*What's Calipari Thinking Watching This Game?"

[Random UK Fan_rivals71127]

Sportcenter, while showing Juzang highlights. Valid question. Cal is getting clowned by the media over this kid hard. Proves Cal definitely knows talent when he sees it.

I'm happy for Johnny but it makes me ill to think UCLA has a chance to possibly add another title using a player that couldn't be made happy here. We've got to do something to reevaluate the kids that transfer. All transfers aren't necessarily bad, but it's not a good look.when they succeed.

 

[KyFaninNC]

There is one thing that drives the transfers. Not being treated equally. Cal showing favoritism to the 5 stars. They are recruited over every year, they know they will always play behind the next shiny thing that comes in. If this don’t shine a new light for some posters on here that Cal is all about the draft and not about winning games, then you are just being contrary.

 

[Yardeth]

Cal is thinking that Johnny is still not good on defense.

 

[Short-Dawg-69]

There is one thing that drives the transfers. Not being treated equally. Cal showing favoritism to the 5 stars. They are recruited over every year, they know they will always play behind the next shiny thing that comes in. If this don’t shine a new light for some posters on here that Cal is all about the draft and not about winning games, then you are just being contrary.

Valid point.
I do think these kids that transfer out that was recruited over.
That adds fuel to the fire for them to prove everyone wrong and adds extra drive and motivation.

But to add NO.... school would have turned down BJ or TC if they had the chance to sign them.

I hope the best for JJ and Cal needs to look to adjust his development and keeping kids for sure.

 

[Lionel_Hutz]

 

[ManitouDan_anon]

He just couldn’t hide him .

 

[jrm693]

Valid point.
I do think these kids that transfer out that was recruited over.
That adds fuel to the fire for them to prove everyone wrong and adds extra drive and motivation.

But to add NO.... school would have turned down BJ or TC if they had the chance to sign them.

I hope the best for JJ and Cal needs to look to adjust his development and keeping kids for sure.

There is a old saying "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" Cal was bound to know this kid could shoot, he didn't just learn this year. Calipari has enjoyed so much success with the top of the line 5 stars that he wants instant gratification and has forgotten that heart and desire in most cases overcomes super talent...we all remember the run that Pelphrey, Farmer, Feldhaus, Woods made with the lone super talent being Mash, we all remember Jeff Brassow and his all out style, Ravi Moss, Reggie Hanson the list goes on.
I am not confident these new 5 stars are as all in as John Wall, Brandon Knight, Booker, KAT, WCS, and that list they wanted to be champions, this latest version of 5 stars sit a lot with injuries, and are definitely thinking about the name on the back of the jersey and not the name on the front, Nike and the big money mongols have changed the course.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

There is a old saying "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" Cal was bound to know this kid could shoot, he didn't just learn this year. Calipari has enjoyed so much success with the top of the line 5 stars that he wants instant gratification and has forgotten that heart and desire in most cases overcomes super talent...we all remember the run that Pelphrey, Farmer, Feldhaus, Woods made with the lone super talent being Mash, we all remember Jeff Brassow and his all out style, Ravi Moss, Reggie Hanson the list goes on.
I am not confident these new 5 stars are as all in as John Wall, Brandon Knight, Booker, KAT, WCS, and that list they wanted to be champions, this latest version of 5 stars sit a lot with injuries, and are definitely thinking about the name on the back of the jersey and not the name on the front, Nike and the big money mongols have changed the course.

He KNEW Juzang was a great shooter. I remember reading some of his quotes when Juzang was here. Cal went on and on about how good of a shooter Juzang was. It’s real simple, Cal doesn’t value shooters like he should. That’s it.

 

[TankedCat]

Valid point.
I do think these kids that transfer out that was recruited over.
That adds fuel to the fire for them to prove everyone wrong and adds extra drive and motivation.

But to add NO.... school would have turned down BJ or TC if they had the chance to sign them.

I hope the best for JJ and Cal needs to look to adjust his development and keeping kids for sure.

yea, that's the argument - which school would turn down Boston or Clarke

but at the same time, which school would have - in the midst of a losing season, continue to play Boston when other players could have resulted in winning games?

Also which school would have had the turnover to where we lose a PG who clearly isn't ready to leave and put us in the position of playing a high school senior?

so the argument of who would have turned down Boston or Clark can now be answered honestly - the answer is - alot of schools that had returning players they invested in that were ready to allow them to compete for a national championship.

The "who would have turned down Boston and Clark" or whatever 5 star we insert into the discussion has been what was once a non debatable topic turned into a questionable decision on the part of the Kentucky coaching staff.

so much so that people are now touting transfers of established veteran players over these 5 stars. Players that 8 months ago people would have arrogantly stated they "weren't Kentucky caliber"

Cal's own system that prized these recruits has ruined their reputation and the fans desire to have them.

 

[TankedCat]

and to answer OPs question

He's not. Cal didn't give Juzang another thought once he transferred. He didn't give him much thought since..oh January of Juzang's first year at UK. All Cal saw was another scholarship he could fill with a potential future NBA player.

 

[rick64]

If I'm JJ, I'm pretty jazzed that my team is in the F4 and Cal/UK is planning for next season.

 

[Trinity45]

Sportcenter, while showing Juzang highlights. Valid question. Cal is getting clowned by the media over this kid hard. Proves Cal definitely knows talent when he sees it.

I'm happy for Johnny but it makes me ill to think UCLA has a chance to possibly add another title using a player that couldn't be made happy here. We've got to do something to reevaluate the kids that transfer. All transfers aren't necessarily bad, but it's not a good look.when they succeed.

Face it Cal has always played favorites and this is what happens, we lost the Kid to Arizona, one to Michigan, this one to UCLA all have been good players for these schools.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Face it Cal has always played favorites and this is what happens, we lost the Kid to Arizona, one to Michigan, this one to UCLA all have been good players for these schools.

Absolutely. The transfer thing at UK has become a trend. It’s almost always a 4 star or lower rated player or a borderline 5 star. They are also usually shooters.

The favorites game Cal plays stuck out like a sore dick this year. You would either have to be blind or a complete Cal nut hugger to have not noticed it.

 

[Pulaski Cat Fan_rivals377587]

Absolutely. The transfer thing at UK has become a trend. It’s almost always a 4 star or lower rated player or a borderline 5 star. They are also usually shooters.

The favorites game Cal plays stuck out like a sore dick this year. You would either have to be blind or a complete Cal nut hugger to have not noticed it.

Spot on. I agree.

 

[K_TIME]

Sportcenter, while showing Juzang highlights. Valid question. Cal is getting clowned by the media over this kid hard. Proves Cal definitely knows talent when he sees it.

I'm happy for Johnny but it makes me ill to think UCLA has a chance to possibly add another title using a player that couldn't be made happy here. We've got to do something to reevaluate the kids that transfer. All transfers aren't necessarily bad, but it's not a good look.when they succeed.

But why do we say "Cal knows talent when he sees it"

Did he know it when taking Askew, how about Boston, was EJ Montgomery, Quade , Khalil Whitney, Diallo, etc....I know it cuts both ways when a 4* like Herro, Shai, Booker, etc...out perform their rating but at times it feels like our recruiting is taking a top 50 HS rated kids and we start with the highest rated one and work our way down the page of who is available and offer.

I wish all of those kids would have stayed multiple years and grown into their skill sets at UK which is by far the larger issue. But the past 3-4 years, I've not been impressed much at all with our staffs ability to identify hidden gems in recruiting.

 

[TankedCat]

You have to ask, how does a Ja Morant end up at Murray? Everyone I guess missed on that guy, but I think alot of the UK evaluation is about instant impact. UK just isn't looking at a guy thinking what he'll be in his Jr. year.

It seems to be a big margin for error however in evaluation a 20-40 rated guy in what he'll do his freshmen year on a team of other 20-40 rated guys still trying to get their footing. So much so that I believe its detrimental to the program and has to stop.

 

[UKChamps2012]

As I've said before, Calipari's objectives aren't aligned with those of the University of Kentucky. The scenario with Askew and Boston getting more than 32+ minutes a game despite being just plain awful while others like Allen wouldn't get more than a few minutes if he was lucky. Remember, Allen is on the bench watching how bad Askew/Boston were playing and had to be thinking WTF like most of the UK fans were. Fletcher saw it and couldn't deal with it as most 19 year old's.

De'Aaron Fox told the public in January 2021 that Cal's objective isn't wins or losses!!

Fox also stressed that Cal doesn’t necessarily focus on wins and losses but instead getting the right players.
“When he’s able to get those guys, you find success,” Fox said. “Cal couldn’t give a damn about winning college basketball games. If he’s getting guys who he knows he can end up developing into NBA players, you’re automatically going to win 30 games a year just from that alone.

 

[wildcatdon]

Cal’s clown show of playing favorites must end now. Play the best players and put them in a system that works. No more round hole square peg. Hopefully Lucas can evaluate talent because I don’t think Cal can. Good luck to JJ. Makes Cal look like the *** he is.

 

[mick1642]

For those talking about JJ as a poor defender and just a shooter, start at the 4:30 mark. He validates why he chose to play at UCLA and especially Cronin.

 

[KyFaninNC]

He just couldn’t hide him .

He damn sure tried tho, just like he is hiding Allen. At some point Cal should have realized Boston was not very good and used bench players that might stay here a few years and get them game experience.

 

[KyFaninNC]

He KNEW Juzang was a great shooter. I remember reading some of his quotes when Juzang was here. Cal went on and on about how good of a shooter Juzang was. It’s real simple, Cal doesn’t value shooters like he should. That’s it.

He doesn’t value scorers either.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

He damn sure tried tho, just like he is hiding Allen. At some point Cal should have realized Boston was not very good and used bench players that might stay here a few years and get them game experience.

Play the guys that give you the best chance to win the majority of the minutes. Also, play the ones that are gonna fight and play hard. IMO, Boston was neither.

 

[TankedCat]

In Cal's eyes Boston was good, and he just had to work that much harder to bring it out of him. I'm certain Cal's argument was he was playing the long game here and he just ran out of time to turn Boston around, and as gratitude for the investment Cal made in Boston, Boston took the first train out to the G-League.

That is what concerns me most. Cal can bring in Grady, Mintz , whoever, but is he still committed to making a guy like Boston be all he can be while he views Grady and Mintz as backup guys he plays when he has no other choice?

I'm afraid we're going to start the season out something like 5-4 or 6-3 on a cupcake schedule because of his commitment to keeping his recruiting pipeline going.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

I lose brain cells reading rafters. How does this same thing keep getting posted?

Juzang played plenty at uk. Maxey and iq were rightfully ahead of him. He was a key first backcourt player off the bench. If there was a postseason, he would've played a huge role in it.

He left. It is what it is but let's not act like he was somehow held down while at UK

 

[kl40504_rivals]

Sportcenter, while showing Juzang highlights. Valid question. Cal is getting clowned by the media over this kid hard. Proves Cal definitely knows talent when he sees it.

I'm happy for Johnny but it makes me ill to think UCLA has a chance to possibly add another title using a player that couldn't be made happy here. We've got to do something to reevaluate the kids that transfer. All transfers aren't necessarily bad, but it's not a good look.when they succeed.

He is thinking about next year. Have fun throwing daggers. Better watch out someone may throw one back at you.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

The irony in Juzang is that Cal hardly ever lands wing forwards and when he does they transfer after a year and lead their next team to the Final Four like MTthews and JJ!

 

[Cawood86_rivals]

I just laugh at people thinking Cal is changing and he will be different next year.

You think he's going let certain players make mistakes and keep playing unless they are considered draft picks? You think he's not going to yell like a mad man on the sidelines? His version of scheming is "Go make a play".

He is who he is and he ain't changing. I truly wish he would. I wish he would have an epiphany like Saban did at Bama and make the changes needed. I just do not see him doing that.

The top players aren't coming to UK out of high school. UK is now having to get them after they have been coached by someone else for 3-4 years. Not against trnasfers per se but now UK is having to build a competitive roster that way now. Why? Because Cal and UK aren't getting the elite kids out of high school.

I'm hoping he will actually change. Until he actually does, I will not be expecting it.

 

[sluggercatfan]

There is a old saying "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" Cal was bound to know this kid could shoot, he didn't just learn this year. Calipari has enjoyed so much success with the top of the line 5 stars that he wants instant gratification and has forgotten that heart and desire in most cases overcomes super talent...we all remember the run that Pelphrey, Farmer, Feldhaus, Woods made with the lone super talent being Mash, we all remember Jeff Brassow and his all out style, Ravi Moss, Reggie Hanson the list goes on.
I am not confident these new 5 stars are as all in as John Wall, Brandon Knight, Booker, KAT, WCS, and that list they wanted to be champions, this latest version of 5 stars sit a lot with injuries, and are definitely thinking about the name on the back of the jersey and not the name on the front, Nike and the big money mongols have changed the course.

Spot on post!!!

 

[jrm693]

But why do we say "Cal knows talent when he sees it"

Did he know it when taking Askew, how about Boston, was EJ Montgomery, Quade , Khalil Whitney, Diallo, etc....I know it cuts both ways when a 4* like Herro, Shai, Booker, etc...out perform their rating but at times it feels like our recruiting is taking a top 50 HS rated kids and we start with the highest rated one and work our way down the page of who is available and offer.

I wish all of those kids would have stayed multiple years and grown into their skill sets at UK which is by far the larger issue. But the past 3-4 years, I've not been impressed much at all with our staffs ability to identify hidden gems in recruiting.

I think part of it is the fact Duke started eating first, getting first pick, and then some went to lesser schools because a brother was there, or they hired their dad or uncle, and some went just to be the man. In the beginning Cal was the only blue blood who took them now their options are numerous so he has went from "Best of the Best" to "Best of the rest". As i mentioned in another thread with Nike spending big bucks, Championships are not as important as money..I bier Nike has ruined Collegiate basketball.

 

[lazycat75]

He damn sure tried tho, just like he is hiding Allen. At some point Cal should have realized Boston was not very good and used bench players that might stay here a few years and get them game experience.

Is Allen leaving Kentucky? Simple ?

 

[Paulyv94]

Pretty sure he would have taken juzang if he came back. Not sure you turn down 2 top 10 guards for a 4 star guard that committed last minute. Juzang obviously has improved dramatically, but this is the first time (other than matthews) where someone has transferred out and been successful. Overall, I think Cal's eye for talent is pretty good. Juzang just wanted to go home

 

[carolinacat]

I lose brain cells reading rafters. How does this same thing keep getting posted?

Juzang played plenty at uk. Maxey and iq were rightfully ahead of him. He was a key first backcourt player off the bench. If there was a postseason, he would've played a huge role in it.

He left. It is what it is but let's not act like he was somehow held down while at UK

Juzang was 9th in minutes/game. He had better 3 point shooting % than Maxey (29%) and Hagans 26%. He arguably deserved some more minutes. Also, from his comments and family members...he likes Cronin's "genuineness." Sounds like his prior coach didn't have those traits. They were also concerned he was being pigeonholed by Cal as a spot up shooter only. Minutes weren't the only factor here.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Juzang was 9th in minutes/game. He had better 3 point shooting % than Maxey (29%) and Hagans 26%. He arguably deserved some more minutes. Also, from his comments and family members...he likes Cronin's "genuineness." Sounds like his prior coach didn't have those traits. They were also concerned he was being pigeonholed by Cal as a spot up shooter only. Minutes weren't the only factor here.

He didn't come on till later in the season, so looking at his season's minutes per game average is very skewed.

By all accounts he wanted to be close to home, probably especially so at the time considering covid uncertainty. That's fine. No need to make it more than it is

 

[carolinacat]

He didn't come on till later in the season, so looking at his season's minutes per game average is very skewed.

By all accounts he wanted to be close to home, probably especially so at the time considering covid uncertainty. That's fine. No need to make it more than it is

Except he said Cronin was more "genuine"...and Pops said they thought he was being pigeonholed as a limited spot up shooter.

 

[Random UK Fan_rivals71127]

He is thinking about next year. Have fun throwing daggers. Better watch out someone may throw one back at you.

I’m not sure. You’d have to ask her sister.

 

[yoshukai]

If I'm JJ, I'm pretty jazzed that my team is in the F4 and Cal/UK is SCRAMBLING for next season.

Hope you don’t mind my small edit of your post.

 

[bigblueinsanity_rivals250340]

Except he said Cronin was more "genuine"...and Pops said they thought he was being pigeonholed as a limited spot up shooter.

Fischer on the radio this morning said juzang struggled with homesickness out of the gate. The family rented an apt in lex so his grandfather (living in va beach) could spend significant time with him in lex doing things like putting together puzzles.

In last year's offense I'm sure he was asked to be a shooter. That's what they needed from him.

Also let's remember that juzang just turned it on. Ucla recently lost their leading scorer to injury and juzang stepped up. So he wasn't the man there either, until now.

Plenty of legit criticism to go around for cal. But trying to criticize him for everything makes it hard to validate criticism for anything

 

[kl40504_rivals]

Hope you don’t mind my small edit of your post.

I do mind. Takes a small minded person to edit someones post.

 

[kl40504_rivals]

I’m not sure. You’d have to ask her sister.

Not my post. Yoshukai played an idiot and edited my post.