Vanderbilt and Cal

[ck-2]

It's easy to see when Cal is frustrated with a player. And it was clear with Vanderbilt even before Vanderbilt played his first minute.
However some refuse to see it. Cal protects players even when behind closed doors he probably is as aggravated as us fans are.

 

[drbubba]

and Cal goes to great lengths to insure we don't get the whole story.

 

[throatpoker]

So waa Vanderbilt hurt come tournament time last season or just refusing to play?

he wasn't hurt, he tweaked foot and got scared of losing $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$. Can't really blame him, I guess.

 

[ck-2]

and Cal goes to great lengths to insure we don't get the whole story.

I agree with you.

 

[Aike]

I assume he was actually hurt since it’s been 3 months and he still isn’t working out for teams. Most people wanting to make millions of dollars will at least go run non-contact drills in an empty gym.

 

[ZZBlueComet]

Vanderbilt is now my least favorite player of the Cal era and that is saying something.

Even more than Daniel Orton?

 

[Poetax]

and Cal goes to great lengths to insure we don't get the whole story.

Maybe it ain’t his call.

 

[Fox2monk]

Even more than Daniel Orton?

Yeah and that is what I mean. He just left a really bad taste in my mouth. Orton had a legit shot to get drafted and he did. He at least played.

 

[JC CATS]

So, did Cal not know about the handlers before he recruited the kid?

Did Pitino know about the whores?

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

and Cal goes to great lengths to insure we don't get the whole story.

 

[UK90]

But I will say this, Cal let this type of thing start with Diallo,who played no games and then declared,but did come back,now JV comes in and only plays when he wants to, and declares. Hopefully Cal ends that program quickly.

How did Cal supposedly "let" that happen? Do you think Cal has the power to forbid players from declaring?

 

[jeffbuckies]

Did Pitino know about the whores?

Uh...who do you think was paying for them?

 

[Isonator35]

If you can remember Cal's interviews when he was asked about Vanderbilt playing he seemed like he didn't care. And usually Cal is like "He will play when he's ready," or something similar. But Cal was just like he can play, it's up to him now. I felt like he was wanting him to leave and Vanderbilt was tough to deal with.

 

[docholiday51]

I assume he was actually hurt since it’s been 3 months and he still isn’t working out for teams. Most people wanting to make millions of dollars will at least go run non-contact drills in an empty gym.

I think he didn't want to risk revealing his situation if there was a chance he could get drafted at any point.He is not able to play/work out and would likely not be able to play an entire season at UK so there was no reason for him to return.

Honestly I hoped he would not come back because that might cost us a player who would be on the court. I hope he makes it to the NBA but UK is better off without him and he is better off without UK

 

[Fox2monk]

If you can remember Cal's interviews when he was asked about Vanderbilt playing he seemed like he didn't care. And usually Cal is like "He will play when he's ready," or something similar. But Cal was just like he can play, it's up to him now. I felt like he was wanting him to leave and Vanderbilt was tough to deal with.

He even said the Vanderbilt actually coming back when he did messed the team up. I bet that was a big cause for why we sucked for those three weeks. I would bet a lot of internal problems will never be known from this.

 

[Aike]

I think he didn't want to risk revealing his situation if there was a chance he could get drafted at any point.He is not able to play/work out and would likely not be able to play an entire season at UK so there was no reason for him to return.

Honestly I hoped he would not come back because that might cost us a player who be on the court. I hope he makes it to the NBA but UK is better off without him and he is better off without UK

Any team that might draft him will know his situation precisely. If he isn’t working out at all, he’s almost certainly too hurt to go.

The only other option I can think of would be that a team has given him a guarantee with which he’s satisfied, so he feels no need to show anything else.

I suppose a third option would be that he has lost his mind (or his handlers have lost theirs).

 

[lkc1234]

and Cal goes to great lengths to insure we don't get the whole story.

Why do you need the whole story?

 

[docholiday51]

Any team that might draft him will know his situation precisely. If he isn’t working out at all, he’s almost certainly too hurt to go.

The only other option I can think of would be that a team has given him a guarantee with which he’s satisfied, so he feels no need to show anything else.

I suppose a third option would be that he has lost his mind (or his handlers have lost theirs).

The scary thing is all 3 of your options are real possibilities

 

[ccukuk]

And oddly will question how Cal can bring in someone like Vanderbilt, with all his issues, all his peeps and possy, all his determination to serve himself and not the program . . . and not recruit Tandy.

Possy? Might look at your spelling, carefully.

 

[Skyguyb27]

Any team that might draft him will know his situation precisely. If he isn’t working out at all, he’s almost certainly too hurt to go.

The only other option I can think of would be that a team has given him a guarantee with which he’s satisfied, so he feels no need to show anything else.

I suppose a third option would be that he has lost his mind (or his handlers have lost theirs).

At first I wondered if he was choosing not to work out so he didn't expose himself or an injury even more with hopes of a FA offer. I'll probably never know so no reason for me to lose sleep over it.

I will say this though if it was ever confirmed he could have played and didn't to protect his stock while watching his team lose, then yes he would be lower than Orton to me at that point.

 

[Aike]

At first I wondered if he was choosing not to work out so he didn't expose himself or an injury even more with hopes of a FA offer. I'll probably never know so no reason for me to lose sleep over it.

I will say this though if it was ever confirmed he could have played and didn't to protect his stock while watching his team lose, then yes he would be lower than Orton to me at that point.

If he isn’t playing because he hopes for a free agent offer, that would be in the lost his mind category, imo.

Unless for some reason he was ineligible to return, rehabbing at UK while working on his degree seems like a far better option to me.

He isn’t going to trick any of these teams into signing him. Anyone who writes him a check will have all of his medical information.

 

[Deli owl]

Even more than Daniel Orton?

Briscoe for me

 

[mebeblue2]

So, did Cal not know about the handlers before he recruited the kid?

almost every top recruit have handlers
some interfere, some don't

 

[Cantwaitfor8]

And oddly will question how Cal can bring in someone like Vanderbilt, with all his issues, all his peeps and possy, all his determination to serve himself and not the program . . . and not recruit Tandy.

Tandy’s lack of recruitment is his own familys doing. “He’s not going to sit the bench” or something along those lines was said by his dad. Seems it’s a similar situation to me with an overbearing parent of a kid who’s a multi year player. I’d say the Tandy ship has sailed...

 

[FrankUnderwood]

I wish him the best. Kids should be able to trust those closest to them. How are they supposed to know any better? I mean from their perspective Cal is the outsider and the new voice in his ear. We are looking at this with years of experience behind us so of course we see the mistakes and pitfalls these kids make. When they receive bad advice from their "trusted" mentors it really hurts them.

I hope he goes on to have a great career and I hope his injury history is over with.

They should be able to yes, but that is clearly not always the case. His handlers may have literally cost him millions of $$ and an NBA contract

 

[Ben101er]

He was seen walking easily without a limp when they got to hotel at SEC tourney. A trainer told me he still hasn’t run or jumped. Said Vandy had “laughable” pain threshold

And apparently, JV's mother was at the SEC tournament expecting to see him play. So, if she was surprised, think how Cal felt when he didn't play two weeks later in the NCAA tournament. I'm tired of the drama, and glad it looks like we are getting a kid who actually wants to play here, to replace him.

 

[BourbonBalz]

I look at it this way. I don't know how to feel or think about Vanderbilt's time at UK because I don't know what the REAL story actually is. Did he refuse to play in order to protect his NBA stock? Was he really hurt? Was he hurt enough that he truly couldn't play? I sure as hell don't know the answer to these questions and I doubt I ever will. I tend to think that he was listening to the wrong people and that he and Cal did have a rocky relationship as a result. However, that is admittedly nothing but speculation on my part.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Vanderbilt is one of the greatest what ifs in UK history IMO. If healthy he could have done some good things. We will never know. Good luck to him, didn't accomplish much here, won't be memorable to fans at all IMO. Good luck JV.

 

[mj2k10]

Vanderbilt is going to go down, for me, as the most disappointing recruit of the Cal era. He looked SOOOO good in the All-Star games a year ago. Then absolutely nothing seemed to go right.

I think it's past time for the NBA to let HS players back into the draft. Preferrably make it a baseball-like rule, and raise the salaries in the G League. Just give the kids who don't want to be in college a viable option. Let the top 10 kids in the class go (which will be sad to a certain extent), give some other 5 star guys a chance to make a decent wage in the G League if that's the direction they really want to go. Leave college to the players who actual have some interest in being in college, or at least realize that playing college basketball isn't the worst thing in the world.

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

To me Vanderbilt is in the Legion, Parker, Carruth category.

 

[UKWildcats#8]

Briscoe for me

Don't get this. He stayed 2 years and tried. Jv didn't even try according to some

 

[Gothic1960]

It was pretty obvious that something was wrong besides the injury. I always thought Vanderbilt wasn't that interested in basketball other than as a way to protect his draft status. He (or his handlers) also seems to think he is better than he really is at this point IMO. Of course I guess that's true of many.

Vanderbilt is the type of player that should not have to go to college. He probably had no desire at all to be there IMO. Exactly the kind of kid that should be allowed to try to go pro out of HS. And I think once OAD is gone we'll see 30-40 top players skip college every year, not the 5-10 that a lot of people are saying.

Not trying to demean or criticize him. Just saying what I believe, He was a Cat so I support him and wish him the best.

 

[IL Wildcat]

I'm certainly not one to slam a UK player, current, former, or future, but all I can say about Vanderbilt is that he ended up being a disappointment compared to his potential. I know much of it wasn't his fault but it seems to me that injuries may cut his career short. He has such thin lower legs, I just wonder if he could play an entire college season, much less the grind of an NBA slate of games. And the ongoing miscommunication or straight out lack of clear communication between him and Cal tells me there were other issues in play here that likely should have told us he wouldn't be here long. Even not being able to work out for teams or being able to make the combine, he was still determined to take off.

I question the wisdom of leaving on his part but I would also question the wisdom of taking a risk on him for any NBA team. He could be great, don't get me wrong, but he's just a huge ?? in my mind .

 

[UK90]

To me Vanderbilt is in the Legion, Parker, Carruth category.

Well ...except JV's many times more talented than those guys.

If y'all are expecting JV to just disappear like those guys then I think you may end up surprised. He's one of the most uniquely gifted recruits we've seen--phenomenally rare rebounding instincts, crazy non-stop motor, elite level athleticism, tremendous ballhandling/passing skills for his size.

Unfortunately, UK never got to enjoy the benefits of those talents, but that does NOT mean the talents aren't there. If JV gets his head on straight, remedies his foot-injury issues, and improves his shot, then this is a guy who could easily end up developing into one hell of an NBA player.

 

[kyups01]

I still get a chuckle out of the Rodman comparisons. But on a serious not there is zero doubt the dude has game...he just went about his UK experience HORRIBLY wrong.

 

[mj2k10]

It was pretty obvious that something was wrong besides the injury. I always thought Vanderbilt wasn't that interested in basketball other than as a way to protect his draft status. He (or his handlers) also seems to think he is better than he really is at this point IMO. Of course I guess that's true of many.

Vanderbilt is the type of player that should not have to go to college. He probably had no desire at all to be there IMO. Exactly the kind of kid that should be allowed to try to go pro out of HS. And I think once OAD is gone we'll see 30-40 top players skip college every year, not the 5-10 that a lot of people are saying.

Not trying to demean or criticize him. Just saying what I believe, He was a Cat so I support him and wish him the best.

I think a lot would depend on just how much the NBA raises G League salary possibilities, specifically for players coming directly out of HS.

If the option is go to college for 2 years, or go to the G League and make 40-50 K (assuming the player isn't good enough to get drafted in the 1st round out of HS) for a few years, I think most players who aren't 1st round possibilities will still go to college. I'd guess 10-15 guys a year on average skipping college.

If the option is 100K a year in the G League, then yeah, you're right, it will be a lot more than 10-15.

At this point, I don't know if it matters. College basketball may need to accept its place as a niche sport like college baseball, just with a wildly popular tournament. Let the pros develop the top kids on their own, get just a little stability back.

 

[ccukuk]

It was pretty obvious that something was wrong besides the injury. I always thought Vanderbilt wasn't that interested in basketball other than as a way to protect his draft status. He (or his handlers) also seems to think he is better than he really is at this point IMO. Of course I guess that's true of many.

Vanderbilt is the type of player that should not have to go to college. He probably had no desire at all to be there IMO. Exactly the kind of kid that should be allowed to try to go pro out of HS. And I think once OAD is gone we'll see 30-40 top players skip college every year, not the 5-10 that a lot of people are saying.

Not trying to demean or criticize him. Just saying what I believe, He was a Cat so I support him and wish him the best.

He didn’t have to go to college. He could have gone pro out of high school. He would not have been drafted by an NBA team last year, if that’s what you are referring to, and won’t this year.

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

Well ...except JV's many times more talented than those guys.

If y'all are expecting JV to just disappear like those guys then I think you may end up surprised. He's one of the most uniquely gifted recruits we've seen--phenomenally rare rebounding instincts, crazy non-stop motor, elite level athleticism, tremendous ballhandling/passing skills for his size.

Unfortunately, UK never got to enjoy the benefits of those talents, but that does NOT mean the talents aren't there. If JV gets his head on straight, remedies his foot-injury issues, and improves his shot, then this is a guy who could easily end up developing into one hell of an NBA player.

As I recall...correct me if I'm wrong...the coming out of H.S. hype on especially Parker and Carruth was great as well. Both had other issues. Seems that Vanderbilt has some issues along with the injuries.

 

[kentuckykowboy8]

I remember Parker playing so well at the end of the year. Remind me why he didn’t come back again?

 

[docholiday51]

Don't get this. He stayed 2 years and tried. Jv didn't even try according to some

Briscoe played hard and gave effort while playing out of position.He didn't have the overall skills he needed and he didn't like school evidently but he showed up and gave what he had to offer every game.He wasn't one of my favorite players while we don't know any of the behind the scene issues with either player UK certainly got more mileage out of Briscoe then they did from Vanderbilt.