I’m gonna predict that Miika isn’t nearly as big a deal as everyone expects.
Trilly Prediction
- Thread starter Anon200440
- Start date
That’s a SUPER young core at Arkansas if that comes to fruition, very very very talented on paper, but the idea of winning with freshman just isn’t there anymore.
Cal never gonna win another one - falls victim to the same old issue relying on freshmen guards. He will be an annnual #15 type of program. Jordan Davis is not Acuff, and even so, Acuff played zero defense.
He needs this guy - they have zero FC, same as last year. Zero chance against those teams up there. There is nothing left at the 4/5 worth a dam in the US.
I’m actually not a big fan of Miika, he’s long and explosive but he went overseas to develop his game and they really couldn’t play him. He still seems below average from a basketball IQ standpoint. I think Kentucky already got the much better prospect.
I know he's way more athletic
But he's a thin pf that shoots 3s and gets pushed around
Cal doesn't usually take 6'11 guys that float around on the perimeter. He always hated that
Circular logic:
1. "Cal sent guards to the NBA; he's a great coach."
2. Wouldn't they have gone to the NBA regardless? They were top level players before him.
3. "No, Cal developed them."
4. How so? Name a concrete way in which he developed them.
5. "It's because he sent them to the NBA."
Yeah, but Cal is changing lives. He really only cares about the number of guys he puts in the league.
I like Cal, but he lost the fire for Natty’s years ago.
Answers
1 - Cal is a great recruiter, because he let's these kids start
2 - Yes, they would no matter where they played
3 - " ":
4 - He rolled the ball out there and said go
5 -
Cal sells great talented guards on PT, getting to the NBA. He has that schtick down. It took him a Fland injury last year to figure out Donnell was the better player, and that turned his entire season around.
Give it to Scheyer, he made no such promise to Rippey and has him coming off the bench.
36 years Dean Smith 2 titles
34 years Cal 1
Both blessed with as much talent as any college coach could ever ask for
34 years Cal 1
Both blessed with as much talent as any college coach could ever ask for
Cal coached at a blue blood 36 years? Last I checked he was only at UK 15 years.
I'm not gonna hold 96 against him as UK has a decent team that season. And he was coaching at dog crap UMass.
You're not supposed to answer the questions. My post is structured that way because it's pointing out a circular reasoning fallacy:
Dean generally overrated as a coach. He invented 4 corners, whippeee.
Cal almost had that Memphis win against KU. Lost that one. That UMass team had Camby - somehow stole him from UConn, and legend was born.
I know exactly how:
https://www.deseret.com/1996/6/4/19246471/camby-took-money-from-agent-while-at-umass/
Jim Calhoun on Calipari: https://www.thescore.com/news/474421
Pope has literally made Kentucky irrelevant, and you are hating on Cal, real smart loser.
Cal and pope are winning at basically the same rate since cal left and pope took over. Kentucky fans want pope gone yesterday, and ark fans are excited. This is why we are who we are, and y’all are who y’all are. Kentucky will be back soon.
Hogs gonna finish with Slim Jesus, and Ekezie, two 5 star 7 footers. How is the Pope recruiting going?
Last year,
Arkansas Pig Slop (5 5-Stars)
Meleek Thomas 5 Star
Darius Acuff 5 Star
Karter Knox 5 Star
DJ Wagner 5 Star
Billy Richmond 5 Star
Kentucky (0 5-Stars)
…You couldn’t even beat Mark Pope with 5 of those fancy 5-stars and you came here to talk trash? LMAO.
Might want to sit this one out, hog breath!
Kentucky vs. Arkansas Box Score (Men), January 31, 2026 | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
Kentucky vs. Arkansas Box Score (Men), January 31, 2026
www.sports-reference.com
Arkansas finished tied for second and won the SEC tournament. As of now he has signed 3 of the top 12 HS players and a 17 point scorer in the SEC from last year from the portal. How is that the same? Arkansas improved from last year and UK is worse Pope’s second year.
Calipari didn’t want to leave he was forced out. I’m not saying it was smart in hindsight, but he was willing to succumb to all demands when he tried to use Arkansas to strong arm and was told no. Nobody would leave UK for a regional mid program like Arkansas. Calipari wouldn’t step foot in a place like that unless by force. Ohio State like he wanted when he knew it was over sure, Arkansas? No. It’s not a real program.
You can critique two coaches at the same time. I know you probably can't remember yesterday, but Calipari was our coach just two years ago, so of course he's partially to blame for the position we're in. Nice comma splice, by the way. I can tell you're "real smart," for sure.
Calipari knew his time here was over because he's an incompetent coach. There's no way to "sell" Kentucky fans on losing. He did not fit in anymore. You're obviously disparaging Arkansas because of your current bias, perhaps even jealousy over them getting Calipari.
Arkansas is probably better than Kentucky right now, I'll grant you that. That doesn't change the fact that Calipari consistently underperforms with ridiculously loaded teams -- the opposite of Dan Hurley. Calipari hasn't even come close to the level of success he once had. He's been on a downward trajectory alongside Kentucky. The 38-0 2015 team was arguably the greatest college basketball team ever. Now he's satisfied with Sweet 16's and SEC championships? Isn't this the same guy that says the SEC tournament is basically meaningless? That seems hypocritical.
Cal will get the best out of him and he’ll grow more there than probably anywhere he could go. We all know how it ends at the end of the year though. Round of 32 and three draft picks. Best of luck to him.
We can’t pay for him and then get Stokes ,a top Shooter and big rebounding machine. It’s best all around.
Ole Cal thought he could just mark time here at Kentucky while funneling these kids from HS to the NBA. He didn’t give a $$hhiiTT about UK basketball or BBN. He’s in the hog pen now.
He still loves UK, in my opinion. He was legitimately incapable of winning here during the 2020's because other coaches were flat-out better than he was. His players carried him, not the other way around.
Dude couldn't adapt, one trick pony, selling in living rooms. It's what he loves - then showing up on draft night in his checkered blazer.
For a less expectant and less sophisticated basketball fanbase, it does the job. UK does like to win. His system doesn't work in the portal era. If you're going to let OAD's drive the bus, they have to be dominant and there has to be 2-3 of them. The top of the sport now is FAR better than the top of the sport 15 years ago. These teams would annhilate those teams back them. Take a 26 Mich, 25 Florida or 24 UConn and put them against some of those teams from back then and they'd rupture their organs. Put that 2024 UConn team against their winners from 2011 or 2014 and I think they'd win by 20. These teams today are built like NBA teams. There ain't no Butler's making the final's these days.
He loves checks more anything. We're probably still in his top 5, so no need to be jealous.
100% agree. And I just meant in terms of talent and dominance. Kentucky's 2015 team was infinitely more talented than this year's Uconn team. Uconn's entire management structure is like a well oiled machine. That 2015 team was basically like an All Star team, self governed.
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UConn has a sleek operating model, and a highly refined system - I think part of it is because Hurley doesn't quite have top dollar, so they need to beat you with all the other stuff. Their player profile is very intentional and meant to match their culture and system. Hurley pretty much gets who he wants, very efficient around it. They are the Apple of CBB. The only thing keeping Hurley from dominating is $$ as I think UConn is second tier.
They lost their assistant Luke Murray, who is taking Bill with him, to BC. He's apparently had a good portal class already - I would think if he turns BC around quickly, could be back on the market in 2-3 years and be a very hot commodity that ends up at a destination program. Not sure who would be looking then. He could take some institutional knowledge with him that could hurt Hurley.
That 2015 UK team was stacked.