futurecoach

Demanding and asking for a trade are two different things. Which he has asked for a trade if the team won’t work out a long term extension for him.

He is filling a non recruiting type role that is going to be more involved with NIL type things. So should be a good hire to go along with the other three that had been reported. Pope has put together a really good staff so far.

I think it just more shows the other schools probably were offering him more money.

Which shows the NBA even more of a dream than playing for UK. Which is the whole thing fans complained about with Cal acting like players care more about the NBA than Ky. If that is the case then have to say the same for Sheppard caring more about playing in the NBA than UK. More to the point that players even Ky boys would care more about the NBA than playing for the name across the chest.

I think some people just don’t understand that the days of truly playing for the name of the front of the jersey is over. It’s always good to say you want players like that, but it’s not reality no matter who the coach is. The NBA is the ultimate dream and will always out weigh any dream of playing for UK. Sheppard made the right decision for him.

Is he running spring practices by himself?

Without having any idea on who actually has applied or interviewed for the job. The two guys that I think would be a good hire is Sam Elsbernd if they want a Holmes guy with head coaching experience. If they want to go with a good up and coming young coach that currently is an assistant elsewhere, but I believe teaches at Holmes is Dan Penick. Which I know I have mentioned before, but I think he would be a great hire. Young coach that would have the energy for the job, and kids would want to play for him too. I have no idea if either applied or interviewed. However, those would be to of my choices that I think would be realistic for this job and good hires.

Orlando is now back at Illinois where he was before he came back to UK this last time. I think it was a smart decision for him as Underwood at Illinois may be positioning himself for a bigger job here soon.

I’m truly asking what would he have to regret? Much more to regret about staying than there is leaving.

What is there to really regret about leaving if you’re are going to be a lottery pick? The only thing that possibly could regret is missing out on possibly being a legendary star. With that said coming back also could have led to injury, and draft stock falling. He is not going to become a better player by staying. He will develop more in the NBA, and now gets closer to that second contract. There is very little to regret about leaving if you are a guarantee lottery pick. The NBA is the ultimate dream for kids. I know Mark Pope has said the right things, in regards to what fans what to hear like getting players that care about the name across the chest more than the NBA. However, this Reed Sheppard decision kind of shows it’s not reality getting players that care more about the name Kentucky across their chest than getting to the NBA. While playing for Kentucky is a dream for Ky kids, having a chance to play in the NBA is even a bigger dream even for Ky kids.

Congrats Austin! Such a great young man and great family! North Carolina has a new football fan in me once he plays there.

Agreed. He was probably leaving either way, but probably didn’t help the chances of him staying since every single teammate he had this year and even coaches are now gone. So if your going to experience something completely new next year, might as well do it as a lottery pick.

I completely agree. I just know people acted like Calipari forced players to go to the NBA. When the reality is the only ones he probably forced were guys who were going to be lottery picks. I guarantee the ones who left early but was not picked until late first round, second round, or even not drafted at all. Were never forced to leave by Cal and would have rather had them back, but he just supported their decisions.

He made the decision that was best for him. Now the big question is does this mean he cared more about the NBA, than the name Kentucky across the chest? If he wasn’t from Kentucky he would been another guy people complained about in regards about caring more about the NBA. Which can’t blame Cal for this, since he was no longer head to “push him out” as people use to like to say.

True. It sucks you were right about Reed returning though. That would have been huge to have him back.

This! The man has won everywhere he has coached, including Umass which no coach really ever wins at. Which he was winning there long before he had rosters full of McDonalds all Americans. Somewhere along the way though people forgot that he was successful even before UK and having rosters full of top guys. Which even at UK he was winning and doing great up until Covid. Now after Covid, college basketball got a lot older in a hurry. Which even then he produced two very good teams, but simply got upset. Which all coaches have had stretches like that where they have lost to double digit seeds in the first round, and not make it past the first weekend for a few years. While I think it was probably best for both parties to move on. I do think he is going to do very well at Arkansas and is going to be a race between him and Pitino to see who will be the first to take a fourth team to a final four. Which I believe both Cal and Pitino will eventually take Arkansas and St. John’s to a final four. Just depends who gets there first.

I fixed it and went back to the first one lol.

I don't understand why they do the format this way for the play in games. I believe it should be the 7 seed vs the 10 seed, and 8 vs. the 9 seed. All the 7 and 8 seed have to do is win one game, while the 9 and 10 seed would have to be them twice. Take the Pelican's for example, they were the 7 seed and finished 2 games above the Lakers. The regular season should mean more than having to do a one game playoff against the 8 seed to see who gets to actually be the 7 seed, when they were two games above them. To me if a team earns the 7 seed, they should have to lose two games to the 10 seed to lose their spot. Then same for the 8 seed, should have to lose two games to the 9 seed to lose their spot as the 8 seed.

You said he didn’t mention the NBA one time, which was false and hence the replies you got. The over exaggeration you all have sometimes is what gets the replies. Yet even with that he did mention still getting some guys who will be one and done to the NBA. So he talked about that too.

I definitely think he would have fit better on Pope’s offense compared to Cal’s. However, Cal fighting for him last year and that relationship they formed definitely was the deciding factor.

Big Z just announced he is going to Arkansas.

Big Z announced he is going to Arkansas.

When he first enrolled at UK he was not even suppose to be eligible for the NBA draft that year. So there wasn’t nothing to find out. Then his handlers were able to find a loop hole in regards to the draft as long as his graduation date was changed to a certain date. Which remember it was contested about if he really graduated when he did. So UK and just every school going for him, no one thought he was eligible for that years draft. So it’s not like other schools opted out, other schools went for him as well. Him and his handlers found a loop hole, and then continued to lie saying it didn’t matter, he was going to be at UK still that next year. At the end of the day it didn’t take someone’s spot, didn’t use some other players resources. It was a player and his handlers just completely going against what they had told everyone.

I mean that was expected in regards to many of the current players and recruits Cal had coming in. Like it or not, unless it is a kid that grows up in Ky. Most players are committing to the coach not the program for basically all schools. The name Kentucky gets people to answer their phones and open their doors. It is the coach in most cases though that players are committing to and going to that school for. When that coach leaves, most players will follow. Especially in todays world where there is no year of having to sit out when you transfer.

I guess we didn’t listen to the same press conference if you didn’t hear him talk about the NBA. He even had a whole section of him talking about NBA players and what they talked about. Then even mentioned how we will will get a mix of some burger boys who are one and done, to go along with players who will be here and stay and develop. Completely agree on the jersey thing though.