here and get you to quit. But you won't. So I guess I'll fire you instead."

 

Out. Gone. Over. 48 years old and left without any job because there was new Sheriff in town.

 

That's the REAL WORLD. Now to pretend that some grand harm will happen to a kid who is asked to go elsewhere and/or is found a new home is Horrific, I agree it's morally reprehensible and not the "right" thing to do. But then neither was what my family went through.

 

Like it or not, it's the real world. No smilies, no emoticons, just . . . life.

[SEMPERFIFALCON]

Well, now I realize....UK fans will do anything to win.

 

Because this is a prime example of UK doing something that no other school does right? Your snide comments since Calapari's hire have been quite humorous...Thanks for the laughs...

RP=8 > JC=0

[PurplePride92]

Hatz, that is all so very true. I guess that is my whole argument, that morally, it is wrong. Granted, these are two separate situations that are similar in some ways, but at the same time they are different. I have nothing wrong with getting our kids prepared for the real world. My beef is with those who think this is the proper way to go about rebuilding for the future. It doesn't have to be so harsh.

 

 

I definitely know that this isn't a unique situation to college athletics, but like I said, if this is a practice that is running rampant, then it needs to be explored by Bob Ley on Outside the Lines.

[Hatz]

Hatz, that is all so very true. I guess that is my whole argument, that morally, it is wrong. Granted, these are two separate situations that are similar in some ways, but at the same time they are different. I have nothing wrong with getting our kids prepared for the real world. My beef is with those who think this is the proper way to go about rebuilding for the future. It doesn't have to be so harsh.

 

 

I definitely know that this isn't a unique situation to college athletics, but like I said, if this is a practice that is running rampant, then it needs to be explored by Bob Ley on Outside the Lines.

 

:thumb:

[BigSpikes]

Hatz, that is all so very true. I guess that is my whole argument, that morally, it is wrong. Granted, these are two separate situations that are similar in some ways, but at the same time they are different. I have nothing wrong with getting our kids prepared for the real world. My beef is with those who think this is the proper way to go about rebuilding for the future. It doesn't have to be so harsh.

 

 

I definitely know that this isn't a unique situation to college athletics, but like I said, if this is a practice that is running rampant, then it needs to be explored by Bob Ley on Outside the Lines.

 

But recruiting mediocre players is what got UK gon the wrong track for the past 10 seasons, just 13 years ago Kentucky had one of the best teams in College Basketball History and now it has been reduced to NIT bids.

[PurplePride92]

UK went to the NIT once, this year, because of a mediocre coach, not mediocre players. UK hasn't won a championship since 1998 because parity is running rampant in college basketball not because UK had mediocre players.

 

See the Michigan State-UConn game tonight for an example.

[ladiesbballcoach]

UK went to the NIT once, this year, because of a mediocre coach, not mediocre players. UK hasn't won a championship since 1998 because parity is running rampant in college basketball not because UK had mediocre players.

 

See the Michigan State-UConn game tonight for an example.

 

As they pointed out #23 for Michigan State, Green, had committed to UK and Tubby Smith. And then Tubby left.

[BigSpikes]

UK went to the NIT once, this year, because of a mediocre coach, not mediocre players. UK hasn't won a championship since 1998 because parity is running rampant in college basketball not because UK had mediocre players.

 

See the Michigan State-UConn game tonight for an example.

 

True Billy Clyde wasn't cut out for the big time like the University of Kentucky, but when you look around at the premier programs I mentioned in my above post, most are pulling in top recruits year after year, Kentucky has not pulled in nearly as many of the caliber recruits that the other top-tier programs have.

[5wide]

I would object to any 2010 senior being asked for their scholarship.

 

I can agree with that.

 

I think some people are jumping to conclusions on what exactly is going to happen. I don't think anyone will be "kicked off the team". From what Calipari has said, I think its more likely that he will evaluate them, meet with them individually and be up front with them about what he thinks of them and how they'll fit in his system, and if they do leave UK, he'll try to help them find a new home and a good fit.

 

You guys make it sound like he's going to come in and say, "You, you and you...you're off the team. Pack your bags and don't let the door hit you on the way out."

 

It is what it is. Some people have a problem with it, some people don't. I fall in the latter group.