GYERO ARCHIVE

[wcc31]

I don’t know what exactly it is - probably a combination of things.

- Is Cal, as SAE accused, simply Denny Crum - a once great coach lost in the times unable to adjust to modern basketball?

- Did he convince himself his true calling was this “ending generational poverty” nonsense and lose focus?

- Is it simply hubris? Determined to win his way as opposed to the nearly universal style most have adopted?

No matter, he’s lost it. I tried to be optimistic, many times on here belligerently optimistic, but I kept realizing those singing Cal’s demise were right much more often than I was.

We may be too far gone to become elite, but I still believe some rather minor adjustments and nods to a more modern style can make this an interesting team who could make a run.

I just have zero faith Cal will adjust.

 

[IB4UK]

I don’t know what exactly it is - probably a combination of things.

- Is Cal, as SAE accused, simply Denny Crum - a once great coach lost in the times unable to adjust to modern basketball?

- Did he convince himself his true calling was this “ending generational poverty” nonsense and lose focus?

- Is it simply hubris? Determined to win his way as opposed to the nearly universal style most have adopted?

No matter, he’s lost it. I tried to be optimistic, many times on here belligerently optimistic, but I kept realizing those singing Cal’s demise were right much more often than I was.

We may be too far gone to become elite, but I still believe some rather minor adjustments and nods to a more modern style can make this an interesting team who could make a run.

I just have zero faith Cal will adjust.

He got his elusive Championship and missed on 40-0. Since then ending generational poverty is his calling and he is unabashed about his mission. He’s made more money than 8 generations of his family could spend. In summary, he is fat and happy. Literally.

 

[FearThe Blue]

When did the “catch UCLA” brass ring go bye-bye?

 

[The_Godfather]

People are overly focused on the style of Cal’s “antiquated” offense when the bigger issue is that they don’t even run it well.

It’s not like it’s simply a matter of not being able to match the opponent’s point production.

Cal loved to pat himself on the back for not having a system and that he was capable of adapting to strengths of his roster. What a crock of shit that turned out to be.

I do think he might have been able to adapt proactively if he had seen the need to do so before the public did. He just seems to have lost his ability to accurately evaluate and project the shortcomings of his roster. I first noticed this prior to the 2018-19 season when he was openly cocky about how good the team was, only to see Duke nearly beat them by 40.

His ego won’t allow him to adapt now. At least, not at UK.

 

[Hank Camacho]

We are 35-24 in the 2020s. That's 25% into the decade. Thus far in this decade we've seen the worst season in UK history. The worst tournament loss in UK history. Hell, yesterday was the worst we've ever lost to Alabama in 100 years of basketball.

We aren't even creating that many pros any more. Wallace is the only surefire first round pick and, honestly, the chances of anyone else getting drafted is mainly based on the NBA thinking that Cal wastes so much talent that there might be some hidden gems on the roster.

King Llama did a great job laying out potential options for Cal to leave. What's the market for him? The thought of him getting a job coaching an NBA team is laughable. Any college program that could afford him would be buying the sizzle and not any steak. Maybe Texas offers him the vault because they've got to sell something after firing Beard and joining the SEC but that is more hope than probability.

The easiest thing would be for Calipari to change his scheme, stop being an asshole to fans (and seemingly everyone else), and admit things are going wrong. I still can't get over the fact that he's too big of a pussy to go on KSR. How can that be interpreted any way other than that he's a giant pussy who just doesn't care any more?

At this point there is no reason to expect anything other than Flat Earth Calipari, ladies and gentlemen. We've got Billy Gillispie results with Phil Jackson's ego and contract.

They should really sell beer at Rupp.

 

[krazykats]

I never listen to KSR but was in the car on my way to Top Golf when it was time after the game yesterday, and tuned in.

Wasn’t aware NBA guys were also questioning how to evaluate UK players as we play a style they don’t anymore. Our guys that make it typically play above where they’re taken so I just assumed we were still prepping them.

The thing is when I do watch other teams, it isn’t like they are bombing 3s irresponsibly and typically if I check box scores most teams are also shooting 18-30 three’s a game which we shoot 15-20 per.

I truly feel last year we were one of the best teams, when healthy.

I said all that to get to the fact I think it boils down to Oscar. His limitations really really hurt THIS team more so than last years. They played a game that covered his flaws up for the most part, and this years group all though good players, as a unit exponentially make Oscar limits worse!

Hard to believe a guy that goes 18/16 is the root, but he is and it really does start there sadly! Cal doesn’t know how to handle it, and for that I understand the idea it’s actually Cal’s fault, but what is he supposed to do? Not play Oscar at all?

I think these players feel the same which is why they all look like they’re just going through the motions and aren’t even having fun.

 

[TheShowKiller]

If it wasn’t for NIL, how bad would this get?

UK is one of the few places that will pay big bucks in the NIL world for basketball. It’s probably the only reason Oscar is still here and Cal has that highly rated class.

 

[TCPUKChamps]

 

[barbourfor3]

So all the sudden it’s Oscar’s fault as to why we suck so bad?

 

[Ron Mehico]

He looks worse than Herro there

Someone who yells maniacally like that during the game and still is recruiting like he does is not someone who’s lazy or doesn’t care, it’s someone who’s system is outdated and doesn’t work anymore. It’s not easy - actually it’s almost impossible to completely change the way you coach to adapt. The number of coaches who have done it is very small. I can barely even think of any to be honest. It happens in all professions. Very rarely does a 65 year old somehow pivot and become the top of his profession when that profession undergoes a massive philosophy or shift in how to be successful at it.

 

[HymanKaplan]

Unless you have Sam Gilbert buying players

 

[CAT Scratch FVR]

A bunch of old guys at our company retired when they were looking at learning a new system to do their job. We are now on verge of a similar situation at work again.
Cal's job is just to keep up, tactically. He doesn't have to innovate. He's got the recruiting and face of program down. You don't have to reinvent the wheel if someone has already invented it. You just have to use it now that it's available.

 

[wcc31]

He looks worse than Herro there

Someone who yells maniacally like that during the game and still is recruiting like he does is not someone who’s lazy or doesn’t care, it’s someone who’s system is outdated and doesn’t work anymore. It’s not easy - actually it’s almost impossible to completely change the way you coach to adapt. The number of coaches who have done it is very small. I can barely even think of any to be honest. It happens in all professions. Very rarely does a 65 year old somehow pivot and become the top of his profession when that profession undergoes a massive philosophy or shift in how to be successful at it.

Bullshit. The fundamentals of Cal’s coaching philosophy could stay the same. Look at Bill Self. He hasn’t gone 99% Houston Rockets smallball. He started two nonshooters last year and won the title. BUT he did leave his high-low two big system and committed to disciplined spacing and making the 3ball a weapon.

 

[HymanKaplan]

Or just hire an assistant coach that knows what the f*** he's doing.
Bobby Bowden extended his career by decades by doing that.

 

[cut_itloosedoubledeuce]

I thought this past offseason that instead of hiring Turner, cal would look to an nba team and hire someone’s second assistant to come in and implement the nba style.

Turner seems like a good dude and recruiter and all but how many guys on the staff do we need as a recruiter? Who’s the X and O guy on the staff? Bruiser?

 

[HymanKaplan]

This staff thinks X and O is tic tac toe...

 

[anthonys735]

Oscar isn't the problem, the way he's being used is the problem.

On offense teams don't have to respect multiple shooters so they can triple team Oscar when he is force fed the ball. But rather than play Reeves, CJ, Wallace and Theiro together, he interchanges those guys like it's required to only have 1 shooter on the floor at a time. Then he surrounds Oscar with 3 guys that absolutely can't create a bucket. O isn't a great passer with 1 guy on him much less 4.

Oscar was great last year when he wasn't the focal point of the offense and we were using Washington and Grady to spread the court. What happened to the coach that had Oscar being a decoy and passing to wide open Brooks for 30pts at Kansas? As the season wore on and guards got injured he went to an Oscar-centric offense and hasn't really looked back.

If only there were defense that we could occasionally use to stop him getting picked on.

Oscar needs to clean up the body language but I'm assuming he's frustrated by a coach that is constantly putting him in a position to fail, offering no assistance when teams attack him, and then gets blamed when he fails.

He hasn't adjusted to last year, what the hell makes you think he's going to this year? As soon as he started using Reeves and CJ at subs for each other, I knew we were ****ed.

 

[HymanKaplan]

In case you don't want to read Anthony's lengthy (but spot on) post:


Calipari doesn't know WTF he's doing
(I'm getting dangerously close to my perceived post limit this morning, so I'm heading to Winchell's with the wife.

 

[PTI (pti)]

We miss Keion Brooks *way* more than most fans realize.

 

[legalbeagle123]

Eric P. Musselman.

 

[Hank Camacho]

We miss Keion Brooks *way* more than most fans realize.

You meant Bryce Hopkins.

 

[anthonys735]

We miss Keion Brooks *way* more than most fans realize.

We're missing Grady being a flame thrower. Short of one of the guards catching fire, like Grady did in January or UNC in the tourney, we're a mid pack SEC rock fight grind it out and shorten the game team. The kind we always hated playing in a dimly lit gym at 9p on a miserable cold Tuesday. We already have the short jitterbug guard. We just need a huge floppy white dbag with bacne and 18 fouls to give.

 

[catfan in loserville]

Move Oscar to the 4 occasionally and put Collins, Ware, Onyenso at the 5. Just anything to mix it up.

Add Wallace, CJ, Reeves to that lineup, play 5 out.

 

[Hank Camacho]

We just need a huge floppy white dbag with bacne and 18 fouls to give.

Lance Ware, dude.

 

[cut_itloosedoubledeuce]

Please not Oscar at the 4. A 4 in today’s game should be modeled after someone like Scott Padgett, Darius Miller, or even Terrance Jones.

 

[cawoodsct]

There are no solutions to this team so it’s pointless. My only hope now is we somehow make the tournament to avoid the embarrassment of the NIT. Unreal and a damn shame Kentucky basketball is in this position.

 

[UK_Dallas]

Something to take your mind off UK basketball:

 

[catfan in loserville]

Please not Oscar at the 4. A 4 in today’s game should be modeled after someone like Scott Padgett, Darius Miller, or even Terrance Jones.

Should have kept Hopkins and Brooks.

Instead we kept two undersized bigs that don’t shoot well.

Keion and his ability to play a stretch 4 is what this team is missing the most.

 

[cut_itloosedoubledeuce]

Brooks shot 23% from 3 last year. He wasn’t stretching anything. Only shot 49% from 2 which is the equivalent of .98 ppp, which is below average.

 

[UnfrozenCatfanLawyer]

Pining for ****ing Keion Brooks - is that where we are?

 

[Bonzo Cat]

Well, I guess the start of the Bills game is proof there is a God.

 

[IsRichieGonnaStart]

Listening to the KSR postgame podcast.

Unreal. I honestly don’t think Cal fully realizes how bad it’s going to get for him. Shit’s about to get real.

Hell hath no fury like a scorned BJW.

 

[jayroon]

Or just hire an assistant coach that knows what the f*** he's doing.
Bobby Bowden extended his career by decades by doing that.

Larry Brown

 

[cut_itloosedoubledeuce]

The nba started in 1946.
Larry brown was born in 1940.
No thanks

 

[krazykats]

Like I said I understand the idea that it’s Cal, but he has to play Oscar. CJ is the softest player I’ve seen in some time. Sure he needed a game like Reeves had yday where he has freedom to just play and shoot without punishment.

The counter to that is also something I understand that they can’t stay in front of anyone on defense and again Oscar at 6’8 and limited jumping ability can’t stop players so his limitations plus the other players are just too much to overcome on THIS team.

It’s a bad mix, and the coach is making it exponentially worse.

My point is what’s easier, in Cal’s world, is to bench Oscar and start Collins. That by itself allows freedom to play whoever which makes the fans happy.

But that won’t happen even though it was wildly obvious yesterday we were better with Collins, and with Oscar sitting.

 

[gobigbluebell]

Please not Oscar at the 4. A 4 in today’s game should be modeled after someone like Scott Padgett, Darius Miller, or even Terrance Jones.

TJones is my favorite 4, probably because he won a championship, but holy cow was he an athletic specimen who could…

- block a shot
- dunk a basketball
- run
- handle the rock
- pass the rock
- shoot the J occasionally
- rebound the ball
- play above the rim
- BE A POSITIONLESS PLAYER/BROTHER’S KEEPER

I know people don’t like to talk about it because it feels like it’s an excuse - when the reality is it’s the biggest knock on Cal the coach - but Cal does not come close to getting the type of player he used to. If we all know Cal sucks this bad, the players coming up today know that old man sucks.

 

[jayroon]

The nba started in 1946.
Larry brown was born in 1940.
No thanks

I know he’s old but just trying to think of someone good at xs and os that Cal would listen to.

 

[rudd1]

-**** it...who dey?

 

[wildcat1973]

Hot take - the modern Kentucky job is just too big for a coach to stay longer than 10 years. If Cal had left after Year 10 he’d be a hero. The pressures of the job are just too much to succeed longer than that. Which makes what Saban is doing at Alabama even more impressive. He never lost the fire or let the pressure get to him.

 

[TCPUKChamps]

#IUBB