Louisville's Mikel Brown Jr.

[Joneslab]

Being new here and still feeling like a guest, I will bite my tongue. But I will say there are bigger issues being addressed than college basketball eligibility. Visas being handed out like donuts isn’t the answer despite what they tell you on CNN or MSNBC.

While this is I'm sure true, foreign athletes coming to America to compete has never been a problem before and has (to my knowledge) never really changed America in any calculable way. Unless you count Luka's donut habit or something.

Usually they come over on special visas like entertainers or whatever, and before this current era I'm not sure anyone gave it much thought. The fights about immigration should be about the illegal side of it and with people who we need to keep out of America, imo. To sort of dig in on kids coming over to play college basketball moves the goalpost in a way that will ultimately not be good for people who advocate hard against illegal immigration...because it just re-arranges the entire context of the whole debate.

[Burly Peters]

Brown is no joke. Had high hopes of UK landing him at one point. But at the same time, I personally don't sweat him with our options to defend and attack him.

He will be a very good player for the dirty birds though.

Can I change my username?

[Joneslab]

Can I change my username?

Sean

[chroix]

It used to be a pretty firm belief in the sport that if you had a freshman point guard, you were doomed.

Pretty sure we lived that scenario over and over again like groundhog day for about a decade.

[Irishcat1965]

While this is I'm sure true, foreign athletes coming to America to compete has never been a problem before and has (to my knowledge) never really changed America in any calculable way. Unless you count Luka's donut habit or something.

Usually they come over on special visas like entertainers or whatever, and before this current era I'm not sure anyone gave it much thought. The fights about immigration should be about the illegal side of it and with people who we need to keep out of America, imo. To sort of dig in on kids coming over to play college basketball moves the goalpost in a way that will ultimately not be good for people who advocate hard against illegal immigration...because it just re-arranges the entire context of the whole debate.

I don’t think it is digging on foreign kids. I think it is looking at the big picture and examining everything involving immigration. An unfortunate consequence of that is a slower process that will hopefully speed up as they work through it. Kids playing college sports isn’t going to be a priority in this situation. That doesn’t mean I don’t want him to be on campus immediately. Obviously I do.

[WeWant9]

I hate that we're playing this game in November. Louisville/Kentucky should be played in February, when eyes nationally are moving to college basketball.

November games end up as a footnote.

Maybe I’m making this up, but did I also see it’s weekday game? We’ve come a long way from the hype of Pitino/Cal, but I do think it’s going get back to being a heated rivalry in a new way.

[Irishcat1965]

I don't watch CNN or MSNBC, and I agree with you about passing out visas like candy.

And you're not a guest, nor do you have to feel as if you have to bite your tongue. You're here, you're one of us.

UK is having difficulty getting Jelavic stateside. It should be resolved by the season, but it's a different landscape currently re: immigration. That's not my partisan opinion, but rather the reality of the situation.

I appreciate your kind words about being here. I never would post on the Paddock at Cats Illustrated because I really don’t want to discuss politics. Just like I refuse to discuss women’s weight. 😆

[KCKUKFan]

I don’t think it is digging on foreign kids. I think it is looking at the big picture and examining everything involving immigration. An unfortunate consequence of that is a slower process that will hopefully speed up as they work through it. Kids playing college sports isn’t going to be a priority in this situation. That doesn’t mean I don’t want him to be on campus immediately. Obviously I do.

This would require having faith in politicians to work complex issues out with nuance in a timely fashion with little to no chaos.

Unfortunately, Im jaded and I lack that faith.

Give the kid his visa.

[Irishcat1965]

Pretty sure we lived that scenario over and over again like groundhog day for about a decade.

Wall, Knight, Teague, Ulis and Fox were pretty stout- and our results reflected that. Not so much after that run of players. However, I will say if Cal had started Shep, Dilly and Reeves from December forward, 2024 would have been much better.

[KCKUKFan]

I appreciate your kind words about being here. I never would post on the Paddock at Cats Illustrated because I really don’t want to discuss politics. Just like I refuse to discuss women’s weight. 😆

It's tough to discuss this issue specifically without interjecting partisan opinion (or at least appearing to).

Out current politics cut to the very core of the Jelavic issue, and it sucks.

[Joneslab]

One thing about the visa issue is that FIBA is making it mandatory now for players to present some kind of a clearance application, which I'm sure makes it harder for a lot of these players to get over here. This is the first year of that rule as I understand it.

They apparently didn't like the NCAA and NBA cutting into their stock, so they've muddied the process up.

[KCKUKFan]

Wall, Knight, Teague, Ulis and Fox were pretty stout- and our results reflected that. Not so much after that run of players. However, I will say if Cal had started Shep, Dilly and Reeves from December forward, 2024 would have been much better.

Cal refusing to play his three best players at the same time for any meaningful minutes was his gravest sin, in a long line of them during the last five years.

Just wilfully stupid.

[Joneslab]

This would require having faith in politicians to work complex issues out with nuance in a timely fashion with little to no chaos.

Unfortunately, Im jaded and I lack that faith.

Give the kid his visa.

Well I mean one thing about it is that a lot of Americans travel overseas to play basketball in other countries. We have several right now who went from UK. My best friend growing up was trying to get a contract in Russia at one point in the early 2000s.

That's not harming anyone or changing the nature of what it means to be an American (or a citizen of that country), and nobody is under the belief that these players are criminals.

I just don't think the "immigration debate" was ever meant to crack down on this sort of situation. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense unless you're just trying to be symbolic with it.

Now down on the southern border, sure. This is a wildly different type of situation that shouldn't even be applied to that.

[Irishcat1965]

It's tough to discuss this issue specifically without interjecting partisan opinion (or at least appearing to).

Out current politics cut to the very core of the Jelavic issue, and it sucks.

Our current politics are the direct result of the previous politics. I will leave it at that.

[Joneslab]

Going on with that, a good chunk of my beloved Cincinnati Reds (and virtually the entire MLB) are over here on the same type of visa Jelavic would be trying to get.