The Official Keeping Up With Calipari Thread

[Lighthouse]

In fairness he didn't just rack up wins in C-USA with Memphis. He was a three pointer away from winning a title for Memphis. You don't accomplish something like that if you can't coach.

And just as an aside, I wouldn't knock "racking up wins with 5 star talent." As noted above, every coach is looking for 5 star talent. Mark Pope's gonna have a few roll in next year. That's what the head coach at Kentucky should be doing. Problem with Cal is that making future phenoms and their families rich became all he was really interested in.

This, plus his rejection of our basketball program, is a main reason why I rejected him. When Cal first came to Kentucky I was very happy he was our coach, I even had an autographed 8X10 picture of him shaking my hand at a fund raiser, sitting on my desk. Not now. Cal did a lot of good for folks in need early on and I appreciate him doing that. But, he exposed himself as a stubborn, selfish, behind the times coach he was when he got here. And, if we researched threads on this site soon after he arrived, we would find posts by nearly all of us, pointing out bad coaching decisions he made. At least when I made my opinion known lately, it brought about a lot of conversation.

[George]

Yeesh…

https://x.com/tjwalkerradio/status/1864102831067726092?s=46&t=4ODOygHzZh-MhBNSFA_htg

[EKYCat]

Arkansas was favored to win. I should have jumped all over the ‘Canes moneyline. Who in their right mind thinks a Cal coached team nowadays can win a Power 4 (is it power 4 now?) on the road?

[EKYCat]

I spoke too soon

[KentuckyWild2020]

Besides Brazile, that was pretty much our team this had he not left. Team full of talent struggling to get a win..

[George]

I spoke too soon

With your blessing, I might just make this the official Calipari thread for the season. Deny it as we might, there are plenty of us who will want to keep up with him.

[Lighthouse]

With your blessing, I might just make this the official Calipari thread for the season. Deny it as we might, there are plenty of us who will want to keep up with him.

Might as well. Cal will create a lot of conversation.

[Jload]

Bland looked the part tonight. Stepped up big time

[KentuckyWild2020]

With your blessing, I might just make this the official Calipari thread for the season. Deny it as we might, there are plenty of us who will want to keep up with him.

It's a love hate relationship with Cal lol....

Last night he managed to pull one out. Still stomping and screaming, players stepped up and he got the W on the road...

[KCKUKFan]

That Miami team was not good. Clemson would have beaten them by 10 or more.

Arkansas has some serious problems... mostly, the sort of stuff that we saw at Kentucky in the past five years. Love the player that Thiero has evolved into, though, and Boogie Fland seems to be as advertised.

[Joneslab]

Miami is awful. Their coach has quit. The Final Four was a huge drag on Miami because at most places he would've been fired after last season.

We watched that whole game last night. Matthew Cleveland had one of the most wicked dunks I've ever seen in college. But Arkansas is what you'd expect: super athletic, fast end to end (Wagner has gotten considerably faster), but a lot of one on one and "just take your guy to the hoop." I suspect they'll be a bubble team but they're dangerous because of the athletes they can throw at you. I wouldn't overestimate them when we play them in Rupp simply because they'll be able to out-run and out-jump us at several positions...and occasionally that does matter in the game of basketball.

[Joneslab]

Here's Willie Cauley-Stein talking about the 2014-2015 team and how good Cal was with them. This isn't "coaching" as far as bench coaching, but it's still interesting to hear how gracious Cal was to the players and how that mattered to Willie. Beware, because there's some language.

https://x.com/i/status/1865172149574537398

[40bill]

Cal had good to great relationships with his players. He contributed greatly to the State. The main issue was when he said it was 'players first' we didn't click with the thing that THAT was rmtruly what had become his calling. Generational wealth for talented kids that may be struggling at home. UT really is noble....but taken to the final end could be damaging to a program as a whole. But it took ten years, transfer portal, covid and the start of NOL to bring it down.

I would not doubt for a minute that given time Calipari could indeed make Arkansas a marquee spot. I don't think he has the time though.
And he will have to find some of that magic that convinced some true stars to play defense.

[George]

I’m gonna be petty and say it: Cal would’ve lost last night’s game by 20.

[Joneslab]

I’m gonna be petty and say it: Cal would’ve lost last night’s game by 20.

Maybe worse. The zone saved the game. As we all know, that just wasn't going to happen with Cal.