Awesome post! You definitely nailed it! The few that we do get that know how to play basketball, and are good enough to play Cal refuses to play them in favor of his 5 star athletes!! He can't have someone with less stars by their name out perform his draft picks!!
Ramsey nailed it.....
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My frustration with Calipari isn't necessarily this season in particular... its the culmination of the last 5 years, which I see as a downward spiral... and I am also frustrated at the first 5 years, in the ones that got away... 2010 team, 2014, 2015.........
Brandon has a lot of good points, and I do think this "Covid" year is having more of an impact on some teams vs others.... and if it were just "one bad season", so what, it happens to everyone.
BUT, here is my issue with Calipari.... next year won't be much better... We will lose 2 to graduation... 2-3 will go pro, regardless of if they are ready or not, and we will lose another 2-3 to transfers...so that is 7-8 players gone off a sub .500 team.... so how will 2021 be much better? Yeah, we may win more games, and probably make the tournament..
It just seems like the UK trajectory is not headed in the right direction. And I don't see Calipari willing to change. As much as I have loved Calipari, I never considered him a great coach... He is a great program ambassador, and has been a great recruiter (mainly for the NBA)... I think Orlando was the real recruiting brains, and looks like Kenny was the primary player developer and X/O coach.... the Wizard of Oz seems to be exposed....
Brandon has a lot of good points, and I do think this "Covid" year is having more of an impact on some teams vs others.... and if it were just "one bad season", so what, it happens to everyone.
BUT, here is my issue with Calipari.... next year won't be much better... We will lose 2 to graduation... 2-3 will go pro, regardless of if they are ready or not, and we will lose another 2-3 to transfers...so that is 7-8 players gone off a sub .500 team.... so how will 2021 be much better? Yeah, we may win more games, and probably make the tournament..
It just seems like the UK trajectory is not headed in the right direction. And I don't see Calipari willing to change. As much as I have loved Calipari, I never considered him a great coach... He is a great program ambassador, and has been a great recruiter (mainly for the NBA)... I think Orlando was the real recruiting brains, and looks like Kenny was the primary player developer and X/O coach.... the Wizard of Oz seems to be exposed....
Neither Tubby or BCG had this bad of a record, and Calipari has the #1 recruiting class full of supposed-NBA superstars! Yes, COVID, but still, a hall of fame coach at Kentucky with the #1 recruiting class should in no way, shape or form be 1-6 to start the year. And this drivel spin from this writer is just to cater to counter the negative story from yesterday by the 21-year-old KSR writer (who even at 21 and no coaching experience seems to have a better grasp on this situation than this ex-former-assistant-coach Brandon).
Even the girls middle school team that I used to coach could beat this Kentucky team. At least my girls used the skills they were taught.Anyone that has Coached at ANY level (which a lot of us have), know that your purpose is to teach skills and identify what your kids do well and utilize those skills. If you have kids that can shoot you don’t leave them on the bench when you need shots.
But according to this guy Brandon, UK’s players this year have no developed skills! Which leaves a HUGE question about why did you offer any of them a scholarship?
This is an opinion piece by a former coach, playing writer, it will not be well received by the torch and pitchfork toting angry mob. They only want to be right, any proof to the contrary is to be ignored.
In another thread, an opinion piece written by a 21 year old writer, who has no experience in college basketball, was roundly applauded. He seemed to have taken every talking point from the blood lust crowd here, and agreed.
This is not going to end well.
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Brandon's points are fair, but to me the larger takeaway here he seems to be landing on is "this is just a one year thing cause COVID and several key misses on recruits". Maybe so, and if that's the case, next year will bear out that hypothesis. I do think there are good points on the other side though that these issues haven't started just this year, that there are systemic things about the program that have been festering for awhile (number of transfers, players leaving the program after a few years who aren't even drafted, etc) that require changes from Cal to resolve.
To me, it seemed like he missed the big picture. You're correct in that he had some good points. He went astray with totaling those points. Excuses for Cal and laying it solely on the players. It's a mix of both that Cal is ultimately responsible for. I don't think Ramsey gets that. He also doesn't get a lot of the "why" behind his points. It's like listing symptoms of a disease without the diagnosis.
That's also what I found frustrating.He put all the blame on the players who are mostly freshmen.Who recruited them and is supposed to be teaching them?.He said he is a former coach so I feel bad for his players if they struggled and he threw them under the bus while taking zero responsibility.
If we have another season end mass exodus, Cal does not deserve another year.
How could we not have another mass exodus? Do the math... -2 for graduation, 2-4 to NBA, 2-3 to transfer... that gets us to 7-8, off a sub .500 team... UGH.....
I agree 100%, although Cal doesn't use the athletes the way he could or should, they rarely try to get on fast breaks, they always play at the pace of their competitors, never does he try to force or change the tempo, it's bizarre. That's one thing I give to Roy Williams, he's always pushing the pace and his teams almost every year average in the 80s, Cal is content with grinding and scoring in the 60s. Nothing ever comes easy for this team, there are no alley-oops, screens, backdoor cuts, pick and rolls etc., very hard to watch, everything is forced. Passing the ball on the top of the key immediately back and forth for 20 seconds every possession is fatiguing at best, no one ever looks to see if anyone is cutting open etc., get the ball instantly pass it to the same guy that just passed it to you, Ad nauseam.
Lynn was a 3rd round draft pick.
Boston and Clarke are supposed to be top 10 draft picks, throw in Jackson and Sarr who are considered 1st rounders also. So you are making @gamecockcat's point. Why can't Cal design his offense around all of these so called "NBA talented" players????
Guy used to be a D3 coach and now writing a blog...that says it all
It’s obvious Ramsey was an assistant coach. He knows every excuse out there to rationalize a poor job. Absolutely terrible article. Our Jimmy’s and Joe’s aren’t good enough? That’s on Cal. Sarr isn’t performing on level? He can’t get the ball, that’s on Cal. Constant turnover that left us in this mess? That’s on Cal. Schedule? Kansas, UNC, & UL are the only decent teams we’ve played and only 1 of them isn’t completely overrated. Richmond, GT, & Notre Dame are good names but not good teams this year. No excuse for losing all 3. The only legitimate excuse is the Covid protocols but guess what? Every Coach is dealing with the same issue.
Bet he wishes he could hide himself at the moment, but being as big a narcissist as he is maybe not.
You really think Cal or UK gives a **** about what all the haters are posting. They know it’s mainly coming from retired D1 coaches that couldn’t make it, but live in their own little make believe world. Kinda like you.
They are still trying to win the game. That's what. We are right in every game down to the end.
I'd be worried if cal does start putting him in because it's saying he doesn't care what happens.
You can't out a liability in the game just because your other guys are missing shots. The difference in clarke and Allen is night and day in just about every aspect besides shooting.
You cant put him in knowing it gives your team a less chance of winning
Yawn, another one that can’t comprehend coach speak. Most years we are the gold standard. This year no. This year is among the weirdest on record.
Bottom line. Nothing is going to happen. This is who we are. You have a choice. Support the program. Get off the train. Pitch a fit like a selfish spoiled toddler.
looks like you made your choice.
IMO, this is the most valid criticism of Calipari I've read in this thread.
This is such a terrible take. Most years we're the gold standard? What does the gold standard mean to you? Losing to Evansville?
"LOL SOME OF YA'LL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT COACH IS SAYIN' AN IF YA DID YOU'D BE HAPPY ABOUT THINGS."
Get a life.
No it doesn't.
Talent can also be defined as potential. It's not always a refined product.
Just because you have 7 really talented players doesn't mean they can't be beat.
The 92 uk team was great example of that.
Just because a team is loaded doesn't mean a coach is going to let up in preparing to beat that team.
Everything isn't black and white.
Do u really believe cal runs players toward the draft? You are too far gone if so.
People, think for yourself for once. Cal is here to win and wants to win badly.
If he's running all these kids off why is there ever a player that returns? That argument sounds juvenile. If it were him making them go pro they would every single one leave.
I'm glad we cleared that up... Geez
Lol I love how hypocritical the writer is. In the article he states that his experience doesn’t make him any better than any of the fans. Than quickly uses that experience to belittle his detractors. What a joke.
he also states we don’t have the Jimmy’s and joes so Xs and Os won’t matter. Excuse me? Everyone on this roster (outside of walk ons) are 4-5 star recruits. Our team is more talented than every team we’ve played. The problem is they don’t have any plays. You have to have REALLY good players to beat coordinated division l teams, and we don’t have any. It’s embarrassing.
He also thinks we should’ve scheduled more cupcakes. KU and UNC are the only “acceptable“ losses and even then I’d really like to start beating them again. Every other loss was to a team well below our talent level.
half convinced baller cal or kybassfan wrote this article.
he also states we don’t have the Jimmy’s and joes so Xs and Os won’t matter. Excuse me? Everyone on this roster (outside of walk ons) are 4-5 star recruits. Our team is more talented than every team we’ve played. The problem is they don’t have any plays. You have to have REALLY good players to beat coordinated division l teams, and we don’t have any. It’s embarrassing.
He also thinks we should’ve scheduled more cupcakes. KU and UNC are the only “acceptable“ losses and even then I’d really like to start beating them again. Every other loss was to a team well below our talent level.
half convinced baller cal or kybassfan wrote this article.
You are right, but the University will care when the money stops flowing. Attendance has already been in decline the last few years before covid because of the pitiful home schedule and the poor product that we have to watch. Fans are tired of being a 6 month NBA TRAINING CAMP from year to year instead of a BASKETBALL PROGRAM! If this product continues after covid wait and see when the money stops flowing and the 22,000 seat arena only has 15,000 Cal still won't care, but the University and Donors will!!
typical cal supporter BS. Let me give you a rundown of their defending points
“remember 2009-2015?”
“remember 2014?”
“the tourney is a crapshoot”
“wait till march
“seeding doesn’t matter”
“we’re young”
“the players suck”
“it’s bad season cut him some slack”
“cheer for another team”
“farr cal”
He's not running them off, but he has created a culture at UK that is pro NBA and all these kids think they are next level guys right now.
I don't see how you can look at all the early departures and not see that there is a problem.
When you base your recruiting, your practices and your preparations on preparing these kids for the next level, you're going to have a hard time retaining players.
What do you think is going through their minds when they are participating in a "pro day" event? Yeah, good luck getting those kids back after that.
Why do you think Hagans, EJ, Teague, Lamb, Orton, the Harrisons etc… jumped? Why is it rare to see anyone stay through their junior year here? For 1, it's hard. The workouts are hard, the training is hard, Cal's yelling is rough, but it's that way at a lot of places… most. But at UK, the culture is NBA, NBA, NBA… .. then UK fits in there somewhere.
Now, here's another aspect of it. Lets look at Quickly and Richards. If those guys were at any other program, they would still be in college. No doubt in my mind. But, Cal has a lot of connections in the NBA. You would have a very hard time trying to convince me that he didn't pick up the phone and speak with some people about these players and work his magic to get them drafted. You know that's how that went down. I'm happy for both guys, but as you can see, UK suffers when that happens. Losing 4 year players after 2 years is a big problem that UK deals with every year and it needs to stop.
So no, Calipari doesn't push players out, he just makes it way too easy and convenient for players to leave and he helps them do it. He needs to change that. UK plays second fiddle to the NBA, which was fine when it was lottery picks that were leaving early, but when Hagans type players are leaving that early, it’s a big problem.
No, I don't believe Calipari pushes players out for the sake of reloading. You misunderstood the point being made. What I was agreeing with the poster about was ROSTER MANAGEMENT. I think the coaching staff can and should recruit and plan so as to have much less turnover and more experience and continuity from year to year. By the time a player is offered a scholarship the coaches will have a very good idea about how the player views his situation. Are they hellbent on being OAD, or are they willing to immerse themselves in the college experience and let the process play out?
To your point, however, whenever it is in a player's best interest to enter the draft, Calipari has a duty to so advise the player; and I think Calipari has been very honest with his players about that. Of course, as we would all anticipate, some will take the advice and others will not. But, back to my original point, Calipari and the staff should usually know which players are and are not likely to heed the advice.
You weren't talking to me, but yes. Cal absolutely cares what we say. How do I know, you ask? Because he's said so. I've heard him with my own ears. He then proceeds to lecture the fans. Now, I'll expect your half-baked answer that tries to sound all crazy and dangerous. That's your thing.
You're correct. Nobody should have an issue with Cal encouraging AD or Wall to go to the NBA. People have an issue with him not trying to retain guys like Baker, Mathews or Juzang. He must find a way to get those guys to buy into UK for multiple years, and Cal needs to buy into those kids. Because he doesn't buy into those kind of kids. He doesn't care if a guy like Baker leaves. He's not a lotto pick.
I wonder what happened to ol' ballercal? He's been MIA.
I believe that username was permabanned. He started a new account, but I don't recall what his new name is. @RunninRichie probably knows though.
All manner of new usernames with unusually combative out of the gate personalities I've just put on ignore recently.
I tend to imbibe on Saturdays and get a little rowdy myself. Its best to just to just ignore the people who can't disagree without turning the conversation into a shouting match.
We've all been caught up in them. I used to just put anyone and everyone on ignore. Then the place turned into an echo chamber and thats no good either...theres plenty of validity to some of the opposing opinions.
So I'm reserving it for the people who just clearly don't want to do anything other than be belligerent jackasses. BallerCal and BassMan are prime examples of two such people.
I tend to imbibe on Saturdays and get a little rowdy myself. Its best to just to just ignore the people who can't disagree without turning the conversation into a shouting match.
We've all been caught up in them. I used to just put anyone and everyone on ignore. Then the place turned into an echo chamber and thats no good either...theres plenty of validity to some of the opposing opinions.
So I'm reserving it for the people who just clearly don't want to do anything other than be belligerent jackasses. BallerCal and BassMan are prime examples of two such people.
I’ve noticed you talked worse about Dontaie then anyone on the board....but now that he played a great game, you wanted him to play all along? Lol bs
Farther along if things were different? What things are you referring to exactly? If you mean COVID then that’s a wash because every other team has dealt with it as well. By design Cal has a new roster every year. He can’t have it both ways. He can’t cry he has a new roster and they are freshmen when that is his intent every year.
You think cal wants a new roster every year? I bet he was so mad last year when 4 starters were soph . But he played only freshman last year right? Wrong. The crap that you people spew makes zero sense. You just make it up as you go." Cal loves one and done " until it's 2 and done, or 3 n gone. Geez
Yes covid had a larger affect on uk than most teams. Because they are all new to each other. We would be alot farther along Jan 2nd if we had 8 weeks prior to season of being together.
Now hide and watch cal work his magic and save the season. 15-10,14-11 is still possible
Bad choice of words. I was wrong for saying that about a uk kid
Now let's hear you apologise for all the bad things you have said about all the other players except your man crush