Cal- "I told them that I failed them."

[new era cat]

I no longer make any negative comments (except effort) about the kids since I was proven wrong by the Twins their first year. It is obviously difficult for them to adapt so quickly and meet expectations.

What do you think this statement means to each of these kids at this point?

1. Whew! I thought it was me! I guess I am doing OK.

2. Man. Cal shouldn't be taking all the blame. I am playing like crap and need to get my butt in gear to salvage our season!

3. Yes you have. This is not what you promised when I signed up. I am busting my ass and we are still losing.
My family and network tell me this was a bad decision for my future as your system has held me back!

 

[irishcat1965]

I no longer make any negative comments (except effort) about the kids since I was proven wrong by the Twins their first year. It is obviously difficult for them to adapt so quickly and meet expectations.

What do you think this statement means to each of these kids at this point?

1. Whew! I thought it was me! I guess I am doing OK.

2. Man. Cal shouldn't be taking all the blame. I am playing like crap and need to get my butt in gear to salvage our season!

3. Yes you have. This is not what you promised when I signed up. I am busting my ass and we are still losing.
My family and network tell me this was a bad decision for my future as your system has held me back!

The players made statements after A&M saying Cal shouldn’t take the blame.

 

[CHAMPCAT11]

This year’s team as well as Cal are broken. Maybe next year will be better but I don’t see it. Things can change quickly but our future looks shaky at this point.

 

[CatPhight]

This pic about sums things up...he can't hide them...

 

[Longtrip]

It is beginning to look like he is no longer coaching, just hollering (and making excuses). Time to look in the mirror and reassess the strategy.

 

[robo222]

Cal ain't a quitter.... don't think.
Thought he could recruit his way to success via the 1&D...
Apparently it's a lot finer line than even he imagined... Getting beat at his own game perhaps?....I wanna see what he's got when the chips are down.

 

[GonzoCat90]

He can't come out and say that they're just not very good players and that if they'd make open jumpers or stop stepping out of bounds or stop running over guys at midcourt or stop pouting the second things don't go their way that we'd have more wins.

He's falling on the sword to try and keep them loose and take the pressure of the losing streak off of them. The hope is that they relax, stop overthinking, stop pouting, and play better.

 

[LukaszObrzut]

It’s so bad that we had a chance to beat the #10 ranked team at their home court with 5 min to go.

 

[LukaszObrzut]

As bad as we play on offense, our defense goes through periods of being elite, even without the hustle.

 

[docholiday51]

Cal can say whatever he chooses to say.The players can say what they are supposed to say in a canned interview soundbite.Neither of those two things amount to very much.What they say and do behind closed doors,how they practice and what they decide to do to change things is what might make a difference.This team is what it is,sweeping change isn't going to occur during the rest of this season.we have played relatively close games most all of the season,we have played from behind for most of our recent games.Conventional basketball wisdom says that teams learn from that.Honest question(not bashing the team)do any of you see evidence that this team is learning?

 

[TheDude73]

Cal ain't a quitter.... don't think.
Thought he could recruit his way to success via the 1&D...
Apparently it's a lot finer line than even he imagined... Getting beat at his own game perhaps?....I wanna see what he's got when the chips are down.

No one is saying he's a "quitter", but many are starting to wonder if he's just burned out on the annual routine of starting over. Quit? Not likely. Burned out and in a rut? More likely. Let's just hope he takes a long vacation this summer, regroups and comes back in the fall with a renewed fire.

Hell, he swore he'd never play zone, and look at this year! There is hope!

 

[CatColumbia]

Cal failed them by not retaining players from previous classes. Failed before the season even started.

 

[bnewt]

After this dismal recruiting year, Cal had better start living with some kids in order to get them to sign. He needs to start with Wiseman, & Hurt. Then he needs a quick point guard that can create off the dribble. Hopefully he will still have some shooters left over from next year. I don't know why he wouldn't go after Carey as well. Get some guys in the middle that can block shots & rebound........and a little hustle wouldn't hurt either

 

[brian.mikeson]

It's not that big a deal -- all this is is a WHOLE team of 2-3 year players. Once we get 3 years straight of these kinds of players and that KEEPS happening every year (totally plausible) you'll stop having to rely COMPLETELY on 1st year players.

Many of us have said all along we're not opposed to recruiting one-and-dones, just make sure there's BALANCE in every class between them: one true one-and-done, one guy that'll need 2 years, and the rest a mixture of 3- and 4-year guys.

 

[EliteBlue]

He can't come out and say that they're just not very good players and that if they'd make open jumpers or stop stepping out of bounds or stop running over guys at midcourt or stop pouting the second things don't go their way that we'd have more wins.

He's falling on the sword to try and keep them loose and take the pressure of the losing streak off of them. The hope is that they relax, stop overthinking, stop pouting, and play better.

Nope. Stop thinking logically and making sense of statements. I've just read on here how Cal doesn't care if we win or lose.

Glad somebody gets it.

 

[anon_013cn8yrfncx2]

Any comments for that sliver of fans who are unhappy?

 

[BlueRunner11]

Cal tends to take the high road and the blame when it comes to underperforming players/teams. Skal comes to mind first.

Secondly, Cal has allowed certain behaviors on the court to exist. After 2013, Cal said he would never allow a player to hold him hostage again because of lack of bench/depth. Its happened maybe 3 times since then.

Personally for me, I want to win every game but realize thats not reasonable. Like most fans, Ill settle though for players showing some fight and giving their all for the name across the chest. Weve gotten away from that it seems.

Young? Ok

Low BBIQ? It happens

No heart: Unacceptable.

They play selfish as well. But in the end, Cal picked them all...so fair or not, its his mess.

I do believe he gets it straightened out at some point though.

 

[chevyman 50]

I admire and like Cal for taking the blame, guess there is plenty blame to go around, but the buck got to stop with the coach and his staff for judging talent and not having more experience..

 

[Nix112]

Cal failed them by not retaining players from previous classes. Failed before the season even started.

This. Maybe there was nothing Cal could do to keep them but if you give Hami's minutes to Briscoe and Richard's minutes to Humpries this team has 3-4 losses and is fighting for the SEC title.

 

[docholiday51]

I disagree to an extent with these last two posts.(chevy and Blue)I think Cal got a decent share of what was available last year,what he had to pick from wasn't the same as what had been available in recent years.Look where the class was ranked,most every other program in the country would have been happy to trade classes with us> Whatever the reason they haven't worked out like everyone(not just Cal) thought they would.

 

[CatColumbia]

I disagree to an extent with these last two posts.(chevy and Blue)I think Cal got a decent share of what was available last year,what he had to pick from wasn't the same as what had been available in recent years.Look where the class was ranked,most every other program in the country would have been happy to trade classes with us> Whatever the reason they haven't worked out like everyone(not just Cal) thought they would.

Yes I agree that most other classes would have traded classes with us but most programs also have experience, something this team had zero coming into this year.

 

[docholiday51]

Yes I agree that most other classes would have traded classes with us but most programs also have experience, something this team had zero coming into this year.

I too wish we would have had one or two more holdovers but we didn't ,Cal made do with what he had to work with things just haven't progressed very well.

 

[BlueRunner11]

This. Maybe there was nothing Cal could do to keep them but if you give Hami's minutes to Briscoe and Richard's minutes to Humpries this team has 3-4 losses and is fighting for the SEC title.

As much as IB drove me crazy, a junior Briscoe with his head on straight would be a help. Not sold on just how much.

 

[Newcattitudes]

there simply was no foundation to build upon this season once Briscoe and Humph left. The recruiting class was extremely unbalanced. Had Baker not been hurt all year along with Vando the results would have been moderately different. We probably would have three more wins at this point. Our bigs have no post game whatsoever. Knox is extremely passive and seldom takes advantage of his man with his size and athleticism. Settles for outside shots too often and plays without intensity on both ends of the floor. Vando, has demonstrated no offense. PJ, just not the player he was made up to be. Richards, no real basketball experience. Quade, not as quick as we needed him to be with dribble penetration. Shai is as good as I thought he would be. He has not disappointed me in the least this season. Love his heart, game and effort. Cal is worn out. No swag at all. He is saying all the "Cal" things, but there is little fire left in the belly. Hard to reinvent yourself when so depleted mentally. I love the new crop of kids but we will be severely suffering in the post again. Next years team will work harder, have greater heart, much better shooters and scorers, and have a much higher basketball acumen. We will be better than this year but not like his first 6 years here. I look forward to a fresh start. I cannot imagine being Cal right now because this season has worn me down just following it. (Simply my opinions)

 

[BBUK]

This pic about sums things up...he can't hide them...

Can't like this one CP...

 

[topps coach]

After this dismal recruiting year, Cal had better start living with some kids in order to get them to sign. He needs to start with Wiseman, & Hurt. Then he needs a quick point guard that can create off the dribble. Hopefully he will still have some shooters left over from next year. I don't know why he wouldn't go after Carey as well. Get some guys in the middle that can block shots & rebound........and a little hustle wouldn't hurt either

With the probable end of the OAD I wonder how wise it is to spend a lot of time on kids who are not likely to ever play in college

 

[CatColumbia]

As much as IB drove me crazy, a junior Briscoe with his head on straight would be a help. Not sold on just how much.

Briscoe should have been a "recruiting" target last year more so than Hami. A junior Briscoe > Hami. Both would have left after this year anyways. But as many have stated on here, Briscoe wanted out regardless and I'm sure Cal could not have changed his mind.. So I give Cal a break on this one. But what about Humphries, Matthews, Lee (although he wouldn't have eligibility left)? Why are these type of guys transferring or leaving?? The Kentucky is not for everyone "Honeymoon" has ended, has got to stop.

 

[billCgmx]

At this point what can Calipari do to change things and improve this team? Any suggestions?

 

[BigBlueCatNation]

Probably a little bit of all of them

 

[Nix112]

As much as IB drove me crazy, a junior Briscoe with his head on straight would be a help. Not sold on just how much.

I'm with you he had some head scratching moments but I never thought for a second he wouldn't lay it all out there for a W. He'd be doing everything he could to light a fire under these dudes, even if he would just add to the non-shooters. He was unsung last year but he was important:

12.1 pts
5.4 rebounds
4.2 assist
2.5 turnovers

 

[CatColumbia]

At this point what can Calipari do to change things and improve this team? Any suggestions?

This year is a wash but making the tournament can be good for our young pups to gain experience so that we can make a run next year.

-I'm not Cal and will never be an ounce of the coach he is but I believe with this team we need to install confidence in them. Especially have sets prepared for them to use in the last 6 minutes of the game, where we always wilt.
-We need to shorten the rotation, Dakitch hit it on the nail last night. Have a roation of 6 guys in the second half (Shae, Green, Vando, Gabriel and Washington).
-Keep Hami on the bench unless he actually does things to bring value.

 

[GonzoCat90]

Any comments for that sliver of fans who are unhappy?

There's nothing he or anyone can say that'll change their minds. They're always unhappy. Let their biggest hobby make them miserable.

 

[CatColumbia]

I'm with you he had some head scratching moments but I never thought for a second he wouldn't lay it all out there for a W. He'd be doing everything he could to light a fire under these dudes, even if he would just add to the non-shooters. He was unsung last year but he was important:

12.1 pts
5.4 rebounds
4.2 assist
2.5 turnovers

That and the stat that nobody sees on paper is leadership and accountability. Like you mentioned, he wasn't one to be shy about calling out players that weren't giving it their all. Unfortunately he had enough of the college life and was ready to make some money.

 

[billCgmx]

This year is a wash but making the tournament can be good for our young pups to gain experience so that we can make a run next year.

-I'm not Cal and will never be an ounce of the coach he is but I believe with this team we need to install confidence in them. Especially have sets prepared for them to use in the last 6 minutes of the game, where we always wilt.
-We need to shorten the rotation, Dakitch hit it on the nail last night. Have a roation of 6 guys in the second half (Shae, Green, Vando, Gabriel and Washington).
-Keep Hami on the bench unless he actually does things to bring value.

I think they could rebound better too. This isn't a bad rebounding team but they could improve.

 

[CatColumbia]

I think they could rebound better too. This isn't a bad rebounding team but they could improve.

Agreed. We need to get tougher but just looking at our guys, there isn't a bruiser on the roster. Washington is probably 2 years away and rest of the guys are long and athletic but bean poles. Washington threw down a dunk last night with authority and that's the only physical play offensively I've seen our team have in the past 6 games.

 

[DerekMcPwn]

He can't come out and say that they're just not very good players and that if they'd make open jumpers or stop stepping out of bounds or stop running over guys at midcourt or stop pouting the second things don't go their way that we'd have more wins.

He's falling on the sword to try and keep them loose and take the pressure of the losing streak off of them. The hope is that they relax, stop overthinking, stop pouting, and play better.

It’s this and obviously this. Cal’s system doesn’t make these guys brick free throws and open jump shots. It doesn’t make them travel in the open floor. It doesn’t make them bobble and drop an unaltered pass.

The players know all of this. They have no illusions. They watch the tape from every game. They see how stupid they look shooting off the side of the backboard, passing directly to the other team, and bull-rushing into a charge call. They know Cal didn’t tell them to do those things. They feel horrible. They’re scared about their NBA prospects. This is a lot harder than they expected, and Cal warned them. But Cal is the millionaire at the apex of his career. The players are teenagers. Cal is trying to soak up the heat because it’s the right thing for any coach to do.

Our players have deficiencies. That doesn’t bother me because we all thought most of these guys were multi-year players from the start. When you transition from OADs to an entire crop of long-term players, the first year is gonna be rough. Obviously. DUH. A lot of the same knuckle-draggers that complained that OAD wasn’t working and we needed more upperclassmen for stability and leadership are the same people moaning about the lack of superstar talent, and have no long-term vision for these players.

This year was never about this year. It’s about next year and the year after. And I love our players for having the courage to face all this as a bunch of freshmen with no superstar to carry them.

 

[Ben101er]

It is beginning to look like he is no longer coaching, just hollering (and making excuses). Time to look in the mirror and reassess the strategy.

Sometimes, when the team will not listen to coaching, you have to yell, to get their attention. I think this bunch will not take coaching and he has tried everything he knows to get them to do what the staff tells them, on a daily basis. He is just frustrated because this bunch is unlike any other he has had, and he doesn't know what else he can do. Maybe just suck it up, and let it run its course. Then, when most can't be drafted, they may understand that Cal got all these previous players ready for the league, and that if they ever want to make it, they will do what they are told, and not what they want.

 

[GonzoCat90]

The players know all of this. They have no illusions. They watch the tape from every game. They see how stupid they look shooting off the side of the backboard, passing directly to the other team, and bull-rushing into a charge call. They know Cal didn’t tell them to do those things. They feel horrible. They’re scared about their NBA prospects. This is a lot harder than they expected, and Cal warned them. But Cal is the millionaire at the apex of his career. The players are teenagers. Cal is trying to soak up the heat because it’s the right thing for any coach to do.

.

Amen.

And fans, for some reason, lose sight of this part in particular. They think it's lack of effort or selfishness or Cal not caring if we lose. As if every team isn't trying to win every night and every player isn't trying to play well.

 

[docholiday51]

Agreed. We need to get tougher but just looking at our guys, there isn't a bruiser on the roster. Washington is probably 2 years away and rest of the guys are long and athletic but bean poles. Washington threw down a dunk last night with authority and that's the only physical play offensively I've seen our team have in the past 6 games.

bean poles? hadn't heard that one in a while, I like it.You are correct

 

[CoachV182]

Cal ain't a quitter.... don't think.
Thought he could recruit his way to success via the 1&D...
Apparently it's a lot finer line than even he imagined... Getting beat at his own game perhaps?....I wanna see what he's got when the chips are down.

We saw Cal coach at UMASS and Memphis. We should know what he can do when the chips are down.