On a positive note…

[Cat Ballou]

Since there has been so much negativity lately, I thought I’d interject some positivity…

Despite the disaster that was last season, the fact is that Cal did manage to completely turn the team around and rebuild it. We were good enough to win it all this year. Yes, the loss to St. Peter’s was inexcusable and sucks, and we all would be feeling better about things if we’d at least won a couple of games and then lost in the Sweet 16 to Purdue.

But…Cal did pull off an amazing turn-around, and except for some bad luck, he might have pulled off an absolutely historic turn-around. Just two years ago, in the Covid-cancelled season, we had another team with a legitimate shot to win it all. So - in the last three years, 2 legit championship caliber teams.

Now imagine this season if just two things had gone our way. First, the loss of CJ Frederick was really huge in retrospect. Imagine the fortunes of the team not having to hinge as much on the mental state or shooting eye of Grady if we had CJ on the floor. Second, imagine that injury to Tyty in the Tennessee game did not occur and he’d continued playing like the best freshman guard in the country.

I have no doubt Cal once again is going to assemble an impressive roster in the off-season. Thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, I think the days of our having to rely on a team full of freshmen, and thus having to completely load up on Top 10 OAD guys is over. It appears Cal is adapting to this new reality pretty well. Plus, the checkerboards are out - which alone makes me feel more optimistic about things - and the Covid nightmare appears to be largely behind us.

Hang in there Cat fans, things really are looking up.

 

[Yardeth]

It doesn’t matter who he gets on the roster, you still have to coach them

 

[wccat]

I appreciate the positive spin, but when your team continually gets beat on out of bounds plays, only has ONE out of bounds play and your coach changes nothing then you have a problem. Cal can change his recruiting philosophy but when you don't have it in you to change your offensive philosophy and make any in-game changes then Houston, we have a problem.

 

[GuyFromKY]

I'm tired of "potential" championship teams. When do we get a team that actually makes a good run at a championship again? Never under Calipari. I would be shocked if he can get another team past the Sweet Sixteen.

 

[Ramsey Rocket]

It’s just nearly impossible to win 6 games in a row in the tournament if you are unwilling to make in game coaching adjustments, no matter how much talent you assemble. In order to do that, you’d have to have a loaded roster with at least one generational talent on it. See 2012. Watching K get forced to zone to defeat Texas Tech and Arkansas only reinforced that opinion. I really hate it, but I just don’t see any way Cal wins another title here.

 

[DelkBowl]

You can’t do positives here. 2 week ban.

 

[lj bulldog]

You can’t do positives here. 2 week ban.

Kentucky fans are the best and the worst. Have started ignoring all the Cal haters.

 

[Bluefaithful]

What are you doing OP? You can't do positives or real facts. There trolls in here are not real men. It's Romper Room and the Twilight zone combined. I will give you one good fact. Kentucky Basketball doesn't stay down long. That's a fact!!!

 

[JonathanW_rivals]

I'm tired of "potential" championship teams. When do we get a team that actually makes a good run at a championship again? Never under Calipari. I would be shocked if he can get another team past the Sweet Sixteen.

^ ignoring the fact that Cal is 7 for 12 at making E8. I’m not sure there is another coach that can say that over the same years.
Don’t get me wrong, there are a good number of things Cal can improve on but is too stubborn to do it. And he is at his last straw with me.
But the OP is right. Just 3 weeks ago we all had hopes at a 1 seed. Vegas had us as the 3rd favorite to win it. Even if Fredrick had been a sharp shooter off the bench, he would have given us a good option when other guys struggled. And who can deny that the 2 Tyty injuries weren’t huge, he simply wasn’t the same player after Auburn game, far from it. Both offensively and defensively. Injuries do happen and you have to adjust, and it’s worse luck when they come at the same positions. But you can’t deny they aren’t a factor. And Cal did not adjust (he kept his adjustment on the bench).

 

[HerrosHeroes]

It doesn’t matter who he gets on the roster, you still have to coach them

Oh but it does matter pinoc. Be careful what you type or your nose will get even bigger!

 

[Bluefaithful]

I'm tired of "potential" championship teams. When do we get a team that actually makes a good run at a championship again? Never under Calipari. I would be shocked if he can get another team past the Sweet Sixteen.

Point taken but I'm tired of crappy arse fans like you who just complain every damn minute of the day. This thread is for positive people so kick rocks pig pen. You have 10000 threads were you can post this. I guarantee some of you Nancies beat their wives and children cause they didn't take the trash out 10 years ago. Little Nancy

 

[GuyFromKY]

Point taken but I'm tired of crappy arse fans like you who just complain every damn minute of the day. This thread is for positive people so kick rocks pig pen. You have 10000 threads were you can post this. I guarantee some of you Nancies beat their wives and children cause they didn't take the trash out 10 years ago. Little Nancy

Such an eloquent and mature comment.

 

[o_turkeywildturkey]

Thank god we have a few fans on here that don’t think the sky is falling. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

 

[Bluefaithful]

Such an eloquent and mature comment.

Thank you very much. Unlike your statement, my comment is factual and true. Your comment is not and is for losers. That's how losers talk. See ya Nancy

 

[DoubleZeroMostel]

Listen, I have not been Cal's #1 fan since Covid, but the OP's take is perfectly legitimate and fair. A few roster breaks and any coach would have a tough time, Don't forget early season Toppin InjurIes. He had the pieces in place from a roster construction pov, but thems the breaks.

i might add that a transition from a one and done model to a multi-year model was always going to look like this. Next year may be similar, hopefully with a better ending.

 

[crxohio]

The uniform change is refreshing. Hopefully it's a hidden curse removed. Like in Cal's head. Telling him ok, I need be the coach Kentucky hired. Yes bro, yes.

 

[LowCountryCat]

Point taken but I'm tired of crappy arse fans like you who just complain every damn minute of the day. This thread is for positive people so kick rocks pig pen. You have 10000 threads were you can post this. I guarantee some of you Nancies beat their wives and children cause they didn't take the trash out 10 years ago. Little Nancy

There it is, more unprovoked personal attacks courtesy of the Cal Brigade.

 

[Elliott Tim]

You can’t do positives here. 2 week ban.

This reminds me of an episode on Andy Griffith where Barney and Thelma Lou are fighting and Andy tells Barney it will probably blow over. Barney chides Andy for being positive.
This is a very pendulum oriented board. Even Coach K is getting kudos and I never expected to see that.

 

[Dead Cat Bounce]

Even Coach K is getting kudos and I never expected to see that.

It’s disgraceful.

 

[Kingslayer07]

Love the positive spin. But we still lost to a garbage team..(no I dont care how many games they won in the ncaat) there is no excuse for a loss like that. And Cal's inability to make any sort of in game adjustments and lack of any sort of offense is just so dis heartening. I dont see him changing ANYTHING.

 

[Cal-4-Three]

It doesn’t matter who he gets on the roster, you still have to coach them

Yeah Coach Cal is the reason Grady went ice cold the last month of the season or the reason Wheeler missed free throws while being 84% from the line. Sheesh, you guys kill me.

 

[Bluefaithful]

There it is, more unprovoked personal attacks courtesy of the Cal Brigade.

I'm the University of Kentucky Brigade and change is coming. All you do is attack. You represent what's awful about this site. You are not on our team. Kick rocks Nancy. Stay off this thread. There. Is not a single ounce of you that's positive.

 

[FiveStarCat]

Good post OP. Cal deserves an incredible amount of criticism for last year and the loss to St. Peter’s.

He also more than deserves a chance to correct this.

I’m in the camp that I need to see either a FF run, or some noticeable philosophy changes (namely stop being so damn predictable on defense… our year end “slumps” on D recently are eye opening) next year, or I think his seat gets very hot.

Where I think some on this board take it too far is calling Cal poison, a clown, etc. That’s the stuff that’s embarrassing and just hurts any legitimate point you are making. Cal’s success at Kentucky cannot be denied… the way some talk about him you’d think he was Billy G, both on the court and out there embarrassing us off the court. That’s the not the case, as much as the extremists want to paint him.

He has the goods to take over the reins from K as best active coach, he just needs to stop being so damn stubborn and put the program 1A with players 1B.

 

[Bkocats]

Point taken but I'm tired of crappy arse fans like you who just complain every damn minute of the day. This thread is for positive people so kick rocks pig pen. You have 10000 threads were you can post this. I guarantee some of you Nancies beat their wives and children cause they didn't take the trash out 10 years ago. Little Nancy

Wow talk about being over the top

Bless your heart..hope your day gets better

 

[AirRaid08]

I like the positivity. I agree with most of it. I always backed Kentucky Basketball and whomever the coach was including Cal.

There is just no good way to spin it now. He's burnt up his goodwill and much of it we are unable to defend. He's got to make some changes.

 

[blackcat714]

We won one of the three games against Tenn. sorta positive.

 

[LowCountryCat]

I'm the University of Kentucky Brigade and change is coming. All you do is attack. You represent what's awful about this site. You are not on our team. Kick rocks Nancy. Stay off this thread. There. Is not a single ounce of you that's positive.

Oh the irony, telling someone to stay off someone else's thread. LOL

 

[Rockfly78]

It’s amazing what 1 single loss does to erase a great season. It was a massive loss tho. Dammit

 

[bdroshek]

Look people there really haven't been many positives the last few years and it's no wonder people are not positive because the situation hasn't been positive in years. 9-16 and St. Peter happened yeah you're going to see some negativity. And a lot of it and rightfully so.

 

[Bluefaithful]

Wow talk about being over the top

Bless your heart..hope your day gets better

Funny, this is better than sliced bread. Over the top, let's talk about how some of these so called fans treated Keion Brooks this year. Absolutely horrible. Oh I can name so many. My day is going absolutely awesome. Gotta go, got a 5 foot birdie putt.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

Since there has been so much negativity lately, I thought I’d interject some positivity…

Despite the disaster that was last season, the fact is that Cal did manage to completely turn the team around and rebuild it. We were good enough to win it all this year. Yes, the loss to St. Peter’s was inexcusable and sucks, and we all would be feeling better about things if we’d at least won a couple of games and then lost in the Sweet 16 to Purdue.

But…Cal did pull off an amazing turn-around, and except for some bad luck, he might have pulled off an absolutely historic turn-around. Just two years ago, in the Covid-cancelled season, we had another team with a legitimate shot to win it all. So - in the last three years, 2 legit championship caliber teams.

Now imagine this season if just two things had gone our way. First, the loss of CJ Frederick was really huge in retrospect. Imagine the fortunes of the team not having to hinge as much on the mental state or shooting eye of Grady if we had CJ on the floor. Second, imagine that injury to Tyty in the Tennessee game did not occur and he’d continued playing like the best freshman guard in the country.

I have no doubt Cal once again is going to assemble an impressive roster in the off-season. Thanks to NIL and the transfer portal, I think the days of our having to rely on a team full of freshmen, and thus having to completely load up on Top 10 OAD guys is over. It appears Cal is adapting to this new reality pretty well. Plus, the checkerboards are out - which alone makes me feel more optimistic about things - and the Covid nightmare appears to be largely behind us.

Hang in there Cat fans, things really are looking up.

Question, why did Cal have to turn around anything? Isn't UK the Gold Standard?

 

[Bluefaithful]

Question, why did Cal have to turn around anything? Isn't UK the Gold Standard?

Being great takes work and dedication, it's not for the weak minded. So to answer your snide remark.
Yes we are the Gold Standard plus According to US Treasury information there is approximately 147.3 million ounces of gold stored at Fort Knox.
So to all the weak minded who want to bash our program for a couple bad years. Hang on to our Coattails. Your probably going to fall off.

Go Cats!!!

 

[LowCountryCat]

Being great takes work and dedication, it's not for the weak minded. So to answer your snide remark.
Yes we are the Gold Standard plus According to US Treasury information there is approximately 147.3 million ounces of gold stored at Fort Knox.
So to all the weak minded who want to bash our program for a couple bad years. Hang on to our Coattails. Your probably going to fall off.

Go Cats!!!

Did you make your birdie putt?

 

[Bluefaithful]

Did you make your birdie putt?

Yes I did, on the 2nd try. My putter is acting funny. I think Keion touched it.

 

[Whatsup]

Point taken but I'm tired of crappy arse fans like you who just complain every damn minute of the day. This thread is for positive people so kick rocks pig pen. You have 10000 threads were you can post this. I guarantee some of you Nancies beat their wives and children cause they didn't take the trash out 10 years ago. Little Nancy

Pray for your brother you replied to he’s confused and hurt.

 

[BlueThunderstruck]

A team that gets beat by a 15 seed in the first round was not a threat to win it all. We had a very flawed roster this year.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

Being great takes work and dedication, it's not for the weak minded. So to answer your snide remark.
Yes we are the Gold Standard plus According to US Treasury information there is approximately 147.3 million ounces of gold stored at Fort Knox.
So to all the weak minded who want to bash our program for a couple bad years. Hang on to our Coattails. Your probably going to fall off.

Go Cats!!!

Got news for you. Cal has lowered UK, not raised it. He isn't even the best coach in the SEC. UK is not feared. He falied the last 2 years like no other coach in UK history.

It's Fool's Gold with Cal.

 

[oakhillcatman]

we won 26 games without a superstar,had multiple injuries and yes there were glaring holes in the roster

 

[fs-ripcord65]

It doesn’t matter who he gets on the roster, you still have to coach them

THIS !

 

[Bluefaithful]

Got news for you. Cal has lowered UK, not raised it. He isn't even the best coach in the SEC. UK is not feared. He falied the last 2 years like no other coach in UK history.

It's Fool's Gold with Cal.

I don't think that too many people would disagree with you there. We have had 2 deaths on our team last couple years. Maybe we are not looking clearly at the whole picture here with covid, 2 deaths. I remember eating with Bobby Cremins in Hilton Head after one of his players died from Georgia Tech. I can't remember his name but Bobby was a complete mess. It's not an easy thing with coach/player relationship when death is involved. If you never played ball then you wouldn't understand.
Cal sees what's on the table, it's time to set the ship straight. At least he's not doing what Tubby did, he packed his **** and hi-tailed out here at this point.