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Diallo scheduled to play 5 on 5 at combine

Richie Farmer yes,Daniel Orton screwed up but yes,Michael Porter is a perv but yes,Shawn Kemp no,Kyle helped us win a championship so yes,Diallo yes if he plays,no if he doesn't,Kanter yes because the NCAA screwed him. JMO
 
Also why does anyone care if someone is considered a Kentucky player or not? Is that just all you have left to criticize Diallo for?

Is Richie Farmer a wildcat? Is Daniel Orton? Michael Porter? Shawn Kemp? Kyle Wiltjer? Why? What does it mean? Are you sending them Christmas cards?

Lol. Quite simply yes. Gives them one more thing to bitch about, which is what they do
 
Why do you act like you're the adjudicator of how fans define players? What concern is it of yours? Personally, yes, Farmer, Orton, Porter and Wiltjer are wildcats. They played. Kemp is not and to this point, neither is Diallo.

None, because it's an idiotic thing our fans made up a week ago to find something to be upset about when they ran out of valid complaints.

But if forced to pick, I know I'd rather claim Farmer and Porter than Diallo if he happens to be told he's a first round pick.

I just couldn't cheer for a player who embarrassed us by leaving for the NBA without playing. What a black eye to the program and even the state, really. Putting on that Kentucky jersey means you're held to a certain standard.
 
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Oh geez, I was kidding, but let's see where this goes. Amazing replies so far.
 
None, because it's an idiotic thing our fans made up a week ago to find something to be upset about when they ran out of valid complaints.

But if forced to pick, I know I'd rather claim Farmer and Porter than Diallo if he happens to be told he's a first round pick.

I just couldn't cheer for a player who embarrassed us by leaving for the NBA without playing. What a black eye to the program and even the state, really. Putting on that Kentucky jersey means you're held to a certain standard.

Oh Good lord. I don't like how things are evolving either, but to say it's a black eye to the program and state is just crazy drama queen stuff. Geez!
 
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all you guys saying he is not a Cat do realize that he practiced with the team and probably contributed to the teams growth much more than some of those walk ons im sure you consider cats. How about instead of being bitter you look at it differently. He had the choice of staying in prep school and going straight to the combine or draft from there but instead he chose to come be a wildcat
 
all you guys saying he is not a Cat do realize that he practiced with the team and probably contributed to the teams growth much more than some of those walk ons im sure you consider cats. How about instead of being bitter you look at it differently. He had the choice of staying in prep school and going straight to the combine or draft from there but instead he chose to come be a wildcat
Would have been nice if he had made us better in real games by playing.
 
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Monk is playing it smart by skipping combine. He can only hurt his status by participating. They'll find his inability to create own shot a negative for a 6'2" sg
 
I hope he kills and becomes a lotto pick. I want players who actually want to play games at UK.
Then you don't want any player with NBA aspirations. It would be stupid for him not to try out to see what he needs to work on and if he knows he is going to be selected in the first round he needs to go. He did the same thing I did. I went to college to prepare myself for a good career. He went to college for the same reason. If he can achieve the desired results in one semester then more power to him. He did not come to UK to please the fan base. He came to UK to better prepare himself for a professional career. Good luck to him regardless of his decision.
 
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Is any of this 5 on 5 combine stuff on TV? That used to be a dumb question, but since everything is on TV these days I thought I'd ask.
 
I sure hope so.Going to be tough next season if he leaves.

Even though I think Hami comes back, I wouldn't panic if he doesn't. If he stays in the draft, I think Cam Johnson sees a HUGE opportunity here and comes to UK. Johnson has been Cal's contingency plan for losing Diallo all along.
 
so a player that was on the team and helped our team get better in the second half of the season but did not play in a game is not considered a Wildcat by some of you

SMDH
 
so a player that was on the team and helped our team get better in the second half of the season but did not play in a game is not considered a Wildcat by some of you

SMDH
It's just a personal opinion for everyone.I hope he makes millions but I just don't feel an attachment to a player if he never plays here.I have great memories of great players like Wall,Boogie,etc and also players like Willis and Hawk who weren't the most talented but played hard.Hopefully he returns and none of this matters.
 
I am not one to wish the kid to fail; if this is what he wants, then go for it.
My issue is those who regard him has a UK player; which he is not. He is/was a recruit who signed with UK.
For that, I wish him well.
I understand Diallo came in with this "plan" all along; I get this.
My concerns is going forward.
Will we see this situation again? Will the next recruit be so honest with his intentions or will he just leave high school early, enroll at UK, practice against some of the best players in the college game, get great instruction, use super facilities, tell Coach Cal he is here to play and then go to the NBA and leave the team hanging?
Will this become the next great thing with recruits?

There is a part of me that thinks this could out to be the opening of a can of worms that could go good or bad.
What if this continued to take place around college basketball. More coaches than not will be screaming and if the NCAA got involved, who knows what they would do.

As for as Diallo, I truly hope he finds what he is looking for. If not, come to UK and let Coach Cal help you find that dream.
There are posters that still consider Shawn Kemp a Kentucky guy.
 
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As always, the board gets split into two extremes. Those wishing injury, which is disgusting, on a player who hasn't even left yet. And those who think he's innocent and didn't do anything wrong.

The former is easy to admonish. But the latter is a bit more difficult. So I ask this. If Diallo, during his recruitment, told coaches he would not play in any games, but would use the practice to get better, the free benefits of a half year on scholarship.. how many coaches take him? Does Cal even take him?
 
Monk is playing it smart by skipping combine. He can only hurt his status by participating. They'll find his inability to create own shot a negative for a 6'2" sg


Really? That's his strength. He has the ability to put a jumper over defender in face long-range or mid-range. He stopped doing that as season went along but he shouldn't have.

Zero worries about creating own shot
 
As always, the board gets split into two extremes. Those wishing injury, which is disgusting, on a player who hasn't even left yet. And those who think he's innocent and didn't do anything wrong.

The former is easy to admonish. But the latter is a bit more difficult. So I ask this. If Diallo, during his recruitment, told coaches he would not play in any games, but would use the practice to get better, the free benefits of a half year on scholarship.. how many coaches take him? Does Cal even take him?

pretty amazing that folks just refuse to believe that the only team(s) diallo was going to commit too where teams that were NOT going to play him. cal knew and was fine with him NOT playing. thats how he got him.
 
Kanter didn't play at UK but I kind of consider him on honorary cat because he wanted to play here, but if Diallo leaves I would not. Does this make any difference to him. I think not.
 
pretty amazing that folks just refuse to believe that the only team(s) diallo was going to commit too where teams that were NOT going to play him. cal knew and was fine with him NOT playing. thats how he got him.

Last I checked, a lot of the above information is still unknown. Did Cal know the plan or not? I hadn't heard if that's the case.

If.. IF.. Cal took him knowing this from the start, and proceeded to waste no other resources on him, it's less of a big deal. Still it's telling to me, that if any other school knew this was the plan (maybe they did, maybe not)... there's no way they would take him.

There's still a lot of unknowns, but feel free to link any info in the last few days.
 
Last I checked, a lot of the above information is still unknown. Did Cal know the plan or not? I hadn't heard if that's the case.

If.. IF.. Cal took him knowing this from the start, and proceeded to waste no other resources on him, it's less of a big deal. Still it's telling to me, that if any other school knew this was the plan (maybe they did, maybe not)... there's no way they would take him.

There's still a lot of unknowns, but feel free to link any info in the last few days.



Multiple posters have quoted Cal and HD throughout this thread.


"When Diallo originally told Coach Cal that he was thinking about enrolling early, Calipari figured he wanted to play right away. Instead, Diallo made the choice because he wanted to push himself on the court and get a head start the following year with a semester of weight training, basketball, classes and knowledge under his belt.

“It was ultimately my call. Cal just respected it,” Diallo said. “I mean, he didn’t know what I wanted to do at first. When I told him I was thinking about coming early he thought I wanted to play, but I told him I just wanted to come and get better on the court and just develop my skills and get prepared for next year. He just respected that and told me that if I felt like that was the best decision for me then so be it.” >

By arriving on campus in January, Diallo will already have the collegiate transition under his belt and could actually serve as a leader to the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the nation.

“Me and Coach Cal spoke about that,” Diallo said. “I’m going to have to step in and be a leader for those guys because they’re going to look up to me when they come here and I’m going to have a head start on everybody. I’ll basically have to show them the ropes now when they come.”

Diallo said he keeps in touch with all the Kentucky recruits and signees on a near-daily basis. He lets them know what UK’s like and tells them to be prepared to put in the work when they arrive. With their talent, he believes the sky is the limit.

“I can’t wait to play with that group,” Diallo said. “I feel like once we get in the gym we’re going to be a great team. We’re just all going to want to play for each other. I just can’t wait to get with that group in the gym and just see everyone and be with everyone every day, just like I am with these guys every day.”"

http://www.coachcal.com/43281/2017/02/meet-the-wildcats-diallo-patiently-waiting-for-his-time/

Can't remember a kid spelling out their intentions in a complex situation more clearly. Seems everyone involved has been on board from the start except our fans.
 
So reading that, you can already see Cal was not privy to the entire situation regarding Diallo. While he was fine with his choice, Cal did NOT know Diallo intended to sit. DIallo told Cal that he's doing it to get extra prepared for next year, and intends on playing next year.. is all that correct?

If so, then you can't say for certain (not "you" per se) that Cal would have taken this kid had he known he wouldn't play this year and *potentially* bypass playing all together to go right to the draft.
 
So reading that, you can already see Cal was not privy to the entire situation regarding Diallo. While he was fine with his choice, Cal did NOT know Diallo intended to sit. DIallo told Cal that he's doing it to get extra prepared for next year, and intends on playing next year.. is all that correct?

If so, then you can't say for certain (not "you" per se) that Cal would have taken this kid had he known he wouldn't play this year and *potentially* bypass playing all together to go right to the draft.

I read that to mean (and as is consistent with other reporting on the subject) that Cal initially didn't know the plan when the talk of enrolling early popped up, but then he told Cal and Cal was fine with it and so he came here.

I also seem to remember reading that there was a general understanding that Cal took him with the agreement that he'd sit this year and come back next year. Maybe someone has that quote nearby.
 
It would be interesting to see *when* Diallo told him he didn't intend to play this season. Was it before or after we offered? I know Cal is Players-First, but I can't see him taking a kid who not only provides zero to the program, but also, most likely, does nothing to help Cal's brand.

Let's be real here, Cal cares about the kids, but he also knows it's a business. By helping them achieve their dreams, in turn, it makes him look better, earns him more money, and the cycle continues to grow and grow. Along the way? Lots of wins for Kentucky.

But I don't think he'll be able to lay much claim to Diallo's success. People barely remember where Kanter practiced.. I'm not sure that changes for Diallo. HD might be a player that ultimately does nothing for Cal. Maybe Cal doesn't mind, it's just one player. But he also might expect something in return.

If I had to guess. HD told Cal AFTER the recruitment, that he for sure wasn't playing this year, but was excited to play and lead the team next year (as stated above). As I;ve said before, we just have to wait and see what happens. He comes back or doesn't.. he did this with full intentions or got bit by the NBA bug during the process..

Just don't think, right yet at least, we can say this kid is 100% innocent. That it wasn't some grand scheme.. What worries me is that I think this kid knows full well no other coach takes a kid who doesn't hold up their end of the bargain, by playing and helping win games.. We'll have to see.
 
It's insane that we have "fans" rooting against Kentucky players so they'll come back and play for our dreams instead of theirs. That's how Louisville fans think. Be better.

One of the things I took note of in the 30 for 30 was the sort of outsider, poverty mentality that has fueled Cal his whole career. What I mean by that is that there is a sense that he's not part of the tribe, that at any point he may be excluded from the tribe, and that you should take what the tribe has to offer you today before it discovers you're not part of it and kicks you out. This, in some cases is good because you don't lose sight of what you need to survive long-term, but it also could lead to some shortsighted decision-making.

Before I watched the documentary, I had a couple different theories about why he pushed out the door so fast. One was that he needed to be seen as a players' coach so it was really marketing so that he could continue to recruit at a high level. The other theory I had was that he was really only chasing stars so by pushing them out the door he had more slots to bring in other potential stars. I now lean toward the more kind theory that says he believes this is what is best for the kids. But that doesn't mean that he always knows best, nor does any coach.

So when Roy Williams time and again convinces a kid to stick around for an extra year, it's clear that's in Roy's best interest. When Cal convinces a kid like Daniel Orton to leave to take late 1st round money, he believes it's in the kid's best interest, but it's possible that's not true. It's possible that his particular worldview is great for some kids and damaging for others. Daniel Orton might've developed far enough in his sophomore season that not only would he have been chosen higher, but he also would've been better prepared to contribute right away and would've scored more than 143 points total in his NBA career and wouldn't be playing in Lebanon now.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think it's as zero-sum as many people do. There are a wide range of outcomes in any decision and while there's no question that in most cases Cal is doing what's best for the player, it's also possible that in some cases his worldview influences him to push something that's both worse for the player and UK. I'm glad that he's done that because if he kept 1-2 more players a year, it would be terrifying to go up against you, but that's just not how he sees the world.
 
It's insane that we have "fans" rooting against Kentucky players so they'll come back and play for our dreams instead of theirs. That's how Louisville fans think. Be better.

One of the things I took note of in the 30 for 30 was the sort of outsider, poverty mentality that has fueled Cal his whole career. What I mean by that is that there is a sense that he's not part of the tribe, that at any point he may be excluded from the tribe, and that you should take what the tribe has to offer you today before it discovers you're not part of it and kicks you out. This, in some cases is good because you don't lose sight of what you need to survive long-term, but it also could lead to some shortsighted decision-making.

Before I watched the documentary, I had a couple different theories about why he pushed kids out the door so fast. One was that he needed to be seen as a players' coach so it was really marketing so that he could continue to recruit at a high level. The other theory I had was that he was really only chasing stars so by pushing them out the door he had more slots to bring in other potential stars. I now lean toward the more kind theory that says he believes this is what is best for the kids. But that doesn't mean that he always knows best, nor does any coach.

So when Roy Williams time and again convinces a kid to stick around for an extra year, it's clear that's in Roy's best interest. When Cal convinces a kid like Daniel Orton to leave to take late 1st round money, he believes it's in the kid's best interest, but it's possible that's not true. It's possible that his particular worldview is great for some kids and damaging for others. Daniel Orton might've developed far enough in his sophomore season that not only would he have been chosen higher, but he also would've been better prepared to contribute right away and would've scored more than 143 points total in his NBA career and wouldn't be playing in Lebanon now.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think it's as zero-sum as many people do. There are a wide range of outcomes in any decision and while there's no question that in most cases Cal is doing what's best for the player, it's also possible that in some cases his worldview influences him to push something that's both worse for the player and UK. I'm glad that he's done that because if he kept 1-2 more players a year, it would be terrifying to go up against you, but that's just not how he sees the world.
 
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One of the things I took note of in the 30 for 30 was the sort of outsider, poverty mentality that has fueled Cal his whole career. What I mean by that is that there is a sense that he's not part of the tribe, that at any point he may be excluded from the tribe, and that you should take what the tribe has to offer you today before it discovers you're not part of it and kicks you out. This, in some cases is good because you don't lose sight of what you need to survive long-term, but it also could lead to some shortsighted decision-making.

Before I watched the documentary, I had a couple different theories about why he pushed out the door so fast. One was that he needed to be seen as a players' coach so it was really marketing so that he could continue to recruit at a high level. The other theory I had was that he was really only chasing stars so by pushing them out the door he had more slots to bring in other potential stars. I now lean toward the more kind theory that says he believes this is what is best for the kids. But that doesn't mean that he always knows best, nor does any coach.

So when Roy Williams time and again convinces a kid to stick around for an extra year, it's clear that's in Roy's best interest. When Cal convinces a kid like Daniel Orton to leave to take late 1st round money, he believes it's in the kid's best interest, but it's possible that's not true. It's possible that his particular worldview is great for some kids and damaging for others. Daniel Orton might've developed far enough in his sophomore season that not only would he have been chosen higher, but he also would've been better prepared to contribute right away and would've scored more than 143 points total in his NBA career and wouldn't be playing in Lebanon now.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think it's as zero-sum as many people do. There are a wide range of outcomes in any decision and while there's no question that in most cases Cal is doing what's best for the player, it's also possible that in some cases his worldview influences him to push something that's both worse for the player and UK. I'm glad that he's done that because if he kept 1-2 more players a year, it would be terrifying to go up against you, but that's just not how he sees the world.

That's a good post, even if I disagree with portions of it.

Specifically, Daniel Orton absolutely made the right decision. Most aren't aware, but his knees are made of peanut brittle. Another year at UK might have cost him the chance to ever be drafted. He wasn't ready from a basketball standpoint, but it was his only option if he wanted to get paid.

If anything, he's an example of why Cal does what you say. The money may not always be there. For some, maybe it's trading three million tomorrow for one million today. For others, it's trading one million today for zero tomorrow. I can't fault anyone for taking that large of a guarantee, even if it costs them eventually.

Besides, it's mostly about the second contract anyway. The faster you play through the rookie deal, the sooner you get to real money. Coming back to be top-10 verses top-25 doesn't pay off because the year you really lost is a max-deal year at the end.
 
Last I checked, a lot of the above information is still unknown. Did Cal know the plan or not? I hadn't heard if that's the case.

If.. IF.. Cal took him knowing this from the start, and proceeded to waste no other resources on him, it's less of a big deal. Still it's telling to me, that if any other school knew this was the plan (maybe they did, maybe not)... there's no way they would take him.

There's still a lot of unknowns, but feel free to link any info in the last few days.

everyone who matters knew very well what the conditions of his recruitment and commitment where. and zero has changed.

what you want....you will never get. because thats not how this works.
 
One of the things I took note of in the 30 for 30 was the sort of outsider, poverty mentality that has fueled Cal his whole career. What I mean by that is that there is a sense that he's not part of the tribe, that at any point he may be excluded from the tribe, and that you should take what the tribe has to offer you today before it discovers you're not part of it and kicks you out. This, in some cases is good because you don't lose sight of what you need to survive long-term, but it also could lead to some shortsighted decision-making.

Before I watched the documentary, I had a couple different theories about why he pushed kids out the door so fast. One was that he needed to be seen as a players' coach so it was really marketing so that he could continue to recruit at a high level. The other theory I had was that he was really only chasing stars so by pushing them out the door he had more slots to bring in other potential stars. I now lean toward the more kind theory that says he believes this is what is best for the kids. But that doesn't mean that he always knows best, nor does any coach.

So when Roy Williams time and again convinces a kid to stick around for an extra year, it's clear that's in Roy's best interest. When Cal convinces a kid like Daniel Orton to leave to take late 1st round money, he believes it's in the kid's best interest, but it's possible that's not true. It's possible that his particular worldview is great for some kids and damaging for others. Daniel Orton might've developed far enough in his sophomore season that not only would he have been chosen higher, but he also would've been better prepared to contribute right away and would've scored more than 143 points total in his NBA career and wouldn't be playing in Lebanon now.

I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think it's as zero-sum as many people do. There are a wide range of outcomes in any decision and while there's no question that in most cases Cal is doing what's best for the player, it's also possible that in some cases his worldview influences him to push something that's both worse for the player and UK. I'm glad that he's done that because if he kept 1-2 more players a year, it would be terrifying to go up against you, but that's just not how he sees the world.

Orton quit going to class and had bad knees. Cal didn't push him anywhere. He wanted out.
 
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Lets built a statue for Diallo if he stays in the draft.

Or just accept that it was a calculated move with no risk that could have potentially yielded a top 10 recruit at a position of need and move on to the season. That's what those of us with a grip on reality and functioning cognitive skills will do.
 
Or just accept that it was a calculated move with no risk that could have potentially yielded a top 10 recruit at a position of need and move on to the season. That's what those of us with a grip on reality and functioning cognitive skills will do.
No risk? You dont think Diallo kept us from landing another top guard? You may need to start using those "functioning cognitive skills" you speak of...stay off twitter and quit listening to coach speak.
 
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