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Cal Makes U19 Team Cuts. 18 Remain for 12-Man Roster

No one spins like a Kansas fan.. Who cares if it's a transfer or a recruit? He didn't make the 1st cut, he won't get to practice with the top players and expand his game, and it essentially clears out a spot for one of 3 Kentucky guys or a handful of recruits to work with Cal..

And all you can say is "He's a transfer.."

Kansas fans are constantly missing the forest through the trees...
 
Ok, so a few things.. I was making that statement as more of a question.. Because to me, I'm not sure who else would be making roster cuts aside from the head coach. Isn't that how it works in other sports? Aside from a few pro sports organizations.. the cuts are coming from the coach.

Second, that article doesn't really say who is making cuts. Coangelo is setting rosters? But is he the one making cuts? And is he really just signing off on them? I skimmed it, to be fair.
 
This is a list who made the cut:

The list includes center Bol Bol (Mater Dei H.S./Santa Ana, Calif.); center Jordan Brown (Woodcreek H.S./Roseville, Calif.); Kentucky freshman guard Hamidou Diallo; Purdue sophomore guard Carsen Edwards; Maryland sophomore guard Kevin Huerter; forward Louis King (Hudson Catholic H.S./Columbus, N.J.); Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic H.S./Tampa, Fla.); guard Romeo Langford (New Albany; H.S./New Albany, Ind.); UNLV freshman center Brandon McCoy; Auburn freshman forward Chuma Okeke; Georgia Tech sophomore guard Josh Okogie; Oregon sophomore guard Payton Pritchard; guard Immanuel Quickly (John Carroll School/Bel Air, Md.); forward Cameron Reddish (Westtown School/Norristown, Pa.); Western Kentucky freshman center Mitchell Robinson; Temple sophomore guard Quinton
Rose
; Kentucky freshman forward PJ Washington; and Auburn sophomore center Austin Wiley.


I think Cal wants to load up on his best class ever with this '18 class. Get Bol, Williamson, Langford, King, Quickley, and pray to the basketball gods for Reddish and Bagley.

Cal starts five freshmen and goes for 40-0 at the same time.
 
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I kind of want to make a thread polling people.. asking "How big of a deal is Cal coaching the U19 team?".. I'm starting to think Kentucky could be setting themselves up for a mini-dynasty right night.
 
I kind of want to make a thread polling people.. asking "How big of a deal is Cal coaching the U19 team?".. I'm starting to think Kentucky could be setting themselves up for a mini-dynasty right night.

I wonder if they'll rotate the job, or let Cal have first dibs each year.
 
I wonder if they'll rotate the job, or let Cal have first dibs each year.

I don't know why, but I assumed this was some indefinite thing until Cal didn't want to do it or it was past his prime.. but looking further, it seems the 2015 and 2013 rosters each had different coaches. Sean Miller was one and maybe Coach K was another? Sounds like it's something that will rotate.

But even if that's all he gets, a single year comes with serious benefits:

He's able to get some serious legwork in on this team, learning his players, their strengths and weaknesses. PJ, Diallo, and Knox all get to (1.) practice/play against top competition (2.) play and get familiar with each other and (3.) learn how to play for Cal.. Then Cal gets to work with some of next years top recruits. I can't imagine he doesn't have a monster class next year because of this. And that will be a year where a great deal of Kentucky players return.

All the while keep another top flight coach like K or Miller doing the same thing. Cal is afforded something, this coaching gig, that he really didn't need at all.. it's now icing on his recruiting cake. And the affects could quite possibly spill into years 3 and 4.

Future is bring for Kentucky.
 
Luke Winn‏Verified account@lukewinn 6h6 hours ago
Luke Winn Retweeted Luke Winn

Notable that every one of the still-in-HS invitees made the first cut (Bol, Brown, King, Langford, Quickley, Reddish) over some college guys

Luke Winn added,

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Luke WinnVerified account@lukewinn
USA U19 team finalists announced:
 
Not with the sole intention of cutting them, but if you don't think Cal knew certain guys were going to make the cut and that only 12 guys can be on the roster when he sent out invites, and that Cal had a pretty good idea who those being cut might be, then we just disagree on how petty and vengeful John Calipari is.

He didn't just coach the DR National Team to help mold Francisco Garcia or Eloy Vargas. It's no accident that so many UK recruits and players were selected.

Besides, making it and being cut is still him "bettering these kids lives." He didn't injure or ruin anyone. But if you have to invite so many guys, and you know who you want on your final roster, it's better to cut a kid who dragged you along and spurned you to go be a disappointment at Duke than it is to cut a kid who's a junior at Cal State Fullerton.

The man uploaded a picture of himself eating at a restaurant with a sign that said something like "best wings in the nation" the day after Knox chose Kentucky over Duke. He knows, and he thrives on that kind of thing.
What did the best wings in the nation mean?
 
Boston, sometimes you make good posts. This wasn't one of them. Why not just have posted Young wasn't at the try-outs than the other comments? I thought you were a Kentucky fan? No? A guy who Cal made a priority, pictures of Young with Payne and Cal, everyone saying he is coming to Kentucky and then he never pulls the trigger for UK? That's OK with you? Fine. Not me! So, yes if he is not on this team I am happy even if he wasn't cut.
 
Boston, sometimes you make good posts. This wasn't one of them. Why not just have posted Young wasn't at the try-outs than the other comments? I thought you were a Kentucky fan? No? A guy who Cal made a priority, pictures of Young with Payne and Cal, everyone saying he is coming to Kentucky and then he never pulls the trigger for UK? That's OK with you? Fine. Not me! So, yes if he is not on this team I am happy even if he wasn't cut.

why not just get smarter on whats really going on? its not about you. cal and uk are fine with it. maybe you need to get over yourself
 
Maybe the committee who picked the roster, with Cal having the greatest say, actually picked the best players because Cal wants to win. Which is why he is also recruiting many of those same players to UK. Because he also wants to win here.

Usually the simplest explanation is the best explanation.
 
This is a list who made the cut:

The list includes center Bol Bol (Mater Dei H.S./Santa Ana, Calif.); center Jordan Brown (Woodcreek H.S./Roseville, Calif.); Kentucky freshman guard Hamidou Diallo; Purdue sophomore guard Carsen Edwards; Maryland sophomore guard Kevin Huerter; forward Louis King (Hudson Catholic H.S./Columbus, N.J.); Kevin Knox II (Tampa Catholic H.S./Tampa, Fla.); guard Romeo Langford (New Albany; H.S./New Albany, Ind.); UNLV freshman center Brandon McCoy; Auburn freshman forward Chuma Okeke; Georgia Tech sophomore guard Josh Okogie; Oregon sophomore guard Payton Pritchard; guard Immanuel Quickly (John Carroll School/Bel Air, Md.); forward Cameron Reddish (Westtown School/Norristown, Pa.); Western Kentucky freshman center Mitchell Robinson; Temple sophomore guard Quinton
Rose
; Kentucky freshman forward PJ Washington; and Auburn sophomore center Austin Wiley.

I don't envy Cal. He has some really hard choices to make.
 
Unless explicitly contradicted somewhere, I am going to continue to assume Cal gets to pick his team. Why would someone agree to coach a team if he couldn't pick who would be on it?
 
Unless explicitly contradicted somewhere, I am going to continue to assume Cal gets to pick his team. Why would someone agree to coach a team if he couldn't pick who would be on it?

a committee picks the players but lets not pretend that each person on the committee vote and voice is the same as everyone else's. reading the reports...it looks like its down to the best players.
 
a committee picks the players but lets not pretend that each person on the committee vote and voice is the same as everyone else's. reading the reports...it looks like its down to the best players.

Probably a rubber stamp committee then. I would guess the coach sends them his picks and they sign off. Seems odd to pick a coach and then not give them who he wants.
 
Listening to Kyle Tucker on Leach yesterday and KSR today. Great stuff on our guys!

Kyle really high on Knox & Bol. He said Bol is a 50% 3 point shooter and has 7'8" wingspan.
Also said Bol long ago said he wanted to come to Lexington, so very good vibes there.

Said Knox is the best player and Hami is coming along very well.

And how about no Dookies from their recruiting class? Did K shut them down?
 
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