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Yeah. I'll say it... It's getting old.

Neither do the cars, prices of products, music, fashion, etc...
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And?
 
True, I hear ya. But you can't argue that the trend is more and more of some our guys leaving before they realistically should. And as a UK fan, you can't tell me you're not growing tired of it too.

I think we probably have different definitions of "realistically should" and I know mine isn't popular around here. I think these guys are leaving at the moment they feel their professional stock has peaked or when the best opportunity presents itself.

I can't blame anyone for that. And honestly, I don't tire of it, because the guys I miss are replaced with new guys to get to know and watch learn and grow and make spectacular plays. I know more about a lot of these OAD guys than I ever did the four-year players, and I get to follow their success at the next level, for the most part.

Plus, the team is winning. A lot. So I get to know more players, see my team win a ton of games, and if a player frustrates me, there's always hope on the horizon. It feels like a win-win to me.
 
I think we probably have different definitions of "realistically should" and I know mine isn't popular around here. I think these guys are leaving at the moment they feel their professional stock has peaked or when the best opportunity presents itself.

I can't blame anyone for that. And honestly, I don't tire of it, because the guys I miss are replaced with new guys to get to know and watch learn and grow and make spectacular plays. I know more about a lot of these OAD guys than I ever did the four-year players, and I get to follow their success at the next level, for the most part.

Plus, the team is winning. A lot. So I get to know more players, see my team win a ton of games, and if a player frustrates me, there's always hope on the horizon. It feels like a win-win to me.
I hear ya, but don't tell me, as a UK fan, you didn't enjoy a kid like Darius Miller more than a kid like Monk.
 
Some have already alluded to it but college basketball is a sign of the times. I can’t wait for the 30 for 30 that features what happened to all of our “cup of coffee” guys after basketball. Hopefully they develop some soft skills that carry over to working in the real world. I don’t care if they make millions overseas, there is a life/adjustment after basketball that they will all have to deal with once their bodies break down. Unless they plan on playing in KBA leagues for the rest of their lives.
 
I hear ya, but don't tell me, as a UK fan, you didn't enjoy a kid like Darius Miller more than a kid like Monk.
Of course. Miller won a national championship as a senior. But don't tell me, as a UK fan, you didn't enjoy kids like Davis and MKG more than the sixth man.
 
If you want things to be the way they use to be, you need to follow teams like Bellarmine. Because division 1 basketball will never be like that again. Ever.
 
It's because the NBA's rules are not the ones you grew up with. It is the same as MLB. As I grew up, you had virtually the same players on your favorite team for years. With free agency, playeers can be on one team this year, another the next, and another, the next. I don't like it, but, it is the way things are, and we can't change it. Same way with the one and done. We can't change it, only the NBA can. We just have to live with what is in place until that change comes.
 
I hear ya, but don't tell me, as a UK fan, you didn't enjoy a kid like Darius Miller more than a kid like Monk.

Disappearius? The one we lamented for three years before some super talented freshmen turned him into Captain Clutch?

See, I think that's the problem with nostalgia. It's never accurate. We just remember the good times.

If we're comparing the joy of the two, sure, Miller has the higher highs, but it's because he was on a title team. I like Anthony Davis more than Derek Willis too.

But I also like Boogie Cousins more than Doron Lamb. It's all over the place. We've seen some of the biggest personalities in program history in these last 10 years. Some of the best moments. Best plays. Best talents.

I don't know how anyone looks back on any of it and is tired of that or feels like we haven't had a great ride. And if we could replace Quade and Wenyen with John Wall and Anthony Davis tomorrow, I don't think anyone would say no. So there's more to it than longevity.
 
Disappearius? The one we lamented for three years before some super talented freshmen turned him into Captain Clutch?

See, I think that's the problem with nostalgia. It's never accurate. We just remember the good times.

If we're comparing the joy of the two, sure, Miller has the higher highs, but it's because he was on a title team. I like Anthony Davis more than Derek Willis too.

But I also like Boogie Cousins more than Doron Lamb. It's all over the place. We've seen some of the biggest personalities in program history in these last 10 years. Some of the best moments. Best plays. Best talents.

I don't know how anyone looks back on any of it and is tired of that or feels like we haven't had a great ride. And if we could replace Quade and Wenyen with John Wall and Anthony Davis tomorrow, I don't think anyone would say no. So there's more to it than longevity.
Exactly. I posted in another thread last week that Pitino was under huge pressure to win the title in 1996. All that was said at the time- Pitino has two books and zero titles. And it took a team filled with future pros and vets to get that one title. Now it’s looked back like before he won the title in 1996 it was rainbows and unicorns when nothing could have been farther from the truth.
 
I miss the times when fans truly cheered on their teams instead of griping and complaining all the time. We've had as good a run as any team in College basketball the last 9 years. Be a fan or cheer for someone else.
I sympathize with the OP but in no way want to run Cal off. I've enjoyed that last nine years, While the statement in bold is some what true, its not for the teams that we really compete against. Duke, UNC, UCONN and now Nova have all done better. Hell If UL hadn't got caught with there hands in the pun-tang pot they would have done as well as UK
 
I think you are right. Those days are gone. We are in a Brave New World. Remember the 1978 team. They came in together as elite freshmen and went to the Final Four as sophomores. As we know they lost in the final game to Wooden's Retirement Party. But they vowed that night they would leave UK with a national championship. And they did. That is why they are so loved by older fans. Young fans don't understand that and I doubt they care. They just want our players to become millionaires and go to the pros. I like that too but I would like to get to know a few of them along the way. But that is not going to happen.
You make good points,I think us old guys have adjusted to the new age UK and embraced it as much as we can.There is nothing wrong with remembering teams of the past and pointing out how they came to be what they were.

So many posters want to hang their hat on how we should be all about these kids chasing their dream and making millions as soon as they can,fine and good for them.At the end of the day what does that have to do with being a UK fan.The only limited connection we have with these kids is while they wear a UK uniform.You would think that these kids are going to drop a check in the mail to a few posters when they strike it rich.

I like how successful Cal has been,I would also like him to be even more successful,there is that selfish enough for everyone.I don't mind saying it and don't feel the need to apologize for it.
 
Disappearius? The one we lamented for three years before some super talented freshmen turned him into Captain Clutch?

See, I think that's the problem with nostalgia. It's never accurate. We just remember the good times.

If we're comparing the joy of the two, sure, Miller has the higher highs, but it's because he was on a title team. I like Anthony Davis more than Derek Willis too.

But I also like Boogie Cousins more than Doron Lamb. It's all over the place. We've seen some of the biggest personalities in program history in these last 10 years. Some of the best moments. Best plays. Best talents.

I don't know how anyone looks back on any of it and is tired of that or feels like we haven't had a great ride. And if we could replace Quade and Wenyen with John Wall and Anthony Davis tomorrow, I don't think anyone would say no. So there's more to it than longevity.
Solid post. Again, I'm just being an old guy and lamenting about the days of the past. I enjoy the talent, and even getting to know half a dozen new kids every year. Just sucks we can't keep these kids (again, being selfish) for more than a year or two. I love Cal! Just frustrated.
 
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I sympathize with the OP but in no way want to run Cal off. I've enjoyed that last nine years, While the statement in bold is some what true, its not for the teams that we really compete against. Duke, UNC, UCONN and now Nova have all done better. Hell If UL hadn't got caught with there hands in the pun-tang pot they would have done as well as UK
UNC has not done better.
 
This isn't the Kentucky basketball I grew up with, and I'm kinda tired of this. Yes, Cal is a great coach. Yes, we've been to a few FFs and hung one banner. Yes, the recruiting is good for national attention. I'm not knocking Cal as a coach, at all. The wins are great... But I miss Kentucky TEAMS. I miss watching a team progress. I miss just knowing a kid will be back and his progress will make the team better. You can site some wins and a few FFs all you want, but I miss my TEAMS and tired of renting players for a couple months. Senior night used to be fun and special. Where'd that go? I don't know if it's Cal pushing or just kids these days, but I miss Kentucky teams. Cal, I'm a fan of UK basketball, not just making kids money. Selfish? Maybe, but I'm in it for the name on the front, not someone's bottom line. Sorry for the rant, now get off my lawn.

I think many UK fans share your views and frustrations at what has become of the college basketball we all knew and loved until kids began bolting for the NBA after 1 or 2 years. I know I do. But I still love UK basketball and truly believe that warts and all, college basketball and football are the two most entertaining sports in the world. I also believe that the NCAAT is the single greatest spectacle in sports. The shot clock, (no thanks to Dean) and 3-P shot have made the game far better, so let's not focus on just the negatives and hopefully the NBA will adopt a better rule that doesn't rob college players of an important and fun part of maturing and having a ball doing it.
 
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This isn't the Kentucky basketball I grew up with, and I'm kinda tired of this. Yes, Cal is a great coach. Yes, we've been to a few FFs and hung one banner. Yes, the recruiting is good for national attention. I'm not knocking Cal as a coach, at all. The wins are great... But I miss Kentucky TEAMS. I miss watching a team progress. I miss just knowing a kid will be back and his progress will make the team better. You can site some wins and a few FFs all you want, but I miss my TEAMS and tired of renting players for a couple months. Senior night used to be fun and special. Where'd that go? I don't know if it's Cal pushing or just kids these days, but I miss Kentucky teams. Cal, I'm a fan of UK basketball, not just making kids money. Selfish? Maybe, but I'm in it for the name on the front, not someone's bottom line. Sorry for the rant, now get off my lawn.
You know what I am tired of. It is posters like you. You are not a Kentucky fan. You are a negative nanny that will never be pleased about anything. You are not the half empty cup poster but the cup is totally empty. Have fun with your negative thinking. Go pull for Louisville. They love fans like you.
 
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And just to be absolutely crystal clear... I love Cal! I'm 100% in on Cal. I'm almost 40 and didn't have Rupp. Cal is my generation's Rupp, IMO. I just simply miss UK 'teams'. I miss juniors and senior night. Can't we do both? Talent and seasoned leadership?
 
Solid post. Again, I'm just being an old guy and lamenting about the days of the past. I enjoy the talent, and even getting to know half a dozen new kids every year. Just sucks we can't keep these kids (again, being selfish) for more than a year or two. I love Cal! Just frustrated.

I hear you. I'm just saying I think the frustration might be more with the average season we just had and the three top recruits heading to Duke. No one was frustrated in 2012, although maybe that's because things were still new.

To be honest, I think Cal tried to find a mix of talent and experience, and what he's realizing is that those guys probably leave anyway, so it's better to just get the elite talent if they're all going to go pro ASAP.

I guess I'm coming from a place where I know I can't influence anything one way or another, and this is my biggest and most passionate hobby and something that's as much of a family tradition as my last name. I'm going to make the best of whatever we're looking at on the floor. And we're doing a lot of winning with some really good players. I'm old enough to remember the alternative.
 
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You know what I am tired of. It is posters like you. You are not a Kentucky fan. You are a negative nanny that will never be pleased about anything. You are not the half empty cup poster but the cup is totally empty. Have fun with you negative thinking. Go pull for Louisville. They love fans like you.
Bumping this.
 
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You know what I am tired of. It is posters like you. You are not a Kentucky fan. You are a negative nanny that will never be pleased about anything. You are not the half empty cup poster but the cup is totally empty. Have fun with you negative thinking. Go pull for Louisville. They love fans like you.

Think that's harsh. He's been here for a long time. There's a line between preference and condemnation and I think he's on the fair side.
 
I think you are right. Those days are gone. We are in a Brave New World. Remember the 1978 team. They came in together as elite freshmen and went to the Final Four as sophomores. As we know they lost in the final game to Wooden's Retirement Party. But they vowed that night they would leave UK with a national championship. And they did. That is why they are so loved by older fans. Young fans don't understand that and I doubt they care. They just want our players to become millionaires and go to the pros. I like that too but I would like to get to know a few of them along the way. But that is not going to happen.

Yeah, that ‘78 team is still my favorite. They went to the championship game and lost to Wooden when they were freshmen. Funny thing is the NCAA had just recently started allowing freshmen to play varsity ball in college (that’s how much things have changed). They won the NIT championship as sophomores after Robey got injured. Lost to UNC and the Four Corners offense as juniors (this was also the opening season of Rupp Arena). Then as seniors they won the NCAA championship. I remember it like it was yesterday.

It’s memories of teams like this that I’ve sadly acknowledged won’t happen anymore. But it’s out with old, in with the new. I still love following them and watching them play.
 
I miss the times when fans truly cheered on their teams instead of griping and complaining all the time. We've had as good a run as any team in College basketball the last 9 years. Be a fan or cheer for someone else.
Those times left to make room for the internet and message boards.
Really though, little has changed. I'm old enough to remember people complaining about Rupp in his later years. People certainly complained about Joe B. It's just with message boards you get to hear EVERYBODY's complaints. It used to be limited to just the people around you.

I agree with the OP and understand completely how he feels. Change is never universally accepted.
 
I think we probably have different definitions of "realistically should" and I know mine isn't popular around here. I think these guys are leaving at the moment they feel their professional stock has peaked or when the best opportunity presents itself.

I can't blame anyone for that. And honestly, I don't tire of it, because the guys I miss are replaced with new guys to get to know and watch learn and grow and make spectacular plays. I know more about a lot of these OAD guys than I ever did the four-year players, and I get to follow their success at the next level, for the most part.

Plus, the team is winning. A lot. So I get to know more players, see my team win a ton of games, and if a player frustrates me, there's always hope on the horizon. It feels like a win-win to me.
I think you have hit the nail on the head in terms of who really enjoys the new era of college basketball versus those of us who like it less. I think if you follow, and enjoy watching the NBA, this era is probably just as fun and exciting as it has ever been because you continue to watch these kids progress at the next level. If you think the NBA if God awful boring, like I do, then you are probably also not enjoying college basketball as much as you used to.

I do think if the NBA starts allowing kids to go to the league straight out of high school, college basketball teams might become more stable. So I'm not sure it will never go back to what it was, at least to a certain degree.
 
Those times left to make room for the internet and message boards.
Really though, little has changed. I'm old enough to remember people complaining about Rupp in his later years. People certainly complained about Joe B. It's just with message boards you get to hear EVERYBODY's complaints. It used to be limited to just the people around you.

I agree with the OP and understand completely how he feels. Change is never universally accepted.
Not to get too sidetracked, but what complaints do you remember about Rupp?
 
I think we probably have different definitions of "realistically should" and I know mine isn't popular around here. I think these guys are leaving at the moment they feel their professional stock has peaked or when the best opportunity presents itself.

I can't blame anyone for that. And honestly, I don't tire of it, because the guys I miss are replaced with new guys to get to know and watch learn and grow and make spectacular plays. I know more about a lot of these OAD guys than I ever did the four-year players, and I get to follow their success at the next level, for the most part.

Plus, the team is winning. A lot. So I get to know more players, see my team win a ton of games, and if a player frustrates me, there's always hope on the horizon. It feels like a win-win to me.
I get what you are saying and to some extent agree.I take exception with the part about their professional stock peaking,while that may be correct,if it is then people like Gabriel,PJ SKJ are choosing the wrong profession.Their careers are over before they ever get started.
 
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People can say otherwise, but I will never believe we’d be hearing this sentiment if Cal got every player in the Top 10 every year and we obliterated college basketball to the tune of 5+ championships since 2010.

Basically, what people are saying is we aren’t successful enough using this model. If we’re gonna lose, why not lose the old-fashioned way? I only point this out so we can be honest that the real priority is still winning, and we aren’t opposed to “renting players” in principle.

I agree with the OP and I agree with this comment. I can't imagine anyone really supporting how college basketball has evolved or de-evolved where teams change so much from year to year. I don't blame college basketball, I blame the NBA. But, no matter where the fault may be, it is how things are. So, you have two choices, recruit the best you can get or those you hope will stick around (or a combination). I really don't know what Cal can do differently.
 
I think you have hit the nail on the head in terms of who really enjoys the new era of college basketball versus those of us who like it less. I think if you follow, and enjoy watching the NBA, this era is probably just as fun and exciting as it has ever been because you continue to watch these kids progress at the next level. If you think the NBA if God awful boring, like I do, then you are probably also not enjoying college basketball as much as you used to.

I do think if the NBA starts allowing kids to go to the league straight out of high school, college basketball teams might become more stable. So I'm not sure it will never go back to what it was, at least to a certain degree.

I'm starting to think the genie might just be out of the bottle at this point. Allowing the best kids to jump might help, but it might also just give that next tier of guys a shot to dominate college basketball and boost their stock.

The biggest challenge to stability is the growth of the G-League. Even if you let the best guys go without being OAD, there are more spots to get paid to play basketball and be seen every day by the same NBA teams you're hoping to play for. If that grows the way Silver hopes, I think we'll see even more kids go early because they'll finally have an option.
 
Apparently, after skimming RRs tod, I'm not alone. Sorry to be redundant.

I'm a fan of Kentucky basketball, the program. Not of fan of renting players. I'm happy for the kids, don't get me wrong. I just miss having an actual team.
Doesn’t matter if they stay one year or 4 years it’s still a rental
 
I get what you are saying and to some extent agree.I take exception with the part about their professional stock peaking,while that may be correct,if it is then people like Gabriel,PJ SKJ are choosing the wrong profession.Their careers are over before they ever get started.

If they can make several hundred thousand dollars per year to play basketball somewhere at 19 years old, I think they're in the right profession.

It's really, really hard to be an NBA player. Virtually no one makes it. Even fewer are starters. Then like ten guys alive at any given time are superstars. You could let players stay 20 years in college and they wouldn't be NBA starters.

I think when a guy feels like he is what he is as far as draft stock, it's time to go make the best of it. If that's pick 25, fine. If that's pick 45, like a guy like Ulis, fine. At some point you're going to have to prove yourself, and the longer you wait, the more you usually get exposed if you're just not very good.

Fans view a guy like Marquis Teague or Archie Goodwin as a bust, but they made 4-5 million dollars before they turned 24 and can go back to school at any time.
 
This isn't the Kentucky basketball I grew up with, and I'm kinda tired of this. Yes, Cal is a great coach. Yes, we've been to a few FFs and hung one banner. Yes, the recruiting is good for national attention. I'm not knocking Cal as a coach, at all. The wins are great... But I miss Kentucky TEAMS. I miss watching a team progress. I miss just knowing a kid will be back and his progress will make the team better. You can site some wins and a few FFs all you want, but I miss my TEAMS and tired of renting players for a couple months. Senior night used to be fun and special. Where'd that go? I don't know if it's Cal pushing or just kids these days, but I miss Kentucky teams. Cal, I'm a fan of UK basketball, not just making kids money. Selfish? Maybe, but I'm in it for the name on the front, not someone's bottom line. Sorry for the rant, now get off my lawn.


Ummm
 
Honest question, would you be ok with being less successful if it meant having your “Kentucky TEAMS” again?

Because aside from maybe 96-98, we haven’t had a more successful run in our programs history.

Basically , would you be ok with our mediocre/ slightly above average teams from the 2000’s ? Or 80’s? Etc ?
 
Apparently, after skimming RRs tod, I'm not alone. Sorry to be redundant.
Kentucky has played basketball every year I've been alive. If you're a fan of UK basketball, it's still here.
I'm a fan of Kentucky basketball, the program. Not of fan of renting players. I'm happy for the kids, don't get me wrong. I just miss having an actual team.
I miss the Marines I served with. They weren’t so whiny. I personally prefer watching elite talent to wondering if Reechie is gonna play.
 
Honest question, would you be ok with being less successful if it meant having your “Kentucky TEAMS” again?

Because aside from maybe 96-98, we haven’t had a more successful run in our programs history.

Basically , would you be ok with our mediocre/ slightly above average teams from the 2000’s ? Or 80’s? Etc ?
We're Kentucky. Is it inconceivable to be able to do both?? I think that's what many are frustrated about.
 
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