As it stands today
- Thread starter Sparkaces
- Start date
I hope you are right. I am not saying they are leaving, I just believe that no more than 3 weeks ago, you would have never got me to believe 8 could possibly leave. But, now there is a chance, even if it's slim. 4 are gone(Knox, SGA, Hami, Sasha), 2 seem to be leaning to leave(PJ & Gabriel) and now Green and Vanderbilt are at least 50/50.
Hopefully just the 4 leave, but it's still crazy to think 8 could possibly leave.
I can't defend every single player announcing if they are staying or going. I think it is a bit overplayed although I cannot blame the guys for wanting to see where they stand for future off-seasons. I think most return IMO. I understand the frustration though...I'm just not going to let it ruin my day or affect my life. Whoever stays, stays, whoever goes, goes. It is all very fascinating and the off-seasons in the Cal era have been so interesting. Not boring like before so there is that. This is just a game for entertainment...not life and death as some of you make it out to be. I just turned 30 so I figured this out earlier than some of you (some of you never will and will die wondering why UK coaches and players didn't win you more "Nattie Titles"). UK winning it all in 2012 didn't do anything for me...was cool to experience with my father and hope to experience it with my son that is coming in October 2018...but that is family. This is a hobby and a game and I love it, but it's just that. I digress. Back to the team...
The program is not a trainwreck...embarrassed to share TN with that one guy. UK has been to 4 Final Fours and won a title the past 9 years and became the IT program again...and still is along with probably Duke. The program was a train wreck when Coach G and Tubby were here ( for the most part for Tubby). The program only won 3 titles in 50 years before Cal...UK coaches suck at winning more than 1 title. That's not exclusive to Cal. Tubby, Pitino and Hall all failed miserable as well to win multi-natty titles. Cal has UK in contention 6/9 years here...you can't really expect a team so young to be a top 4-8 team every single year. I could argue it was in contention this year with a last second lost to KSU with an 11 seed waiting in the Elite 8 (although Loyola could have beat UK easily IMO), but I don't agree with that argument. Nova would have crushed UK just like it did everyone else. Dominant team and fun to watch.
I also can't blame Cal for guys going that he clearly wants to stay. I think people ignorantly mistake his praise AFTER they announce for agreeing with the fringe and not even fringe guys decisions. I'm sure Cal would love to have these guys back...makes it easier on him to mesh stud frosh with guys returning like in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. When Cal had that he dominated. His best coaching job was the 2014 team when he took a team of all frosh and one soph to the national title game. NO OTHER COACH could have done that. If WCS doesn't get hurt (another soph), UK wins it all IMO...not to mention Poy and Randle banged up. But those guys got hurt did, just like Poy did in 2015, Vanderbilt did this year (UK makes at least Final Four with Vandy playing IMO), and so on. There are not nearly as much injury threads on here about Cal's tenure as bitching about guys leaving early. Despite all these guys ignoring his advice and leaving early, he still has UK in spots to win it all a lot of the time. I get it, UK hasn't been to a Final Four in 3 years so the natives are restless. People forget about how it was before...and I'm going to give a lot of posters a lot of crap if we don't see hardly any Final Fours after Cal leaves. Be careful what you wish for.
The program is not a trainwreck...embarrassed to share TN with that one guy. UK has been to 4 Final Fours and won a title the past 9 years and became the IT program again...and still is along with probably Duke. The program was a train wreck when Coach G and Tubby were here ( for the most part for Tubby). The program only won 3 titles in 50 years before Cal...UK coaches suck at winning more than 1 title. That's not exclusive to Cal. Tubby, Pitino and Hall all failed miserable as well to win multi-natty titles. Cal has UK in contention 6/9 years here...you can't really expect a team so young to be a top 4-8 team every single year. I could argue it was in contention this year with a last second lost to KSU with an 11 seed waiting in the Elite 8 (although Loyola could have beat UK easily IMO), but I don't agree with that argument. Nova would have crushed UK just like it did everyone else. Dominant team and fun to watch.
I also can't blame Cal for guys going that he clearly wants to stay. I think people ignorantly mistake his praise AFTER they announce for agreeing with the fringe and not even fringe guys decisions. I'm sure Cal would love to have these guys back...makes it easier on him to mesh stud frosh with guys returning like in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2015. When Cal had that he dominated. His best coaching job was the 2014 team when he took a team of all frosh and one soph to the national title game. NO OTHER COACH could have done that. If WCS doesn't get hurt (another soph), UK wins it all IMO...not to mention Poy and Randle banged up. But those guys got hurt did, just like Poy did in 2015, Vanderbilt did this year (UK makes at least Final Four with Vandy playing IMO), and so on. There are not nearly as much injury threads on here about Cal's tenure as bitching about guys leaving early. Despite all these guys ignoring his advice and leaving early, he still has UK in spots to win it all a lot of the time. I get it, UK hasn't been to a Final Four in 3 years so the natives are restless. People forget about how it was before...and I'm going to give a lot of posters a lot of crap if we don't see hardly any Final Fours after Cal leaves. Be careful what you wish for.
Dont know why you said embarrassed, I never said the program was a train wreck. But this is a problem unique to Cal, and I wish he'd work to change it.
We are young
We dont have an out of bounds play yet
We play like AAU players
Rinse and repeat
We dont have an out of bounds play yet
We play like AAU players
Rinse and repeat
What the program needs is one or two players like Luke Maye....effective at the college level but that the NBA isn't interested in. Tweeners, or a bit too short or slow. Shooters with intangibles. Use these players as a core and add a few OADs every year.
I hope this is the last year we have to go through this nonsense but I am afraid it will not be. Gone are the days when a team would close out the season and we, as fans, could go to another sport or past time and put our basketball team at rest for about 6 months. But no we have to go through a soap opera waiting on teenagers to screw around in the pretense of having their dream come true.
OK a couple or two or three can dream and go to the draft but the rest of you! Why not prepare for the next year and try your best to win it all and enjoy college. 3 or 4 years of college will not set you back in life.
OK a couple or two or three can dream and go to the draft but the rest of you! Why not prepare for the next year and try your best to win it all and enjoy college. 3 or 4 years of college will not set you back in life.
Didnt the starting 5 for Duke all declare? Maybe it's not a Cal problem, perhaps it's just a trend when you have so many 5 stars with NBA potential.
We'll know in like a damn month, and SHOCK, still have over 5 months before the season starts.
I swear some of y'all need some tranquilizer darts to the side of the head or some crap.
It's stupid. Are we even sure that Richards won't change his mind? And Baker, well, maybe he decides to leave and play in North Korea next season.
You're spot on. Some of our fans are just delusional.
A
anon_013cn8yrfncx2
Guest
Get rid of pre-season Pro day at UK. All it does is enhance the NBA message. Players can test the waters after the season so it's not needed.
If it has provided a recruiting advantage in the past, it no longer does for the best of the best. Just reinforces the "you should leave for the NBA asap if you sign with Kentucky."
If it has provided a recruiting advantage in the past, it no longer does for the best of the best. Just reinforces the "you should leave for the NBA asap if you sign with Kentucky."
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This is an excellent point. Pre-season Pro Day at UK does not benefit the team in any manner. As you said it is not needed. It gives mediocre players false hope and the image you go to UK to hang around before going to the "league". If for some reason they can't leave after a year or at most two they suddenly feel they failed at UK and start looking to transfer or play in China.
We ain't got time for that.