Jaylen Brown on Cal

[Kentucky15]

He was fortunate to turn last year around. He was shitting the bed like expected. Now he has a lot of talent and returnees so they could be good but he still has to coach lol.

And no one will ever convince me Kansas didn’t throw that game. Dick in son absolutely 100% threw that game. Not saying it was gambling but he 100% chose to lose that game. Likely got into it with self and the brass wanting more money and said fine, don’t pay we won’t win. Allegedly of course, but if anyone goes back and watches him in that game, it’s the most obvious sham I’ve ever seen. The guy did things no player would do let alone a guy as good as dick in son.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

And no one will ever convince me Kansas didn’t throw that game. Dick in son absolutely 100% threw that game. Not saying it was gambling but he 100% chose to lose that game. Likely got into it with self and the brass wanting more money and said fine, don’t pay we won’t win. Allegedly of course, but if anyone goes back and watches him in that game, it’s the most obvious sham I’ve ever seen. The guy did things no player would do let alone a guy as good as dick in son.

I personally believe he was point shaving right there. He didn’t just make mistakes. He made blatant errors that didn’t even make sense.

 

[Kentucky15]

Yep. I agree that we shouldn't sleep on Cal's warpath. That said, even if he goes nuclear on UK and destroys us in every head-to-head for the next few years, he hasn't tamed anything.

At some point, you can't expect overwhelming talent to beat everyone else out. That worked for UK one year, and we barely had the guys we had because of the NBA lockout.

If Cal gets veterans, he could be dangerous, but NIL has drastically changed the college landscape. I don't believe he has the coaching chops to overcome other great, veteran, talented teams year after year. Might be wrong, and I'll own it if I am, but I doubt it based on what we saw at UK.

Something else to think about is that Cal always said that UK isn't for everyone. If he thrives elsewhere (Arky, for example), he might fulfill his own words. That would have to sting knowing that the premier program in college ball was too big for him. Ironically, the time frame that Cal was recruiting this kid and kinda blowing him off really kickstarted his descent as the King of Kentucky.

100%. It just worried me because I see a lot of dismissal about Calipari now and I’ve watched the guy closely for 25 years. Know his habits and people that know him. This is exactly the type of situation he lives for. Also dismissing him due to his last 5 + years at UK doesn’t express the current situation. He’s now retaining these players he pushed out here. Mix that situation with his temperament and “go to war” persona…. just dangerous.

In the end, I’m hoping, like you said, if nothing else he wins a few head to head against us and it cools him off. I’d rather not, but if that happens but he flames out I’m okay with that. The point is I want Calipari, like Pitino, to look back and say I’m pretty much got my way / revenge everywhere expect when I went to war with Kentucky. Then that salvages his legacy here, and is yet another coach who needed Kentucky (Pitino) to really dominate.

I personally believe he was point shaving right there. He didn’t just make mistakes. He made blatant errors that didn’t even make sense.

I think it too, but I could also see him at war with Self and saying I’m ready to pack it in, GFY bill.

 

[Skyguyb27]

yea that’s what the issue was. Recruiting pogo sticks with no skills for NBA draft board potential really hurt too. I get you want to continue to land NBA guys but missing a few to some returnees wouldn’t have hurt recruiting at all. He went too all in.

I will say that Calipari doesn’t have to care about much of that anymore and I knew he’d now say he can get those guys more money in college now so they’d stick around longer. It is a dangerous situation at Arkansas right now. On the flip side, he still has to coach them but Calipari is going to be out to stick it to Kentucky. It’s his personality and he’s going to have returnees now. Definitely worries me a bit. Overlooking Calipari when he’s on his warpaths and willing to adapt to prove points is something we better not sleep on.

for his legacy and ours, I’m hoping for a few early round exists then a retirement, but I’m not so sure. Calipari has always been a guy who likes to take on machines. So far, Kentucky is the only machine he couldn’t pin down. He’s going to try and do it, thats his personality. Always has been. Nike, the NCAA, the NBA, now Kentucky.

Last year Pope lacked athleticism but that’s not the case this year. Cal will be super Cal in that game for sure but I’m glad we got Pope in that matchup. Cal really isn’t the one I want calling plays at the end when you are down. I think Pope has his number he just didn’t have the athletes.

 

[Burly Peters]

I remember the Brown recruitment very well. He wanted to play for a black coach. Cuonzo Martin was the coach at Cal at that time.

 

[kyboss360]

Almost out of all the Cal recruits Brown is The One That Got Away that I wanted the most. I hate how talk to text capitalizes every other word except for when I speak the sentence that talks about capitalizing every other word.

 

[ToniTonyToneDelkDelkDelk]

Good. If I'm Cal, what do we have to talk about?

Stay on that side.

 

[drew0422]

I was living in Atlanta during this time and knew some people close to Brown. He’s extremely intellectual, wanted a unique college experience while he waited a year for the NBA. I think he took some high level courses at Berkeley. Had no interest in the college basketball spotlight at Kansas or Kentucky. I wish we could have landed him too because he’s a really impressive dude and will do a lot after basketball.

 

[Kentucky15]

Last year Pope lacked athleticism but that’s not the case this year. Cal will be super Cal in that game for sure but I’m glad we got Pope in that matchup. Cal really isn’t the one I want calling plays at the end when you are down. I think Pope has his number he just didn’t have the athletes.

I agree with that. Just thinking in typical sport thought, Wagner is still there, some of them were boo’d and know the situation, “win it for the gipper” sort of crap. I think no matter who we have, it’s going to be a hard one to win especially at that nowheresland.

Even still, it doesn’t matter. Let him have it God knows it matters that much to him. That’s what bothers that guy more than anything, the idea he actually cares about something. He’s too good for that. So if he wins it what most people that are familiar with him know? He wanted that bad. Big bad Kentucky and victim Cal. He poured everything into the victim Cal last season, I expect it again.

 

[Cats192]

I can’t stand Cal anymore but I would have done the same thing. “Alright, bye” as soon as he said he wasn’t coming, regardless if he had more to say.

This.