Platoon experiment backfiring on us?

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

That's the only thing I can think of why these kids are rejecting UK. Cal did a great job selling it this past year, but Lyles, Ulis,Booker and Towns had all signed their LOI prior to everybody announcing they were returning. Maybe one of them would have gone elsewhere if they hadn't already signed. Kids want to play more than 20 minutes per game.

 

[WildMoon]

no...

 

[JohnBlue_]

So you really think that with the limited roster UK has right now there is no way they are not going to platoon? It was a special situation not a new scheme Cal is going to stick with.

 

[Brando Mac]

Really?

 

[Kerry Kat]

Adidas school versus Nike school.

 

[Mike-D]

Yeah, the platoon system backfired on us. We have like 6 players and future recruits are afraid that Cal is going to keep platooning with the walk-on's. The two teams will be named the blue team, and the extra white team, respectively.

 

[catpiss]

Um....NO... IF anyhting, the platoon should showthese kids that You dont have to play 30+ min to be a first round pick. SMH at this clas.......

 

[Chico&TheMan]

That's the only thing I can think of why these kids are rejecting UK. Cal did a great job selling it this past year, but Lyles, Ulis,Booker and Towns had all signed their LOI prior to everybody announcing they were returning. Maybe one of them would have gone elsewhere if they hadn't already signed. Kids want to play more than 20 minutes per game.

Why would it make a difference when it is clear that there is an abundance of minutes available, especially at the 2/3?

My concern is physicality and ability to rebound. Diallo would have been huge. So much hinges on Poythress and everybody staying healthy.

 

[Rossardio]

But there's no chance of us platooning, don't have the bodies. Shouldn't mean anything in regards to next year.

I figured we would at least get one or two more 5 stars after the 7 announced they were leaving. Very strange class. And I just realized Cal-Berkeley has the same number of incoming 5 star kids as UK does...

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

Other schools negative recruited the shit out of it.

 

[BluCats]

That's the only thing I can think of why these kids are rejecting UK. Cal did a great job selling it this past year, but Lyles, Ulis,Booker and Towns had all signed their LOI prior to everybody announcing they were returning. Maybe one of them would have gone elsewhere if they hadn't already signed. Kids want to play more than 20 minutes per game.

--Play half the minutes... 10x's the exposure... 10x's the in-practice conditioning/development... The only NBA environment... Guaranteed lotto pick... --- Where's the problem?? These guys are just screwy or something.

 

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

Other schools negative recruited the shit out of it.

That was my point.

 

[DPhelps81]

The Platoon has nothing to do it & neither do the shoe companies in this recruitment.(California is a Nike/Jordan Brand school) IMO, I truly believe that other programs negative recruiting has caught up to Calipari. I'm thankful that he's our coach and hope he stays another decade. But lets be honest, Kentucky has had the most talented roster in College Bball 4 out of the last 6 years and has one National Title to show for it. Coaches say to kids: "Cal has all the talent in the world and loses to lesser talented teams". "You'll get better coaching here." Stuff like that. I'm not saying I agree with it but we know it happens.

 

[Blueblood22]

Adidas school versus Nike school.

Cal. Isn't. Adidas.

 

[Captain Unibrow]

Um....NO... IF anyhting, the platoon should showthese kids that You dont have to play 30+ min to be a first round pick. SMH at this clas.......

Yeah, because kid's coming out of high school are thinking, "Man, I can't wait to play only half of what I played in high school."

 

[miracle7s]

I said months ago, what is hurting our recruiting more than anything else is not having Orlando. O was the best recruiter in the country.

 

[oldsports_]

I said months ago, what is hurting our recruiting more than anything else is not having Orlando. O was the best recruiter in the country.

I agree, the man was well liked.

 

[caneintally]

Cal. Isn't. Adidas.

exactly . well if losing brown means i never have to hear a single idiot use addias as an excuse then it was worth it and i mean that. Shoes have played a role in one player ever for us - Bazz .

 

[dave5164]

The PLATOON had nothing to do with the BROWN to Cal. We all thought along that we wasn't getting Jaylen Brown even in the beginning when we still thought we had a shot at Newman. Also, with the PLATOON Coach Cal said over and over and made it clear that it was a 1 year deal with all the players that returned when Coach Cal thought along that Twins and POY and even WCS could be leaving last year. Then we already had our class of Booker, Ullis, Lyles, and Towns! Cal had no choice but to give these 10 players split time when you have 9 or 10 Five-Star players! Cal has tried to say on many occasions that next year we would be back to his 7 or 8 rotation and that there would be NO PLATOON!

 

[gamalielkid]

I said months ago, what is hurting our recruiting more than anything else is not having Orlando. O was the best recruiter in the country.

So is Coach O's team loaded this year? He should have as much to offer as many of these teams that the kids went to.

Go Big Blue!

 

[gamalielkid]

That's the only thing I can think of why these kids are rejecting UK. Cal did a great job selling it this past year, but Lyles, Ulis,Booker and Towns had all signed their LOI prior to everybody announcing they were returning. Maybe one of them would have gone elsewhere if they hadn't already signed. Kids want to play more than 20 minutes per game.

Many factors in play this year. Platoon is a reason for many I'm sure. But remember this - how many players did Duke have on scholly at the end of the year? 8 All of them Micky D boys! We will have 8 pretty good players ourselves, with 5 of them being 5 star players. This year is going to be more like a normal year - and lest we forget - how will this year's teams compare to the last 8 teams at UK before Cal arrived?

Go Big Blue!

 

[kyboy1998]

Many factors in play this year. Platoon is a reason for many I'm sure. But remember this - how many players did Duke have on scholly at the end of the year? 8 All of them Micky D boys! We will have 8 pretty good players ourselves, with 5 of them being 5 star players. This year is going to be more like a normal year - and lest we forget - how will this year's teams compare to the last 8 teams at UK before Cal arrived?

Go Big Blue!

The last 8 teams before Cal arrived?

I'd take my chances with the 03/04/05 groups over them. The 02 team would probably beat them too. The 06 team would give them a game, as would the 08 team before Pattersons injury.

As for platooning I really don't think it was an experiment as much as a circumstance...and I don't think we even really did it. I always thought Tubby played too deep and I just called it substituting back then.

 

[Ineverplayedthegame]

1) More coaches actively going after OAD and embracing the model.
2) D'Angelo Russell shows that you don't have to go to title contender to elevate to a high lottery pick, just a major conference school where you get to be the guy.
3) Some might want a more normal college experience without the suffocation that comes with UK.
4) Just as UK is not for everybody, neither is Coach Cal.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

The Platoon has nothing to do it & neither do the shoe companies in this recruitment.(California is a Nike/Jordan Brand school) IMO, I truly believe that other programs negative recruiting has caught up to Calipari. I'm thankful that he's our coach and hope he stays another decade. But lets be honest, Kentucky has had the most talented roster in College Bball 4 out of the last 6 years and has one National Title to show for it. Coaches say to kids: "Cal has all the talent in the world and loses to lesser talented teams". "You'll get better coaching here." Stuff like that. I'm not saying I agree with it but we know it happens.

Give me a break. Gonzo Martin, Ben Howland, and Bill Self could not hold Cal's jock coaching. It's really not even close. If any recruit is dumb enough to think Gonzo Martin can coach them up better than Cal then they are too dumb to play at UK. I think this class is just full of selfish me guys more than usual.

 

[toonces11]

The last 8 teams before Cal arrived?

I'd take my chances with the 03/04/05 groups over them. The 02 team would probably beat them too. The 06 team would give them a game, as would the 08 team before Pattersons injury.

As for platooning I really don't think it was an experiment as much as a circumstance...and I don't think we even really did it. I always thought Tubby played too deep and I just called it substituting back then.

I have no idea if the "platoon system" hurt Calipari in recruiting, but it sure seemed like he went out of his way during the first quarter of the year to play up the fact he was implementing it. Seems like he talked about it in most interviews....even correcting reporters to use "reinforcements" rather than subs or replacements. He pushed the system thru the media to make it seem revolutionary and probably did so b/c it was working, and working very well. I think he really tried to pump positive vibes about it so he could corral a cache of talent every year without players balking about potential playing time. Truth be told if you've every played at a meaningful level in bball----playing time is important. If you only play 15-20 minutes a game you feel like your hardly out there----esp if you are a stud and used to being in there every second in high school. I do think he abandoned it a lot sooner than some suggest----but it does bring a possibility that it could factor into guys decision to commit.

It has also been mentioned opposing teams use this to negatively recruit-----which I really don't think happens as frequently as some suggest. I think recruiters try to focus all their talk about their own school and mentioned other possible destinations as infrequently as possible. It looks bad if they act like they are concerned about what other schools have to offer imo.

 

[JohnBlue_]

That was my point.

You going to avoid my question?

Your post suggest that the platoon is the way its going from now on.

 

[Beezermc]

Yes. Obviously.

Cals incessant need to hear himself talk and pump BS finally hurt him. He didn't even play that deep of a rotation by end if year, but damage was done because of PERCEPTION. He should have just coached his team instead of marketing the platoon.

 

[anon_9qtxg60vqzy0y]

You going to avoid my question?

Your post suggest that the platoon is the way its going from now on.

Not avoiding your question. Btw, as a MOD, is it standard practice to badger posters who pose a simple question? I asked a simple question for DISCUSSION and you want to troll.

 

[Hoskins21]

When UK has one of top classes in 2016, no one will care about what went wrong in 2015.

 

[wildcatsboston1984]

2) D'Angelo Russell shows that you don't have to go to title contender to elevate to a high lottery pick, just a major conference school where you get to be the guy.

Everyone already knew that.

 

[Joneslab]

When UK has one of top classes in 2016, no one will care about what went wrong in 2015.

I agree, but it's what happens before then that I'm a little concerned about.

We still have a season to play and while I think our roster has a lot of promise as-is, a lot has to go right and virtually nothing (injuries, guys not being ready to contribute, Poythress being the Old Poythress) can go wrong.

 

[WeWant9]

I doubt it. I think a lot of these recruits just wanted to be the man for a year, rack up their stats and hit the draft. So many top players went to teams that hardly ever got top their talent..Miss St and Cal are great examples. Nothing wrong with that at all, but just different than what we've seen in years past.

I just think it was a weird year for recruiting in general. A lot of people thought these guys were waiting to see who left UK for the draft. Then we have 7 go and none of the top 5* commit here. I think the microscope that is UK basketball is what is driving some kids away this class. Last year all that was at an all time high, I could only imagine the negative recruiting towards UK.

 

[Hoskins21]

I agree, but it's what happens before then that I'm a little concerned about.

We still have a season to play and while I think our roster has a lot of promise as-is, a lot has to go right and virtually nothing (injuries, guys not being ready to contribute, Poythress being the Old Poythress) can go wrong.

That won't affect the 2016 class. The NIT team didn't affect the 2013 class.