Disagree. No one would be talking about 'what if' and not many would be worrying about if he moved on without playing. Just got a title and Knox committed? Stress level would have ratcheted down immeasurably.
UK fans who are upset with Diallo are selfish and crazy.
- Thread starter bballcat4
- Start date
- Status
Disagree. No one would be talking about 'what if' and not many would be worrying about if he moved on without playing. Just got a title and Knox committed? Stress level would have ratcheted down immeasurably.
Ok guys no ones nuts are on anyone's chin........
That's fine, you can disagree but those who don't like this situation would still be in exactly the same position.
I know many will not agree with me and that is fine but I have said this in another thread. " I hope this situation never comes up again ". I think he should have played while here. JMO
I'm assuming you're speaking of yourself and I can respect that as well as others who do feel the same or would even after winning a title. I would guess there would be quite a few less fans in your camp in that scenario though.
"If he’s a lottery pick, I’m retiring, I’m done. There’s nothing more I can do," the Kentucky head coach said with a laugh. "He has a chance of being drafted and doing all this stuff. That’s what we’re supposed to be doing. People are mad, ‘He didn’t play!’ This is what this is for. And if at the end of the day, if someone's going to draft him in the first round, 21, 25, lottery pick, it’s hard for me to tell him to come back.”
Fair take.
I should have clairified my "selfish and clueless" statement. It was only intended for those few who are bashing the kid like he stole the school's $ and accusing him of being afraid to compete. He's doing exactly what Cal has advised him to do.
Whether Cal should have allowed the situation to occur is debatable. I think it's good for UK regardless of what decision NBA teams make. I don't have a problem with people who see it differently.
The fact that you two actually believe Cal would not recruit a needed position just so Diallo doesn't look bad makes zero sense.
Cal is all about the kids, but he wouldn't screw over those returning by not recruiting a needed position.
I can't wrap my head around this train of thought.
I don't disagree that HD himself may have been set on leaving no matter what but Cal isn't that dense.
Cal has also talked more about winning to appease fans who struggle with the players first concept.
But that concept does not extend to a conspiracy of not recruiting a major position of need because some kid who never played might get some bad social media.
I do not think it was coach speak after Diallo signed that Cal mentioned how it would help him next season with us. To knowingly not recruit just so HD doesn't catch grief... from who? is a conspiracy too far to fathom.
Cal rolled the dice with the odds in his favor, he noticed teams were interested and possibly that HD may leave no matter what...he then started recruiting SGs.
May not be true but much more plausible than the idea of Cal taking a kid who is not staying and leaving a gaping whole on the next roster until the last minute.
I am past the point of caring about Diallo personally. It is what it is. But I want ro throw this question out there...As no one has seen him play since high school, if you were the NBA ( GM or Owner, etc.) would you take a multi million $$ gamble on him this draft when this draft is loaded with players you HAVE aeen play and know what they have to offer? I think I would be leery about a guy who didn't want to show me what he's got to offer my team. Just a thought and would appreciate yours.
In some ways we are splitting hairs here.
I agree that Diallo always wanted to go pro as soon as possible. I just don't think that he or Cal felt 4 months ago that Diallo was likely to get a guaranteed deal this summer.
I think he sat out for the two reasons he has mentioned: to protect himself and the team.
Protect himself from looking bad, because he always intended to go through this process.
Protect the team from blowing a game or two by inserting an unprepared player, or messing with chemistry and rotations. Remember - this team needed every single win to earn a 2 seed.
I see no reason that these two conditions can't coexist.
I don't think Diallo is a bad kid for wanting to protect his draft stock, under the circumstances. However, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I would have handled it differently had I been in Diallo's shoes.
How so? I would have gotten on the court, somehow, some way. Even if it was only in mop up minutes.
I know this, because I bleed blue more than anything else. I've also always cared more about competition than money or security.
And I think that's a big part of the issue. Lifetime UK fans, who would have given their left pinky toe for 2 minutes of court time at Rupp, feel used and betrayed.
I don't feel that way. Diallo ain't me. I totally get what he's doing. So I actually get the feelings people have, even if I can't wrap my head around grown men being consumed by those feelings.
But back to the point. I think the plan has always been for Diallo to go pro if reasonably possible. I just don't think they expected it to be the most likely scenario when he showed up on campus.
But I don't know. I'm guessing. I think he was 60/40 or better coming back 4 months ago. Maybe he was always 75/25 the other way.
Maybe he's looking for a great reason to leave. Or maybe he's only looking for an excuse. We may never know for certain, but we will all have a better idea in the next 10 days.
I agree that Diallo always wanted to go pro as soon as possible. I just don't think that he or Cal felt 4 months ago that Diallo was likely to get a guaranteed deal this summer.
I think he sat out for the two reasons he has mentioned: to protect himself and the team.
Protect himself from looking bad, because he always intended to go through this process.
Protect the team from blowing a game or two by inserting an unprepared player, or messing with chemistry and rotations. Remember - this team needed every single win to earn a 2 seed.
I see no reason that these two conditions can't coexist.
I don't think Diallo is a bad kid for wanting to protect his draft stock, under the circumstances. However, I can say with almost 100% certainty that I would have handled it differently had I been in Diallo's shoes.
How so? I would have gotten on the court, somehow, some way. Even if it was only in mop up minutes.
I know this, because I bleed blue more than anything else. I've also always cared more about competition than money or security.
And I think that's a big part of the issue. Lifetime UK fans, who would have given their left pinky toe for 2 minutes of court time at Rupp, feel used and betrayed.
I don't feel that way. Diallo ain't me. I totally get what he's doing. So I actually get the feelings people have, even if I can't wrap my head around grown men being consumed by those feelings.
But back to the point. I think the plan has always been for Diallo to go pro if reasonably possible. I just don't think they expected it to be the most likely scenario when he showed up on campus.
But I don't know. I'm guessing. I think he was 60/40 or better coming back 4 months ago. Maybe he was always 75/25 the other way.
Maybe he's looking for a great reason to leave. Or maybe he's only looking for an excuse. We may never know for certain, but we will all have a better idea in the next 10 days.
I wouldn't draft him. I would want to know what he's made of, and what kind of teammate he will be.
I think his calculated avoidance behavior may help him get drafted, but I'm pretty sure it will actually hurt him with some teams.
Nothing like butthurt UK fans.
"I think he should've...."
"Cal should've..."
Guess what? You have no say. Let it go...let the kid do whatever he feels like he needs to do. Let Cal make decisions he needs to make.
Too many wanna be coaches in Kentucky
"I think he should've...."
"Cal should've..."
Guess what? You have no say. Let it go...let the kid do whatever he feels like he needs to do. Let Cal make decisions he needs to make.
Too many wanna be coaches in Kentucky
As you say brian Cal is nowhere near that dense,he had to see this coming almost from the get go,so he played along and constructed a plan B that could/would co-exist with Diallo's plan.We are where we are and it will all work out.I don't see it as a situation where there is blame to be affixed to anyone but nothing comes as a free lunch there is downside to most everything including this situation.
Very well said.
I bleed blue, have since 78 when I was 12. I was cursing and screaming for Diallo to be put in games. I cuss and holler at Cal all the time. Then I settle down and know I can't change a thing and there must be reasons I don't know about for some of the things he does or doesn't do that I disagree with.
I do think Cal values national championships just as much as NBA draft picks, he has just chosen a formula to get both that appears to only focus on one. He knows they come hand in hand, at least they would if the game wasn't tainted by outside forces.
Remove Higgins from the last five years and he has at least one, maybe more, ships and we wouldn't even be discussing half the sht we do now.
I definitely agree he saw the increasing likelihood of Diallo leaving and either had a plan B ready or started one long before we were aware.
Exaaaaaactly, I mean this is ridiculous. It's not like this is a message board where people come to discuss varying opinions based on different topics. That's wacked. This isn't that kind of place. These people should go find a place more suitable for discussion.
Thanks for opening our eyes gracetoyou. You're a real benefit to have thanks.
You were screaming for Diallo to play, I was hoping to never see him check in.
Like Aike said, we needed every win we got to get a 2 seed, experimenting with Diallo was going to cost us a game.
There is no way in hell that that kid was ready to play at that level.
I just don't think most people on this board realize how hard the college level is, especially at UK. I've never done it myself, but I know it's effing hard.
I agree with a lot of what you here. I can also see both sides and say that I can understand why UK fans are upset. Hopefully Diallo can understand it as well.
This statement grabbed my attention. First off, do we really need that though? I would argue no, it's not needed at all. Our brand already speaks for itself and says everything that Cal has always wanted it to say to recruits.
Second, is that even really a good thing? The perception that has been created here just keeps getting bigger and bigger. Those in the recruiting world have stated that this is being used against us in recruiting. It's gotten to the point where players feel as though they're failures if they're not OADs here. That's when it gets out of hand if you ask me. I love Cal and love what he's done here but this perception is not something I like attached to our program. I think we may have missed on a couple guys that probably would've been here multiple years but felt as though they would be over recruited or looked upon as failures had they not went OAD. Now, nobody knows that for a fact but it's just my opinion that we may have gotten a guy like Kennard had that not been an issue. Only reason I mention him specifically is because I know that situation personally. I'm not saying we would've gotten Luke but I know that was part of his thinking process with us.
I bring up these question points and I don't have an answer for either of them. Im not sure there is an answer or at least none of us know the answer. Is this just part of the game in today's age? Probably. Is this just us having to take the good with the bad in this style of recruiting? More than likely.....most definitely. But they're valid points to this "system" and Im not sold on the fact that this was something needed to broaden the "Kentucky Effect".
As fans, we want to see players play and the team play. We don't want our program to be used simply as an NBA training camp. We love this program, not just it's coaches and facilities that were used to prepare this kid for the draft. I won't hate on him for doing what is best for him and his family but that doesn't mean that I have to like how it was done. I have a interest in seeing the team do well and I don't think there is anything wrong with that. I'll support him either way but I don't think I could ever call him a Wildcat without playing in a game, when it was his choice rather than the NCAA's choice. That's just my opinion. We all know what that's worth. Lol
Exactly my point. Emotional me wanted him in there when we struggled and crooks were fouling our players out. Rational me knew he probably wasn't ready and the coaches and he knew best.
Yeah, I want to see this kid play for UK, he has the tools to be a game changer.
I just don't care about the NBA or how many draft picks we have, I care about the successes that UK has.
I was excited to know the kid was coming in to get a head start on the 17/18 season and just wanted to practice last year.
He could have been a real disruption if Cal played him last year and he would have been lost.
But to just come here, practice for a few months and bolt, nah, that's not what I want UK to be involved in. At least play a season if you're going to come here.
Just my opinion.
Its a message board we are all part of the conversation. I meant all of the weak ass bs your spewing like acid reflux. It's weak not one fact all speculation. Proving you right? How? UHow did I prove you right? The second you cant answer you are proven wrong. You come on here to keep drama stirred not to discuss anything like a fan. You are either a troll or a fan who formed an opinion with out thinking it out and just can't be wrong. Either way keep thinking your right because you have proven without a shadow of a doubt that the things you think are ignorant. Besides you actually asked me to put you on ignore you can't me though cause in your own words that is a pussy thing to do. I mean that statement right there says so much about your level of thinking
Here you go again. You seem to take pride in being one of the biggest jerks on the board. Just so you know, those supporting this decision have no verifiable facts either since you can't take anyone at face value.
Oh good lord, finally after 7000+ posts over a dozen years, finally someone smart enough to figure out I'm a troll. Oops, missed my line - You dablueman. I bow at your brilliance. Lol, you actually think you're clever don't you. Too funny.
I already proved my facts provided a link. Learn to read. It is a fact practicing against good players makes players better. Diallo did this value. Mo Bamba is friends with Diallo and listens to him. Provided a link proving this. That alone is more value to UK then all of us message board posters combined especially you. Yep got zero problem being called a jerk by the guy who has insulted every person who has disagreed with him for the past month.
Don't know about everyone else but I hope he returns and has a great year on a great team.You have to think that he and Bamba would make this a very versatile team.We will be scary young but maybe scary good also.
I have insulted 1 person and that was after I was attacked first sunshine. You can't possibly prove those two things. Though it is likely that he helped some on defense. Since he's so good at it, what a shame he didn't show us against opponents.
Hey here you go Bamba's own words here is another fact rival coaches use this board and people like you to get into recruits ears and say things like "why would you want to play at UK look at how their own fans are bashing your boy just for doing what is best for him" I dont pat myself on the back and worry if I am clever. I can read yours and have no doubt your not. Man I dont even have a problem with you not agreeing. It's been the attitude you took towards others and then spinning your opinion like they were known truths then bashing other posters for posting theirs https://www.google.com/amp/amp.masslive.com/v1/articles/19977137/mohamed_bamba_kentucky_guard_h.amp
One? You have me and Brian Poe on this thread. You have me and others on other threads
I haven't insulted Brian. He and I get along fine. You'll rarely see me insult someone without provocation. I did insult you in this thread but please see previous sentence.
oh I agree about that completely
just wondered if the statements of "selfish" and "liar" will be retracted
Really, that's your evidence? Half of what he said was tongue in cheek. He is highly intelligent, enough so to realize why fans may be annoyed with the Diallo decision. However, I've never bashed Diallo. In fact, I've called him brilliant numerous times. You're not doing very well at this message board cop thing.
Your very first post on this board insulting someone else's opinion he didnt tag you but you insult him. Here is one. "What an arrogant post. I'm glad you cleared everything up for we morons."
- Status
Similar threads
