I've been holding out for a while, but I think you're finally starting to win me over on this.
Definitely gotta start questioning somebody who gets stuck at the F4 at Umass and Memphis.
Bamba to Texas
- Thread starter christian28
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Definitely gotta start questioning somebody who gets stuck at the F4 at Umass and Memphis.
Good god...7 pages for an 18 year old...
a title thread next year might go 4-5, but then we'd have to stop celebrating and start getting all worked up over another 18 year old...
a title thread next year might go 4-5, but then we'd have to stop celebrating and start getting all worked up over another 18 year old...
Last year we got arguably two top five recruits in Fox and Monk. Top seven at worst.
Two years ago we got the fourth best recruit (Murray) and a guy who was supposed to be top two (Skal).
Year before that we got the best recruit (KAT) even though the scouting services didn't realize it.
Year before that we got a class than some were calling the best ever, with Randle and the twins.
I don't think recruiting has dipped too much. I agree that getting two top five guys instead of one puts us in a more dominant position. But getting one top guy mixed with other top ten guys and some returnees puts us right in the mix.
Obviously, as fans we would prefer to be dominant every year. But I'm never going to hate on a team that wins the SEC and is a shot away from the Final Four.
I'm not so fatalistic to believe that teams like 2017, 2014, or 2011 were incapable of winning the title, just because they didn't.
Yes, give me teams like 2012 and 2015 every year. Of course. We all crave perfection.
But UNC wasn't perfect last year. Villanova wasn't the year before. Being clearly the best is a lot of fun, but being one of the best is ok too.
Watch long enough and you'll see everything. Couple less inches from Gordon Hayward and Butler would have a Title.
This absolute, "it has to be done this way" stuff is nauseating.
We will get another one sometime. We have a coach who is pretty good at this stuff.
Two years ago we got the fourth best recruit (Murray) and a guy who was supposed to be top two (Skal).
Year before that we got the best recruit (KAT) even though the scouting services didn't realize it.
Year before that we got a class than some were calling the best ever, with Randle and the twins.
I don't think recruiting has dipped too much. I agree that getting two top five guys instead of one puts us in a more dominant position. But getting one top guy mixed with other top ten guys and some returnees puts us right in the mix.
Obviously, as fans we would prefer to be dominant every year. But I'm never going to hate on a team that wins the SEC and is a shot away from the Final Four.
I'm not so fatalistic to believe that teams like 2017, 2014, or 2011 were incapable of winning the title, just because they didn't.
Yes, give me teams like 2012 and 2015 every year. Of course. We all crave perfection.
But UNC wasn't perfect last year. Villanova wasn't the year before. Being clearly the best is a lot of fun, but being one of the best is ok too.
Watch long enough and you'll see everything. Couple less inches from Gordon Hayward and Butler would have a Title.
This absolute, "it has to be done this way" stuff is nauseating.
We will get another one sometime. We have a coach who is pretty good at this stuff.
Between this and the Chris Cornell news, it's been a ****** DAY!
That's what got me with Bamba. I've watched him on TV many times and never came away with the impression he is this can;t miss prospect. Sure his measurable s are off the charts but he never in any of the high school games I seen or allstar circuit looked like a dominant player. He has endless potential but we've seen that doesn't necessarily mean it pans out in their one year in college.
The most likely scenario is that he doesn't win another one and that would be the case regardless of his methods of building a team. If that's the standard you are always going to be upset. If you want to feel that way it's fine, but don't get all defensive when people get tired of you always acting like you know better. Acting like there is some guaranteed way of doing this is bs.
I didn't read the whole thread. I'm sure there's pissing, moaning, bitching, crying, bellyaching and name-calling.
I looked at Bamba as gravy. I believe we have enough kids in the front court to be competitive. And Bamba ended up at Texas, so who gives a damn. He'll either put up big numbers on a bad team or pretty big numbers on a bubble team. If he would've gone to Duke, I would be mad.
But, right now, I don't care and am fine with who we have.
I looked at Bamba as gravy. I believe we have enough kids in the front court to be competitive. And Bamba ended up at Texas, so who gives a damn. He'll either put up big numbers on a bad team or pretty big numbers on a bubble team. If he would've gone to Duke, I would be mad.
But, right now, I don't care and am fine with who we have.
Get over yourself. Everyone wants to win, we just know that championship or bust isn't a realistic standard.
The only thing that surprises me about this is the lack of titles containing Bamba pulling a shaka by going to Texas.
I agree about the Cornell part. That's grand scheme level. Missing out on a recruit is insignificant in comparison.
Here's my thing about the title only crowd
So Team A has been to a NIT, second round, 2 elite eights, four final fours with one turning into a title.
Team B has four NITs, first round exit, second round exit but also has TWO titles.
Team A is obviously UK
Team B is Uconn
Would anyone say that Uconn had a better stretch compared to UK? Of course not.
Would anyone say that Kevin Ollie is a better head coach than John Calipari? Nope.
Cal is basically doing anything you can ask a coach to do. He's putting us in a title competing position every single year.
If Cal stays here another 5 to 10 years and for some reason we don't win any more championships, people will look at this as some failed experiment or a disappointment. That's a shame. We are in the midst of one of the best runs a college basketball team can have.
It's not that some UK fans care less about titles. It's just that some have perspective on reality.
So Team A has been to a NIT, second round, 2 elite eights, four final fours with one turning into a title.
Team B has four NITs, first round exit, second round exit but also has TWO titles.
Team A is obviously UK
Team B is Uconn
Would anyone say that Uconn had a better stretch compared to UK? Of course not.
Would anyone say that Kevin Ollie is a better head coach than John Calipari? Nope.
Cal is basically doing anything you can ask a coach to do. He's putting us in a title competing position every single year.
If Cal stays here another 5 to 10 years and for some reason we don't win any more championships, people will look at this as some failed experiment or a disappointment. That's a shame. We are in the midst of one of the best runs a college basketball team can have.
It's not that some UK fans care less about titles. It's just that some have perspective on reality.
Yeah, I didn't see a big difference between he and Nick head to head, but his stats are, well, I was expecting something closer to AD in rebounding and blocks. I don't know what to think of it and his Sr. year 12.8 pts 9.3rbs 3.4blks was worse than his Jr. year 13+ 10+ 5+. I don't expect him to reach AD's numbers but being remotely close might be expected 39 22 7.
I wasn't really that worried about it, we have a lot of bigs, but ESPN is pretty gleefully blasting "Bamba chooses Texas over Kentucky"
I wouldn't.
Sure 11 and 14 would have given me some joy as a Uconn fan but that's alot of years of being really bad.
And I guess that's the big difference between the two sets of the fanbase. The fact that some would prefer that.
For me, I'll take what I got. In the end, it's way more likely that Cal gets to 2 or even 3 before Uconn gets that 3rd anyways. Even for those with just titles meaning everything perspective, UK has a better shot at that then Uconn. Even if they don't, I'm thinking my happiness is alot higher watching UK than watching Uconn.
We clearly have a better shot but I'll always choose more titles over fewer titles in a set time span.
Yeah, I'm very "oh well". He was gravy. We're plenty competitive in the front court.I wasn't really that worried about it, we have a lot of bigs, but ESPN is pretty gleefully blasting "Bamba chooses Texas over Kentucky"
We could make this tougher tho
Team C = two first round exits, one second round exit, one sweet 16, one elite 8 and TWO titles.
That's Duke.
Would I take that span over UK? Maybe.
Having said that Duke is basically doing the same thing we are. So while they obviously landed an extra title in that span, I'm still confident that our approach gives us the best opportunity to win titles in the future.
Team C = two first round exits, one second round exit, one sweet 16, one elite 8 and TWO titles.
That's Duke.
Would I take that span over UK? Maybe.
Having said that Duke is basically doing the same thing we are. So while they obviously landed an extra title in that span, I'm still confident that our approach gives us the best opportunity to win titles in the future.
Not a chance in the world I would trade our last 8 years with UCONN. It's been a blast.
You go where you feel comfortable. We've been saying this for a while now, winning a college title isn't near as important as some of you think. He likes Shaka Smart and Texas is no slouch of a campus. Plus, it's his team, and no one elses.
Either way, what a weird Spring recruiting period.. We get Knox but miss on Bamba? What were the odds of that a month ago?
Either way, what a weird Spring recruiting period.. We get Knox but miss on Bamba? What were the odds of that a month ago?
If Cal doesn't give Bam the information given to him by the NBA people, then Cal no longer is player's first. If he is dishonest with Bam about his standing in the NBA and talks Bam into coming back, and he keeps doing that with other players, that gets around in the recruiting circle and we lose out on the top players.
If Cal does that with Bam, then others.........we simply do not get the level talent as we have in the past.
Hint from his words I got is that he wants to be the star.
He will be a star where ever he goes to college.
Texas will be an easier road.
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Just wanted to say I like the way this was announced. No buildup, no drama, no last minute rumors and crap.
Makes it a lot less disappointing for me. Best of luck to him, now it's time to move on and put our full support behind guys like SKJ, Richards, Tai, etc. who chose to be Wildcats.
Makes it a lot less disappointing for me. Best of luck to him, now it's time to move on and put our full support behind guys like SKJ, Richards, Tai, etc. who chose to be Wildcats.
Sure as Hell will not see him on National TV! Look at all the people who said they had not seen Fultz!
Interior defense has been an issue since Davis and Noel. Bam was big but wasn't a rim protector- I can see this an issue again this season.
What if Bam doesn't go where projected? Cal never gets any blame from his admirers.
Trust me, we will have a mas exodus. These people that say we dont have any one and dones crack me up.
This one is a real head scratcher. UK has put Davis, Boogie, Kat and WCS in the NBA and they are starting and three of those are Top 10 players in the league but he goes to Texas. I could understand losing him to Duke , Carolina or another elite program but Texas. Maybe being a lottery pick and a multi millionaire just are that high on his agenda. Weird decision.
Agree with all that you said. I also think its hilarious how many posters on here try and act like they are more invested in UK players making a lot of money in the NBA versus us winning titles. Like, as a fan, should our first priority be the team we root for? Some act like your selfish if you want them to come back and that cracks me up. Cal deserves this miss for telling Bam to go pro, that makes me very mad.