You Might Want to Sit Down For This One

[BlueRunner11]

Not wanting to win title makes the last 5 minutes versus Wisconsin clear now. He is paid to win. He failed when he had superior talent. Hate to say it but the 38 were not the goal.

If you don't think he wanted to win that game then you need to have you're head examined. But you are right, the 38 was not the goal, but where you are wrong is that we should've beat Wisconsin based on star power alone.

I know this will be unpopular, but we were lucky to even be in that game towards the end. I had my head in the sand about for a while too, but truth is, this team was a fading flower down the stretch...we had no answer on defense for anything Wisconsin did for most of the game or Notre Dame for that matter, our offense became so one dimensional it was almost embarrassing (feeding the post every single play/trying to foul out Kominsky), and the freshman became freshman again (other than Karl).

This team was not winning the title and I think deep down we all knew it by watching them regress as a team in the later part of the season. This is why we are all down each other's throats on here....

And I think Cal knew this too and was doing everything in his power to keep the wins rolling but had no answer for what was happening, but you will never convince me he did not WANT to win in the last 5 minutes of that game.

 

[lobstersgopinchpinch]

If you don't think he wanted to win that game then you need to have you're head examined. But you are right, the 38 was not the goal, but where you are wrong is that we should've beat Wisconsin based on star power alone.

I know this will be unpopular, but we were lucky to even be in that game towards the end. I had my head in the sand about for a while too, but truth is, this team was a fading flower down the stretch...we had no answer on defense for anything Wisconsin did for most of the game or Notre Dame for that matter, our offense became so one dimensional it was almost embarrassing (feeding the post every single play/trying to foul out Kominsky), and the freshman became freshman again (other than Karl).

This team was not winning the title and I think deep down we all knew it by watching them regress as a team in the later part of the season. This is why we are all down each other's throats on here....

And I think Cal knew this too and was doing everything in his power to keep the wins rolling but had no answer for what was happening, but you will never convince me he did not WANT to win in the last 5 minutes of that game.

I'm not sure where you're getting the "regress" part and knowing the team wasn't winning the title. At the beginning of the tourney, through the F4, UK was even money to win it all. By far the highest % of any team. Both ND and WI were very very good teams, especially on O. You don't blow those types of teams out, and play enough of them and you're likely to lose eventually. You guys expected to win and you didn't, so of course folks are upset. I wouldn't read anything deeper into it than that.

 

[BlueRunner11]

I'm not sure where you're getting the "regress" part and knowing the team wasn't winning the title. At the beginning of the tourney, through the F4, UK was even money to win it all. By far the highest % of any team. Both ND and WI were very very good teams, especially on O. You don't blow those types of teams out, and play enough of them and you're likely to lose eventually. You guys expected to win and you didn't, so of course folks are upset. I wouldn't read anything deeper into it than that.

I don't care what vegas says....I watched every game, multiple times...and know basketball better than most. If we are "you guys" then who are you? Please don't tell me what I expected, you have no clue. You would have to be a UK fan to get what Im talking about, obviously you're not. I thought there was a very good chance that the streak, the pressure, and yes the regression (especially defensively) would catch up to us against a great team and it did. I'm not taking away anything from Wisconsin, but this team was not playing at their potential during the ND or the Wisc game. The players will admit as much as well.

 

[kybassfan]

I don't care what vegas says....I watched every game, multiple times...and know basketball better than most. If we are "you guys" then who are you? Please don't tell me what I expected, you have no clue. You would have to be a UK fan to get what Im talking about, obviously you're not. I thought there was a very good chance that the streak, the pressure, and yes the regression (especially defensively) would catch up to us against a great team and it did. I'm not taking away anything from Wisconsin, but this team was not playing at their potential during the ND or the Wisc game. The players will admit as much as well.

Pinch is an admitted puke fan.

 

[Katwatcher]

yes,......how many times have we seen a poster say something to the effect of "I don't care what they do after they leave here, I just care about them while they ARE here?"

If either of my boys had even a modicum of sports ability - I'd want their coach to look out for THEIR best interests.

I love having Coach Cal leading our program , but he seems to be the king of coach speak . I don't for a second believe that he doesn't want to win the championship every year. He has succeeded in bringing in the best talent , and numerous wins and final fours ,and putting some good young men into the league . But he is a competitor and I have to believe that not hanging the banner this year was a punch to his gut .

Has it got to the point that everything he says has to be explained away? He has already commented he is a players coach first. Maybe he should use an asterisk when he is talking to the players only. Some say he wasn't talking to fans, how are we supposed to know? . Some of you do a great job in telling us what you think he said while others have different opinions.

However, the irony of all this is the fact of what happened and what he said made sense. Surely it doesn't have to be this confusing, right?

 

[kybassfan]

Has it got to the point that everything he says has to be explained away? He has already commented he is a players coach first. Maybe he should use an asterisk when he is talking to the players only. Some say he wasn't talking to fans, how are we supposed to know? . Some of you do a great job in telling us what you think he said while others have different opinions.

However, the irony of all this is the fact of what happened and what he said made sense. Surely it doesn't have to be this confusing, right?

You raise a good point, but is what he said really that confusing? Must a speaker assume their audience is devoid of common sense? Must a speaker be so sensitive to every fringe element of their audience that they dilute their comments to the point that they become tepid and bland? Common sense says that the top priority of this team was winning all 40 games and that championship. I know this. My common sense tells me I'm an idiot if I forget that in any context. Nobody is telling anybody what to think. However, I think we have posters pointing out that the thought that individual aspirations of the players preclude the highest priorities of winning games and championships displays a total lack of common sense in this context.

Extremists and zealots generally end up being marginalized. You can't make them happy without pissing off a majority. That is exactly what will happen here. Public blubbering of nonsensical statements by a sliver of the fan base only serves the purpose of the rival fan and tiptoneque media. That's the only result so far. I also expect Cal is either laughing or rolling his eyes at this. He can't make everybody happy and I hope he remains insensitive to that minority of fans that lacks common sensibilities.

 

[Katwatcher]

You raise a good point, but is what he said really that confusing? Must a speaker assume their audience is devoid of common sense? Must a speaker be so sensitive to every fringe element of their audience that they dilute their comments to the point that they become tepid and bland? Common sense says that the top priority of this team was winning all 40 games and that championship. I know this. My common sense tells me I'm an idiot if I forget that in any context. Nobody is telling anybody what to think. However, I think we have posters pointing out that the thought that individual aspirations of the players preclude the highest priorities of winning games and championships displays a total lack of common sense in this context.

Extremists and zealots generally end up being marginalized. You can't make them happy without pissing off a majority. That is exactly what will happen here. Public blubbering of nonsensical statements by a sliver of the fan base only serves the purpose of the rival fan and tiptoneque media. That's the only result so far. I also expect Cal is either laughing or rolling his eyes at this. He can't make everybody happy and I hope he remains insensitive to that minority of fans that lacks common sensibilities.

Thanks for the reply kybassfan. I agree with the common sense thing, it always best to use it. However it seems there is also a real lack of it in some of the posts I read. Cals quote was he and the players had set their # 1 goal to send 8 players to NBA, not winning the championship.

It didn't take a lot of common sense for the players to agree because they already knew they were going to NBA. I suppose the coaching staff went along with that being their # 1 goal also since they had 10 All-American players on squad.

All Cal would have had to say is that one of his goals was to send 8 players to the NBA after Winning the national Championship. but he didn't say that. If only he had used some common sense before speaking.

The bottom line is always let your common sense be your guide.

 

[WildMoon]

+/- 18 pages?

I say over.

 

[kybassfan]

Thanks for the reply kybassfan. I agree with the common sense thing, it always best to use it. However it seems there is also a real lack of it in some of the posts I read. Cals quote was he and the players had set their # 1 goal to send 8 players to NBA, not winning the championship.

It didn't take a lot of common sense for the players to agree because they already knew they were going to NBA. I suppose the coaching staff went along with that being their # 1 goal also since they had 10 All-American players on squad.

All Cal would have had to say is that one of his goals was to send 8 players to the NBA after Winning the national Championship. but he didn't say that. If only he had used some common sense before speaking.

The bottom line is always let your common sense be your guide.

In their shoes, I don't think that any one of them could have visualized 8 in the NBA without a championship. The question is, do you doubt that a national championship was not on the goals list? I don't. In fact, a lot of these team goals are established in somewhat chronological order. The last one, the one at the top of the list would have been the draft and 8 in the league.

I'll give you another example. If we asked 100 folks on this board what their number one goal in life was, some would say make more money, some would say have a safe home, or a good job or any number of other practical things. If I were to jump up and scream, 'YOU MEAN YOU DON'T WANT YOUR CHILDREN SAFE?' to the ones that didn't say that, most would reply, that's not a goal, that's a given. A lot of yelling would ensue and there would be a food fight. But of course everyone wants to keep their children safe, even if they didn't say that. I would be the one at fault for even thinking otherwise.

Common sense.

Cal said nothing wrong. I wouldn't bat an eye if he said it again and again (which in one manner or another, he has since the day he arrived). I have no sympathy for ones that took offense to his comments. That they lack the coping skills to deal with the season outcome is their problem not his. His job is to coach that team, get the rewards outlined in his contract and do the best by his athletes. His record on all those fronts is beyond reproach.

 

[KyFaninNC]

Some people need to get a life and stop taking everything Cal says literally. Cal is a super salesman,and he is very calculating in what he says.

 

[Blueworld_3.0]

Cal may have indeed been "recruiting" with his statement, he has been preaching "players first" for quite some time so, I'm not shocked by his words.
Having said that, I'll say I'm a "Program First" kind of fan. What does that mean? That the program as a whole is more important to me than one coach or even one group of players.
I know Cal has respect for the program and its history. I also know that a rising tide raises all ships. So, if Cal wants to say things like this as a retort to some of the negative recruiting done against him/UK by opposing coaches then, that's OK. But, I'm sure he also knows that he will never have 100% of the fanbase behind him on something like that because many feel more strongly about the program than getting 8 players drafted. Evidenced by the 14 pages (thus far) of this very thread.
If UK had won the Title this year, Cal could have basically said anything he wanted to and gotten away with it. But, many fans still have a bitter taste remaining after watching our team win 38 games in a row, only to fall short in such a painful manner. There are also a large number of fans who still have problems with the last 5 minutes of the Wisc. game.
All those things together makes Cal's comments a tough pill to swallow.

 

[Jkwo]

he will never have 100% of the fanbase behind him

This isolated segment of your statement is true all by itself, regardless of any other context.


And that's not to say that nobody has any right to be a bit turned off by his statement.


But there is literally no way that he will please everybody. He could win every single game and there would be posters on here saying that they're getting bored with the game because there's no challenge and the OADs are ruining the sport they once loved. And idiots would still say he's an average coach, and that the recruits won it for him.


So knowing that, I don't understand why he should feel pressure to do anything besides win at a crazy rate (check) and do right by his players (check).


I don't agree with him, but I also don't understand what kind of weak sickly excuse for an adult male would withhold his personal opinions to avoid hurting people's feelings, either, but that's a different story altogether.

I have zero respect for guys who play the PR game and listen to what is appropriate or politically correct to say in the public sphere and bow to it.


Win at a historically good rate and walk around with your middle fingers out, Cal. That's what a man does.

 

[brianpoe]

Cal may have indeed been "recruiting" with his statement, he has been preaching "players first" for quite some time so, I'm not shocked by his words.
Having said that, I'll say I'm a "Program First" kind of fan. What does that mean? That the program as a whole is more important to me than one coach or even one group of players.
I know Cal has respect for the program and its history. I also know that a rising tide raises all ships. So, if Cal wants to say things like this as a retort to some of the negative recruiting done against him/UK by opposing coaches then, that's OK. But, I'm sure he also knows that he will never have 100% of the fanbase behind him on something like that because many feel more strongly about the program than getting 8 players drafted. Evidenced by the 14 pages (thus far) of this very thread.
If UK had won the Title this year, Cal could have basically said anything he wanted to and gotten away with it. But, many fans still have a bitter taste remaining after watching our team win 38 games in a row, only to fall short in such a painful manner. There are also a large number of fans who still have problems with the last 5 minutes of the Wisc. game.
All those things together makes Cal's comments a tough pill to swallow.

This is the true of crux of all of the BS.

"If UK had won the Title this year, Cal could have basically said anything he wanted"

"There are also a large number of fans who still have problems with the last 5 minutes of the Wisc. game."

It's not about what the man says, people are still mourning over a loss and using whatever they can to complain about Cal and his coaching the last part of the game. (Which I can agree with regarding the end of game coaching, but I'm honest with that and do not need to fuss about the man voicing his values because of it.)

 

[3rex]

This is the true of crux of all of the BS.

"If UK had won the Title this year, Cal could have basically said anything he wanted"

"There are also a large number of fans who still have problems with the last 5 minutes of the Wisc. game."

It's not about what the man says, people are still crying over a loss and using whatever they can to bitch about Cal and his coaching the last part of the game. (Which I can agree with regarding the end of game coaching, but I'm honest with that and do not need to whine about the man voicing his values because of it.)

I guess everyone is different. Personally I never even thought of or considered the last game & how it went down when voicing my opinion on his NBA comments.
I had voiced my 'NBA fatigue' even before this season started.

 

[brianpoe]

I guess everyone is different. Personally I never even thought of or considered the last game & how it went down when voicing my opinion on his NBA comments.
I had voiced my 'NBA fatigue' even before this season started.

This has been quoted a few times however. And if we had won it all, I am sure we would have a resident pissy pants say something, but nothing like this do you think?

 

[3rex]

This has been quoted a few times however. And if we had won it all, I am sure we would have a resident pissy pants say something, but nothing like this do you think?

You're probably right...

 

[Montana81]

I don't care what vegas says....I watched every game, multiple times...and know basketball better than most. If we are "you guys" then who are you? Please don't tell me what I expected, you have no clue. You would have to be a UK fan to get what Im talking about, obviously you're not. I thought there was a very good chance that the streak, the pressure, and yes the regression (especially defensively) would catch up to us against a great team and it did. I'm not taking away anything from Wisconsin, but this team was not playing at their potential during the ND or the Wisc game. The players will admit as much as well.

I'm right there with you. I'm not sure if it was mental fatigue from the pressure of staying undefeated, other teams finally figuring us out, the Poythress injury finally rearing it's ugly head or something else but they seemed to regress on defense quite a bit down the stretch of the season

The defensive intensity didn't appear to be the same for one.

I still think we should have beaten Wisconsin. But I'm not sure we were going to beat Duke. They were playing awfully well in the tournament on both ends and getting those typical timely whistles that they've gotten in pretty much every major tourney run over the last 2 and a half decades.

I watch Ken Pomeroy's numbers pretty closely throughout the season and they're a solid indicator of how well a team is playing but you can't just look at the rankings. You need to pay attention to which teams are trending in what direction. Kentucky was a strong #1 for most of the season but the defense had been trending strongly in the wrong direction for the last 2 months.

And Duke was trending strongly in the other direction from the time the tourney began all the way to the end.

We had a great season. One to be proud of but the way it ended will always leave a bad taste in my mouth.

Losing a game that felt like we had won with 4 minutes left, to one of a few teams we didn't want to win it taking the title, and then every priority recruit we were in on opting to go elsewhere after losing 7 to the draft all just feels like some sports god is sitting somewhere sticking pins in a BBN voodoo doll.

 

[michaeluk26]

I think going away from platooning, as I said numerous times during the season, was a terrible decision. It negated our biggest strengths.

 

[screwduke]

Dude. Haven't ya'll ever heard of telling people what they wanna hear? You know just saying whatever to keep someone happy, or to gain some type of advantage. Do you know how good saying something like this is for recruiting?

Exactly

Why can't the haters and trolls understand this?

 

[Casper333]

You have considered Uk a failure all but 8 times in 113 years... sad fella. You are miserable because we lost one game..?

Who said I was sad or miserable? I said that this year was an absolute failure given the amount of talent we had vs the field. Reading comprehension isn't your strongpoint I guess. Better get that D out your mouth before you try to put words in somebody elses.

 

[brianpoe]

Who said I was sad or miserable? I said that this year was an absolute failure given the amount of talent we had vs the field. Reading comprehension isn't your strongpoint I guess. Better get that D out your mouth before you try to put words in somebody elses.

Forgive me for projecting. But if losing only one game is an absolute failure what were the other 105 seasons?

The NCAA is a crapshoot, one loss go home, it's not a playoff. We didn't win the championship - that was an unattained goal. We won a lot of games, destroyed Kansas, undefeated SEC season and SEC Tourney champs.

Maybe it was an absolute failure to you, and you have a right to your opinion.

Your vulgarness while hiding behind your cute nickname is comical.

 

[Estil]

I know, the NCAA Tournament just has so much of a luck factor for that very reason. That is all the more reason I was in the minority back in the Tubby Administration where I actually liked the guy even though seemingly the majority of BBN was going bonkers and wanting his head just because he didn't return to the Final Four since his 1998 championship...never mind he took us to the Elite Eight in 1999/2003/2005...so he averaged a SEC conference and/or tournament every other year and almost an Elite Eight every other year, won what was it, 75-76% of his games and we run him out of town? Imagine if we were like that with Rupp from 1959-72, when he only made the Final Four once in 1966.

That's not to say luck always worked against us though. In 1998 we had to make three double digit comebacks in a row (including an OT win against Stanford) and what we did in 2014 as an 8 seed was nothing short of miraculous. I guess to make a long story short, we know we can't go to the Final Four every year but we do expect us to at least have a reasonable chance at it come tournament time. Since it only takes four wins to get that far and another two to bring home the big prize I figure anything can happen whether we have 0-2 losses or 10 losses. After all, most everyone gave up on us in 2014...

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I find that the majority of the UK fans who publically decry the last five minutes of the UK-Wisky game only watched it once - while it was happening. They tend to believe Cal slowed the pace down, and fail to pay attention to Andrew and Aaron refusing to feed Towns on three possessions (or Cal's subsequent physical responses to those failures, wherein he drops expletives and throws his hands up in frustration). Andrew even said this in the post game interview, and it was virtually ignored on this message board and elsewhere. Cal chimed in and covered for him when he started spilling the beans.

Also, for those contrarians out there who don't actually re-watch game film, Andrew was pulled out of the game on his second possession of denying the post feed. People tend to forget, however, that Andrew was part of the unit that helped UK go on a 16-4 run and virtually shut down Wisconsin for a six minute stretch. I suppose that doesn't count for anything when you have an agenda, though.

People need to rethink their entire approach to that game as far as Cal is concerned. He's become a scape goat and it's largely a historical fallacy to make him one (the coach should always share in some responsibility for failed execution, but people need to maintain an objective approach even there). The team simply failed to execute on both sides of the ball during that stretch run.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Forgive me for projecting. But if losing only one game is an absolute failure what were the other 105 seasons?

The NCAA is a crapshoot, one loss go home, it's not a playoff. We didn't win the championship - that was an unattained goal. We won a lot of games, destroyed Kansas, undefeated SEC season and SEC Tourney champs.

Maybe it was an absolute failure to you, and you have a right to your opinion.

Your vulgarness while hiding behind your cute nickname is comical.

Indeed. Using the talent factor is a retroactive determination is a rather subjective one. Lyles, Booker, WCS, the twins - none of those guys possessed the transcendence to overcome an off game and most of them were drafted on potential. That is to say, none of them were exponentially better than their college counterparts at Wisconsin, not at the college level, anyway. Towns was really the only guy who possessed the elite talent that was met in college. Against a disciplined system with a few high quality NBA-level talents (like Wisky) or another team with a comparable amount NBA talent (like Duke), an off day could send a team like Kentucky packing. That's exactly what happened.

People have started treating the draft as if it's an explanation for having met a standard of expectation while in college. The reality is that for most guys in the draft, it's all about high levels of potential. For the majority of UK's roster, that was the case last year. From a college-impact level, it's hard to say that Booker or Lyles were exponentially better than Koenig and Hayes. Booker and Lyles were and are greater from a potential level, however.

 

[3rex]

I find that the majority of the UK fans who publically decry the last five minutes of the UK-Wisky game only watched it once - while it was happening. They tend to believe Cal slowed the pace down, and fail to pay attention to Andrew and Aaron refusing to feed Towns on three possessions (or Cal's subsequent physical responses to those failures, wherein he drops expletives and throws his hands up in frustration). Andrew even said this in the post game interview, and it was virtually ignored on this message board and elsewhere. Cal chimed in and covered for him when he started spilling the beans.

Also, for those contrarians out there who don't actually re-watch game film, Andrew was pulled out of the game on his second possession of denying the post feed. People tend to forget, however, that Andrew was part of the unit that helped UK go on a 16-4 run and virtually shut down Wisconsin for a six minute stretch. I suppose that doesn't count for anything when you have an agenda, though.
.

A) he could "drop expletives and throw his hands up..." But he couldn't, or wouldn't get Andrew out of the game in favor of someone who would do what he asked??

B) you also have an agenda

C) are you Cal's publicist?

 

[whhs22]

Lol. Really cals biggest wish last year was draft picks. Thats what u say after a loss. One of cals biggest goals is to go undeafted. And im pretty sure going undeafted includes winning the last game that includes ncaa championship.

 

[Aike]

I find that the majority of the UK fans who publically decry the last five minutes of the UK-Wisky game only watched it once - while it was happening. They tend to believe Cal slowed the pace down, and fail to pay attention to Andrew and Aaron refusing to feed Towns on three possessions (or Cal's subsequent physical responses to those failures, wherein he drops expletives and throws his hands up in frustration). Andrew even said this in the post game interview, and it was virtually ignored on this message board and elsewhere. Cal chimed in and covered for him when he started spilling the beans.

Also, for those contrarians out there who don't actually re-watch game film, Andrew was pulled out of the game on his second possession of denying the post feed. People tend to forget, however, that Andrew was part of the unit that helped UK go on a 16-4 run and virtually shut down Wisconsin for a six minute stretch. I suppose that doesn't count for anything when you have an agenda, though.

People need to rethink their entire approach to that game as far as Cal is concerned. He's become a scape goat and it's largely a historical fallacy to make him one (the coach should always share in some responsibility for failed execution, but people need to maintain an objective approach even there). The team simply failed to execute on both sides of the ball during that stretch run.

Pretty sure it's "escape goat"

 

[3rex]

Couldn't take Andrew out for fear of hurting his NBA draft stock...

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Couldn't take Andrew out for fear of hurting his NBA draft stock...

Or for knowing that Ulis/Andrew was a push in that game. Both of them brought pros and both of them brought cons. Ryan was telling Jackson to attack the rim every time Tyler was in the game. In fact, UK went on an 8-0 run when Tyler came out of the game at around the 11 minute mark of the 2nd half. Wisky didn't score for almost 6 straight minutes.

That said, I think Cal shaded towards Andrew. Why wouldn't he? The kid was batting 43/44 in wins/games as a starting point guard going back to the 2014 NCAA tournament.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

A) he could "drop expletives and throw his hands up..." But he couldn't, or wouldn't get Andrew out of the game in favor of someone who would do what he asked??

B) you also have an agenda

C) are you Cal's publicist?

He did pull Andrew.

Have you actually re-watched the game? If you had, you would know the first fact I already presented.

 

[3rex]

Because as you alluded to earlier, Andrew continually either refused to do what Cal asked, or was unable to do so. And it cost us valuable possessions at the end, and ultimately the game.

 

[3rex]

He did pull Andrew.

Have you actually re-watched the game? If you had, you would know the first fact I already presented.

Not early enough. Harrison's draft stock was too important to risk.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Not early enough. Harrison's draft stock was too important to risk.

Again, what say you of the 6 minute Wisconsin scoring drought with Andrew in the game?

There was literally about 3 minutes between the end of that scoring drought (at around the 4:27 mark) and the time Ulis subs in for Harrison (1:25 mark).

Maybe Tyler should have come back into the game earlier; I'll give you that, but hindsight is always perfect, and the Andrew-led squad was precisely the unit that got UK into it's strong position in the first place. Cal was going to ride the horse that got him to that point. How this has become some sort of revisionist failure on Cal's part is beyond me (other than offering a rather subjectively retroactive glance at a what was, at the time, a complicated situation).

 

[bucsrule8872]

Pretty sure it's "escape goat"

Not sure if you are joking or not, but it's scapegoat.

Scapegoat (in the Bible) is a goat sent into the wilderness after the Jewish chief priest had symbolically laid the sins of the people upon it (Lev. 16).

 

[the nail at the foul line]

I would not watch that Wisconsin game again unless forced to. Unreal that some of you do.

 

[wild mandu]

I would not watch that Wisconsin game again unless forced to. Unreal that some of you do.

Can't do it either.

I'll bitch about it on occasion (okay, a lot) but I haven't watched it since.

 

[3rex]

Again, what say you of the 6 minute Wisconsin scoring drought with Andrew in the game?

There was literally about 3 minutes between the end of that scoring drought (at around the 4:27 mark) and the time Ulis subs in for Harrison (1:25 mark).

Maybe Tyler should have come back into the game earlier; I'll give you that, but hindsight is always perfect, and the Andrew-led squad was precisely the unit that got UK into it's strong position in the first place. Cal was going to ride the horse that got him to that point. How this has become some sort of revisionist failure on Cal's part is beyond me (other than offering a rather subjectively retroactive glance at a what was, at the time, a complicated situation).

I don't necessarily use the word "failure" but when you have the number of wasted possessions we had down the stretch, some to the point of not even getting a shot off, there will be discussion that's for sure.

 

[TheHow]

For anyone in the business world, this is easy to understand with the goal-setting concept of "lead measures". When you set an ultimate goal, lead measures are the things that you think, "If we execute these things, it will result in us achieving our goal." Once those are set, you don't focus on the ultimate goal; you focus on hitting your lead measures, trusting that will result in achieving your goal.

Players getting drafted is a "lead measure", and an extremely strategic one at that. Cal reasons, "If I am known as the most successful coach at getting guys to the NBA, that will result in me getting the best players. Getting the best players will - over time - give me the highest chance to win the most championships.

He's doing the right thing. Not focusing on the goal; trusting his lead measures and focusing on them.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I don't necessarily use the word "failure" but when you have the number of wasted possessions we had down the stretch, some to the point of not even getting a shot off, there will be discussion that's for sure.

I can agree with that. Cal is not exonerated from the game going the way it did; but for people to pretend that the game could have easily been rectified by a post-facto substitution of Ulis for Andrew is a rather simplistic one. There was no way for Cal to know during that stretch that Andrew would fail so miserably. When it happened, Cal made the change, but the damage had already been done. Like you said, critical possessions were squandered.

My argument is that it was a complicated situation that needed a number of considerations at the time, and certainly now as we all look back. The way the Harrison-led unit had locked up Wisconsin had to play a significant factor in Cal's approach down that fateful 3 minute stretch.

There's plenty of blame to go around, and it will go around for perhaps the rest of time (for UK fans). But Wisconsin also deserves credit. They played well down that stretch, and it doesn't hurt when you're the recipient of a bogus shot clock call or when you hit a clutch, insane step-back three only to miss wide-open threes two nights later against Duke (Dekker). That is, unfortunately, how the tournament sometimes goes.

 

[bigbluelou]

Sometimes it's just better not to speak. I love Cal and what he has done for UK, and any thinking person understands program success is a function of player success. I would rather he just say that instead of continually beating the "players first" drum.

We all get it. You're a players first coach. That's great. Now take that passion and turn it into another national title or two. Be an advocate for and representative of the University of Kentucky...not only the players. Part of being a leader is not just knowing when to speak and what to say, but knowing when not to speak and what not to say.

But what do I know? I'm just a couch coach while he's in the Hall of Fame. He's a lot smarter than me when it comes to basketball.