Cals last year

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Ik this is gonna bring the usual he’s gone good riddance crowd which I agree with but I can’t help think about the last team Cal was assembling here. It’s really bothered me as far as sports goes…

The reason being is imo he had everything lined up. Two of everything. Two solid of everything. Mostly what I was excited about was the bigs.

Yes I’m glad Cal is gone and it does no good to speak on what ifs but I was so ready to see freshman JQ and Somto down low. Cals best teams always had a shot blocking big man and we had two extremely good ones on the way.

We had two solid point guards. Several solid wings which we hadn’t had in awhile. Solid bigs. It was a picture perfect Cal team. Would we have had trouble shooting? Maybe.

Like I said Ik he’s gone and I’m glad but the thought of somto and JQ on that team I looked forward to all summer then he left for Arkansas. While I’m glad he’s gone.. I wish he would have left on like a wheeler year lol.. I’m sorry for the cal post because it’s not really about Cal but more less the thought of what that team had on it. All this was on the way. This was what we had coming before we even hit the transfer portal.

Oh well it had to be done but dang I sure would have liked to see two dominant big men play for Cal one last time. Somto absolutely bullied us last year. I told my dad about him all summer. Said his nickname was baby shack.


maybe I’m the only one but I feel like that roster we had coming was one of his best ever.

 

[KYFOSSIL]

Whatever

 

[Anon1755209580]

Ik this is gonna bring the usual he’s gone good riddance crowd which I agree with but I can’t help think about the last team Cal was assembling here. It’s really bothered me as far as sports goes…

The reason being is imo he had everything lined up. Two of everything. Two solid of everything. Mostly what I was excited about was the bugs.

Yes I’m glad Cal is gone and it does no good to speak on what ifs but I was so ready to see freshman JQ and Somto down low. Cals best teams always had a shot blocking big man and we had two extremely good ones on the way.

We had two solid point guards. Several solid wings which we hadn’t had in awhile. Solid bigs. It was a picture perfect Cal team. Would we have had trouble shooting? Maybe.

Like I said Ik he’s gone and I’m glad but the thought of somto and JQ on that team I looked forward to all summer then he left for Arkansas. While I’m glad he’s gone.. I wish he would have left on like a wheeler year lol.. I’m sorry for the cal post because it’s not really about Cal but more less the thought of what that team had on it. All this was on the way. This was what we had coming before we even hit the transfer portal.

Oh well it had to be done but dang I sure would have liked to see two dominant big men play for Cal one last time. Somto absolutely bullied us last year. I told my dad about him all summer. Said his nickname was baby shack.


maybe I’m the only one but I feel like that roster we had coming was one of his best ever.

Why were you mostly excited about bugs?

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Whatever

Yea that’s what we settle for now. Jk jk I just know I can’t say anything against Pope or for Cal and not be a UK fan. I’m glad Cal is gone. I’m glad we got Pope. Still think that last team had some serious firepower on the way.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Why were you mostly excited about bugs?

I edited it to say bigs but it didn’t save for some reason. Bugs are good tho.

 

[bbnkat02]

That Arky team Cal had last year would've been close to what we fielded. Cal wouldn't have made it past December.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

That Arky team Cal had last year would've been close to what we fielded. Cal wouldn't have made it past December.

IMO JQ and Somto would change that team way more than z And that transfer from tn. Rim protection was always A+ on cals best teams. Both of JQ and Somto are absolute monsters.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Ik this is gonna bring the usual he’s gone good riddance crowd which I agree with but I can’t help think about the last team Cal was assembling here. It’s really bothered me as far as sports goes…

The reason being is imo he had everything lined up. Two of everything. Two solid of everything. Mostly what I was excited about was the bigs.

Yes I’m glad Cal is gone and it does no good to speak on what ifs but I was so ready to see freshman JQ and Somto down low. Cals best teams always had a shot blocking big man and we had two extremely good ones on the way.

We had two solid point guards. Several solid wings which we hadn’t had in awhile. Solid bigs. It was a picture perfect Cal team. Would we have had trouble shooting? Maybe.

Like I said Ik he’s gone and I’m glad but the thought of somto and JQ on that team I looked forward to all summer then he left for Arkansas. While I’m glad he’s gone.. I wish he would have left on like a wheeler year lol.. I’m sorry for the cal post because it’s not really about Cal but more less the thought of what that team had on it. All this was on the way. This was what we had coming before we even hit the transfer portal.

Oh well it had to be done but dang I sure would have liked to see two dominant big men play for Cal one last time. Somto absolutely bullied us last year. I told my dad about him all summer. Said his nickname was baby shack.


maybe I’m the only one but I feel like that roster we had coming was one of his best ever.

First off I’m not a Calipari hater…I’m thankful that he was our coach during a time that we needed the boost. That said, no we were going to be more of the same of what we were. I think it’s very possible we could have been as good as a strong three seed or low two seed, but the team we were going to have was likely not to reach that peak. For one, we would have struggled to score because we would have been back to a poor spacing team. The defense would have been worlds better than the previous team (2024 Kentucky) but still not elite. I’m going to be very candid here —- when Cal and Mitch had their sit down and announced he was coming back, I supported it. I’m true blue to my core and I was going to support my coach, support my team. All the while, I hated the style Calipari played by that time. I’m an analytics nerd —- I saw him as beyond archaic long before it was okay to say it. When he left, I was worried we were going to delve into chaos. I was wrong. We hired the right guy at the right time. Sure, there remain questions, but I believe Mark Pope has answered most of them already. Do I miss Calipari? No! I miss Calipari about as much as I miss falling hard onto a bicycle seat and bruising my crotch.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

First off I’m not a Calipari hater…I’m thankful that he was our coach during a time that we needed the boost. That said, no we were going to be more of the same of what we were. I think it’s very possible we could have been as good as a strong three seed or low two seed, but the team we were going to have was likely not to reach that peak. For one, we would have struggled to score because we would have been back to a poor spacing team. The defense would have been worlds better than the previous team (2024 Kentucky) but still not elite. I’m going to be very candid here —- when Cal and Mitch had their sit down and announced he was coming back, I supported it. I’m true blue to my core and I was going to support my coach, support my team. All the while, I hated the style Calipari played by that time. I’m an analytics nerd —- I saw him as beyond archaic long before it was okay to say it. When he left, I was worried we were going to delve into chaos. I was wrong. We hired the right guy at the right time. Sure, there remain questions, but I believe Mark Pope has answered most of them already. Do I miss Calipari? No! I miss Calipari about as much as I miss falling hard onto a bicycle seat and bruising my crotch.

Heck yea man I’m about the same on everything you said. I don’t miss Cal at all but I have wondered about the players we had coming. All of which proved as freshman were good as advertised. Every single one of them had a good year last year.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Heck yea man I’m about the same on everything you said. I don’t miss Cal at all but I have wondered about the players we had coming. All of which proved as freshman were good as advertised. Every single one of them had a good year last year.

I did very much enjoy the Cal-isms. I still find the guy throughly entertaining. I know many tired of his rhetoric, but I always enjoyed the simplicity of his method. There was something funny to me about how he would go into a press conference and if someone would ask something like, “Tonight Sacha Killeya-Jones had a career high in points. How do you think he played?”, you already 100% know he would respond with a paragraph that had literally nothing to do with the question and talk about whatever he wanted. I still watch Arky postgames quite often, just because of how entertaining Cal is. My hope as a fan is that Cal leaves Arkansas in a year or two, so that those of us who still want to claim the guy can go back to doing it. I’m sentimental when it comes to the program —- I frequently rewatch old games from different eras —- and I don’t like having to treat past coaches with disdain. Even when he was at Louisville, I still had a soft spot for Pitino, something I would have never been able to say out loud. Still hated the Cards, but such a fan of the 90s Pitino teams. I got love for some of those early Cal teams as well.

Unfortunately, I just don’t think his coaching was great and by the end of his tenure, we were more than a decade behind in terms of adjustment. Glad he’s gone but I still love the guy.

 

[UKCowboys]

What I remember about Cal's last season was feeling helpless while a guy currently playing for the Motor City Cruise hang 32 on us and send our team that had two top 4 overall picks(coming off the bench lol) home in round one

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

What I remember about Cal's last season was feeling helpless while a guy currently playing for the Motor City Cruise hang 32 on us and send our team that had two top 4 overall picks(coming off the bench lol) home in round one

But that was fine though wasn’t it? Since you weren’t the coach?
Oh snap, now I get it…you’re allowed to criticize the coaches and say they underperform your standards but other fans are not allowed to do that until you’ve decided you’re okay with it? That makes so much sense.

By the way, I agree with you about Calipari. Notice the attempt to be consistent with every coach rather than policing the fans.

 

[BlueSince92]

I don’t think another good year was in the cards for Cal at Kentucky. Something was broken that went beyond rosters. Whatever his ceiling is at Arky, it’s higher than it would have been here imo.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

I don’t think another good year was in the cards for Cal at Kentucky. Something was broken that went beyond rosters. Whatever his ceiling is at Arky, it’s higher than it would have been here imo.

Completely agree, it got way too toxic. Likely a six seed and everything ending much nastier

 

[UKCowboys]

But that was fine though wasn’t it? Since you weren’t the coach?
Oh snap, now I get it…you’re allowed to criticize the coaches and say they underperform your standards but other fans are not allowed to do that until you’ve decided you’re okay with it? That makes so much sense.

By the way, I agree with you about Calipari. Notice the attempt to be consistent with every coach rather than policing the fans.

Whats not consistent? Has Pope had a team that had two top 4 overall picks in the same draft not start for him? Has he flamed out in the first round against a team that we should have beaten by 40? Pope went to the Sweet 16 with a team half as talented as the one Cal crapped the bed with. I dont mind criticism of coaches...as long as its FAIR. Bitching about the coach after one close road loss to a ranked team makes you a sniveling whiner in my book

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Whats not consistent? Has Pope had a team that had two top 4 overall picks in the same draft not start for him? Has he flamed out in the first round against a team that we should have beaten by 40? Pope went to the Sweet 16 with a team half as talented as the one Cal crapped the bed with. I dont mind criticism of coaches...as long as it’s FAIR. Bitching about the coach after one close road loss to a ranked team makes you a sniveling whiner in my book

Since you get to decide what is and is not worthy of criticism for the entire fanbase, I’m sure everyone else will wait for you to let everyone know when that time comes. As for me, I’ll chalk this up as an eye opening display of utter hypocrisy. I’ll be sure to remind you of it each time you try to belittle me after spending hours of my time watching film to formulate my very minute grievances, for the benefit of other BBN members, telling me I am less of a fan to say something that besmirches Pope since I am not a coach…only to find that you engage also in the very art of criticizing coaches despite not being a coach. Why don’t you just let fans be fans instead of being such a blatant hypocrite, sir?

 

[UKCowboys]

Since you get to decide what is and is not worthy of criticism for the entire fanbase, I’m sure everyone else will wait for you to let everyone know when that time comes. As for me, I’ll chalk this up as an eye opening display of utter hypocrisy. I’ll be sure to remind you of it each time you try to belittle me after spending hours of my time watching film to formulate my very minute grievances, for the benefit of other BBN members, telling me I am less of a fan to say something that besmirches Pope since I am not a coach…only to find that you engage also in the very art of criticizing coaches despite not being a coach. Why don’t you just let fans be fans instead of being such a blatant hypocrite, sir?

Hypocrite? At least I am a UK fam my guy. I dont give a squirt of duck pee about your crying after a single loss. Thats a little different than a cocah who burned every bridge on his way out the door and openly explored other job openings. If you cant get behind a guy that is doing a good job and wants to be here, go root for Duke

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

I don’t think another good year was in the cards for Cal at Kentucky. Something was broken that went beyond rosters. Whatever his ceiling is at Arky, it’s higher than it would have been here imo.

It was definitely time for him to go no doubt

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Hypocrite? At least I am a UK fam my guy. I dont give a squirt of duck pee about your crying after a single loss. Thats a little different than a cocah who burned every bridge on his way out the door and openly explored other job openings. If you cant get behind a guy that is doing a good job and wants to be here, go root for Duke

What’s a UK fam? Like your whole family? Jk I had to since somebody got me with the bugs earlier.

 

[kyjeff1]

The later version of Cal talked about winning, but it wasn't about winning, it was about playing favorites and helping individual players get to the draft.
Cal obviously knew the stats, he knew what his best lineups were, but he didn't play them, because that meant one if his favorites had to sit.
The Shep/Dillingham/Edwards team was the worst of this. He had a lineup that was, by far, the best in college basketball. He let that lineup eat for 1 game and it shredded Alabama. Never saw it again. F that guy.

 

[catsarecool1447]

It was over and it wasn’t going to get better. You can look back and try to do what ifs all you want but Cal was not winning here anymore and if you can’t see that you never will.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

The later version of Cal talked about winning, but it wasn't about winning, it was about playing favorites and helping individual players get to the draft.
Cal obviously knew the stats, he knew what his best lineups were, but he didn't play them, because that meant one if his favorites had to sit.
The Shep/Dillingham/Edwards team was the worst of this. He had a lineup that was, by far, the best in college basketball. He let that lineup eat for 1 game and it shredded Alabama. Never saw it again. F that guy.

Yea I agree about Cal. Especially towards then end when he got snobby towards the fans. Just really wanted to see a front court of Somto and JQ.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

It was over and it wasn’t going to get better. You can look back and try to do what ifs all you want but Cal was not winning here anymore and if you can’t see that you never will.

I don’t care who the coach was. I would have liked to see what Pope could have done with that roster if they had stayed committed to UK. Cal didn’t even keep all of them. Neither one of the bigs followed him. I Just think that was the one roster where we finally had everything.

I got super excited about Pope because I thought he would be able to bring in top talent but so far he hasn’t. I guess you can count JQ. This wasn’t a I miss cal thread.

 

[kyjeff1]

Yea I agree about Cal. Especially towards then end when he got snobby towards the fans. Just really wanted to see a front court of Somto and JQ.

I think those players were better off playing for someone else.
Seemed like so many of these guys struggle under Cal, then thrive the second they leave.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Hypocrite? At least I am a UK fam my guy. I dont give a squirt of duck pee about your crying after a single loss. Thats a little different than a cocah who burned every bridge on his way out the door and openly explored other job openings. If you cant get behind a guy that is doing a good job and wants to be here, go root for Duke

I already have a nagging wife, don’t need another

 

[UKCowboys]

I already have a nagging wife, don’t need another

Already married at 12 huh

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Already married at 12 huh

You’ll find someone. Keep trying

 

[Burly Peters]

The later version of Cal talked about winning, but it wasn't about winning, it was about playing favorites and helping individual players get to the draft.
Cal obviously knew the stats, he knew what his best lineups were, but he didn't play them, because that meant one if his favorites had to sit.
The Shep/Dillingham/Edwards team was the worst of this. He had a lineup that was, by far, the best in college basketball. He let that lineup eat for 1 game and it shredded Alabama. Never saw it again. F that guy.

Exactly. And if people think the roster he had last year would have been the same as what he had in Lexington had he stayed, you're wrong. No way he goes out and gets Nelly Davis if he stays. He'd have started all those freshmen and no Brazile, who really helped them last year. We would have struggled to score 50pts a game. Nobody could shoot beyond a dunk.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

It was over and it wasn’t going to get better. You can look back and try to do what ifs all you want but Cal was not winning here anymore and if you can’t see that you never will.

I think he was just asking at as a hypothetical. I completely agree. The writing was on the wall. Honestly, I had someone lost hope by the time Zion and Duke beat us by 35 in the Champions Classic in the 2019 season myself. You may think…huh? We went to an elite eight that year. By this point Duke had started beating us in recruiting and I knew Calipari wasn’t going to win with less as a tactician.

 

[Goingfor9]

Ik this is gonna bring the usual he’s gone good riddance crowd which I agree with but I can’t help think about the last team Cal was assembling here. It’s really bothered me as far as sports goes…

The reason being is imo he had everything lined up. Two of everything. Two solid of everything. Mostly what I was excited about was the bigs.

Yes I’m glad Cal is gone and it does no good to speak on what ifs but I was so ready to see freshman JQ and Somto down low. Cals best teams always had a shot blocking big man and we had two extremely good ones on the way.

We had two solid point guards. Several solid wings which we hadn’t had in awhile. Solid bigs. It was a picture perfect Cal team. Would we have had trouble shooting? Maybe.

Like I said Ik he’s gone and I’m glad but the thought of somto and JQ on that team I looked forward to all summer then he left for Arkansas. While I’m glad he’s gone.. I wish he would have left on like a wheeler year lol.. I’m sorry for the cal post because it’s not really about Cal but more less the thought of what that team had on it. All this was on the way. This was what we had coming before we even hit the transfer portal.

Oh well it had to be done but dang I sure would have liked to see two dominant big men play for Cal one last time. Somto absolutely bullied us last year. I told my dad about him all summer. Said his nickname was baby shack.


maybe I’m the only one but I feel like that roster we had coming was one of his best ever.

Cal never needed players. There was nothing special about what came next for cal. It was all more of the same

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Cal never needed players. There was nothing special about what came next for cal. It was all more of the same

Dude had two NBA top ten picks on his last team and throw in Thiero and Edwards who are also NBA players and we couldn’t beat Jack “Car Salesman of the Month” Golke.

 

[UKCowboys]

Dude had two NBA top ten picks on his last team and throw in Thiero and Edwards who are also NBA players and we couldn’t beat Jack “Car Salesman of the Month” Golke.

I thought thats what I said in the first place lol

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

I thought thats what I said in the first place lol

It is, homie. That was never the disagreement. The disagreement was that in your mind, you can criticize coaches but others can’t. It’s all good though, at this point the back and forth has gotten boring. You don’t control what I say. That said, you were absolutely correct. You don’t have to be a coach yourself to see that Calipari was in over his head by the end of his time here. More talent than almost anyone else and still couldn’t get past the first weekend.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Dude had two NBA top ten picks on his last team and throw in Thiero and Edwards who are also NBA players and we couldn’t beat Jack “Car Salesman of the Month” Golke.

Well I still say Cal was losing games on purpose and nobody will ever change my mind. That’s why it was time to go. My grandad is Memphis state alumni and ball fan. He always told me before Cal left he would sabotage everything before he did. There’s just no way we really lose those games. Cal got what he wanted. He didn’t want to be at UK anymore just as bad as the fans didn’t want him here. He wanted to stick it to UK that’s why we will probably lose to him again because now just like he always said.. we are everyone’s Super Bowl. Even Cals now.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Well I still say Cal was losing games on purpose and nobody will ever change my mind. That’s why it was time to go. My grandad is Memphis state alumni and ball fan. He always told me before Cal left he would sabotage everything before he did. There’s just no way we really lose those games. Cal got what he wanted. He didn’t want to be at UK anymore just as bad as the fans didn’t want him here. He wanted to stick it to UK that’s why we will probably lose to him again because now just like he always said.. we are everyone’s Super Bowl. Even Cals now.

My guess is Cal didn’t know the writing was on the wall at that point though. We were a three seed and got upset. If we had went, I don’t know, 9-16 that year I could see it.

 

[bbnkat02]

It was over and it wasn’t going to get better. You can look back and try to do what ifs all you want but Cal was not winning here anymore and if you can’t see that you never will.

This. I was willing to give him that one last chance with Rob and Reed. Dude had two T10 draft picks. Couldn't do jack. It was time to move on and Mitch was a fool to bring him back. Thank goodness Cal screwed up.

 

[Verbal Kint II]

That Arky team Cal had last year would've been close to what we fielded. Cal wouldn't have made it past December.

Close to if you think JQ is nothing.

 

[Hoskins91_rivals]

cuz things are going so great…

 

[wildcat111]

Ik this is gonna bring the usual he’s gone good riddance crowd which I agree with but I can’t help think about the last team Cal was assembling here. It’s really bothered me as far as sports goes…

The reason being is imo he had everything lined up. Two of everything. Two solid of everything. Mostly what I was excited about was the bigs.

Yes I’m glad Cal is gone and it does no good to speak on what ifs but I was so ready to see freshman JQ and Somto down low. Cals best teams always had a shot blocking big man and we had two extremely good ones on the way.

We had two solid point guards. Several solid wings which we hadn’t had in awhile. Solid bigs. It was a picture perfect Cal team. Would we have had trouble shooting? Maybe.

Like I said Ik he’s gone and I’m glad but the thought of somto and JQ on that team I looked forward to all summer then he left for Arkansas. While I’m glad he’s gone.. I wish he would have left on like a wheeler year lol.. I’m sorry for the cal post because it’s not really about Cal but more less the thought of what that team had on it. All this was on the way. This was what we had coming before we even hit the transfer portal.

Oh well it had to be done but dang I sure would have liked to see two dominant big men play for Cal one last time. Somto absolutely bullied us last year. I told my dad about him all summer. Said his nickname was baby shack.


maybe I’m the only one but I feel like that roster we had coming was one of his best ever.

Duh, NO just look at Cal's last 10 years for your answer.

 

[Cats3x]

I couldn't care less.