Another elite 2023 SF slipping away from Calipari
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
amazing, now UT is kicking his butt in recruiting as well as Duke & Auburn
Not going to go nuts over a crystal ball pick but geez, Cal. Knock-knock, anyone home?
didn't want him anyway, someone from the transfer portal is better, etc
From what I've read the Kentucky staff hasn't been recruiting him as hard recently. Maybe prioritizing others they feel better about?
Fake news!! We eat first.
The issue at hand according to Andrew Slater who is the best in business is Tennessee is telling him they'll build things around him and Kentucky is trying to push being part of a team/a lot of talent.
Not going to blame Kentucky for slipping here if that is the case. If you want to play in the NBA, 90% of the players are going to be role players. Edwards is very talented and would be a fantastic piece of any program, but right now he's the "man" for Team Final and they can't win a damn game. They get slapped around. When he was called up to fill in a bit last year with great players around him, they won the Peach Jam. Just an example--but this isn't HS where you can dominate inferior competition as "the man". The CBB/NBA world is about how you can play with other great players and if you are that caliber of player, then you get recruited like that. Simple as that.
Not going to blame Kentucky for slipping here if that is the case. If you want to play in the NBA, 90% of the players are going to be role players. Edwards is very talented and would be a fantastic piece of any program, but right now he's the "man" for Team Final and they can't win a damn game. They get slapped around. When he was called up to fill in a bit last year with great players around him, they won the Peach Jam. Just an example--but this isn't HS where you can dominate inferior competition as "the man". The CBB/NBA world is about how you can play with other great players and if you are that caliber of player, then you get recruited like that. Simple as that.
Triple C is finished. He just keeps stealing his 9 mil per year.
Could this along with Wagner waiting to commit, be a sign that Cal is planning on this next season being his last????
Losing Lucas coulda been some writing on the wall for that too
Sounds like the pitch needs to be you can be the man! And then get him on campus and make it work. They just wanna be proped up and courted as the best these days. Very few are team oriented now.
On the court too.. remember when we all used to make fun of Barnes?
Maybe we should hire the UT assistant to be our next assistant
Which leads to when Calipari says "We won't/don't lie to kids". It sounds like an excuse and when you aren't happy with the HC or the state of program it's going to fall on deaf ears but he's 100% right and it's one reason he's even stated he likes the Transfer Portal. So the liars can be exposed and players aren't stuck.
We can agree/disagree on what he should tell them, but he is going to explain how the NBA works and what is best method to prepare for it and whether they choose to want to hear that or not....we'll see how it goes. But more often than not, he's not been incorrect about this when it comes to this type of decision.
Contrast that with what Aaron Bradshaw told On3's Jamie Shaw in an interview yesterday about Kentucky/NBA:
Kentucky: “I mean, you know how many pros went there; how many players made it to the league, successfully and still in the NBA. There are a lot of those guys. They like how I am a down-to-earth kind of kid. I am a big who can dribble and shoot threes, I feel like I can fit in most systems, but Kentucky has had a lot of guys play in the league who can do that.”
Key part of Bradshaw's description being "how many players made it to the league, successfully and STILL IN THE NBA".
One aspect of Kentucky's recruiting is that they don't sell getting you drafted--they sell how their guys make a career of being NBA players. That's a big difference. At no point is "if you go elsewhere you won't get drafted"--it's more about we've proven that our guys have careers as NBA players and get 2nd/3rd contracts where life changing $ comes. For your top guys...it's usually a moot point as they have elite talent, but for those guys who rankings fluctuate....it's a selling point and UK has done great by them.
I think that approach should work, it used too and has produced good kids but some of these dudes we need seem to just not hear it or something.
Good stuff, thanks.
Situation aside, and moreso from a general recruiting standpoint...I personally would never want to play for Cal. Doesn't mean he can't coach (although these last two years haven't helped the perception of his ability to coach), I just would not want to be screamed at non-stop on the court, or yanked immediately after I screw up, only to see someone else make the same mistake but stay in because of the number of stars next to his name.
So when he says Kentucky isn't for everybody, it would be more apt to say Cal isn't for everybody.
So when he says Kentucky isn't for everybody, it would be more apt to say Cal isn't for everybody.
word is he wasn’t receptive to the idea of being his brothers keeper
I'd say that is an issue. If I were a recruit visiting watching a guy screaming "go, go go, go go" most of the game" I'd be tuned off.
It's one thing if you are recruiting Cade Cunningham. It's another if you are N'Faly Dante and listen to that moron handler who sent his ass to Oregon to be "one and done". How's that worked out? Makur Maker is another. UK was all over him and Ed Smith was listening until he got greedy and had to run things. Then he wanted to believe this stupidity of trying to get a social media "down for the cause" award because some dipshits on social media were into their "go to Black Colleges only" phase with top athletes because they were overly emotional. So they did it. How are things with Makur working out? The only color that should matter when advising a player/his family is green. Players can help their family, causes, race, etc...by making a living and career and not being afterthoughts. And anyone who is impacted by hipster dipshits on social media needs to have their ass kicked. Those jackass morons do more harm and never have to put their name on anything that matters as they are so often wrong and never admit to it....they just move onto their next hoax/BS misevaluation be it on sports or life. Always easy when you have no stake in helping someone but want to appear smarter then everyone.
Sometimes you need to listen to a guy who can point to his players in the NBA's bank accounts and mention that he knows a little bit about helping guys. Nick Richards will be approaching his 3rd year in NBA while N'Faly Dante is still in CBB. Now Dante has had some injuries, but at some point, you need to ignore what a handler says and make grown man decisions. Look at Tshiebwe. I know people say "he'd be a 2nd Round pick right now....." but was he talked about as being in discussion for NPOY while at WVU let alone getting drafted?
Is Edwards the guy you mentioned in an earlier thread that you didn't like as much as most and couldn't shoot outside of 5 feet?
well apparently that sales pitch isn't working too well any more
if it was, Lively & Bona would be playing for UK instead of other schools
I guess he can always change his sales pitch to now include none & done...just commit & practice,
you never have to play a game, but you can still draw NIL $
Think the yelling thing is something that few care about when the team wins. I'm more interested in the WHY as to the yelling? If you ask players to do things and hell we've seen Calipari at practices say "guys please listen....you need to do this and this...." and we've all watched enough to know his feelings on certain things--be it 2 hands for rebs/loose balls (he's 100% correct too), running the floor, not leaving ball side corner to help, that if you had a team since June.....mentioned these things repeatedly and they were ignored....we'd all likely react in a similar manner during a game.
I've actually seen Calipari not get in a player's face as he used to and think it hurt the team--i.e. Keion Brooks at Arkansas.
The #1 rule about being successful is to be who you are. Adjusting happens. But faking something you can't do is going to be seen through. We've got many fans upset because they think Calipari doesn't care anymore. Then many who think he yells/screams too much which would be the opposite of not caring....but if you choose to play at UK, you know what you are getting. Successful people like to be pushed to be great, not coddled, protected, and left alone.
My #1 problem and think it's been addressed was the staff he kept around wasn't getting the level of player UK should be getting. That's changed. Wallace/Livingston are big time talents and a bit underrated right now due to how sour the taste of that finish to season was which I understand. UK recruiting in '23 is still to be determined, but I think it's going to be a very strong class and again if not, then add me to WTF is going on but I also think '23 team is going to be better because I think it's a more talented/better/deeper roster than '22 was because I never was high on some of the guys who were getting significant minutes and even then, the team was improved and moving in right direction after the shit show that was '21 season.
If things don't improve in the areas discussed, then agree it's time for change but think those who want change won't have to wait very long either. I don't expect Cal to be coaching after '24 season concludes--think he'll take consultant role and be UK's "ambassador" and move on.
Lively was about the mistakes this program makes not offering sooner. I think if he was offered back in his JR year-he'd have committed to UK in Summer. That's on Cal/Staff 100%.
Bona.....well everyone wanted to buy that "he wants to play with Skyy Clark" bull****. I can't tell you how much time/talent was wasted trying to be nice about Skyy Clark being mediocre on the court and then the injury hit and Cal did the "right thing" socially and the absolute wrong thing for his program.
Lol! Just wait until the news comes out he isn’t getting Wagner either! Guy is wealthy beyond wealthy, it’s about time to retire and save some legacy.
No. Edwards is a talented player and scorer/shooter. I am not high on KJ Evans at all. Not alone in this either. He's trying to be Kevin Durant and he's more like EJ Montgomery right now in doing that. He's a talented passer/ball handler for a 6'8-6'9 PF but he's not proven to be a good shooter, yet wants to jack up jumpers and it's been a disaster to this point. His recruitment went from everyone wanting him and thinking Oregon was going to get him to commit after his official visit to school list expanding and Arizona creeping in and he's scheduled a visit with them. His last update with On3 and Jack Pilgrim was as odd as it gets. He was basically begging Kentucky to stay on him and by their choice they've moved onto other players right now.
Ahh good old Kentucky fans.
We want every 5 star on the planet, but we also want them all (or most) to stay for 4 years and "develop", even though it is extremely rare for 5 stars at any school to remain at that school for more than 2 years. Additionally, it's literally impossible to get the majority the top 10-15 players every single year to come to one school, especially now with NIL now in full swing.
Have cake, eat cake.
We want every 5 star on the planet, but we also want them all (or most) to stay for 4 years and "develop", even though it is extremely rare for 5 stars at any school to remain at that school for more than 2 years. Additionally, it's literally impossible to get the majority the top 10-15 players every single year to come to one school, especially now with NIL now in full swing.
Have cake, eat cake.
Has it dawned on anyone that UT is obviously paying these guys against the rules? Y’all keep sayin it’s Cal, but we all know if he did any of this crap, UK would get hammered.
Arizona was paying…Duke was paying…don’t know what the heck UNC was doing…
Cal is losing recruits because he doesn’t cheat….
Im not a sunshine pumper…not pleased with lack of shooting and awful half court O, but damn y’all…it isn’t too tough to see…
Arizona was paying…Duke was paying…don’t know what the heck UNC was doing…
Cal is losing recruits because he doesn’t cheat….
Im not a sunshine pumper…not pleased with lack of shooting and awful half court O, but damn y’all…it isn’t too tough to see…
So...
1. Edwards is a top 10 SF....so we are working for KJ Evans and JJ Traylor....if we're strike on those guys...we're in a crap situation.
2. Also remember 4 of the top 10 are commited to UNC, Duke or Oregon....so the talent is less and less
3. Dejuan Wagner is #2 in the class....we almost have to get him to have any semblance of pulse to the program...yet he oddly has not commited when he was a one time slam dunk for Cal or Gleague....We lose Wagner....it's over for Cal
Also consider Wheeler, Oscar, Toppin, Reeves are Srs and likely to not come back for antoehr year and Wallace/Livingston have all but said the are 1 and done. Collins could look to leave if he has promising Sophmore season....point being uK has to have a massive class to fill the roster. Very early but the roster for 2023 looks like a miss NCAA tourney if we don't get off the couch and get some commits.
1. Edwards is a top 10 SF....so we are working for KJ Evans and JJ Traylor....if we're strike on those guys...we're in a crap situation.
2. Also remember 4 of the top 10 are commited to UNC, Duke or Oregon....so the talent is less and less
3. Dejuan Wagner is #2 in the class....we almost have to get him to have any semblance of pulse to the program...yet he oddly has not commited when he was a one time slam dunk for Cal or Gleague....We lose Wagner....it's over for Cal
Also consider Wheeler, Oscar, Toppin, Reeves are Srs and likely to not come back for antoehr year and Wallace/Livingston have all but said the are 1 and done. Collins could look to leave if he has promising Sophmore season....point being uK has to have a massive class to fill the roster. Very early but the roster for 2023 looks like a miss NCAA tourney if we don't get off the couch and get some commits.
Lord know bruiser is recruiting a 2 star who is supposed to be a diamond in the rough 🤪🤔 sarcasm
