Interesting

[kyjeff1]

So, because Cal told us we have a tough schedule while he was doing one of his standard Cal-speak speeches, we're supposed to be okay with another loss in Rupp to another mid major… .by double digits?

No, I'm not good with that. If we would just retain players that have no business going to the draft, then we wouldn't see this crap happen, but it's getting to be the norm at UK. We ran Tubby out of town on a rail and he never lost games like Cal has.

Cal needs to start making it about UK instead of the NBA. The fanbase is going to turn on him eventually.

 

[LadyCaytIL]

Carolina went 14-19 last year and has lost nearly 40 games over the last three years with two early blowout losses in March. All programs, even the blue bloods go through ebbs and flows.

and they have a title and another final four in the last 5 years.. completely makes up for the not so good years. .........I'd rather have than than be a 2-8th seed and no final fours each year. we play in the SEC, no excuse for a blue blood not to have a few more 4 loss seasons or less .

 

[HagginHall1999]

He does warn us of that. I've made the point today a few times, it's not that those of us don't get it. In fact, it's the opposite. It's that we do get it. He's flat out saying we will probably lose.....and I'm supposed to say oh, OK, cool. [laughing] And we say why should we be happy with a roster that's built with the forehand knowledge that we'll lose a game like this? It's one thing for UK to lose games. OF COURSE we've lost games. But to go into games with an expectation of losing and rationalizing why it's OK? That sounds a hell of a lot more like the discussion I heard this week and last week going into the Florida and Alabama games. That's a problem.

Ok. There is no reason to argue/debate/discuss any of this because your mind is made up and has been for a while I am sure.

 

[Phil_The_Music2]

I do get that. That by the time were figuring out, they're gone. Agreed, it can be annoying.

So what? What can we do? Do we want to have a flash in the pan type coach? How's Jay Wright doing so far this year?

And as far as I can tell.. Calipari is going for the multi year players.. fans didn't want the top15 (lmfao that I even had to type this) so he went for the top50 to top25. He's attempting to build a multi year team.

But to do so.. its gonna take time.

Well even the top 25-50 players leave after one year. So there's that.

 

[RunninRichie]

WTF does people dying every day have to do with this? OMG, you’re off your rocker dude.

i’ve been thinking about him being mentally handicapped in some degree.

 

[kyjeff1]

i’ve been thinking about him being mentally handicapped in some degree.

Not a doubt in my mind.

 

[Mike-D]

Reading the board. Seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same. I am seeing fewer and fewer pumpers around. Guess some are finally waking up.

The system is broke, and it has been broke. The pumpers still see Cal for his 2009-2015 years. No rationale.

 

[HagginHall1999]

Define more than fine right now. Let’s see how much of a prophet you are.

Assuming a full schedule I'd guess 20 wins by end of regular season. Probably 20-6 or 21-5.

 

[SmedMoley]

I can't wait until Cal leaves and you get another Billy G. I know you love Jay Wright and thinks he never has lost to a team not ranked. Oh my mistake. Villanova ranked number 3 lost to Va. Tech. Time to Farr Jay Wright.

That's really all you can muster as a response?

 

[SmedMoley]

how are you “not going to accept it”? Gonna ***** like a big baby on a message board?

if that’s it, then have at it

What else is he gonna do? Go shoot Cal? And you've got the nerve to insult everyone else's intelligence? You haven't even figured out what message boards are for. Sloooooooow.

 

[-BBH-]

and they have a title and another final four in the last 5 years.. completely makes up for the not so good years. .........I'd rather have than than be a 2-8th seed and no final fours each year. we play in the SEC, no excuse for a blue blood not to have a few more 4 loss seasons or less .

No excuses on today, it was bad. But acting like we're the only big time program without bumps in the road is silly. Duke hasn't been to a final four in the last five years either. Kansas has been to three final fours and one title in the last 17 years. Carolina, as I mentioned is far removed from it's last title and not trending in the right direction.
I like the state of our program as well as any.

I get the frustration, but who exactly are we comparing ourselves to? I guess we could be Gonzaga which is deemed the best team most years only to flame out in the second round. Few has one final four and no titles with all of that regular season dominance. What about Virginia? They've been a media darling in recent years but Bennett has one final four and one title. They also have the scarlet letter of being a 1 seed to lose to a 16. No 3 this season and lost to San Francisco two days ago.

College basketball is random and hard to predict. Yet most years, Kentucky is one of a handful of teams that are in the mix on selection Sunday under Cal. I like that over the unknown of starting over with an unproven coach.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

A few observations:

1. With fewer games this year losses will hurt more than wins will help. There is less time for the team to grow up

2.Starting with a whole new team every year has gotten old

3.This is/was the University of Kentucky not the University of Cal. Over the last few years Cal has distanced himself(and by so doing , the players) from the fans. he insinuates he and the team don't need the fans. He is in for a rude awakening, which has already started.

4.We fans were here before Cal and if we live long enough we will be here after Cal. He is the coach of the team I have followed for 60+years so I wish him every success possible, but if he left tomorrow I would wish the same for whomever took his place.

5. It seems to me that Cal has very little respect for the fanbase, while I am fully aware what his style has done for many individual players and their families it seems he has lost the sense of balance between helping chase dreams/dollars and leading the most storied basketball program in college basketball history

This is how I feel, honestly I wish I felt differently but that is not the case.

How has Cal distanced himself from the fans? And what way has he disrespected the fanbase? I’m asking honestly.

 

[Wildcats1st]

Tubbys record in 10 years. 263-83. 1 title

Cal’s record 10 years. 305-71. 1 title

Which coach had above average talent during 10 year run?

Cal has had nba all star talent not above average talent just an FYI. It’s unprecedented talent.

 

[Pewee Cat]

Remember boys nba , overseas & g league is whats important not what you have grown up to & loved.

 

[ashlandcatfan600]

Some of us are still around.

 

[TBCat]

Carolina went 14-19 last year and has lost nearly 40 games over the last three years with two early blowout losses in March. All programs, even the blue bloods go through ebbs and flows.

This isn't an ebb and flow, this is a permanent direction. North Carolina can at least say that they can build back up for the next season. We however can't because none of these players will be back at UK next year. It will another all freshmen roster that will be equally inexperienced.

 

[HagginHall1999]

More than anything I think people are just fed up with the game of college basketball.

People are pointing at Cal but it isn't him, it is the NBA and the multiple other leagues where people get paid to play the game. It is the NCAA for still not paying on likeness. It is the one and done rule.

The best shot at a FF or Title (and that is all some if not many of our fans care about now) is to have more talent at EOY than other teams. 3/4 year players who are title good are few and far between now.

We had a team last year that was built for the tourney but the season was cut short. We've also missed chances over the past several years and it is driving some nuts.

 

[ManitouDan_anon]

A few observations:

1. With fewer games this year losses will hurt more than wins will help. There is less time for the team to grow up

2.Starting with a whole new team every year has gotten old

3.This is/was the University of Kentucky not the University of Cal. Over the last few years Cal has distanced himself(and by so doing , the players) from the fans. he insinuates he and the team don't need the fans. He is in for a rude awakening, which has already started.

4.We fans were here before Cal and if we live long enough we will be here after Cal. He is the coach of the team I have followed for 60+years so I wish him every success possible, but if he left tomorrow I would wish the same for whomever took his place.

5. It seems to me that Cal has very little respect for the fanbase, while I am fully aware what his style has done for many individual players and their families it seems he has lost the sense of balance between helping chase dreams/dollars and leading the most storied basketball program in college basketball history

This is how I feel, honestly I wish I felt differently but that is not the case.

Great post Doc

 

[CoachKcursesAlot]

I'm critical of some of what Cal does offensively and think that he is in real danger of the game passing him up in a few years if he doesn't adjust, but yeah it's hard to ask for much more. We're in a position to contend practically every year and win 80 percent of our games. In a format that requires six single-elimination wins, it's hard to ask for much more than that. If your bar is set at championship or bust every year, there isn't a coach alive that would meet those expectations.

Are we still running dribble drive that was supposed to revolutionize basketball?

 

[kyjeff1]

No excuses on today, it was bad. But acting like we're the only big time program without bumps in the road is silly. Duke hasn't been to a final four in the last five years either. Kansas has been to three final fours and one title in the last 17 years. Carolina, as I mentioned is far removed from it's last title and not trending in the right direction.
I like the state of our program as well as any.

I get the frustration, but who exactly are we comparing ourselves to? I guess we could be Gonzaga which is deemed the best team most years only to flame out in the second round. Few has one final four and no titles with all of that regular season dominance. What about Virginia? They've been a media darling in recent years but Bennett has one final four and one title. They also have the scarlet letter of being a 1 seed to lose to a 16. No 3 this season and lost to San Francisco two days ago.

College basketball is random and hard to predict. Yet most years, Kentucky is one of a handful of teams that are in the mix on selection Sunday under Cal. I like that over the unknown of starting over with an unproven coach.

I get what you’re saying, but UK is their own program. Comparing UK to what other programs are doing is not what anyone is asking.

Cal can write his own book here, he doesn't have to copy anyone else. But right now, Cal is choosing to train guys to be good NBA players. Everything he does at UK has an NBA flavor to it. You don’t do Pro days if your #1 concern is UK and winning college games.

The walls are plastered with NBA crap and the constant bragging about NBA picks and contracts is more proof that he cares more about feeding the NBA than building a solid foundation at UK.

If you wanted to win titles at the college level, would you set it up to where you had a brand new group of players every year? I certainly wouldn't.

Can you imagine how incredible this program would be if Cal made UK his #1 priority?

You know, he could have his cake and eat it if he wanted to. 95% of these kids that he is "helping reach their dreams", were going to the NBA whether they went to UK or not. The SGA's and Tyler Herro's are few and far between, those are the guys that need the lift that UK provides. Stop bringing these dudes in that have no skill, but have one foot out the door before they ever even get here. Bring in guys that want to play at UK and build themselves into a Nick Richards, a Hawkins, a WCS, or a Miller.

Dont tell me it can't be done, because everyone else is doing it and it's working for the better programs.

I feel Cal is a better coach than anyone else in the country, give him guys that have been in the system for 2 or 3 years and UK would be a 1 seed every year. I'm not wrong on this.

I can't believe we still have fans that dont see what's happening (not you). The NBA eats first and that’s wrong.

 

[kyjeff1]

I don’t see any comments on here that bring me to the conclusion that we are all fed up with college basketball.

What I do see is more and more people are getting tired of the NBA first culture at UK that creates a situation every year where we are the youngest team in the country. We all love college basketball, but losing to mid major programs in Rupp, losing in the NCAAT to K-State, Indiana and Auburn because our youth shows up and bites us in crunch time and watching these kids jump to the NBA or transfer after doing very little at UK, is ridiculous.

The NBA drafts on potential, so it doesn’t matter what most of these kids accomplish at the college level. So why would you bring in project players when you know they are only going to be there 1 year, 2 tops? Why put your program through that?

 

[ManitouDan_anon]

What else is he gonna do? Go shoot Cal? And you've got the nerve to insult everyone else's intelligence? You haven't even figured out what message boards are for. Sloooooooow.

I thought replying to that dick but didnt want to engage anyone so dense

 

[KyFaninNC]

More than anything I think people are just fed up with the game of college basketball.

People are pointing at Cal but it isn't him, it is the NBA and the multiple other leagues where people get paid to play the game. It is the NCAA for still not paying on likeness. It is the one and done rule.

The best shot at a FF or Title (and that is all some if not many of our fans care about now) is to have more talent at EOY than other teams. 3/4 year players who are title good are few and far between now.

We had a team last year that was built for the tourney but the season was cut short. We've also missed chances over the past several years and it is driving some nuts.

College basketball has become almost impossible to watch. It has been watered down to the point that Div 3 is probably better to watch. The officiating sucks and gets worse every year. The NCAA is a shadow of it's former self. D1 basketball is kinda like watching AAU and it just is not my idea of basketball.

I and many others have OAD fatigue. I have not watched one football or basketball game this year. I may or may not watch any at all the rest of the year. And Sunday's game is one of the main reasons. I find no excitement watching Evansville or Richmond come into Rupp and make the Cats look like a high school team.

Cal created this problem and only Cal can fix it, sadly, he don't appear to be interested in fixing it.

 

[docholiday51]

Cal has had nba all star talent not above average talent just an FYI. It’s unprecedented talent.

I think many of his recent public comments make fun of fans, tacit support of changing the name of Rupp Arena and he generally downplays the fans role in making the program what it has come to be. He is not overt in this but the insinuations are still there.

 

[Cat4life03]

I am frustrated about several things in how the program is ran....but does anybody else honestly think there is another better option out there??? Because looking at the college basketball landscape I don’t think we can do any better then Cal. I’ve extensively looked around and considered all the options and for his faults Cal is still BY FAR the best option at this time.

I think its more about Cal changing the way we play than us getting a new coach. We wont get a better coach than Cal and anybody who thinks so is out of there mind. But with that said he does need to adjust the way he coaches. For instance we have to start shooting/making 3's at a higher rate. Whether that's from recruiting or more practice I don't have that answer but it needs to be fixed. He also needs to get more creative with his offensive plays. We've been running the same elementary level plays for 10+ years now and don't even get me started on out of bounds under. And with a young team that compounds things and makes our offense that much more stagnant.

 

[HagginHall1999]

College basketball has become almost impossible to watch. It has been watered down to the point that Div 3 is probably better to watch. The officiating sucks and gets worse every year. The NCAA is a shadow of it's former self. D1 basketball is kinda like watching AAU and it just is not my idea of basketball.

I and many others have OAD fatigue. I have not watched one football or basketball game this year. I may or may not watch any at all the rest of the year. And Sunday's game is one of the main reasons. I find no excitement watching Evansville or Richmond come into Rupp and make the Cats look like a high school team.

Cal created this problem and only Cal can fix it, sadly, he don't appear to be interested in fixing it.

I don't think Cal created the problem...he just embraced the direction the sport was headed faster than anyone else and we reaped the benefits in part- should have moreso.

I truly believe he has attempted to change his approach in recruiting but several have transferred due to playing time. Almost anytime a player transfers it is partly on the coach because the player is unhappy.

Not sure there is a viable solution unless we want to bring in 3☆ kids. Any player that is worth a nickel is going to be out the door in 1 to 2 years tops now....you will occassionally get the Nick Richards of the world, but few and far between...and even he underperformed his first 2 years or he would have been gone.

Put it this way- a Freshman Jamal Mashburn is out the door in 2020, so is Tayshaun Prince and Keith Bogans, etc.

Times have changed and until the NBA changes, CBB is at it's mercy.

 

[serdi]

I appreciate how Cal came in here and acknowledged the history and everything that went with our program. Having grown up with Coach Rupp and transitioned into Coach Hall while at UK, I always thought any coach would get it. When Rick got here he never came across as he appreciated the history or cared to acknowledge the former players etc., maybe he did and I did not realize it. We lost that from my perspective with Tubby and with Billy. It was refreshing when Cal made such a big deal about it, and for the longest time, I thought it was genuine. From this this UK grad and fan of the program for 56 years, I am growing tired of the winning the championships taking a backseat to putting kids into the NBA. Until winning championships is equally important, Cal will never recruit a mixture of solid four-year players with the one-and-dones. The one-and-dones and politics seem to be more important than my school's success. I appreciate Cal getting us back in the hunt. I am ready to tweak the agenda

 

[Skyguyb27]

Fire Cal, bring back Billy G or Tubby. So sick of this crap, Jesus could bevour coach and people here would say he is to nice or doesn't blow out teams. Typical responses when we lose ever time.

Bring Billy G back? Yeah because blocking free throws is much better than the Cal winning record.

 

[Baller Cal]

Reading the board. Seems like the more things change, the more they stay the same. I am seeing fewer and fewer pumpers around. Guess some are finally waking up.

I have to agree with you. The same people break dance, start a thread and feel invigorated when we lose a basketball game. It never changes.

 

[SmedMoley]

I thought replying to that dick but didnt want to engage anyone so dense

The irony got the best of me and I had to respond. That member is abrasive and I'm sure he'll come back with childlike insults. But I really don't care. Across every thread yesterday he was calling people stupid. Where are the mods at?

 

[kl40504_rivals]

Haven’t won a chip in how long ? Haven’t been to the F4 since when ? All these talented rosters and wasted seasons

Wasted seasons with the most wins in college basketball the last ten years.

 

[kl40504_rivals]

The bottom line here is people are reacting more strongly to these shitshow performances in November (which are getting worse than they were, buzzer beater wins over Miami (OH) have become losses to Evansville and Richmond) in part because we haven’t exactly been lighting it up in March in recent years either.

The retorts of “we’re always ready in March!” would fall a little less flat if we weren’t also in the middle of a Final Four drought as well.

Maybe we could get Bennett at Virginia or Jay Wright at Villanova to replace Cal. They never lose to inferior opponents. Oh I forgot. They both just lost to unranked San Francisco and unranked Virginia Tech.

 

[warrior-cat]

WB. You been gone for the holidays? Not seen you on the paddock lately.

No, took a day or 2 off and then more reading than posting.