Who Goes, Who Stays: 2021 Edition

[SCBlu]

Well, a lot of coaches did that. The NCAA waived the rule on suits because of COVID.

I've kind of thought Cal was a little burnt out the last two or three seasons. And that's expected because it's so much harder for him now than it was a decade ago. Players aren't beating the door to get here the way they were when he first came.

Agree. And if Cal doesn't pull the trigger on several of these very good (and proven) portal players ASAP, we will limp into 2021-2022

[85 Fly]

That Wisconsin loss did lasting damage to the program. Some of y’all have been watching UK basketball for a lot longer than I have, but in all my years as a fan I can’t recall anyone taking a loss that lingered as long as that one.

DVZ I still have PTSD! Anytime I see Wisconsin play I root for their opponent!

[Jload]

As for losses that lingered like the Wisconsin loss I can’t remember any. UK losing to Duke on the shot is close but UK got so much better after that that it softened the blow. Losing to UL in the Elite 8 in overtime in the 80’s ( especially since it was first time we had played them in about 30 years) was a devastating loss as well. To me however the loss that has lingered longer than any was losing to MTSU in the first round of the NCAA tourney when the next game would have been against UL . We hadn’t played them in years and EVERYONE in BB nation was stoked. It was in Nashville and I had tickets for that game had it been played. I have never seen our fans as angry as Indid after that loss.

[40bill]

I was living in Lebanon Tn....not real far from Murfreesboro and MTSU, when that game happened.
it was a miserable couple weeks. The oneS that really hurt are Georgetown in the final four when the whole team forgot how to shoot, and the loss to UAB when one of my favorite crews...mostly seniors...froze up as if they realized this was their final game 10 minutes before the game was over and just locked up like a bad motor.

Wisconsin was another world of hurt.

[Catsrock]

Michigan in 93 was rough on me because of the way we were absolutely steamrolling teams up till then. Good Wake Forest and maybe the best Forida State team ever—game over after 5 minutes!

[George]

Anyone up for some speculation?

Mike Miller was seen earlier today at the Lexington airport.

[DA#23]

Frankly each of the losses from ‘03-‘05 stunk badly. Certainly 2015, but also I really wanted the ‘17 team to win it. They were flipping gunslingers at times.

[DA#23]

Mike Miller was seen earlier today at the Lexington airport.

Goodbye Justus?

[Joneslab]

Anyone up for some speculation?

Mike Miller was seen earlier today at the Lexington airport.

Interesting. His son is a high-level player IIRC.

Grabbing a guy with who's been out of the college game is a risk however.

[George]

Interesting. His son is a high-level player IIRC.

Grabbing a guy with who's been out of the college game is a risk however.

He was with Penny at Memphis a couple seasons ago, wasn’t he? If memory serves, he was a hot name on the recruiting trail at that time, too. (Though I also recall there being some questions about his exit.)

[George]

Goodbye Justus?

What’s your take on him?

He never seems to do all that much, but then he’s also been named as the lead for a few of our higher-ranked recruits in the last couple years. However, if that’s the case for Clarke and Boston, maybe he isn’t all that great an evaluator.

All said and done, he feels expendable to me, but I’d probably still prefer we cut Barbee loose, move Bruiser to Barbee’s current role, then upgrade that be much spot.

[George]

Frankly each of the losses from ‘03-‘05 stunk badly. Certainly 2015, but also I really wanted the ‘17 team to win it. They were flipping gunslingers at times.

That ‘17 team was pretty nasty by the end of the season. I wish we’d had one more piece inside so that Bam could’ve shown off more of his versatility. But really, if Monk was hot we could’ve beaten anyone in the tournament, because Fox had rounded into arguably the best player in the country by then and only needed everyone else to do their part. Once he finally found his shot, there wasn’t much anyone could do with him.

[Blue Heaven]

That Wisconsin loss did lasting damage to the program. Some of y’all have been watching UK basketball for a lot longer than I have, but in all my years as a fan I can’t recall anyone taking a loss that lingered as long as that one.

Just absolutely brutal. For this fan anyways. I don't think I have fully recovered from that loss, but I don't think it did lasting damage to the program. We had some pretty good teams after that season but it's hard as hell to win a 'Chip.

[Blue Heaven]

That ‘17 team was pretty nasty by the end of the season. I wish we’d had one more piece inside so that Bam could’ve shown off more of his versatility. But really, if Monk was hot we could’ve beaten anyone in the tournament, because Fox had rounded into arguably the best player in the country by then and only needed everyone else to do their part. Once he finally found his shot, there wasn’t much anyone could do with him.

Fox is one of my favorites of all time. Seemed like a good person who went about his business. Never heard a negative thing about him. His "duel" with Ball is one of the best moments from the Cal era because he shut up that LOUD MOUTH LaVarr Ball. He scored a career high 44 the other night. Get tgat dude out of Sac Town!

[DA#23]

What’s your take on him?

Truly don’t know. A couple of years ago I saw him appearing on a list of “up and comers” but then upon opening the link he was ~ top 40 haha. I see him listed as the lead recruiter on a lot of these guys, which is probably ok. As you mentioned the evaluation isn’t 100% whereas it used to be. I would hope that when UK hones in on their top priorities they still are doing the in home visits as a staff. We used to see photos of basically the whole bench staff visiting these families.

As you said, if we lose somebody from this staff I hope it is Barbee.

I saw where it has been alleged that Justus leaked the info about the Sallis family being turned off by UK Fans, and if that is true he needs to cut that out right now. Hard to earn trust of a family if you share their information before their son even signs a LOI.