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Oscar Tshiebwe at “85% healthy” right now

I guess I missed that. I took the fact the he didn't play those first few games to mean he was not ready yet. And even if ready for CC it is reasonable to think he wouldn't be full throttle back to the Oscar we know for a bit.

Hard to know without knowing what the actual procedure was. My guess is whatever it was was less "minor" and that was simply something said to not scare BBN to the core. Either way the reality is it has been less than 2 months since procedure. 6-8 weeks is the reality for a scope recovery.

What is more worrisome is Oscar playing too soon and hurting himself again. By the timeline he came back in roughly 4 weeks.
That’s my fear as well, I mean we lost anyway so he may well have sat out and recovered instead of going 30 + minutes of play.
 
I find myself not really giving a crap.....just get the coach out of UK and I'd imagine my "give a damn" will start to increase. The teams under him last handful of seasons never reach their potential, come up short, his coaching blunders always happen to blow a big game, etc...and every year Cal gets to do his "word salad" nonsense with injuries.

This season is unfolding like so many before...so I'll wait out as he blows this year with a returning NPOY coming back, then he'll blow next year's super Freshman team and then surely this will be over and we can get a new coach that cares about the team, winning, etc. more than himself being liked by a bunch of kids.
 
Remember when Cal was brought in? Louisville fans hated his guts. Everything he did was dissected. He was almost certainly cheating. He was a liar. He was like a used car dealer, slick and slimy. Every public word was just for show. Every action, even the charitable things he did, was for personal promotion and disingenuous. Now, UK fans are the ones saying these things. This is where we are.
This will end when CCC is gone! He broke it! Not us!
 
Translation: "We are not where we need to be right now because Oscar isn't 100%."
This is aimed at 1) the fans to try to calm the backlash and 2) scouts to let them know why Oscar might seem off.
But ultimately it's to setup this excuse-"It took Oscar longer than we expected to get to 100%, so we kind of never had enough time to get to where we needed to be. But give credit to (insert school name). They played great. They're a great team. They're actually under-seeded as a 4 seed."
 
Wish he hadn't played against Sparty or the Zags, candidly. Take the L and you've got a great excuse for it, especially when the tournament draw comes around and the committee is trying to figure out what to do with a UK team with a shaky record.
 
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Wish he hadn't played against Sparty or the Zags, candidly. Take the L and you've got a great excuse for it, especially when the tournament draw comes around and the committee is trying to figure out what to do with a UK team with a shaky record.
That’s a good point! Especially the Michigan St game, that might turn out out to be a bad loss.
 
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How do they come upnwith percentages on health? Lol.

Well I hope he's close to 100% by ucla. He has one game in 13 days so that helps. We have 3 in a 23 day stretch so that helps.
 
Ah, if you had zero respect for him, it can't get any lower. No worries. I'm sure Calipari would be concerned about losing you as a fan, though. You might text him or call him and let him know. So sad.

But seriously, is it possible Calipari actually thought the procedure was minor or maybe that he hoped it was minor? Regardless of what was said, the man isn't clairvoyant. Clearly, the issue was more serious than what was said.

So, if you still supported Cal and gave him the benefit of the doubt, what would you be saying right now? You'd be saying, "Seems we've dodged a bullet here. He's playing this well at 85%? When he gets back to full strength, he will be that much better. So, this is good news. He's got 2 weeks here with not many games, so he should be able to get back during this time." I know, that's crazy thinking, eh?

But for someone who already has ZERO respect for a man, every word is analyzed with a jaundiced eye. Every interview is scoured for reasons to reinforce that opinion. And hey, you'll find them.

Remember when Cal was brought in? Louisville fans hated his guts. Everything he did was dissected. He was almost certainly cheating. He was a liar. He was like a used car dealer, slick and slimy. Every public word was just for show. Every action, even the charitable things he did, was for personal promotion and disingenuous. Now, UK fans are the ones saying these things. This is where we are.
Good post. It might also be he said for Oscar's sake. These early games Oscar is playing well but seems at a little bit lower level than last year. It may be because he's not 100% as Cal said.
 
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Il Wildcat is so hypnotized by Cal and his wondrous philantrophy he doesn't care about the losses , the insults , the word salad pressers etc etc and etc . Hes like the lesbian press manager for the pres Biden " Joe can do wrong". LOL
I love this! I guess I should join the rest here and accuse him of lying every time he speaks, of hating UK fans, and of not even knowing how to coach basketball at all while I accuse the Hall of Fame people of being a bunch of idiot drunks when they gave him the award. Then I can make jokes at his dad's expense and hope the team loses every game with the rest of the Louisville and Indiana fans. And then I can attack current and former UK players on social media like the rest of the folks here and let them know how much they suck and how they've ruined my favorite passtime. And since I'm going to the Yale game with my son, we can wear Yale colors and scream "you suck!" at the players and the coaching staff as they walk by! I could even start arguments with ANY UK fan who actually shows up to cheer for this team and tell them how absolutely stupid they must be for wanting this team to win. It will be loads of fun! This is what being a UK fan is all about, after all.

No Dan, believe it or not, I'm 100% a program guy. I cheered for the team under Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Smith, Gillispie, and now Calipari and I've never once hoped they lose a game. I've yelled and screamed at the TV, been mad at coaches, been mad at players, and recorded games to keep from having to watch them live to avoid the stress because I care too much. I even moderate a UK message board though I really don't have the time to do so and I get to see the diehard fans attack, belittle, and defame UK players and coaches on the regular. I'll be doing the same when Calipari is gone. And maybe some of you people will stop hating me when we can agree again. But I'll never hope for a loss and I'll never stop supporting the team and whoever happens to be sitting on the end of the bench. I was ready for Tubby to go when the time came, but even then I wanted the team to win. And I was ready for Gillispie to go when the time came, but I cheered the team on. It's not Calipari's time yet. When the time comes, I'm sure I'll be ready for him to go. And whoever is brought in, I'll support him, too.

I would only offer one word of warning, maybe an olive branch- those of us who aren't ready to shoot Calipari at dawn are also UK fans. We are not your enemy. We haven't come to the same conclusion as you but we also want the best for the program. And when this is all over, it would be nice if we could co-exist. So, in your hatred of Calipari, don't allow it to bleed over to fellow fans. Imagine being attacked for wanting your team to do well and win. I get it daily here.
 
https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-...d_KD-UsHXV0UhMph0Fx9vb7L8wXnEGMgEufN9_Xex1BlY

Beginning to think that was more than minor surgery…..

Why does Cal just never quite give the full picture? Again, not asking for complete medical records but he definitely led us to believe that Oscars procedure was no big deal and the bounce back would be relatively quick.

I’m sorry, I’m losing more and more respect for him by the day. I’m really beginning to think he doesn’t like fans.
Two reasons:

1. Strategy.

2. He pockets these things (or just makes them up as he goes, depending on fan and media pressure) so he can use them later as excuses if we suck or don't meet fan expectations.

I'd say #2 is more likely in this particular scenario, because Oscar looks fine to me on the floor. If anything, Oscar seems to have come out a bit TOO confident after last year and the big fat NIL deals. I still love the kid, but his more humble personality last year was easier to like than what he's showing me these first few games (a little cocky).
 
In reading this thread I get a sad feeling not about Oscar but about the Big Blue fanbase. Oscar at 85% is better than 90% of college basketball players at 100 %
When I read comments by UK fans that dig and snipe at each other it is a sad day.
I believe the vast majority of folks who post here are UK fans. John Calipari has driven a wedge between segments of the fanbase. Some defend him too much, some
criticize him too much.

Calipari is not fanbase friendly for whatever reason, maybe it is protection of his players(at least in his mind) maybe he has come to dislike the fanbase, maybe he is an elitist. No matter the reason he evokes strong feelings on both sides of the fence. I truly believe the majority of the fanbase is dissatisfied with Calipari, we can argue all day long how large that majority might be, but at the end of the day such a relationship is not healthy for the program.
 
I love this! I guess I should join the rest here and accuse him of lying every time he speaks, of hating UK fans, and of not even knowing how to coach basketball at all while I accuse the Hall of Fame people of being a bunch of idiot drunks when they gave him the award.
1. Cal mostly makes up bulljive every single season. That does not mean when he's talking about everything it is always a lie. But Cal's history of making up injury reports is long lived over many years....not just this year. Also, his bold face baloney with Shady Sharpe last year was all any of us needed to call him pretty much a full blown lie bag.
2. Do you not think he acts like he's better than UK fans most of the time? Basketball Bennies comments, heck in the Michigan game press conference he told a woman reporter who has been covering UK b-ball for 10 years or more..."you have not been watching us much have you"....The man is an all time look down your nose elitist behavior.
 
Cal has a lifetime contract, for the first time in his life nobody can knock off the enormous chip he has carried on his shoulder since he started coaching. He's not answerable to anybody and he knows it so he says whatever he wants. Just ignore what he says.
I believe this to be the biggest factor......even though barnhart is his boss, he has no power over ccc
with this contract, he no longer has to prove anything to anybody, especially the fans. his continual disrespect
to the fans and the university has reached the limit imo. he doesn't care about anything except draft night.
 
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He’s still leading the country in rebounding last I checked despite missing two games and not being a “100 %”.

I have no problem with him taking those shots in the flow of an offense. He was making them at a decent clip last season.

Now Oscar’s defense? That hasn’t gotten any better and teams are exploiting it more and more. Which is why he won’t be able to stay on the floor in the NBA. Put him in pick and roll coverage he’s going to get abused. He just doesn’t have that lateral quickness you need.

Enes Kanter was a skilled offensive big but he had the same problem: he couldn’t stay on the floor because he couldn’t defend and teams would just go at him over and over again.
All the more reason that we should play more zone. Matter of fact, this is the epitome of a team that needs to play 1/3-1/2 of its defensive possessions in zone. Cal won’t do it, though, simply because it lessens the chances for his guys to be drafted.
 
All the more reason that we should play more zone. Matter of fact, this is the epitome of a team that needs to play 1/3-1/2 of its defensive possessions in zone. Cal won’t do it, though, simply because it lessens the chances for his guys to be drafted.
I think he just doesn't want to put forth enough effort to teach a zone
 
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I think he just doesn't want to put forth enough effort to teach a zone
That could be part of it as well. However, I’ve heard him say myself that playing zone doesn’t teach players anything. Especially in regards to at the NBA level. He wants them prepared for the NBA, is basically what he meant. Winning games at UK is secondary with Cal, as always.

The whole mantra of players first has been a detriment overall to the PROGRAM. Not really even debatable IMHO. The program, again, is secondary.
 
No worries KENTUCKY FLYER. I totally get you now. Now that I know you've given up on this particular team, I don't need to know anything else. You believe it's for the best that we lose every game. I get that, too. I think you're wrong and I could never go there with you, but I get it. And you think Cal is a snake and want him to leave now. I get that, too. We're crystal clear.
You think you might have stepped over the line here, especially for a mod?
 
I love this! I guess I should join the rest here and accuse him of lying every time he speaks, of hating UK fans, and of not even knowing how to coach basketball at all while I accuse the Hall of Fame people of being a bunch of idiot drunks when they gave him the award. Then I can make jokes at his dad's expense and hope the team loses every game with the rest of the Louisville and Indiana fans. And then I can attack current and former UK players on social media like the rest of the folks here and let them know how much they suck and how they've ruined my favorite passtime. And since I'm going to the Yale game with my son, we can wear Yale colors and scream "you suck!" at the players and the coaching staff as they walk by! I could even start arguments with ANY UK fan who actually shows up to cheer for this team and tell them how absolutely stupid they must be for wanting this team to win. It will be loads of fun! This is what being a UK fan is all about, after all.

No Dan, believe it or not, I'm 100% a program guy. I cheered for the team under Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Smith, Gillispie, and now Calipari and I've never once hoped they lose a game. I've yelled and screamed at the TV, been mad at coaches, been mad at players, and recorded games to keep from having to watch them live to avoid the stress because I care too much. I even moderate a UK message board though I really don't have the time to do so and I get to see the diehard fans attack, belittle, and defame UK players and coaches on the regular. I'll be doing the same when Calipari is gone. And maybe some of you people will stop hating me when we can agree again. But I'll never hope for a loss and I'll never stop supporting the team and whoever happens to be sitting on the end of the bench. I was ready for Tubby to go when the time came, but even then I wanted the team to win. And I was ready for Gillispie to go when the time came, but I cheered the team on. It's not Calipari's time yet. When the time comes, I'm sure I'll be ready for him to go. And whoever is brought in, I'll support him, too.

I would only offer one word of warning, maybe an olive branch- those of us who aren't ready to shoot Calipari at dawn are also UK fans. We are not your enemy. We haven't come to the same conclusion as you but we also want the best for the program. And when this is all over, it would be nice if we could co-exist. So, in your hatred of Calipari, don't allow it to bleed over to fellow fans. Imagine being attacked for wanting your team to do well and win. I get it daily here.
Well your ( and MY) program is suffering , and hemorrhaging , and sliding down hill. You sure do like to keep mentioning this insane notion that those that hope Cal's last days as our coach are soon, want UK to lose . Very Very few , almost zero regular posters here ,like me , want UK to lose . That addresses much of your rant . I'l offer a word of warning too. nothing worse than Christian/pastor with a holier than thou attitude . Prob be best if we just ignore each other , we simply disagree strongly on the health / direction of the basketball team .
 
Ah, if you had zero respect for him, it can't get any lower. No worries. I'm sure Calipari would be concerned about losing you as a fan, though. You might text him or call him and let him know. So sad.

But seriously, is it possible Calipari actually thought the procedure was minor or maybe that he hoped it was minor? Regardless of what was said, the man isn't clairvoyant. Clearly, the issue was more serious than what was said.

So, if you still supported Cal and gave him the benefit of the doubt, what would you be saying right now? You'd be saying, "Seems we've dodged a bullet here. He's playing this well at 85%? When he gets back to full strength, he will be that much better. So, this is good news. He's got 2 weeks here with not many games, so he should be able to get back during this time." I know, that's crazy thinking, eh?

But for someone who already has ZERO respect for a man, every word is analyzed with a jaundiced eye. Every interview is scoured for reasons to reinforce that opinion. And hey, you'll find them.

Remember when Cal was brought in? Louisville fans hated his guts. Everything he did was dissected. He was almost certainly cheating. He was a liar. He was like a used car dealer, slick and slimy. Every public word was just for show. Every action, even the charitable things he did, was for personal promotion and disingenuous. Now, UK fans are the ones saying these things. This is where we are.

The worst of the worst make it so obvious that the only thing they care about is sitting on the couch and being entertained and they've convinced themselves that they are owed near-perfection at all times for voluntarily being a fan and donating their valuable couch time.

 
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I'm not a doctor. Not in the medical field and don't play like it on the innerweb. But I was in London and it's obvious Oscar is not right. Whatever the percentage is it's not 100%.

Last year Oscar was the first one down the court, offense or defense. Now he's last or near last. He never had great explosion around the basket and now he has none.

I saw no limping or treatment at timeouts. It seems to be just normal getting back into playing shape and I would imagine getting over the fear of re injury.

He's still our MVP at whatever level he is.

I see no problem with Cal playing injury reports close to the vest.
 
Well your ( and MY) program is suffering , and hemorrhaging , and sliding down hill. You sure do like to keep mentioning this insane notion that those that hope Cal's last days as our coach are soon, want UK to lose . Very Very few , almost zero regular posters here ,like me , want UK to lose . That addresses much of your rant . I'l offer a word of warning too. nothing worse than Christian/pastor with a holier than thou attitude . Prob be best if we just ignore each other , we simply disagree strongly on the health / direction of the basketball team .
Just check the other thread- 2 posters admitted they hope the team loses every game. I'm not presenting myself as holier than anyone. I'm just offering a differing point of view. If I articulate my thoughts well, I'll take that as a compliment. Otherwise, the holier than thou stuff is totally in your head. You're not the first to use these 2 items against me to silence me, though- that I'm a moderator and can't have an opinion (or express it, anyway) and that I'm a pastor and it is off-putting to express opinions that people dislike. I get you, too, Dan. You like to silence opposition but whatever means. Sorry to refuse to be silenced. (not really)

So, the only thing I agree with you on is that you should probably put me on ignore. I won't be ignoring you, though, because I don't do that. I can deal with the views of everyone here. I do not get offended or angry about it. You can say whatever you want, within the rules of course, and it will be just fine. I may disagree vehemently and I will express myself when I do. If you can handle my disagreement, it's all good. We can coexist. But I won't be silenced because I'm a moderator or because I'm a pastor, despite your attempts. Have a good day ManitouDan. Merry Christmas to you and yours. Maybe the Cats will win the upcoming games and we can be happier. :)
 
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^^ Its sad that I'm a regular church member , every week , I tithe , and yet we seem miles apart . At least on ky basketball , and this bizarre notion in your head I want you silenced .. I dont want you silenced , I think you are naive when it comes to Cal .. thats it . and yes , I guess someone can tell you , and you choose not to listen , but you sound like you are delivering sermons to the flock on here , sir its NOT supposed to be religion , its basketball. and you preach a lot . But you preach AT people , not to TO people IMHO .. Go Cats .. Prove me wrong , just make a FF and have a chance at a title , some thing we should demand , thats where the bar should be , make FF's every 2-3-4 years , be a real threat , a team people fear to play on Rupp arena . We are so far removed from that its sad ... and thats what I really am , sad . beneath the anger , sadness .
 
PS What thread you talking where Ky fans say they want KY to lose ( in order to fire cal ) ? I'm not seeing it ... I see a thread where people want Cal fired , but nothing is mentioned about losing games in order to have him canned . IMO that is a very distinct difference , I want him gone ASAP , but when we take the floor I'm all for the W's .. got to keep up with Kansas :(
 
PS What thread you talking where Ky fans say they want KY to lose ( in order to fire cal ) ? I'm not seeing it ... I see a thread where people want Cal fired , but nothing is mentioned about losing games in order to have him canned . IMO that is a very distinct difference , I want him gone ASAP , but when we take the floor I'm all for the W's .. got to keep up with Kansas :(
 
Cal be like....

Disney-Pinocchio-lying.jpg
 
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I am firmly in the camp that believes Cal is doing more harm than good to the program i have followed for more than 60 years. I wasn't in this camp until about 3 years ago but I have been there since that time.

I also hope UK wins every game they play and that will not change. I don't believe Cal gives us the best chance to do that. During the typing of this post I began to think what other coach in my time of being a fan did I feel that way about and the only one I could come up with was Billy G. Yes, I am fully aware of the Sutton scandal and Tubby's last years, even when folks thought basketball had passed Coach Rupp by.

Cal has done and continues to do some good things off the court. When the lights come on and the game is afoot Cal comes up short with respect to most other coaches. The program was built on better ,deserves better and should demand better.
 
Why doesn't Cal phone me personally and tell me what I demand to know? God only knows. I was so confused by the words "minor procedure" because that sounds like my sex life. (I keep it in the family.) There may be those smarter than me, who knows that anytime you cut pieces of the meniscus off the ball joints of the knee, there is swelling and discomfort and often irritation. That nothing about knee operations is ever as simple of snorting my meth, which makes me totally clueless when it comes to reality.
 
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I have for the most part. Just kisses me off that a man as smart as he is PR wise keeps doing insane stuff to destroy his image.
That's because you, like Neo in the Matrix, and unlike many of the other fans on this board, have seen the real Cal and you don't fall for his BS anymore.
 
PS What thread you talking where Ky fans say they want KY to lose ( in order to fire cal ) ? I'm not seeing it ... I see a thread where people want Cal fired , but nothing is mentioned about losing games in order to have him canned . IMO that is a very distinct difference , I want him gone ASAP , but when we take the floor I'm all for the W's .. got to keep up with Kansas :(
This thread...

There are 2 there, but there are others here as well. We're not going to agree. And yes, when I share thoughts they sometimes sound like sermons. That's just the way I communicate. If I don't believe strongly in something, I don't talk about it.

And just because we're both actively involved in churches doesn't mean we will agree on John Calipari or the state of UK basketball. By the way, I think we do agree on the state of the program, we just disagree on the solution. And I'm not far from you on that, either. I just have some hope left for the current team and think Calipari can still coach and recruit. If this team doesn't get things turned around, he's going to really start feeling the heat. If next season's team doesn't win big, I think he's done. I’m just not going to spend these next 2 years attacking him and complaining incessantly. That's not how I roll. I'm also not going to lay every evil at his feet. And unlike the 2 in that other thread, I'm not hoping for losses.
 
In all fairness, you started your post saying it’s pointless to try to rationalize, yet you did anyway. How is that different from his post? By the way, as you’ve probably guessed by now, I’m hoping for losses myself. If that disgusts you or other hang on too long Cal supporters, so be it. I’m in for the long haul. He can’t cut it no more. Make a change and move on. Sooner the better.

I don't really care if we win at this point. I want a fundamentally sound team that runs plays and presses and defend like UK used to. I want fun exciting ball games. Cal will never deliver that. I hope he loses every game, I hate that for Kentucky but you gotta cut the cancer out to heal.
Here they are @ManitouDan. Both of these were from that other thread.
 
The most confusing part to me is that if Cal was just honest and transparent he’d have been fine. Returning POY is out with an injury, people are bummed but probably cut you some slack. Not telling the truth is just more gas on the fire.
 
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I would only offer one word of warning, maybe an olive branch- those of us who aren't ready to shoot Calipari at dawn are also UK fans. We are not your enemy. We haven't come to the same conclusion as you but we also want the best for the program. And when this is all over, it would be nice if we could co-exist. So, in your hatred of Calipari, don't allow it to bleed over to fellow fans. Imagine being attacked for wanting your team to do well and win. I get it daily here.
Damn, the hyperbole. Are you exaggerating for effect? Because this is probably the nastiest putdown I've ever seen here, and that's a high bar to clear. So in your view, anyone who criticizes Cal wants him violently executed?

Talk about hate.
 
Damn, the hyperbole. Are you exaggerating for effect? Because this is probably the nastiest putdown I've ever seen here, and that's a high bar to clear. So in your view, anyone who criticizes Cal wants him violently executed?

Talk about hate.
Haha! Of course it's for effect. And if that is the nastiest put down you've seen, you must not be paying attention. Read the board. It is an ongoing chorus of Calipari attacks. No, they don't want him dead, but they can't stand the man. Many are actively cheering against the team just to be rid of him. Let's just be honest- how Cal leaves isn't nearly as important as when for many here. That's my point and it is undeniable. Just read the board.
 
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