ADVERTISEMENT

Cowherd Destroys Calipari

Login to view embedded media
Cowherd annoys me sometimes but this is probably the most well articulated, logical, disturbingly accurate takedown I’ve seen of Calipari. Everyone should watch the first 5 minutes of this.

Some fun quotes:

“There’s a line between salesman and grifter, and Calipari has crossed it”

“Stop with the oh poor kids, in one sentence you say they’ll be rich and then the next…oh the poor kids, they’re fine…your program isn’t” ……It’s not a point of pride that they’ll be pros and get rich, it’s a point of embarrassment that you can’t do more with them”

“Come on man, it’s not about winning championship?? Well John…mission accomplished…..I figured he’d at least be vulnerable for a day, be a little human look in the mirror with some introspection…..and THEN he’d put on the salesman hat puff out the chest, go find all the friendly media spaces where you can sell your vision AGAIN”

“YOU have now defined Kentucky basketball as THE most underachieving outfit in the sport and you have reduced them to a middle man”

“Kentucky is not a middle man…it is a storied, legendary franchise that deserves better”

The Two Decisions

I’ll preface this point by saying, I think it’s time. Cal should move on. I think the fire and the passion that brought him to the heights he reached is largely gone. However, I think the buyout amount still is likely cost prohibitive.

Cal is a competitive dude. I can’t imagine the last 5 years is how he wants to leave his legacy.

Reed is an heir of the program, hero in the state. He was the worst I’ve seen him all year in that loss. Again, I can’t imagine that’s how he wants to end his Kentucky career.

So, if the buyout is cost prohibitive and both Cal and Reed are in the positions they are… next year might be framed as a last ride, revenge tour type thing. Pour all the resources you would use for a buyout into getting Reed back, maybe Z, bring in some kick ass transfers (I don’t care if it upsets high four star freshmen).

Even then, I don’t have much faith in Cal anymore. He had two lottery pick guards (who he elected to bring off the bench all year) and a super senior 20ppg guy. I don’t know that he can win at the highest level, even if he has overwhelming talent.

But I’m guessing we see the Cal and Reed decisions go hand in hand. Cal sure needs Reed a lot more than Reed needs Cal right now but legacy might draw the home state kid back for the last ride.

Sorry for the rambling thoughts. Hope you all have a better weekend and can forget some about the shit we just watched.

Top 4 seeds and shattering the “parity” myth

So much for “parity” in the world of college basketball. All everyone talked about nationally all season was how this was going to be the “craziest March madness ever,” with a ton of upsets. How NIL and the portal really leveled the playing field, even for smaller schools. Media members were pushing this narrative for months, but really I guess they were just trying to convince themselves that it would happen without any real evidence.

Well we have concrete evidence now. Of the 16 teams making up the top 4 seeds in each region, these are the results:

14-2

Most were blowouts, very few were close. SEC really representing well in the loss column at least

Top 4 Seeds results

1 UNC won 90-62
1 UConn won 91-52
1 Purdue won 78-50
1 Houston won 86-46
2 Arizona won 85-65
2 Iowa State won 82-65
2 Tennessee won 83-49
2 Marquette won 87-69
3 Creighton won 77-60
3 UK loss 76-89
3 Illinois won 85-69
3 Baylor won 92-67
4 Kansas won 93-89
4 Auburn loss 76-78
4 Duke won 64-47
4 Alabama won 109-96

2015 Championship + (40-0) Would you still want Cal gone today?

See thread title. If Cal went 40-0 and won his 2nd title in 2015, do you think fans would be more divided then they are today about Cal?

I think 90%+ the fan base is mostly on the same page of wanting Cal gone next year.

I think if Cal won that 2015 title, that number would go down to about 75%.

How much leniency would you have for Cal if he won that title or more right now?

This is what sickens me

https://x.com/on3sports/status/1770837382020862299?s=46&t=O0NDo9rxOHZNCYDKYY0aZw
Login to view embedded media
This isn’t a personal shot at Rob or NIL in general, but it’s the week of the NCAA tournament and it was like every day “Dilly has signed a new national NIL deal for the NCAA tournament.”

That’s what we are focusing on the week of the game? Do that stuff before the season or at an earlier time. And so many media accounts acting like this is cool. Then go out and lose on the first full day of the tournament. Companies should get their money back, it’s a bad ROI for them if they make deals for the tournament and then that player isn’t even in the tournament, or worse they play terrible and lose as soon as possible.

Isaiah Collier is in a Powerade ad all about March and his team wasn’t even close to being in the tournament.

Go give Goehlke these deals. Would be cheaper and more impactful, and capitalize on the 15 seconds of fame

The Greatest Day in KHSAA History?

If we get a Lyon County vs Harlan County Sweet 16 Championship Game tonight, it will be today.

Not knocking Great Crossing, they are an extremely talented group, from a public high school right outside Georgetown. They will be a worthy champion if they win it.

Evangel Christian seems kind of shady to me. A private school with only 37 students, with at least five of them 6'5" and above according to the S16 program. It isn't a new school. They've been around since 1977 as I understand it, and I'm sure they are a good group of kids as well.

But it would be a Hollywood story if two rural schools from opposite ends of the state went on runs to meet in the championship.

Lyon has three Seniors who have played varsity basketball at Lyon County since they were in the 7th grade.
They have a talented Junior whose family is also well established in Eddyville. This is a school of 293 students that doesn't have a football team. They are not a group of kids that were recruited.

They didn't transfer to Link Academy in Branson, MO, ala Jasper Johnson, they stayed together to make this run together. Their community and all of far western Kentucky (where I'm from) is going bonkers following them. Does anyone in Versailles/Woodford County care how Link Academy did this season? Woodford County might be playing today if Jasper had stayed.

I'm sure Harlan County has a cool back story as well. They should do lay up drills to "Harlan County Line" by Dave Alvin.

Go Lyon! Go Harlan!

ADVERTISEMENT

Filter

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT