His relationship with Drake. I have no issue with it, but it's just awkward.
What is the most bizarre thing Cal has done?
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Does he even come around here anymore? I never believed it was anything more than a business "relationship" anyway. It was all part of the act.
Signing Devin Askew is up there
I saw Cal get kicked out of an all you can eat buffet in Philadelphia, once. They said he was taking all of the crab legs. True story.
His insistence that straight man to man is the only acceptable defense you can play in college basketball. Coach K had the EXACT same issue as this year in 2015. His freshmen couldn’t guard anybody so mid-season he switched to primary zone and they won the national championship. That’s what a good coach does, adjusts his strategies to his personnel. Not Cal, he sinks the entire ship to force players into failing coaching strategies. I really wonder sometimes if he lacks the ability the teach alternative defense? And good basic set plays with multiple actions and screens?
they were at his house in july and he was at UK a week ago, took some uk players on stage with him as well.
https://www.aseaofblue.com/2024/3/1...pp-arena-concert-kentucky-wildcats-basketball
He was also at the Houston selection show party lol. He was given a jersey also, just feel like it’s PR stuff with Cal and Drake
For me it has to be his history of writing checks that can't be cashed.
For example, he said, "We're chasing UCLA", and proceeded to go out and only win 1 title in 14 years.
For example, he said, "We're chasing UCLA", and proceeded to go out and only win 1 title in 14 years.
Not filling using all 13 scholarships every year and (sometimes) complaining of being shorthanded.
Not feeding Cousins the ball in the Elite 8, when Demarcus had a 10 inch advantage on Joe Mazulla.
Wheeler. I dont get the loyalty. He wasn't a 5 star or one and done type. Tyty and Cason were those and clearly were best options at pg both seasons.
And that STILL really, really bothers me. It should have been a firable offense, the moment it was clear that Shady Sharpe was physically able to do the combine (but immorally chose to avoid). Cal deserves ZERO RESPECT regardless of the outcome of this tournament.
Yeah, I don't know why he doesn't come around, but if I was Drake I'd laugh my ass off ten seconds into Cal trying to motivate his team. It would be an embarassment.
Kneeling on the national anthem for me despicable
Sounds like something Louisville recruits would do. Pitino didn't even bother with the legs. The table became an all you can eat platter.
It gets me every time when he says he will throw out the last tape of the post-season and never watch it again. (Especially 2011, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019…and before his UK days, 2008. How can you be up by 9 points with 2:12 to go in regulation of the Championship Game and LOSE? The same way we can be up by double digits with minutes to go and lose).
Maybe—just maybe—if the tape was viewed and analyzed, maybe—just maybe—certain patterns would be on display that maybe—just maybe—could be corrected so we wouldn’t have the same, familiar ending season after season (save one).
Maybe—just maybe—if the tape was viewed and analyzed, maybe—just maybe—certain patterns would be on display that maybe—just maybe—could be corrected so we wouldn’t have the same, familiar ending season after season (save one).
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Too many to list the last few years would make Tubby's team turmoil teams blush.
I don't know about most bizarre, but most infuriating was his refusal to play zone the whole game against UConn in 2014, which cost us a national title. That was the recipe to beat that team and Cal just ignored what others (like Pitino) did to make that team look foolish in conference play.
There’s plenty of things to criticize about his coaching, which this thread is full of, but I’m not sure all of them really qualify as bizarre.
For me, there’s two things that stand out the most as bizarre. The Sharpe fiasco is definitely one of them. No other coach in America and quite possibly the world would allow a guy to suit up and be counted as part of the team and hype him up in the press while also allowing him to voluntarily sit out the season with the intention of leaving without ever playing in a game.
His other tendency that’s truly bizarre is when he attempts to explain players’ lack of minutes in certain games by claiming to have forgotten about them. It makes no sense and no other coach says anything like that.
For me, there’s two things that stand out the most as bizarre. The Sharpe fiasco is definitely one of them. No other coach in America and quite possibly the world would allow a guy to suit up and be counted as part of the team and hype him up in the press while also allowing him to voluntarily sit out the season with the intention of leaving without ever playing in a game.
His other tendency that’s truly bizarre is when he attempts to explain players’ lack of minutes in certain games by claiming to have forgotten about them. It makes no sense and no other coach says anything like that.
I don't remember when he said that, so I can't say it was the first eye-popping moment for me, but I vividly remember him saying it, and I agree that it's certainly enough ... now among many other reasons ... to justify not trusting him to lead the University of Kentucky basketball program.
Agree that Pitino definitely had UCon’s number that year. It was worth studying how he beat them multiple times!
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/400497034
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/400546628/uconn-louisville
https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/400496966/louisville-uconn
Higgins was on the whistle for the 2014 UCon vs FL Final Four. SEC teams don’t advance with him. I have no doubt we would have beaten FL in a rematch. https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/game/_/gameId/400549976/uconn-florida
Meh, I like Rick but what defensive strategy did he implement against Laetner and Hill?
What adjustments did he make vs. Marquette, UNC, Arizona, or UK...twice?
Coaches aren't perfect and neither are players. Players win and lose games, 8/10 at minimum.
IMHO the most ridiculous thing Cal has done here is watch Devin Askew slam the ball around for nearly 30 mpg. Mintz could have run that team well enough to make the tourney at least.
That was not a tournament team by any measure of the imagination.
It wasn't with Devin Askew running the point for 30mpg. With a guy that kept their head up when they dribbled, yeah, it could have been.
When a member of the media asks him a question and his answer has absolutely nothing to do with the question whatsoever.
Media- What did you think of Reeves scoring 28 points on only ten shots tonite?
Cal- What about those 3 rebounds Bradshaw got in the second half? Good stuff.
Media- What did you think of Reeves scoring 28 points on only ten shots tonite?
Cal- What about those 3 rebounds Bradshaw got in the second half? Good stuff.
Sharpe and Skal are the top 2.
One I haven’t seen mentioned—playing Trey Lyles at the “3.” I know we had the platoon thing going, and 38-1 is 38-1. I just always found his fit next to KAT and Cauley-Stein to be awkward on offense. Especially when Cal could have easily started Booker or Ulis next to the twins and rotate 4 players amongst 3 perimeter spots. And then use Lyles to spell the bigs along with Dakari.
One I haven’t seen mentioned—playing Trey Lyles at the “3.” I know we had the platoon thing going, and 38-1 is 38-1. I just always found his fit next to KAT and Cauley-Stein to be awkward on offense. Especially when Cal could have easily started Booker or Ulis next to the twins and rotate 4 players amongst 3 perimeter spots. And then use Lyles to spell the bigs along with Dakari.
