IMO it’s not just offense and defense issues that got calipari here, but also his incomplete roster as well. What I mean is that getting guys who don’t fit well in cals system or too many projects who don’t turn out well. Luckily the season didn’t totally go to waste even tho it did with early exits. But before season started we only had what 6 players with few weeks before summer league. That can’t happen again either.
Matt Jones on Spaces Call: Mitch willing to give one last run with changes
- Thread starter bbncal02
- Start date
A staff of empty chairs just doesn't cut it. How big is John's coaching tree? The answer to this question is laughable. This guy surrounds himself with a bunch of stiffs who will never challenge him as a coach. It is called job security.
Nothing Matt has said since last Thursday has turned out to be correct yet.
I know Jones said Mitch has all the leverage but that just isn't true. Mitch has zero legal leverage because of the awful contract. The only quasi language is the perception of cal if he got fired, but cals been fired before, and he will still be owed a fortune.
The only hope we have is cal himself agrees to these changes, because it definitely isn't getting forced on him.
The only hope we have is cal himself agrees to these changes, because it definitely isn't getting forced on him.
You are exactly right. Oscar took all the blame the previous 2 years because everyone said he couldn't guard the pick and roll. Well O was gone this year and our defense was even worse. Throw in the fact that we haven't had a lockdown wing defender that can stop a guy from scoring 30 since maybe 2015. A couple have been serviceable but not like a Liggins, MKG, WKS, etc.
If Cal is back, Reed returning is the only thing that would keep fans engaged. I mean, I'm not going to not watch if we have Reed playing as a sophomore, even if I badly, badly want Cal gone. If Reed and most of the team is gone and Cal is back with a bunch of freshmen (a weaker recruiting class and without a guy like Reeves returning)? It could get real ugly.
Almost like Cal sucks at coaching. His great run came at a time when we were getting all the top nba talent freshmen and the talent level across the ncaa was hollowed out by more guys going pro early than ever before. It was a perfect storm where he could win simply by putting the best talent and best athletes out and doing some C level coaching. That's gone, and he can't win when other teams have as much talent as him, or just have really good players with lots of experience vs his more talented but inexperienced freshmen.
His 2008 team that went 38-2 wasn't built like the stuff he routinely does at UK. I do not understand why assembling a roster couldn't simply be "establish a team of guys who all serve a role and sprinkle one or two freshmen. I know things have changed in 16 years but the concept should remain similar. You can't win doing what he's been doing.
Or maybe he's just lost the plot completely and this is a guy who is just an egomaniac and washed.
(Some sarcasm, some not)
IF Mitch allows Cal one more try at renewing Kentucky back onto the "Gold-Standard" Mitch has to really try and take some of the BBN pressure-load off of Cal to where Cal doesn't coach too anxious, stressed or tight during games.
He needs to make sure Cal has some type of mid-week/ in-season stress relief outlet (Thursday morning bowling league) to where Cal can think more clearly during game prep and to help him be able to SEE and MAKE the needed in-game adjustments.
Maybe Mitch could talk to Jeff, Stacey and Reed Sheppard about Kentucky hiring Reed's Mental-Health-Coach to the UK basketball staff full-time????
Mitch also needs to put down an absolute mandate that any unused Time-Outs that Cal doesn't utilize during games will cost "peaches" $10k per occurrence.
I believe these type of things will get Cal more refocused on Kentucky Basketball and somewhat less on eliminating inner-city P.O.C. generational poverty!!!!
P.S. IF, IF, IF Cal TRULY cared about reducing generational poverty, he would MAKE one scholarship EVERY 4-years to a student/ player from Appalachia!!! 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
IF Mitch allows Cal one more try at renewing Kentucky back onto the "Gold-Standard" Mitch has to really try and take some of the BBN pressure-load off of Cal to where Cal doesn't coach too anxious, stressed or tight during games.
He needs to make sure Cal has some type of mid-week/ in-season stress relief outlet (Thursday morning bowling league) to where Cal can think more clearly during game prep and to help him be able to SEE and MAKE the needed in-game adjustments.
Maybe Mitch could talk to Jeff, Stacey and Reed Sheppard about Kentucky hiring Reed's Mental-Health-Coach to the UK basketball staff full-time????
Mitch also needs to put down an absolute mandate that any unused Time-Outs that Cal doesn't utilize during games will cost "peaches" $10k per occurrence.
I believe these type of things will get Cal more refocused on Kentucky Basketball and somewhat less on eliminating inner-city P.O.C. generational poverty!!!!
P.S. IF, IF, IF Cal TRULY cared about reducing generational poverty, he would MAKE one scholarship EVERY 4-years to a student/ player from Appalachia!!! 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
Last edited:
Well, back then he couldn't GET five freshmen who were one and done caliber. Plus, the absolute flood of early entry hadn't happened yet. 32 guys went early in the 2007 draft. Compare that to 86 in 2019. So he necessarily had older teams. Then throw in a guy in Rose who would be NBA MVP only 3 years later, and he struck gold. He had a few year long really good run at Memphis when he started adding one or two ELITE freshmen to a really good core of experienced, talented guys. But his first 5 years there had 3 missed tournaments and 2 first weekend exits.
You, me or anyone else need struggle.
Whether I do or don't watch will be my choice.
I grew up in Eastern Kentucky.
Kentucky basketball was part of one's vocabulary for the vast majority.
This is not the basketball I grew up with and love.
I suspect that it's become so business oriented that it's lost it's original goal to compete for championships.
This whole situation is weird.
Bottom line is: I can't change all situations, but I can determine how important or trivial it is compared to life in general.
Thanks for listening to my rant.
Do get to watch practice or get to view the inside of hundles and in game coaching by the assistants? How you know what assistants are valuable and which ones aren’t?
I went to games early this year and got to watch Welch actually work out the players and he basically changed the offense for a while as well. Ulis is useful because alot of the player talk about him and how they can relate to them. Bruiser flint is literally a charity donation from Kentucky, chin and Orlando are just Cal’s buddies who do nothing.
Good point, but I'd live with it if it means we're back to winning meaningful games during the regular season and deep into March/April
Well, that sounds better than the original post.
My thought is this: this is not a one-time situation. This is 3 straight years losing to inferior teams. If it were just St Peter's, I'd call it a fluke. If it were just Kansas St, I'd give him a pass. I was willing to move forward with Cal this year because I loved this team and saw potential we haven't seen in the last couple years. But losing to Oakland on top of St Peter's and Kansas St? It's inexcusable.
Mitch wants changes? We all want changes. I can't imagine Cal making enough changes or being ok with the changes that are necessary.
My wife tracks it all back to the lifetime contract, and I think she's right. At that moment, he knew he was locked in, so he could do what he really wanted to do. He could focus on the players, their families, and making NBA millionaires. Kentucky wins started coming in after his other agenda. I'm not saying he's evil for having that other agenda. It's a fine goal if you’re running a charity or a foundation. But that's not his job.
I consider myself a very patient man and I've been very patient with John Calipari. Some would say I've been patient to a fault, and I can't argue that point any longer. I'm done with Calipari. He just needs to go now. No negotiations or suggested changes. He is the problem. The reasons are too numerous to list. It was good (mostly) while it lasted, but it's over.
The most humorous thing to come out of all of this is finding out that Cal doesn't have an agent. Mitch opened his mouth and Cal just slid it in.
If they decide to run it back for another year and it fails, then Mitch has to go as well. This man was bamboozled by a smooth talking fraud and landed us in the worst contract in the history of CBB.
If they decide to run it back for another year and it fails, then Mitch has to go as well. This man was bamboozled by a smooth talking fraud and landed us in the worst contract in the history of CBB.
Staff pay checks…they eating gd now all appear to have gain little weight.
You do understand that means cal gets the fortune he's contractually owed? Again we have zero legal leverage. The only sliver we have is if cal cares about appearance.
I think this year that easy. The players themselves are not built to grind physically man to man. And second we did have the rim protection we're used to in the past.
But dont fall for this fallacy. Yes we had alwasy had better defensive numbers in past teams but it wasnt because we guarded the ball any better than these guys (well maybe slightly). We never guarded the ball well even with some of our best teams but we had crazy rim protectors and that make such a huge difference.
Just look at this year, when we went on that mini stretch beating Auburn and Tennesse it was because we guarded a little better but UGO took over at the rim. Then Ugo went right back to being passive at the rim down the stretch and it cost us.
On Cals good defensive teams we got by with better athletes and incredible rim protectors but we never played good man to man defense. Add in less physical athletes who are not built to play it and no rim protector and you got what you got this year.
Until the tournament game where he let Oakland’s coach bait him and cal decided to try and force the ball to Mitchell
We are 11 months past the time it looked like COW was returning. Mitch and CCC had the uncomfortable question and answer session and my hopes for the next season dropped off the cliff. Then soon after, HE is gone. Hallelujah!!
Doing some reflecting on our current coaching staff and players and am estactic. Yes, we have been somewhat inconsistent with both head scratching wins and losses. Yet, I am so happy that we have a TEAM, playing for each other and not the NBA. Looking forward to hopefully getting Lamont and Jax back and playing our best basketball. God bless Coach Pope, the excellent coach and better human being!
Doing some reflecting on our current coaching staff and players and am estactic. Yes, we have been somewhat inconsistent with both head scratching wins and losses. Yet, I am so happy that we have a TEAM, playing for each other and not the NBA. Looking forward to hopefully getting Lamont and Jax back and playing our best basketball. God bless Coach Pope, the excellent coach and better human being!
Last edited:
Similar threads
