Thompson was ranked as the No. 1 recruiter in the nation on the Ultimate ESPN 300 recruiting power rankings for 2014 when he was coaching at Alabama, and was named Rivals National Recruiter of the Year in 2008, also with the Crimson Tide.

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at the next home game but i can't take credit
for it as the slogan was a posted by Jeffries 123
but it suits the moment & feelings of most

He posted -- Pack your tack & don't come back

Kind of falls in there with - Let's go Brandon

UK is recruiting better than they ever have. If they get an experience OC to come in and take ownership of the position we should have success.

I for one like the idea Buster Faulkner coming in and running the show. There is not a lack of talent for a good balanced attack.

We have plenty of time before the season starts. IMO, is better to start out fresh with our new QB anyway.

W-Aug. 31: vs. Southern Miss
W-Sept. 7: vs. South Carolina
L-Sept. 14: vs. Georgia
W-Sept. 21: vs. Ohio
L-Sept. 28: at Ole Miss
Oct. 5: OPEN
W-Oct. 12: vs. Vanderbilt
W-Oct. 19: at Florida
W-Oct. 26: vs. Auburn
L-Nov. 2: at Tennessee
Nov. 9: OPEN
W-Nov. 16: vs. Murray State
L-Nov. 23: at Texas
W-Nov. 30: vs. Louisville


Talent alone gives us 8 wins next year.

Watching the guards tonight, Reed, Reeves and especially Rob, they were incredibly dynamic. Combined for 72 (!!) points and 13 assists to only 5 turnovers. Had some bad moments defensively but that is unbelievable guard production.

Ugonna, Mitchell and Bradshaw combined for 4 points. 1 assist. 17 rebounds. I like Ugonna, but still raw at times. Mitchell, complete nose dive, unbelievably bad recently. Bradshaw is not what we thought he was. Basically a lost cause to me at this point.

I can’t help but think we will all feel badly next year when all the guards are gone and we have Jayden Quaintance on the inside, wishing we had someone like him on this years roster. And vice versa wishing we had perimeter talents like this year on next years roster. Of course that could change.

But this year feels to me like when Ulis and Murray were begging for some frontcourt help/defense/rebounding/whatever and none came.

I think the solution is likely playing three of the guards with Ugo and Adou and telling them to guard their asses off and rebound. We’ll see moving forward I guess. Hope you all have a good Sunday and do something enjoyable with it.

Fresh off landing Caleb Redd, UK brought in Triston Abram from CBC. No offer yet but Brad White has some interest. Some interesting comments on scheme and defense.

Cals a great person, i’m one of his biggest fans, but he’s an exhausted and weirdly desperate coach without answers. really hoping his time is up soon.

Sides with Kiffin.

At least a mild victory for sanity

The case stems from Kiffin informing Rollins last February that he was being demoted to the scout team on the Rebels’ offensive line. Kiffin allegedly told Rollins he should have transferred when he had the chance. As Rollins tells it, he informed Kiffin he needed to take a mental break from playing football. The team’s sports psychologist agreed, and Rollins then had counseling sessions. When Rollins met with Kiffin a month later, he says Kiffin ridiculed him for being incommunicado, made light of mental health and kicked him off the team (but didn’t rescind Rollins’ scholarship).
Rollins would go on to receive health care services. He was in talks with school officials about the fall 2023 semester when he sued. Rollins’ complaint contains claims for racial discrimination, sexual discrimination, denial of equal protection, violations of the ADA and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
In response, Ole Miss and Kiffin insisted Rollins “was not kicked off the team” but instead “remains on the team, with his football scholarship, to this day.” The defendants further assert Rollins, who is still shown on the Rebels’ roster, can return to play at any time once he obtains a release from his mental health provider. A release is not a unique requirement for Rollins, the school stresses, but instead applies to all athletes who go on leave.
Mills identified several legal problems with Rollins’ lawsuit.
As a public university, Ole Miss (and by extension its employee, Kiffin) are entitled to sovereign immunity under the 11th Amendment. States, including its public universities, are often partially or fully immune from lawsuits, meaning the court is deprived of jurisdiction to consider claims. Mills found no viable grounds for Mills to overcome immunity for purposes of his ADA claim. The judge noted Rollins “concedes” the “only thing” keeping him from returning is obtaining a medical release, which he apparently hasn’t obtained.
Mills also found Rollins’ equal protection argument without merit. He wrote Rollins argues “Kiffin treated him differently than white and female athletes,” including because Kiffin allegedly allowed white players “to take a break and come back to the team,” but failed to plead Kiffin had discriminatory intent—a required element.
Mills also seemed to doubt the underlying theory, noting that since Rollins “was able to return to the team at any time by submitting a medical release,” he faced the “same treatment” as the white players. The judge also rejected a comparison of Rollins to women athletes at Ole Miss since “Kiffin was not involved” in their sports.

Give us your best excuses for Cal failing yet again. The cats are currently getting blown out in the first half. If the Cats come back (incredibly unlikely), this is still an embarrassing performance.

How much more abuse can you take as UK basketball fan before you say enough is enough?

First of all I just want to say I’m not here to spread misinformation.

With that being said I was told late last night by a source close to the program that there are some rumblings within the program about Cal stepping away after this season.

Now obviously this is subject to change, but Cal is considering stepping away, I believe the outcome of this season will ultimately be the deciding factor for him.

Many people within the program went into this season assuming it was his last but now there are some whispers within to back this up.

Again I don’t want to spread any misinformation and I trust my source. Take this for what you want.

The players play the game. Tennessee is really really good and we are missing 2 important players.

We needed a perfect effort last night from the players. Tennessee out shot us like a sum bitch.

Moving forward, I want Z playing 25 minutes a game with O coming in late to help him out. I like O, but he hard to watch at times. Doesn’t get into good rebounding position. He looks unsure of himself with the ball. Not sure he’s more than a role player on a championship team. He can’t be counted on if we are gonna beat top notch teams


Give me Z and Wagner on the floor for 25 minutes a piece and im satisfied we would have made a game of it.

As usual. Same old mantra.

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KENTUCKY HC JOHN CALIPARI Q&A:

* Missed DJ. Teams are playing good against us. Havent' lost faith. Young and making errors. Gotta get healthy.

* On the physicality of the game... Worked thru it and were only down 4 at the half. Had chances.

* You gotta have a bunch of guys playing their best when you're playing a team like that, especially when they have guys who haven't been making shots start making shots.

* Your confidence does get shaken when you're this young. Gotta guard against that. But liked what he saw from Justin Edwards today.

* On the OB plays hurting them... The guy standing under the basket is supposed to be under the basket. He was out of position. The guy getting screened has to fight thru it. The guy responsible for defending the corner can't fall asleep on it.

* We have to be a little more sound defensively as a unit. Has to be together. Can't have one guy breaking down. They've shown they can do it better. Also considers defensive rebounding part of defense. Gave up a ton there tonight.

* You gotta bounce back. Have to go on the road now. Vandy won tonight. They're feeling good about themselves.

* Can't accept getting pushed around. Guys have to fight thru it.

* On how to get the confidence back up after back-to-back home losses... Told them every goal they have is still out in front of them. Gotta come together. Can't listen to the negative clutter. Have to stay on track. There are a lot of guys who would like to have my team.

* Robert kept us in the game, especially in the first half. Made basket after basket.

* Hard to get a rotation going when you're short-handed.

* On holding Knecht relatively in check (16) and letting the other guys beat them... They had 5 guys in double figures. That hasn't been happening. They've been getting 8 points. But they're capable of doing that to you. We needed more guys to have big games like they did.

* Cal doesn't want to say when DJ Wagner will be back, but says he's doing better from the high-ankle sprain. "Need him back sooner than later... When he doesn't play, we don't win." Need to get our team together.

*****

TENNESSEE HC RICK BARNES Q&A:

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Sad state of affairs. It’s time.

The old excuses are wearing thin.....time for some newer and better excuses. After all, this team is loaded with 5 stars and was the #1 recruiting class again and again.

Hear me out. I actually enjoyed that team but often hear them brought up and it’s with a great deal of hyperbole in recalling how good they were.

Yes, that team won the SEC. They also beat a solid Michigan St team, a UL team that would have been seeded 3 or so and won a dog fight against TTech on the road in a filthy, hostile environment over a NCAA team.

It also had home court losses to Evansville who was atrocious, UT (who wasn’t making tourney)… also lost to marginal Ohio St and Utah teams and a dreadful USC jr team in Columbia.

Yet, when people harken back to that team it’s like they think that team probably going to make a deep run. To my recollection, the last week of the season UK lost a 17 pt second half lead in Rupp and lost to UT. We had money phone Hagans video surface, he wasn’t with team after that and then needed the EJ miracle put back to beat a mediocre Florida team. It’s not like that team was ramping up for a run.

The team had good parts. I loved Maxey, Qucikley and Nick… but that team had deficiencies and would have been lucky to make it past a Sweet 16.

Maybe it’s just Cal defenders or maybe it’s we had good guards who often are key in March. I don’t know. I’m just confused why so many thought that team was special or something.

25-6 was good but SEC was down that season. The Cats had as many bad losses as good wins as well.

Good team but not some title threat.

Am I just clueless on this and getting senile?

Thoughts?

According to a future recruit.

3 times in the 2nd half of the Georgia game, UGA got open layups of off in bounds plays under their basket. 1 or 2 of these times UK didn't have a single defender in the paint. Ever since Calipari has been here this has been happening over & over again. Then last night I lost count on how many times it happened. I mean any Jr. high coach in the state could defend this better than Calipari can. You either zone or you put a big under the basket & this doesn't happen. This is beyond embarrassing.

For all the talk about Cal’s albatross contract. . . . MB’s deal is almost just as bad. Horrific even.


University of Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart has signed a contract extension that could keep him in charge of the Wildcats’ athletics department through the 2027-28 school year while foreshadowing a possible next step for his career.

Barnhart’s previous UK contract was set to expire on June 30, 2026. The extension does not change his base salary for the next three years.

We could’ve started anew in a mere 2 yrs. Alas…..

Isn't it the same year in and year out. We get a number 1 or 2 class of talent yearly. We see them play no names and they are running them out of the gym. We then play a contender in one of the classics and get beat. We then think we have it figured out by playing more bennies. Then all of a sudden we get to the real games and we are mediocre at best. Last night we played a team of returning players some 25 years old and we see boys playing men. The NBA prep system will not win and has not worked for Cal. For him this is his legacy to put all the players he can into the league. All he cares about is just that. He schedules all the bennies to make his winning record, he will never win more than that. I am an old man that loves UK Basketball, he is killing our program and there is nothing we can do other than quit watching and buying tickets. The fool's gold that he is selling will not be bought by me anymore. I am done with Cal, he is the worst thing to ever happen to the University of Kentucky imo and nothing he can do will change how I feel about him period.

Just Hire Bruce Pearl and let’s go!

His teams will be tough as hell…they will be hated by others which I’m ok with! He will win bc he still have the fire the win! He is chasing what Cal once was!

I'm curious as to what the climate of BBN is on various platforms, and if they echo the climate here. I don't do FB a ton, and usually try to stay out of comments anyway. Wondering what FB, IG, X, SofB and other UK sites are like.

Can anyone that frequents these give an honest assessment across the once proud nation?

The current number is over 33 million at seasons end. After this season, he could elect to retire and accept the Asst. AD/Ambassador role, at essentially 1 million a year plus. He could also take another head coaching job and be owed nothing.

Brainfart is such a complete and total dumbass.

John Calipari Contract and Salary Breakdown at Kentucky​

Signed: June 13, 2019
Term: 10 years
Base Salary: $400,000

John Calipari supplemental pay remaining by year:

2023-24: $8,100,000
2024-25: $8,100,000
2025-26: $8,600,000
2026-27: $8,600,000
2027-28: $8,600,000
2028-29: $8,600,000​

Unlike many coaches, particularly ones who have been at their school for as long as Calipari, who took the Kentucky job in 2009, Calipari doesn’t have a retention bonus or any real bonus structure tacked onto his contract. The only additional compensation he is entitled to be a $50,000 bump if the Wildcats achieve a 975 APR score in an academic year.

In guaranteed money, this means Calipari will make $8,500,000 this year, as well as the next year before that number jumps to $9,000,000 for the remainder of his contract.

This contract isn’t guaranteed to last through 2028-29, however. After the 2023-24 season, Calipari will have a chance to opt out of the deal and accept a role as Special Assistant to the Athletic Director. If he were to exercise that option, Calipari would keep his $400,000 base salary for the remainder of his contract, along with an additional $550,000 per year in supplemental pay. That would make his total compensation $950,000 per year.

John Calipari Buyout Details

In addition to Calipari taking the special assistant opt-out, there are two other ways this could all end early: Calipari can elect to step away, or Kentucky can fire him.

If Calipari leaves, for another head coaching job, he can do so without paying any sort of penalty. His buyout is $0.
But if Kentucky wants to fire him without cause, the school is going to owe him 75% of what remains in base and supplemental pay. Here’s how that breaks down by year:

• 2023-24: $33,375,000
• 2024-25: $27,000,000
• 2025-26: $20,250,000
• 2026-27: $13,500,000
• 2027-28: $6,750,000

Additional Perks​

In addition to his pay, Calipari is entitled to the following, per his contract:

• Two “late model, quality automobiles” for his official and personal use
• 20 lower-level tickets to all home and away men’s basketball games
• 8 tickets to all home football games
• 10% university contribution to his retirement account
• 20 paid vacation days per year
• University-paid membership to a local golf or country club

Game just started

Listen to Cal preach about “demonstrated performance”. It’s obvious our defense can not defend man to man. Demonstrated every game.

You tell the players that all the time. Follow it yourself.

Make a change and mix in some match up zone! It’s not rocket science. All the players played it in HS.

It’s not an all or nothing deal. Use both. But this group is not physically able to man to man.

It’s insane to not try another approach. Just like giving up freebies in inbounds plays.

You have 6 coaches - give the defense to a DC!

Help this team! Do what’s best for this team!

...the leading scoring team in the country surpassing Arizona.

Good Cats: 90.8
Bad Cats: 90.6