Arkansas fans, get ready...
- Thread starter NewEraCATS
- Start date
The funny thing is, Kevin Young's been killing it in recruiting since he was hired at BYU. And apparently he's about to get the #1 player in the country.
Yeah, but was BYU paying out 4.5 million to 1 player when Pope was there?
I think Pope should be credited for the job he did with the players he was able to get to go to BYU.
Recruiting isn’t a problem, he’s reeled in several big fish at UK.
I'll be honest, I knew Kentucky fans were insane.
I didn't realize they were this insane.
Arkansas missed the tournament last year, they had lost EVERY single player to the portal/graduation, and then they hired Cal.
From that, to pre-season top 25, impressive showings with a barely practiced team in scrimmages, and then winning game one right at the Vegas line against a team picked to go to the NCAAT all while your team is still struggling with getting everyone healthy.
Then, Arkansas is about 4 days away from getting the #1 shooting guard in the country after already getting the #1 PG in the country. With the #1 center in the country considered a heavy lean.
Super, super pumped for you guys that you've beaten 2 D-2 teams in practice and a team that struggled to put away a D-2 team themselves. Additionally, I get your investment. He was your coach for 15 years and it's a lot of investment.
I guess I just don't understand the scoreboard pointing when it's overwhelmingly positive for Arkansas right now. But, you do you.
I didn't realize they were this insane.
Arkansas missed the tournament last year, they had lost EVERY single player to the portal/graduation, and then they hired Cal.
From that, to pre-season top 25, impressive showings with a barely practiced team in scrimmages, and then winning game one right at the Vegas line against a team picked to go to the NCAAT all while your team is still struggling with getting everyone healthy.
Then, Arkansas is about 4 days away from getting the #1 shooting guard in the country after already getting the #1 PG in the country. With the #1 center in the country considered a heavy lean.
Super, super pumped for you guys that you've beaten 2 D-2 teams in practice and a team that struggled to put away a D-2 team themselves. Additionally, I get your investment. He was your coach for 15 years and it's a lot of investment.
I guess I just don't understand the scoreboard pointing when it's overwhelmingly positive for Arkansas right now. But, you do you.
Only thing I will argue is the D2 comment. Those were the teams he wanted to play at UK. So that's what your have to look forward to in the future.
Arkansas is now my second favorite team in the SEC—actually, college basketball. That might change some when so many of our players leave. But since I live just west of Memphis, add Calipari, and I've never had a problem with Arkansas or their fans in the past, it's easy for me to root for them.
With that said, Calipari is Calipari. Same as he was when I liked him in Memphis. His team this year is the same that we've seen at UK. Outside of a few digs, UK fans aren't attacking Arkansas or Calipari as a whole but just pointing out we've seen this before. Congrats on the recruiting. Now draft night will be the biggest night for Arkansas fans. I understand your excitement. We felt the same way at the start of each season.
1st point. Agreed.
2nd point. It was a Wednesday a day after the election at 7 pm.
You think Muss is the one who scheduled Kansas and TCU for this year? From the snarky comment Cal made - and not a big proponent of him airing dirty laundry - that was never his choice. He said, "I'm glad I don't have to play Kentucky St. in exhibitions now."
Regardless, I'm sure you all will be good. Just don't understand the "told you so" comments when everything since his hire has been near as best as it can get.
My guy. Lipscomb is picked to win their conference and is seen as a top 25 mid major. I'm not saying they're a juggernaut. Clearly. But saying they're a bad mid major is stupid. The hogs were picked to beat them by 16 and Arkansas beat them by 16. KenPom actually went up, haha.
Yes, overwhelmingly positive. There quite literally hasn't been a negative yet.
Again, you guys are super pumped that you beat the shit out of 2 high school teams in practices and then beat an actual bad mid major at home. The first time you beat a team that doesn't have a 6'6" guy named Steve playing C, feel free to come back in and tell me how you're going to win the whole thing this year.
The interesting thing is that they say they’ll be happy with an average season in year 1 for Pope, but anything short of a championship is apparently a failure for Arkansas in year 1. Why are expectations lower for Kentucky?
I would be surprised if we don’t be Arkansas by more than 20. You two can believe whatever you want.
Sounds good. But, as of now on a neutral court you'd be a 1-2 point dog to Arkansas per KP. Not my opinion, the experts.
I also wouldn't be surprised if they run us out of Rupp.
to many unknowns. Rupp will be live af and could be the difference maker.
I would be. They are more talented but the game doesn’t care about that. We can shoot and play defense at different levels. We also have a coach willing to make adjustments. I really have no issue with Arkansas other than they think Cal dumped us for greener pastures. He left because he underachieved massively and didn’t want to deal with the pressure.
Wasn't this thread created to stir the pot? 😆
I don't get this. I've haven't thought this at all. Maybe I've not paid enough attention but I've not picked this up from UK fans here.
I don't read other boards so I can't speak for them. IRL I've not seen it either.
I get stereotyping is fun, but let's not let a few speak for the masses.
With that said, Boogie Fland is fun af to watch and could lead them deep into march with his supporting cast.
Who's saying anything short of a title for Arkansas this year is failure? Kentucky fans? Absolutely not.
Define what you think Kentucky fans consider an average season.
I think most of us are cautiously optimistic about the potential this Kentucky team has. I feel like the fanbase really doesn't have any expectations for this season. As for Arkansas, it would be foolish for their fans to expect a title this year. They have a good roster, and I'll be interested to see how Cal fares this season. Maybe the change of scenery will rejuvenate him. Personally, I don't think he'll be there in 5 years.
I'd be surprised if he goes over, not just due to his age, but he said many times when he was a fresh hire at UK, that he didn't see himself coaching past 10 years. It's been 15.
I know that you guys wanted my view of this 😀
I don’t listen to KSR unless Kentucky loses, I have been listening often during the 4 game losing streak in football 😉. When the topic changes to basketball, the majority of callers and all of the KSR guys have said that making the sweet sixteen would be a good season. They never would have said that when Calipari was the coach.
I don’t listen to KSR unless Kentucky loses, I have been listening often during the 4 game losing streak in football 😉. When the topic changes to basketball, the majority of callers and all of the KSR guys have said that making the sweet sixteen would be a good season. They never would have said that when Calipari was the coach.
You are right. The last few years most just wanted him to make it to the weekend of the SEC and NCAA tournament.
Cals first 10 years were amazing. 7/10 times they finished E8 or better. So peoples floor for expectations were S16, but thought he would do better. Since covid though...
NCAA
Tournament cancelled.
Didn't make the tournament.
Lost first game
Won 1 game
Lost first game
SEC
Tournament cancelled
Lost first game
Lost 2nd game(semi finals)
Lost first game
Lost first game
So yeah, we would love to make the sweet 16 this year.
Probably something like a 3/4 seed and a Sweet 16.
There may not be anybody here who said that specifically, but people have said Arkansas won’t do anything “worth a damn.”
So how is that defined? I don’t think any rational person would say that Arkansas doesn’t have a solid shot to reach the Sweet 16.
What's a successful season at Arkansas for Calipari's first year? Coming from a Arkansas fan.
2nd weekend?
That’s a difficult question. I’d say S16 or better is a success, but there are a lot of factors that could change that. It’s a complicated question though.
The biggest thing that Kentucky fans seem to struggle with is the better question is what is success with Cal vs success with whoever Arkansas would have hired if not Cal? Arkansas hasn’t been all that relevant in basketball prior to Muss in 20 years.
So to the average Arkansas fan that has endured Pelphrey, Heath, or Anderson years, success as a fan at this point is making the tourney.
I don’t blame Kentucky fans for wanting rid of Cal, but Arkansas needs someone that can just give them a shot at high level recruits to maintain interest and give them a shot. Taking another chance on an up and comer without the name to draw in elite recruits could be disastrous. Muss brought Arkansas back from the dead and if we go right back to that point after 2 elite 8s and a sweet 16, the fan base would lose all interest.
Kentucky fans seem to want to define Cal as not being able to win a championship anymore or as someone that stopped living up to expectations, but there’s a lot more to Cal’s fit at Arkansas than they seem to understand. We need a guy that can get top classes at Arkansas. They don’t.
Good question. I don’t like judging success by a single elimination tournament with 64 teams. For me, success would be a top 4 seed and not shitting the bed in the tournament. You can lose and not shit the bed. If we’re a 4 seed and lose to a formidable 5 seed in the first weekend I don’t call that a failure.
This team is damn talented, but, it doesn’t have a remarkable talent to carry potential dysfunction and I’m not sure it has the elite offensive potential that today’s game requires. The hope is that’s next year’s team will have that offensive versatility. Acuff, Thomas, Cenac, a couple of returning guys, and 3-4 portal pieces.
Unsure. But, I know the outlook, current prognosis, and national interest is exponentially better than this exact time last year.
So anyone trying to make an argument that “we were warned” is not in reality.
One man's trash is another's treasure. I feel UK took him as far as the relationship can go. It's best he changes plains.
too early to say he peaked being he's still coaching. Money is one thing, everyone can match money but can't match fan support. I live in Arkansas and never see Arkansas hats.
At the same time, there might be something nice about that. Obviously you want the game day atmosphere, but can’t imagine someone Cal’s age craves that Beatles status wherever he goes.
I hope Arkansas does well, just not too well. Can't root against Thiero, Wagner and Big Z - they seemed like good kids.
Cal is Cal and if you all get early UK/Memphis Cal then you struck gold. My guess is you get the last 5-6 years Cal and are frustrated in 2-3 years then ready to see him leave in 4-5 years.
Maybe I'm wrong and we get the UK/Ark rivalry we had in the early 90's. That was fun.
Cal is Cal and if you all get early UK/Memphis Cal then you struck gold. My guess is you get the last 5-6 years Cal and are frustrated in 2-3 years then ready to see him leave in 4-5 years.
Maybe I'm wrong and we get the UK/Ark rivalry we had in the early 90's. That was fun.
Man...that was a carbon copy of so many Cal losses over the past four years.
Looked so flippin familiar. He just has no idea how to attack a zone. If his guys aren't hitting from deep against the zone, he has no idea what to do. Absolutely mind boggling that a coach as established as he is still cannot figure out a way to beat a zone.
Looked so flippin familiar. He just has no idea how to attack a zone. If his guys aren't hitting from deep against the zone, he has no idea what to do. Absolutely mind boggling that a coach as established as he is still cannot figure out a way to beat a zone.
