Biggest duds KY starting 5

[EKYCat]

As well as a lot of years prior to his time at Kentucky.

Right. Who found Edgar Padilla and Carmelo Travieso for him? He was pretty good at Memphis too.

[Joneslab]

Cal actually predates the big recruiting services. His rise into coaching prominence in terms of elite talent (post Camby) would've almost coincided with the whole phenomenon of putting stars on players and ranking them. That was happening way back in the day in some ways (Clark Francis, etc.), but Cal was having recruiting success pretty much before those things existed.

[KYWILDCAT41035]

I started to make a list but then decided against it. I know we all have our least favorite former Cats, but they are still former Cats. I think I would rather show them a measure of respect by not posting their names here. As the old saying goes, if you can't say something good about someone.....

That said, I'm not going to knock anyone for posting a list.

The only one I will list is Sharpe because to me he never was a Wildcat and he never will be for a person to come here and use the program like he did he never played for UK!

[SportsFan]

And Mashburn wasn't some diamond in the rough type of guy like a Josh Allen on the football field. He was NY Mr. Basketball and a 2nd team Parade All American.

Crazy as it may sound (being a "New York Mr. Basketball) he was only a Four Star recruit. He was the equivalent in ranking of a Darius Miller. That's not the kind of player John Calipari usually recruited (he's missing a star). How many times did many of us beg and plead for him to recruit more guys who would stick around longer than one season, so we could see them develop and mature? That's the point I was getting at. Yes, Mash was a known commodity....but he wasn't a McDonald's All-American, Top 25 recruit....the type that Cal typically only had eyes for.

[Joneslab]

Per the book on the Laettner shot that came out a few years ago, when Pitino went up to New York to recruit Mashburn, he was told by Mashburn's own coach to stay away from him. He was apparently a problem child...PLUS it was widely believed he was a Syracuse lock.

IIRC Pitino only went because he'd missed on another player (can't quite remember who) and needed a body, and he would say later he had a hunch about Mashburn. The rest is of course history.

[KCKUKFan]

The irony of that, of course, is that when Tubby was recruiting guys who stayed around three or four years, we were begging for five star McDonald's All-Americans.

[Joneslab]

The irony of that, of course, is that when Tubby was recruiting guys who stayed around three or four years, we were begging for five star McDonald's All-Americans.

Yeah, needs to be a mix of elite vs. system. Old vs. young. Electric "talent" vs. learned "skill."

That word, talent. I always thought that was overused to the point of being bastardized in the context of basketball. Sometimes these highly skilled guys have a ton of talent, the skill just eclipses it. And sometimes the very talented players have boatloads of skill, they're just seen as "talented," which is usually a stand-in term for NBA marketability.

Sorry for the mini-rant, but that's bugged me since probably 2002.

[George]

Per the book on the Laettner shot that came out a few years ago, when Pitino went up to New York to recruit Mashburn, he was told by Mashburn's own coach to stay away from him. He was apparently a problem child...PLUS it was widely believed he was a Syracuse lock.

IIRC Pitino only went because he'd missed on another player (can't quite remember who) and needed a body, and he would say later he had a hunch about Mashburn. The rest is of course history.

Once he got to Kentucky, I’m pretty sure he said after the first practice that he was transferring to St. John’s.

[Joneslab]

Once he got to Kentucky, I’m pretty sure he said after the first practice that he was transferring to St. John’s.

Pitino had to forcefully give Tony Delk's jersey back to him once after Delk came to him and quit.

[KentuckyWild2020]

I get the Cal hate. I really do. I was ready for him to go a long time ago. But let's quit acting like the guy was completely clueless and a lazy bum his entire tenure here. His first six years are legendary stuff, including a national title.

I will agree with this . As much as I don't like his ways he's not completely hot trash garbage.

Still, no STRICKLAND no Robic, something changed...

[DA#23]

Cal aged about 30 years in the span of 15.

[KentuckyWild2020]

The irony of that, of course, is that when Tubby was recruiting guys who stayed around three or four years, we were begging for five star McDonald's All-Americans.

When Tubby started his son at the UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, that's when all hell broke loose..

Still, to me the old school formula was upper classman great role players mixed with the 5 star all world talents.

As good as Pitino was early on, even with Mashburn, we didn't really start rolling until A. Walker and Mercer came along.

Watching Michigan drag Kentucky Mashburn/Pitino was very clear, need top tier talent to succeed.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Cal aged about 30 years in the span of 15.

He sure did, I noticed that too..

[SportsFan]

Cal actually predates the big recruiting services. His rise into coaching prominence in terms of elite talent (post Camby) would've almost coincided with the whole phenomenon of putting stars on players and ranking them. That was happening way back in the day in some ways (Clark Francis, etc.), but Cal was having recruiting success pretty much before those things existed.

That's true. Cal is an old-timer that predates the modern day scouting services and Internet rankings. He came up through the renowned Five-Star Basketball Camp in Moon Township, Pennsylvania at the same time as Rick Pitino. That's where their relationship began, when Pitino was a counselor/ assistant coach, and Cal was a camper. Later on Cal became a counselor at the camp and Pitino (who was a successful coach by then) would speak there at the clinics. That's how they are so familiar with one another (and why Pitino recommended Cal for the head coaching job at his alma mater, UMASS).

I mentioned in an earlier post that that both Cal and Pitino predated the modern day scouting services and recruited "back in the day" without all of the scouting services and Internet rankings. I also said that Cal actually did a better job of recruiting at UMASS and Memphis when he wasn't relying on the scouting services and Internet rankings. Those vehicles really didn't do him any favors.... because all they did was make him lazy and more reliant on the information they provided rather than him using his own eyeballs and brain to make decisions on players.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Honestly, I don't want to kick Cal. Was actually hoping he would finish strong at Kentucky step down and stay on board to help recruit for the next Coach at KENTUCKY. I did not always agree with some of his off the court stuff but overall still think he's a pretty good dude...

If nothing else, this man stepped off and bailed Kentucky out of a lifetime contract, he did not have to do that at all....

STILL WANT KICK HIS YOU KNOW WHAT FOR THAT CRAP HE PULLED IN RUPP THIS PAST YEAR.