Last year Herro arrived in Lexington ranked number 30 by ESPN. He was a 4 star player. Yes we liked him but he was still a 4 star. I've been following the Cats for over 40 years. We have had as many top recruits underperform as second tier outperformed. These rankings matter little.
Perspective
- Thread starter rnfoster
- Start date
Yes they do. Go back and look at how many of the top 5 are lottery picks. We dont get them anymore so we tell ourselves they don’t matter.
my perspective is simple: if KJ and Herro had decided to return, we could be looking at 40-0 and a NC! NOW, we are plowing the same ground all over again! My enthusiasm has been sucked away. I almost don't even care anymore. If these kids, WEARING THE UNIFORM!, don't give a "you know what", why should we??
Wake me up when Cal has a team with some experience and desire.....
Wake me up when Cal has a team with some experience and desire.....
You understand farming requires plowing the same ground every year right? Coaching kids is probably much the same. Listening to “fans” make the same beleaguered point definitely is.
This is a text book example of a toxic fan. What a horrid outlook to have.
yeah that screams ENTITLEMENT .. the players this year gave it their all , every game . They did give a ____
Well, count me as a "toxic" fan! The same could be said for the fans that love Cal's method. It's beyond rediculous.
There's no continuity from one year to the next. I've also been a UK fan for 40 years and the way it's done nowadays just flat out sucks!
They gave it their all? How's that when midway through season they actually come together and played ball like they should have. Then when the postseason started, they went down hill dramatically and didn't even look like the same team.
Yeah I know we had an injury or two, but a team that had their heart in it wouldn't have missed a beat. They would've used that as a motivator. We see it every year with other teams. They got wore down at the end and had one foot out the door because their hearts weren't in it 100%.
These one and dones are nowhere near the caliber, of say, the unforgettable's when it comes to heart. They are not invested in the school or our history. They are invested in themselves because of what Cal is telling them when he recruits them.
spam, I have probably been a fan longer than you have been alive. . I, and the boys I grew up with, would have given their left nut, just to put on the jersey with K-E-N-T-U-C-K-Y across the front. These kids don't care at all. It is a privilege and an honor to play for UK. They would rather toss it away to play for Toronto, or Memphis, or Sacramento, or Atlanta, or Brooklyn (of all places)!!!
There is no pride there.....
There is no pride there.....
I love Cal's method. We've had great players the last ten years. I like having new kids. The way it's done now is great. Go Cats.
I am not saying that it doesn't matter for lottery picks, but we all know that lottery picks does not equal success in college basketball.
I think you are right and just because the game is changing does not mean that players don't care. They do care, but basketball has changed.
That is a valid point and you sound older than me. My first games involved watching Hurt and Hord. However, I am not sure that you can ever return to earlier days in a sport. Few have that dedication today to a team or anything else in life. We are in a new world.
Herro was never a “second tier” player. Nobody who knows anything about basketball ever believed that.
A lot goes into being a successful player. Size, strength, quickness, intelligence, commitment, heart, luck. Of course some underperform and some overachieve. As in all walks of life. The question is which coaches teach the game and consistently take their teams deep into the tourney. Cal is one of the best.
I know it’s different than it used to be. The first team I can remember is the ‘75 team. Like you, me and my buddies would have given anything to play at UK. It was a tough moment when I walked off the court after my last high school game and realized that my dream of playing for Kentucky just died. However, if you want to compete for the championship you have to recruit the best players and they are the ones that go pro. Cal is the best at developing them, much better than even K. That’s why our’s leave when others don’t. The other option is to recruit the way Tubby did, and the results weren’t good enough to be serious title contenders.
For the old fans like me, that remember the 'good ole days'. Here are our Final 4's by decade:
1960's - 1
1970's - 2
1980's - 1
1990's - 4
2000's - 0
2010's - 4
Current history looks pretty damn good with the one-n-done. The history of seeing four-year players was not nearly as successful as you remember.
I am enjoying Coach Cal and the future he is giving us right now!!!
1960's - 1
1970's - 2
1980's - 1
1990's - 4
2000's - 0
2010's - 4
Current history looks pretty damn good with the one-n-done. The history of seeing four-year players was not nearly as successful as you remember.
I am enjoying Coach Cal and the future he is giving us right now!!!
Yep, they plow the same ground, but plant different crops, they CHANGE things up.
Yet those old timers hate Cal’s approach....we are literally in the hunt every year. As we have learned, the tourney is tough as hell to win and the best team doesn’t always cut the nets. The point is we have a shot every year because the way Cal does things.
Solid post Lexchess.
If that’s how you believe why continue to be miserable? Just stop watching/ find a new hobby brother
Some gave it their all and a few didn’t. Last year it was very obvious too many didn’t give it their all.when you experience the volume of turnover that we do you’re going to have players every year who put it on cruise control at times. When I define giving it their all I’m talking mentally and physically with consistency. I agree with the poster that says we didn’t play our best basketball in March. That’s the mantra around here that cal prepares his teams for March. If this team had played their best ball in March they would have made a ff and possibly won the title.
That’s what Cal does. Different crop every year. Always dank af.
Very true. And the non top 5 guys are still for the most part going one and done at UK. If you want to return to the Final Four at Kentucky, either get the top 5 talent or get more of the 4 star guys return. Cal is the best of getting freshman up to speed in such a short time
I'd hate to be as miserable as a few of the folks on here because a 19-year old decided he was going to go make a few million (minimum) a year or two earlier than they/you had originally thought possible. If that kind of decision gets you that upset, I'd hate to see how you handle actual difficulties in life.
Yeah, Cal has done an absolutely horrible job...
I get it, I miss the connection with the Pelphrys, Brassows, Delks and the like. But we absolutely cannot pretend like the product we get every year is worse.
I get it, I miss the connection with the Pelphrys, Brassows, Delks and the like. But we absolutely cannot pretend like the product we get every year is worse.
Yeah, Cal has done an absolutely horrible job...
I get it, I miss the connection with the Pelphrys, Brassows, Delks and the like. But we absolutely cannot pretend like the product we get every year is worse.
Part of coaching is recruiting, so Cal continues to earn his money in that regard.
That said, he absolutely has to cut another net down over the last 10 years of his stay at UK. Your graphic actually highlights the incredible amount of talent he's brought to Lexington, but if he gets another 20+ top 10 guys over the next 10 years and doesn't have a second title to show for it, his legacy will be one of a coach who had the most talent with the least to show for it from a championship standpoint.
This 'new' era of college basketball everyone is debating is just symptomatic of a flawed, outdated, hypocritical system of amateur athletics.
So many here keep arguing and longing for something that no longer exists and hasn't for much longer than you care to admit. How many threads are really needed to rehash this?
So many here keep arguing and longing for something that no longer exists and hasn't for much longer than you care to admit. How many threads are really needed to rehash this?
Thank you. You put my thoughts into words and described my feelings exactly. Good post.
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If he is toxic it's not his fault. The system would have done it to him. Disappointment every single year with kids who aren't ready to go gets beyond frustrating. It's very easy to become cynical in this money, media, and agenda driven environment. If he is toxic, he's not alone. The way society as a whole has changed is very difficult to embrace for those who remember and appreciate a saner era.
I respect the “Kentucky pride” mantra that says players should be proud to have KENTUCKY across the front of their jerseys. I feel that way myself. The University of Kentucky is the top college basketball program in the country in terms of total wins, tradition, and a lot of other parameters. I grew up here, and I feel the pride. Recent UK players from Tyler Herro to Tyler Ulis to Karl Towns have been very proud to be UK players despite their short stays. But the game has changed, and the country has changed. Many people in the society, outside of sports, are questioning the value of a college education. There are lots of proposals to professionalize college athletes while still on campus. I don’t agree with those Ideas, but that is not the point. In a changing world with all of these distractions swirling, Coach Calipari has changed with the times, and is having a very successful run at UK. That’s the point. You can never please everyone, but most people in UK’s fan base are smart enough to support Calipari and gracious enough to appreciate what he is accomplishing here. It will be interesting to see how Coach Calipari copes with the roster for next year, but I suspect it is shaping up to become a reclassification-heavy class.
The players haven't changed, you're just in on the secret now.
If you think Kenny Walker came to Kentucky because he had pride in the jersey and not because it was the best place for him, you're delusional. Every kid has always gone to the place that was best for them. It's the entire message of recruiting.
You are a fan. They are players. The two are not the same. Adults with critical thinking skills can and should be aware of this.
If you think Kenny Walker came to Kentucky because he had pride in the jersey and not because it was the best place for him, you're delusional. Every kid has always gone to the place that was best for them. It's the entire message of recruiting.
You are a fan. They are players. The two are not the same. Adults with critical thinking skills can and should be aware of this.
All true. And I think some people should be a lot more careful with their behavior as fans. Spectator sports are a hobby, and should never become larger than life. Hobbies are pastimes. Being a good parent and a productive person is real life. If a high school basketball player decides to accept a scholarship at Kentucky, that is his business and the University’s business. All of us want the player to be a good local citizen while he is here. That is why we have campus rules and team rules. But too many of our fans are way too judgmental and emotionally invested. I love UK sports as much as anyone, and more than most. But it’s sports. It isn’t a job or a real life obligation. It won’t support your family or tuck your child into bed at night.
Did they win the championship? Am I reading your post wrong? They finished same place we did
And in the 70’s we had as many championships as we do in the 2010’s. One runner up to UCLA and a Championship over Duke. Also, lost to UNC in elite 8 in 77 to Dean Smith’s 4 corners The 70’s was a good decade for UK Baskeball under Joe B Hall
The tournament was harder to get into during that time too. And you didn’t have 2 easy games out of the gate
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Yes Duke got 3 of the top 5 last season and won a championship, they didn't? Well they went to the Elite Eight. If we sign 3 of the top 5 maybe UK can go to the Elite Eight?