From Matt Jones: the best explaination for a disasterous month

[JFCats22]

Jeff Borzello ‏@jeffborzello
Wonder if this would have been more useful pre-signing period...

John Calipari @UKCoachCalipari If you ask me if I’m ever going to platoon again, my answer is NO. Last season was an absolute outlier. http://www.coachcal.com/34612/2015/0...-first/…

[JFCats22]

T.J. Walker ‏@TWalkerRivals
T.J. Walker retweeted John Calipari
Calipari's message to recruits. May have been a bit late.

T.J. Walker ‏@TWalkerRivals
John Calipari has been delivering that message to recruits for months, but ultimately actions will have to speak louder than words.

[JFCats22]

Jeff Goodman ‏@GoodmanESPN 3 minutes ago
Elite players don't want to play 20'ish minutes a game. It's fine while you are undefeated, but it's a tough sell to kids these days.

[J.Jennings]

So if your never going to platoon again and you have the number 1 center, top guy in Briscoe, returning McDonald's All American Senior Poythrees, returning top tier point in Ulis, and let's say a top 20 guy in Matthews prior to injury, why would you want to come to Kentucky if Cal isn't going to platoon????? Do you come to Kentucky to sit on the bench and watch???

Maybe players didn't want to come here this year because the roster and starting 5 was all pretty much set in stone from the get go?? Besides Matthews, who you going to sit this year and replace?

This is a double edged sword here. Cal already done his job getting his key recruits early on and if it freaks people out that we don't' have 10 guys to play, you either don't trust your Coaches X's and O's abilities or your just plain out selfish to expect kids to come here and sit on the bench and watch all season long.............

[Joneslab]

So if your never going to platoon again and you have the number 1 center, top guy in Briscoe, returning McDonald's All American Senior Poythrees, returning top tier point in Ulis, and let's say a top 20 guy in Matthews prior to injury, why would you want to come to Kentucky if Cal isn't going to platoon????? Do you come to Kentucky to sit on the bench and watch??

Same reason they go to Duke and Carolina and Kansas. None of those places play deep benches either.

The only reason he platooned was that he ended up with 10 capable players. That's an unusual situation for Cal and it was brought on by some disappointing individual performances in 2014.

He's never going to have that kind of roster again. I think he could have a better roster, but it's not going to be as deep.

[surveyor]

He's qualified his statement by saying last year was "an outlier". Meaning, he'll do it again if the situation warrants.





Brilliance.......

[J.Jennings]

Same reason they go to Duke and Carolina and Kansas. None of those places play deep benches either.

The only reason he platooned was that he ended up with 10 capable players. That's an unusual situation for Cal and it was brought on by some disappointing individual performances in 2014.

He's never going to have that kind of roster again. I think he could have a better roster, but it's not going to be as deep.

So basically what we are saying as a fan base is that we do not have the full confidence in Lee, Hawkins, Willis, and Mulder off the bench? Whole point I am trying to make is that we already have a starting 5 with great potential. Some of the recruits we missed on probably already knew this and decided to look elsewhere. Let's be honest, would Winslow had went to Duke if Jabari had stayed?

[JFCats22]

So basically what we are saying as a fan base is that we do not have the full confidence in Lee, Hawkins, Willis, and Mulder off the bench? Whole point I am trying to make is that we already have a starting 5 with great potential. Some of the recruits we missed on probably already knew this and decided to look elsewhere. Let's be honest, would Winslow had went to Duke if Jabari had stayed?

No, I think people are saying there are questions with the bench (and the starting lineup). Who plays the three? Does Lee develop anything offensively? Can Hawkins play offense? Does Willis put in the work needed (per him and Cal) to play? Does Mulder adjust to a D1 program and can he be counted on?

Nobody is saying they are trash, can't play, shouldn't play, should transfer, etc... so don't start with that nonsense please.

[J.Jennings]

No, I think people are saying there are questions with the bench (and the starting lineup). Who plays the three? Does Lee develop anything offensively? Can Hawkins play offense? Does Willis put in the work needed (per him and Cal) to play? Does Mulder adjust to a D1 program and can he be counted on?

Nobody is saying they are trash, can't play, shouldn't play, should transfer, etc... so don't start with that nonsense please.

This isn't freaking nonsense. Who else would you rather have playing Center next year than Skal?? Who would you put in front of Ulis to run the point? Who would you replace Briscoe with at the 2 spot? What about Poythrees, who would you replace him with? Of course Brown would have filled the 3 but we still have Matthews and Willis to platoon that spot.

I agree that the 3 spot is question mark but besides that, we actually have a pretty good starting 5 heading into next season. Ask Louisville fans if they would trade there top 5 for ours?? Ask Florida, ask Carolina, ask a number a teams this question and they would make the deal in a heartbeat. It's not like we are flat out trash or that Cal TOTALLY missed on everything this year. Landing Zimmerman or another power forward/center would have put Poythrees at the 3 case closed.

Does Hawkins need to score 15 a game to be successful??? What about Mulder? What about Lee? Do we base our team solely off scoring potential? Whatever happened to role players doing a job and letting the scorers do what they do best??

[JFCats22]

This isn't freaking nonsense. Who else would you rather have playing Center next year than Skal?? Who would you put in front of Ulis to run the point? Who would you replace Briscoe with at the 2 spot? What about Poythrees, who would you replace him with? Of course Brown would have filled the 3 but we still have Matthews and Willis to platoon that spot.

I agree that the 3 spot is question mark but besides that, we actually have a pretty good starting 5 heading into next season. Ask Louisville fans if they would trade there top 5 for ours?? Ask Florida, ask Carolina, ask a number a teams this question and they would make the deal in a heartbeat. It's not like we are flat out trash or that Cal TOTALLY missed on everything this year. Landing Zimmerman or another power forward/center would have put Poythrees at the 3 case closed.

Does Hawkins need to score 15 a game to be successful??? What about Mulder? What about Lee? Do we base our team solely off scoring potential? Whatever happened to role players doing a job and letting the scorers do what they do best??

Do you even read the posts you are quoting? I never mentioned Skal, Ulis, Poythress, or Briscoe. I quoted your post about Lee, Hawkins, Willis, etc...

What are you babbling about?

[J.Jennings]

Do you even read the posts you are quoting? I never mentioned Skal, Ulis, Poythress, or Briscoe. I quoted your post about Lee, Hawkins, Willis, etc...

What are you babbling about?

Hawkins is lock down defender check..
Lee has experience and has played pretty decent up to this point check
Willis has potential to fill a void check
Mulder is supposed to be the next great thing from outside based on his 3pt % that you pointed out in another thread check


What's to worry about???

I am babbling because for the past 3 weeks you have been going on and on about Cal missing on this and that when In all reality, we already have a very above average starting 5 in tact for next year, what more do you want??? I can respect your concerns about the 3 spot but so what we missed on Brown, Zimmerman,Diallo, and everyone else that signed to play elsewhere. Cal didn't leave us empty with nothing!! If D. Johnson would have returned, well hell I would liked our chances as good as anyone else. Hell, I like our chances as we stand now..........

Relax,,, what's the worst thing that could happen? Have 10 McDonald's All Americans on the team and lose to a bunch of non jumping, no athletic, no NBA future white boys out of Wisconsin????????

We don't need 5 five stars coming off the bench to be successful. We need a game plan that revolves around what we do have and for players to know there role.


Biggest question mark is this. Can Skal put us in his back if needed? Can Briscoe be that guard that gets to the rim and to the foul line in the crunch? Will Ulis have a sophomore slump or will he expand on his overall great play this past season?

For once, we actually have a point guard who gets it. We don't have a point who's looking to score or audition for the NBA, we have a point that seems to thrive on getting others involved and running a razor sharp offense plus he can score if needed........

[Joneslab]

For once, we actually have a point guard he gets it. We don't have a point who's looking to score or audition for the NBA.......

Yeah, because those other guys have been terrible.

[JFCats22]

Yeah, because those other guys have been terrible.

John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight, Marquis Teague, Andrew Harrison - no thanks, yuck!

[Wonderstruck]

If nothing else, JWORLD is so entertaining. And I love that about him.

[J.Jennings]

Yeah, because those other guys have been terrible.

Now that's just flat out wrong. Besides Wall maybe Teague, our other point guards looked to score and had a leanring curve to get over. It took Andrew all of his freshman season to kick in and even this year, it took a while for him to get going. Knight actually played the 2 in our offense and Bledsoe well, he was just a freak and really didn't have to play point with Wall. Like Wall and even Rondo, Ulis has a great basketball IQ at his position. Now if you want to argue the way Ulis handle the point duties in comparison to some of our other guards, i will be a little disappointed in you Will Lavender because i know you are smarter than that..............