Blast from the past Kyky Tandy recruitment, UK fans got duped.

[Smeegs]

If Cal didn’t want Tandy why would he go to all the trouble of making up a false story to give Kyle Tucker?

Maybe to avoid the heat that comes from refusing to offer the hotshot “in state” kid?

Perhaps you hadn’t noticed, but the “we want real Kentucky boys” faction of our fan base can be rather irrational ….and they get pissed when one is snubbed …unless you’ve got a dad story providing a convenient excuse for it.

 

[mjj_2K]

You missed the biggest part of the post. Recruits succeed and fail at all levels. Cal has a TON of 5 stars that not only missed but looked way worse than KYKY on the floor. You think it okay for a millionaire HOF to fabricate false stories about high school kids for people to trash them?

Name the 5 star who was worse than Tandy.

Maybe, being generous, Khalil Whitney. Maybe.

Other than that, no, not even close. Tandy was barely playable at a mid-major school.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

Maybe to avoid the heat that comes from refusing to offer the hotshot “in state” kid?

Perhaps you hadn’t noticed, but the “we want real Kentucky boys” faction of our fan base can be rather irrational ….and they get pissed when one is snubbed …unless you’ve got a dad story providing a convenient excuse for it.

I think the UK fans that dislike Kentucky born players just because they’re from KY are far more irrational. Proof is in this thread.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

I probably missed the point. Wouldn’t be the first or the last time.

It happens, thanks for being civil though.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

Name the 5 star who was worse than Tandy.

Maybe, being generous, Khalil Whitney. Maybe.

Other than that, no, not even close. Tandy was barely playable at a mid-major school.

Is there were we get into a stat war? Based on just who looked the better, Tandy at least looked like he had played basketball before. Skal, Harrow, Green, Sacha, Whitney, Boston, Askew, Collins, Bradshaw...etc. looked like they've never seen a basketball before.

And before Tandy started dealing with nagging injuries, he was a valuable piece off of Xavier's bench his freshmen yr. Some of yall just look at stats to prove your points.

 

[Runt#1969]

Thanks for the post, OP. It took me longer to get around to seeing CCC as the asshat he is. The success he had here was good while it lasted, but he was ultimately destined for failure after the 2015 season. That broke him.

Add to the fact he can't actually coach x's and o's and his attitude - narcissistic doubling down on buillshit responses and answers holier than thou attituide, rubbed me wrong the very first day. I never forgot that.

NBA draft night the greatest moment in the history of Kentucky basketball ??

Give me a break.

So glad he is long gone. Thank you, Arkansas, for taking his drama away from our program.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

Nah bro I just think it’s funny that you’re out here telling us Cal is a giant douche like it’s some sort of breaking news scoop.

He most certainly is, was, and always has been. Kyky Tandy also wasn’t good enough to play here. Both things can be true.

If I've learned anything about this post its that reading comprehension needs to be taught in Kentucky schools. What makes you think that I'm trying to post "breaking news" when the title of the post its "blast from the past"?

And once again, kids with potential fail and succeed at the next level all the time. But having a college coach fabricate a story to trash a kid is unique and unacceptable. Therefore, I felt like sharing. I never dreamed it would cause you this level of emotional stress and I apologize for that. In the future I would suggest not getting so emotional over things that cost you nothing and are easily avoidable.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

No he just was never very good. People have these emotional bonds with these KY boys like Allen and Noah,Perry and just can't admit they aren't very good.

And some people make claims about players they've never watched play but read about on the internet. What about Tandy's high school career made you think he wasn't very good? How could a guy that wasn't very good wow everyone in attendance, including Cal, during the regional championship?

 

[NociHTTP]

Thanks for the post, OP. It took me longer to get around to seeing CCC as the asshat he is. The success he had here was good while it lasted, but he was ultimately destined for failure after the 2015 season. That broke him.

Add to the fact he can't actually coach x's and o's and his attitude - narcissistic doubling down on buillshit responses and answers holier than thou attituide, rubbed me wrong the very first day. I never forgot that.

NBA draft night the greatest moment in the history of Kentucky basketball ??

Give me a break.

So glad he is long gone. Thank you, Arkansas, for taking his drama away from our program.

No. What broke him was the inability to put team success over the accolades of sending a ****-ton of players to the NBA. No excuse for how he managed that game.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

Who claimed he was?

I actually will, In high school the kid had everything you would want from a 4yr college type of recruit. You could easily see that guy turning into a solid college player by the time he was a junior. of course it didn't turn out that way but he is far from the first. There was a reason Cal didn't want him and it wasn't because his lack of talent. It was because of his potential to threaten playing time for his NBA recruits.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

No. What broke him was the inability to put team success over the accolades of sending a ****-ton of players to the NBA. No excuse for how he managed that game.

I truly believed when Cal got here he had lost all interest in coaching. But instead saw himself as more of a GM that would acquire talent and spend the rest of his time in front of the camera promoting himself. There's a reason we would hear commentator friends constantly bash us over the head with "he doesn't just roll the ball out there". Its because anyone that knows ball could see he put zero effort into coaching.

 

[NociHTTP]

.

 

[BetterThanYou]

I’ve said for years, said it and didn’t gaf and the Calipari Cult (a few are posting here) never knew the entire time they were defending a sociopathic lunatic. Calipari is a liar, a schemer, and a guy who doesn’t give a sht about anyone but himself. If his own children became an issue, he’d discard them. That’s who that guy is. He has very close friends that he made life a nightmare for in Memphis becuse they were simply not willing to manipulate for him or told him the truth. What he did to one of his former secretaries when her husband suffered a heart attack is a story I’ve never told, but it’s one of the sicker things he’s done. What he did to Robic, another twisted episode by that sociopath.

Calipari was manipulating the fanbase for years. He was manipulating Barnhart. He manipulates families. He doesn’t care about any of his players, he only uses them for his own gain. If you can’t do for him as a player then he will discard you. I’m friends with 2 of his former Memphis players (1 pretty close) and know a lot about what he is and how they view him. Absolutely despise the guy.

I personally know people in Mtown that are personal friends with Calipari, I have followed him closely from his younger years and know a lot about his antics. This story is very small compared to the things he’s done. It’s why he’s universally hated by just about everyone in the profession and why everywhere he’s been ends bad. But yes Calipari manipulates through media and social media platforms. Most of his former grad assistants were given assignments in this area (social media).

Agree.

I was on a business trip to Memphis….specifically Harbor town.

I met this woman named Sonia that had intimate knowledge of Cal. She talked about how he was a big user of people.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

I actually will, In high school the kid had everything you would want from a 4yr college type of recruit. You could easily see that guy turning into a solid college player by the time he was a junior. of course it didn't turn out that way but he is far from the first. There was a reason Cal didn't want him and it wasn't because his lack of talent. It was because of his potential to threaten playing time for his NBA recruits.

My point was this thread wasn’t littered with folks claiming he was awesome and especially they weren’t saying Cal should have signed him because he was from KY.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

Agree.

I was on a business trip to Memphis….specifically Harbor town.

I met this woman named Sonia that had intimate knowledge of Cal. She talked about how he was a big user of people.

Just look at every school he has coached at. The second he walked out the door he stripped them of all their talent and left them in shambles. We were fortunate enough that he did it during the transfer portal era.

 

[Joerupp1]

Sorry a post that was free for you to read caused so much discomfort in your life. Im just posting personal experiences as a UK fan and never meant to cause a fragile person like yourself to cry.

The point of my rambling, which came at no cost to you and a normal person would have just skipped if they had no interest, was Cal's way of handling it. I thought maybe some people with a slight grip on the English language would want to discuss that instead of letting their confusion devolve into the continuation of trashing a kid they know nothing about.

Do you ever wake up in the middle of the night and shout, whoa ho I’m full of ****

 

[mjj_2K]

Is there were we get into a stat war? Based on just who looked the better, Tandy at least looked like he had played basketball before. Skal, Harrow, Green, Sacha, Whitney, Boston, Askew, Collins, Bradshaw...etc. looked like they've never seen a basketball before.

And before Tandy started dealing with nagging injuries, he was a valuable piece off of Xavier's bench his freshmen yr. Some of yall just look at stats to prove your points.

I bow before the eye test. The test that told you that a 6 foot guy who couldn't shoot and contributed no rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks, was a valuable player.

 

[mdluk1]

And a blind man could evalutate talent better than Cal.

That comment alone makes anything else you say worthless.
You can make the argument that Cal isn’t a great x and o coach but to say he can’t “evalutate” or evaluate talent, is ridiculous.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

Oh yes, because only he could look at a McDonald’s All American list and see talent. Geesh man, change out of your Cal PJ’s and go touch grass.

That comment alone makes anything else you say worthless.
You can make the argument that Cal isn’t a great x and o coach but to say he can’t “evalutate” or evaluate talent, is ridiculous.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

I bow before the eye test. The test that told you that a 6 foot guy who couldn't shoot and contributed no rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks, was a valuable player.

Glad you acknowledge it. But I’ll ask again, what did Tandy lack in high school to make you think he couldn’t have turned into a solid role player at UK?

and don’t say skill. You never watched him play. Cal did, he thought enough of his tape to come watch him live and was mouthed “wow” after a few dunks and logo 3’s.

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

I bow before the eye test. The test that told you that a 6 foot guy who couldn't shoot and contributed no rebounds, assists, steals, or blocks, was a valuable player.

Oh yeah, not one of those things were true about Tandy as a recruit except the 6ft thing.
If you don’t know ball it’s not that big of a deal. Just don’t go around making an *** of yourself spouting college stats when we’re taking about how his high school recruitment went.

 

[mjj_2K]

Oh yeah, not one of those things were true about Tandy as a recruit except the 6ft thing.
If you don’t know ball it’s not that big of a deal. Just don’t go around making an *** of yourself spouting college stats when we’re taking about how his high school recruitment went.

He was 83 in his class, and that turned out to be an overrating,

The problem is that people like you fall in love with the local kids and then get butthurt if they don't end up at UK. I'm sorry if Cal engaged in some BS about why he didn't sign Tandy, but in the end it meant absolutely nothing.

 

[bnewt5]

Oh, I definitely do remember what the OP is talking about. The alleged story back then was that Cal stopped recruiting Ky Ky because his dad told him he expected to start. I even seem to recall his dad did have a quote along the lines of “my son’s not going somewhere to just be a backup.” And folks here did bash him for it.well

But considering Ky Ky turned out to not be much of a CBB player, who cares? Regardless of Cal’s reason for backing off him, it proved to be the right decision.

I remember this as well

 

[LongliveWildcatDon]

He was 83 in his class, and that turned out to be an overrating,

The problem is that people like you fall in love with the local kids and then get butthurt if they don't end up at UK. I'm sorry if Cal engaged in some BS about why he didn't sign Tandy, but in the end it meant absolutely nothing.

Yeah that’s not the case. Scotty Hopson was a top 10 player in America and a local product. And yet I was thrilled when he didn’t sign with UK.

Your beloved Cal thought enough of his tape that he traveled to Henderson to watch him live during the regionals and traveled to Hopkinsville later to speak with his family.
And most college coaches would love to sign a 4yr player they can develop ranked in the 80’s. You’ve got a lot to learn about basketball:

 

[Vek96]

Strange tread. It has my head spinning. I guess I sort of remember the name because of the KyKy, but, I couldn’t pick him out of a police lineup. In all honesty.

 

[bigblueinsanity (the real)]

I have zero doubt this is how Cal operated, which was the op point. Just look at Reed. Cal played Reed only because Reed gave him no choice after his Bahamas performance.

Even so, Cal made it a point to never start he nor Rob despite they being by far better than his let recruits. He literally sacrificed a deep post season run dying on that sword.

Want more proof he hated Reed being so unexpectedly great? In post games, hed always crap on him and rarely mentioned his name. Instead called him "your (fans) favorite".

So ya Cal was player's first alright. HIS players first, and everyone else take a back seat even if it sinks a deep post season run.

 

[Littlecreek10]

I remember this as well

I do too

 

[Rick Honcho]

Never heard of him.

 

[Littlecreek10]

I remember thinking “who does that dad think he is?”, but I was going by the story that was leaked which seems to be obviously by Cal. Tandy could’ve been a Hawkins type player at Kentucky to come off the bench and spell the starters. Those guys are just as essential as 5* for a team’s success.

 

[yoshukai]

Averaged 8 points as a 24 year old at FAU last year. I would say it was good evaluation by Cal.

I think you missed the point,lol

 

[CameronCat22]

Let's rip the Band-Aid right off and get to it. Kyky nor his dad never demanded playing time or starting role. About 10 people were in the gym when that conversation happened and all 10 to this day will tell you that not only was Cal's take completely not true but will also tell you Kyky's dad was very clear what they wanted.

Kyky's dad believed Cal favored 5 stars to the point he would play them over guys that maybe deserved their time. (cough cough). He knew Kyky wouldn't play much as a freshman but was direct with Cal and asked if his son would get a fair shake in the future if he earned the playing time. Cal started shaking his head insisting he doesn't play favorites or guarantee playing time. Kyky's dad repeated that he only wanted the playing time for his son if he earned it and wanted to know if he would play if he earned the time.

So many UK fans bashed Kyky and his dad over the years and never thought to ask themselves, why would he demand playing time from Cal just to go to Xavier and take a bench role his freshman yr?

As for Kyky he never developed in college for several reasons, but you couldn't ask for a better team first kid to coach.


Why I was the first UK fan to turn on Cal and loathe him to this day. (i can't verify this story to be true but believe it 100%)

I've been told several times Cal leaked his version to Kyle Tucker and exchange for the right to be the first guy they talked to about recruiting. If you doubt this check Tucker's Twitter feed shortly after he wrote the Kyky story. He became the go to guy for UK recruiting info immediately after.

"Players first" my ***!

They lie about everything

 

[MidseasonTweak]

They lie about everything

Scram.

 

[BlueSince92]

I thought it was interesting.

I never bashed Kyky; I only wanted him for the name.

But I am “so” surprised to hear about another douchebag move by Cal.

 

[CameronCat22]

Let's rip the Band-Aid right off and get to it. Kyky nor his dad never demanded playing time or starting role. About 10 people were in the gym when that conversation happened and all 10 to this day will tell you that not only was Cal's take completely not true but will also tell you Kyky's dad was very clear what they wanted.

Kyky's dad believed Cal favored 5 stars to the point he would play them over guys that maybe deserved their time. (cough cough). He knew Kyky wouldn't play much as a freshman but was direct with Cal and asked if his son would get a fair shake in the future if he earned the playing time. Cal started shaking his head insisting he doesn't play favorites or guarantee playing time. Kyky's dad repeated that he only wanted the playing time for his son if he earned it and wanted to know if he would play if he earned the time.

So many UK fans bashed Kyky and his dad over the years and never thought to ask themselves, why would he demand playing time from Cal just to go to Xavier and take a bench role his freshman yr?

As for Kyky he never developed in college for several reasons, but you couldn't ask for a better team first kid to coach.


Why I was the first UK fan to turn on Cal and loathe him to this day. (i can't verify this story to be true but believe it 100%)

I've been told several times Cal leaked his version to Kyle Tucker and exchange for the right to be the first guy they talked to about recruiting. If you doubt this check Tucker's Twitter feed shortly after he wrote the Kyky story. He became the go to guy for UK recruiting info immediately after.

"Players first" my ***!

Cal who already signed Tyrese Maxey needed an excuse for not offering a 6’1 combo guard with no high major offers in 2018?

Cal probably negotiated the deal with Kyle Tucker after trying to sell him a subscription to his “text machine” service where he sold recruiting information.

 

[seccats04]

I have zero doubt this is how Cal operated, which was the op point. Just look at Reed. Cal played Reed only because Reed gave him no choice after his Bahamas performance.

Even so, Cal made it a point to never start he nor Rob despite they being by far better than his let recruits. He literally sacrificed a deep post season run dying on that sword.

Want more proof he hated Reed being so unexpectedly great? In post games, hed always crap on him and rarely mentioned his name. Instead called him "your (fans) favorite".

So ya Cal was player's first alright. HIS players first, and everyone else take a back seat even if it sinks a deep post season run.

The way Cal crapped on Reed and the fans that year was unforgivable. Reed would have a good game and in the postgame PC, Cal would subtly take a jab at Reed and the fans basically defending his stance for not starting him and trying to prop up DJ Wagner. It's why Reed wearing Arkansas gear and supporting Cal over his loyalty to UK is all the more baffling. The way Cal treated him as a second rate citizen because he was from KY, just so he could stick it to the fans was embarassing for the program.

 

[CameronCat22]

The way Cal crapped on Reed and the fans that year was unforgivable. Reed would have a good game and in the postgame PC, Cal would subtly take a jab at Reed and the fans basically defending his stance for not starting him and trying to prop up DJ Wagner. It's why Reed wearing Arkansas gear and supporting Cal over his loyalty to UK is all the more baffling. The way Cal treated him as a second rate citizen because he was from KY, just so he could stick it to the fans was embarassing for the program.

It’s almost like he didn’t treat him like a second rate citizen and y’all always make up stuff to serve your agenda. I can tell you who did treat him like a second rate citizen, it was your group when he wore UK shorts and and an Arkansas shirt.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Nobody cares.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

I always say, a KY 5 is a 4, KY 4 is a 3, etc in states like Florida, Texas, California, some NE states.

Pretty good analysis usually. I mean you have your Rondo’s, Miller’s, Sheppards who are legit five star talents. Most however are overrated because of competition level unless they move and play a national schedule. A lot don’t pan out at least right away like Jasper Johnson.

 

[KentuckyCats1984]

Are you KYKY? I think it was obvious at this point Cal made the right move. He was not Kentucky material

 

[caytsBNA]

I think you missed the point,lol

I don't think I did. Some random person comes in with some anecdotal story to try and make a dig at Cal.