Wolken on this UK team

[Fox2monk]

I said at the start of the season, spending more time on offense didn't have it's drawbacks, certainly not when you're changing your entire philosophy and game plan. You usually focus on one side of the ball. We switched to offense, and things have looked better, but the defense took a hit because we probably didn't spend enough time on it as much as Cal usually does.

And it shows. Staying on your man, hard rebounding.. these were things most of the past teams were at least DECENT with. So I don't think it's a surprise to see our current team be so bad at it.

There are 10 teams in the KP that are top25 on both sides of the ball. And there is just ONE team that's top10 in both, Auburn.. who interestingly enough.. had quite a joke of a schedule to date. It's nice to bump your metrics when you played Baylor and... and... and not ONE other OOC team in the top62 in KP metrics lol.

We have had plenty of time now to correct a lot of issues but the same things persist, I think it’s strategy and the players themselves. Nobody has corrected their flaws yet and the effort level is pathetic on rebounding as a team/blocking out/effort for 50/50 balls.

 

[Fox2monk]

One win and all the Cal nut huggers are back.

This stretch of games isn’t the one to bank on that especially when Mitchell is hurt.

 

[CatPhight]

....speaking of "Cal nut huggers".

He's burrowed in there like a deer tick...

 

[Mash 2.4]

I’d rather have a team that can score and hope they can figure it out on the defensive end. That’s why even with the downers of this season I’ve found this team more enjoyable to watch than previous ones. The main problem with this team and really any Cal coached team is his inability to figure out rotations that play well together. Much of that due to promises of playing time he has made to handlers. The other key downfall to all his teams is his tendency to tighten up late in close games. That tightness flows over to his players in late game situations time and time again. Cals record in close games is abysmal.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

The numerous posts that say this are so ignorant. Do people have zero clue how contracts and the business world work?

I think they are saying ruining the program should be one of those for cause in the contract and in turn blasting Barnhart for a sh*tty contract also.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

By the way, if it comes down to it, elites have a way of manipulating situations to force people out or fire for cause. The brass and boosters at IU wanted Sampson out so they spent a lot of money and eventually found phone calls..phone calls and IU self reported to get him in trouble so they could fire for cause.

UK could do something like that, Or things can happen like how people around UK were pushing those Stoops rumors .. ....9 years ago or however long ago... and he turned it around and the rumors died ..... The idea is they push rumors that hurt a coaches image to the point the coach gets the point that his life will be heck from here on out and they leave on their own........... So if you start hearing those types of rumors about Cal........ just know thats powerful people around UK making a power play to make Cal want to leave ..

so people saying Cal for sure wont leave, you lack imagination and creativity because there are always ways to get a person out .

DISCLAIMER - IM MERELY ONLY MENTIONING POSSIBILITIES THAT ENTITLED ELITES LIKE TO USE TO GET THEIR WAY... I AM NOT SAYING UK / BOOSTERS SHOULD DO IT..

 

[oakhillcatman]

He has done nothing to be fired with cause. If you read that paragraph and come away with that he could be fired for on court performance and not putting the university as his #1 priority, I don't know what to tell you. You're just wrong in this situation. That contract will not allow him to be fired for cause for anything you're mentioning. UK would lose in court every single time.

His record is sad the last 3 seasons

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

People do in fact have zero clue how contracts work.

Beard fired for cause for beating up his fiance.
Cal fired for cause for not getting them to defend? 🤣

 

[bthaunert]

His record is sad the last 3 seasons

Agree 100%, but that has nothing to do with being terminated for cause.

 

[podgejeff_]

Board is full of homers. We lose, facts are spit. We beat some scrub team.

“This team has turned the corner”
“defense looks good”
“Ugo is anthony davis”
“Kentucky could win at auburn”

Then we lose and the cycle repeats.

That whole "rooting for the team" thing after a win is very strange indeed.

 

[RunninRichie]

That whole "rooting for the team" thing after a win is very strange indeed.

Way to miss what I was saying. People just suddenly forget all the warts for a few days Until we lose again.

 

[TheBlueMax]

Further proof that Calipari's motives and priorities have changed, and he is no longer coaching for what's in the best interest of the PROGRAM and tradition of UK. He should be fired "for cause". If this was even threatened or leaked to other schools ... who the hell would touch him? He's got a lot to lose by continuing this charade. He should be held to account.mploys

Well said. But, I think he is so darn egotistical and stubborn, surprising qualities for a good Catholic and a guy who does so much and maybe that too much is what causes you to lose focus. That's part of our problem in America today...we tend to lose sight of what we are and what we are intended to be.

The YMCA just had me answer a questionaire about senior activities as if they were trying to be the activities coordinator for some nursing home. I responded by telling them to maintain their focus--give us a facility in which to exercise, no more, no less. If we want some kind of social program, we'll use the senior center in Lexington. In other words, stay in your lane! Cal needs to go back to building teams that do compete right out of the blocks, but instead we have a dismal record in these "classics" at the beginning of each year.

His focus has not been on winning for a number of years...it was possibly due to his great recruiting early on in his tenure. He determined wrongfully that the A-1 priority was going to be turning UK into a NBA factory. Trouble is, we have lost many games due to our youth and there are many names of his own players who he helped out the door when they should have stayed much longer. I wonder also when his wife will tell him to get back on track or if she fully supports this concept of changing generational poverty. He has tremendous qualities, but is losing too many games -- and championships -- that he should have easily been able to win. It's also not a game to see how hard we can make coaching each "new" team to see if he can make them into something (while we lose 7-10 games every year). I do not want to become, long term, another Indiana. We've been consistently good since 1930, and I want that to continue.

One last point, Wolken and other national journalists need to understand the salient point about why UK fans are not liking things...it is due in part to his in-game coaching, but is much more due to this system he employs that does make it, in today's game, so damn difficult to win with high school kids, the result of which is losing many more games than is acceptable. After just a short stint on campus, we are about to witness yet another frustrating exodus, and are sitting on a very disappointing 17-7 record with maybe a chance of not making the tournament.

 

[podgejeff_]

Way to miss what I was saying. People just suddenly forget all the warts for a few days Until we lose again.

What were you saying exactly?

Because I must have missed it when fans were being excited about their favorite basketball team winning over a decent opponent.

Were they wrong to think that way?

 

[RunninRichie]

What were you saying exactly?

Because I must have missed it when fans were being excited about their favorite basketball team winning over a decent opponent.

Were they wrong to think that way?

Our fans forget all the warts that are very real after a win. We did it against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Florida.

 

[Bluesbrother]

Well said. But, I think he is so darn egotistical and stubborn, surprising qualities for a good Catholic and a guy who does so much and maybe that too much is what causes you to lose focus. That's part of our problem in America today...we tend to lose sight of what we are and what we are intended to be.

The YMCA just had me answer a questionaire about senior activities as if they were trying to be the activities coordinator for some nursing home. I responded by telling them to maintain their focus--give us a facility in which to exercise, no more, no less. If we want some kind of social program, we'll use the senior center in Lexington. In other words, stay in your lane! Cal needs to go back to building teams that do compete right out of the blocks, but instead we have a dismal record in these "classics" at the beginning of each year.

His focus has not been on winning for a number of years...it was possibly due to his great recruiting early on in his tenure. He determined wrongfully that the A-1 priority was going to be turning UK into a NBA factory. Trouble is, we have lost many games due to our youth and there are many names of his own players who he helped out the door when they should have stayed much longer. I wonder also when his wife will tell him to get back on track or if she fully supports this concept of changing generational poverty. He has tremendous qualities, but is losing too many games -- and championships -- that he should have easily been able to win. It's also not a game to see how hard we can make coaching each "new" team to see if he can make them into something (while we lose 7-10 games every year). I do not want to become, long term, another Indiana. We've been consistently good since 1930, and I want that to continue.

One last point, Wolken and other national journalists need to understand the salient point about why UK fans are not liking things...it is due in part to his in-game coaching, but is much more due to this system he employs that does make it, in today's game, so damn difficult to win with high school kids, the result of which is losing many more games than is acceptable. After just a short stint on campus, we are about to witness yet another frustrating exodus, and are sitting on a very disappointing 17-7 record with maybe a chance of not making the tournament.

Everything you say is true and my sentiment as well. I honestly don't think Cal is well because his behavior is so combative and impulsive. One of Cal's problems is that his lies don't work with BBN because everyone's Grandma could probably make better coaching decisions than Cal, at times. BBN isn't ignorant about the game, and we don't believe his drivel just because he speaks it, and he doesn't like it. At the end of the day, its wins and losses. His system isn't built to consistently win but rather to develop kids for the draft and why UK pays him for this and damage this program ... I will never understand. I appreciate your thoughts.

 

[BobbyBlue32]

Our fans forget all the warts that are very real after a win. We did it against Vanderbilt, Ole Miss, Florida.

What the hell does warts have to do with your team winning? Every team in the country has warts, should no one cheer wins?

Eagerly awaiting your “message board” reply because we all know you can’t stay on topic and defend your ignorance.

 

[Boyd94]

What the hell does warts have to do with your team winning? Every team in the country has warts, should no one cheer wins?

Eagerly awaiting your “message board” reply because we all know you can’t stay on topic and defend your ignorance.

Dude about to be banned again. Common theme, huh "Bobby"?

 

[IFerg1969]

Jesus some of you are clueless. Show me one coach in the history of sports who has ever been fired for cause for not winning enough. You can't fire a coach for cause for having the wrong "priorities" or for not winning enough, or for disrespecting the tradition of the program, or for whatever other nonsense you want to think of. That's not how a for cause termination works or will ever work.

I don’t know about “for cause” firings, but not winning enough is exactly what coaches get fired for most often, what sport are you watching?

 

[Fox2monk]

I’d rather have a team that can score and hope they can figure it out on the defensive end. That’s why even with the downers of this season I’ve found this team more enjoyable to watch than previous ones. The main problem with this team and really any Cal coached team is his inability to figure out rotations that play well together. Much of that due to promises of playing time he has made to handlers. The other key downfall to all his teams is his tendency to tighten up late in close games. That tightness flows over to his players in late game situations time and time again. Cals record in close games is abysmal.

💯 they play like he looks on the sideline.

 

[Woodrow_Call_1998]

I don't totally disagree...but that's not something that would allow for him to be terminated "for cause" contractually

Yeah you do. You whine in every thread that criticizes Cal and everyone that reads this board knows that.

 

[Woodrow_Call_1998]

Dude about to be banned again. Common theme, huh "Bobby"?

Bobby loves this site so much

 

[Cats192]

Bingo. That is precisely the reason Kenny Payne is going to get fired, no matter what convenient reason they give.

Again, you're conflating two different things.

Kenny Payne will be fired for poor performance. The termination paperwork will say "without cause."

They can fire him for poor performance "without cause" because it says so in the contract. They have agreed to give him a certain amount of money to be able to fire him without cause. He agreed to take the money and not take them to court for firing him without cause.

 

[catsfanbgky]

LOL, but I am NOT shocked some fans think he can be fired with cause. Simply because he said "his players come first". Well they are considered student / athletes, so his job is to actually look after the players. he even has a program where they can come back to get their degree after leaving. While college basketball has turned into a "business", the whole premise of college is you know, college kids and the job is to make them successful. I am pretty damn sure Cal has done that, on and off the court. NO judge would EVER side with firing Cal for that. Not to mention, define "winning" for his employer ? He has a well above average win %, tournament success, a National Championship, high % of the time he produces a team that at least has a SHOT at winning it all. Where in his contract does it say "coach has to make ALL fans happy, win at the level THEY expect, win X number of championships, win a championship ever X number of years, win X number of games a year, Etc. etc. ?

Some of you "fans" actually believing there is even a .00001 % chance, much less a good chance he would be fired with cause, just amazes me, and really shows "you fans are crazy". Please stop, you have ZERO bases for your argument. Not to mention, precedence. Meaning, has it EVER happened before as coach being fired WITH cause for not winning enough ? the answer to that is NO, and even if so, it still wouldn't fly against a coach who has won at the pace Cal has ? There would NEVER be a case of a program having to pay a coaches buyout clause. All the school would have to say is "he said he would take care of players first, and ONLY won over 75% of his games, so we are firing him with cause because he didn't win enough and he actually put the student athletes best interest first". SO how dumb that sounds / An actual judge would probably laugh in UK's face IF they tried that route, maybe even had the person(s) actually thinking they have a case, evaluated for mental capacity, like SOME of our fans need.

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

Again, you're conflating two different things.

Kenny Payne will be fired for poor performance. The termination paperwork will say "without cause."

They can fire him for poor performance "without cause" because it says so in the contract. They have agreed to give him a certain amount of money to be able to fire him without cause. He agreed to take the money and not take them to court for firing him without cause.

Not conflating anything.

"Kenny will be fired for poor performance."

Thanks for agreeing.

 

[sambowieshin]

I've always had an issue with the term "hate crime". Like I understand legally why it exists, but you usually don't do crime to people because you love them.

"Hey man, you just killed that dude!"
"Yeah, cause I loved him too damn much!"

I think you can definitely make a distinction between a murder that occurs as a result of robbing someone, a crime of passion or a hate crime where somebody chooses to shoot someone simply for the color of their skin.

 

[TheDude73]

Or conk your ass with MORE COWBELL!

 

[BobbyBlue32]

Dude about to be banned again. Common theme, huh "Bobby"?

Banned for telling the truth? I’m OK with that. I’d rather tell the truth than make up lies about players faking injuries, cry about Kentucky players making the All Star team, get mad over UK fans celebrating UK victories, and all the other BS you all engage in just to fit in with this message board. You keep being miserable and I’ll keep enjoying my team.

 

[yoshukai]

Yeah, I was a little confused on it. Maybe it’s about Robic? Sure as hell isn’t about guys like Justus or Barbee.

It would have to be Robic .

 

[RunninRichie]

Banned for telling the truth? I’m OK with that. I’d rather tell the truth than make up lies about players faking injuries, cry about Kentucky players making the All Star team, get mad over UK fans celebrating UK victories, and all the other BS you all engage in just to fit in with this message board. You keep being miserable and I’ll keep enjoying my team.

Dont pull a muscle patting yourself too hard.

 

[Cats192]

Not conflating anything.

"Kenny will be fired for poor performance."

Thanks for agreeing.

Yeah.

He'll also be fired "without cause."

If you think poor performance and "with cause" are the same thing, you are indeed conflating the two. And you'd be wrong.

 

[yoshukai]

....speaking of "Cal nut huggers".

He’s a “leg humping nut hanger” . Pretty impressive.

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

The numerous posts that say this are so ignorant. Do people have zero clue how contracts and the business world work?

What are your thoughts on the big Auburn win? I didn't see you post once in the game thread nor did you post anything about it afterwards?