What is the most bizarre thing Cal has done?

[CincyUKFan]

As I think about the various things that we have seen over the years with Calipari here at UK, it occurs to me that he’s done some pretty bizarre things with regard to lineups, strategy, etc.

What strikes you as the most foolish or bizarre thing that he’s done in his tenure here?

For me, it’s the continual starting of and giving major minutes to DJ Wagner when you have two lottery pics on the bench who are both more natural and far superior point guards.

 

[ULisnotmyman]

Ashton Hagans vs Auburn.

Either that or the 765 times he’s talked down to and/or belittled the fans like we are the enemy.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Wagner should play but I agree him starting is an issue, we all know who should be starting. As for the second question, cal has so many bizarre moments during his time here. 2016 the whole way he used skal that whole year, when it was clear skal was a pick & pop big and not a bruiser in the paint. 2020 and the miss on taking Devin askew, 2019 auburn game, Hagans was bad, the offense was terrible and the jemarl baker incident.

 

[howitis]

This defense. Texas A&M scored 90+ points on us and I only remember 1 shot being contested. we don't have a single guard capable of staying in front of someone and stopping the ball yet we play man to man. most of the time we stand 6 feet away in a failing attempting to stay in front of them, but this means that the other teams guards can either take the open three or drive uncontested to a layup. I've never seen a defense as bad as the one we run. In the NBA, college or high school. if someone were to say as an experiment go out and run the worst defense possible you would accidently contest some shots. somehow we don't. its impressive in its own way. why we don't run a 2-3 or 3-2 zone with defenders this bad is lost on me and is the wildest thing cal has done.

 

[Caintuk]

For me, the very first eye-popping moment in Cals tenure was when he proclaimed “the greatest day in UK basketball history” was the night so many of our guys were drafted in the 1st round.
Honestly, I’ve never trusted him to lead our storied program since then.

 

[cathouse]

This defense. Texas A&M scored 90+ points on us and I only remember 1 shot being contested. we don't have a single guard capable of staying in front of someone and stopping the ball yet we play man to man. most of the time we stand 6 feet away in a failing attempting to stay in front of them, but this means that the other teams guards can either take the open three or drive uncontested to a layup. I've never seen a defense as bad as the one we run. In the NBA, college or high school. if someone were to say as an experiment go out and run the worst defense possible you would accidently contest some shots. somehow we don't. its impressive in its own way. why we don't run a 2-3 or 3-2 zone with defenders this bad is lost on me and is the wildest thing cal has done.

Cal made the statement ( trolling the fans I expect) that if the guards couldn't stay in front of their man, he was going to play two 7 footers.

I immediately thought, you goofball, you just answered the question as to how to fix the defense. A 3-2 zone would be a killer defense for this team to play with the personnel he has at his disposal.
With Dilly out front and Reed/DJ/Edwards/Reeves on the wings and Z/Ugo/Thiero/Bradshaw on the back line. I would pay to see that defense out of old mule head.

 

[BlueWhite21]

Talking about all the National Championship Banners hanging on the wall the day he was hired at UK and him saying "look around here folks they don't hang banners for anything else except for National Championships". When Calipari wants something he talks a different game and then once he gets what he seems to forget quickly and then changes shit up.

 

[247CATS]

Should be a great way to bring negativity to a very positive week of basketball for our team. Hmmmm…. 🤔

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

This defense. Texas A&M scored 90+ points on us and I only remember 1 shot being contested. we don't have a single guard capable of staying in front of someone and stopping the ball yet we play man to man. most of the time we stand 6 feet away in a failing attempting to stay in front of them, but this means that the other teams guards can either take the open three or drive uncontested to a layup. I've never seen a defense as bad as the one we run. In the NBA, college or high school. if someone were to say as an experiment go out and run the worst defense possible you would accidently contest some shots. somehow we don't. its impressive in its own way. why we don't run a 2-3 or 3-2 zone with defenders this bad is lost on me and is the wildest thing cal has done.

I saw a video the other day of a girls high school basketball team where the coach made his girls play defense with their hands behind their backs to teach them to move their feet and stay in between their man and the basket. I think this team would play better defense trying this tactic.

But as far as the craziest/bizzaro thing that Cal has done I'd vote for his repeated tendency to slow games down to a crawl with several minutes left, and when we have other teams on the ropes, i.e. like a 9-10 point lead. It's bitten him several times in huge games, and yet he still does it. Talk about pucker factor?!?!?!

 

[MidseasonTweak]

His inability to adjust to Napier and Boatright cooking us in the 2014 national championship.

 

[LXWildcat]

Letting two lottery picks come off the bench, every coach in this country would start these two. But Cal is set in his ways and I’m sure he made guarantees to Wagner and his father before the season.

 

[ace on the river]

Let some bum from Canada dress every game and never play

 

[ace on the river]

His inability to adjust to Napier and Boatright cooking us in the 2014 national championship.

That isn't bizarre by Cal standards. He still does that about every game

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

 

[MidseasonTweak]

That isn't bizarre by Cal standards. He still does that about every game

It's bizarre because he never fixes it. Coaches should be able to figure those things out.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

It's bizarre because he never fixes it. Coaches should be able to figure those things out.

Seems a lot of coaches had problems containing Shabazz, Boatright and Kemba. Sometimes your team just can't stop the other guys.. in fact, watch how it happens in every single game on Thursday and Friday lol.

 

[Kats meow]

Letting two lottery picks come off the bench, every coach in this country would start these two. But Cal is set in his ways and I’m sure he made guarantees to Wagner and his father before the season.

At this point he would be caving in to the peons’ pressure.

 

[ukcatz12]

His inability to adjust to Napier and Boatright cooking us in the 2014 national championship.

Did Coach K lost the Final Four game against UNC because he couldn't adjust to Caleb Love cooking them? Did Bill Self lose the title game against us because he couldn't adjust to Doron Lamb cooking them?

The other guys are trying to win too, there isn't some magic adjustment coaches can make to stop guys who are hot.

 

[UK90]

Allowing the No. 1 ranked recruit to sit out every game because he simply didn’t want to play.

 

[MidseasonTweak]

Did Coach K lost the Final Four game against UNC because he couldn't adjust to Caleb Love cooking them? Did Bill Self lose the title game against us because he couldn't adjust to Doron Lamb cooking them?

The other guys are trying to win too, there isn't some magic adjustment coaches can make to stop guys who are hot.

We were immensely more talented than that Uconn squad, with bigger guards.

 

[kats23]

grinding down games when he gets decent leads in big games. I'll never understand it and as many times it has bit him in the ass or nearly bit him in the ass, he continues to do it.

Against UT Reed got so confused he traveled because he had a wide-open guy on the wing for a three but then he hesitated because he heard Cal in his ear screaming to slow it down and ended up shuffling his feet.

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

His humility in the very first press conference was incredible-the perfect fit. His arrogance since 2015 is mind blowing.

 

[chroix]

It’s got to be Sharpe. But I’ll add in not letting Tyty run point ever angain after he set the schools single game assist record the first time he ran the point. Shades of BCG and Meeks there.

 

[Seth_C]

Allowing the No. 1 ranked recruit to sit out every game because he simply didn’t want to play.

"But if he makes him play it will hurt future recruiting!"

Good god, the level of Calpiari fandom that is needed to justify that. I can't even.

 

[know1]

Shaedon Sharpe. No question. That should have been the "for cause" fireable offense right there.

 

[RunninRichie]

Shaedon Sharpe. Easily. Dude either played us or got played himself. A close number 2 is letting Wheeler sit and fake an injury to wait until the transfer portal. Even weirder is he practiced at the tourney, then didn't play a game in the tourney. Had Kyle Tucker saying ''WHEELER IS BACK''. And people on this board were telling others it was time to eat crow.

 

[cathouse]

Did Coach K lost the Final Four game against UNC because he couldn't adjust to Caleb Love cooking them? Did Bill Self lose the title game against us because he couldn't adjust to Doron Lamb cooking them?

The other guys are trying to win too, there isn't some magic adjustment coaches can make to stop guys who are hot.

At least they tried.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

We were immensely more talented than that Uconn squad, with bigger guards.

Turns out, not really. The Twins really did nothing of note after their time at UK. That 2014 team almost didn't make the tournament, and we really didn't play well all season. Meanwhile Shabazz is a senior, who played 23mpg as a freshman on the previous title team. On top of that, he lasted in the NBA longer than the Harrison twins did. Shabazz was a VERY good college level guard.

Randle was great, but played very predictably down the stretch (he still does his spin move too much, even today), James Young flashed some greatness, but also disappeared, and just wasn't as good as billed.

 

[ukcatz12]

At least they tried.

Can you point to specific things those coaches did that Cal didn't during those games? Or are you just parroting the same lazy talking point about Cal never adjusting?

 

[Rockfly78]

He didn't stop Brad from getting that tatoo

 

[ukfan1622]

Our recent starting lineup.

 

[loucatfan]

Letting two lottery picks come off the bench, every coach in this country would start these two. But Cal is set in his ways and I’m sure he made guarantees to Wagner and his father before the season.

Ditto

 

[DreadLox]

Seems a lot of coaches had problems containing Shabazz, Boatright and Kemba. Sometimes your team just can't stop the other guys.. in fact, watch how it happens in every single game on Thursday and Friday lol.

Our own wins and comebacks are magnificent and heroic. Other teams' wins and comebacks are because we got let down.

Even then, if it got mentioned once and awhile, it would be tolerable. But all the time? Cheez-whiz. Get a life.

 

[the nail at the foul line]

Observing the game changing around him without adjusting. Sticking to his 2006 model of basketball.

Granted it changed this year, mostly.

 

[cathouse]

Can you point to specific things those coaches did that Cal didn't during those games? Or are you just parroting the same lazy talking point about Cal never adjusting?

Absolutely.

 

[BBNmember]

Announcing a new podcast during today, which is completely tone deaf to the current criticism of him, his methods , a his interest. Perhaps he’d been better off to focus on the this team, the sect/ncaat, and announce his new venture in the off season.

 

[NociHTTP]

This defense. Texas A&M scored 90+ points on us and I only remember 1 shot being contested. we don't have a single guard capable of staying in front of someone and stopping the ball yet we play man to man. most of the time we stand 6 feet away in a failing attempting to stay in front of them, but this means that the other teams guards can either take the open three or drive uncontested to a layup. I've never seen a defense as bad as the one we run. In the NBA, college or high school. if someone were to say as an experiment go out and run the worst defense possible you would accidently contest some shots. somehow we don't. its impressive in its own way. why we don't run a 2-3 or 3-2 zone with defenders this bad is lost on me and is the wildest thing cal has done.

They don't WANT to put in the effort to guard their man, and they don't have a coach who teaches accountability. All the time is screaming at refs, but how often do you see him really lay into one of the players not playing defense? Feelings.

 

[NociHTTP]

Announcing a new podcast during today, which is completely tone deaf to the current criticism of him, his methods , a his interest. Perhaps he’d been better off to focus on the this team, the sect/ncaat, and announce his new venture in the off season.

I don't know ONE PERSON who would spend two seconds listening to his drivel. Anyone else think he's planting the seed of his desire to leave coaching and get into commentary or game analysis?

 

[Hjack]

I guess him winning the NC in 2012 was the most bizarre thing he has done. With all the talent that has been recruited, not having gone to the Final Four since 2015 is pretty high on most bizarre.

 

[UKNothinButNet]

Allowing the No. 1 ranked recruit to sit out every game because he simply didn’t want to play.

^^^ This. Shadygate. Carpetbagging coach enabling a carpetbagging player. Doesn't get much worse than that.