I was so wrong, were you?

[uk78]

I fell for it once again. Looking at this teams deep roster of talent, and Cal finally starting Ugo and Reed seemed like not only would the Florida game be a run away but that this is/was a championship level team. Plus, I believe I read here that Cal was having the team practice a zone defense with Big Z in the middle.

Well, instead of a run away easy game it was once again a one-dimensional defense although Ugo was fantastic. We allow opponents to comfortably run their offense without any effort to change their tempo (no press, no zones, no nothing different). Unfortunately, Mitchell was not hitting outside shots in this game. Is the combination with Ugo not favorable for him? Typical again that Cal made what seemed like no adjustments or my continued issue I post where he does not appear to ever coach a player to stop during a game to stop doing something clearly not working. After the first half, why not instruct Mitchell to take the ball inside and not shoot the open 3's he is not hitting for this game. Remember Anthony Davis in the Championship game in the second half said he was not on target offensively so he would defer. Why he had to figure that out and not Cal is an example of what I mean. In fact, Cal has even been quoted suggesting the player needs to "figure it out."

I know many are down on Cal and I have resisted that impression for many years. But, whatever he is doing is not working and hasn't for a number of years. I know some suggest (including him) that the Covid cancellation was a team that may have won it all. Really? Easy to say but that doesn't make it true. If not this year then when? Our future recruits don't include some over the top elite elite elite recruit and with many of the current one and done, I don't see where there's a true championship shot again in the foreseeable future. It may be scary and a step back temporarily, but Cal has to go. I never thought I would reach that conclusion but it is the case for our program.

 

[gossie21]

Nope. I wanted Calipari gone last year. I resisted the temptation to look at his "dream class" he had coming in. I knew it wouldn't matter how much talent was there, it wouldn't be enough to overcome his poor coaching.

The transition away from Cal will likely be rough, but that's going to be true whenever it happens. We might as well take the growing pains now and get someone in the position that is willing to do the job.

 

[WeWant9]

I thought this team had the make up of teams Cal would win with in the past. It was pretty much, if he can’t win with this group he isn’t winning anything of worth again. If he can’t pull a March run, I’m at the point of title or bust, then he should step away.

He looks tired and worn down. I don’t see much hunger in him, and if he loses he falls back on excuses or trying to bring up the past. I think Cal lost one of his biggest strengths, and that was connecting with people. I do not feel he connects with the players like he did when he first came to UK. He sure as hell doesn’t connect with BBN anymore. People said it about Stoops, but Cal truly feels like he’s on an island by himself.

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

This is where I was 2 or more years ago. What's worrying me is that he is seemingly getting worse with each passing season. He clearly can't be bothered with coaching them up and holding their feet to the fire on defense. We have major roster turnover every season, but the same issues persist. Sad thing is that this poor coaching has been going on so long now that many fans just accept it, or don't even recognize the continuous coaching failure.

 

[ULisnotmyman]

Known it since 2019. Check the post history lol

 

[CASblue]

Let's just say that in May, June, July my expectations were about where they are currently. Then mid-July Global Jam happened and I saw a team that played really well together for as little as they had been together. The mind started thinking about how good the team can be with some more practice and in-game play. Needless to say the pre-season, early non-conference games were there to "stoke the fire", and I started believing that we could make a deep run. Then UNCW happened...like really? We loose at home? Then we got thumped by USCjr by 17...HUH? 17 Freakin' points? So to say I was wrong; yes I was. I fell for the hype, I felt this team had nearly all of "it" for a deep run to the Final Four. Now I just hope we can keep it together just to get a spot in the tournament. Sad really....

 

[docholiday51]

Been done with Cal for a while but that is beside the point. Ugo has been our best option in the middle for a while(anyone could see that) Sure he has flaws but his strengths are what we need. We need Wagner for depth at point. We are what we are,we can't play defense matter who we put on the floor, Ugo can at least block or alter 5 to 6 shots a game.

 

[know1]

Known it since 2019. Check the post history lol

Same for me. Mine might have started in 2018.

 

[westerncat]

I am more than ready for a change. It is going to happen eventually so I wish we can see it soon. Get someone that teaches the kids to play defense.

 

[RunninRichie]

Lost faith in Cal after 9-16.

 

[Hjack]

Nope. I wanted Calipari gone last year. I resisted the temptation to look at his "dream class" he had coming in. I knew it wouldn't matter how much talent was there, it wouldn't be enough to overcome his poor coaching.

The transition away from Cal will likely be rough, but that's going to be true whenever it happens. We might as well take the growing pains now and get someone in the position that is willing to do the job.

I think the transition away will be much smoother than him staying.

 

[TheJuddDome]

I thought this team had the make up of teams Cal would win with in the past. It was pretty much, if he can’t win with this group he isn’t winning anything of worth again. If he can’t pull a March run, I’m at the point of title or bust, then he should step away.

He looks tired and worn down. I don’t see much hunger in him, and if he loses he falls back on excuses or trying to bring up the past. I think Cal lost one of his biggest strengths, and that was connecting with people. I do not feel he connects with the players like he did when he first came to UK. He sure as hell doesn’t connect with BBN anymore. People said it about Stoops, but Cal truly feels like he’s on an island by himself.

This happens when you get older. Not everyone but for most. Need one of these young hungry coaches on the sideline.

 

[BGCATFAN2012]

I think we are seeing the end and everyone knows it including Cal. We will look back at his run and say man he should've won more but it is what it is. If he wants to keep coaching take a step back reaccess and find your next job. My problem is when people are rich they need to learn to quit early and go enjoy life b4 it's to late. Time Flys and he has plenty of money and friends step away and live your life while u have your health. KENTUCKY BASKETBALL 🏀 will be fine..

 

[The_Ghost_of_Born_and_Bread]

I fell for it once again. Looking at this teams deep roster of talent, and Cal finally starting Ugo and Reed seemed like not only would the Florida game be a run away but that this is/was a championship level team. Plus, I believe I read here that Cal was having the team practice a zone defense with Big Z in the middle.

Well, instead of a run away easy game it was once again a one-dimensional defense although Ugo was fantastic. We allow opponents to comfortably run their offense without any effort to change their tempo (no press, no zones, no nothing different). Unfortunately, Mitchell was not hitting outside shots in this game. Is the combination with Ugo not favorable for him? Typical again that Cal made what seemed like no adjustments or my continued issue I post where he does not appear to ever coach a player to stop during a game to stop doing something clearly not working. After the first half, why not instruct Mitchell to take the ball inside and not shoot the open 3's he is not hitting for this game. Remember Anthony Davis in the Championship game in the second half said he was not on target offensively so he would defer. Why he had to figure that out and not Cal is an example of what I mean. In fact, Cal has even been quoted suggesting the player needs to "figure it out."

I know many are down on Cal and I have resisted that impression for many years. But, whatever he is doing is not working and hasn't for a number of years. I know some suggest (including him) that the Covid cancellation was a team that may have won it all. Really? Easy to say but that doesn't make it true. If not this year then when? Our future recruits don't include some over the top elite elite elite recruit and with many of the current one and done, I don't see where there's a true championship shot again in the foreseeable future. It may be scary and a step back temporarily, but Cal has to go. I never thought I would reach that conclusion but it is the case for our program.

People suffer from recency bias on the covid cancellation team. That home Evansville loss was one of the worst for any team in the season (300th ranked team on KenPom with a 9-23 record) plus a loss to 114th ranked Utah team. By all accounts, we were headed for a 6 seed. We weren’t sniffing a final four.

 

[catben]

What has made this year worse than the previous few is that this team can finally score at a high clip. But the defense is so horrible that it hasn’t changed the final results much from those past few seasons.

Also, except for South Carolina, all of the losses have went down to the wire. Which means coaching has played a huge part in those losses. Cal is getting ABUSED by these much younger coaches with less talent.

That’s why I have ZERO confidence that it can be turned around by next month

SAD

 

[cats2010]

The sad part is this team could make a run in March with an entirely different coach at the helm. Any coach worth their salt would have something figured out defensively by now to at least be better than they are. Cal won’t do anything different now or in the future to give this team a chance. What’s the saying about doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? And that’s just one area of coaching, the roster management is a whole other story.

 

[dcw62]

If I said it once, I've said it a thousand times, The Zenith of Cal's career was the undefeated( or should have been) team's final four loss to Wisconsin. Since then it's been a steady decline. But I really lost faith after the Final Eight Loss to an undermanned Bruce Pearl Auburn Team. I was done after that year. This team was Cal's last chance and as usual, he's finding a way to waste it away...The sooner he's out of here, the better IMO

 

[BC_Wader]

I wanted Cal gone after his remarks about having 5 guys in the first round that it was the best thing in the history of our program. The players can't help who coaches them however and I will always have their back. But I'll tell you what I was wrong about. I thought our defense this year could be special. It looks like we aren't even taught defense. Cal used to say if you don't play defense then he can't play you. Now what Cal?

 

[Hjack]

For those of you who still have some unwanted food on your stomach, the Florida game will be on the SEC Network at 12:00 CST.

 

[ukfan1622]

When it comes to UK basketball I am frequently wrong because of my emotional investment; I often listen to my heart instead of my brain. I thought this team was going to be really good and now I don't even know what I think.

 

[ukfan1622]

For those of you who still have some unwanted food on your stomach, the Florida game will be on the SEC Network at 12:00 CST.

Thank you; I'm sure I'll feel better after a good puke.

 

[WeWant9]

When it comes to UK basketball I am frequently wrong because of my emotional investment; I often listen to my heart instead of my brain. I thought this team was going to be really good and now I don't even know what I think about this team.

This is where I am at, too. I am back to no expectations for this team. I can never pick UK to lose, but I am worried about this team going forward.

 

[gossie21]

I think the transition away will be much smoother than him staying.

That is definitely possible. I figure whenever he leaves we're gonna lose 90% of our roster/incoming recruits. So the new coach is going to have to be able to piece together the first roster using the portal. That can work. It can also fail miserably. Arkansas by all accounts won the transfer portal last offseason, and they suck.

 

[SemperFiCat]

This year hurts. I was cold on Cal, but I allowed myself to believe with this squad. This has to be one of his biggest failures. He can't even do simple things effectively. I'm 100% done with this salesman. If we're going to lose, at least lose with someone who tries.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

I think you know what you think about this team but dont want to be too negative lol. I have all the faith in the world that this group of players under any of the top 30 coaches could do big things down the stretch in feb and march. I have zero faith in Cal.. I take that back, I have faith Cal wont be able to make the final four.... but thats not the faith we want lol.

 

[ukfan1622]

I think you know what you think about this team but dont want to be too negative lol.

I'm taking a guess that one was aimed at me and I can't really call it a crazy take...

 

[FitchandMurray29]

Cal will continue to get crushed for his coaching and he could’ve coached better down the stretch for sure. But his biggest shortcomings continue to be as a GM of this team. This team was built off the idea of star freshmen. Those star freshmen due to injuries, “injuries”, and being a bust combined for 2 points, 0 rebounds, 0 assists in 9 minutes last night.

Thinking that group of Reed, Rob, Antonio, Tre, and Ugo would run away from any top 40 team in the portal era was flawed logic. Teams are too solid(even if unspectacular, in the portal era) for a lineup like that to coast to any victories.

Whether they’re transfers or high schoolers you just cannot miss on players you intend to build things around. That’s happened for a number of years now and is the biggest problem with the program.

If Cal has the ball inbounded to Reeves who makes both free throws we’re still the same flawed team that isn’t even a top 20 team in computer rankings just with one more win and a continued overinflated AP ranking. That’s why I have less problems with his individual coaching decisions and more of a problem with the inferior product he puts out there.

 

[MegaBlue05]

I came in with cautious optimism. After UNC that turned to pure optimism. I started to get that feeling again.

After USCjr, I was concerned but chalked it up to every team gets thumped on the road sometimes. Last night turned my optimism into pessimism. I hope the team and Coach prove me wrong, but recent history doesn’t give me much confidence.

 

[gharding07]

These last couple weeks have really cemented that we aren't that good of a team. Occasional high end flashes as a whole but with our inept head coach unwilling to make drastic changes to the lineup/defense, ect it's never going to get any better. Yeah I was excited and fooled again. Hope Cal just retires after this colossal failure honestly.

 

[gharding07]

*even if we somehow beat Tennessee I will still feel the same way.

 

[ukfan1622]

*even if we somehow beat Tennessee I will still feel the same way.

not me; I'll feel we finally turned the corner....

 

[gharding07]

not me; I'll feel we finally turned the corner....

Well, I'm glad you're in a better mindset than most lol.

 

[NociHTTP]

That is definitely possible. I figure whenever he leaves we're gonna lose 90% of our roster/incoming recruits. So the new coach is going to have to be able to piece together the first roster using the portal. That can work. It can also fail miserably. Arkansas by all accounts won the transfer portal last offseason, and they suck.

If we get a coach that's a good fit for UK, then the inevitable collapse before the rebuild should not be a problem. Cal is not leaving behind shoes that most coaches out there can't fill.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

I think you know what you think about this team but dont want to be too negative lol. I have all the faith in the world that this group of players under any of the top 30 coaches could do big things down the stretch in feb and march. I have zero faith in Cal.. I take that back, I have faith Cal wont be able to make the final four.... but thats not the faith we want lol.

You and I came on after the North Carolina loss in 2017 and basically said that Cal was done. Neither of us believed the NCAA was going to let him win. Maybe we were wrong but that game sure seemed fixed. I spent the next two years getting demolished on here.

What's funny is I went from the 5% to the 95%.

Since then he has proven that the NCAA doesn't even have to try most years.

 

[Bluegrass79]

I mean we could fire him right now and grab another coach and hope he can figure it out.
Cal don't do a whole lot anyway I think another coach might actually be the best thing for us right now I say!

We got a team that can win something and we need a coach that can win something. In this situation it could be an NBA coach if they wanted to we just need them to finish this season out and get us where we need to go.

I wish this above post was possible...

 

[sluggercatfan]

I fell for it once again. Looking at this teams deep roster of talent, and Cal finally starting Ugo and Reed seemed like not only would the Florida game be a run away but that this is/was a championship level team. Plus, I believe I read here that Cal was having the team practice a zone defense with Big Z in the middle.

Well, instead of a run away easy game it was once again a one-dimensional defense although Ugo was fantastic. We allow opponents to comfortably run their offense without any effort to change their tempo (no press, no zones, no nothing different). Unfortunately, Mitchell was not hitting outside shots in this game. Is the combination with Ugo not favorable for him? Typical again that Cal made what seemed like no adjustments or my continued issue I post where he does not appear to ever coach a player to stop during a game to stop doing something clearly not working. After the first half, why not instruct Mitchell to take the ball inside and not shoot the open 3's he is not hitting for this game. Remember Anthony Davis in the Championship game in the second half said he was not on target offensively so he would defer. Why he had to figure that out and not Cal is an example of what I mean. In fact, Cal has even been quoted suggesting the player needs to "figure it out."

I know many are down on Cal and I have resisted that impression for many years. But, whatever he is doing is not working and hasn't for a number of years. I know some suggest (including him) that the Covid cancellation was a team that may have won it all. Really? Easy to say but that doesn't make it true. If not this year then when? Our future recruits don't include some over the top elite elite elite recruit and with many of the current one and done, I don't see where there's a true championship shot again in the foreseeable future. It may be scary and a step back temporarily, but Cal has to go. I never thought I would reach that conclusion but it is the case for our program.

Cal was neutered in 2015 .

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

I've got 2 hands raised up for being wrong and that's only because I'm not an alien who has more to put up.

The basketball aspect isn't even what has me done. It's the "DNP" part like this is some damn NBA team who has guys who sit and tank games/seasons. I'm on record thinking there is absolutely nothing wrong with Wagner, Edwards, think Thiero milked his situation, and agree with everyone on why the hell was Cal whining about Big Z if he's going to play him like he does a walk on who gets shafted minutes in a blowout?

The season turned for the worse when Big Z came in and showed far more talent/ability then Bradshaw at any point. Even culminated in my least favorite aspect of the program right now-seeing Bradshaw limp---thinking to myself as I saw it "he's going to shut it down now Big Z played well" and whether others want to admit they thought that or not is fine-I'm just saying that was my immediate thought and reasoning and it sums up the disgust I have for this program's chaotic state. Basketball wins/losses are fine for fans. We get angry/say things in frustration but when you get broken or are over an era it is usually more to it and with me it's the lack of control within the program from the leadership. It's chaotic. Tell me who is playing Saturday right now? Tell me who won't? Only safe guess for anyone is to speculate that a full team will NOT be available for some ****ing reason.

The Coaching last night was awful but as we discussed earlier in the season, Calipari is the worst coach in the country at end of Half/Game situations and that played out. He actually stunned when coaching well in Gainesville late and getting ball to best FT shooter, taking timeouts.....designing an inbounds play (had to be Welch's doing). Cal's ego is so large it's like he didn't like that Welch was getting credit and wanted to let us all know who runs things. Yeah--we see and it sucks. Sucks major **** if we're being blunt.

I'm done watching live games or caring until this era is over. It's not fun anymore. As someone who had a surgery and was sick for about 2 full months and didn't know what was going on, at least I was entertained and enjoyed the product. Now? I'd rather have my stone back and put in the stent I had to personally remove from my Urethra and play yo-yo with it than watch a Cal mess take place. Will he/won't he play? Why is he not playing? Who is upset and jealous of a teammate's success? Who is jealous of a staff member's success? What official hates Cal to ignore traveling tonight? Why does Cal feel for opposing coaches when he's in a position he should be fighting to keep his job? It just never ends. I thought he was going to go into the locker room and console Musselman and his team after that game with how he talked. Hell maybe he wanted in on some of the off the court crap that is rumored to be going on. Don't really know or care at this point.

Just want to watch a program that has a full roster available, guys who play hard and are not let down by their HC/Staff and live with results. I can take winning/losing but this program is like a bad relationship with wife/girlfriend where you know it's over--there are fun times while you try to keep it "alive" and at same time know it's done and just are waiting for the exact moment to pull the plug.

 

[megablue]

Been done with Cal for a while but that is beside the point. Ugo has been our best option in the middle for a while(anyone could see that) Sure he has flaws but his strengths are what we need. We need Wagner for depth at point. We are what we are,we can't play defense matter who we put on the floor, Ugo can at least block or alter 5 to 6 shots a game.

Your statement is spot on and people need to accept it … we cannot play defense, regardless of who we put on the floor.

 

[megablue]

I wanted Cal gone after his remarks about having 5 guys in the first round that it was the best thing in the history of our program. The players can't help who coaches them however and I will always have their back. But I'll tell you what I was wrong about. I thought our defense this year could be special. It looks like we aren't even taught defense. Cal used to say if you don't play defense then he can't play you. Now what Cal?

We do not have five (5) players who can play defense well enough to deserve to be on the floor, unfortunately. If you think we do, who are your five ?? I can’t name 5 … that I am convinced can play sound defense and rebound. It’s a tough position we find ourselves in with this team.

 

[OleBum]

personally anymore i'm just kinda "bleh" about it. just can't even really get excited about it anymore. i just sit back and watch and whatever happens happens. it's out of our control and at this point even out of Cals control. i have friends that refuse to watch a single second until we at least make another elite 8.