Let's play the 'ol iffin' game as Jerry Claiborne called it

[WeWant9]

One that I’ve thought about is what if UK won the title in 14. It would have capped off an amazing tournament run, but I remember there being talk of Cal to Cleveland right after. If UK wins in 14, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Cal went to the NBA. Cal leaves Lexington as a king, we avoid 2015, and my name is WeWant10.

[bucsrule8872]

One that I’ve thought about is what if UK won the title in 14. It would have capped off an amazing tournament run, but I remember there being talk of Cal to Cleveland right after. If UK wins in 14, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Cal went to the NBA. Cal leaves Lexington as a king, we avoid 2015, and my name is WeWant10.

I had heard that Cal was already packing and on his way out when the Harrison twins called and told him they were coming back and he felt compelled to return.

If true, how different things might have been if those two decided to stay in the draft.

Who would have been hired to replace Cal?

[KYNomad]

Dakari Johnson returns for the ‘16 season. That team was missing an inside presence.

G Ulis
G Murray
F Poythress
F Labissiere
F Johnson

Briscoe off the bench instead of playing as an undersized SF that couldn’t shoot.

That team is at least in the Final Four that season, if Johnson is back. And he should have came back. He was not ready for the NBA.

Weird how memory distorts things. Briscoe seemed further back than that; in my head he was a Tubby alum.

[KYNomad]

What if anyone on the team could hit an outside shot vs West Virginia in 2010?

[DA#23]

What if anyone on the team could hit an outside shot vs West Virginia in 2010?

….yeah. That smarts as well.

Bledsoe was a literal flamethrower against Wake Forrest, and then we can’t buy a shot against WVU.

We tighten up, forget we have three future 1st round big guys on the team, and then WVU just packs it in daring us to shoot.

Ugh 🤮

[MegaBlue05]

1. What if Bogans doesn't get hurt in the 2003 Sweet 16?
2. What if Pitino put a man on the inbounder in '92?
3. What if Rodney Dent doesn't tear his ACL in 1994?
4. What if TyTy Washington doesn't get hurt and never returns to form in 2022?
5. What if there was a postseason in 2019-20?

[kyiltxCAT]

What if the Emery package Casey “sent” to Mills’s dad doesn’t “break open”?
Would anything be remotely the same?

[DA#23]

What if the Emery package Casey “sent” to Mills’s dad doesn’t “break open”?
Would anything be remotely the same?

Oooh, I don’t think this had been mentioned yet.

With benefit of hindsight, this could have knocked us out of enjoying the Pitino era.

My understanding is that Sutton probably would have come crashing down soon anyway. So perhaps a different recruiting scandal unravels, he simply wilts under the bright lights, or maybe even Jerry Tipton would have planted a box of unobtainium in the Wildcat Lodge then called the feds….

So many what-if’s! Good call kyiltxCAT.

[kyiltxCAT]

Oooh, I don’t think this had been mentioned yet.

With benefit of hindsight, this could have knocked us out of enjoying the Pitino era.

My understanding is that Sutton probably would have come crashing down soon anyway. So perhaps a different recruiting scandal unravels, he simply wilts under the bright lights, or maybe even Jerry Tipton would have planted a box of unobtainium in the Wildcat Lodge then called the feds….

So many what-if’s! Good call kyiltxCAT.

I’m not super smart, but I know the what ifs are endless. I’d love an ESPN 30 for 30 or a real documentary into what happened. Anyone have a doc, book, link to anything good about all this. Maybe the old SI Kentucky’s Shame article?

[DA#23]

Jon Scott's site talks about Eric Manuel and his ACT score here.

I can't find anything specific to Chris Mills or the Emory Package, but he does have some general comments here.

[KentuckyFlyer]

This thread adds up to 18 titles. Seriously, 18 friggin titles. 48 49 51 54 58 66 75 78 84 92 96 97 98 04 12 14 15 19... That's Alabama Football stuff right there..

[bucsrule8872]

What if the Emery package Casey “sent” to Mills’s dad doesn’t “break open”?
Would anything be remotely the same?

I have talked about this on other boards.

If all the stuff under the Sutton regime never came out, he was building a powerhouse.

Imagine if all that doesn’t come out?

Mills, Manual, Kemp, and Ellis would have formed one heck of a core for the 89-90 season. With the style of play Sutton used, it would have been a pretty dangerous squad.

Would have had Sutton, Miller, Hanson, Pelphrey, Woods, Feldhaus, Farmer, and Brassow as role players. He probably also gets another big time player or two.

That team challenges for a title.

[Fox2Monk]

John Calipari doesn't step out of the coach's box in the UMASS game in '92...and the Laettner game possibly never happens.

Laettner rightfully gets thrown out for stomping on Timberlake and it doesn’t happen. Pitino puts a defender on Grant Hill and it probably doesn’t happen.

[Pobilly]

Iffin basketball season does not get here soon I am gonna lose it man! I want basketball summer exhibition games, would help all teams out there.

[bucsrule8872]

Iffin basketball season does not get here soon I am gonna lose it man! I want basketball summer exhibition games, would help all teams out there.

There’s no reason why they can’t do this.