Noticed that Cal was in Brooklyn today...
- Thread starter Aike
- Start date
All that just to say Cal might value more than titles at this point in his career?
Honest to God, And I've said this many times, I always thought Cal was the most competitive SOB alive. Back in the mid 2,000's I attended a closed memphis practice and watched him destroy Antonio Anderson and Another time Jeremy Hunt. I love seeing players get pounded by coaches, but man this was nearly Bob Knight type insanity. I knew then he was big time. That's why I laugh at the PC crowd around here that say CAL WOULD NEVER!!!!!! Lol.
After seeing Cal get older, and the way he speaks, I'm not so sure anymore if he's AS hungry for championships as he once was. Shoot me.
He's also not the guy with a chip on his shoulder anymore imo. He's part of the club today. Maybe that's taken some edge off.
Pitino wanted that second ring so bad he was willing to sell hookers to students to get it. Don't want to go that far, but someone wondering if Cal is more concerned with having 100 in the NBA or 10 titles isn't an extreme question right now.
Hopefully Cal is so great, it won't matter which he prefers. He'll win regardless, and so far that's the only guarantee.
You make a very reasonable argument.
I just happen to disagree.
You take away all the Swaggy Cal persona, which includes all this draft night players school bullshit, and you get to the core of Cal. The same bulldog that ripped Antonio Andersons ass wide.
Guys like Cal and Pitino and K don't change. If they do, they retire. Cal came here to wins championships, as you stated. Winning one is not good enough. Watch him on the sidelines. He wants it more than the players most times.
He says what he has to to get the players. He needs the players to win 'ships. That is why he does what he does---to win. Period.
AJMHO of course. TIFWIW.
That's what I've always believed as well. I think the " Cal loves the children" crowd is just getting to me. Posters with no ability to distinguish between coach speak, recruiting pitches, and the core of him as you stated.
So maybe we could recruit 3 star players and you would be happy. No one would expect final fours and titles.
And then there will still be a large portion of the fan base that would still complain. "All he needs is just one more title!"..."how did Cal only manage two title with all that talent?!"
I hear ya man. Honestly, that BS gets to me sometimes as well. But, when it does, I just try and take it for what it is.
You have always been fair to Cal and his system from what I have seen. My post was not directed at you, more to the people who sit around and wait to pounce on Cal for some perceived slight or error.
He's the same guy at the core, but he realized a long time ago that being consumed by nothing but wins would kill him.
So he developed this players first mantra, believing that the wins would follow from putting others ahead of himself.
But he ain't Gandhi. And there are times when he is going to spin a position until it fits his philosophy. Then he goes to mass every day and prays about it.
I do believe that making the Hall took a little edge off of him. And my gut tells me that he could retire without another ring and be at peace with it. Which is probably not what you want to hear.
But I still think he gets one or two more. I'm optimistic.
Bam has one ingredient to his profile that Diallo is missing. He's already played 38 games vs. D-1 competition.
The NBA thinks they know who he is, and they are willing to pay a premium to get him now instead of a year from now.
If Bam returns and is the same player, he might fall out of the draft completely.
Diallo has no games vs. top competition. If he performs well against a college schedule next season, he could make a huge leap.
And yes, Bam could have played great and improved next year. Not saying he couldn't. Just that Diallo is more of an unknown with more upside. Bam is more of a known with more downside.
Bam, as a sophomore, with some shooting work, would definitely be a higher pick than he is now, especially in, what we believe, will be a weaker draft in 18.
Looks to me like he could slip to the second round this year and, to me, why would you leave if you are anything but a definite first rounder?
I've said it a hundred times on here, I love Cal, but he "encourages" guys to leave to make room for new guys, when they could come back and benefit themselves AND UK.
So many on here tell me, and others, that we are being selfish because we want what's best for UK and not the kids, but, in my opinion, why is it bad for a kid like Bam to return when he could end up in the second round. Come back and take another shot at getting a first round pick, especially when it's well known that the next draft is going to feature a lot less talent.
Just seems to me like UK is playing second fiddle to the NBA and not only did we push Bam out the door, but we didn't get the guy that we pushed him out for.
Makes no sense to me.
I think Cal and UK were sure they were going to get Bamba. IMO a frosh Bamba is a better fit than a soph Bam in terms of talent and fit into the offense/defense. Unfortunately for UK and Cal they struck out there. So if the strategy was in fact to "push out" Bam to make room for Bamba it was a grave miscalculation this time around
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.
Bam = the bird in the hand.
He was a known commodity, a guy that, with a little work, could have made UK a legit contender next year. I just don't see how they are a contender now.
I know Cal is, by far, the best recruiter there has ever been, but even he can't predict what these kids will do.
We all thought UK was getting Bamba, thought we were getting Jared Allen too, but missed on those guys as well as other sure bets over the years.
To me, the smart decision, if UK's success is the goal, is to hang on to your bird in hand when you know he isn't a sure fire first rounder.
You asked a question and I tried to answer it.
Bam is more of a known quantity. The NBA thinks they know what he is because they've seen him. Yes, he could get better. But if he doesn't, he will drop. He also doesn't have freakish measurables to up his stock.
Diallo is a freak but they don't really know if he can play yet. So the variance of where he might go is wider.
I don't know the particulars of the conversations between Cal and Bam. I don't know Bam's family situation or how badly he wants/needs to start getting paid. I don't know what he's been told by teams or where he will be drafted. Maybe you know all of that stuff.
