What is the best coaching move Cal has ever executed?

[michaeluk26]

2011 putting Liggins on Aaron Craft instead of Diebler. Disrupted their offense. Let Jorts battle Sullinger one on one and stayed attached to their 3 point shooters.

Then against Carolina he let Liggins run point so Knight could come off screens. It really was a brilliant coaching job.

 

[rick64]

Retiring at end of the NCAAT would be pretty epic.

 

[ManitouDan]

Reluctantly putting Derek Willis in the starting lineup in 2017. Changed the dynamic of that team.

It was VERY reluctant -- took far too long

Making Karl Towns concentrate on post play and not shooting threes. It's why we beat Notre Dame.

We were quite a bit better than ND that year .. that was the 38-0 team and they played us to the final seconds .. no way I'd mention Cal and " well coached game" concerning that contest . I was at that game in Cleveland

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

Dovetailing off of the "What is the most bizarre thing Cal has done?" thread:

What is the best\smartest coaching move Cal has ever done?

My vote is for the 1-4 he ran against UCONN with Wall in 2009. Of course he never ran it again that season, but I thought it was brilliant at the time.

Letting others coach in Bahamas and Canada.

 

[Bluesbrother]

Using platoons until Alex got hurt in 2015. We were bludgeoning people. That second unit really came in wanting to show something.

Will always remember the "bludgeoning" of Kansas in the regular season game, Champions Classic 2014. Kansas players were totally demoralized, which is always the way it should be ... LOL. I also remember the beating Kansas put on us in Pitino's first year ... I think we lost by 55 points.

 

[JwUKFan11]

Sticking with Nick Richards for 3 years and allowing him to shoot that mid range jumper. I know I would have been done with Nick after how bad he was at times his first 2 years.

 

[TOMCATS1990]

Dreaming about playing zone then waking up watching Little House and forgetting his dream.

 

[EliteBlue]

2011 vs OSU and UNC. Not many expected UK to win those, but Cal had the team ready and prepared for those games.

The OSU game is mine.

Not doubling Sullinger and playing him straight up to take away any help defense kickout 3s that OSU feasted on all year. Turned their inside out 1-2 punch into “bet you can’t beat us w 2s only”

Ironically enough it’s a strategy that would do this team wonders but we refuse to just stick to our dude and over guard the perimeter, limit sagging and help, emphasize a true aggressive man2man instead of a matchup/helping man and stop giving up open 3s. If they can score enough 2s to beat us then so be it but when we are putting up 90 that’s hard to do…we are getting beat and giving up layups anyways…might as well take the 3 away

 

[Ripcord65]

His best move is yet to come. It will be when he leaves after this season is over.

Let us only hope, Don !

 

[wobycat]

Recruit

Anthony Davis

 

[TFCats11]

Sticking with Justin Edwards when dozens of internet experts suggested he should be benched

Uh, what’s wrong with coming off the bench? There’s currently 2 top 10 picks and another future 1st rounder doing just that and several of you think it’s perfectly fine! No reason to believe it wouldn’t work wonders for Edwards as well… Right?

 

[BlazerHallsBallsN96]

Getting himself thrown out of that South Carolina game down there and letting Ulis coach the team to a win, seems like our only win down there.

 

[Chevyfn2]

Using the UCLA job opening to con Mitch into that ridiculous contract. Great coaching move by him.

This might be the best comment I’ve ever read on this board!