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I don't see any guaranteed wins on the schedule

IL Wildcat

IL Wildcat

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Feb 20, 2003
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As most of you know, I'm usually very positive about the team, or I at least try to be positive when I post on this message board. But with the way the team played Saturday and has played in every competitive game this season, I don't see an easy W anywhere on the schedule. Now, we SHOULD beat South Carolina at Rupp on Tuesday, but if we play the way we did on Saturday, is that a definite win? I don't think so. Yes, they just got destroyed by Tennessee but we just got destroyed by Alabama. They're gonna be desperate for a win. From there, a loss at Tennessee is almost a guarantee at this point, the only question is margin. I'd set the odds in Tennessee's favor and at least in the teens for a betting line. Georgia comes to town next week and should be a win, but they're playing better of late. Texas A&M is Jan 21 and they're playing very well, with stifling defense, very physical, which is exactly the thing that this team struggles with. At Vandy is always an adventure in their freaky gym, and then Kansas comes to town to avenge what we did to them last season, and they likely will beat us by a similar margin, maybe more. We end January at Ole Miss, a sure sell-out, t-shirt giveaway and rowdy crowd, and a likely loss. February doesn't get any easier and the SEC always back-loads the UK schedule to end the season with the toughest matchups.

You get the point I'm making. I'm sure the team will win some of these games but I doubt they hit 20 wins. That's why I'm saying NIT is likely. Would a 19-12 UK team get in the Dance? How about a 20-11 UK team with 0 quad 1 wins? I don't think so. I would have never believed it in August. If someone had said NIT back then, I would have laughed it off. But this is where we are.
 
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Next thing you know HerrosHeroes will give up his ghost. That’s how I know we’ve reached rock bottom
 
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IL Wildcat said:
As most of you know, I'm usually very positive about the team, or I at least try to be positive when I post on this message board. But with the way the team played Saturday and has played in every competitive game this season, I don't see an easy W anywhere on the schedule. Now, we SHOULD beat South Carolina at Rupp on Tuesday, but if we play the way we did on Saturday, is that a definite win? I don't think so. Yes, they just got destroyed by Tennessee but we just got destroyed by Alabama. They're gonna be desperate for a win. From there, a loss at Tennessee is almost a guarantee at this point, the only question is margin. I'd set the odds in Tennessee's favor and at least in the teens for a betting line. Georgia comes to town next week and should be a win, but they're playing better of late. Texas A&M is Jan 21 and they're playing very well, with stifling defense, very physical, which is exactly the thing that this team struggles with. At Vandy is always an adventure in their freaky gym, and then Kansas comes to town to avenge what we did to them last season, and they likely will beat us by a similar margin, maybe more. We end the January at Ole Miss, a sure sell-out, t-shirt giveaway and rowdy crowd, and a likely loss. February doesn't get any easier and the SEC always back-loads the UK schedule to end the season with the toughest matchups.

You get the point I'm making. I'm sure the team will win some of these games but I doubt they hit 20 wins. That's why I'm saying NIT is likely. Would a 19-12 UK team get in the Dance? How about a 20-11 UK team with 0 quad 1 wins? I don't think so. I would have never believed it in August. If someone had said NIT back then, I would have laughed it off. But this is where we are.
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I bought the preseason hype with this team. I wish I hadn’t, because it’s made this season even more disappointing.
 
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I Don't think in my 40 plus years of watching UK that I have ever seen a team just give up...And that's what I witnessed Saturday which is totally unacceptable. I remember when Cal got here, he had a quote "I can't hide you" which I assume meant some of the abilities of the current roster when he took over....Now I'm thinking that same quote applies to him and his lack of coaching...Something has got to change folks.
 
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This team is in a very dangerous spot. The losses have piled up, and they have all been close to blowouts. Mentally, will this team find a way to try and rally or will they fold and just limp to the end of the season.

This is not a tournament team at the moment, and it can continue to get ugly. Teams will be licking their chops to have a chance to run UK out the gym.

I really don’t have any faith that Cal can get this team mentally prepared for the rest of the season.
 
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drcats2013 said:
Is NIT, first round exit, NIT, enough to get Cal fired? Hope so.
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Not with that buyout. The barrier to Cal being fired is measured in dollar signs, not on court performance.

I honestly think UK would be ready to fire him right now if he had a reasonable contract, but it simply can’t yet financially afford to do it with this insane one handcuffing us.
 
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It’s just this simple, CCC with a talented roster can’t win against competition he just can’t. If next years class has a generational talent and that’s a big if they may be able to overcome CCC but I’m doubting that too. Hopefully after next season CAL decides to step away or Texas wants him and his class next year.
 
I hate it but I think we loose some games we should win or we are favored in.

As of now unless something changes my mind I’m afraid we are going to be a bubble team.
 
I'd say its hard to not give up when you keep trying the same thing and its failing - and you're on a tight leash - you deviate from the game plan and you're yanked

or you never get to set foot on the court to begin with.
 
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Tomorrow night is about as guaranteed as we'll get the rest of the season.

USCjr shoots 31% from 3 and 63% from the FT line.
 
dcw62 said:
I Don't think in my 40 plus years of watching UK that I have ever seen a team just give up...And that's what I witnessed Saturday which is totally unacceptable. I remember when Cal got here, he had a quote "I can't hide you" which I assume meant some of the abilities of the current roster when he took over....Now I'm thinking that same quote applies to him and his lack of coaching...Something has got to change folks.
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That's what I saw too. I think they know that Cal isn't preparing them for these games well enough - or at all, really - and they gave up. I think if he doesn't try and do something significantly different and very soon that gives them some faith in him, they are going to mail it in the rest of the season. Because they know the coach is mailing it in.

Heck, some might opt out or even transfer. Do you think any of their draft stock has gotten higher this year? Anyone on the team at all? Now ask that question about Bryce Hopkins stock.
 
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Texas A&M thumped LSU by 13 at home and we were fortunate to beat them. Vandy rolls into Missouri and gives them all they want, and could have have easily won. While comparative scores aren't science, I think those are warning shots that there are a lot of teams in the league that can play us really tough. I see South Carolina as a a guaranteed win, but after that it gets a lot murkier.


WeWant9 said:
This team is in a very dangerous spot. The losses have piled up, and they have all been close to blowouts. Mentally, will this team find a way to try and rally or will they fold and just limp to the end of the season.
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Agree completely. Ordinarily, I'd still feel like we stil lhave a shot to do some damage in the SEC, but this team seems to be succeptible to caving into adversity. I'm afraid that if he have a big loss to Tennessee and somebody else, that the wheels will come off completely. There won't be any bottom if that happens.
 
Texas A&M thumped LSU by 13 at home and we were fortunate to beat them. Vandy rolls into Missouri and gives them all they want, and could have have easily won. While comparative scores aren't science, I think those are warning shots that there are a lot of teams in the league that can play us extremely tough. I see South Carolina as a a guaranteed win, but after that it gets a lot murkier.


WeWant9 said:
This team is in a very dangerous spot. The losses have piled up, and they have all been close to blowouts. Mentally, will this team find a way to try and rally or will they fold and just limp to the end of the season.
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Agree completely. Ordinarily, I'd still feel like we stil lhave a shot to do some damage in the SEC, but this team seems to be succeptible to caving into adversity. I'm afraid that if he have a big loss to Tennessee and somebody else, that the wheels will come off completely. There won't be any bottom if that happens.
 
It’s ok. Cal will collect his 9 million, Wallace will get drafted, Toppin will be a fringe last pick of the draft, Collins will test the waters before transferring to smu and murdering it while playing his natural position (center), livingston will go on to average 25 and 8 at Ohio state playing his natural position (the 4), and reeves will sign a 10 day contract for some shorthanded team and make every shot he takes for some coach in the nba who knows how to run an offense (ala mulder).

Then we will have the greatest recruiting class ever come in next year and struggle to put up 50 on every decent team they play. Wash rinse repeat.
 
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ULisnotmyman said:
It’s ok. Cal will collect his 9 million, Wallace will get drafted, Toppin will be a fringe last pick of the draft, Collins will test the waters before transferring to smu and murdering it while playing his natural position (center), livingston will go on to average 25 and 8 at Ohio state playing his natural position (the 4), and reeves will sign a 10 day contract for some shorthanded team and make every shot he takes for some coach in the nba who knows how to run an offense (ala mulder).

Then we will have the greatest recruiting class ever come in next year and struggle to put up 50 on every decent team they play. Wash rinse repeat.
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This is probably fairly close to reality, IMO.
 
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So yeah this team is going to struggle to win games make the tourney and CCC blames anyone and everyone but himself.
 
know1 said:
That's what I saw too. I think they know that Cal isn't preparing them for these games well enough - or at all, really - and they gave up. I think if he doesn't try and do something significantly different and very soon that gives them some faith in him, they are going to mail it in the rest of the season. Because they know the coach is mailing it in.

Heck, some might opt out or even transfer. Do you think any of their draft stock has gotten higher this year? Anyone on the team at all? Now ask that question about Bryce Hopkins stock.
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I think he just wears on people significantly these days. Transfers, refs, assistants leaving, teams quitting on him. I mean if he communicates to the team like he does when a microphone is on....rambling gibberish that contradicts himself minutes apart you can see why. OT commenting about them getting him to calm down was something but Cal taking exception and denying it was notable.
 
UK90 said:
Not with that buyout. The barrier to Cal being fired is measured in dollar signs, not on court performance.

I honestly think UK would be ready to fire him right now if he had a reasonable contract, but it simply can’t yet financially afford to do it with this insane one handcuffing us.
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I, too, ILWildcat, have been as positive and supportive on this board for many, many years as anyone. At least I feel as I have been. I came here after the defeats to talk folks down off the ledge and to bring some clarity and sanity and perspective that I think our passionate fanbase gets a little too much caught up in.

However, the tone and frequency of my posts have tailed off the past couple years, as the reality of what I saw happening when I called it - I could see all of this coming after the 2016 season, and it was crystal clear after the disastrous worst year ever in the history of the program. Unfortunately, there's nothing positive I can take away from 3watching what is transpiring before my eyes this season.

No amount of positive support nor optimistic attitude can prevent the disaster unfolding - YET AAGAIN - before our eyes.

it's so sad.

I'll only add this, since I am utterly short of constructive positivity (thank you for those that can bear the sadness in my heart after following the program for 45+ years) :


~~~~~~^^^ this post - This is the answer to Kentucky's situation with CCC at the helm, the way they have structured things. It's backed the university into a very embarrassing and untenable position.

The only thing good from this season will be putting the final nail into the coffin for CCC to be gone and done with from the program. And unfortunately, it will have to continue until the final, anticlimactic ending, which is going to be ugly and extremely sad and depressing to see, from a Kentucky fan's viewpoint.

It cant get here soon enough, in my estimation. I find it interesting so many people have finally come around to seeing CCC much as I have for quite sometime. I had been eviscerated (much like how Kentucky was eviscerated) on this board for my very harsh criticism of CCC in the past. And I apologized for being so negative and then ultimately, consigned to witness what we continue to see, sitting here in abject silence as this season unfolds.

Now, it seems, all has come full circle.

I'll go back now to silently watching this debacle of a season and coaching tenure at Kentucky come to an ignominious end.

back to your regularly scheduled programming

but forever, go big blue.
I just want to watch something enjoyable again, and I'll be back to when any kind of fun and happiness and pleasure can be derived from the product, that, in the end ...

Is just a game

Real life is so very much more important, and much as my own struggles with cancer and a broken back will forever continue, so too, shall my undying support and love for Kentucky basketball. No matter the depressing state of affairs or sadness in my heart, having it hurt so much to simply turn away and walk away from something I have followed so closely for so long. I'm sure someday I can be back fully investing with renewed vigor and positive vibes all around to support what we all love so very much here.
 
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