I would like to randomly check back in here as a UK lurker (slappy, for short) to also offer my best wishes to Senore. As one who has went thru similar circumstances with a very close family member, I understand how mentally & physically exacerbating those bouts after major surgery can be. Don't know you Senore, but I empathize with your situation and offer best wishes nonetheless.
With regard to the "who has done less with more" argument, I will simply say this and leave it with regard to my portion of the discussion.
When you start to define a subjective argument as "fact" and try to use bar graphs & pie charts with skewed data in support of it, then you are way too far down the rabbit hole to be objective (that is as much of a fact as Anything else being discussed).
The fact that the data used is offered without any sort of context is dismissed.
The absurd assertion that UK MUST win a Championship or the season is a failure is another one of the aspects of the premise that is dismissed. This is done bc if the Final Fours were included, it would show UK has more than any other school in this time frame, I believe. But it is not included bc it would show the skewed data in a positive light. So it is dismissed with the claim of "doesn't count". Doesn't fit the agenda is what that really means.
The fact that UK was one of the first schools to employ the OAD method, which skews the numbers of 5-stars toward those first few years before Coach K, Self, etc began to employ the same methods, is dismissed. I bet if you checked this chart from the last say, 2-3 years, it would look different.
The fact that UK employs the OAD method and, by definition, most kids leave after 1-2 seasons, thus drastically changing from the Pre-OAD era where even super stars stayed in college for several years and gained invaluable experience & knowledge, is dismissed.
The fact that every year the recruiting services drastically overestimate & UNDERESTIMATE some of the 4-5 star players, thus materially altering the entire landscape of this discussion, is dismissed.
I know that the past 2-3 seasons both Duke & Kansas have had many more 4-5 stars bc both schools/coaches are now employing the OAD method pretty much exclusively. They clearly realized that Cal/UK's approach had some merit I would think or they wouldn't have changed their entire recruiting philosophy to begin doing it.
Many other schools are trying to do it, but cannot bc of the limited number of elite players. Pitino himself has tried in recent years to sign multiple 5-star players in the same year. I think any coach would do the same if he were able. There just happens to only be a handful who can. But you def have to take the good with the bad with any recruiting system. Just the way it is. Not dismissing anything or lowering the bar.
I am very happy with the status quo at UK. I do think the argument that we should have another title has some merit. However, in a one and done tourney stuff happens. The fact that UK was so close to a perfect season a couple years ago both gives me satisfaction and breaks my heart. But, that is the way it goes. UL has 3 in the history of their illustrious program. Regardless of five stars, to say Cal should have more is certainly not anything within the realm of "fact".
