No. He got his championship, then his HOF, and then won the lottery. He has no incentive to win another title, and we won't as long as he is replacing the team every year (which he obviously could care less about changing).
Good Article from Kyle Tucker On Cal Losing His Way
- Thread starter bbncal02
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No. He got his championship, then his HOF, and then won the lottery. He has no incentive to win another title, and we won't as long as he is replacing the team every year (which he obviously could care less about changing).
I posted below before reading other comments.
I actually think an intellectually honest journalist would have referenced officiating in that article.
I find Higgins to be much more critical to the narrative than Matt Jones and his haircut.
My takes from the article.
1. Cal is a vindictive, egomaniac who can’t see the forest for the trees.
2. Barnhart shows what a complete incompetent clown he is by giving the keys to the kingdom for life to Cal, someone he doesn’t get along with and hasn’t from day one.
1. Cal is a vindictive, egomaniac who can’t see the forest for the trees.
2. Barnhart shows what a complete incompetent clown he is by giving the keys to the kingdom for life to Cal, someone he doesn’t get along with and hasn’t from day one.
Safe assumptions.
Cal being an egomaniac also led to his successes. The problem he's having is channeling it in the right ways.
absolutely correct
Huggy wiped the floor with ccc, even with the great talent advantage UK had
This was done even with one of WVU's better players out of the game due to injury
The fans should have taken notice of the lack of coaching skills, but the continual influx
of high talent caused most of us to over look that fact. Most of us did wake up after the 2015
loss to Wi. Again, major talent advantage to UK, but no coaching, especially down the stretch
Sickening that someone can get $9 million per year to "find themselves" at everyone else's expense. Inexcusable - at $9 mill per year it's your job to pull your head out of your ass, get the right people, make the right decisions and put the program first.
Shyt like this makes me despise Calipari.
Shyt like this makes me despise Calipari.
It is not necessarily the "one" game (Wisconsin) he lost....it is all of the games he lost since that game. Our record against good team since the Wisconsin loss SUCKS despite overwhelming talent (i.e. top recruiting class every year). Give him a pass on the Wisconsin game, but not all of the losses since then.
Guess it comes off to me as an article that was written by a guy who has been cut off by the program and requested to speak with Calipari or his new staff, was rebuffed and had one in the chamber to let off if he was denied access (again). If Cal or Staff would've granted time, a fluffy '24 team piece is out now talking about new staff, new team, style of play, etc...but they obviously blew him off and he hit send on things that we've all discussed, know and were frustrated with.
That being said, to talk up Joel Justus as a loss? LOL Okay. The "Camera Popper" (Joel loves to run to greet the players coming back to the huddle so his personal life benefits of being a coach can continue) was the biggest mistake Calipari made in his tenure at Kentucky. Ask yourself this--with the growing roles Justus had did the program improve in any aspect? If he was so coveted, why did NOBODY at a high level come seek his services when at UK, dropped by UK, and after? The litany of elite programs who have had job openings is plenty so if he was being "held back" or not utilized correctly as an Assistant, why didn't Duke, UNC, Kansas, Baylor, Texas, Arizona, Michigan State, Michigan, Gonzaga, UConn, etc.....reach out to snag him since Cal didn't utilize him correctly? Recruiting before/after Justus time in Lexington could be considered elite by those who can put aside frustrations of the results but look at the talent differential. So what did he actually do that has been missed? Aside from being a media leak to Kyle Tucker?
This year's team has been more fun to watch already. I've seen coaching taking place. They actually had a ****ing press breaker against Georgetown College where it involved spacing/attacking and was obviously worked on/practiced. Dillingham's jumper is night/day improved in form/results. John Welch is the best hire Cal's made in his coaching tenure, period. Now will that be enough? We've yet to see and we all will discuss during/after the season. That being said-timing of this easily could've been in Summer but on eve of season seems strange--but I'm quite certain this was in the chamber and when he was continually ignored as he's been since Summer--then he decided to unleash his ego/frustration now. So should get him the attention he wants....and won't phase those connected/prepared for what is ahead. Nothing written matters. The results of the '24 season do.
That being said, to talk up Joel Justus as a loss? LOL Okay. The "Camera Popper" (Joel loves to run to greet the players coming back to the huddle so his personal life benefits of being a coach can continue) was the biggest mistake Calipari made in his tenure at Kentucky. Ask yourself this--with the growing roles Justus had did the program improve in any aspect? If he was so coveted, why did NOBODY at a high level come seek his services when at UK, dropped by UK, and after? The litany of elite programs who have had job openings is plenty so if he was being "held back" or not utilized correctly as an Assistant, why didn't Duke, UNC, Kansas, Baylor, Texas, Arizona, Michigan State, Michigan, Gonzaga, UConn, etc.....reach out to snag him since Cal didn't utilize him correctly? Recruiting before/after Justus time in Lexington could be considered elite by those who can put aside frustrations of the results but look at the talent differential. So what did he actually do that has been missed? Aside from being a media leak to Kyle Tucker?
This year's team has been more fun to watch already. I've seen coaching taking place. They actually had a ****ing press breaker against Georgetown College where it involved spacing/attacking and was obviously worked on/practiced. Dillingham's jumper is night/day improved in form/results. John Welch is the best hire Cal's made in his coaching tenure, period. Now will that be enough? We've yet to see and we all will discuss during/after the season. That being said-timing of this easily could've been in Summer but on eve of season seems strange--but I'm quite certain this was in the chamber and when he was continually ignored as he's been since Summer--then he decided to unleash his ego/frustration now. So should get him the attention he wants....and won't phase those connected/prepared for what is ahead. Nothing written matters. The results of the '24 season do.
Tucker's access has been getting cut off for a while. Not out of malice either. Just orders within the program are less talking and keep things tighter lipped. Helped with some roster moves and definitely has/is with recruiting.
I think we should strive for objectivity. Whether we like it or not, we should encourage people to tell it how it is. This piece is objective. It is full of facts from people that are able to give first hand accounts of the issues.
A lot of people like to attack these articles, posts, radio shows, etc for being too negative. But the truth of John Calipari and Kentucky basketball for the last 5 or 6 years is...negative. And you'd be lying to say that it wasn't.
People like to talk about Matt Jones and some of the other sports media causing division. They didn't cause the division. People don't form their opinions solely based on what Matt Jones says. People aren't going to form an opinion based on a Kyle Tucker article. If you've watched Kentucky basketball the last 5 or 6 seasons, you've got a good idea of how Cal has performed. You don't need input from anyone else to figure that out.
The division is caused by failure. And I mean true honest to goodness failure. Some people come in here screaming crap like "You can't expect a Final 4 every year!!!" No, but I expect us to beat St. Peter's. I expect us to beat Evansville. I expect us to make the NCAA Tournament every year. I could honestly forgive the rare 1st round exit if we were winning games in other years.
All of this isn't to attack Cal. Cal has changed. Cal has brought in fresh blood for assistants. Cal is modernizing the offense. Cal went and committed to getting shooters. I think we're about to turn a corner. I think this team can do some damage. As a wise man once said, we've got dudes.
But to be mad at Kyle Tucker for saying this is a make or break year? It's worse than that. We're literally 1 bad performance away from Rupp Rafters full on melt down. If we have another first round exit, this place may self implode.
Cal has done all of the right things. But to act like the last 5 or 6 years are behind us? Not yet.
As Kyle said--time to prove it.
A lot of people like to attack these articles, posts, radio shows, etc for being too negative. But the truth of John Calipari and Kentucky basketball for the last 5 or 6 years is...negative. And you'd be lying to say that it wasn't.
People like to talk about Matt Jones and some of the other sports media causing division. They didn't cause the division. People don't form their opinions solely based on what Matt Jones says. People aren't going to form an opinion based on a Kyle Tucker article. If you've watched Kentucky basketball the last 5 or 6 seasons, you've got a good idea of how Cal has performed. You don't need input from anyone else to figure that out.
The division is caused by failure. And I mean true honest to goodness failure. Some people come in here screaming crap like "You can't expect a Final 4 every year!!!" No, but I expect us to beat St. Peter's. I expect us to beat Evansville. I expect us to make the NCAA Tournament every year. I could honestly forgive the rare 1st round exit if we were winning games in other years.
All of this isn't to attack Cal. Cal has changed. Cal has brought in fresh blood for assistants. Cal is modernizing the offense. Cal went and committed to getting shooters. I think we're about to turn a corner. I think this team can do some damage. As a wise man once said, we've got dudes.
But to be mad at Kyle Tucker for saying this is a make or break year? It's worse than that. We're literally 1 bad performance away from Rupp Rafters full on melt down. If we have another first round exit, this place may self implode.
Cal has done all of the right things. But to act like the last 5 or 6 years are behind us? Not yet.
As Kyle said--time to prove it.
Another thing that I think has changed Cal was Pitino being run out of town. There was a great article written about Cal years ago that had criticism and praise. Some shoe guy who is close to Cal and Pitino (Sonny Vaccaro, I think) said that Cal would change when he got the Hall of Fame nod. Why? "Because he no longer has to chase the ghost." The ghost being the perception that Cal is Pitino Lite. Cal's main source of inspiration was no longer 75 miles up the road.
Curious - genuinely - why do you hate Justus so much? You've railed on him for years here. He sucked, for sure. He thought Devin Askew was a stud, FFS. That said, it definitely seems personal for you.
Really as simple as an unqualified guy who had very loose lips--talked a lot of private business to the WRONG people-including media/coaches of other staffs about company business and was lousy at his job, yet kept around due to a personal relationship Cal had with is Dad. He kept promoting him within the program and every time it took place, the aspect he was in charge went to complete s***. Analytics. Recruiting. Player Development/Relationships.
His #1 priority after being gifted a job like an Assistant at UK? Getting his **** wet. Some guys who were not UK material got recruited for some reasons that have 0 to do with basketball. LOL Then when he was asked to do his job and have info on recruits......he didn't know as much as guys who are on message boards. So when Antigua got re-hired and mentioned "Our job is to know tomorrow's news weeks before" or something hinting at you better do your background work....that was very much an interesting take seeing who was jettisoned.
The guy was gifted a job.....kept around far too long, was talked up by media guys who he'd leak info to--and the reward Cal got for all that? Being an anonymous source in a hit piece about a program he contributed greatly to the decline. If you want to point fingers and ignore the thumb.....then you deserve to get put on blast too.
For the record, I've been just as blunt about Bruiser Flint as Justus too. He's a mascot kept around for god only knows.
Mazzula was shredding our interior defense and Cal had no answer for the 1-3-1.
“I really believe that game broke him,” said one former support staff member, who, along with four others, requested anonymity to protect their relationship with Calipari.
“That year took a lot out of him,” said another former staffer. “It was such a unique opportunity to do something that had never been done, and to lose it all in the national semifinals … The next year, the vibes were entirely different.”
So us raftards were right.
“That year took a lot out of him,” said another former staffer. “It was such a unique opportunity to do something that had never been done, and to lose it all in the national semifinals … The next year, the vibes were entirely different.”
So us raftards were right.
NCAA tournament 2011. 2nd Round.
''DO THE JOHN WALL NOW. DO THE JOHN WALL NOW''-Deandre Liggins.
It had a lot of information and context that people that don’t read UK blogs and message boards (I.e. most people) did not know. This is a massive story at a turning point in his career now that it’s in a nationally published article.
Meh. Stories that break no news and lack any real insight don’t move the needle. It’ll be a non-factor and forgotten before the weekend.
I'm sure you'd like to think so. The only thing that will make this go away is Cal actually delivering on his hype for a change.
I wonder how different this story would be if our two best, one outstanding, three point shooters hadn't gone two for forever in the one playoff game.
Cal reminds me of an aging boxer. I remember Joe Frazier saying " For years you are the best on top of the hill and then one day you wake up and its just,gone,"
IMO its been "gone" for Cal since 2018. I watched his speech at his first Midnight Madness and compared it to his lifeless effort at this year. Folks hes done, this year will be a crashing disappointment just like the last 3. We need a change
IMO its been "gone" for Cal since 2018. I watched his speech at his first Midnight Madness and compared it to his lifeless effort at this year. Folks hes done, this year will be a crashing disappointment just like the last 3. We need a change
Parts of article good, parts not. I personally don't agree 2015 broke him.
I think recruiting failures broke him. Platoon was used against him, Skal was used against him. Then you had Adidas/Nike situation with PK. He just stopped getting the elite of elite in that Zion class. He didn't trust guys he was getting because they weren't his type of player or first choice. He quit getting most of those guys in 2018.
Seems like he may have some of that edge back. He will have to commit to help being provided by Welch on offensive end. If he does, I think we will be really good again.
I think recruiting failures broke him. Platoon was used against him, Skal was used against him. Then you had Adidas/Nike situation with PK. He just stopped getting the elite of elite in that Zion class. He didn't trust guys he was getting because they weren't his type of player or first choice. He quit getting most of those guys in 2018.
Seems like he may have some of that edge back. He will have to commit to help being provided by Welch on offensive end. If he does, I think we will be really good again.
All of this comes back to a Calipari problem for me though. Cal is the one that put him in the position.
Cal steal all y’all’s weed eaters? And women? And common sense? Something. Everyone let a guy trolling for hits sucker them so easy.
Good article". What is good about it, will it help recruiting? Will it help get rid of Cal before he is ready to go? Maybe we can steal the nearby city college's new coach back.
There are probably more UK fans that want Cal here than don't, the "don'ts" are just more vociferous. He sure has brought in a lot of talent, four recruits that were rated top ten at one time and a legacy recruit that many think might be the best of the lot. And three seven footers, one that appears to be a tremendous talent from Europe, AND getting our three-point shooter to return when a lot of fans said no chance, along with proven transfers and a couple of good depth players. How many seven footers have we had in the past five or ten years? And all that talent didn't plan on coming here because he sat on his butt to recruit them.
Tough crowd.
There are probably more UK fans that want Cal here than don't, the "don'ts" are just more vociferous. He sure has brought in a lot of talent, four recruits that were rated top ten at one time and a legacy recruit that many think might be the best of the lot. And three seven footers, one that appears to be a tremendous talent from Europe, AND getting our three-point shooter to return when a lot of fans said no chance, along with proven transfers and a couple of good depth players. How many seven footers have we had in the past five or ten years? And all that talent didn't plan on coming here because he sat on his butt to recruit them.
Tough crowd.
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Cal broke himself by refusing to do his actual job and coach a college basketball team/program. He then hasn't seemed to be able to take the criticism that comes because he's doing the job he wants to do rather than the job he's supposed to do. He also seems incredibly lazy these days. But that's part of the above.
This nails in 100’s of words we can say in a few. Out dated, lost touch, boring offense. lost fanbase, too old and washed up.
I agree 2015 didn't fully break him. It knocked us all to our knees a bit. 2017 howeer....that just sucked. We had the best team and the officials said sit down and shut up. I think that broke Cal. I know it hurt me more than 2015 did in ways. We were back on top after that deflating loss in 2015 and just got kicked in the stomach. Cal really wasnt the same much after that. We had some flashes of brilliance, but no the DOMINANCE we had before that.
EVERYONE I've talked to that's a UK fan outside this forum wants Cal gone. Any poll addressing the question in this forum has at least 60% wanting Cal gone.
I'd say it's about 50/50. In ways it's similar to Clemson football right now. Dabo has his died in the wool staunch supporters, but he also has those that want him to adapt to the current landscape (sounds familiar huh?)
I'm of the mind I want Cal here, but only if he can win at a high level. When Cal is himself (2009 Cal) he's the best possible choice for UK Ball.
Cal is old and has no passion or motivation. I feel like the whole program, including our fan base has been declining that way starting with the 2015 Wisconsin loss and really starting to bottom out after the 2017 loss.
Has Kentucky basketball been fun since then? Have you obsessed over it the way you did from 2009-2017? Be honest. In the grand scheme of life maybe its better that way, but I really think the 2015 and 2017 losses caused depression to manifest into apathy, which set into this program in all aspects. It seems irreparable until drastic changes are made from the top down.
Has Kentucky basketball been fun since then? Have you obsessed over it the way you did from 2009-2017? Be honest. In the grand scheme of life maybe its better that way, but I really think the 2015 and 2017 losses caused depression to manifest into apathy, which set into this program in all aspects. It seems irreparable until drastic changes are made from the top down.
All I know is there are 20 to 25 posters in Rafters who would have at least 2 titles by now if coaching the talent UK has had since Calipari has been here.
no I don't think you do get it
We've had the lowest of lows under Calipari and instead of owning it, he still declares he isn't going to change. Looks like there is no shortage of staff and people he has interacted with on a personal level that realize it and have decided it not a good long term strategy.
For Tucker to write an article like this, knowing the fall out and backlash from the loyalists, and knowing whatever relationship he had with Cal is now gone, he must have felt compelled to paint an accurate picture of a man who believes he is more valuable than that program he represents.
Cal knows what needs to be done, Recruiting isn't enough, and for the rest of it, he is either incapable or just not motivated enough to put in the work. And he rages against anyone who points it out.
Exactly and conversely if you look at pre 15 tournaments, we had quite a bit of bounces go our way to get to where we've been.
So yes the results haven't been there post 15 but yeah I don't agree with this storyline about how 2015 somehow changed things here.
It also speaks to the one and done nature of the tournament and the importance to have consistently good teams throughout. That's what gives you the best chance at turning this into final fours, turning this into titles. If anyone wants to criticize, they shouldn't IMO point to 2017 or 2019 or 2022. They should point to the years where we weren't even in the conversation.
I feel like you don't know JVC if you're asking that question.
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