Cal’s Instagram post

[seccats04]

Well your claims are not true as the last 2 years we have been playing as good as any team in College ball. 2 years ago we killed 2 top 10 teams and throttled the #1 team in the nation in Tennessee. If not for untimely injuries to both Reid Travis and Washington we probably win the title. Last year we killed the SEC and entered the SEC tournament with a 5 loss team that was rolling opponents and the season got canceled. Matter a fact 3 out of the last 4 years we was one of the 4-6 teams that had legitimate shot at winning the title. Yes this year is bad but in case you haven't notices it's not been a normal year for anything.

Last two years we were playing as well as anybody in college basketball? Last year we won a terrible SEC by 3 games that is true but we shouldn't be bragging about that. The SEC outside of us and Auburn was hot doggy doo. But we lost to Evansville, Utah and a terrible UT team at home the second to last game of the season. I give us credit for coming back to beat a bad Florida team the last game of the year but we were down by 17 at one point and if EJ's tip in had not gone in this place would be 10x worse than it is right now. As for the 2018 team they lost to UT twice in March and to Auburn without their best player and barely beat Wofford and Houston prior to that. Those teams were not hitting on all cylinders late in the year like you claim.

 

[awf]

Well your claims are not true as the last 2 years we have been playing as good as any team in College ball. 2 years ago we killed 2 top 10 teams and throttled the #1 team in the nation in Tennessee. If not for untimely injuries to both Reid Travis and Washington we probably win the title. Last year we killed the SEC and entered the SEC tournament with a 5 loss team that was rolling opponents and the season got canceled. Matter a fact 3 out of the last 4 years we was one of the 4-6 teams that had legitimate shot at winning the title. Yes this year is bad but in case you haven't notices it's not been a normal year for anything.

Actually it seems like 1-5 fits in with the rest of this crazy year of 2020........

 

[Woodrow24]

Well your claims are not true as the last 2 years we have been playing as good as any team in College ball. 2 years ago we killed 2 top 10 teams and throttled the #1 team in the nation in Tennessee. If not for untimely injuries to both Reid Travis and Washington we probably win the title. Last year we killed the SEC and entered the SEC tournament with a 5 loss team that was rolling opponents and the season got canceled. Matter a fact 3 out of the last 4 years we was one of the 4-6 teams that had legitimate shot at winning the title. Yes this year is bad but in case you haven't notices it's not been a normal year for anything.

Two years ago we got beat by 34 points by Duke, lost 2 out of 3 against Tennessee, and lost to Auburn in the NCAA tournament and they were without one of their best players. Reid Travis and PJ Washington both played in that Auburn game.

Last years team lost to Evansville and the SEC was terrible. Probably only had 3 teams in conference (maybe a fourth with Florida) that would have made the NCAA tournament. Rolling opponents? Hell our last home game we lost to a bad Tennessee team and our point guard situation was a mess. Who knows what that team would have done if we had a tournament.

 

[kybassfan]

Villanova won in 2016 & 18 and UNC won in 17. Duke won in 15 and KU was the best team by a mile last year.
The blue bloods are still winning titles. But not the way Cal is trying to do it.
The new NBA rules are going to make it even harder on Cal. Not only will he not h
be getting transcendent/generational kids, he won't even be getting the guys he's gotten the last 5 years. I mean, the guy has to stop this and change course, like now, or this program is going to crash hard.

Gloom despair and agony on you. Deep dark depression excessive misery.

You ever stop to think that if things are so utterly dire as your histrionics predict, that he will end up with kids that don’t have options? All the others will have gone somewhere else to get paid. No options means they stay and you get your 3 or 4 year players. You can even falsely make the claim that Cal did it because of your relentless bleating about crap you don’t understand.

 

[kybassfan]

Actually it seems like 1-5 fits in with the rest of this crazy year of 2020........

No kidding. I just hope it’s a crazy year and not the start of a crazy decade.

 

[Baller Cal]

Live look-in at some getting psyched up to jump on Instagram and unleash the Kraken on Cal.

"Uh 1 and Uh 2 and away we go."

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

TBH I don't mind Cal doing this.
It shows that he cares about his guys even after they leave UK.

But I think he needs to go over with the fanbase some things.

I really believe that in his eyes, he feels like getting guys to the NBA and having the most talented players is the way to win titles as well.

Which whether or not he's right or not is one thing but I feel like fans need to hear that right now.

I agree. I think he absolutely wants to win games and championships 10x more than most any fan. But he chooses to poorly communicate that desire.

My only guess is that pitch is receptive to recruits. "Come here, focus on you and your nba dream. Nowhere gets you more ready". Of course implied is that we will also win games etc. But the implication opens us up to the result we see at times where a kid doesn't care about anyone else; and just does what's best for them.

I don't understand why he won't just say to the fans - if these kids are succeeding it means the program is winning games and putting itself in position for a championship.

We know that's how he feels. Why not just say it? If saying hurts you recruiting a kid, then you probably don't want that kid to begin with.

I don't know. It's bizarre imo

 

[UKGrad93]

Name one that will come in and win 35 games in year one, 29 in year two and 38 in year three with an E8, F4 and NATI in those three first years along with three SEC titles. They grow on trees, right? Smfh

Do you think Cal is going to post that kind of record in the next three years?

 

[KyFaninNC]

Hall could have had three titles in the '70's as the 1975, 1977 and 1978 teams were all good enough to win the National Title. However, there was no way that UK was going to beat Wooden in his last game and just about everyone knew it. In the 1977 game against UNC they got out to an early 15 point lead then went into their stall. That game was sickening to watch and I still think about the lost opportunity to this day.

That was the day I started to literally hate Dean Smith and UNC

 

[Baller Cal]

Do you think Cal is going to post that kind of record in the next three years?

Again, that wasn't the point. The point was that there are some running around thinking we can run him off and the next coach will save the day. The next coach won't come anywhere NEAR that success and the same a-holes saying "oh, I'd gladly wait a few years for some success" would be down the throat of the new coach after the first bad loss. Go ahead, run him off and see what happens. No coach worth 2 cents will want this job if he's run off. Period.

 

[UKGrad93]

I understand the frustration. We didn’t get to play the tourney last season. We, as a fan base, were unable to finish the season. We had to live in a constant state of unease, wondering if we will even have a season for 2020-2021. We placed unrealistic expectations on highly ranked recruits. All we had was to scrutinize our new player over the next few months. YouTube vids of highschool games and aau games. We went from being ranked tenth to 1-5. Disappointing indeed. Speaking for myself, I don’t even know 100% if there will even a full season,
The kids were expecting the Kentucky experience; kings of campus, teams quivering coming into RUPP with 11k fans screaming, cheering them on. Even in other arenas UK fans amass. These players were expecting to see the parents in the stands. Girlfriends or even hotties as they cheer when their name is called for scoring or assist etc. Bonding with teammates over Xbox or at a Sorority Party. Having students fawn over them. What they got was person to a room. Online classes. Gym. Practice. empty arenas. No exhibitions. Just Wildcat Lodge which no outsiders allowed and strictly enforced. They are missing out on the socialization and what makes UK Campus special. They are only around each other and coaching staff. They have to be frustrated, so they take it out on each other or staff. It’s gotta suck. I’d feel cheated. I’d be angry, I wouldn’t be in the mental state needed. They are young and don’t have mental fortitude to deal.
Ultimately, this is when the teams need us fans. All the negativity and calls for firings, critical ‘analysis’ isn’t helping. Fair weather fandom is rampant on this board. Funny how when the team needs positivity and it’s fans, the loudest voices are the ones shitting on them.
So,I,a fan of UK Wildcats Men’s Basketball, will continue to root for success, I will remain a “sunshine pumper”, I will continue to remain positive and not write off this team despite a 1-5 start. I will believe that we will win and the players will break thru and continue to progress as a team, grow into men and hone their basketball skills. I am a UK Fan. I know others are out there as well. Negativity breeds negativity. If you are living vicariously through 18 to 21 year olds, you may want to learn to live happy in reality.

Seems to me that you just described an ideal environment to focus on becoming better basketball players. All the distractions are gone.

 

[SemperFiCat]

Live look-in at some getting psyched up to jump on Instagram and unleash the Kraken on Cal.

"Uh 1 and Uh 2 and away we go."

I'll just look for the love poem comments with Cal walking on water profile pictures to see who you and Bass are.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

I agree. I think he absolutely wants to win games and championships 10x more than most any fan. But he chooses to poorly communicate that desire.

My only guess is that pitch is receptive to recruits. "Come here, focus on you and your nba dream. Nowhere gets you more ready". Of course implied is that we will also win games etc. But the implication opens us up to the result we see at times where a kid doesn't care about anyone else; and just does what's best for them.

I don't understand why he won't just say to the fans - if these kids are succeeding it means the program is winning games and putting itself in position for a championship.

We know that's how he feels. Why not just say it? If saying hurts you recruiting a kid, then you probably don't want that kid to begin with.

I don't know. It's bizarre imo

I agree.

I think what is happening now is you didn't hear any of this from the fanbase in 2012 or even as recent as 2015. Sure some grumbled about when he declared the NBA draft in 2010 the biggest day in UK history but for the most part when we are winning no one cares.

The problem becomes when kids start jumping to the NBA and we aren't winning. That's when it becomes a tough sell to the fanbase.

I do think he should say something but thinking about it I'm not entirely sure it would matter much. At the end of the day the only thing that will talk to the fanbase.........is results IMO.

 

[UKGrad93]

Again, that wasn't the point. The point was that there are some running around thinking we can run him off and the next coach will save the day. The next coach won't come anywhere NEAR that success and the same a-holes saying "oh, I'd gladly wait a few years for some success" would be down the throat of the new coach after the first bad loss. Go ahead, run him off and see what happens. No coach worth 2 cents will want this job if he's run off. Period.

A lot of people don't want to run him off. They want him to change. Currently, he is not meeting minimal expectations.

 

[fabcat]

No problem with Cal bragging on his former players. My only issue is the timing. When you’re 1-5 with the Number 1 class and a P5 Transfer that would be in the league if he had kept his name in. It’s just not the right time IMO. What did he expect? Everyone to be farting rainbows?

 

[MakinMusic_rivals]

One other thing I will add/ask.....I wonder if the Kentucky kid thing matters more to fans who still live in Kentucky. I haven’t lived in Kentucky for over 20 years. I don’t think I cared much about where players came from while at UK or even before I left the state. There have been many players come through who grew up in other areas of the country but now have a lifelong affinity and connection to Kentucky because they played there. I’m connected to good, hard fought, tough played basketball, regardless where the player comes from in life.

 

[UKNC89]

They miss but it’s rare. It’s not the scouts missing on the talent or lack there of as much as it is players not being willing to conform or put in the work necessary to take the game to the next level.

You sir don’t know squat. These players are the biggest pussies ever, and Cal loves those little soft boys. He knows the weak liter he is getting.

 

[StaticKat]

We may not be Indiana but we will be down for 4-5 years should Cal leave.

We will be down for a few years when Cal leaves.. because he will leave the cupboard empty for the next coach.

 

[kyjeff1]

We will be down for a few years when Cal leaves.. because he will leave the cupboard empty for the next coach.

Actually, with the new transfer rules, a good coach could actually restock the cupboard quickly.

 

[StaticKat]

Some people come out of the wood work to post even though I haven’t seen them post until now that KY is struggling

So what.. this is a Ky basketball forum. Most fans are upset and frustrated with what they see happening to our program.. so they choose this venue to voice said frustrations. Some posters act like royalty simply due to a high post count.

 

[bassworship]

What are you even talking about?Travis and Washington both played in our loss.

Yes and both wasn't fully recovered but played anyway. Washington missed SEC and most of the NCAA tournament. Don't you not think being 100% from both of our best players would have made a difference?

 

[bassworship]

Two years ago we got beat by 34 points by Duke, lost 2 out of 3 against Tennessee, and lost to Auburn in the NCAA tournament and they were without one of their best players. Reid Travis and PJ Washington both played in that Auburn game.

Last years team lost to Evansville and the SEC was terrible. Probably only had 3 teams in conference (maybe a fourth with Florida) that would have made the NCAA tournament. Rolling opponents? Hell our last home game we lost to a bad Tennessee team and our point guard situation was a mess. Who knows what that team would have done if we had a tournament.

Yes they both played but neither was near 100%. Matter a fact PJ missed the SEC tournament and Travis wasn't near 100% against the Team we run off the floor a few games earlier when they both was healthy. Listen you guys can whine and cry all you want to about Cal and his teams not playing good but were in the hunt every year for the most part. We've had some bad breaks that have kept us from recent Final 4's (last 2nd buzzer beater to UNC) and injuries to key players.

 

[know1]

As far as who will replace Cal when he leaves, does anyone think that Cal himself would come in and do as well as he did those first 5 years if he had the same approach he does now?

 

[JC43]

Seems to me that you just described an ideal environment to focus on becoming better basketball players. All the distractions are gone.

I agree, but a 18 having no distractions is a distraction in itself. I know the people I was lockdown with got on my nerves within weeks.

 

[SmedMoley]

Yes they both played but neither was near 100%. Matter a fact PJ missed the SEC tournament and Travis wasn't near 100% against the Team we run off the floor a few games earlier when they both was healthy. Listen you guys can whine and cry all you want to about Cal and his teams not playing good but were in the hunt every year for the most part. We've had some bad breaks that have kept us from recent Final 4's (last 2nd buzzer beater to UNC) and injuries to key players.

Wasn't Auburn without their best player, Chuma Okeke, in that game in the Elite Eight?

 

[Woodrow24]

Yes they both played but neither was near 100%. Matter a fact PJ missed the SEC tournament and Travis wasn't near 100% against the Team we run off the floor a few games earlier when they both was healthy. Listen you guys can whine and cry all you want to about Cal and his teams not playing good but were in the hunt every year for the most part. We've had some bad breaks that have kept us from recent Final 4's (last 2nd buzzer beater to UNC) and injuries to key players.

You’re wrong, PJ played in that SEC tournament. I think if he hadn’t of made it back for the Houston game, we wouldn’t have beat them in the sweet 16. PJ had 28 points against Auburn in that game, so he was plenty healthy enough. Auburn just beat us..without one of their best players. Reid Travis was healthy during the NCAA tournament and even led us in scoring during one of the games. So are you really being factual? Doesn’t sound like it.

 

[Woodrow24]

Wasn't Auburn without their best player, Chuma Okeke, in that game in the Elite Eight?

He was out. His “facts” aren’t accurate in that post.

 

[Cabo Blue]

All that I can really say is with all that NBA talent passing thru Lexington during his tenure he has only one title,,,hmmmm

 

[bassworship]

He was out. His “facts” aren’t accurate in that post.

When did I say Auburn's player was out? Fact is we probably should have beaten that Auburn squad but that same Auburn team made it to the final and was just a little from winning the title.

 

[awf]

I don't understand why he won't just say to the fans - if these kids are succeeding it means the program is winning games and putting itself in position for a championship.

Maybe he thinks the fans are smart enough to realize this fact......

 

[jessieshorts8]

Maybe he thinks the fans are smart enough to realize this fact......

Well fans are smart enough to also realize the last 5 seasons aren't up to standards and maybe he should think about making some changes.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

Real UK fans are wondering when accountability comes into play in all of this. Someone has to sign Cal's check, right? This concept that we just hand him a pile of money no matter how his teams perform is just ridiculous.
A open and honest question to anyone who has ever held a job. Is there not a certain expectation level from your employer regarding your job performance?
I know accountability isn't a popular word these days but, he's the highest paid in his profession and has buyout protection that was written about in USA Today.
As Cal always says (yell's from the bench)...DO YOUR JOB!

 

[Baller Cal]

Real UK fans are wondering when accountability comes into play in all of this. Someone has to sign Cal's check, right? This concept that we just hand him a pile of money no matter how his teams perform is just ridiculous.
A open and honest question to anyone who has ever held a job. Is there not a certain expectation level from your employer regarding your job performance?
I know accountability isn't a popular word these days but, he's the highest paid in his profession and has buyout protection that was written about in USA Today.
As Cal always says (yell's from the bench)...DO YOUR JOB!

Luckily, most employers look at the entire production. They don't throw their milk all over the floor and burn it all down over a bad month or two over an 11 year span. The jealously over his salary is PALPABLE and is driving a lot of this pathetic behavior by some fans.

 

[Woodrow24]

When did I say Auburn's player was out? Fact is we probably should have beaten that Auburn squad but that same Auburn team made it to the final and was just a little from winning the title.

You’re totally ignoring what I pointed out in that other post. Your “facts” weren’t accurate. That’s what I’m talking about.

 

[willievic]

He'll leave soon and we'll be Indiana for a decade. SOME of our fans are just awful.

This is for serious posters, not CLOWNS! With a 1-5 record, it's not time for jokes. Worse start since 1926. That says it all.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[willievic]

He cares about his former players. Some of our fans don't even give a crap about our current players, let alone the former ones. They just want to beat their chest and feel taller than the U of L fan in the cubicle across from them.

You'd have a to be a total clown to attack him on Instagram.

Then don't call the CLOWN, a coach.

OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!

 

[Madcat62_rivals113839]

Luckily, most employers look at the entire production. They don't throw their milk all over the floor and burn it all down over a bad month or two over an 11 year span. The jealously over his salary is PALPABLE and is driving a lot of this pathetic behavior by some fans.

is that you erin

 

[kyjeff1]

When did I say Auburn's player was out? Fact is we probably should have beaten that Auburn squad but that same Auburn team made it to the final and was just a little from winning the title.

Uhhh, come again? Auburn didn't make it to the title game. They lost to UVA in the semi finals.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Maybe he thinks the fans are smart enough to realize this fact......

Maybe but I doubt it. Most people understood that when he started it by saying the wall/boogie draft night was the most important event in uk basketball history. Most people read between the lines. Even so he still clarified what he meant.

As years went by, he continued the same hyperbole but without clarification for fans. So the message became lost/forgotten even by Cal himself.

Now he's put off that he has to communicate anything to the fanbase other than what he wants to say. It reminds of a married couple who can't stand to hear the other one even breathe. If he keeps resisting rather than talking about it, it'll just fester.

 

[SmedMoley]

When did I say Auburn's player was out? Fact is we probably should have beaten that Auburn squad but that same Auburn team made it to the final and was just a little from winning the title.

The problem is that you didn't mention that the Auburn player, Okeke, was out due to injury. Arguably their best player. That omission rendered your point moot in regards to Washington and Travis' previous injuries.