UK vs USC

[Matt Dillon]

We stayed for the postgame show. He was really going on about the fans. He signed every ball given to him. I felt a wee bit better after watching his facial expressions. The crowd really got into it when positive play was going on. Had not been to a game sine before the pandemic. Not sorry I went. VERY disappointed n the outcome

My apologies for the bogus prediction, Cathy. I honestly thought we'd win by at least 12-15 pts.

[Matt Dillon]

In my opinion, when we get a new coach, I expect to see a return to more of a traditional, for lack of a better word, team. I expect the next coach to recruit players that are talented and possess sound bb fundamentals as opposed to trying to have an all-star at every position. Cal has made no secret that he runs a players first program. I fully expect that to change.

[justford]

In reality did playing at UK really help players? Elite players would be in the NBA regardless of the school they attended. I believe it might have helped the lower caliber players to get attention that might not be available at other schools.

[Joneslab]

In reality did playing at UK really help players?

I think so. We've got some guys in the NBA balling out.

Those guys would've been stars regardless, but UK did help them make a lot of money earlier than they would've anywhere else.

Shai comes immediately to mind but there are several others. I highly doubt Tyler Herro (or even Devin Booker) would've been turned out to the NBA as quickly as they were here.

Tyrese Maxey. Bam, probably. There are a few others who got contracts when they were still teenagers and probably wouldn't have done that had they come out of any other college program with the exception of maybe Duke.

But selfishly that whole dynamic has hurt us. In the hunt for elite talent and making teenagers rich, Cal lost sight of what it means to be an actual basketball coach.

[Joneslab]

In my opinion, when we get a new coach, I expect to see a return to more of a traditional, for lack of a better word, team. I expect the next coach to recruit players that are talented and possess sound bb fundamentals as opposed to trying to have an all-star at every position. Cal has made no secret that he runs a players first program. I fully expect that to change.

I don't disagree...

...but man I looked out there at Alabama the other day and they look like what Kentucky should look like.

NBA dudes at three or four positions. Length everywhere. And the skill to match it.

That's gonna have to be the thing with the next coach. We talk all the time about old-school, Rupp-style coaching. And that's important. But at a place like Kentucky there's no reason you shouldn't have future professionals on the team.

I don't think having future pros and having a real team are at odds with each other. Cal himself has done it. So whoever the next coach is they're going to have to recruit the best of the best. I don't see any other way. They just have to coach them up better than Cal and they don't need to be so intent about getting out of here after their freshmen years as Cal has been.

[Dwight Schrute]

Trying to get all stars at every position is not the same thing as what Cal's doing. I expect Kentucky to still try to get stacked at every position.

What I hope, though, is that the next coach allows for players to develop rather than seeing them transfer out after the first year.

[Joneslab]

Doug Gottlieb with some interesting points. Says he thinks as much as anything it's a "player eval" thing. Believes Calipari whiffed when evaluating/scouting some of these players and now that he's got them, there isn't NEARLY enough shooting--which constricts the floor and causes all these spacing issues that we see.

I think it's possible too that when guys struggle offensively like some of our players have that transfers to defense, which is why you're seeing so many blow-bys and guys just not even trying to deal with screens on the defensive end.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1613236640608292867

[DA#23]

There’s more to this teams list of problems, but at the end of the day they’re not as talented as people thought leading into the season.

In the first half of the Calipari era he rarely missed on evals when recruiting, whereas now he does miss. You can’t have the constant loss of players that we do and afford to miss. We lose players via four routes now: fail to land them out of HS, lose them early to NBA draft, lose them to early transfer and they prosper elsewhere, and best of all get them on campus only for them to refuse to play.

When it really stinks is when a guy has been in the program and you miss on their ability to take the next step…or you simply fail to recruit somebody better. Looking at you, 4 spot.

So not only is Calipari not a wizard with the proverbial clip board, but now he’s no longer playing with a stacked deck. You know, what he claimed he was brought here to do.

[DA#23]

^ Uh, I should have read Will’s post first

[CATHYnKY]

My apologies for the bogus prediction, Cathy. I honestly thought we'd win by at least 12-15 pts.

LOL! Not your fault! As I said, not sorry I went. Not one bit anxious about the ugly orange. Way past that. Now my buddies and I are trying to decide if we want to go to the SEC tourney. We are going to give it till after the first week in February.

[Catsrock]

Oops. Wrong spot

[KentuckyWild2020]

Doug Gottlieb with some interesting points. Says he thinks as much as anything it's a "player eval" thing. Believes Calipari whiffed when evaluating/scouting some of these players and now that he's got them, there isn't NEARLY enough shooting--which constricts the floor and causes all these spacing issues that we see.

I think it's possible too that when guys struggle offensively like some of our players have that transfers to defense, which is why you're seeing so many blow-bys and guys just not even trying to deal with screens on the defensive end.

https://twitter.com/i/status/1613236640608292867

And that is the problem and where it all starts in my opinion. Does Calipari actually recruit a player for his system (what system) or does he just get whoever he can get in the so called top 10-50 so he can brag about it when the play one year at Kentucky and then turn pro??By the way it has looked, i don't know that the system is or if there even is a system. How can you actually recruit a player for a system you don't have?

Case in point what system he may have had at one time he recruited athletic point guards with size to run his offense through, that can't be the case with Wheeler. Knock on Cal is that some big men didn't want to come to Kentucky because he's guard oriented yet our only offense now is just dribble the ball down the court and throw it in to Oscar. Cal needs to put his offense in the hands of his point guard and let do what he's been comfortable doing, that's starts with Wallace in my opinion and let Oscar get his offense on rebounds put back etc. Not to say you never throw to ball to Oscar on a mismatch but we need guards forwards as our 1 2 3 scoring options in my opinion..

[KentuckyWild2020]

I don't disagree...

...but man I looked out there at Alabama the other day and they look like what Kentucky should look like.

NBA dudes at three or four positions. Length everywhere. And the skill to match it.

That's gonna have to be the thing with the next coach. We talk all the time about old-school, Rupp-style coaching. And that's important. But at a place like Kentucky there's no reason you shouldn't have future professionals on the team.

I don't think having future pros and having a real team are at odds with each other. Cal himself has done it. So whoever the next coach is they're going to have to recruit the best of the best. I don't see any other way. They just have to coach them up better than Cal and they don't need to be so intent about getting out of here after their freshmen years as Cal has been.

I agree, hell we deserve the best of both worlds, coaching system and future professionals on the team, thought that was what Calipari was bringing to the table....

[KentuckyWild2020]

I want to believe that, but why was he not on the bench the second half?

Well if he's unhappy and that was the case him walking out, start him at PG next game put the ball in his hands and let's see how it goes, nothing to lose at this point...

[GOCAT15]

Not sure. Treatment?

My son said he *thought* he saw the player where Wallace got hurt but wasn't 100% certain. Cal said that Wallace had complained about back spasms before.

When I was at the Mizzou game Wallace would put on some sort of back belt/brace every time he came out of the game, so I do think there is something to it, but who knows if he's milking it at this point.