2024 Roster (Enter Antonio Reeves & Tre Mitchell)

[Matt Dillon]

Have any links?

Not yet. If true, he's not made a public statement. It could be something, or nothing. Take it for what it's worth, I guess.

[Matt Dillon]

Someone who goes by the moniker Sleepy Raylen Givens posted this on Twitter:

If Cal loses Livingston to the portal, that’s a big fail.
Supposedly there’s “rumblings”

[Jody Porter]

Saw that. Lot of "how is that Cal's fault, Chris got plenty of playing time". To that I say the same thing as I say when there are transfers in any sport, to or from a team: if you want to attract transfers and keep yours from transferring, make your program one that people want to be in/around/part of. (This doesn't just apply to sports teams)

[Joneslab]

Saw that. Lot of "how is that Cal's fault, Chris got plenty of playing time". To that I say the same thing as I say when there's transfers in any sport, to or from a team: if you want to attract transfers and keep yours from transferring, make your program one that people want to be in/around/part of. (This doesn't just apply to sports teams)

Good post.

I imagine it's a weird catch-22 for Livingston. On the one hand he did play a lot. But next year he ain't playing in front of Edwards on the wing...but he could be a devastating, Poythress-like 4. He might not see that as his way of making it to the next level though.

I've sort of thought he'd come back just because there's a chance he gets some shine from that next group and the game's a lot easier for him because of more playmakers around. On the other hand it's not hard to envision a situation where everybody except Thiero and Ugonna jump out just to get a fresh start.

[DA#23]

This isn’t for everybody

[Joneslab]

This isn’t for anybody

Fixed.

[DA#23]

Fixed.

No poop, unfortunately. That’s what is wrong with Kentucky Basketball.

[lilproUK98]

Just listening to sources say and it seems like the guaranteed departures are Oscar, Sahvir, Toppin, and Wallace.

The tossups are Reeves and Livingston. NIL could bring Reeves back, and Livingston could easily go any of three ways; pro, transfer, or return.
Collins and Onyenso are pretty uncertain either way for different factors. Big East teams are after Ugonna. He wants to come back but his "people" may steer him in another direction. Collins could transfer closer to Texas for a fresh start.

In a weird twist Wheeler could end up at Kansas State lol.

Fredrick is possibly done just because of the physical toll his body has taken. But could be back just because he loves basketball.

Ware and Thiero seem to be the only guaranteed returnees.

[George]

Just listening to sources say and it seems like the guaranteed departures are Oscar, Sahvir, Toppin, and Wallace.

The tossups are Reeves and Livingston. NIL could bring Reeves back, and Livingston could easily go any of three ways; pro, transfer, or return.
Collins and Onyenso are pretty uncertain either way for different factors. Big East teams are after Ugonna. He wants to come back but his "people" may steer him in another direction. Collins could transfer closer to Texas for a fresh start.

In a weird twist Wheeler could end up at Kansas State lol.

Fredrick is possibly done just because of the physical toll his body has taken. But could be back just because he loves basketball.

Ware and Thiero seem to be the only guaranteed returnees.

What a joke this has all become. My lord.

[Joneslab]

I suspected Ugonna might be leaning transfer when Cal started to talk about how good he was gonna be next year to the media.

[George]

I suspected Ugonna might be leaning transfer when Cal started to talk about how good he was gonna be next year to the media.

Every time he does that in the preseason, you can guarantee that dude’s leaving. Cal senses it, or maybe even hears it from the player or his people, then starts hyping up the kid in an effort to entice him to stay.

Did it with Hopkins. Did it with Juzang. Others, too.

Hopefully Ugo breaks the pattern, but why be optimistic?

[KentuckyWild2020]

Just listening to sources say and it seems like the guaranteed departures are Oscar, Sahvir, Toppin, and Wallace.

The tossups are Reeves and Livingston. NIL could bring Reeves back, and Livingston could easily go any of three ways; pro, transfer, or return.
Collins and Onyenso are pretty uncertain either way for different factors. Big East teams are after Ugonna. He wants to come back but his "people" may steer him in another direction. Collins could transfer closer to Texas for a fresh start.

In a weird twist Wheeler could end up at Kansas State lol.

Fredrick is possibly done just because of the physical toll his body has taken. But could be back just because he loves basketball.

Ware and Thiero seem to be the only guaranteed returnees.

See it's early this morning and i want to start my day on a good note but if all this right here is true, this is just a absolute freaking joke. Something just isn't right , seems like some of these players get a year of Calipari and they want out...

[Joneslab]

...seems like some of these players get a year of Calipari and they want out...

Because that's the foundation the program is built on.

When the whole point and purpose of Kentucky basketball is "Stay One Year," and it was set up that way 14 years ago, and when you've got Shai and Toppin on AT&T commercials wryly joking about it...well, you can see what sort of Frankenstein monster situation Cal created.

Also guys like Bryce Hopkins and Johnny Juzang have shown that you can leave Kentucky and be a really good player. The one-and-done framework, the ease of the portal, the success stories we've seen of players transferring out of Kentucky...it's a perfect storm of risk. Which is a major reason (along with recruiting whiffs) we are where we are.

[lilproUK98]

Because that's the foundation the program is built on.

When the whole point and purpose of Kentucky basketball is "Stay One Year," and it was set up that way 14 years ago, and when you've got Shai and Toppin on AT&T commercials wryly joking about it...well, you can see what sort of Frankenstein monster situation Cal created.

Also guys like Bryce Hopkins and Johnny Juzang have shown that you can leave Kentucky and be a really good player. The one-and-done framework, the ease of the portal, the success stories we've seen of players transferring out of Kentucky...it's a perfect storm of risk. Which is a major reason (along with recruiting whiffs) we are where we are.

Also, I think it's crystal clear there are dozens of better coaches out there. That's a hard truth Cal defenders just refuse to see. Cal is no longer the end all be all and Kentucky Basketball is pretty mediocre right now, nobody fears it and it is just soft with absolutely no edge.

[Joneslab]

If you start at 2020 and rank the best coaches in the game, Cal honestly doesn't even register.

I probably tick through 20-25 coaches, a couple of them mid-major coaches who've really never won anything, that I get to before I come to Cal.

That's obviously extremely worrisome. We can *say* that the reason for that is recruiting and COVID...but just saying it doesn't make it the truth, obviously. What could be happening is far worse and could be a case of just extreme burn-out. I always thought Roy Williams was the closest comparison to Cal historically; well, as soon as Williams went through two years of really mediocre results, he got out. Of course he was older, but he still did his program a favor.