The Annual Who Goes & Who Stays Thread (UPDATE: Everyone to Enter the Draft)

[Dwight Schrute]

It’s one thing when we bring in too notch guys that leave. It’s another when players like EJ who were liabilities until the last month of the season leave.

[Joneslab]

It’s one thing when we bring in too notch guys that leave. It’s another when players like EJ who were liabilities until the last month of the season leave.

Agreed.

This is just me personally. But I never mind it when we've got guys who really perform at a high level leave. They earned it. They're going to be millionaires. Go.

When you've got guys who leave on a wing and prayer, that's bothersome. It isn't really what the experiment was supposed to be when Cal was hired.

But Cal created it. We all know he's selling NBA dreams when he walks into living rooms. When you do that, there's an expectation. One year, two at max, and then they go. That's the promise the Kentucky system inherently builds in.

[Dwight Schrute]

Agreed.

This is just me personally. But I never mind it when we've got guys who really perform at a high level leave. They earned it. They're going to be millionaires. Go.

When you've got guys who leave on a wing and prayer, that's bothersome. It isn't really what the experiment was supposed to be when Cal was hired.

But Cal created it. We all know he's selling NBA dreams when he walks into living rooms. When you do that, there's an expectation. One year, two at max, and then they go. That's the promise the Kentucky system inherently builds in.

I don’t mind the guys like Tyrese leaving. Nick makes sense also. I even understand Quickley leaving.

But if EJ bolts, to me it’s a symbol of something wrong. When you blend that with the transfers and all of a sudden you really think the way Calipari runs the program is deeply flawed.

[lilproUK98]

I don’t mind the guys like Tyrese leaving. Nick makes sense also. I even understand Quickley leaving.

But if EJ bolts, to me it’s a symbol of something wrong. When you blend that with the transfers and all of a sudden you really think the way Calipari runs the program is deeply flawed.

Ironically, Cal calling the 2010 draft night "the biggest night in UK history" may be one of the more inaccurate statements he's made lol.

[justford]

Ironically, Cal calling the 2010 draft night "the biggest night in UK history" may be one of the more inaccurate statements he's made lol.

Is it fair or unfair to say that Cal is more concerned about his legacy than UK history prior to him arriving?

[Joneslab]

Is it fair or unfair to say that Cal is more concerned about his legacy than UK history prior to him arriving?

Cal is pretty connected to the UK legacy. He's done things that no other UK coach has done in terms of trying to call back to UK lore. I think he's well aware of the history here.

The thing with Cal is that money trumps all. Getting himself and other people ridiculously rich: that's the name of the game.

Cal sees that as social mobility. I think he prides himself on helping to get these players and their families out of poverty. And if you think about that, it is profound. Imagine one of us had the opportunity to make someone rich who had grown up with nothing. Just one person. It would be staggering.

However, when your goal is getting people rich then they'll come here under the belief that they are going to be rich in one year like so many other UK players before them. And when it doesn't happen, some of them will try to bail out and make money even if it's unwise. That's where we are now: in a situation where many players who are not truly elite are trying to find a way to leverage UK for a fat paycheck.

I'm not going to say that it's awful or anything, because we just saw a pretty fun team this past season. But it has definitely devolved and changed shape over the decade Cal's been here. Outlandish money has a tendency to do that: pervert and morph everything it touches.

[Lighthouse]

Cal is doing a good job at Kentucky and I expect him to do it again next season. We've have a few years when we didn't compete for a FF or NC, but for the most part we did. Next year will be the same as it has been nearly every year. We will hear a lot of hype early and will surprise somebody. then we'll struggle through December and January. Then around mid February everything will start to come together and by March we'll be a contender again Especially if we get Haarms.

[Catsrock]

I'm a Cal supporter as I have enjoyed the ride. My primary complaint with his "system" is that it just didn't have to be this way as far as losing players who aren't NBA ready.

Cal's last year at Memphis he had 4 juniors and 3 seniors along with freshmen Tyreke Evans among others. The year before that he had a bunch of upperclassmen along with Derrick Rose and others.

I sure wish we were now getting a couple top 10 guys each year and hanging on to developing players.

And not to burst anyone's bubble but does Cal really get credit for making a John Wall/AD/KAT caliber player a millionaire? Billy G likely could not have kept those guys from the lottery.

Cal's 1st class here was phenomenal. But the day Orton declared for the draft it was clear Cal was doing things different here than he had at previous stops. There's been debate over the years whether he "runs players off" or not. Whether he tells them to leave to make room for their replacement or not is inconsequential. The system runs them away.

Still--I'm with Lighthouse. I'm glad to have Cal. Tubby's last several years and 2 years of BCG make me real happy Cal keeps us in the conversation each (or at least most) years.

[Joneslab]

And not to burst anyone's bubble but does Cal really get credit for making a John Wall/AD/KAT caliber player a millionaire? Billy G likely could not have kept those guys from the lottery..

No, but I do believe Cal is a better coach than many believe. He gets the team on the same page, he's much more organized than people say, and he's really good at the psychological parts of the game. We've seen coaches all around the country really fail with young, one-and-done heavy teams. It's much harder than it looks.

Wall and those guys would be great regardless, but Cal has got a lot of borderline guys--from Shai to Booker and on down--coached up. Again, not easy.

And to your point about Memphis, I think Cal really changed when D. Rose came along. I think it was around that point that he saw that he could make young players' and their families rich, and in so doing he could rack up wins in college basketball.

The problem is, as so many have noted, we aren't getting enough talents like D. Rose at Kentucky anymore and he's still trying to make people rich.

[JFCats22]

EJ and Nick leaving may be the least of Cal’s problems. Lots of chatter that Terrence Clarke may head straight to the G League

[Dwight Schrute]

I'm a Cal supporter as I have enjoyed the ride. My primary complaint with his "system" is that it just didn't have to be this way as far as losing players who aren't NBA ready.

Cal's last year at Memphis he had 4 juniors and 3 seniors along with freshmen Tyreke Evans among others. The year before that he had a bunch of upperclassmen along with Derrick Rose and others.

I sure wish we were now getting a couple top 10 guys each year and hanging on to developing players.

And not to burst anyone's bubble but does Cal really get credit for making a John Wall/AD/KAT caliber player a millionaire? Billy G likely could not have kept those guys from the lottery.

Cal's 1st class here was phenomenal. But the day Orton declared for the draft it was clear Cal was doing things different here than he had at previous stops. There's been debate over the years whether he "runs players off" or not. Whether he tells them to leave to make room for their replacement or not is inconsequential. The system runs them away.

Still--I'm with Lighthouse. I'm glad to have Cal. Tubby's last several years and 2 years of BCG make me real happy Cal keeps us in the conversation each (or at least most) years.

I think maybe I coulda coached them to the lottery (being facetious, mostly). A few years ago Cal was big into talking up a player’s second contract when they can make the real money. Cal does seem to set players up for that pretty well.

[Dwight Schrute]

Rumor is Clarke’s contract offer is $500,000, which is absurd.

Jalen Green potentially going overseas, Terrence Clarke potentially going pro, the wheels of college basketball are on the verge of falling apart.

[Joneslab]

Matt Jones tweets that a source tells him Clarke is still "very likely" coming to Kentucky.

[KCKUKFan]

I'm not concerned. Folks on the Rivals pay board dont seem particularly concerned, and Matt Jones sent out a reassuring tweet, too.

I'll worry about this if it happens; until then, I've got more important stuff to worry about. Namely, getting my three year old to not wake up for three hours in the middle of the night.

[Joneslab]

It doesn't seem ideal for a teenager to play in the G-League because there's a possibility they'll get really exposed. Much tougher game than college basketball. Way more risk.

On the other hand it's obviously hard to pass up half a million dollars for one year, particularly if you're poor. And there is an upside to it: if you go and really shine you could be one of the first to do that, thus you'd likely be in the top five in the draft. But I can't imagine many teenagers tearing up the G-League. There are a lot of thirty-something men in that league who are desperate for a shot and they'll not take it easy on kids who they believe have been handed a sweet deal to take their spots the next season in the NBA.