My Hot Take

[Oneandnotdone38]

We are an elite program. There is no debate on this by informed minds. Only by using a single parameter like you are doing can someone attempt to hide the fact that we dominate most every category of measurement. You are also using the other favorite of trolls, the arbitrary restriction of time frame. We are indisputably the peak of college basketball. Come back when you have a legitimate argument of broader spectrum. Cherry picked data such as you are using carries the stink of rival or troll or a bitter fan driven by deep ignorance. So boring.

I said we were an elite program. Just no longer the pinnacle. Reading comprehension man. UK has been declining since 2015. Nobody fears us anymore. Why would they?

Boring talking to a delusional fan that thinks everything is great. Remember when everyone was jealous of Kentucky? We scared teams. Yea me too. Miss those days.

 

[kybassfan]

He passes up top recruits all the time he thinks are head cases or has to many “handlers”. He needs to change how he recruits some because he’s not getting the top 1-5 players every year. That doesn’t mean don’t recruit the top players but yes recruit and develop as well. If you’ve got needs recruit those needs but if you’ve got a junior PF who’s great and need a wing or a center recruit that need and maybe don’t recruit 2 5 star PF and play them over your experience. Having the top freshman class is great if they're elite, but if you’re just recruiting the best just to have the best hasn’t seemed to work. And we aren’t getting the best. So yes change it up. Recruit some guys you plan on bringing along and coach them up and recruit your needs. And if you can get the top player at his position and the position you need get him. But stop recruiting guys who are 5 stars but are sure fire lottery picks and treating them like they are. There’s maybe 5-10 elite one and some players every year that are legit. We used to get all that we wanted. Now we may get one. So yes, if you can get that guy get him and with the rest build a team. Can you imagine having a solid core of guys with experience and then adding 1 or 2 extremely elite guys to it. Have a team of WCS, Darius Miller, Don Hawkins type players and adding a Fox or Bam or Jamal Murray to a experienced team of great college players who may not be sure fire NBA players. That to me is the problem with our teams now. Recruit well enough that no 50-100 player wants to come here but not well enough to have the type of elite talent that makes up for lack of experience. So yes, that exactly what a lot of UK fans are saying. Cal needs to build a team and add elite talent to it. Like he did at Memphis and like Villanova and UNC and Kansas do. He started the one and done model and was successful at it before everyone else got in on the deal. Now he needs to recreate his model. Guys will come and play and stay if they feel they have a chance to start and play and not get recruited over in their senior and junior years. But it is hard to convince a really good college player to come and compete and know he will only start if Cal misses out recruiting his position and doesn’t land that 5 star. Can’t recruit 5 stars that need 3-4 years to be NBA lottery picks when they aren’t going to stay 3-4 years and expect to win titles. That’s what we are currently doing.

LOL! Fantasize much? Stop hand waving and give me the four kids on our team you want to to kick off and the 4 star players that would stay four years that can contribute you’d replace them with. Bottom line is you can’t. People that can’t deal with a loss do this every single year. Not a single one has EVER come up with a plausible plan. It always the laughable woulda, shoulda, coulda names from the past which is nothing but a pipe dream and the illusion of hindsight. The guy recruits the best available that aren’t full blown bozo. If he passed up a higher ranked kid and bet on a 3 or 4 yr project, he’d get crucified

 

[kybassfan]

I said we were an elite program. Just no longer the pinnacle. Reading comprehension man. UK has been declining since 2015. Nobody fears us anymore. Why would they?

Boring talking to a delusional fan that thinks everything is great. Remember when everyone was jealous of Kentucky? We scared teams. Yea me too. Miss those days.

I said we ARE great but then I’m not stupid enough to look at just one number. Oops.

And you tipped your hand. Athletes aren’t afraid to play anyone. Fear is a perception of an ignorant fan. As an athlete you want to play the best. Rest assured we wanted by many. But you clearly didn’t know that.

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

I said we ARE great but then I’m not stupid enough to look at just one number. Oops.

And you tipped your hand. Athletes aren’t afraid to play anyone. Fear is a perception of an ignorant fan. As an athlete you want to play the best. Rest assured we wanted by many. But you clearly didn’t know that.

You have no idea what you are talking about. You must be an Indiana fan. Mid majors used to come in Rupp nervous as hell. Playing Kentucky at Rupp was basically an automatic loss. Everybody knew it. Cal didn't lose to mid majors.

Obviously Kansas or UNC or even Louisville didn't come in scared. But those teams were coming into the illustrious Rupp Arena. Kentucky barely lost there. Now we lose to Evansville and Richmond. Now teams are salivating at the chance to win at Rupp.

 

[PTUKBlue]

LOL! Fantasize much? Stop hand waving and give me the four kids on our team you want to to kick off and the 4 star players that would stay four years that can contribute you’d replace them with. Bottom line is you can’t. People that can’t deal with a loss do this every single year. Not a single one has EVER come up with a plausible plan. It always the laughable woulda, shoulda, coulda names from the past which is nothing but a pipe dream and the illusion of hindsight. The guy recruits the best available that aren’t full blown bozo. If he passed up a higher ranked kid and bet on a 3 or 4 yr project, he’d get crucified

Well that’s kind of an impossible questions. Don’t want to kick anybody off. And can’t tell you who are the lower ranked guys I’d have instead. So you’re right I can’t. But I did give you a plausible plan. And there are obviously guys who Cal thinks can play for him that aren’t 5 stars, he just gets them of the transfer wire.

I’m not bent out of shape over one loss, but I do see a problem with this current style. At least I can be honest. Not sure why it seems insane to want to build a team and add one and done talent. If you can give me a plausible argument to why that sounds as dumb as you made it out to be I’d like to hear it.

I don’t like the trend we are on of recruiting guys who are five stars simply because of their athleticism and not recruiting players who maybe have more basketball skill. I’d like to add some players who we bring along and develop, like the ones we aren’t to good to grab off the transfer wire. Build a team and maybe have some guys who aren’t expecting to leave after one year. Why is that crazy?

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

I can't believe the delusion on here sometimes. This program has gone downhill. Yea its tough to swallow. But it's better then being delusional and thinking everything is just great.

Tubby fans said the same thing. It's kind of ironic.

 

[CB3UK]

He passes up top recruits all the time he thinks are head cases or has to many “handlers”. He needs to change how he recruits some because he’s not getting the top 1-5 players every year. That doesn’t mean don’t recruit the top players but yes recruit and develop as well.

If you’ve got needs recruit those needs but if you’ve got a junior PF who’s great and need a wing or a center recruit that need and maybe don’t recruit 2 5 star PF and play them over your experience. Having the top freshman class is great if they're elite, but if you’re just recruiting the best available just to have the top class that hasn’t seemed to work. And we aren’t getting the best. So yes change it up. Recruit some guys you plan on bringing along and coach them up and recruit your needs.

And if you can get the top player at his position and the position you need get him. But stop recruiting guys who are 5 stars but arent sure fire lottery picks and treating them like they are. There’s maybe 5-10 elite one and done players every year that are legit. We used to get all that we wanted. Now we may get one. So yes, if you can get that guy get him and with the rest build a team.

Can you imagine having a solid core of guys with experience and then adding 1 or 2 extremely elite guys to it. Have a team of WCS, Darius Miller, Dom Hawkins type players and adding a Fox or Bam or Jamal Murray to a experienced team of great college players who may not be sure fire NBA players. That to me is the problem with our teams now. Recruit well enough that no 50-100 player wants to come here and stay but not well enough to have the type of elite talent that makes up for lack of experience.

So yes, that exactly what a lot of UK fans are saying. Cal needs to build a team and add elite talent to it. Like he did at Memphis and like Villanova and UNC and Kansas do. He started the one and done model and was successful at it before everyone else got in on the deal. Now he needs to recreate his model. Guys will come and play and stay if they feel they have a chance to start and play and not get recruited over in their senior and junior years. But it is hard to convince a really good college player to come and compete and know he will only start if Cal misses out recruiting his position and doesn’t land that 5 star. Can’t recruit 5 stars that need 3-4 years to be NBA lottery picks when they aren’t going to stay 3-4 years and expect to win titles. That’s what we are currently doing.

 

[PTUKBlue]

I can't believe the delusion on here sometimes. This program has gone downhill. Yea its tough to swallow. But it's better then being delusional and thinking everything is just great.

Tubby fans said the same thing. It's kind of ironic.

I can admit we aren’t at the same level the last 3 years as we have been but we are still elite. That’s really not a debate. Some teams rise up and then fall back down, only the the truly elite teams are relevant nationally every year and we have been. There’s not 5 other teams you can say are more elite programs than UK today.

 

[CB3UK]

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

I can admit we aren’t at the same level the last 3 years as we have been but we are still elite. That’s really not a debate. Some teams rise up and then fall back down, only the the truly elite teams are relevant nationally every year and we have been. There’s not 5 other teams you can say are more elite programs than UK today.

And that's not debatable. I'm 100% with that man. We are a top 5 program no doubt. Hell top three. But to say we are what everyone desires to be is a joke. And is delusional.

We haven't been since 2015. It's been a slow decline. UK hasn't fallen off a cliff. But they've been treading water by our standards.

I get sick of this thought process on here that if you don't pump sunshine in here 24/7 you're a troll or fake fan. It's gotten to be ridiculous.

You're happy with the programs success these last 5 years. Then you're more positive then I could ever be. I'll give you that.

 

[crxohio]

We got to sit back and watch. See if the boys want to get that championship mentality or not. Its all calipari can actually do every single year. Start season. Work on issues. Try your best as a coach to instill that. If your in overtime of elite 8 game or last few secs of any key game. And team makes that crucial past mistake. What can a coach actually do? Ask for a retake? Granted there a few seasons under cal that have been no chance at all at a run. But there have been great runs. And a handful of close calls = looks like we are declining. Have we reached the upper end lately, no. Have we completely destroyed our chances, no. This team either wants to turn it. Or they wont. Cal could do everything outside a stroke. Doesnt mean team as a whole achieves our expectations. But i think they will.

 

[ManitouDan_anon]

I think kybassfan is cals new hair stylist .

 

[ManitouDan_anon]

I said we ARE great but then I’m not stupid enough to look at just one number. Oops.



Here are some numbers that are not bendable . You can pretend all is well when it isn’t , it’s your choice . I’m not firing cal. I’m really not, but he needs to adjust to the offenses of 2020 ... drive it over taking good threes isn’t the way it’s going.

Resume A (5 seasons)
131-40 record
2 Elite Eights
2 Outright SEC Titles
9-5 NCAA Tournament Record
2 SEC Tournament Titles

Resume B (5 seasons)
140-39 record
2 Elite Eights
2 Outright SEC Titles (3 Overall)
9-4 NCAA Tournament Record
2 SEC Tournament Titles

Resume A: Tubby Smith’s Last 5 Years at Kentucky
Resume B: John Calipari’s Last 5 Years at Kentucky

And no I don’t want billy or tubby back .

 

[KyFaninNC]

I can't believe the delusion on here sometimes. This program has gone downhill. Yea its tough to swallow. But it's better then being delusional and thinking everything is just great.

Tubby fans said the same thing. It's kind of ironic.

I have been on here since 2005, the same Tubby fans back then, are now the Cal fans. They think they are supporting the program, however they fail to realize they are supporting the slide the last five years, the same way they supported the slide in Tubby's last 5 years. Their intentions are good, but their reasoning is off.

 

[CB3UK]

I have been on here since 2005, the same Tubby fans back then, are now the Cal fans. They think they are supporting the program, however they fail to realize they are supporting the slide the last five years, the same way they supported the slide in Tubby's last 5 years. Their intentions are good, but their reasoning is off.

Unfortunately it takes Joker or Gillispie levels of incompetence for those fans to finally wake up and get their heads out of their *** before we are all finally allowed to move forward.

 

[PTUKBlue]

I don’t think you can say we are Tubby level slide, he slide in recruiting to a level that shouldn’t happen at Kentucky. Cal is still recruiting at a crazy level. The problem is guys like Hammi, EJ, SKJ, Gabriel, Baker, Juzang, go on to NBA early or leave. Those are guys who at other places stick around for 3 or 4 years. And I think a large part of it is the culture that Cal has created.

The culture here seems like if you aren’t one and done or a superstar then Cal will recruit over you so it’s best to move on or leave early because if you can’t get it in year one you’ll only get a chance to improve if Cal can’t get the 5 star he wants at your spot the following year. He needs to build a team and not recruit a entire new team every year. He needs to build an actual team and develop players and then try to add those one and done types to the team.

That might mean he needs to not recruit the 4th best center ranked 25 in the nation who everybody but the player knows is a project and is ranked on potential if that player doesn’t intend to stay for a couple of years and grow. He stays away from head cases all the time but to me a guy ranked on potential that isn’t about team basketball and sticking around and working until he’s ready, and instead pouts and thinks he needs to leave after one year is bad for the team too. Hagans was a prime example. So was the 5star kid who quit half way through the season last year. If they are only in college for one year in their mind and they are clearly a project who needs 2-3 years then we don’t need them. I’d rather have a kid who has dreamed about playing for Kentucky and maybe isn’t a top recruit but willing to play 3-4 years and get better. Those kids are better at year 3 or 4 than a lot of the 5star wannabe one and dones we’ve been bring in lately. And Cal has noticed as well, or he wouldn’t be adding those guys to the roster via transfer every year.

 

[kybassfan]

You have no idea what you are talking about. You must be an Indiana fan. Mid majors used to come in Rupp nervous as hell. Playing Kentucky at Rupp was basically an automatic loss. Everybody knew it. Cal didn't lose to mid majors.

Obviously Kansas or UNC or even Louisville didn't come in scared. But those teams were coming into the illustrious Rupp Arena. Kentucky barely lost there. Now we lose to Evansville and Richmond. Now teams are salivating at the chance to win at Rupp.

Only in your mind. We always have a target on our back and everyone wants a shot. What true athlete is scared to complete? That’s drivel. Utter fan contrived nonsense.

 

[awf]

The NBA thing is a recruiting tool only. That said, if you think success is measured only by titles, you know nothing about contracts. Success is multifaceted and you can be assured, Cal is hitting his marks with flying colors. He’s going no where. He is running a stellar program. His bosses know it. None of them give a crap what a bunch of whiners blubber about on a board after a loss. Most are trolls from other boards. The rest are laughable sad sacks who judge their own worth by the team performance or lament their gambling losses.

^ What he said.........

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

Only in your mind. We always have a target on our back and everyone wants a shot. What true athlete is scared to complete? That’s drivel. Utter fan contrived nonsense.

Sure whatever you say. You've obviously never played at any level. The 14-15 team terrified opponents. After absolutely destroying Kansas and UCLA. There was an intimidation factor.

 

[kybassfan]

Sure whatever you say. You've obviously never played at any level. The 14-15 team terrified opponents. After absolutely destroying Kansas and UCLA. There was an intimidation factor.

Right..... What was it like being a coward on the playing field or arena? You are correct, I never experienced that but clearly you must have. In fact I never remember fear. Only excitement at the opportunity of playing a skilled opponent. In fact, I never met a fearful opponent at the college level, so I look forward to hearing the perspective of a coward in college athletics.

 

[Flipflopsandsocks]

There was a reason Cal was still pursuing Cade Cunningham when we already had Askew locked up.

Askew is a two year player. No harm in that, but he's no OAD.

I'm not sure what Askew is gonna do in 2 years.

 

[ManitouDan_anon]

Hey bass fan — start googling a new Do’ for Cals hair — that COVID style you have him hooked up with sucks . Maybe quit the fixation with the hair on his balls and look at his head ?. Just a polite suggestion.

 

[KyFaninNC]

I don’t think you can say we are Tubby level slide, he slide in recruiting to a level that shouldn’t happen at Kentucky. Cal is still recruiting at a crazy level.

Does it really matter the level of recruiting when the end results are the same?

The culture here seems like if you aren’t one and done or a superstar then Cal will recruit over you so it’s best to move on or leave early because if you can’t get it in year one you’ll only get a chance to improve

Therin lies the problem

And Cal has noticed as well, or he wouldn’t be adding those guys to the roster via transfer every year.

Transfers are equal to OAD. Cal always has holes in his roster, therefore the need for transfers. As I ahve said, Cal is the only one that can fix it, if it takes a couple of down years, so be it.

 

[kybassfan]

And that's not debatable. I'm 100% with that man. We are a top 5 program no doubt. Hell top three. But to say we are what everyone desires to be is a joke. And is delusional.

We haven't been since 2015. It's been a slow decline. UK hasn't fallen off a cliff. But they've been treading water by our standards.

I get sick of this thought process on here that if you don't pump sunshine in here 24/7 you're a troll or fake fan. It's gotten to be ridiculous.

You're happy with the programs success these last 5 years. Then you're more positive then I could ever be. I'll give you that.

Some of us get sick of the perpetual whining, crying and relentless bashing of our program when we lose a game that many thought would be difficult in the first place. In other words poop pumpers. It’s never anything new. It’s just the same old smelly pile of crap that nobody of any consequence takes seriously.

Let me put it this way. This is Kentucky. You don’t get a vote. This is who we are. You love it, leave it or cry like a bratty child over something that will not be changed.

 

[John Henry]

If you say so. We have more titles than any of those schools.

Thanks to Adolph Rupp. He won half of them and retired from coaching almost 50 years ago

 

[Baller Cal]

Thanks to Adolph Rupp. He won half of them and retired from coaching almost 50 years ago

And Duke has won every single one of theirs with one coach, yet still trails us and will trail us when we are all gone.

You dislike Cal. Lots of people dislike Cal. Their only course of action is to take their ball and mope home since he's not going anywhere.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

Can’t allow players to throw balls all over the place, run over people, allow opponents to snatch the ball right of their hands, miss bunnys one after another, play stall ball when these guys are athletes. ETC

These guys are products of the aau program. No structure, no basketball IQ, no passes, just put your head down and out run and out jump your compition. The problem is when you run into a team with a game plan, has players that can shoot, and have actual basketball skills they can beat athletes, no matter how much higher the athletes can jump, or how much faster these athletes can run. Bottom line is aau is ruining college basketball. These athletes do better in the nba because it is run just like aau.

 

[TheOtherGreatOne]

Yea because of Rupp. The game has changed dramatically since then. UCLA has 11 but does anybody really think about them as the most elite program anymore? Of course not. They haven't been relevant in years.

I think of ucla as the dirtiest program in the history of college basketball. They never won any of those titles until Sam Gilbert started paying all those eliete players to come to ucla. I remember Wooden told the ncaa that he never heard of Gilbert, although Gilbert rode to the games on ucla's chartered plane. Not only is ucla the dirtiest program, Wooden is the dirtiest coach of all time. All this and Wooden is looked upon even today as a basketball god. This never ceases to amaze me. With all this against Wooden and the ncaa ruined Dwayne Casey's college coaching career over a supposed $1000 in a vhs tape that just happened to pop open when it was dropped even though it was wrapped for shipping. Even though Casey won a 2.5 million dollar law suit against ups, his career was ruined. The ncaa put Pacific on 2 years probation for some violation that didn't amount to anything, but they are not going to do anything to Kansas over their 5 major violations. The ncaa is the second most corrupt organization in the history of the world.

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

Right..... What was it like being a coward on the playing field or arena? You are correct, I never experienced that but clearly you must have. In fact I never remember fear. Only excitement at the opportunity of playing a skilled opponent. In fact, I never met a fearful opponent at the college level, so I look forward to hearing the perspective of a coward in college athletics.

Well then that tells me everything I need to know. Obviously yall sucked. Nobody is gonna be intimidated by a sucky team. Did you play for Louisville?

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

Some of us get sick of the perpetual whining, crying and relentless bashing of our program when we lose a game that many thought would be difficult in the first place. In other words poop pumpers. It’s never anything new. It’s just the same old smelly pile of crap that nobody of any consequence takes seriously.

Let me put it this way. This is Kentucky. You don’t get a vote. This is who we are. You love it, leave it or cry like a bratty child over something that will not be changed.

What relentless bashing? All I've posted is concerns and facts. Alot of us aren't too happy with the trajectory of the program as of late. Those are valid concerns. If you're happy with the last five years you're lying to yourself. Is this the gold standard? Losing to Richmond and Evansville at home. Cal has peaked. The game has changed. He's not changing with it. And neither are you it seems. You're happy with the current trajectory. Well I'm not.

 

[kybassfan]

What relentless bashing? All I've posted is concerns and facts. Alot of us aren't too happy with the trajectory of the program as of late. Those are valid concerns. If you're happy with the last five years you're lying to yourself. Is this the gold standard? Losing to Richmond and Evansville at home. Cal has peaked. The game has changed. He's not changing with it. And neither are you it seems. You're happy with the current trajectory. Well I'm not.

Picked a new team yet? This is Kentucky and you obviously hate it by your own admission

 

[kybassfan]

Well then that tells me everything I need to know. Obviously yall sucked. Nobody is gonna be intimidated by a sucky team. Did you play for Louisville?

Nope. I just wasn’t a coward. You going to answer my question? I have never known a coward athlete. I’m genuinely interested how that feels.

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

Picked a new team yet? This is Kentucky and you obviously hate it by your own admission

Lol I suffered through the Billy G years and Tubbys decline. I also watch this trash Eddie Gran and Stoops call football. I'm still here.

Sorry bud. I'm also a Bengals fan. And if you've suffered through that franchise. Well you're ready for anything.

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

Nope. I just wasn’t a coward. You going to answer my question? I have never known a coward athlete. I’m genuinely interested how that feels.

Lol so you've never intimidated someone on the court. You've never just felt them get frustrated and scared to take it to the rack. Lose their confidence and then rip their throat out while they struggle to put together offensive possessions.

Yea I've felt that alot. Surprising you haven't.

 

[kybassfan]

Lol I suffered through the Billy G years and Tubbys decline. I also watch this trash Eddie Gran and Stoops call football. I'm still here.

Sorry bud. I'm also a Bengals fan. And if you've suffered through that franchise. Well you're ready for anything.

Yeah, I like the Bengals and the Reds. I just don’t cry like a little girl every year

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

Yeah, I like the Bengals and the Reds. I just don’t cry like a little girl every year

Yea and look how trash those franchises are and have been. Do you want Kentucky to be like that?

 

[kybassfan]

Lol so you've never intimidated someone on the court. You've never just felt them get frustrated and scared to take it to the rack. Lose their confidence and then rip their throat out while they struggle to put together offensive possessions.

Yea I've felt that alot. Surprising you haven't.

I just played my game. We played our game. I don’t think anyone was afraid of me no matter how bad we beat them.

But I see. So you were delusional and projected what you thought was fear on to them. Basically out of touch with reality. Yes, I have seen that. Loved beating that type. They always made excuses and cried.

 

[kybassfan]

Yea and look how trash those franchises are and have been. Do you want Kentucky to be like that?

I don’t run the Kentucky program. My sense of worth isn’t governed by how a basketball team plays. I don’t gamble. I am a fan when they win. I am a fan when they lose. I understand the game. I know the risks in coaching kids.

I am also not psychotic and think I can actually influence what the team does. The people that matter are extremely happy with Cal. Period. They could care less about vocal ingrates.

 

[Oneandnotdone38]

I don’t run the Kentucky program. My sense of worth isn’t governed by how a basketball team plays. I don’t gamble. I am a fan when they win. I am a fan when they lose. I understand the game. I know the risks in coaching kids.

I am also not psychotic and think I can actually influence what the team does. The people that matter are extremely happy with Cal. Period. They could care less about vocal ingrates.

Lol we are all fans here. Just some of us aren't currently happy with the direction of this program right now. And it's understandable. Doesn't make them vocal in grates. Cal isn't changing his philosophy and he's stubborn and people are sick of that.

It proves true with his recruiting. He doesn't think shooting is that valuable. So he recruits a punch of 4 and 5 hybrids that don't stretch the floor. They rim run and rebound.

He's not gonna win this way. It's changed. The game has changed. It's about three pointers now. And this guy is still recruiting like bigs run the game. They don't anymore.

 

[ScottGreene22]

Lol we are all fans here. Just some of us aren't currently happy with the direction of this program right now. And it's understandable. Doesn't make them vocal in grates. Cal isn't changing his philosophy and he's stubborn and people are sick of that.

It proves true with his recruiting. He doesn't think shooting is that valuable. So he recruits a punch of 4 and 5 hybrids that don't stretch the floor. They rim run and rebound.

He's not gonna win this way. It's changed. The game has changed. It's about three pointers now. And this guy is still recruiting like bigs run the game. They don't anymore.

The last 5 seasons not including this one yet, the highest KY has finished in 3 point shooting is 274th. That is awful and won’t get you a title.