that Cal just rolls the ball out on the floor? I think West Virginia was the first glimpse but we were winning so I never paid too much attention to it. Thoughts.
When did you figure out...
- Thread starter Boyd94
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That's when there was a flicker of it but at the time, I was so excited to get to the final eight, I just knew, it was a matter of time till we won it. In hindsight years later, we should have NEVER lost that game.
I don’t believe he just rolls the ball out. I think it’s just time for him to retire but I can separate the things he’s done in the past from what I believe him to be today.
If you want to forget how ahead of the game he was at one point even when he had lower or similar talent to his opponents that’s fine. I’ll just call him out for being past his prime.
If you want to forget how ahead of the game he was at one point even when he had lower or similar talent to his opponents that’s fine. I’ll just call him out for being past his prime.
When, as Tigers HC, he blew the Memphis NC against KU after being up 9 points with 2:12 to go.
ZERO proficiency in Xs & Os.
With overwhelming talent, we have a chance. Without—we’re helpless, hapless, and hopeless under Cal.
GBB!
ZERO proficiency in Xs & Os.
With overwhelming talent, we have a chance. Without—we’re helpless, hapless, and hopeless under Cal.
GBB!
The day we lost to Evansville I figured this thing would get messy. It’s worse than I ever dreamed it could be under Cal though.
For me, it was a string of losses, not really Wisconsin, even though it could be figured in it was the first lost to KSU combined with a long series of lackluster regular season performances and the NCAAT losses to Auburn and KSU again then Saint someone
Watching from the third row in our two losses in Las Vegas totally donated first loss by simply not giving any effort
We took the floor in the front 10,000+
Big blue fans and simply didn’t care
Watching from the third row in our two losses in Las Vegas totally donated first loss by simply not giving any effort
We took the floor in the front 10,000+
Big blue fans and simply didn’t care
He was never ahead of the game in roster building. He just found a way to get guys to the NBA faster, and he's been tweaking that process ever since, each change more detrimental to the success of the program.
His inability to win the Title in 2015 with a overwhelming roster of talent sealed the deal that he was a very poor bench coach for me. You'd have to be horrible not to win the championship with that group. And as time has gone on, it looks even worse. Not one but, TWO future All Stars and how many from that team would spend at least some time on a NBA roster?
That was just the beginning for me.
That was just the beginning for me.
It was either after beating #1 overall Ohio State in 2011, beating a better-seeded UNC-Cheats the same year, winning the championship in 2012, taking an 8-seed to the Final Game in 2014, going 38-0 in 2015 despite losing a top veteran, coming within a single play of the Final Four in 2017 and 2019 or winning the SEC regular season by a comfortable margin in 2020 before the post-season was canceled. I guess I can’t put my finger on the exact game, but somewhere in there.
When I saw the same inbounds play over and over again.
Try to score!!!
Also, changing defenses can stop runs or slow opponents down.
Since that's not what happens only the CHC has that figured out. But they are wrong on everything. So why change?
Every time he get absolutely schooled by supposedly lesser coaches. OFTEN
You’re simply wrong. Just the fact that he was the first that wanted guys that were assuredly only going to be in college for a year was far ahead of the thinking of other coaches. That doesn’t mean it hasn’t now hurt him, but it is undeniable that he was seen as the guy that the elites coveted playing for. He found no way to get guys there faster, they are under the same rules, he did however encourage them to spend that one year with him.
I’ve posted that his offensive philosophy has sucked since around 2016 or 17? Superstar players can make up for his “coaching”. The players we've had lately can not.
This is where people usually chime in with “offensive efficiency”.
To them, I say 🤦🏻♂️
This is where people usually chime in with “offensive efficiency”.
To them, I say 🤦🏻♂️
It was when we had a JUCO player lead us to the final four named Jorts. At that moment, i knew Cal couldn't coach a lick.
Times are always changing and the once way ahead of the game CAL is now so far behind he can’t catch up. Crazy we all thought after Roy and K retired CAL would own it.
Agreed. He can coach. The thing is this is the type of job that is requiring the intensity of a maniacal competitor and that's who Kentucky hired. Now he's a grandpa and like most people who have families and grow older, you soften up a lot.
The #1 thing I grew sick of hearing more than anything is how "great the kids are". You don't reward people for being good people. That's expected. You need killers on the court, not nice kids who get rattled at the 365 day passion that Kentucky brings. His replacement of valuable assistants was awful. He started to think whomever he brought in was going to be able to do what the elite top level guys did for him both as coaches/players. That's not what works and then he brought in the "nice guys" as players who thought Kentucky on the jersey made you into what the guys in the past did/where they are now.
If you are going to fade and be softer as you age, need someone who lights into the players and brings passion/fire to get them better. You don't get better being coddled and "hugged" all the time. Every program needs balance of someone who pushes you hard and the guy the players can go to who translates what that coach is doing to make them better, not miserable.
The man could coach at one time, it's just he's past his prime and needs to hang it up. And there's no shame in that.
We went into Morgantown and beat a very good WVU team after being down at halftime. That was good coaching. We beat solid competition with injuries before we got St. Petered that year. Also solid coaching.
The problem is, he can't overcome it anymore. His style is outdated and he refuses to change.
I was not happy with some very questionable choices over the past couple of seasons though.
We went into Morgantown and beat a very good WVU team after being down at halftime. That was good coaching. We beat solid competition with injuries before we got St. Petered that year. Also solid coaching.
The problem is, he can't overcome it anymore. His style is outdated and he refuses to change.
I was not happy with some very questionable choices over the past couple of seasons though.
The WVU E8 game made me question his Xs and Os. Appeared he had no idea nor the players how to handle a 1-3-1 zone.
There's nothing "ahead of the thinking" by placing more importance on NBA draft night over the success of the program. The man has vastly underachieved given the amount of talent he's had. It's undisputable. He was known as a recruiter before he got to UK, he just capitalized on it.
Only 3 times in his 30 plus years of coaching has he managed not to choke away the NCAAT to a much less talented opponent.
1996 UK was more talented than 1996 UMASS
2012 he closed the deal
2017 UNC was equal in talent to us
With Cal you will have the most talented roster the majority of the time but he has always found ways to blow it with poor coaching.
1996 UK was more talented than 1996 UMASS
2012 he closed the deal
2017 UNC was equal in talent to us
With Cal you will have the most talented roster the majority of the time but he has always found ways to blow it with poor coaching.
I had suspicions after the K State S16 loss. Weber hadn’t even sniffed the S16 in 13 years. And they only made it far because of a historical first round upset. Cal was i believe 11-1 in the S16 before that game. It just wasn’t a game prime John Calipari loses.
I was confident his time at the top was over when we lost to Evansville though. That was the moment when i just said “well it was a good run”. I had hoped after that retirement was coming soon. I knew if it didn’t things were going to get bad. Outside of about a 4 week run in ‘22, the last 3 seasons have been a shit show.
Now i’m just praying someone will buy him out. But i won’t blame the big money donors for not wanting to waste the money on it.
I also agree with what Ralph said. He’s clearly gone soft with age. He coddles these players way too much and it’s showing.
I was confident his time at the top was over when we lost to Evansville though. That was the moment when i just said “well it was a good run”. I had hoped after that retirement was coming soon. I knew if it didn’t things were going to get bad. Outside of about a 4 week run in ‘22, the last 3 seasons have been a shit show.
Now i’m just praying someone will buy him out. But i won’t blame the big money donors for not wanting to waste the money on it.
I also agree with what Ralph said. He’s clearly gone soft with age. He coddles these players way too much and it’s showing.
Cal's problem isn't as much coaching ability to me as his coaching philosophy.
Basketball strategy really isn't that complicated, and he has shown he can be a hell of a coach at times.
Cal knows a zone helps mask defensive weak links. He knows shooting is needed to create spacing for driving lanes.
His problem is he's bought into his own bullsh*t too much. "Players first", "player driven team", etc. It's not total lies (teams where players step up and lead are the best ones generally). But when they have bad games, don't have what it takes, won't listen, etc he just rides it out and talks about "big picture" nonsense. You gotta know when you need to step in and set them up for success game to game.
If you want to play man to man and dribble drive you have to go get the personnel suited to that. If you don't have that, then it's time to look at ways to maximize what you do have. Maybe zone, maybe screens, and different motions. Cal is just like, "nope playing how I philosophically want to play no matter what my roster looks like."
He is a great coach, just chooses not to be imo. His marketing has got him fooled too.
Basketball strategy really isn't that complicated, and he has shown he can be a hell of a coach at times.
Cal knows a zone helps mask defensive weak links. He knows shooting is needed to create spacing for driving lanes.
His problem is he's bought into his own bullsh*t too much. "Players first", "player driven team", etc. It's not total lies (teams where players step up and lead are the best ones generally). But when they have bad games, don't have what it takes, won't listen, etc he just rides it out and talks about "big picture" nonsense. You gotta know when you need to step in and set them up for success game to game.
If you want to play man to man and dribble drive you have to go get the personnel suited to that. If you don't have that, then it's time to look at ways to maximize what you do have. Maybe zone, maybe screens, and different motions. Cal is just like, "nope playing how I philosophically want to play no matter what my roster looks like."
He is a great coach, just chooses not to be imo. His marketing has got him fooled too.
Some here have tried talking up that Wisconsin team as a talented juggernaut and the only team that could take UK down and while yes they were talented they had nothing compared to UK. Looked this up before but yes we had 8 players go onto the league from that team while they had 3. 2 of 8 are all stars and got solid nba production from 3 more. kaminsky and dekker saw some success in the nba averaging 8pts and 5 pts respectively but that was it. The minutes played, points scored etc from our cats vs theirs weighs heavily in our favor. Only poor coaching from game planning/scheming, adjustments from the bench, and player/roster management could have effed that game up. Ladies and gentlemen we give you the “great” calipari!!!!!!
Yeah if he was a better coach they would have not missed free throws and would have won.
I have no problem with the fact he kept going to PJ.
PJ was unstoppable, they had no answer but to foul when he got it down low.
Other than all the missed fts, PJ had a hell of a game.
I knew immediately when we needed a John Wall last second jumper to beat Miami of Ohio. I turned to my then lover and said “You just watch, this is going to be an embarrassing nightmare”. And I was right! People used to give me shit all the time. I remember when Josh Harrelson was playing that game against Ohio State this dipshit Kentucky fan beside me was going “My god I think we have a chance” and I said “Buddy this guy can’t coach, no matter what happens, even if we win, this guy sucks and can’t coach!” And I was right! I was right all along, and you guys are welcome for finally opening your eyes.
So, how many times have we said Cal out coached another coach. It's always lesser coaches taking Cal to school. Cal needs a superior guard who can finish. We see the results when he doesn't have that. Other coaches adjust to their team.
Absolutely, preach brother! Honestly I started seeing it at UMass back in 95, and then when we lost at IU in 12, just no business losing that game. Feels so good to finally be proven right after all these years. Suck it doubters!
P.J. was shook after the first few misses. Yes, Jamie Luckie and friends were going to call a foul (and they made up for it on the other end). SGA was off, but Knox was having a decent game.
Of course, one of Cal’s weaknesses is getting shooters open looks so I don’t know why that was the moment I started questioning his offense….
