Who Goes, Who Stays: 2021 Edition

[Dwight Schrute]

Here's where the fanbase can be its own worst enemy, and to an extent I can understand Calipari getting peeved about it. The right way to respond is to address it head-on, results be damned, and the wrong way is to take it out on one of your other guys.

He treated Dontaie Allen wrongly on this front. Crazzed's comment about whipping him with a belt is simply stupid.

I understand to an extent - the fans piled on him too much. But it's also the case that Allen was the only guy who could score for the longest time and when he had the chance to establish himself in the game he contributed. And he didn't deserve to be thrown under the bus.

[JFCats22]

Same thoughts here, there absolutely is a little bit of a tiff going on between Calipari and the vocal part of the fanbase. Dontaie Allen unfortunately became on of the proverbial chips in that game, and Calipari making comments about him were nothing more than "I told you so" middle fingers to the fanbase.

He had a sterling record of not throwing guys under the bus, but lately that has gone to the wayside. With Dontaie Allen (and Reed Sheppard, too) the gloves have come off. It's difficult to deny this.

What did Cal say about Reed?

[DA#23]

And he didn't deserve to be thrown under the bus.

Definitely not.

Crazzed, he hasn't said anything about Reed. But the frenzy already cooking up leads me to believe that if he receives an offer from UK, it will be extended begrudgingly and he will have to overcome even more of this type of scenario. I hope he goes elsewhere frankly.

[JFCats22]

Definitely not.

Crazzed, he hasn't said anything about Reed. But the frenzy already cooking up leads me to believe that if he receives an offer from UK, it will be extended begrudgingly and he will have to overcome even more of this type of scenario. I hope he goes elsewhere frankly.

I think this is ridiculous. Allen has nothing to do with Reed just like Willis and Hawkins, etc...

Allen was a redshirt freshman, coming off major injuries, hadn't played in 2 years and averaged 14 minutes a game. I have no idea how anyone can think he deserved more than what he got based on how limited he is. He looked great in 3 games, made 17 threes against MSU and Alabama. In every other game combined (19 other games played) he made 14 total threes.

People have lost their minds with the Allen obsession.

[Joneslab]

On a team that had a bevy of players who couldn't shoot it's obvious to me why people would be obsessed with Allen, particularly after the first Mississippi St. game. His being from Kentucky just amped the obsession up about 100 notches.

I think he should've played more in a couple of games for sure. Also think Cal handled the whole thing poorly with regards to the media. But all in all it wasn't a huge deal in the context of us being a good team.

The thing that would've made us a good team had little to do with Dontaie Allen. When Boston, Clarke, and Sarr were busts that was all she wrote.

[DA#23]

Dontaie Allen received a lot of online attention and push to get some PT, though, and I think Reed Sheppard would receive the same type of treatment here if not an even more intense level.

That's what I'm talking about. It has nothing to do with whether or not its warranted, whether it's justified and even simply crazy, but it has everything to do with the type of outside noise that chips away at things like focus and perspective not to mention team chemistry.

Could you imagine being Dontaie Allen and having all of the online noise about how he's being bleeped over by not getting a chance, that he is trying to earn PT using a different set of rules than say, BJ Boston, is using ?

That doesn't help the program or the individual at all. It can't.

Maybe he's mature enough not to allow it to get to him, but I guarantee he and his family are well aware that a large portion of the fanbase seems to think that he doesn't have the same opportunities as the elite recruits do.

It's happened before but given the state of the fanbase now versus back when Willis (or Jon Hood) was here, I hate to think how bad it could be if Reed Sheppard came here.

[DA#23]

Also think Cal handled the whole thing poorly with regards to the media.

Which is obviously in response to the fan noise about him deserving more of a shot in the games. It's erosive and takes its toll on everybody involved.

Nothing good can come from it.

[Dwight Schrute]

Dontaie Allen received a lot of online attention and push to get some PT, though, and I think Reed Sheppard would receive the same type of treatment here if not an even more intense level.

That's what I'm talking about. It has nothing to do with whether or not its warranted, whether it's justified and even simply crazy, but it has everything to do with the type of outside noise that chips away at things like focus and perspective not to mention team chemistry.

Could you imagine being Dontaie Allen and having all of the online noise about how he's being bleeped over by not getting a chance, that he is trying to earn PT using a different set of rules than say, BJ Boston, is using ?

That doesn't help the program or the individual at all. It can't.

Maybe he's mature enough not to allow it to get to him, but I guarantee he and his family are well aware that a large portion of the fanbase seems to think that he doesn't have the same opportunities as the elite recruits do.

It's happened before but given the state of the fanbase now versus back when Willis (or Jon Hood) was here, I hate to think how bad it could be if Reed Sheppard came here.

Difference is Willis and Jon Hood weren't very good, particularly Hood. Willis got pretty good as a senior but he almost got booted in the subsequent years leading up to it.

Allen is different. Crazzed's point isn't a good one. Of course Allen only had 2 games where he scored - he always got pulled after the first defensive lapse! How much better would he have been had he been given the same leeway to play through mistakes? Nobody thinks he was the savior of this team, and any insinuation to imply that is dishonest. But he didn't deserve getting thrown under the bus publicly like that, particularly when that wasn't the consistent standard across the board.

[DA#23]

Nobody thinks he was the savior of this team, and any insinuation to imply that is dishonest. But he didn't deserve getting thrown under the bus publicly like that, particularly when that wasn't the consistent standard across the board.

I agree completely, and that's more succinct than my rambling above.

Additionally, though, I worry about the ability for UK fans to put added "juice" into this part of the team. The eco-chamber can't be helpful, especially if the Allen family feels they have a decision to make about whether they should stay here or perhaps transfer for basketball purposes.

[DA#23]

Willis got pretty good as a senior but he almost got booted in the subsequent years leading up to it.

I thought that the senior version of Willis could have been helpful in 2016 (if's and but's), and also thought he could have been a guy that helped keep us from peaking too early in 2017.

[DA#23]

Saw on KSR that Askew's father states he's locked in for '21-'22.

[Joneslab]

Saw on KSR that Askew's father states he's locked in for '21-'22.

Will need to improve as much as any starter Kentucky's had in quite some time.

You probably have to go back to somebody like J.P. Blevins to find a comp for Askew as a freshman.

[lilproUK98]

Will need to improve as much as any starter Kentucky's had in quite some time.

You probably have to go back to somebody like J.P. Blevins to find a comp for Askew as a freshman.

Discuss this Will....

[Joneslab]

I thought that the senior version of Willis could have been helpful in 2016 (if's and but's), and also thought he could have been a guy that helped keep us from peaking too early in 2017.

Derek Willis would have been the best player on this past team.

Of course that's not saying a whole lot. Luka Garza's eyebrows would've been the best player on this team.

[Joneslab]

Discuss this Will....

He was so bad offensively I didn't pay much attention to his defense.

Honestly I don't totally disagree with Rowland. There were times I noticed that Askew was sticking the other team's best player.

But man, that offense. It was atrocious. Guy can't play on that end. There were things I really liked about Askew because I like those hardnosed guards, but Askew was really not ready for this at all and Cal kept throwing him out there.