As we sit here waiting for any morsel of factual information about who our next coach might be, I want to share my thoughts.
Like most of you, I have been a fan of the Cats my entire life. I remember watching CL hit the shot as a 10-year-old and crying like a baby. I remember the best of the Pitino era and the unforgettable players we had during the Tubby era.
I, too, was super excited when Cal arrived, and the first 10 years were like something out of a fairy tale, where the ending is all sunshine and rainbows.
The past 4 seasons have been downright miserable, sans a few good players and some high-character kids that have come through here.
I do believe in my heart that Cal would have been given a much longer leash by fans and boosters alike had he reciprocated the love that the fanbase and university showed him. If he had been humble and actually changed his approach or attempted to adjust to the game, which has changed a lot over the past decade, things might have been different.
If he had made a few changes each season, whether that be mixing in more top-tier portal guys or recruiting players who will be in college longer than one season. Take Karter Knox, for example; during the McDonald's press conference, he made it pretty clear that this was likely a one-year stop. By all accounts, Knox is a good player, but he is a low-end 5-star/high-end 4-star kid. These are the types of players who, honestly, in most cases need more than 1 year of college. Of course, guys like SGA, Herro, and Booker are the exception to the rule.
I don't blame the kids; having the option or ability to make life-changing money is an awesome opportunity that not many people experience. However, recruiting a roster full of these kids season after season has proven to have wildly varying results and puts UK behind the 8-ball each season because we need a total rebuild.
Having said that, I think it's time for something new, and I wish Cal the best of luck at Arkansas. But it could have ended way differently if he hadn't alienated himself and created a 'him vs. the world' scenario when he had the support of the best fans and the largest brand in the sport behind him.
If our next coach is Scott Drew, I for one will be happy with it. He is a proven winner and has shown the ability to recruit at a high level. I feel as if his rosters the past 5 seasons have been much more balanced than ours, and that Drew has done a far better job of adjusting to the portal/NIL era. I understand that a portion of our fanbase wants Hurley or a young up-and-comer, but if Drew wants to be here, he has proven that he can win at the highest level and deserves every opportunity to take the helm at UK.
I used to scout a bit when I was younger and ran a blog/website LONG ago, and for those of you that haven't seen VJ Edgecomb play, please check him out. His athleticism is on another level from any of the recruits we had coming in, including Richmond, who is a decent player himself.
I think if we get Drew, along with Edgecomb, and maybe a surprise returnee or two (Looking at you, Z and Adou, lol), and hit the portal hard, we can put a top 5-10 ranked team on the floor next season. Not many other coaches have the ability to consistently land 5-star and elite talent, so I'm all for giving this, by all accounts, great person (Drew) the first crack at it.
Having said that, I will support whoever we get because I am a lifelong C-A-T-S fan. I have enjoyed reading all of the posts the past week or so, and most importantly, I am happy to see some excitement back in our one-of-a-kind fanbase. Go Cats!
Like most of you, I have been a fan of the Cats my entire life. I remember watching CL hit the shot as a 10-year-old and crying like a baby. I remember the best of the Pitino era and the unforgettable players we had during the Tubby era.
I, too, was super excited when Cal arrived, and the first 10 years were like something out of a fairy tale, where the ending is all sunshine and rainbows.
The past 4 seasons have been downright miserable, sans a few good players and some high-character kids that have come through here.
I do believe in my heart that Cal would have been given a much longer leash by fans and boosters alike had he reciprocated the love that the fanbase and university showed him. If he had been humble and actually changed his approach or attempted to adjust to the game, which has changed a lot over the past decade, things might have been different.
If he had made a few changes each season, whether that be mixing in more top-tier portal guys or recruiting players who will be in college longer than one season. Take Karter Knox, for example; during the McDonald's press conference, he made it pretty clear that this was likely a one-year stop. By all accounts, Knox is a good player, but he is a low-end 5-star/high-end 4-star kid. These are the types of players who, honestly, in most cases need more than 1 year of college. Of course, guys like SGA, Herro, and Booker are the exception to the rule.
I don't blame the kids; having the option or ability to make life-changing money is an awesome opportunity that not many people experience. However, recruiting a roster full of these kids season after season has proven to have wildly varying results and puts UK behind the 8-ball each season because we need a total rebuild.
Having said that, I think it's time for something new, and I wish Cal the best of luck at Arkansas. But it could have ended way differently if he hadn't alienated himself and created a 'him vs. the world' scenario when he had the support of the best fans and the largest brand in the sport behind him.
If our next coach is Scott Drew, I for one will be happy with it. He is a proven winner and has shown the ability to recruit at a high level. I feel as if his rosters the past 5 seasons have been much more balanced than ours, and that Drew has done a far better job of adjusting to the portal/NIL era. I understand that a portion of our fanbase wants Hurley or a young up-and-comer, but if Drew wants to be here, he has proven that he can win at the highest level and deserves every opportunity to take the helm at UK.
I used to scout a bit when I was younger and ran a blog/website LONG ago, and for those of you that haven't seen VJ Edgecomb play, please check him out. His athleticism is on another level from any of the recruits we had coming in, including Richmond, who is a decent player himself.
I think if we get Drew, along with Edgecomb, and maybe a surprise returnee or two (Looking at you, Z and Adou, lol), and hit the portal hard, we can put a top 5-10 ranked team on the floor next season. Not many other coaches have the ability to consistently land 5-star and elite talent, so I'm all for giving this, by all accounts, great person (Drew) the first crack at it.
Having said that, I will support whoever we get because I am a lifelong C-A-T-S fan. I have enjoyed reading all of the posts the past week or so, and most importantly, I am happy to see some excitement back in our one-of-a-kind fanbase. Go Cats!
