SOT: Cassidy Rowe leaving Kentucky WBB; ending basketball career.

[Cats192]

To be fair to Kenny Brooks, I see both sides of this.

You don't get to be on the basketball team just because of where you're from or that you're a senior. There are a lot of senior girls at the University of Kentucky. Probably most of them would be happy to have a scholarship to be on the basketball team. If she's not deserving of the scholarship, then why does she get it over any of those other girls?

Coaches do this kind of thing every time there is a coaching change. It's an ugly part of college sports. He could have told her he didn't have a spot for her last year. She got an extra year that she didn't have to get.

She got 3 years of college paid for. A lot of kids get noen. She can get financial aid, take out loans, etc.

Kenny Brooks isn't the devil for this. But NO ONE is going to convince me she decided to quit the team and give up her scholarship (free school) because she wasn't getting minutes.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

Respectfully, This wouldn't make any sense.

If she stays on the team and keeps her scholarship--she would get free college. She posted saying she wants to go to PT school. Why wouldn't she stay on the team and keep the scholarship? She's so upset over no minutes that she's going to pay for her own college?

If Kenny was going to let her stay on the team, she would have. I could buy the narrative that he told her she wouldn't get to play again next year, so she decided to transfer. I can't buy she's staying at UK and chose not to keep her scholarship because it meant riding the bench. That makes no sense.

I get that and don’t disagree but for all we know academic scholarship could pay for her school. She may not want to balance all the practice, training, & travel with her school load. College athletics for most people who actually want a degree in a good field are a challenge. I couldn’t imagine the strain on a Power 5 athlete in this situation. There’s a reason a lot of these athletes are in marketing, business, or other easier fields.

Easiest thing would have been to be completely transparent about what happened and let the chips fall where they may. Then there’s no speculation or “he said, she said”.

 

[bbncal02]

I get that and don’t disagree but for all we know academic scholarship could pay for her school. She may not want to balance all the practice, training, & travel with her school load. College athletics for most people who actually want a degree in a good field are a challenge. I couldn’t imagine the strain on a Power 5 athlete in this situation. There’s a reason a lot of these athletes are in marketing, business, or other easier fields.

Easiest thing would have been to be completely transparent about what happened and let the chips fall where they may. Then there’s no speculation or “he said, she said”.

Brooks could clear the air in a second. This is isn't VT. This is Kentucky. We care about our players- it's just different here. For goodness sakes' we made a British cereal become a top seller on Amazon.

 

[catlogic15]

There is another side to this story we’ll probably never hear.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

Brooks could clear the air in a second. This is isn't VT. This is Kentucky. We care about our players- it's just different here. For goodness sakes' we made a British cereal become a top seller on Amazon.

I agree with you. That’s all he needs to do and it could be fixed quickly.

I just find it hard to believe he would tell her you’re done here at UK, no scholarship, no walk-on status, no nothing. If so, then he’s an absolutely terrible person. Thats why it makes more sense to me that she quit or chose not take a walk on status. He should give some clarity.

 

[Kybluedude]

I’m hoping he and Rowe issue a joint statement clearing this situation up. And that it doesn’t have negative connotations for Kenny. Just seems out of nature from what little I’ve seen from him.

 

[PopesReignOverCardinals]

Three years of not being wanted around even under a coaching change seems far fetched.

No, it doesn't. If her teammates that she has had for less than 1 year don't want her around because they are jealous and hate her, then nothing before that matters.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

Re:walking on. Pretty sure there are no walk ons any longer. Could be wrong but remember hearing this on KSR I believe. Teams are limited to 15 roster spots and you can have 15 scholarships. So, IIRC, she can’t just play and not have a scholly.

192 said it best, zero chance not being on the team was her decision. The biggest knucklehead in the world wouldn’t willingly give up the financial gains from that scholly. Also, just read between the lines on her post. She never once said a word about thanking her coach. That silence speaks volumes.

1000% a dick move by Brooks. He better have 15 players contributing if this is how he treats a beloved UK senior.

 

[TCurtis75]

Let’s do this. It’s Noah’s senior year. And Pope says transfer or be off the team. You don’t think that would be a dumb as hell PR move?

I agree being from KY doesn’t entitle you to jack. But you also don’t treat seniors the same way you would sophomores or freshman.

This has the same vibes of working somewhere for 15 years and they call you in on Friday and say, “Well you’re done. Oh an by the way no severance”. Thats a shitty move no matter the job or industry.

I would feel the same way if it was my own kid. If you aren’t good enough, you aren’t good enough and need to be told as such. A business won’t keep you as an employee if you aren’t good enough so this is preparation for life because life isn’t fair. It’s just how the world is. You make yourself irreplaceable either in your job or in this case on the team. She had a year to do that and it appears she failed to do so. I hate it for her but this isn’t the everyone gets a trophy league.

 

[TCurtis75]

It reads like you're agreeing with my point.

People are acting like Kenny didn't revoke her scholarship; that he probably told her she wouldn't get much playing time. If she's staying at Kentucky, but not on the team, then he actually chose not to renew her scholarship.

So ultimately she chose not to play anymore which is her choice. Not liking your choices doesn’t mean you don’t have one.

 

[TCurtis75]

Let’s do this. It’s Noah’s senior year. And Pope says transfer or be off the team. You don’t think that would be a dumb as hell PR move?

I agree being from KY doesn’t entitle you to jack. But you also don’t treat seniors the same way you would sophomores or freshman.

This has the same vibes of working somewhere for 15 years and they call you in on Friday and say, “Well you’re done. Oh an by the way no severance”. Thats a shitty move no matter the job or industry.

Also, most new coaches would have let her go last year but KB gave her a chance to prove herself. She wasn’t his recruit. Let’s keep it real. She probably doesn’t get recruited by KB if he was here during her HS career. She isn’t the same player she was prior to her back to back ACL injuries. Kenny is paid to win games so he has to make decisions like this. People like you would roast him for not winning and yet roast him for making the decisions he thinks gives him the best chance to win. Hell Stoops was roasted for keeping players on the team last year and going 4-8. Most of those are gone (many seniors from KY) and he gets applauded for making those hard decisions to better the team. Doesn’t KB deserve the same consideration?

 

[crawfords corner]

Statistically I can see why he'd want her gone. However, you have 15 scholarships. You mean to tell me an SEC experienced Sr couldn't be helpful to the team as a practice player in her last season? Sounds more personal than professional to me.

 

[bbncal02]

I would feel the same way if it was my own kid. If you aren’t good enough, you aren’t good enough and need to be told as such. A business won’t keep you as an employee if you aren’t good enough so this is preparation for life because life isn’t fair. It’s just how the world is. You make yourself irreplaceable either in your job or in this case on the team. She had a year to do that and it appears she failed to do so. I hate it for her but this isn’t the everyone gets a trophy league.

Don't talk down to me. I buried both parents before I turned 37. I'm the last person you get to pontificate to about life being unfair. Don't go there.

Not long after I was let go last fall (no reason given by the way), a month after that they let go a manager that had been there FIFTEEN years- that made them money. The point being is, just because someone is in charge, doesn't mean they're RIGHT. There's no such thing as "irreplicable" anymore. And if you think you are, I hope you never find out how much you are wrong.

Good leaders honor loyalty, and unless someone is a complete train wreck, honor their commitments. We lack a shit ton of real leaders these days from top to bottom. It's why society sucks right now.

 

[TCurtis75]

Don't talk down to me. I buried both parents before I turned 37. I'm the last person you get to pontificate to about life being unfair. Don't go there.

Not long after I was let go last fall (no reason given by the way), a month after that they let go a manager that had been there FIFTEEN years- that made them money. The point being is, just because someone is in charge, doesn't mean they're RIGHT. There's no such thing as "irreplicable" anymore. And if you think you are, I hope you never find out how much you are wrong.

Good leaders honor loyalty, and unless someone is a complete train wreck, honor their commitments. We lack a shit ton of real leaders these days from top to bottom. It's why society sucks right now.

I was saying in general about this situation and life for everyone as I don’t know you. How you take it is on you.

 

[Cats192]

So ultimately she chose not to play anymore which is her choice. Not liking your choices doesn’t mean you don’t have one.

She had a choice to go somewhere else or stop playing. I think it’s clear playing for Kentucky was no longer her choice.

 

[Glenn's take]

I blame this on all of you. It's your duty as a Kentucky fan to empty your retirement account, nay, never retire and just work every day of your life so you can donate the money to her for NIL. If you don't do that, you are not only a true Kentucky fan but also a sexist.

 

[bbncal02]

Also, most new coaches would have let her go last year but KB gave her a chance to prove herself. She wasn’t his recruit. Let’s keep it real. She probably doesn’t get recruited by KB if he was here during her HS career. She isn’t the same player she was prior to her back to back ACL injuries. Kenny is paid to win games so he has to make decisions like this. People like you would roast him for not winning and yet roast him for making the decisions he thinks gives him the best chance to win. Hell Stoops was roasted for keeping players on the team last year and going 4-8. Most of those are gone (many seniors from KY) and he gets applauded for making those hard decisions to better the team. Doesn’t KB deserve the same consideration?

He would if he used 15 spots. He doesn't he uses 7-8. That was even true at his VT days. What is really gonna piss people off is if he keeps his daughter. That's gonna really cause problems. It's the one thing I criticized Tubby for. He tended to favor Saul over others.

People like me are balanced. I respect winning but I also respect taking care of people and putting people in places to succeed. I also value good communication. Brooks could clear the air in a moment. And he's gonna have to learn real quick that at Kentucky, you don't just dishonor our culture.

 

[TCurtis75]

She had a choice to go somewhere else or stop playing. I think it’s clear playing for Kentucky was no longer her choice.

So she had choices. Again, not liking what the choices are doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice.

 

[bbncal02]

I was saying in general about this situation and life for everyone as I don’t know you. How you take it is on you.

In the current culture, economy and state of affairs, I don't think anyone is naive enough to think life is fair. The problem is people say that like "Oh well! Let's never try to fix or change things and continue to be dicks to one another!"

 

[bbncal02]

So she had choices. Again, not liking what the choices are doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice.

We all have choices, but when choices go against what you love to do, where you've established roots, etc- let's not act like those choices are VIABLE just because they exist.

Like ESPN telling their LA employees, "Well, either move cross country or be fired." Yeah, great choice options huh?

As someone who's been pushed out solely due to "regime change" it's the worst feeling in the world. Basically like getting told you can't sit at the cool kids table, except it's adults.

 

[TCurtis75]

He would if he used 15 spots. He doesn't he uses 7-8. That was even true at his VT days. What is really gonna piss people off is if he keeps his daughter. That's gonna really cause problems. It's the one thing I criticized Tubby for. He tended to favor Saul over others.

People like me are balanced. I respect winning but I also respect taking care of people and putting people in places to succeed. I also value good communication. Brooks could clear the air in a moment. And he's gonna have to learn real quick that at Kentucky, you don't just dishonor our culture.

The difference here is his daughter doesn’t play. Saul started. You know what cures all anger. Winning which is what he is trying to do with these decisions.

By all reports, KE was a wonderful person and loyal to her players. She got roasted for not winning. The UK softball coach made a statement that loyalty to players cost her wins and that she had to make tough decisions about players on the team. She was applauded for doing it. Mingione basically cleared house to save his job and went to the World Series and was applauded. This situation is similar to those yet Brooks doesn’t get the same benefit of the doubt. The only reason people are upset is because she is from KY. If she was from Oklahoma no one would care which does in fact show people think being from KY entitles the players to something and it doesn’t.

 

[TCurtis75]

In the current culture, economy and state of affairs, I don't think anyone is naive enough to think life is fair. The problem is people say that like "Oh well! Let's never try to fix or change things and continue to be dicks to one another!"

Did you have the same outrage at Stoops, Cal when he first got hired or any of the other UK coaches who have done the same thing or is this different?

 

[bbncal02]

Did you have the same outrage at Stoops, Cal when he first got hired or any of the other UK coaches who have done the same thing or is this different?

Name one Sr. Cal told to kick rocks when he came in 2009. The man kept Derek Willis after Willis probably could've had a DUI.

And football isn't even a fair comparison, not by a mile.

 

[TCurtis75]

Name one Sr. Cal told to kick rocks when he came in 2009. The man kept Derek Willis after Willis probably could've had a DUI.

And football isn't even a fair comparison, not by a mile.

You’re right. Football has more scholarships so keeping someone who isn’t good enough isn’t as impactful as it is in basketball. It’s much more important in basketball to have those quality players. Glad you realize that.

Dwight Perry, Kevin Galloway, and Michael Porter would have all been seniors on Cal’s first team that didn’t make it through the coaching change. So there is 3 that Cal told to kick rocks.

 

[bbncal02]

You’re right. Football has more scholarships so keeping someone who isn’t good enough isn’t as impactful as it is in basketball. It’s much more important in basketball to have those quality players. Glad you realize that.

Dwight Perry, Kevin Galloway, and Michael Porter would have all been seniors on Cal’s first team that didn’t make it through the coaching change. So there is 3 that Cal told to kick rocks.

Fine. You win. Congrats.

Let's hope Brooks backs up his decisions or the hell he's catching now will pale in comparison.

 

[TCurtis75]

Fine. You win. Congrats.

Let's hope Brooks backs up his decisions or the hell he's catching now will pale in comparison.

You asked questions or made points. I answeeed and made counter points to. As long as he wins like he did this year, he won’t catch anything.

 

[pauled]

I heard the announcer say during a game a while back that Rowe is getting married in May, and starting on her Masters. I know she’s a mountain girl and all but she’s really not that good of a player. Brooks probably had a talk with a few after they lost, I’m surprised Sylva is leaving!

 

[Cat in ga]

If he asked her to leave that’s a real bad look. She bleeds blue. 15 scholarships give her one and let her finish out in Blue. Not saying she’s gotta play but damn.

 

[Bleedin Blue in Ohio]

If he tells the player that is on scholarship to leave that is wrong. If he tells them he is recruiting over them, and they will not see the court and allow the players to make their mind up if they want to stay or go, that is different, The AD should ask him if he told the player she is not coming back he needs fired!!!

 

[PopesReignOverCardinals]

The AD should ask him if he told the player she is not coming back he needs fired!!!

It's not the AD's job to micromanage a coach's roster. That's a whole different can of worms if you want that happening, especially in women's basketball.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Fine. You win. Congrats.

Let's hope Brooks backs up his decisions or the hell he's catching now will pale in comparison.

To be fair Cal didn't have 15 scholarships to work with either.

 

[ManitouDan]

I would feel the same way if it was my own kid. If you aren’t good enough, you aren’t good enough and need to be told as such. A business won’t keep you as an employee if you aren’t good enough so this is preparation for life because life isn’t fair. It’s just how the world is. You make yourself irreplaceable either in your job or in this case on the team. She had a year to do that and it appears she failed to do so. I hate it for her but this isn’t the everyone gets a trophy league.

Not every player even expects to start or play meaningful minutes . If you are the 12th-15th on the depth chart you know you are not getting hardly any PT . You need players that accept that , it’s NOT everyone gets a trophy type thing , it’s accepting your role on a 15 person roster .

 

[SemperFiCat]

People saying "coaches do this everywhere, it's a business". No, they don't. Go scour the interwebs and find all the examples of a coach telling a would be senior that they should leave the team before their last year. People can try to sugar coat this, or excuse it, or make excuses. They facts are Brooks (for whatever the reasons) told a graduating senior that she shouldn't remain on the team and graduate from the program that she gave three years to, and pay to finish her degree. It's BS, no matter how anyone wants to spin it, you can't make it not BS. The balls on Brooks to do this and think it's ok is amazing!! Dude better be fielding the 92 Dream Team is he needs roster spots THAT bad.

 

[TCurtis75]

People saying "coaches do this everywhere, it's a business". No, they don't. Go scour the interwebs and find all the examples of a coach telling a would be senior that they should leave the team before their last year. People can try to sugar coat this, or excuse it, or make excuses. They facts are Brooks (for whatever the reasons) told a graduating senior that she shouldn't remain on the team and graduate from the program that she gave three years to, and pay to finish her degree. It's BS, no matter how anyone wants to spin it, you can't make it not BS. The balls on Brooks to do this and think it's ok is amazing!! Dude better be fielding the 92 Dream Team is he needs roster spots THAT bad.

Just because it doesn’t make it to the paper doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. There are a lot of players in the transfer portal. Not all of them are there by choice.

 

[SemperFiCat]

Did you have the same outrage at Stoops, Cal when he first got hired or any of the other UK coaches who have done the same thing or is this different?

What coaches have done this? To a player that's gonna be a senior? Who's trying to finish an actual worthwhile degree. Honest question. Do you have examples of something like this happening? Is this a secret common practice? Do you honestly think Brooks is so hard up for finding room for 15 all-americans on his bench, that this decision was justifiable?? Cause, this is so ugly, that I'd think there has got to be a lot more to this story than Brooks just being a cold hearted Richard. That's my hope anyway.

 

[TCurtis75]

What coaches have done this? To a player that's gonna be a senior? Who's trying to finish an actual worthwhile degree. Honest question. Do you have examples of something like this happening? Is this a secret common practice? Do you honestly think Brooks is so hard up for finding room for 15 all-americans on his bench, that this decision was justifiable?? Cause, this is so ugly, that I'd think there has got to be a lot more to this story than Brooks just being a cold hearted Richard. That's my hope anyway.

Cal did it to 3 when he came to KY. Dwight Perry, Kevin Galloway, and Michael Porter were all sent packing and set to be seniors. I’ve heard stories that Stoops has sent would be seniors packing often. Mingione basically replaced his entire team. But every transfer is in the portal by their choice. You just don’t hear all the details.

This is part of the dark side of major college athletics. Coaches are fired when they don’t win so they have to construct rosters they think will give them the best chance to win. Kyra Elzy was by all accounts a great person and loyal to her players but at the end of the day she was fired for the on the court performance. You can’t expect top results and then handcuff the coach to achieve them within the rules.

 

[SemperFiCat]

Cal did it to 3 when he came to KY. Dwight Perry, Kevin Galloway, and Michael Porter were all sent packing and set to be seniors. I’ve heard stories that Stoops has sent would be seniors packing often. Mingione basically replaced his entire team. But every transfer is in the portal by their choice. You just don’t hear all the details.

This is part of the dark side of major college athletics. Coaches are fired when they don’t win so they have to construct rosters they think will give them the best chance to win. Kyra Elzy was by all accounts a great person and loyal to her players but at the end of the day she was fired for the on the court performance. You can’t expect top results and then handcuff the coach to achieve them within the rules.

Simply put, it's a terrible look. Brooks ain't Cal or Saban. If Brooks thinks that one scholly was worth it, it's rather surprising. If it came out she was somehow a team cancer, then I get it. Guess we'll see. But, if I were him, I'd release a statement and explain it.

 

[ArcadiaFan]

Different scenario as Rowe was on scholarship, but Calipari also made it clear Landon Slone wasn't welcome to continue to walk on when he took over. Slone tried playing at Morehead and then Pikeville but quit both squads as his heart belonged to Kentucky basketball.

 

[TCurtis75]

Simply put, it's a terrible look. Brooks ain't Cal or Saban. If Brooks thinks that one scholly was worth it, it's rather surprising. If it came out she was somehow a team cancer, then I get it. Guess we'll see. But, if I were him, I'd release a statement and explain it.

There is 3 sides to the story:..the coaches, the player, and the truth. The coach and the player both have incentive to spin it to make them look as good as possible.

 

[deadtracker]

That’s because she made the decision to stay at the university. He was being upfront about the situation so she could get out and front to transfer to another school so she could play for her senior year. She chose not to so she couple stay in the UK PT program.

No, that makes no sense. He obviously told her the scholarship was pulled. She said in her post she didn't want to leave the program "I wanted nothing more than to play my senior year (at Ky)." This is on Kenny Brooks, who has decided to kick off a player who gave three years of her college career to the program. She deserved to play her final year here. Not a fan of this coach.