**** gets real. I go home, turn on my gaming PC and play some war of rights.What happens at 5:00 p.m.?
**** gets real. I go home, turn on my gaming PC and play some war of rights.What happens at 5:00 p.m.?
“A bounce of a ball” could be said about practically every season Tubby Smith had after his first. But I get it , excuses make everything acceptable. lol . And are we just going to overlook the the 2016 sweet sixteen loss to Indiana ?This often-repeated claim that Kentucky has been in steep decline in recent years is absolute nonsense. Let's look at the facts:
2017 - A last second shot from the Final Four. Many would argue that game was for the Championship, and Kentucky played it with a horrible and biased official actively working against them.
2018 - A bad game at a bad time ended the year after the Cats made the Sweet 16 (some programs celebrate those, but I agree Kentucky shouldn't.)
2019 - An overtime loss away from the Final Four. A frustrating game against a team that happened to get red hot at the right time, crushing Kansas and UNC-Cheats before the Kentucky game. One chance for a free throw away. It happens in college basketball.
2020 - A team that won the SEC outright by three full games and was ranked 8th in both polls didn't get to make a tourney run because of COVID.
2021 - A disastrous year in one of the most unique and atypical years in NCAA history.
So, that's Kentucky's recent past: Two teams that came a bounce of the ball from the Final Four, another conference champion that didn't get a chance to make a patented Calipari run in five years. That's not a program that has fallen off the cliff.
I Think it all the time. And MD55 was one of the worlds best at nailing them on that ****. Now he’s one of them.I used to get a kick out of Kansas posters on their scout board always talking about the tournament being a "crapshoot" and the ball just not bouncing their way. This place is like reading a Kansas board 2010-2015 or so.
But we won the SEC ... err .. Big 12!
I go out and look for UFOs.**** gets real. I go home, turn on my gaming PC and play some war of rights.
Yeah but he goes into lockup...He gets off work, of course.![]()
Cal determined what his legacy was going to be day one here. To his credit, he hasn’t veered. Credit where it’s due yadayada...This^^^^.
Cal is burnt-out and it is pretty obvious.
It is NOT from coaching basketball. Csl is limited to how much time he actually spends coaching his teams.
Cal has burned himself out trying to be "Swaggy Cal" and the mist important man in the college basketball world.
Cal considers himself to be the "rock star" that has to be seen at every major AAU tournament and every high profile HS basketball game in order to successfully recruit these top 5 players that he is consistently missing on now since his ugly divorce with Nike, WWW, Drake, and all that elitist crowd who control today's young stars.
No way he has the energy at 60 to keep this pace up. And it's showing on Cal, on his recruiting, and on his team's performance.
The trend is going down.
If he is really a fan, he sure has been MIA for the past 4-5 years.drake still likes UK. I seen a video of him last month saying "man...to be honest im a wildcat fan."
Oh, this topic again... hmmm... what a relief! It's been like 2 or 3 days since we talked about it and everyone's opinions have all changed, so we need to talk about it again. And these conversations always change someone's mind. Let's do it.
You left one out.This sums it up well...in the hunt the majority of the time. Ball didnt bounce our way as often as it did in the earlier years. Winning is HARD, winning in the NCAA tournament is even harder. 100 plus years of hoops and 17 final 4s, and 8 championships.....and I know you dont want to hear it, but really only 4 in the more modern area of basketball.
look at these droughts:
58 to 78
78 to 96/98
98 to 2012
Those balls are ahem....#BuiltDifferent.
I really think us humans are the real aliens.I go out and look for UFOs.
And if you notice my avatar I find them.
Pretty sure they belong to the United States government.
Agree completelyReality vs. expectation can be disappointing. For me, our three point make consistency and our free throw shooting last night have been disappointing vs my expectations. Just thought we would be doing better in those areas.
The recruiting has fallen off. Beating ranked opponents has fallen off. The Ol' iffin game doesn't change that.This often-repeated claim that Kentucky has been in steep decline in recent years is absolute nonsense. Let's look at the facts:
2017 - A last second shot from the Final Four. Many would argue that game was for the Championship, and Kentucky played it with a horrible and biased official actively working against them.
2018 - A bad game at a bad time ended the year after the Cats made the Sweet 16 (some programs celebrate those, but I agree Kentucky shouldn't.)
2019 - An overtime loss away from the Final Four. A frustrating game against a team that happened to get red hot at the right time, crushing Kansas and UNC-Cheats before the Kentucky game. One chance for a free throw away. It happens in college basketball.
2020 - A team that won the SEC outright by three full games and was ranked 8th in both polls didn't get to make a tourney run because of COVID.
2021 - A disastrous year in one of the most unique and atypical years in NCAA history.
So, that's Kentucky's recent past: Two teams that came a bounce of the ball from the Final Four, another conference champion that didn't get a chance to make a patented Calipari run in five years. That's not a program that has fallen off the cliff.
If you go back to when Cal first came and compare it to now, which player on this team could start on those early Cal teams? Oscar and Washington maybe?If I left off 2016 then you left off 2015 - (38-1) and 2014 - (Final Game).
Looking at the last five years, as I did, is an objective take. People generally look at things in five-year increments.
Choosing to start at an odd number like 6 is simply trying to reinforce a biased point of view. Either look at the whole story back to 2010, or if trying (and failing) to make the point that the recent past has been bad, go back five years, as I did.
OH,I thought he started drinkingHe gets off work, of course.![]()
Come on now , you know those facts don’t fit his agenda.1. You left off 2016 which was a second round exit with only 2 great guards and zilch inside
2. 2017....last great Cal team with Monk/Fox and Bam....but again, we put ourselves to being seeded at #2 in UNC bracket by losing too many games earlier.
3. 2018 was a pretty bad year. And we had a lucky bracket that was busted to pieces...and we proceeded to choke vs. a "meh" Kansas St team
4. 2019....You call Auburn loss in elite 8 as red hot...but fail to mention their best player got ACL tear in game before...so it was basically 2 Auburn guards with no interior presence...and we chocked it away
5. 2020...we'll never know but that was not an elite team. We lost at home to Tenn and got a miracle comeback vs. FLorida along with Hagans falling apart personally down the stretch. I never felt like that team was going to do a final 4
6. 2021 worst year in UK history...you can't argue that as the stats back that up all the way.
Again as has been mentioned...no final fours and no 1 seeds. That is clearly trending the wrong direction.
Co-exists is a weird and overrated thing. Too Peloshi-germanated . Squabbling is meant to be. I don’t want to live all touchy-feels. Gives me the willy’s. That’s just me, I respect other opinionsI really think us humans are the real aliens.
We have never figured out how to coexist on earth. We must be aliens.
Speaking of aliens... I think they like bass. Gnoimsayin!!!I really think us humans are the real aliens.
We have never figured out how to coexist on earth. We must be aliens.
UK wasn't eligible for the post season in Pitino's first 2 years. There was not NCAA tourney in Rupp's first 9 seasons.Agreed was looking at 1 coach, but the program had No Final 4s after 98 until 2012
Career final 4s
Rupp = 6 (41 years)
Hall = 3 (13 years)
Pitino = 3 (8 years)
Smith = 1 (10 years)
Cal = 4 (12 years)
Cals years are as close to Pitinos 8 that I have seen, granted I am only 51 and wasn't around for Rupps 41 years. Very similar in my humble opinion
But there is a clear cut off point between 2015 and 2016. Cal’s success post-2015 took a big drop off (sans 2017.)If I left off 2016 then you left off 2015 - (38-1) and 2014 - (Final Game).
Looking at the last five years, as I did, is an objective take. People generally look at things in five-year increments.
Choosing to start at an odd number like 6 is simply trying to reinforce a biased point of view. Either look at the whole story back to 2010, or if trying (and failing) to make the point that the recent past has been bad, go back five years, as I did.
Delete it if you want....in the future all we can discuss is next year's class and how Higgins screwed UK. Thanks for the heads up.Oh, this topic again... hmmm... what a relief! It's been like 2 or 3 days since we talked about it and everyone's opinions have all changed, so we need to talk about it again. And these conversations always change someone's mind. Let's do it.
I expected a couple titles.
But there is a clear cut off point between 2015 and 2016. Cal’s success post-2015 took a big drop off (sans 2017.)
The word to describe the 2020 team was upredictable. They could beat top 10 teams of Louisville and Michigan State, or lose to the Utahs and Evansvilles. We’ll never know if the could have made an UCLA type run. It’s best to not assume either way and judge them on the games they played.30 wins in '19
25 wins before the SEC tournament in '20
So you think Cal is still getting the top kids? Ahh yes, as I predicted, the wait til next year's class gets here post. So predictable.Well, you've got me there. That's a pretty horrible fall in recruiting for 2022 -- No. 1 by a wide margin, as documented in the link below. And once Wagner joins Sheppard and others, 2023 will be the same...
You think those people would put him on top in modern history, like since 2015 ? Lol . Let’s look at our NCAA wins since (evidently) Wisconsin took Cal’s soul .Yeah, I'm the one with the agenda because I list facts that support the irrefutable case that John Calipari has been one of the most successful -- probably THE most successful -- college coach of the past decade.
I guess all these outside people who rate Cal as No. 1, or at least ahead of people like Self and K and his other rivals. they have agendas too...
The word to describe the 2020 team was upredictable. They could beat top 10 teams of Louisville and Michigan State, or lose to the Utahs and Evansvilles. We’ll never know if the could have made an UCLA type run. It’s best to not assume either way and judge them on the games they played.
I agree about K state but poor free throw shooting is the only reason Aurburn one lus it’s very difficult to beat a fellow conference team 3 times in a year.????????????? this guy is making excuses about cal losing to ****ing k-state and AUBURN in the tournament.
Good thread with good discussion. I would like to focus on the past
3 years because the state of the game has changed during that time
The transfer portal lessened the impact of OAD,I think Cal has adapted
to the change fairly well.
Two years ago we had a pretty good team but we will never know how good.
Last year the team was historically bad and I think we are still "shell shocked"
(including Cal) from that experience. It is December 8 and we have no idea
what kind of team we have right now. They are fun to watch (which is an
improvement over the last couple of seasons.
For the record I don't believe Cal will ever return to the level we saw in
his first 5 seasons. Cal has become Tubby 2.5
We really must talk"Cover your ears Darling..."
I'm going to respond one more time in case some of you are sincere in your belief that the 2016-2021 window of FIVE seasons in which Calipari only went as far as the Elite Eight twice is some irrefutable evidence that he is washed up.You think those people would put him on top in modern history, like since 2015 ? Lol
Agree.....asterisk on the '15 season though....wink winkI get it...but again, I think a 30 win season and another '20 where we would very likely win 29-30 games minimum is a good season.
There aren't bad 30 win seasons...they don't exist.
Aliens on speed dial?2 National Titles by now...
You think those people would put him on top in modern history, like since 2015 ? Lol . Let’s look at our NCAA wins since (evidently) Wisconsin took Cal’s soul .
2016 -Beat Stoneybrook
2017- Beat Northern Ky , Wichita St., UCLA (good win)
2018- Beat Davidson , Buffalo
2019-Beat Albene Christian, Wolford, Houston
So basically, except for 2017 we’ve lost to the first good team we’ve played in the NCAA tournament.
Coach K has shown the ability to change. I haven’t seen that from our coach. Anyway , nothing personal with you brother . We just don’t see things the same . It will play out one way or the other.I'm going to respond one more time in case some of you are sincere in your belief that the 2016-2021 window of FIVE seasons in which Calipari only went as far as the Elite Eight twice is some irrefutable evidence that he is washed up.
I invite you to look at the career of Mike K. at Duke. You know how many times he advanced as far as the Elite Eight in the eight seasons between 2002 and 2009? Once. Even after that he had seasons where he lost to 15 seeds (LeHigh) and 14 seeds (Mercer.) And yet I'd bet you wouldn't argue he was washed up because of the 2002 to 2009 stretch, or the horrible NCAA losses in 2012 and 2014.
You want every season at Kentucky to be 2012 or 1996. It doesn't happen. For any program. Calipari has sustained his success as much as anyone out there. And there are positive signs that Kentucky is on an upswing with a rebuilt staff and strong recruiting classes already on the way the4 next couple years.
That's it for me on this thread. I have no illusions I can convince people who have developed some emotional distaste for Cal that overrides their ability to see the truth.
Squabbling is ok. All this killing.......now that's another issue.Co-exists is a weird and overrated thing. Too Peloshi-germanated . Squabbling is meant to be. I don’t want to live all touchy-feels. Gives me the willy’s. That’s just me, I respect other opinions![]()
You‘re using the same material you used to defend your tubby god till the bitter end. Did you use it to defend Billy Clyde too ?By any objective measure, he has exceeded expectations. The only knock against him has come from Haters and the what have you done for me lately crowd. Both of these groups are clearly incapable of objectively assessing coaching performance. They depend only on single stat assessments and strategies attributable to PlayStation experience alone. Utter comedy.