Just ended the longest Sweet 16 drought of my lifetime!

[Aike]

No wonder this feels so good!

4 year gap from 1988-1992.

5 year gap from 2005-2010.

6 year gap from 2019-2025.

Truth be told, it was the largest gap in any of our lifetimes. First 6 year streak since the Sweet 16 became a thing.

 

[know1]

It's just almost unbelievable how UK got itself into a mess that it couldn't get out of for about 7 years longer than it should have taken.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

No wonder this feels so good!

4 year gap from 1988-1992.

5 year gap from 2005-2010.

6 year gap from 2019-2025.

Truth be told, it was the largest gap in any of our lifetimes. First 6 year streak since the Sweet 16 became a thing.

To be fair....it was really only a 5 year gap, because there was no tournament in 2020 (and we 1,000% would have made the Sweet Sixteen).

So we went 4 tournaments in a row without a sweet sixteen (21, 22, 23 and 24).

Ties the longest streak in program history with 05-10 (no SS in 06, 07, 08 or 09).

 

[Cats192]

To be fair....it was really only a 5 year gap, because there was no tournament in 2020 (and we 1,000% would have made the Sweet Sixteen).

So we went 4 tournaments in a row without a sweet sixteen (21, 22, 23 and 24).

Ties the longest streak in program history with 05-10 (no SS in 06, 07, 08 or 09).

I get what you're saying. But that's still an extra year we didn't get to experience it. It's a year that doesn't show up for us in the record books.

 

[Cats192]

We hadn't won 2 tournament games since 2019. Mark Pope won 2 in the last 3 days.

 

[Wildcats1st]

To be fair....it was really only a 5 year gap, because there was no tournament in 2020 (and we 1,000% would have made the Sweet Sixteen).

So we went 4 tournaments in a row without a sweet sixteen (21, 22, 23 and 24).

Ties the longest streak in program history with 05-10 (no SS in 06, 07, 08 or 09).

Im terms of waiting. It’s been 6 years. The fact we had to wait even a season with hall of fame cal and his fat check is a travesty. I have to point this out. Half the time barney has been AD we did make the s16. That’s pathetic.

 

[drcats2013]

To be fair....it was really only a 5 year gap, because there was no tournament in 2020 (and we 1,000% would have made the Sweet Sixteen).

So we went 4 tournaments in a row without a sweet sixteen (21, 22, 23 and 24).

Ties the longest streak in program history with 05-10 (no SS in 06, 07, 08 or 09).

You’d have 1000% bet last years team would have, too. They definitely should have, but there were no guarantees with Cal the last 5 years.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

Im terms of waiting. It’s been 6 years. The fact we had to wait even a season with hall of fame cal and his fat check is a travesty. I have to point this out. Half the time barney has been AD we did make the s16. That’s pathetic.

Barnhart needs to go, I think we can all agree on that.

Bring Rick Pitino in as AD. And I'm not joking. With Rick as our AD, we would absolutely crush the college landscape.

 

[Aike]

To be fair....it was really only a 5 year gap, because there was no tournament in 2020 (and we 1,000% would have made the Sweet Sixteen).

So we went 4 tournaments in a row without a sweet sixteen (21, 22, 23 and 24).

Ties the longest streak in program history with 05-10 (no SS in 06, 07, 08 or 09).

It was 6 years. 5 seasons, but 6 years.

We were no lock in 2020. We had a pretty good shot.

Felt like an eternity.

 

[Tampa_cat54]

You’d have 1000% bet last years team would have, too. They definitely should have, but there were no guarantees with Cal the last 5 years.

The point still stands. 4 tournament drought, ties the record.

 

[Wildcats1st]

Barnhart needs to go, I think we can all agree on that.

Bring Rick Pitino in as AD. And I'm not joking. With Rick as our AD, we would absolutely crush the college landscape.

I think too that pitino wants to see UK succeed across the board not to mention the guy has connections and owns several businesses that would generate nil.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

To be fair....it was really only a 5 year gap, because there was no tournament in 2020 (and we 1,000% would have made the Sweet Sixteen).

So we went 4 tournaments in a row without a sweet sixteen (21, 22, 23 and 24).

Ties the longest streak in program history with 05-10 (no SS in 06, 07, 08 or 09).

Regardless of whether people want to say it was four years or five years, Calipari burned this program to the ground and will always be remembered for the fact that he left this program in a horrific condition.

I think UK fans would have forgiven him if he didn't leave for a conference rival, but that sealed his fate when he went to Arkansas.

 

[kywildcat41035]

Regardless of whether people want to say it was four years or five years, Calipari burned this program to the ground and will always be remembered for the fact that he left this program in a horrific condition.

I think UK fans would have forgiven him if he didn't leave for a conference rival, but that sealed his fate when he went to Arkansas.

9-16 , ST Peters, Oakland, Richmond, Evansville, UNC Wilmington, Robert Morris, and the NIT bid is what I will remember most about Cal's time as coach at UK!

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

9-16 , ST Peters, Oakland, Richmond, Evansville, UNC Wilmington, Robert Morris, and the NIT bid is what I will remember most about Cal's time as coach at UK!

He got fat and comfortable.

 

[Chief Paducah]

Regardless of whether people want to say it was four years or five years, Calipari burned this program to the ground and will always be remembered for the fact that he left this program in a horrific condition.

I think UK fans would have forgiven him if he didn't leave for a conference rival, but that sealed his fate when he went to Arkansas.

This was always going to be the case unfortunately. Calipari developed the one and done model and while it was wildly successful, it was going to leave the cupboard bare when he left. I loved the ride we were on from 2010-215 but the writing was on the wall that we were going to be in a really bad spot when he decided to leave/retire. It was not a sustainable model.

 

[know1]

9-16 , ST Peters, Oakland, Richmond, Evansville, UNC Wilmington, Robert Morris, and the NIT bid is what I will remember most about Cal's time as coach at UK!

Same. I wish he'd never been hired as the UK coach.

 

[dynastydreamuk]

It's just almost unbelievable how UK got itself into a mess that it couldn't get out of for about 7 years longer than it should have taken.

Thanks to Mitch Barnhart and his very poor contract management. Has a bad hire rate as well: hired Gillespie when he could have hired Cal or even Pitino back in 2007, hired Joker Phillips, Hired Kyra Elzy ...he basically has a 50% hit rate for the big 3 sports.

This was always going to be the case unfortunately. Calipari developed the one and done model and while it was wildly successful, it was going to leave the cupboard bare when he left. I loved the ride we were on from 2010-215 but the writing was on the wall that we were going to be in a really bad spot when he decided to leave/retire. It was not a sustainable model.

Yup, it got really unsustainable when the other blue bloods started really mass recruiting the top ten one and done freshman and Duke and Kansas started getting top 5 guys which left way less for us to have. Not getting top 5 guys, Combined with losing Robic marked a drastic change. First five year Cal gets Zion but when you have to compete with Duke/Nike you may not win that lottery.

 

[dynastydreamuk]

Same. I wish he'd never been hired as the UK coach.

I'm not going that far. A TITLE and 4 final four in 15 years you kind of got to take that. If somebody told you Pope replicates Cals exact record you take it... you take those final fours and title even with the bad...

Problem with Cals tenure is it was front loaded and the back end was historic bad for Kentucky. He was the best coach to have those first 10 years though hands down, we couldn't have had anyone better during those ten years besides coach k or self maybe.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

On the opposite end, our longest streak of making S16 and EE is 1995 to 1999. 5 seasons.


This century we lost in S16 in 01, 02, and 18. Won in S16 in 03, 05, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17 and 19.

So 9-3.

 

[kywildcat41035]

He got fat and comfortable.

I totally agree when you get a guaranteed 9 million a year with no incentives you can just coast along...

 

[kywildcat41035]

I'm not going that far. A TITLE and 4 final four in 15 years you kind of got to take that. If somebody told you Pope replicates Cals exact record you take it... you take those final fours and title even with the bad...

Problem with Cals tenure is it was front loaded and the back end was historic bad for Kentucky. He was the best coach to have those first 10 years though hands down, we couldn't have had anyone better during those ten years besides coach k or self maybe.

The bad part is you can't take the first 10 years if the coach is going to give you the last 5 years like he did. In my eyes he's going to be remembered more for the bad then he will be for the good . The bad will always outweigh the good and lets be honest in the first 10 years he had the NIT bid and the Robert Morris loss also mixed in with it so it really wasn't a full 10 great years.

 

[FtWorthCat]

Barnhart needs to go, I think we can all agree on that.

Bring Rick Pitino in as AD. And I'm not joking. With Rick as our AD, we would absolutely crush the college landscape.

This might be the most stupid thing I've ever read on this board, and that is saying a lot. You do realize that it's all based on being at least competitive in football correct? Conferences can expand, and they can contract. Pitino would be clueless on football and any other sports.

 

[know1]

I'm not going that far. A TITLE and 4 final four in 15 years you kind of got to take that. If somebody told you Pope replicates Cals exact record you take it... you take those final fours and title even with the bad...

Problem with Cals tenure is it was front loaded and the back end was historic bad for Kentucky. He was the best coach to have those first 10 years though hands down, we couldn't have had anyone better during those ten years besides coach k or self maybe.

In the 15 years he was here, a number of coaches could have come in and won at least 1 title and gotten to multiple Final Fours. Those positives don't outweigh Cal's negatives at UK for me.

 

[KFuqua]

This might be the most stupid thing I've ever read on this board, and that is saying a lot. You do realize that it's all based on being at least competitive in football correct? Conferences can expand, and they can contract. Pitino would be clueless on football and any other sports.

Exactly! And I'm not even sure he could properly run a basketball program. Just please keep that garbage away from Kentucky!

 

[Tampa_cat54]

This might be the most stupid thing I've ever read on this board, and that is saying a lot. You do realize that it's all based on being at least competitive in football correct? Conferences can expand, and they can contract. Pitino would be clueless on football and any other sports.

Sorry I hurt your feelings so bad.

Rick is a winner, doesn't accept anything less than being the best at what we do, and he fundraises better than almost anybody. AND, the boosters and fanbase love him now.

He can have a deputy AD, hell he can have 5 of them, like Barnhart had with Dwayne Peevey who can be the main football liaison, but he has been involved in conference realignment, fundraising, knows what it takes to be great and competitive in terms of resources and recruiting landscape and NIL, and he's a WINNER.