At least with Noel this team would likely be in the NCAA tournament. Guess we will never know.
I'm also not saying Cal struck out either. Yes this season has been one I'd like to forget but this is also a bridge year. Weak out of conference schedule, no senior leadership, a weak bench, and losing your star player middle of the season. If Goodwin and/or Poythress do decide to come back and have to actually fight for playing time, that could be the motivation used to take their game up another level and then this class is worth it.
I still stand by what I said in regards to this years recruiting class overall being weak, although I would take Marcus Smart and Ben McLemore (even though he's a redshirt). This is being called one of the weakest drafts coming up in NBA history and the majority of those players are going to be freshmen.
I have said it countless times on here. Cal's potion up until this point has worked. But he did something a little different this year......he put a completely inexperienced team on the floor. We can talk about playing hard all we want but the fact of the matter UK just aint very good by UK fans' standards. I know the expectations are high, and the bar has been set, and failure is not an option. But geez, talking about this year's UK team and throwing in freshman across the landscape, and then adding the NBA draft in there just doesnt seem to add up to what has happened/or is happening at UK this year.
I have marveled these years that Cal has been at the helm. But this is his chance to do his best coaching job ever. After what has transpired this year, what would all the UK fans think if the 'Cats got hot, found their way into the NCAA tourney, and managed a Sweet Sixteen appearance? It could happen, it aint like they are sub .500. What would you guys think about the season then? I know what I would say........Cal can coach. Everybody knows he can recruit.
This UK team is bad and I understand that everyone wants to get their shots in, I get that. People hate UK and they hate Cal. I'm sure if I wasn't a UK fan I wouldn't like either of them, just like I don't care much for our rivals.
I know that I personally hadn't given up on this team before Noel went down. I actually thought things were starting to come together a little bit right when he hurt his knee. Would it have happened? We'll never know. I do think that a couple guys let Noel's injury contribute to lowering their own expectations, which is unacceptable.
Last edited by WMR; 03-09-2013 at 12:14 PM.
Thank you! and well said.
The season aint over yet and ya just never know. Hate and respect are two different words. I have always respected the Kentucky program, but root against them every chance I get. In my case, I do not try to 'dis UK, but when venom starts spewing I would like to think we are all grown men here...and even grown men lash out.
UK has a totally revamped team from last year. In anybody's book (other than UK fans) it has been a fine season for them considering the changes. Good luck fellas the rest of the way out.
Revering4Blue (03-09-2013),WMR (03-09-2013)
Heckuva UF/UK game goingon right now.
“The crows seem to be calling my name,” thought Caw.
WMR (03-09-2013)
To actually answer your question Bucksfan, yes it is a one year scholarship, renewable at the school's discretion.
However, you're probably correct that if a coach was openly pulling scholarships it would reflect badly on the program, which is why the coach and the player come to a "mutual" understanding that the player's best interests lie elsewhere. Generally, a player will decide to transfer and the coach will help him by contacting coaches at the universities he is interested in.
I suppose it could backfire on a university if they are really adamant about pulling the scholarship from a player who really wanted to stay, but in the end if a university pulls a scholarship from a kid it has a little egg on its face and the kid is then left with no scholarship and is left searching for a new place to play anyway.
Ok, it's nice to win this game but it honestly pisses me off quite a bit. If the effort put forth today was put forth in every other game this team would have several fewer losses. Very maddening.
cumberlandreds (03-09-2013),Revering4Blue (03-09-2013),TeamSelig (03-09-2013)
Wow, talk about a 180 from the middle of the week. Impressive effort by the Cats, hold Florida scoreless for last 7 minutes.
It's funny that you say that WMR. I was actually thinking the exact same thing, how maddening to see a team go from zero effort to 100 effort in two nights.
WMR (03-09-2013)
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
WMR (03-09-2013)
Cal actually had a similar coaching job two years ago:
Three young, inconsistent freshmen starters.
Two role players from the team the previous year, one in the starting role, the other a sparkplug off the bench.
One senior leader who came from out of nowhere.
A team that didn't win a road game in conference play until the last game of the SEC season.
All that team did was make it to the Final Four. I know that isn't going to happen this time around, but Cal did a marvelous coaching job with similar talent. I think the difference in that team was having a top PG in that class.
WMR (03-09-2013)
Oh, I understand fully what you meant. And, as I stated earlier, I wasn't at all implying that you (Assembly Hall) were a Cal coaching critic.
I have to disagree with you about the use of the word "logic" here, though.
See, certain folks loath UK and Cal to the point that they are using an emotional argument that Cal is simply a recruiter that cannot bench coach at all, instead of using logic, which simply doesn't suggest that Cal can't coach.
Using a parallel, there were/are people that loathed Bob Knight the person so much that they refused to acknowledge the fact that, at the top of his game, B.K had few peers as a bench coach. Same with Coach K and Dean Smith, among others.
Last edited by Revering4Blue; 03-09-2013 at 09:20 PM.
Whatever you do, do your best to not allow the struggles of life to interfere with the pleasures of living.
WMR (03-09-2013)
I think if there's one thing this season has taught us it's that a team reliant on one and dones MUST have good to great point guard play. Even further, Cal's system DEMANDS strong point guard play. Remember when at the beginning of the season on the All Access Cal asked his assistants if they needed to try and get Archie ready to play PG and they all answered emphatically YES. As we all know now, Archie cannot play PG. To put it mildly.
If Marquis Teague hung around another season he would not only be a probable top 10 pick in this upcoming draft, we're looking at an entirely different season for UK.
As we've said before, missing out on Shabazz and Anthony Bennett really hurt as well. Cal also tried to get Oriakhi and Lyons and failed.
I would love for any of the freshmen or Harrow to come back. Harrow would be a great backup for Harrison next year. He couldn't transfer except to a non D1 school and I cannot imagine him getting drafted and I really don't see Harrow having the mental fortitude to go live in Europe by himself.
Kyle Wiltjer has played some of the worst basketball I've ever witnessed out of a UK player the 2nd half of this season. His butt needs to live in the weight room this offseason. I can feel my blood pressure rise just watching him on the court.
Last edited by WMR; 03-09-2013 at 09:37 PM.
Revering4Blue (03-09-2013)
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