Cal: "Allen had to earn this"

[KyFaninNC]

Was it me or did the whole team seem to loosen up and play better basketball after Cal left? I have said this many times, all that yelling and screaming has got to be a huge distraction. How can you expect players, especially freshmen to concentrate on playing ball if they are trying g to listen to what the coach is screaming about? Only thing Cal needs to be yelling about is calling a play. Oh wait. Don’t have any except GO GO GO

 

[ck-2]

Was it me or did the whole team seem to loosen up and play better basketball after Cal left? I have said this many times, all that yelling and screaming has got to be a huge distraction. How can you expect players, especially freshmen to concentrate on playing ball if they are trying g to listen to what the coach is screaming about? Only thing Cal needs to be yelling about is calling a play. Oh wait. Don’t have any except GO GO GO

I thought the same thing. Seemed like they loosened up. We lose for sure if he doesn’t get tossed.

 

[BluCroo]

Actually, I think everybody got into the flow much better because Allen started knocking down those 3s.

 

[wildcat111]

Funny how your 5 star busts like Vanderbilt, Gabriel, Skal and Brooks never had to go through that, huh Cal? Why was Allen playing the same minutes your son, Mr. "Earned Not Given", the guy as skilled in playing as you are in coaching, had? Is it because he's not a five star and he doesn't want to use Lexington as a 6 month pit stop on his way to G-league, so you can promote your one & done crap?

I know some 5 stars that would still be on the bench if they had to earn playing time!!!

 

[nickhorvathsuxazz]

Not only did Allen stake a claim to a share of Boston/Clarke's minutes, but Ware cut a chunk out of Jackson's playing time as well, in my eyes.

 

[kyjeff1]

I'm not going to argue this point much longer, but I will add this: there is a difference between a guy looking the part (which Boston does) and just not making shots versus a guy who looks completely lost, can't guard a sign post, and doesn't even seem to belong on the floor with other D1 players. Allen didn't just play poorly in his short stint in that Ga Tech game, he looked inept. That's primarily why I think he got benched.

Now, having said this, he looked like a different player last night. Last night he looked like the guy who averaged 42 per game and won Kentucky Mr Basketball. Last night he looked like a guy who could change the entire complexion of this season for the team. Cal said in his pregame comments that it appeared a light came on (my paraphrase) for Allen in that private scrimmage versus Bellarmine. I haven't seen practices so I don't know if this has been starting to happen for some time or not. I do know this: the kid has not played live basketball since January of 2019, so it shouldn't shock anyone that he had to get the cobwebs out of his head and his play. I sure do hope that is the case and he's now ready to go.

The difference is, Cal is allowing his nba guys to play through their mistakes and not guys like Allen, Baker, Matthews or Juzang (there are many more).
If you look at it, playing Boston and Clarke 35mpg has cost us wins. You can't play guys that are volume shooters that are averaging 15% from 3 point range and 35% fg. We have lost 4 really close games, games that would have been won if Boston was benched.
Allen was told he had to earn his minutes, well, you tell me, did Clarke and/or Boston do anything to earn their minutes?
Maybe Cal was caught off guard by just how far behind both kids are, but he let it go 8 games. Can't do that, it's a really bad look and I find it very hard to believe that Cal didn't know Allen could score. We knew it, 42ppg in HS doesn't lie. Allen has been lighting it up in practice all year according to everyone in the know.
My fear, if Allen comes out in any future game and only gets 8 points, he may go back to the bench for most of the game. Remember, he's not a first round pick.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

Because like it or not we are all on the Boston - Clarke train, if they fail the season gets a lot harder. They are the supposed stars of the team, they still have the most potential if you can get it out of them. Even with as much as I haven't been pleased with Boston's play he's still the teams leading scorer.

Other players would be too if they shot as much as he has. I don't know his stats from the MSU game but I know he shot a lot and missed a lot.
Cal nor UK should ever be tied to two players if others are playing better and producing. That is not the way it shoud ever be done.

 

[OldRed]

i think this breakout game benefits the team a lot. I think Boston will start taking better shots or get his minutes drastically cut. He shoots a low percentage because they are such low percentage attempts. I am hoping the Calipari makes sure that Boston takes better shots (AND passes when they are not good shots) or sits him.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

Do you remember the Georgia Tech game ManitouDan? I think Allen's play in that game is what got him benched to begin with. 3 turnovers in 4 minutes and looked outmatched in every way in the D1 game. Look, I commented on his play to my family and said "he looks like he doesn't belong." It wasn't about missing shots. It looked like he just didn't have the ability to be in the game.

Now, I don't have any direct ties to the kid other than I hope he does well like every other kid on the team. He wasn't as highly rated as the other guys, but that doesn't always mean much. One of the lowest rated players in his UK class was SGA. But he ended up being a star because he showed it on the floor time and again.

Look, I'm not saying Cal doesn't give his top rated guys more leash, he does. Sometimes those ratings are just flat wrong. We've seen this play out a few times. But this team does need Boston to be good in order to come close to meeting its potential. Sometimes guys take time to hit their stride. I can think of multiple recruits who failed in November November and December but figured it out later. Recently it was PJ Washington. (His freshman season)

Having said all this, I couldn't be happier for the guy or the team. I just don't feel the need to bash the coach while celebrating this win or cheering on this Kentucky kid. Cal even admitted after the game that he probably should have been playing Allen more. That's a small amount of humility, at least.

By the way, it's also going to be interesting going forward on a UK message board with such a large percentage of folks have written off the coach and have decided he can do little right, and who cheer his getting thrown out of games and believe his assistant is a better coach for the team. That's gonna be tough to moderate. But I'm a patient guy and the other mods here are as well. And just for the record, there is no moderator con-fab where we all decide what we should believe. I'm just a fan who posted here for years and was asked to help when help was needed because I seemed to someone to be somewhat reasonable. I took that as a huge compliment and accepted the unpaid position.

I have yet to see why everyone believes Boston must play. That UK will not reach their goals unless he is the one making shots.
I hope he does start making them. I really do, but I don't believe his 1st priority is UK when he has a documentsry crew following him around.
I was glad to see he was cheering on his team and teammates instead of sulking or pouting. I don't think he's a bad kid, but whoever decided to have a documentary crew follow him and Cal letting him, did him no favors. That screams me instead of team to me.

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

I'm not going to argue this point much longer, but I will add this: there is a difference between a guy looking the part (which Boston does) and just not making shots versus a guy who looks completely lost, can't guard a sign post, and doesn't even seem to belong on the floor with other D1 players. Allen didn't just play poorly in his short stint in that Ga Tech game, he looked inept. That's primarily why I think he got benched.

Now, having said this, he looked like a different player last night. Last night he looked like the guy who averaged 42 per game and won Kentucky Mr Basketball. Last night he looked like a guy who could change the entire complexion of this season for the team. Cal said in his pregame comments that it appeared a light came on (my paraphrase) for Allen in that private scrimmage versus Bellarmine. I haven't seen practices so I don't know if this has been starting to happen for some time or not. I do know this: the kid has not played live basketball since January of 2019, so it shouldn't shock anyone that he had to get the cobwebs out of his head and his play. I sure do hope that is the case and he's now ready to go.

I haven't seen anything remarkable or eye opening from Boston on defense or offense. He played on a highly touted high school team but that means nothing now.

 

[Bobio]

Because like it or not we are all on the Boston - Clarke train, if they fail the season gets a lot harder. They are the supposed stars of the team, they still have the most potential if you can get it out of them. Even with as much as I haven't been pleased with Boston's play he's still the teams leading scorer.

What takes precedence "supposed" performance, or actual on court performance? And at what point to you stop discussing potential and start discussing real on the court performance? Honest questions. Thanks

 

[revcort]

Why do you keep saying Bellarmine even after people have corrected you?

Once again, the scrimmage was against D3 Transylvania, not Bellarmine. Given that you can’t keep straight what team we played, I’m a bit skeptical about the accuracy of your “paraphrasing“ here.

And I find the claim dubious regardless. The kid averaged 42 ppg in HS and hit seven threes in his first college game where he was given real minutes. He did not forget how to play in between those things until magically “a light came on” in an informal scrimmage with a Division 3 team.

It doesn't really matter if it was Bellarmine or Transylvania. But I apologize for saying the wrong team's name. It doesn't change what Calipari said about it. I guess I'm gonna have to go find the video to prove it to you since I've now become a liar in your eyes. Do you think I'm lying about what Cal said about Allen's play in that scrimmage? I'm not. But I'll go find it.

 

[JohnBlue]

What takes precedence "supposed" performance, or actual on court performance? And at what point to you stop discussing potential and start discussing real on the court performance? Honest questions. Thanks

In years past he has always given the talent a fair chance to start the season but once they don't produce he goes with who does. I'd guess that's where we are right now. Others will have to beat Allen out now if they want his playing time.

 

[Soupbean]

I'm not going to argue this point much longer, but I will add this: there is a difference between a guy looking the part (which Boston does) and just not making shots versus a guy who looks completely lost, can't guard a sign post, and doesn't even seem to belong on the floor with other D1 players. Allen didn't just play poorly in his short stint in that Ga Tech game, he looked inept. That's primarily why I think he got benched.

Now, having said this, he looked like a different player last night. Last night he looked like the guy who averaged 42 per game and won Kentucky Mr Basketball. Last night he looked like a guy who could change the entire complexion of this season for the team. Cal said in his pregame comments that it appeared a light came on (my paraphrase) for Allen in that private scrimmage versus Bellarmine. I haven't seen practices so I don't know if this has been starting to happen for some time or not. I do know this: the kid has not played live basketball since January of 2019, so it shouldn't shock anyone that he had to get the cobwebs out of his head and his play. I sure do hope that is the case and he's now ready to go.

IL you may not have meant to but you just perfectly crystallized what many see as Cals problem with stars vs not. See Cal sees it just like you described, he values confidence over timidity more than anything. Always has always will. He'll take a guy that looks comfident and agressive and give him all the rope he needs, but of you show any sign of nerves he will pounce on that too the other way.

The problem with that is ....

1. Big Star guys come in knowing they have the leeway to mess up so they are naturally more lose & confident than the lower ranked guys, so that's why guys like Boston "look" the part as you say. Their never looking over their shoulder. So it's & uneven game to being with when it comes to confidence & her looks the part vs who doesn't.

2. Some payers are naturally confident don't need any building up, others at the personality type that defers to others and who needs to be "given" confidence. Cal is not as good with those types, he's more comfortable with the types that bring their own confidence. See Darius Miller.

So make the point that Allen looked "lost" when he was playing meaningful minutes for the first time knowing he was playing behind Boston and others, & knowing he had a short leash, & that he knew Cal didn't yet have any confidence in him...is just silly.

 

[FL2287]

A good Kentucky player is worth way more. Why, because they want to win for Kentucky and play five times harder. They are in it to win it!!! Like Cal says . . . its not for everyone.