Terrence Jones was a massive returnee. Add in Lamb, and those guys are a huge reason we won it all in their sophomore season
Here’s what I think happens….
- Thread starter LXWildcat
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NBA $ > NIL $.
I think it will be that Reed (and his parents) think he just needs to enjoy being a kid and the college experience for at least 1 more year. Unlike many athletes, he (nor Wagner) are expected to bring their families out of generational poverty over-night, at the cost of their youth.
I must have missed the benching of Reed. He plays the 3rd most minutes behind Tre and Reeves. Quit making up BS to justify your feelings on Cal. There are plenty of reasons to dislike Cal without having to make any up.
More playing time? He plays the 3rd most minutes. I just don't get the fascination with who starts. The only reason Reed doesn't play more minutes is he does need to get a breather every so often based on how hard he plays.
I’m not so sure about that. “Available coaches “ is actually speculation on everyone’s part . Transfer portal helps a lot . It would still be a net gain.
Not everyone can handle the job at UK. More likely than not most the coaches people want are more likely to turn out like Billie G than Rick Pitino. It's just the truth. As I said be careful what you wish for.
We’ve only had 2 coaches that didn’t win national championships here. Neither lasted very long. I believe that “careful what you wish for” crap is a “boogie man” phrase that Cal lovers use to try and scare people who aren’t happy with Calipari. A person could apply that mindset in any aspect of their lives and be stuck in whatever situation they’re in forever. For the most part , I think it’s a pretty stupid saying.
I don’t think “careful what you wish for” is anything to prop up Cal. I am almost willing to bet our next hire won’t be a super established coach with a sustained history of tournament success. We will get a younger up and comer with one decent tournament run and hope he’s the right fit. Pitino fit that bill. Gillispie did too until he didn’t.
Outside of a couple established names who likely wouldn’t leave programs they built from the ground up to come to a fish bowl where they will be scrutinized by hundreds of thousands of wannabe coaches who haven’t stepped foot on a basketball court in 40 years, the search will likely be a crapshoot.
If it hits, we’re in business. If it misses, how long do we give the new guy before deciding to part ways? What’s the bar and how long of a “rebuild” will be acceptable? One year? Two years? Three?
What if we hired, say, Dusty May and he goes 18-13 and misses the tournament year 1 and 20-11 in with a 9 seed in year 2. Will this fanbase be happy with those results? Will they be all in for year 3?
I have a feeling many UK fans will expect the new coach to do what Cal did in year 1 - take us from an also ran to title contenders overnight. I would hope the next coach could pull this off, but forgive me for being at least somewhat skeptical, especially if Cal leaves the cupboard absolutely bare, which I fully expect him to do.
How many years did the coaches coach who won them though. Minus Pitino it took them time. Tubby got one his first year then nothing. It's a decade plus for a championship. Odd are a new coach won't correlate to instant success. And the history of the program will back that up.
I think maybe we’re debating different things. You’re saying to get back to where most fans want, and I’m saying to be an improvement over a declining coach at the end of his career. Both of us are probably right.
Rupp got his first NCAA title in his 17th season, but did win a couple Helms titles early in his tenure. He won the NIT in his 12th season.
Hall - Won a title in his sixth season
Pitino won a title after his 7th season and left after his 8th.
Tubby won a title in year one and never got close again
Cal won a title in his third season.
This is just factoids. No editorializing intended.
I think this is spot on. I will also point out the viewpoint that has shows a trend on UK coaches. I have seen it repeatedly online and heard it even longer. When UK hires coaches they have a cycle. They go legend, average, and drunk. If you look at tenures it holds true.
Rupp - Legend
Hall - Average
Sutton - Drunk
Pitino - Legend
Tubby - Average (slightly above average maybe)
Clyde - Drunk
Cal - Legend
If this cycle holds true, the next coach will be average or slightly above average.
He’s controlled by Klutch and we all know the ties they have the LeBron obviously. So my prediction is based off the rumors circulating before the season that they wanted him to be at USC with Bronny. Bronny won’t go to the league after this season and it’s a real possibility we could Bradshaw transfer if he returns to college
Yeah guess we would only win 6 games and lose to Evansville and St Pete.
I believe most UK fans (at least on this board) are smarter than you are giving them credit for. I also believe the scenario you laid out is almost “worst case” . There is a very high probability the results would be between those “crazy fans “ expectations and yours .
I also don’t know where you came up with Dusty May because I haven’t seen his name mentioned. But I can tell you right now , unless he’s an alcoholic he would probably be more successful here than where he’s at .
Regardless, being “scared “should never factor into whether or not to “wish “ for something. Look , I know Cal is not going to be fired . But it doesn’t keep me from hoping that someway, somehow, he decides to leave. I’m not scared at all what will happen.
What makes Cal a Legend? He is under the good for the program but there's alot of people that believe he's cleaned out the good with alot of bad. Not all fans care about the NBA billions he's created. If it's about the university then he's gonna go out a disappointment. Who the hell falls so far in such a easy spot like UK. NOT A #1 RANKING OR 1 SEED in so long that most fans can't remember when.
Cal's combined two tenures into one: legend and average. I contend the next coach should be closely vetted for alcohol issues
In 13 seasons Joe Hall won 8 sec championships, 1 nit (when it meant something) , 3 final fours, 2 championship games , and a national championship. That is far from average. You’re a crazy if you think Tubby had a better UK tenure.
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So not getting past the first weekend, not winning the SEC, losing record against ranked non conference opponents, and losing several games we shouldn't is easier to swallow with more talent?
show me where I said Tubby had a better tenure. I loved Hall but his results were when the tournament was smaller and a lot less competitive. I do think Tubby is a better coach than Hall was though.
I also find it funny that the people who want to be so optimistic about a late season run after a subpar regular season (even though it's only happened twice in 15 years) but have no optimism that another coach could do better than Cal has done the last 4-5 years.
So it's ok to think positively about one thing, but not the other. Got it!
So it's ok to think positively about one thing, but not the other. Got it!
Well you said Hall was Average and Tubby was Average or slightly above average so………And I don’t believe the tournament was “less competitive “ in Halls days . I believe there were a lot more great teams back then . Are you a young dude ?
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A year from being 50 so no. My earliest UK memory is Kyle Macy and he was my favorite player at that time. The tournament didn't expand to 64 teams until 1985. One less game meant one less chance to lose. A 64 team tournament is much more competitive than a 32 team one IMO. The parity today is much higher than it was then too IMO. The separation between great teams and others is much less today. The above average was about coaching ability not necessarily the tenure. The tenures are close IMO.
So it’s championship or bust with you guys ? Hall went to the national championship game in his 3 rd season, Rick Pitino got us to the final 8 in his 3rd season and final 4 in his fourth season (despite probation) , Tubby, Cal got a final 4 in his 2nd season.
If you want to be negative that's on you to figure out whatever is going on in your life. I'll be here rooting for Cal and co. and if they can't get it done this year then someone else can step in to take over, assuming Barnhart makes the right hire.
Fair enough. I can respect that.
But, IMO, it would be foolish to not at least consider that things might get worse than they are today with a new hire if that hire stumbles out of the blocks, is a poor recruiter/coach/staff builder or if he is incapable of handling the non-basketball aspects of the job.
You are correct that Cal won’t be fired. Best case for a change would be a storybook deep run this year and Cal retiring on a somewhat high note. I seriously doubt fan pressure from people he obviously looks down upon will cause him to leave all that money on the table voluntarily if we, say, lose to a 12 seed in the first round as a 5. Fans will demand a firing. Mitch won’t do it. Cal will claim he doesn’t listen to the noise.
Cal is an egomaniac. He will just dig his heels in further to spite us and won’t leave until he’s either too old and in poor health, fired after a really bad year (or worse, years) or ends on a high note “his way” with a FF or title and walks away on his own accord.
I also believe my crazy fan scenario is more correct than incorrect. I see it often here and more on social media. There are plenty of UK fans who expect (or else) to win the title every single season no matter the roster construction, schedule or coach.
I agree with everything you posted here except maybe the last statement But thats not something provable by either of us . lol
I'm as avid a cat fan as there is, and I don't expect to win a title every single season. I know a bunch of cat fans, and I can't name a single one who expects to win a title every season. What I do expect, (if not every season, at least 4/5 or at worse 7/10 seasons) is to be in teh conversation about teams w/ a legitimate shot to win the title. At a school w/ UK's history and resources, that's not an unreasonable expectation.
Disagree. UK has one a title with every new coach except one. Odds are we won't have another BG.
Better way to put it is:
All of our coaches who were not raging alcoholics have won at least one title while at UK.
