Tough start to the year for the blue cats. For those not on the football board, I am a Northwestern fan that adopted Kentucky as my SEC team after the big ten initially shut down football. I picked Kentucky because the players and fans were absolute class at the Music City Bowl several years back. In other words, I’m not a hater, just a guy giving his meaningless opinion on an internet message board.
There are 4 things coaches need to do.
1. Get players
2. Formulate a system to win games
3. Develop players in that system
4. In game coaching
1. Calipari can recruit. Period.
2. The system is fine. It’s not like there have been shocking changes in way basketball is played in the last few years. It has become more 3 point dominant, but it’s not like football with the RPO and mobile QBs have taken over.
4. It’s possible Calipari is not a great in game coach but just has better players in a better system and has developed them better. That would explain some close losses. That’s not the big issue.
The big issue
3. Player development: Due to the number of players Kentucky sends to the NBA, Kentucky is young. I checked on ESPN and see 3 upperclassman, and it looks like only 2 really play. I’ve always been impressed by Calipari’s ability to take teams of freshman and sophomores and get them on the same page so quickly. He’s great at it... except here’s the kicker... it’s 2020. The end of last season was cancelled for the NCAA and many HS teams. Summer leagues and summer scrimmages were cancelled. Gyms were closed. Fall practices were effected. Yes, everyone is in the same position... but I think it will have an outsized impact on younger teams and teams with higher roster turnover.
This might be a tough year for Kentucky BBall, or you might turn it around and get middling tourney seed, or Calipari might get it completely turned around by mid-January and Kentucky will be Kentucky and make a tourney run. Idk. I do think given normal circumstances, Calipari and Kentucky will be fine in the future. Hell, if this is the year Kentucky is terrible and nobody leaves early, next year should be phenomenal.
There are 4 things coaches need to do.
1. Get players
2. Formulate a system to win games
3. Develop players in that system
4. In game coaching
1. Calipari can recruit. Period.
2. The system is fine. It’s not like there have been shocking changes in way basketball is played in the last few years. It has become more 3 point dominant, but it’s not like football with the RPO and mobile QBs have taken over.
4. It’s possible Calipari is not a great in game coach but just has better players in a better system and has developed them better. That would explain some close losses. That’s not the big issue.
The big issue
3. Player development: Due to the number of players Kentucky sends to the NBA, Kentucky is young. I checked on ESPN and see 3 upperclassman, and it looks like only 2 really play. I’ve always been impressed by Calipari’s ability to take teams of freshman and sophomores and get them on the same page so quickly. He’s great at it... except here’s the kicker... it’s 2020. The end of last season was cancelled for the NCAA and many HS teams. Summer leagues and summer scrimmages were cancelled. Gyms were closed. Fall practices were effected. Yes, everyone is in the same position... but I think it will have an outsized impact on younger teams and teams with higher roster turnover.
This might be a tough year for Kentucky BBall, or you might turn it around and get middling tourney seed, or Calipari might get it completely turned around by mid-January and Kentucky will be Kentucky and make a tourney run. Idk. I do think given normal circumstances, Calipari and Kentucky will be fine in the future. Hell, if this is the year Kentucky is terrible and nobody leaves early, next year should be phenomenal.