Coach Cal, as great as he has been for the program, is not above criticism. Nobody should be expected to wildly wave their blue-and-white pompoms in the air and blindly cheer while this program continues piling up losses to unranked teams with vastly inferior talent.
Just because someone has the "audacity" to criticize Cal doesn't mean he's not a UK fan, nor should others quickly dismiss valid criticism by suggesting the fan "finds another team to root for." Some fans actually watch with a critical eye and have every right to voice their displeasure.
*Despite having a plethora of future NBA players at his disposal, Calipari has lost to *21* unranked teams during the past four seasons. Among them were losses to a 15-17 Georgia team in 2013 and a 14-20 South Carolina team in 2014. And let's not forget the 30-point loss to a 20-12 Tennessee team.
*The regular season has been a struggle for three of the past four teams Cal has put on the floor. The '14 team did ultimately reach the title game, but the majority of that season was painful to endure, especially considering the overall talent on that squad.
*His 2013 team lost 12 games, his 2014 team lost 11 games, and his current team is on pace to lose 10+ games. Remember "Ten-Loss Tubby?" Is it safe to say we can now apply that moniker to Calipari?
*Last season was great, but he failed to close the deal with arguably the greatest collection of talent ever assembled. Without a freakish athlete like Anthony Davis, it appears that the Final Four is Calipari's absolute ceiling. I love Final Fours, but actually cutting down the nets is even better.
*It's hard to buy into the youth excuse when Calipari chooses to operate the program in a way that results in an entirely new roster each season. And the (few) players who stay multiple seasons seem to be afterthoughts who do not receive adequate playing time and/or are simply not developed properly. That's too bad because these are the players who should and could help offset the yearly roster overhaul. I think Cal has embraced that his legacy will be linked with how many kids he puts in the NBA, and thus players like John Hood, Derek Willis, and Stacey Poole Jr. will always take a backseat to sure-fire lottery picks. I think, in some ways, this is to the detriment of the program.
Overall, I like Cal and would hate to see him go. He has put UK basketball back on the map and re-established the program as a college basketball powerhouse. That said, he makes $6.3 million and certainly is not above criticism, especially when he continues chalking up losses to unranked schools and hapless teams like Auburn and Tennessee.
Just because someone has the "audacity" to criticize Cal doesn't mean he's not a UK fan, nor should others quickly dismiss valid criticism by suggesting the fan "finds another team to root for." Some fans actually watch with a critical eye and have every right to voice their displeasure.
*Despite having a plethora of future NBA players at his disposal, Calipari has lost to *21* unranked teams during the past four seasons. Among them were losses to a 15-17 Georgia team in 2013 and a 14-20 South Carolina team in 2014. And let's not forget the 30-point loss to a 20-12 Tennessee team.
*The regular season has been a struggle for three of the past four teams Cal has put on the floor. The '14 team did ultimately reach the title game, but the majority of that season was painful to endure, especially considering the overall talent on that squad.
*His 2013 team lost 12 games, his 2014 team lost 11 games, and his current team is on pace to lose 10+ games. Remember "Ten-Loss Tubby?" Is it safe to say we can now apply that moniker to Calipari?
*Last season was great, but he failed to close the deal with arguably the greatest collection of talent ever assembled. Without a freakish athlete like Anthony Davis, it appears that the Final Four is Calipari's absolute ceiling. I love Final Fours, but actually cutting down the nets is even better.
*It's hard to buy into the youth excuse when Calipari chooses to operate the program in a way that results in an entirely new roster each season. And the (few) players who stay multiple seasons seem to be afterthoughts who do not receive adequate playing time and/or are simply not developed properly. That's too bad because these are the players who should and could help offset the yearly roster overhaul. I think Cal has embraced that his legacy will be linked with how many kids he puts in the NBA, and thus players like John Hood, Derek Willis, and Stacey Poole Jr. will always take a backseat to sure-fire lottery picks. I think, in some ways, this is to the detriment of the program.
Overall, I like Cal and would hate to see him go. He has put UK basketball back on the map and re-established the program as a college basketball powerhouse. That said, he makes $6.3 million and certainly is not above criticism, especially when he continues chalking up losses to unranked schools and hapless teams like Auburn and Tennessee.
