Game Thread: Vandy vs. Kentucky

[Joneslab]

One of our problems this year and at the tail end of last year is we're playing a guy for 40 minutes at the center position who isn't a center.

This messes up the defensive gameplan--if you can even call it that. Oscar really has no function defensively other than just hoping he kind of gets in the way. He doesn't alter the direction of the ball. He doesn't block hardly any shots. He doesn't rotate well. He's just sort of in there...all the time.

This has become a major problem and teams exploit it a lot, particularly if they're small. You have to hope Oscar can just get back what he gives up, but last night he didn't.

As we all know he's been great for this program. But we need a true center in there to play the style of defense Cal tries to play virtually all game every game.

[40bill]

Congrats to the Vandy kids and my apologies to the coach for thinking (saying) he was just another former player living off a playing resume The man has done well.

[Pobilly]

Man this thread makes me sad. I am glad I still did not watch.

I agree with a lot here that Cal is done or should be done. When he arrived we were in a shambles but were still the all time winningest team. When he leaves (this year or next), we will be in a shambles and will be closer to 3rd all time winningest program than the winningest program. He will laugh his way out the door either by choice or forced with a bigger smile for the amount of buyout money he will receive.

Right now I will take Jim Carey coaching the team over CAL. I will watch NCAA tourney (as many games as I can) except UK. I cannot support him and it is not worth having a bad day health wise. When UK plays I will go for a walk (Red River Gorge) or if Night go out to eat something like that. Then come back and watch the rest of the tourney. Nothing this team has shown tells me we will make it past game 1.

I will pull for the players / KENTUCKY / but not CAL.

[justafan]

Does UK still have the 70 yo mand. ret. age thing?

No, that was a KY law and was done away with in the 70s because of Rupp (after he had to retire).

[KCKUKFan]

Man this thread makes me sad. I am glad I still did not watch.

I agree with a lot here that Cal is done or should be done. When he arrived we were in a shambles but were still the all time winningest team. When he leaves (this year or next), we will be in a shambles and will be closer to 3rd all time winningest program than the winningest program. He will laugh his way out the door either by choice or forced with a bigger smile for the amount of buyout money he will receive.

Right now I will take Jim Carey coaching the team over CAL. I will watch NCAA tourney (as many games as I can) except UK. I cannot support him and it is not worth having a bad day health wise. When UK plays I will go for a walk (Red River Gorge) or if Night go out to eat something like that. Then come back and watch the rest of the tourney. Nothing this team has shown tells me we will make it past game 1.

I will pull for the players / KENTUCKY / but not CAL.

See, I don't understand this line of thinking.

John Calipari has outlived his expiration date and I couldn't care less if he left Kentucky tonight, but as long as he's on that sideline he's our idiot. And despite how it ends, his tenure here has been a good one, and he has been a major net positive for UK.

So I'll continue rooting for Cal until he's gone, because he's a Wildcat, too. Doesn't mean I can't criticize him when he deserves it (I do) or be unhappy with his performance (I am).

[KentuckyWild2020]

We shot well enough to win.

Can't give up 80 in the postseason and think you're going to win. This team has never bought into or understood what its defensive identity is.

True that...

[Joneslab]

Cal's a classic example of a coach who wore out his welcome.

And yet he got a new lease on life with next year's recruiting class. If they all get to campus, we just have to hope we bring back enough returners around them.

It's probably the swan song for Cal so we might as well root for a turnaround.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Cal's a classic example of a coach who wore out his welcome.

And yet he got a new lease on life with next year's recruiting class. If they all get to campus, we just have to hope we bring back enough returners around them.

It's probably the swan song for Cal so we might as well root for a turnaround.

With NIL, good possibility both Oscar and Toppin return..

[Joneslab]

With NIL, good possibility both Oscar and Toppin return..

Oscar needs to go. He'll only get in the way of Bradshaw's development next year.

Toppin will be drafted.

Livingston badly needs to come back. Thiero obviously. Then we'll have to hit the portal for one or two--which will be tough because there aren't gonna be many vets who will want to step into a program with this many five-star freshmen.

[TrueblueCATfan]

I was so mad last night I just went to bed after the game

this is team is not fun and we will would very lucky to get out of the first weekend in the tournammet

[DA#23]

Livingston badly needs to come back. Thiero obviously. Then we'll have to hit the portal for one or two--which will be tough because there aren't gonna be many vets who will want to step into a program with this many five-star freshmen.

I saw that Livingston has an NIL deal and I have seen Antonio Reeves on some billboards. Why invest in those two if there wasn't a good chance they could return? Reeves could really help next year.

[lilproUK98]

Cal has always said he hates the tournament, but the guy dominated it for the first few years. Not so much lately, which is symbolic of our program as a whole.

That game last night reminded me of St. Peter's. We actually had a defensive gameplan to start: we were backing up off their drivers, giving a lot of berth, and Vandy began the game confused. When they hit two or three threes our gameplan immediately changed and that's when those driving lanes opened up.

Should have stuck with that sloughing defense up top. One throughline of Cal's tenure is that he seems to panic as the game is going on--the only evidence you need for that is how tight the team tends to play late in games and how those free throws start to find the rim. That's a constant for virtually all of Cal's teams in March.

In the first game last night Buzz Williams saw that Arkansas was winning the paint and he went zone. It changed the game. TAMU just flat took it over. In our game we had no answer for what Vandy was doing...which is weird because they were doing the very same thing last week in Rupp. A good coach learns.

Cal said it the day he was hired. Three things you need to win: great players, great players, and great players. He just doesn't have the players he had his first 8 seasons, it's pretty much that simple.

[Joneslab]

Cal said it the day he was hired. Three things you need to win: great players, great players, and great players. He just doesn't have the players he had his first 8 seasons, it's pretty much that simple.

I've said this, but I think Cal pretty much hit the record that you would expect with a roster like this. Particularly given the injuries.

So in that way this season was *almost* right on in terms of matching talent to record.

Stress "almost." Because a better, more clever defensive coach would have definitely mixed and matched, protected Oscar, and flipped three or four of these games to W's. Which would be big because instead of sitting here today bummed we'd still be in this thing. We definitely have more talent than Vandy, South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan St.

The team was still a Sharpe and Hopkins away from really contending. I watched Arizona a little last night. The difference in that team and ours is pretty striking. Just more playmakers...but also more well-oiled and disciplined.

[lilproUK98]

I've said this, but I think Cal pretty much hit the record that you would expect with a roster like this. Particularly given the injuries.

So in that way this season was *almost* right on in terms of matching talent to record.

Stress "almost." Because a better, more clever defensive coach would have definitely mixed and matched, protected Oscar, and flipped three or four of these games to W's. Which would be big because instead of sitting here today bummed we'd still be in this thing. We definitely have more talent than Vandy, South Carolina, Georgia, Michigan St.

The team was still a Sharpe and Hopkins away from really contending. I watched Arizona a little last night. The difference in that team and ours is pretty striking. Just more playmakers...but also more well-oiled and disciplined.

His "coaching" and general attitude and stubbornness has made the last 3 seasons' results much worse than they should've been, IMO.

[DA#23]

His "coaching" and general attitude and stubbornness has made the last 3 seasons' results much worse than they should've been, IMO.

That's it! A concise rundown on the end of the Calipari Era.