(01-08-2023 01:05 PM)esayem Wrote:  Cal’s job is to

1) Win national titles

2) Recruit elite blue chip athletes

3) Beat Louisville

UK boosters don’t care about anything else. Period. This is what the job demands. Gillespie and Smith weren’t up to the task and I’m not sure who else the boosters think will get this done that’s better than Cal. The boosters drool over recruiting, they don’t want to wait around for a coach to build a team. This is Kentucky, not Tennessee or Wake Forest.

Anybody questioning his in-game strategy and abilities doesn’t know basketball. Coaching freshmen is a hell of a lot harder than people think, whether they’re blue chip or walk-ons. Essentially Cal is starting from scratch every season and he is well aware of it. But to say the man can’t coach is asinine; look at his records at UMass and Memphis.

That's a fair statement. However, I also think the "This is Kentucky" position means that they have only three true peer programs nationally - Duke, UNC and Kansas - and have seen them go through more relative success than Kentucky in recent years in the NCAA Tournament despite having the same type of one-and-done freshman recruit cycle virtually every year. So, sure, by the standards of virtually every other program, Cal would be a legend. However, just as Ohio State/Michigan fans view everything through the prism of how they perform against each other or certain football fan bases (e.g. Alabama, Notre Dame, etc.) have an entirely different standard for success compared to everyone else, we would see that with Kentucky as their fans see it as, "Why are Duke, Kansas and UNC doing it but not us?"

Now, I agree that the likelihood of Kentucky finding anyone other than Cal that would consistently meet the booster requirements that you've noted is extremely difficult and that person may not exist at all.

In a pre-game press conference last week, Alabama coach Nate Oats said Kentucky basketball fans are like Alabama football fans, they are spoiled and get upset if they aren’t in the playoffs.

Bill Self now has Kansas with a 12-game lead in the most wins by program - not something that will be rectified by one great KY season/bad KU season

Self is now the real center of college BB

(01-09-2023 09:55 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(01-07-2023 03:55 PM)JRsec Wrote:  

(01-07-2023 02:39 PM)chess Wrote:  Mike Krzyzewski retires from Duke.
Roy Williams retires from North Carolina.

This should be a golden age for the University of Kentucky and John Calipari. What is going on? They should be dominating recruiting and be the best team.

Does anyone have any insights?

What's new? He can recruit like hell, but he couldn't coach his wife through labor in the delivery room surrounded by medical professionals. He is, and has been, way, way overrated as a coach. Kentucky is 5 studs running wild with precious little coordination.

LOL - you hit the nail on the head with that one! Definitely the epitome of an amazing recruiter than then just rolls the ball out there when it comes time to playing the games.

You guys are missing the point. Cal is a great recruiter and a great MOTIVATOR. These kids are not responding to Cal's motivation techniques. The key to Cal's team's winning is motivation. He is not able to motivate these guys. It might be generational in nature. If so, he's done.

South Carolina is up by 10 at the Half. Kentucky just doesn't look good.

(01-10-2023 07:52 PM)chess Wrote:  South Carolina is up by 10 at the Half. Kentucky just doesn't look good.

And South Carolina is pretty weak right now!

OK, now Kentucky can panic.

I've talked about for weeks how bad South Carolina is. This game was in Lexington. Calipari's lost this team.

Cals taking the UT job. This game is all the proof you need.

(01-10-2023 09:47 PM)WhoseHouse? Wrote:  Cals taking the UT job. This game is all the proof you need.

Would he go to a place where he’d be second on the totem poll?

(01-10-2023 09:47 PM)WhoseHouse? Wrote:  Cals taking the UT job. This game is all the proof you need.

I'd be curious to see Calipari step down, take a year (or more) to broadcast (he would do a fine job) and then resurface at a program with lots of potential yet is underachieving (for example, St. John's or Georgetown). But I don't see that happening.

Cal at Texas is actually not a bad fit. Great recruiting state, he could stay in the SEC and there would be less pressure than with UK.

(01-10-2023 09:50 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:47 PM)WhoseHouse? Wrote:  Cals taking the UT job. This game is all the proof you need.

Would he go to a place where he’d be second on the totem poll?

After Kentucky, he might actually prefer to be at a football school. Less pressure and a different type challenge than he had at UMass and Memphis (both hoops schools) and now at UK (also a basketball school). Could be a refreshing change of pace for Calipari.

(01-10-2023 09:10 PM)schmolik Wrote:  OK, now Kentucky can panic.

I've talked about for weeks how bad South Carolina is. This game was in Lexington. Calipari's lost this team.

I think BIG OSCAR getting $2 Million in NIL bucks may have created a bit of a rift with his Big Blue buds. Sure the other six or seven fella's that play minutes are collecting cash too, but they ain't getting Oscar level payola.....In this new NIL, payed to play and everybody knows how much, college sports world it will be interesting to watch how these team sports react when one teammate is making mass bank while the other dudes are getting cab fare.

(01-10-2023 09:50 PM)AssKickingChicken Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:47 PM)WhoseHouse? Wrote:  Cals taking the UT job. This game is all the proof you need.

Would he go to a place where he’d be second on the totem poll?

To save face and avoid getting fired, possibly.

COW 8.6 million; oscar 2 million; Moooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(01-10-2023 09:55 PM)JUSTGOPLAY Wrote:  I think BIG OSCAR getting $2 Million in NIL bucks may have created a bit of a rift with his Big Blue buds. Sure the other six or seven fella's that play minutes are collecting cash too, but they ain't getting Oscar level payola.....In this new NIL, payed to play and everybody knows how much, college sports world it will be interesting to watch how these team sports react when one teammate is making mass bank while the other dudes are getting cab fare.

I agree.

The SEC and Big Ten money is going to buy the players needed to compete. Will the North Carolinas and Dukes and UConns and... have the resources to compete for the elite players? How do you manage a roster where some players are making significant money?

Texas will. Texas boosters are willing to buy whatever is needed to compete.

If you're Calipari, moving to another school is just a pride/saving face move now. He's 63 years old. Jay Wright walked away at 61. And if you're Texas, why hire him after this mess instead of hiring someone younger?

(01-08-2023 01:05 PM)esayem Wrote:  Cal’s job is to

1) Win national titles

2) Recruit elite blue chip athletes

3) Beat Louisville

UK boosters don’t care about anything else. Period. This is what the job demands. Gillespie and Smith weren’t up to the task and I’m not sure who else the boosters think will get this done that’s better than Cal. The boosters drool over recruiting, they don’t want to wait around for a coach to build a team. This is Kentucky, not Tennessee or Wake Forest.

Anybody questioning his in-game strategy and abilities doesn’t know basketball. Coaching freshmen is a hell of a lot harder than people think, whether they’re blue chip or walk-ons. Essentially Cal is starting from scratch every season and he is well aware of it. But to say the man can’t coach is asinine; look at his records at UMass and Memphis.

He's not coaching freshman this year. Five of his top six players are in their fourth-year in college, including the reigning National Player of the Year. Hard to get a more experienced bunch than Cal is enjoying this season.

(01-11-2023 07:38 AM)Go College Sports Wrote:  

(01-08-2023 01:05 PM)esayem Wrote:  Cal’s job is to

1) Win national titles

2) Recruit elite blue chip athletes

3) Beat Louisville

UK boosters don’t care about anything else. Period. This is what the job demands. Gillespie and Smith weren’t up to the task and I’m not sure who else the boosters think will get this done that’s better than Cal. The boosters drool over recruiting, they don’t want to wait around for a coach to build a team. This is Kentucky, not Tennessee or Wake Forest.

Anybody questioning his in-game strategy and abilities doesn’t know basketball. Coaching freshmen is a hell of a lot harder than people think, whether they’re blue chip or walk-ons. Essentially Cal is starting from scratch every season and he is well aware of it. But to say the man can’t coach is asinine; look at his records at UMass and Memphis.

He's not coaching freshman this year. Five of his top six players are in their fourth-year in college, including the reigning National Player of the Year. Hard to get a more experienced bunch than Cal is enjoying this season.

While that’s true, attrition caused roster depletion and here we are with what’s left. I’m not making any excuses for the performance this season, but I think they bounce back and make the tournament. Why? Because he’s a great coach.

(01-11-2023 03:45 AM)chess Wrote:  

(01-10-2023 09:55 PM)JUSTGOPLAY Wrote:  I think BIG OSCAR getting $2 Million in NIL bucks may have created a bit of a rift with his Big Blue buds. Sure the other six or seven fella's that play minutes are collecting cash too, but they ain't getting Oscar level payola.....In this new NIL, payed to play and everybody knows how much, college sports world it will be interesting to watch how these team sports react when one teammate is making mass bank while the other dudes are getting cab fare.

I agree.

The SEC and Big Ten money is going to buy the players needed to compete. Will the North Carolinas and Dukes and UConns and... have the resources to compete for the elite players? How do you manage a roster where some players are making significant money?

Of course they will and they already are. NIL has nothing to do with media payouts.

Did Cal run out of cuss words?