This is my opinion on why they both failed in coaching professional basketball players and why it’s getting more difficult to be successful in college. Both coach’s will climb on your back and ride you and scream shout call you names and tear you down. That style obviously wouldn’t work with pros making way more than coach. Pitino is smart enough to bring in players who may not be as heralded as others but are hungry and willing to turn themselves over to Rick trusting he’ll make them better players. Cal wants as he says the best of the best and roll the ball out while he screams and yells. He plays his higher rated players over other players who are clearly performing better because of his rep. Take last year. He was so enamored with making DJ a star that Rob and Reed sit the bench ? However I think the ever evolving world of college basketball is also changing and aligning itself more with the pros. The top 100 high school players have played more ball than guys did years ago. They don’t go in for the yelling and brow beating of coach’s. They understand analytics and want to be a part of something. Cal was great at Ky for 7 years but then he started believing his own press. His title in 12 wasn’t with one and done like people remember. The NBA lock out had a lot to do with Terrence Jones and Devin Booker coming back for their sophomore years. When the cardinals tied the game in the final four it was senior Darius Miller who brought the ball up the court against the dirty bird press ! I’m glad to have Mark Pope here and I feel good about our future ?
