Now that the lazy slob is no longer the HC how long until we can go to Maui etc?
So how soon can we start playing in holiday tournaments again?
- Thread starter ck-2
- Start date
Amen, ready to start traveling again
I miss the Great Alaskan shootout. I would get up at 1 am to watch games
Me too! Thats one thing about Cal being here that I hated. I don’t understand his refusal to play in them.
CBS Sports Classic was renewed through 2026
Champions Classic through 2028
So looks like 2027 would be the earliest unless they are allowed to get out of it.
Champions Classic through 2028
So looks like 2027 would be the earliest unless they are allowed to get out of it.
I think they could technically play in a 3 day tournament even though they are in the Champions and CBS sports classics. But it would take a chunk out of the home schedule. I'm wondering when they are going to expand past 31 games in the regular season. You would think they could work 32 or 33 and still have plenty of down time.
JB
You see his record the last 7-8 years in the Champions Classic? There’s the real reason. His young teams would get their asses handed to them.
Because he hates playing back to back games. Just like the sec tourney. Kids are 18-22 years old I think they can handle a few games in a row
Probably 2027. Maui is booked through 2026. Thought I saw the 2026 field might have one opening the last I saw. Not sure if it has been filled since the time of this article in early Oct. Maybe Kentucky could join it then, but I'm banking on 2027 being the earliest we see them.
www.on3.com
Report: Field for 2026 Maui Invitational revealed
Seven of the eight teams for the 2026 Maui Invitational have been reported by sources today with one spot left for next year's field.
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It wasn’t played during the holidays, and it was a ‘classic’ rather than a tournament. But I miss the days of the Big Four Classic. UK, UofL, Indiana and Notre Dame made it must-watch. But splitting the revenue four ways was never a recipe for prolonged success, and the Big Four won’t be revived during this lifetime.
Honestly didn't know those still existed
(Sorry - I became a little ambivalent the last 3-4 yrs)
We had some great games / wins / memories in those tournaments & UK fans (the loudest ones it seems) would always travel
Brassow's last second tip in for the win against Arizona is an OLD (Maui?) memory in that vein
Thanks for posting this!
(Sorry - I became a little ambivalent the last 3-4 yrs)
We had some great games / wins / memories in those tournaments & UK fans (the loudest ones it seems) would always travel
Brassow's last second tip in for the win against Arizona is an OLD (Maui?) memory in that vein
Thanks for posting this!
Hope Pope does some different things with schedule.
Obviously would love to see the team in a tournament like Maui. Would also like to see some home and homes with big programs
As much as I like the idea of playing in a big Maui type event, I feel like something that has been lost in CBB the past decade or so is major home and home events.
Playing Duke, KU, MSU in the Champions Classic is cool, but I feel like we should be playing those teams at the home gyms on college campuses.
K is gone, Cal is gone...I feel like those two maybe avoided the big-time home and home series. The game and culture in general, TV/sponsors, whatever fell in love with these big neutral site games.
I know BBN showed up, and the atmosphere was great the other night, but I want everyone to imagine that game in Rupp and Indoor...
Obviously would love to see the team in a tournament like Maui. Would also like to see some home and homes with big programs
As much as I like the idea of playing in a big Maui type event, I feel like something that has been lost in CBB the past decade or so is major home and home events.
Playing Duke, KU, MSU in the Champions Classic is cool, but I feel like we should be playing those teams at the home gyms on college campuses.
K is gone, Cal is gone...I feel like those two maybe avoided the big-time home and home series. The game and culture in general, TV/sponsors, whatever fell in love with these big neutral site games.
I know BBN showed up, and the atmosphere was great the other night, but I want everyone to imagine that game in Rupp and Indoor...
He was scared of playing in a three-game tourney and losing 2 of the games.
So, he instead put us in our own “classic” with UK and three cupcakes instead.
Maui should be something they ask to get in next year. Looking at the field they've put together is disgusting for that prestigious event. This year they have a fantastic field--UConn, Auburn, North Carolina, Iowa State, Michigan St, Memphis, Dayton and Colorado.
Next year is putrid. Looks like something you get on CBS Sports Network at Midnight in an empty ice arena converted to basketball featuring hyphenated schools. UK should tell them they'd come-replace a team in it-go win the damn thing (they'd walk to a Title) and give team they buyout a game to help offset them bowing out and make sure they get in Maui the following year. LOL
Next year is putrid. Looks like something you get on CBS Sports Network at Midnight in an empty ice arena converted to basketball featuring hyphenated schools. UK should tell them they'd come-replace a team in it-go win the damn thing (they'd walk to a Title) and give team they buyout a game to help offset them bowing out and make sure they get in Maui the following year. LOL
I would kind of disagree because the tournament is played on neutral courts in larger venues. The big neutral matchups are better tournament prep and home court advantage is eliminated.
Don’t get me wrong, I would welcome a home and home with Duke or UCONN, but I do see the value in marquee neutral court games.
Wasn't Cal about playing games in NCAA tournament type arenas to get his team ready for that kind of stage? He blamed the 2010 loss to WV on the kids not being used to that type of environment. Participation in the Champions classic got UK prepared and kept them from being upset by teams like Oakland and St Peters
Yeah, that's the conventional wisdom. Not sure how much good it did us that past few seasons specifically, but even Cal's peak years, he had the talent, not sure they advanced in March because of a neutral site game in NYC, Dallas, or Atlanta.
Would argue that too many big site games, doesn't really give us advantage in terms of a majority of season on the road. UK fans travel better than anyone, so neutral site games are basically home games.
Playing Duke, or some other big or even not so big program in a true road game experience better prepares the squad for smaller gyms full of opposing fans that are just salivating for UK.
The game in a road gym is a very different game. I'm all for getting a look at a big site for March purposes, but we got to play a lot of smaller arenas, with nut fans coming out solely to see and cheer against UK.
Also, both can be done.
We obviously play in the Champions Classic. We only play one of those teams, so we can schedule home and home based off that.
So dumb that Cal, whose teams always sucked so badly the first two months, kept us locked for fifteen years into a tourney that tried to put us up against the best of the best in early November and also blocked us from showing off anything in December when we were finally starting to come together. There’s a dude who’s lucky he’s rich and powerful because if he were just a regular guy he would always be Weird Johnny to his friends.
So we can play in those classics and have a holiday tournament .. technically our UK invitational we did under Cal was a tournament
The thing is the good tournaments are booked for like 2-3 years in advance so this year Pope will work on getting UK into one of them for 2027 Maui hopefully and 2026 for any of the ones thats only booked 2 years in advance.
The thing is the good tournaments are booked for like 2-3 years in advance so this year Pope will work on getting UK into one of them for 2027 Maui hopefully and 2026 for any of the ones thats only booked 2 years in advance.
