Who else is excited to have just a normal, decent team with potential to grow into something more?

[Jkwo]

It's easy to make fun of the chicken little crew around here, and for some reason, they insist that if we're not miserable with them, we must have our heads in the sand and we're avoiding reality.


News flash, boys. There's nothing to avoid. Cal has had the best past 5 years of any coach, so there's no "horrible truth" about him to come to terms with. And regarding the roster, yes it has holes, but it also has lots of potential, and very few teams in history have zero big holes. Hell, even the majority of championship teams at the college level have big holes.


Look. We just had a season with expectations like that. For each of the past 4 seasons, it's been preseason top 5 (whether it made sense or not), and then if we don't get a 1 seed, it means Cal sucks. And unfortunately, some of our own have started joining a merry chorus with the Louisville fans on that nonsense.



Honestly, I'm pretty stoked about having a team with a number of good pieces, a few question marks, and not having any built-in expectations before the season about tourney performance.

Picture it - A normal season for a good team. You know - the teams that are top 25, but not elite, probably will win their conference, then we'll see in March.

Funny thing is, a lot of the same who take the time to bash Cal over a miraculous 4 F4s in 5 years are also the ones who lament guys leaving all the time. You guys who want to see growth and development with slightly lower level recruits? Fine, have Mychal Mulder and Charles Matthews, and a JR Willis and Hawkins.

You want to see some of the higher level guys stick around and grow new facets of their game as they grow older and more mature? Well, look at all the playing time available for Poythress and Lee.

Throw in superstar, future top pick Skal, the other top 10 recruit in Briscoe -

and oh yeah an older, more mature version of TYLER F'IN ULIS returning on the point.


Man, you just can't get me to be miserable about that, sorry. Not sorry. This team is going to be fun as hell.

 

[cathead64]

Think we'll be alright.

 

[Supafuzz75]

I prefer to like the final four or bust years myself..

 

[Jkwo]

I prefer to like the final four or bust years myself..

I love those, too. I'm just ready to switch it up just for one season.

 

[Supafuzz75]

I love those, too. I'm just ready to switch it up just for one season.

Fine with me,, but I hope the Dr will renew my Xanax script for next season..

 

[kyboy1998]

I've had the same thought as you.

I'm genuinely excited to see the process of a developing team without the stress of perfection or dominance.

I will enjoy watching a "go to guy develop. Seeing which players handle adversity better than we thought and dig deep and play with that dog in them.

I bet this ends up being a very fun season and someone will become an unexpected UK favorite for many years.

 

[joester5612]

I think this team as is can be good if three things happen. 1) Lee improves and becomes the Noah type player that I think he truly is deep down.
2) Willis also improves his foot speed and adds bulk to his frame so that he can play D for good streches, and also adds some nice low post moves so that he can also get 2 or three buckets for us a game
3) If Skal and Briscoe become a John Wall/ Demarcus Cousins Type of duo and both are big time. If those three things happen, this team can be special; if not, with an injury here or there this could be 2013 all over again.

 

[Jkwo]

I've had the same thought as you.

I'm genuinely excited to see the process of a developing team without the stress of perfection or dominance.

I will enjoy watching a "go to guy develop. Seeing which players handle adversity better than we thought and dig deep and play with that dog in them.

I bet this ends up being a very fun season and someone will become an unexpected UK favorite for many years.

Exactly.


As fun as it is to watch all our top 5 recruits come in and burn down college basketball, wasn't it also incredibly gratifying to watch Cal develop Miller, Liggins, and Jorts into great players? It's really exciting to me.

 

[Jkwo]

If those three things happen, this team can be special; if not, with an injury here or there this could be 2013 all over again.

Yep. Those are definitely the only two options. Either you're the favorite for the title or you're an NIT team.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

While I do enjoy seeing players like Jorts, Liggins, and Miller develope and succeed, those are usually the role players and you still need those elite guys to hang banners. And to me the most important thing is hanging a banner! Over everything else, including watching guys like Jorts develope into a good player. I would rather have the most talented players that I can get at each position because that gives me the best chance to win a title. Now, I'm not referring to this team at all, just making a point against your point. Even though a loss by a team with high expectations is incredibly difficult to go through, I would prefer that kind of team because that means we are competing for championships. Sure, a less touted group of players with no expectations would be easier on my blood pressure, it means that we are not expected to compete for the championship and that's just not OK in my book. We chase titles here! We hang banners! Give me the team with the best chance to do that every single year.

 

[LmdCat]

No, I am not the least bit excited about having a normal Cal coached team. Cal's strength has been recruiting and his normal teams typically play at or below normal, so I am not excited.

 

[Jkwo]

No, I am not the least bit excited about having a normal Cal coached team. Cal's strength has been recruiting and his normal teams typically playa below normal, so I am not excited.

Yeah - like his time at UMASS, where he had a better record and better tourney results than both Gregg Marshall and Shaka Smart and also was the only team to beat the GOAT '96 squad in the regular season.. all that with 1 real player and 10 nobodies on the roster... who had zero big D1 offers between all of them.

Get serious, dude. You eeyores can go have your own thread. If you get upset about 4 final fours in 5 years, if you believe that Cal is anything less than a B in terms of Xs and Os, then you're delusional, and this is a no delusion thread.

 

[Jkwo]

While I do enjoy seeing players like Jorts, Liggins, and Miller develope and succeed, those are usually the role players and you still need those elite guys to hang banners. And to me the most important thing is hanging a banner! Over everything else, including watching guys like Jorts develope into a good player. I would rather have the most talented players that I can get at each position because that gives me the best chance to win a title. Now, I'm not referring to this team at all, just making a point against your point. Even though a loss by a team with high expectations is incredibly difficult to go through, I would prefer that kind of team because that means we are competing for championships. Sure, a less touted group of players with no expectations would be easier on my blood pressure, it means that we are not expected to compete for the championship and that's just not OK in my book. We chase titles here! We hang banners! Give me the team with the best chance to do that every single year.

A perfectly reasonable response.

I enjoy both.


But I'm with you, in terms of, the sign of success of a coach is when he has you constantly competing for championships. So I'm one happy camper here lately.

 

[LmdCat]

Yeah - like his time at UMASS, where he had a better record and better tourney results than both Gregg Marshall and Shaka Smart and also was the only team to beat the GOAT '96 squad in the regular season.. all that with 1 real player and 10 nobodies on the roster... who had zero big D1 offers between all of them.

Get serious, dude. You eeyores can go have your own thread. If you get upset about 4 final fours in 5 years, if you believe that Cal is anything less than a B in terms of Xs and Os, then you're delusional, and this is a no delusion thread.

If the best argument you've got requires going all the way back to his UMASS days, you just proved my point.

 

[Jkwo]

If the best argument you've got requires going all the way back to his UMASS days, you just proved my point.

Anything more recent and you'll give him zero credit and say it was 100% based on the talent. He had four 33+ win seasons in a row at Memphis, including two that featured neither Derrick Rose, nor Tyreke Evans.
But again, because he didn't have rock bottom talent, you're just gonna say it doesn't count, because you're holding him to a different standard than other great coaches like a rival fan would.

So for that reason, I went back to one of the most impressive "nothing school" coaching runs of all time, probably the best 5 years at such a low level school we've seen in a while. Brad Stevens at Butler was better. Can't think of many more in the modern era. UMASS had been to 1 tourney in history. They went in 1962. Then under Cal they went five years in a row, averaged 30 wins a game, went to sweet 16 more than half of those times, made the E8 and F4.

Do you think he just forgot how to coach in the mean time?

 

[CBBCrazy]

Good question Jkwo, being a longtime UK fan I have witnessed a lot with our program and others. Every program has up and down years, it is beyond me how some here think this is not a great class. We have returning improving talent and a great class coming in and like all Cal teams we will be a force come tourney time.
The mentality of some mirrors today's society, their working careers just started and they want the CEO job the first day. I trust Cal to build this team into a very good team over the year. Like every year, I am excited and wish the season started today. Go CATS !!!!!!!!

 

[EvilMD]

What's funny is that we SHOULD be allowed to have a fun, under the radar year with no pressure. But we've already been ranked preseason number one by more than one person. We won't see 2013 again unless we have a point guard who leaves the team and a two guard who thinks he's Michael Jordan. Our guards next year look awesome.

 

[mikbrenhum]

The season will be almost a relief without all the accumulated pressure. I do not expect 2013 again. I do expect a solid competitive team that gets us excited about their potential, and not to be disappointed about going 38-1.

 

[ukbblover]

It's easy to make fun of the chicken little crew around here, and for some reason, they insist that if we're not miserable with them, we must have our heads in the sand and we're avoiding reality.


News flash, boys. There's nothing to avoid. Cal has had the best past 5 years of any coach, so there's no "horrible truth" about him to come to terms with. And regarding the roster, yes it has holes, but it also has lots of potential, and very few teams in history have zero big holes. Hell, even the majority of championship teams at the college level have big holes.


Look. We just had a season with expectations like that. For each of the past 4 seasons, it's been preseason top 5 (whether it made sense or not), and then if we don't get a 1 seed, it means Cal sucks. And unfortunately, some of our own have started joining a merry chorus with the Louisville fans on that nonsense.



Honestly, I'm pretty stoked about having a team with a number of good pieces, a few question marks, and not having any built-in expectations before the season about tourney performance.

Picture it - A normal season for a good team. You know - the teams that are top 25, but not elite, probably will win their conference, then we'll see in March.

Funny thing is, a lot of the same who take the time to bash Cal over a miraculous 4 F4s in 5 years are also the ones who lament guys leaving all the time. You guys who want to see growth and development with slightly lower level recruits? Fine, have Mychal Mulder and Charles Matthews, and a JR Willis and Hawkins.

You want to see some of the higher level guys stick around and grow new facets of their game as they grow older and more mature? Well, look at all the playing time available for Poythress and Lee.

Throw in superstar, future top pick Skal, the other top 10 recruit in Briscoe -

and oh yeah an older, more mature version of TYLER F'IN ULIS returning on the point.


Man, you just can't get me to be miserable about that, sorry. Not sorry. This team is going to be fun as hell.

GREAT post, OP! I agree.

 

[anon_l8pbkn96tg3j6]

Since when does a "normal, decent team" include:

• the #1 player in a class
• 2 other top 10 players in their class
  
• 2 other McDonald's All Americans
• 2 Kentucky kids that people legitimately thought should play on teams with 7 and 9 McDonald's All Americans + Willie

We are so unbelievably spoiled. The suicide rate will soar in Kentucky if Cal ever leaves.

 

[downw/ball-lineD]

I will b excited regardless! I think the notion that college basketball will b perceived as "down" has many on the board feeling UK could steal a title with their typically "dominant" team. Doubt anyone would argue that on paper this is not one of cals most talented teams since he has been at UK. This sentiment is likely heightened bc we didn't close the deal with a historically great team this past year

 

[KyFaninNC]

I am anxious to see if Cal changes his strategy now that the Harrisons are gone.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

I like this team

 

[Kerry Kat]

Don't have a choice really, but it was nice running the regular season table. No other team was ranked #1

However, it was a lot of pressure to deal with this year, so roll the dice in 2015/16 and see where we fall. I'll be laughing my ass off if this team pulls an upset and wins the NC.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

While I do enjoy seeing players like Jorts, Liggins, and Miller develope and succeed, those are usually the role players and you still need those elite guys to hang banners. And to me the most important thing is hanging a banner! Over everything else, including watching guys like Jorts develope into a good player. I would rather have the most talented players that I can get at each position because that gives me the best chance to win a title. Now, I'm not referring to this team at all, just making a point against your point. Even though a loss by a team with high expectations is incredibly difficult to go through, I would prefer that kind of team because that means we are competing for championships. Sure, a less touted group of players with no expectations would be easier on my blood pressure, it means that we are not expected to compete for the championship and that's just not OK in my book. We chase titles here! We hang banners! Give me the team with the best chance to do that every single year.

Cal has had every team minus the Noel injury prone one in the national title chase every year. People like you need to realize it is 100% unrealistic to expect to be in that chase every season. If what Cal does is not good enough we can go back to Tubby and Coach G type seasons!

 

[Dakota25]

As long as skal is cleared and no injuries happen UK should be a top 15 team all season. Well I think they will start out top 15 but progress into a top ten team. If Kentucky's top seven players are healthy and available all year then the second weekend of the tournament is likely and the third weekend is probable. I mean there have been teams not nearly as good as ours that made the final weekend before. Just to name a few butler, vcu, George mason...

 

[lawrencekash]

Fire Cal! Bring back BCG.

 

[LexCatnOhio]

It's Ky y'all. I'm always excited.

 

[LmdCat]

Anything more recent and you'll give him zero credit and say it was 100% based on the talent. He had four 33+ win seasons in a row at Memphis, including two that featured neither Derrick Rose, nor Tyreke Evans.
But again, because he didn't have rock bottom talent, you're just gonna say it doesn't count, because you're holding him to a different standard than other great coaches like a rival fan would.

So for that reason, I went back to one of the most impressive "nothing school" coaching runs of all time, probably the best 5 years at such a low level school we've seen in a while. Brad Stevens at Butler was better. Can't think of many more in the modern era. UMASS had been to 1 tourney in history. They went in 1962. Then under Cal they went five years in a row, averaged 30 wins a game, went to sweet 16 more than half of those times, made the E8 and F4.

Do you think he just forgot how to coach in the mean time?

Good try, but the reason you went back to UMASS years is because that is all you got. I challenge you to provide some examples of over achieving teams coached by Cal.

Just so you understand, there isn't anything wrong with Cal's teams playing only to their potential as long as their potential is high. However, you are fooling yourself if you believe his teams are going to win championships when totally unexpected.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

Cal has had every team minus the Noel injury prone one in the national title chase every year. People like you need to realize it is 100% unrealistic to expect to be in that chase every season. If what Cal does is not good enough we can go back to Tubby and Coach G type seasons!

Who ever said that what Cal was doing is not good enough? I never ever said anything of the sort. I simply said I wanted the best players that give me a chance to win the title. Its simply a talk of philosophies. You really should go back and read my post again and maybe you'll see that I never stated anything or the sort that you are accusing me of saying. Also, Cal has done a pretty good job of competing for titles on a yearly basis. With the exception of the 2013 Noel team, we've been to at least the FF with the 1 Elite 8 game in 2010. I'd say that's pretty damn close to competing for a championship yearly and if anybody can do it, its going to be Cal. So, while I don't bash him or condemn him if it doesn't happen for some reason, he has set the bar pretty high every year and that is a really good thing.

 

[weatherbird]

It is crazy to say this team as it stands has no chance at a title. We haven't even seen them play a game yet. Without getting another player, they won't be favorites, but the favorite doesn't win the title even 50% of the time. I'll wait until they have played 10 games or so to make my judgement. with the landscape being down, and the best players spread out, if you get a top 4 seed, you have a chance. And as bad as people don't want to believe it, there are only a hand full of teams with more talent, and you may not have to beat any of them for a title.

This team serves a portion of our fan base right. The way some have acted over going 38-1, mad cause we don't have 2, 3, or 4 year players on the roster. But having said that, at least wait until they have played some games to pass judgement, as one thing is for sure, a portion of this fan base is going to be wrong.

 

[UKCATSFREAK]

A perfectly reasonable response.

I enjoy both.


But I'm with you, in terms of, the sign of success of a coach is when he has you constantly competing for championships. So I'm one happy camper here lately.

Gotcha!! I too see your point. I really do enjoy seeing the kids develope and succeed also. This year will be fun as I am really pulling for Alex, Marcus, Dom, and Derek to take the next step and have their chance to put their mark on this program. It could be really fun if they reach their potential. Great post and discussing OP!

 

[brianpoe]

The thing is, we will be expected to be very good and over-ranked in the preseason. It will be a big story that we are doing poorly when in reality we will most likely be playing to potential for most of the season. We may have a few of bad losses and make a good run, hopefully ala 2011 or 14.

It is really hard to tell. This is another brand new team. But 2 PGs could make the transition smoother...? Lots of question marks, but it is what is and it's our team. Our job is to support the boys, one thing for sure, we will have to play very hard and this group can do that.

 

[BoulderCat]

I'm with you OP. Honestly I'm glad to be done with the 40-0 talk. Last season was my 50th being a fan. I've seen all types of teams, and sure it always hurts to lose, but I do enjoy watching a team get better, and improve over the course of the season. As an example I remember the '75 season when IU beat UK by 24 or so in December, and then in March UK defeated them in the regional final on their way to a berth in the title game. I believe that was IU's only loss that year. That's what I'm hoping for next year's team. Maybe they will be better than I think, and good from the start, but if they struggle a bit at first, and then round into form and end up making some noise in March I'll be happy with that.

 

[Rhavicc]

I don't care what any raftard says, we have a nice team that will be competitive. We lack depth, but we'll still be a tough out. Already tied for favorites to win the title.
Jaylen Brown would have been big, let me preface what I'm about to say by saying that first, but offensively, and potentially defensively, we would have been hindered by not having Mulder on the floor (and he will start, I'm going to make that bet now). Mulder will now take Brown's spot, and Mulder is, offensively, much better than Brown. Much more of a threat.
Brown had more potential, but potential doesn't affect us next season. I'm sure we may get another couple of pickups before the season.
We have a team of multi-year players (barring Skal, potentially Briscoe, would be excited to have both back if they chose to come back though), led by arguably the best true point guard in college basketball next season, who makes crafty passes and plays at an intense speed, surrounded by very good athletes, who has potential to make a lot of jumpshots, and blow by a lot of people on the perimeter. Ulis, Mulder, and Skal at the very least will be solid from the 3 point line. Poythress could get back to shooting like he shot his freshman season also, and we have a big 3 point threat all over the floor. I don't really expect Briscoe to be a big threat from deep though. He's solid from 18 feet in though, and is an incredibly crafty ball handler/passer, which really helps tremendously with ball movement.
I'm excited about what this team could become, honestly, and without the weight of the world in expectations either.

 

[USMC Cat]

Our fan base

 

[UK90]

For each of the past 4 seasons, it's been preseason top 5 (whether it made sense or not), and then if we don't get a 1 seed, it means Cal sucks.

Hate to break it to you but we're STILL likely gonna be "pre-season top 5", and for the 7th straight year (not 4). That part hasn't changed.

Seems many of our fans have been so jaded by our recent insanely loaded rosters that they've forgotten what a "normal, decent" college roster looks like. Even with our recent recruiting misses, our talent level is still miles above what is considered "normal."

We've still got the nation's No. 1 rated big man and projected No. 1 overall draft pick in Skal, we've still got the nation's No. 1 rated point guard in Briscoe, and we still can trot out a lineup where all 5 guys on the floor were McDonald's All Americans, and with three of our five former McD AA's being experienced upperclassmen. Plus we've got the nation's No. 1 juco, a freak athlete who shoots 46 percent from three pt range. How many teams in the country can boast a more impressive collection of core talent? It sure ain't more than five.

 

[wildcatdonf]

Yeah, I'm with you positive posters. I'm looking forward to seeing what we can do in 15-16. I'm proud to be a sunshine pumper as the negative posters like to call the positive posters, like it is something bad. Being a small part pf the BBN is something that has grown on us over the span of a lifetime. As long as we are competitive I will be satisfied, and I believe that we will be that. MM is about 6 months away. Can't wait.

 

[Aike]

No, I am not the least bit excited about having a normal Cal coached team. Cal's strength has been recruiting and his normal teams typically play at or below normal, so I am not excited.

You aren't making any sense. The OP went back and showed you examples of how well Cal has coached "normal" teams.

You want him to show you overachieving teams at UK, but by your definition, those teams were all too talented to overachieve.

Personally, I would point to 2011, where Cal coached us to huge wins over OSU, UNC. I think that team overachieved. Nobody nationally projected us to win those games going into the tourney.

I also believe 2014 was a great coaching job. Yes, they were talented. But they had to grow up fast at the right time to run through WSU, UL, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Bet all you cared about was the UCONN game though, right?

 

[UK-chulo]

Good try, but the reason you went back to UMASS years is because that is all you got. I challenge you to provide some examples of over achieving teams coached by Cal.

Just so you understand, there isn't anything wrong with Cal's teams playing only to their potential as long as their potential is high. However, you are fooling yourself if you believe his teams are going to win championships when totally unexpected.

Came in here to post a response, but someone beat me to it...

You aren't making any sense. The OP went back and showed you examples of how well Cal has coached "normal" teams.

You want him to show you overachieving teams at UK, but by your definition, those teams were all too talented to overachieve.

Personally, I would point to 2011, where Cal coached us to huge wins over OSU, UNC. I think that team overachieved. Nobody nationally projected us to win those games going into the tourney.

I also believe 2014 was a great coaching job. Yes, they were talented. But they had to grow up fast at the right time to run through WSU, UL, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Bet all you cared about was the UCONN game though, right?