I Believe Cal Finally Gets it!

[philstat]

He hit on a number of key points during his call in, he realizes we are all at a crossroads. I do believe he will adjust, more so tomorrow than he has ever prior. He affirmed he wants to be here and he is still passionate about winning. Who knows what that will translate into over the next few games, though I do believe this team has a chance of making the NCAA Tournament. There's no denying if they were playing cohesively and collectively, they would present a strong challenge to almost anyone. There are some holes that no matter what, he's not going to be able to fix, the lack of a true PG and floor leader being the primary. Time will tell, though I think we need to be supportive of the opportunity.

 

[BlueWorldOrder74]

 

[bkingUK]

Think it’s supposed to be satire. Anywho. Next thread.

 

[MdWIldcat55]

If serious - D-minus
If satire - F-minus

 

[philstat]

If serious - D-minus
If satire - F-minus

As I said, time will tell, I believe I will be on the right side of this discussion in the end.

 

[Kybluedude]

We are witnessing the transformation this year. Not many like you and me op that see it. We are two plays ahead of most of the board couch coaches most of whom never made their HS teams and have their self worth tied to UK b-ball.
We will return most, if not all of the roster, and climb to the top next year.

 

[philstat]

We are witnessing the transformation this year. Not many like you and me op that see it. We are two plays ahead of most of the board couch coaches most of whom never made their HS teams and have their self worth tied to UK b-ball.
We will return most, if not all of the roster, and climb to the top next year.

I agree with most except the later, unfortunately, I believe we will lose around eight players, though moving forward, I believe Cal will change things up much more than he has in terms of recruiting and building out the roster.

 

[TankedCat]

what I'm convinced of is that collectively it took BBN, the media and I strongly suspect a come to Jesus meeting with Barnhart for Cal to recognize he has a serious PR and credibility problem which will, if go unchecked, result in a huge quality of life issue for him in the future.

I also think it probably took him realizing that after coaching at UK its all downhill professionally for him and to be reminded that his current approach is making that at risk.

Maybe that came out in the call , maybe it didn't.

His actions for the past 3 weeks are not in line with what a coach at a one of the bluebloods schools would be doing and they are almost entirely self serving (don't even try to tell me about players first nonsense, this was self indulgence with a heaping dose of arrogance).

Perhaps he realizes that. Whether he does or does not, the world around him doesn't improve until his actions show change and not his words.

 

[philstat]

"I also think it probably took him realizing that after coaching at UK its all downhill professionally for him and to be reminded that this his current approach is making that at risk."

IMO, this is root of his understanding, more so than anything else!

 

[CELTICAT]

 

[TortElvisII]

I agree we stop losing 8 players a year. Just 7 from here on.

 

[transpac]

We are witnessing the transformation this year. Not many like you and me op that see it. We are two plays ahead of most of the board couch coaches most of whom never made their HS teams and have their self worth tied to UK b-ball.
We will return most, if not all of the roster, and climb to the top next year.

It's lucky we have people like you and the op to educate those of us who likely never made their HS teams. (I actually did but it was a small school with little BB talent.) Without your help I'd have never known that a season that looks like a disaster is actually part of a brilliant master plan.

 

[philstat]

I agree we stop losing 8 players a year. Just 7 from here on.

Unfortunately, I think it will take him two years moving forward to right the ship.

 

[philstat]

It's lucky we have people like you and the op to educate those of us who likely never made their HS teams. (I actually did but it was a small school with little BB talent.) Without your help I'd have never known that a season that looks like a disaster is actually part of a brilliant master plan.

You have no clue to what I've done in my life, I've seen and endured more **** than you could ever imagine. I'm merely presenting a talking point for a forum that is used for discussions...

 

[bkingUK]

You have no clue to what I've done in my life, I've seen and endured more **** than you could ever imagine. I'm merely presenting a talking point for a forum that is used for discussions...

i seriously can’t tell if you’re serious

 

[philstat]

i seriously can’t tell if you’re serious

Yes, I do believe Cal realizes a large section of the fan base is preferring at this point he moves on, I believe he fully understands he is at a pivotal point in his career and his tenure at UK. There's nowhere else for him to go, nowhere that will afford him the opportunities that he had at UK, it's all downhill from here.

 

[ManitouDan_anon]

Cal has put us in a crappy position. All the way around. So sad because it was so entirely easy not to be here licking our wounds.
1) he botched the kneeling thing at Florida terribly bad
2) he screwed the first 1/2 of this season up with horrible lineup moves and the obvious BJB / Allen thing.
3) he should just drop doing media if he cant be any more coherent than he has been . Hell we elected a president that never got out of his basement , can we hide Cal too ? Communism I tell ya. Pulling hearts out . Just STHU .
4) Running him off is risky . Hurts recruiting maybe for a year , that means 2 bad years in a row . kansas over takes us
5) I'm still trying to figure out if Phil is HOF level trolling.

 

[philstat]

Cal has put us in a crappy position. All the way around. So sad because it was so entirely easy not to be here licking our wounds.
1) he botched the kneeling thing at Florida terribly bad
2) he screwed the first 1/2 of this season up with horrible lineup moves and the obvious BJB / Allen thing.
3) he should just drop doing media if he cant be any more coherent than he has been . Hell we elected a president that never got out of his basement , can we hide Cal too ? Communism I tell ya. Pulling hearts out . Just STHU .
4) Running him off is risky . Hurts recruiting maybe for a year , that means 2 bad years in a row . kansas over takes us
5) I'm still trying to figure out if Phil is HOF level trolling.

HAHA, love that last line, though I do honestly believe he finally realizes he's crapped where he sleeps, the buck truly falls on him. He uses that term too freely and obviously has never truly been in a position to where words like that really matter and have impact. Now, they are starting to, there are more than a few calling for his removal, he really is at crossroads, it only goes downhill for him after leaving UK. There's no other program that can provide him the opportunities UK does, especially not with his current age and declining reputation as a coach.

 

[CatPhight_rivals65113]

February surprise...

 

[LineSkiCat14]

From the start of all this, I never thought Cal was a guy who COULDN'T/WOULDN'T change, simply because we have one season that went off the rails. That's what a lot of this was: Cal's strategy fell short one time, and some fans did the "See? We told you it wouldn't work, change it tomorrow!".. It's not always that easy. The roster is what it is. I'm not saying Cal WILL change, but I think we owe him some time to make changes to a system, that worked just fine for the better part of a decade.

 

[Trinity45]

He hit on a number of key points during his call in, he realizes we are all at a crossroads. I do believe he will adjust, more so tomorrow than he has ever prior. He affirmed he wants to be here and he is still passionate about winning. Who knows what that will translate into over the next few games, though I do believe this team has a chance of making the NCAA Tournament. There's no denying if they were playing cohesively and collectively, they would present a strong challenge to almost anyone. There are some holes that no matter what, he's not going to be able to fix, the lack of a true PG and floor leader being the primary. Time will tell, though I think we need to be supportive of the opportunity.

I need to actually see the changes in his coaching, I am burnt out on Cal speak at this point in time.

 

[KyFaninNC]

HAHA, love that last line, though I do honestly believe he finally realizes he's crapped where he sleeps, the buck truly falls on him. He uses that term too freely and obviously has never truly been in a position to where words like that really matter and have impact. Now, they are starting to, there are more than a few calling for his removal, he really is at crossroads, it only goes downhill for him after leaving UK. There's no other program that can provide him the opportunities UK does, especially not with his current age and declining reputation as a coach.

You will have your answer tomorrow night.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

You have no clue to what I've done in my life, I've seen and endured more **** than you could ever imagine. I'm merely presenting a talking point for a forum that is used for discussions...

I hope you're using a strong leader.

 

[Blueaz]

We are witnessing the transformation this year. Not many like you and me op that see it. We are two plays ahead of most of the board couch coaches most of whom never made their HS teams and have their self worth tied to UK b-ball.
We will return most, if not all of the roster, and climb to the top next year.

 

[MychalG]

At $10 million a year he should GET IT and should have already GOTTEN IT..

 

[CB3UK]

We'll see. I said I was done after Florida because I don't believe Cal will change. Took all of last week off. Didn't listen to any shows, get on here, watch the games, nothing.

Checked in Monday night after listening to Cals show. Obviously I was aware what had happened in the last two games. Seeing is believing. If he puts the guys out there who are giving us the most effort and give us the best chance to win the game we're playing, not some theoretical future games, that would go a long way for me personally. I'll listen to tomorrow nights game after this sabbatical and see. If its more of the same crap then I officially move on to baseball spring training.

 

[wildcatdon]

He hit on a number of key points during his call in, he realizes we are all at a crossroads. I do believe he will adjust, more so tomorrow than he has ever prior. He affirmed he wants to be here and he is still passionate about winning. Who knows what that will translate into over the next few games, though I do believe this team has a chance of making the NCAA Tournament. There's no denying if they were playing cohesively and collectively, they would present a strong challenge to almost anyone. There are some holes that no matter what, he's not going to be able to fix, the lack of a true PG and floor leader being the primary. Time will tell, though I think we need to be supportive of the opportunity.

Darn I thought you were going to say he is resigning effective immediately.

 

[kb22stang]

At $10 million a year he should GET IT and should have already GOTTEN IT..

Ahh the UK fan base in a nutshell. This is one bad year, how does that mean he doesn't "get it". Oh I know he's not a racist hillbilly who supports Q like half of you and he had the audacity to let his players kneel to express themselves, but his overall record here is pretty stellar. This year has been bad, BG level bad, but don't act like it's anything more than a year.

 

[RunninRichie]

Ahh the UK fan base in a nutshell. This is one bad year, how does that mean he doesn't "get it". Oh I know he's not a racist hillbilly who supports Q like half of you and he had the audacity to let his players kneel to express themselves, but his overall record here is pretty stellar. This year has been bad, BG level bad, but don't act like it's anything more than a year.

Worst poster on the board and it’s not even close. Let me guess born in ohio/indiana?

 

[ArtSmass]

Ahh the UK fan base in a nutshell. This is one bad year, how does that mean he doesn't "get it". ...but his overall record here is pretty stellar. This year has been bad, BG level bad, but don't act like it's anything more than a year.

I really don't get this take -- and any coach who is driven to excellence wouldn't either.

If...
* your premise for what brings success is "getting the best players"
AND
* you get the #1 recruiting class in the nation
THEN
* shouldn't anything less than a championship (or, okay, given the randomness, a Final Four) be the standard for success each year?

As a coach, I never looked at my record at the end of the year as my measuring stick.

I broke the schedule down into games we should've won and games we weren't supposed to win.
* 'Good' season: Did we win ALL the ones we were supposed to win, lose ONLY in the games we weren't supposed to win.
* 'Very Good' Season: won all we should've and were competitive in ALL the ones we shouldn't have.
* "Great" Season: won all we should've and actually won one or more of the ones we shouldn't have.

He ALWAYS supposedly has the best talent based on recruiting rankings, so doesn't that mean he should win big every year? Losing to a Kansas St. and Auburn w/o their best player -- sorry, I count that as an unsuccessful season when you've got a team w/ future NBA all-stars talent-wise.

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

You have no clue to what I've done in my life, I've seen and endured more **** than you could ever imagine. I'm merely presenting a talking point for a forum that is used for discussions...

You ARE entitled to your own opinion. I agree. It’s just that myself and a large portion of posters on this forum disagree with your take.

 

[philstat]

You ARE entitled to your own opinion. I agree. It’s just that myself and a large portion of posters on this forum disagree with your take.

I get that, understandable, though that's what these boards are for discussion and at times, disagreements. I'm not saying Cal is the be all end all, there are at least five coaches I would prefer over him, though more often than not he's been able to turn things around when necessary.

 

[UKfan2151]

If he were using this season as a bridge between the old business model and a new one, I'd be totally fine with how things are going. I don't mind having a throw away season to make the transition from One and Done U back to a more traditional 2-3 year program. But I just can't see that happening. Nor do I think this was Cal's intent. Had Boston and Clarke lived up to their hype, they would have certainly 100% been gone to the draft. But now their draft stock is in question. And regardless of the intent, I still suspect we'll lose a bunch of guys we shouldn't be losing at the end of the season, whether they make the jump to pro ball or transfer. So I'm not holding my breath.

 

[crashtestdummy_rivals61973]

We are witnessing the transformation this year. Not many like you and me op that see it. We are two plays ahead of most of the board couch coaches most of whom never made their HS teams and have their self worth tied to UK b-ball.
We will return most, if not all of the roster, and climb to the top next year.

not without a pg. that can penetrate and create open shots for others.

 

[crxohio]

Terrible shooting, bad rebounding, bad turnovers. Bad defense at times. Who could possibly win more than a game or two? We just got suck it up. Clean up and get tough. Cards are stacked against us. Some time left to squeak in. Long road ahead. Love the kentucky wildcats. Go cats!

 

[Chuckinden]

Will Cal change how he recruits? I think not. He wants to make kids rich. He has his 'Ship and in the HOF.

 

[RKulmer]

Have to wonder if any of our recruiters have the ability to identify 4 star talent that is under the radar. It seems that they just take the list of 5's and go after them regardless of position need.

 

[G-PIP]

Will Cal change how he recruits? I think not. He wants to make kids rich. He has his 'Ship and in the HOF.

Are we sure he hasn't already "tweaked" how he recruits? What about Brooks, Ware, Askew, Fletcher, Hickman, and Hopkins? I don't think Jackson was even thought of as a OAD candidate until after getting to UK. And UK is heavily recruiting Podziemsky, who no one would think of as a potential OAD. Then in 2022 UK is recruiting the kid from WV who isn't a OAD candidate; and even Jaden Bradley, the junior PG UK is recruiting, doesn't look like that kind of player to me, and I think he has indicated that he's fine not being OAD.

I don't know, but I've had the feeling that Calipari started altering his recruiting strategy a little bit while following recruiting in this year's freshmen class and continuing with the 2021 class.

 

[jessieshorts8]

Are we sure he hasn't already "tweaked" how he recruits? What about Brooks, Ware, Askew, Fletcher, Hickman, and Hopkins? I don't think Jackson was even thought of as a OAD candidate until after getting to UK. And UK is heavily recruiting Podziemsky, who no one would think of as a potential OAD. Then in 2022 UK is recruiting the kid from WV who isn't a OAD candidate; and even Jaden Bradley, the junior PG UK is recruiting, doesn't look like that kind of player to me, and I think he has indicated that he's fine not being OAD.

I don't know, but I've had the feeling that Calipari started altering his recruiting strategy a little bit while following recruiting in this year's freshmen class and continuing with the 2021 class.

I'm just not sure if that is changing or that he's simply losing out on his top targets lately.

 

[jc2010]

He hit on a number of key points during his call in, he realizes we are all at a crossroads. I do believe he will adjust, more so tomorrow than he has ever prior. He affirmed he wants to be here and he is still passionate about winning. Who knows what that will translate into over the next few games, though I do believe this team has a chance of making the NCAA Tournament. There's no denying if they were playing cohesively and collectively, they would present a strong challenge to almost anyone. There are some holes that no matter what, he's not going to be able to fix, the lack of a true PG and floor leader being the primary. Time will tell, though I think we need to be supportive of the opportunity.

When he puts the best players on the floor I'll believe he's passionate about winning.