2024 Roster (Enter Antonio Reeves & Tre Mitchell)

[Joneslab]

Weird, I don’t remember anybody arguing Tubby was a big help-the-brand guy back in the day. I think history is being rewritten a tad there.

But in criticism of Tubby, fans came up with all kinds of nonsense. It wasn’t just that the brand was diluted, it was on the level of Tubby essentially not knowing what he was doing, etc. So again: embellishment.

Some definite similarities between Cal and Tubby. I’d probably give Tubby a slight edge only because he never had the COVID year and never lost in the first round. But Tubby’s one FF is pretty glaring.

[DA#23]

Weird, I don’t remember anybody arguing Tubby was a big help-the-brand guy back in the day. I think history is being rewritten a tad there.

Definitely not the point I was making, it’s a response to your comment about the 2004 team, for example, not helping and in fact hurting the brand.

The brand, while not always the “cool school”, has been built on winning and a huge part of that was being the winningest program. 2004, for example, helped that.

The brand now is something along the lines of preseason hype that usually falls short.

[Joneslab]

Definitely not the point I was making, it’s a response to your comment about the 2004 team, for example, not helping and in fact hurting the brand.

I know what point you were making.

And I'm saying I can remember a whole lot of talk back then about how Tubby was hurting the brand. That was a recurring theme, year after year. You just didn't hear anything about it while the season was going on. When we lost there was a lot of talk about it.

When Oscar was winning the Naismith and we were crushing Kansas I didn't hear any talk about it, either. The talk about brand and mediocrity and the direction of the program comes after we lose our last game--which is obvious, because what happens in the end in college basketball defines the program. Always will.

However as a response directly to justford's and others' point that "It's not been fun since 2019"...I'm just saying that's like somebody in 2006 posting about how it hasn't been fun since 1997.

And in fact people did say that. Because, as I said, UK fans embellish on the internet to make points.

Spirit's point about how the brand has been hit is a separate thing. And he's correct.

[Joneslab]

Kansas loses another big man to the portal. Ernest Udeh Jr. averaged 3 points and 2 rebounds per game last year. Looks like he played a little early in the season but wasn't getting hardly any run late.

Looks like a physical, strapping sort of guy int he mold of Oscar. Considerably taller though.

[Joneslab]

Meanwhile, apparently Jack Pilgrim is very down on several UK possibilities and says Kentucky doesn't have much in the pipe as far as backup plans.

He thinks everything that could possibly go wrong is going to go wrong. Oscar & Livingston both leave and there's still a possibility Bradshaw jumps out. Still thinks Reeves will likely return.

So yeah, not good.

[lilproUK98]

Meanwhile, apparently Jack Pilgrim is very down on several UK possibilities and says Kentucky doesn't have much in the pipe as far as backup plans.

He thinks everything that could possibly go wrong is going to go wrong. Oscar & Livingston both leave and there's still a possibility Bradshaw jumps out. Still thinks Reeves will likely return.

So yeah, not good.

I don't really take much stock in what Pilgrim says on a day to day basis anymore. He's so hyperbolic with everything.

[George]

I don't really take much stock in what Pilgrim says on a day to day basis anymore. He's so hyperbolic with everything.

He really is.

[Joneslab]

Jordan Dingle commits to Rick Pitino and St. John's. Not sure if Kentucky was ever really in on him.

[George]

Jordan Dingle commits to Rick Pitino and St. John's. Not sure if Kentucky was ever really in on him.

Lord, that hurts. Lance Ware might wind up there, too.

[Joneslab]

It really hurts if Reeves doesn't return for some reason. We'll have four guards (not counting Thiero) even if Reeves comes back. That's...pretty tight. We've done that before under Cal but if you do it everybody better be healthy and really good.

[George]

It really hurts if Reeves doesn't return for some reason. We'll have four guards (not counting Thiero) even if Reeves comes back. That's...pretty tight. We've done that before under Cal but if you do it everybody better be healthy and really good.

I really have no idea what Cal’s doing. I’m not there, obviously, so I’d like to think there’s plenty happening behind the scenes, but he doesn’t seem very active at the moment.

If this has something to do with his (Mitch’s) refusal to make NIL guarantees, it’s past time to swallow that. Guarantees are what it’s going to take to land the portal stars.

UK used to be THE place that’d get you to the pros, then players realized they can do that anywhere if they’re good enough. Now, similarly, portal players realize they don’t have to go to UK to maximize their earning potential; they can get paid pretty much anywhere.

Cal has to admit that or move on, because his stubbornness is going to get us killed.

[Joneslab]

It really looks like the whole thing is moving forward on hope now.

[Joneslab]

Tristan Pharis says on Twitter that he believes a Keshad Johnson commitment is likely.

He says that's likely an indication Livingston won't return. But also today is the deadline for the portal and Livingston isn't in it. So apparently they still see him as an NBA player, which is truly weird.

[KCKUKFan]

Tristan Pharis says on Twitter that he believes a Keshad Johnson commitment is likely.

He says that's likely an indication Livingston won't return. But also today is the deadline for the portal and Livingston isn't in it. So apparently they still see him as an NBA player, which is truly weird.

He's got the Klutch machine behind him, so they probably think that's enough to sneak him into the second round.

Weird.

[Joneslab]

I like the Johnson commitment if we can get it. Defense has been so crap the last couple of years he might be just what the doctor ordered.

If it means no Livingston then that complicates it. I thought Livingston was in for a big jump this season. But he's not going to play in front of Edwards (probably) and he reportedly doesn't want to play the 4, so his role is weird to think about when you look at our roster.

In a perfect world you'd have Livingston in there to give Edwards a little time to come along slowly. As it is it's likely going to be a situation where Edwards better be legit or we're in trouble.