Arkansas fans, get ready...

[Kevin Bryan]

Arkansas battled back and I thought played pretty well in the 2nd half. Defense was scrappy and played hard, just got out muscled in the paint a lot. They were great in transition and they needed to be since they couldn't produce in half court once Baylor got set in the zone. Thiero kept them in it and he played great on both ends. He'll have games like that where he just takes over and other games you'll forget he's even on the team.

 

[Hogs1988]

Arkansas two best players are hurt and it was a one possession game with 20 seconds left vs a top 10 team on a neutral court.

This team is going to be really good.

 

[kyjeff1]

Hogs looked good in the 2nd half. They hung in there. It was so familiar, looked like UK basketball the last 5 years, just in a different jersey color.
Great game to watch and credit to Baylor for rebounding from that Gonzaga thumping.

 

[JimboBBN]

Four games now where Arkansas has failed to break 30 percent shooting from 3. I’ve seen this somewhere

 

[RondoBaller21]

Horrible shooting teams don’t make it far in the tourney. Arkansas is a terrible shooting team.

 

[954gator]

Arkansas fans are in for a rude awakening. Yall been warned.

Thing is Arkansas fans don't have the crazy high expectations that UK fans have. What's wrong with going to the dance every year and being good enough to at the very least compete with top tier teams most years?

 

[JC for 3]

Thing is Arkansas fans don't have the crazy high expectations that UK fans have. What's wrong with going to the dance every year and being good enough to at the very least compete with top tier teams most years?

Were you in a coma when they hired Cal?

 

[kyjeff1]

Thing is Arkansas fans don't have the crazy high expectations that UK fans have. What's wrong with going to the dance every year and being good enough to at the very least compete with top tier teams most years?

Crazy high expectations?

Is beating unc Wilmington, Evansville, Saint Peters and Oakland college, with rosters stacked with NBA talent being unreasonable?

I don't care what fanbase it is, when you have the most talent, there are going to be expectations.

When half the NBA has been through UK's program, you shouldn't be shocked that UK fans feel like getting out of the first game of the SEC tournament and the first weekend of the NCAAT are doable expectations.

John Calipari is supposed to be a hall of fame coach and when you pair him up with a NPOY and a couple first round draft picks, you would think he could beat Saint Peters and K-State.

Cal had 10 losses with last years roster. 2 lottery picks coming off the bench. Are you saying our expectations of beating Oakland college, with 6 NBA players, is too much?

Truth is, Cal is a C level coach that needs ultra elite talent to win. He was getting that talent from 09-17, he got 1 title thanks to a generational talent and an NBA lockout. That is crazy to think about. 1 title? Give that talent to any other coach and you get more than 1 title.

 

[kyjeff1]

Arkansas fans on here got bent out of shape because I said Cal is a C level coach and the talent level isn’t good enough.

What I mean by that is, the talent is really good, but Cal prioritizes individual goals and accomplishments.

Cal's priority is getting kids drafted and he is more than fine with losing games as long as those selected kids get drafted.

Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner struggled badly last year, BJ Boston was awful in 2021, but Cal played them over much better players. Well, who would do that? Cal would. Why? Because it was pre determined that those kids are NBA draft picks. It didn’t matter that they sucked, Cal played them even though they lost games, even though every statistical metric shows the other lineups are crazy good. Nope, winning games is not going to trump a players NBA future, not in Cal's program.

Think I'm bullshitting? Just listen to him. He’s literally told you guys several times. Said it in his introductory presser. "I'm a players first coach, it's about these kids first". You need to listen to that. He’s preparing you for what's happening. He is all about individual goals and on top of that, he hates shooting 3's and he hates change.

Again, give this roster to a Bill Self, Kelvin Sampson, Roy, K, Pitino, or Hurley and it would he a FF capable team, but with Cal coaching, expect 10-12 losses and a first round exit. I'm not talking shit, I'm just telling you guys what we know about Cal.

It just bothers me that a coach would sacrifice wins over draft picks when those kids are getting drafted regardlesss of what they do in college and rolling a kid out there every game that is struggling, doesn't help him. DJ Wagner is a prime example of that.
Do yourself a favor and lower your expectations of this team.

 

[954gator]

Crazy high expectations?

Is beating unc Wilmington, Evansville, Saint Peters and Oakland college, with rosters stacked with NBA talent being unreasonable?

I don't care what fanbase it is, when you have the most talent, there are going to be expectations.

When half the NBA has been through UK's program, you shouldn't be shocked that UK fans feel like getting out of the first game of the SEC tournament and the first weekend of the NCAAT are doable expectations.

John Calipari is supposed to be a hall of fame coach and when you pair him up with a NPOY and a couple first round draft picks, you would think he could beat Saint Peters and K-State.

Cal had 10 losses with last years roster. 2 lottery picks coming off the bench. Are you saying our expectations of beating Oakland college, with 6 NBA players, is too much?

Truth is, Cal is a C level coach that needs ultra elite talent to win. He was getting that talent from 09-17, he got 1 title thanks to a generational talent and an NBA lockout. That is crazy to think about. 1 title? Give that talent to any other coach and you get more than 1 title.

All I'm saying is I don't think Arkansas fans will be worrying about having let down games just yet. They are more excited that they will likely be the favorites in a lot more of their games than they have been. I just don't understand the hate for Cal. He brought you guys back from some of UK's darkest times. UK was like the most exciting team for an entire decade just about. I'm not saying moving on was the wrong move, but the hate is a bit much IMO.

 

[ExitFlagger]

Arkansas fans on here got bent out of shape because I said Cal is a C level coach and the talent level isn’t good enough.

What I mean by that is, the talent is really good, but Cal prioritizes individual goals and accomplishments.

Cal's priority is getting kids drafted and he is more than fine with losing games as long as those selected kids get drafted.

Justin Edwards and DJ Wagner struggled badly last year, BJ Boston was awful in 2021, but Cal played them over much better players. Well, who would do that? Cal would. Why? Because it was pre determined that those kids are NBA draft picks. It didn’t matter that they sucked, Cal played them even though they lost games, even though every statistical metric shows the other lineups are crazy good. Nope, winning games is not going to trump a players NBA future, not in Cal's program.

Think I'm bullshitting? Just listen to him. He’s literally told you guys several times. Said it in his introductory presser. "I'm a players first coach, it's about these kids first". You need to listen to that. He’s preparing you for what's happening. He is all about individual goals and on top of that, he hates shooting 3's and he hates change.

Again, give this roster to a Bill Self, Kelvin Sampson, Roy, K, Pitino, or Hurley and it would he a FF capable team, but with Cal coaching, expect 10-12 losses and a first round exit. I'm not talking shit, I'm just telling you guys what we know about Cal.

It just bothers me that a coach would sacrifice wins over draft picks when those kids are getting drafted regardlesss of what they do in college and rolling a kid out there every game that is struggling, doesn't help him. DJ Wagner is a prime example of that.
Do yourself a favor and lower your expectations of this team.

What you always fail to mention is there's clearly an element of randomness to March. Good coaches will succeed more often than bad coaches, but no one's immune to big upsets or falling short of expectation. If you replayed the St Peter's and Oakland games, Calipari wouldn't consistently find ways to lose. He probably wins both about 97 times out of 100, but that's the way the cookie crumbles in March. Remember, everybody thought Bill Self sucked or forgot how to coach after Bradley/Bucknell.

And let's be honest...the biggest reason Kentucky lost to Oakland was a terrible shooting night by both Dillingham and Sheppard. They choked. Hard to blame that on the coach. You keep saying it's because they were freshmen and you can't rely on freshmen in March...but at the same time you say that Calipari should have won a lot more with them. Which is it?

 

[I am stupid]

They didn't play the best, but maybe if they played more together during the year that could have helped? Statistically the best lineups all year had Reeves, Reed, and Rob. Cal rarely played them together. Plus Cal even saying afterwards that during the game he didn't think about needing to guard Gohlke differently, but admits he should have. Also, if you think those two played bad, don't look up Wagner's stats.

Constantly talking down to the fan base, his general interview antics, etc.... fans were ready for a change. I don't think many actually hate him, they just got tired of him. 10-15 years from now he will get a better reception coming back than Pitino did. Unless he tries burning bridges even more.

 

[kyjeff1]

All I'm saying is I don't think Arkansas fans will be worrying about having let down games just yet. They are more excited that they will likely be the favorites in a lot more of their games than they have been. I just don't understand the hate for Cal. He brought you guys back from some of UK's darkest times. UK was like the most exciting team for an entire decade just about. I'm not saying moving on was the wrong move, but the hate is a bit much IMO.

There's no hate really. We should he able to post about what's really happening without it being labeled as hate.

In reality, UK fans are glad he’s gone.

This is not the same badass Cal that coached UK from 2009-2017. That guy was a killer. That guy didn't allow excuses from anyone, he coached to win.

The Cal we are all seeing now, is a narcissist that got fat on his money and fame and doesn't give a shit about anything but young kids that the are destined for the NBA draft

 

[kyjeff1]

What you always fail to mention is there's clearly an element of randomness to March. Good coaches will succeed more often than bad coaches, but no one's immune to big upsets or falling short of expectation. If you replayed the St Peter's and Oakland games, Calipari wouldn't consistently find ways to lose. He probably wins both about 97 times out of 100, but that's the way the cookie crumbles in March. Remember, everybody thought Bill Self sucked or forgot how to coach after Bradley/Bucknell.

And let's be honest...the biggest reason Kentucky lost to Oakland was a terrible shooting night by both Dillingham and Sheppard. They choked. Hard to blame that on the coach. You keep saying it's because they were freshmen and you can't rely on freshmen in March...but at the same time you say that Calipari should have won a lot more with them. Which is it?

Sure, everyone gets upset at some point in March, but it’s why UK was getting upset.

Something changed in and around 2021 with Cal. I don't expect non-uk fans to notice.

The style of play Cal is trying to run, won't work. On top of that, he coaches for individual goals and accomplishments. That’s why his teams are never prepared.

UK lost to Oakland, because they never put a body on 1 shooter as he was running all over the court, through the paint, untouched. The team was completely unprepared and looked like they had no idea how Oakland played. KY scored 76 points in that game, that should he enough to beat Oakland. Cal let Oakland score 80.

You would have a point if UK only lost to Saint Peters, but they also got upset by the following teams:
Evansville (home)
Richmond (home)
Kansas State
UNC Wilmington (home)
Utah
Oakland

The last 5 years has been an absolute disaster. He refused to play his best lineups, because if he did, it meant his draft pick guys would have to sit the bench.

All I'm saying is, he is prioritizing individual goals and accomplishments. It’s all about the NBA draft. Wins are a byproduct of his NBA-first culture. He believes he will just out talent everyone they play, but the problem is, he’s not getting the studs he was getting in 09-17.

If you give this roster to a coach that prioritizes winning, it's a FF roster, but when you prioritize individuals over the team, you aren't winning shit and Arkansas fans will see what we have seen the last 5 years.

 

[kyjeff1]

I actually think Arkansas' guys played hard Saturday night. Those dudes wanted it, but this is so Calipari. They can't shoot threes and are incredibly confused by zone defenses. The guy only knows 1 way to play O and D. He had a legit offensive coordinator last year (Welch), but Welch decided he would rather go to Fresno State than follow Cal. Anyone want to guess why?

This doesn't mean I hate Cal, it's just the truth. Arkansas fans are going to wonder why this team didn't do better, the talent is there. There's no way in hell you should lose ten games with this roster, but he will. I actually project 12 losses.

 

[della]

I actually think Arkansas' guys played hard Saturday night. Those dudes wanted it, but this is so Calipari. They can't shoot threes and are incredibly confused by zone defenses. The guy only knows 1 way to play O and D. He had a legit offensive coordinator last year (Welch), but Welch decided he would rather go to Fresno State than follow Cal. Anyone want to guess why?

This doesn't mean I hate Cal, it's just the truth. Arkansas fans are going to wonder why this team didn't do better, the talent is there. There's no way in hell you should lose ten games with this roster, but he will. I actually project 12 losses.

Cal Hater!

 

[kyjeff1]

Cal Hater!

LOL, I was a huge Cal supporter. When he became what he us today, I was more disappointed than anything.
But I will say this, I hate the NBA first culture and I'm glad that's gone.

 

[JimboBBN]

What you always fail to mention is there's clearly an element of randomness to March. Good coaches will succeed more often than bad coaches, but no one's immune to big upsets or falling short of expectation. If you replayed the St Peter's and Oakland games, Calipari wouldn't consistently find ways to lose. He probably wins both about 97 times out of 100, but that's the way the cookie crumbles in March. Remember, everybody thought Bill Self sucked or forgot how to coach after Bradley/Bucknell.

And let's be honest...the biggest reason Kentucky lost to Oakland was a terrible shooting night by both Dillingham and Sheppard. They choked. Hard to blame that on the coach. You keep saying it's because they were freshmen and you can't rely on freshmen in March...but at the same time you say that Calipari should have won a lot more with them. Which is it?

Come on dude. Thats not the biggest reason. We shot 32 percent from three that game. Not great but not bad enough to lose to fvcking Oakland. The biggest reason is Cal got torched in the coaching game. Gohlke hit ten threes and had 32 points. That is coaching. That is guys being out of position on defense. You know this. You held Cal accountable for his stumbles at Kentucky as you should have. But stay consistent. Small sample size, but Kentucky fans have been absolutely right about him coaching down at Arkansas so far.

 

[kyjeff1]

Come on dude. Thats not the biggest reason. We shot 32 percent from three that game. Not great but not bad enough to lose to fvcking Oakland. The biggest reason is Cal got torched in the coaching game. Gohlke hit ten threes and had 32 points. That is coaching. That is guys being out of position on defense. You know this. You held Cal accountable for his stumbles at Kentucky as you should have. But stay consistent. Small sample size, but Kentucky fans have been absolutely right about him coaching down at Arkansas so far.

Dude just loves to argue with UK fans.

 

[ExitFlagger]

Come on dude. Thats not the biggest reason. We shot 32 percent from three that game. Not great but not bad enough to lose to fvcking Oakland. The biggest reason is Cal got torched in the coaching game. Gohlke hit ten threes and had 32 points. That is coaching. That is guys being out of position on defense. You know this. You held Cal accountable for his stumbles at Kentucky as you should have. But stay consistent. Small sample size, but Kentucky fans have been absolutely right about him coaching down at Arkansas so far.

If someone told you beforehand that Sheppard and Dillingham would shoot a combined 3-14, would you have expected them to win a tourney game? There were three players that Kentucky leaned on heavily for offense, and two of them totally shit the bed. I didn't say Calipari deserved no blame--I said their shooting was the biggest reason for the loss.

As for Arkansas, I'm not sure what's been proven at this point. A team of completely new players lost to a higher-ranked team in their second game of the season, as an underdog. If Kentucky gets shellacked by Duke tomorrow, are you going to say that the Pope skeptics were right about him?

 

[Kevin Bryan]

If someone told you beforehand that Sheppard and Dillingham would shoot a combined 3-14, would you have expected them to win a tourney game? There were three players that Kentucky leaned on heavily for offense, and two of them totally shit the bed. I didn't say Calipari deserved no blame--I said their shooting was the biggest reason for the loss.

As for Arkansas, I'm not sure what's been proven at this point. A team of completely new players lost to a higher-ranked team in their second game of the season, as an underdog. If Kentucky gets shellacked by Duke tomorrow, are you going to say that the Pope skeptics were right about him?

They let Oakland shoot damn near 50% from 3 on 31 attempts. That's why they lost, not because UK shot 43% from the field and 32% from 3 for the game. Those are average numbers that should very easily beat Oakland no problem. Oh, and also UK got outrebounded, lolz.

 

[della]

They let Oakland shoot damn near 50% from 3 on 31 attempts. That's why they lost, not because UK shot 43% from the field and 32% from 3 for the game. Those are average numbers that should very easily beat Oakland no problem. Oh, and also because UK got outrebounded, lolz.

Isn't that also on the UK guards? Who is suppose to be guarding out there?
Isn't that a case of can't hit shit, can't guard shit?

 

[Kevin Bryan]

Isn't that also on the UK guards? Who is suppose to be guarding out there?
Isn't that a case of can't hit shit, can't guard shit?

"If someone told you beforehand that Sheppard and Dillingham would shoot a combined 3-14, would you have expected them to win a tourney game? There were three players that Kentucky leaned on heavily for offense, and two of them totally shit the bed. I didn't say Calipari deserved no blame--I said their shooting was the biggest reason for the loss."

Context, della. Context.

 

[ExitFlagger]

They let Oakland shoot damn near 50% from 3 on 31 attempts. That's why they lost, not because UK shot 43% from the field and 32% from 3 for the game. Those are average numbers that should very easily beat Oakland no problem. Oh, and also UK got outrebounded, lolz.

But that was their identity all season. They were never a very good defensive team, and they relied on putting up big offensive numbers to win. Was Calipari expected to suddenly get them to do something they hadn't done all year?

 

[della]

"If someone told you beforehand that Sheppard and Dillingham would shoot a combined 3-14, would you have expected them to win a tourney game? There were three players that Kentucky leaned on heavily for offense, and two of them totally shit the bed. I didn't say Calipari deserved no blame--I said their shooting was the biggest reason for the loss."

Context, della. Context.

I know, I'm just trying to give Exit some friendly supporting fire. 😄

 

[mcnicKY91]

What you always fail to mention is there's clearly an element of randomness to March. Good coaches will succeed more often than bad coaches, but no one's immune to big upsets or falling short of expectation. If you replayed the St Peter's and Oakland games, Calipari wouldn't consistently find ways to lose. He probably wins both about 97 times out of 100, but that's the way the cookie crumbles in March. Remember, everybody thought Bill Self sucked or forgot how to coach after Bradley/Bucknell.

And let's be honest...the biggest reason Kentucky lost to Oakland was a terrible shooting night by both Dillingham and Sheppard. They choked. Hard to blame that on the coach. You keep saying it's because they were freshmen and you can't rely on freshmen in March...but at the same time you say that Calipari should have won a lot more with them. Which is it?

Yes, there is always an element of randomness in March.

But look at UKs results the past four years. 9-16, loss to to St Peter's, loss in 2nd round, loss to Oakland. Also, has been a decade since UK was a one seed or in the FF. Can't use the random element when you see the same results over and over, with the same lack of in game coaching.

Also, the comparison with Self is not a good example to use. Sandwiched around the back to back first round losses were two Elite 8 appearances. Oh, and a national championship. Not even close to a good comparison to Cal's last 4 yrs at UK.

 

[kyjeff1]

But that was their identity all season. They were never a very good defensive team, and they relied on putting up big offensive numbers to win. Was Calipari expected to suddenly get them to do something they hadn't done all year?

You shouldn’t need to be a great defensive team to hold a future accountant and his college buddies to something less than 80 points.

Calipari is supposed to he a HOF coach and he had 6 NBA guys on his roster, he had elite length nd elite athletes, there is no way you allow Oakland to get 80 on you.

Golke was able to run freely right through the heart our defense and actually use our own players as screeners. Nobody put a body on him, nobody got in his way to prevent him from getting to his spots.

I'm not a HOF coach, but even I could see what was happening. Cal never fixed that problem and that is only one example of Cal's lack of preperation and in-game adjustments. Heck, if he did his job, he would have been prepared for Oakland before the game tipped off. He wasn't prepared.

The same thing happened in the Saint Peters loss. Nobody could stop Doug Edirt from scoring.

Anybody expecting something different this year, is going to be very disappointed. He’s not fired up, he doesn't have a new look on life and this fresh start he has at Arkansas is not going to wake him up. He is what he is and he isn't changing. He is not a guy that is willing to change.

If you've ever dealt with a rich narcissist, you would understand. This dude is going to run Arkansas into the ground to the point where the fans will want Eric Musselman back.

 

[kyjeff1]

I know, I'm just trying to give Exit some friendly supporting fire. 😄

I have to start asking myself, why do I stick up for my good friend Della, when she pours gas on fires that exitflagger starts?

 

[della]

I have to start asking myself, why do I stick up for my good friend Della, when she pours gas on fires that exitflagger starts?

Jeff, y'all have Exit outnumbered by a good bit. Besides that, Sheppard piece of the Oakland thingie supports my position about Knecht. Btw, that was started by a UK fan. Finally, I don't think you have actually ever "stuck up" for me.

 

[kyjeff1]

Jeff, y'all have Exit outnumbered by a good bit. Besides that, Sheppard piece of the Oakland thingie supports my position about Knecht. Btw, that was started by a UK fan. Finally, I don't think you have actually ever "stuck up" for me.

Gasp… ..I've never stuck up for you??? Wow.

As far as Exit being outnumbered, he had has plenty of help from all the Hog fans that show up after wins, they'll be along eventually and if you look back a page or two, it was 4 on 1, guess who the 1 was?

On the Sheppard vs Knecht argument, I'm not sure why it's an argument, both players are great, both players single handedly took over and won games for their team and both guys have incredibly impressive stats.
You could make an argument for both guys and nobody would complain if either one was on their team. If DK was a UK wildcat last year, we would have loved what he accomplished and vice versa.

 

[della]

Gasp… ..I've never stuck up for you??? Wow.

As far as Exit being outnumbered, he had has plenty of help from all the Hog fans that show up after wins, they'll be along eventually and if you look back a page or two, it was 4 on 1, guess who the 1 was?

On the Sheppard vs Knecht argument, I'm not sure why it's an argument, both players are great, both players single handedly took over and won games for their team and both guys have incredibly impressive stats.
You could make an argument for both guys and nobody would complain if either one was on their team. If DK was a UK wildcat last year, we would have loved what he accomplished and vice versa.

It was an argument because a UK fan made it one.

 

[kyjeff1]

It was an argument because a UK fan made it one.

Oh yeah, 100%, it's not like you to be argumentative, you usually just shake hands and move on. 👀

 

[ExitFlagger]

You shouldn’t need to be a great defensive team to hold a future accountant and his college buddies to something less than 80 points.

Calipari is supposed to he a HOF coach and he had 6 NBA guys on his roster, he had elite length nd elite athletes, there is no way you allow Oakland to get 80 on you.

Golke was able to run freely right through the heart our defense and actually use our own players as screeners. Nobody put a body on him, nobody got in his way to prevent him from getting to his spots.

I'm not a HOF coach, but even I could see what was happening. Cal never fixed that problem and that is only one example of Cal's lack of preperation and in-game adjustments. Heck, if he did his job, he would have been prepared for Oakland before the game tipped off. He wasn't prepared.

The same thing happened in the Saint Peters loss. Nobody could stop Doug Edirt from scoring.

Anybody expecting something different this year, is going to be very disappointed. He’s not fired up, he doesn't have a new look on life and this fresh start he has at Arkansas is not going to wake him up. He is what he is and he isn't changing. He is not a guy that is willing to change.

If you've ever dealt with a rich narcissist, you would understand. This dude is going to run Arkansas into the ground to the point where the fans will want Eric Musselman back.

Now you're saying he's a bad defensive coach too? Didn't he have a highly-rated defense almost every year at Kentucky and Memphis?

And the "he'll never change" argument would work better if he hadn't revamped his offense just last year.

 

[della]

Oh yeah, 100%, it's not like you to be argumentative, you usually just shake hands and move on. 👀

Truer words have never been spoken.

 

[ExitFlagger]

Yes, there is always an element of randomness in March.

But look at UKs results the past four years. 9-16, loss to to St Peter's, loss in 2nd round, loss to Oakland. Also, has been a decade since UK was a one seed or in the FF. Can't use the random element when you see the same results over and over, with the same lack of in game coaching.

Also, the comparison with Self is not a good example to use. Sandwiched around the back to back first round losses were two Elite 8 appearances. Oh, and a national championship. Not even close to a good comparison to Cal's last 4 yrs at UK.

The point is it would've been foolish to judge Self by those two games, which he later proved. But at the time everybody thought he didn't have it, and he almost found himself on the hot seat.

Those games were more a product of the up and down nature of March Madness than anything else. Same with St Pete and Oakland. If Sheppard and Dillingham don't both have their worst game of the year on the same night, they'd have moved on easily.

Self was criticized early on for being too tight and causing his teams to have puckered sphincters in March. Maybe Calipari's had the same issue the last few years, I don't know.

One thing's for sure...if a bunch of BYU fans were bombarding you guys with "get ready!" posts all offseason, and I told you so's after every loss, you'd probably think it was a little annoying and over the top. Lol.

 

[RR30]

Now you're saying he's a bad defensive coach too? Didn't he have a highly-rated defense almost every year at Kentucky and Memphis?

And the "he'll never change" argument would work better if he hadn't revamped his offense just last year.

Had Welch from UCLA here for one year, along with the best group of shooters in program history. It was a blip, and the actual offense still wasn't that modern comparatively speaking.

 

[mcnicKY91]

The point is it would've been foolish to judge Self by those two games, which he later proved. But at the time everybody thought he didn't have it, and he almost found himself on the hot seat.

Those games were more a product of the up and down nature of March Madness than anything else. Same with St Pete and Oakland. If Sheppard and Dillingham don't both have their worst game of the year on the same night, they'd have moved on easily.

Self was criticized early on for being too tight and causing his teams to have puckered sphincters in March. Maybe Calipari's had the same issue the last few years, I don't know.

One thing's for sure...if a bunch of BYU fans were bombarding you guys with "get ready!" posts all offseason, and I told you so's after every loss, you'd probably think it was a little annoying and over the top. Lol.

Again, Cal has now gone a decade without a one seed or a FF. You can no longer rationalize that large of a sample size as "random." Just like there is nothing random about going 9-16. That alone was enough for Cal to move on. You seem to overlook that as well.

Guarantee you would want Self gone, as would KU fans, if he had a run like that.

Cal's fastball is long gone, and the loss to Baylor confirmed that. Same old problems, just different colors. The dude still has no idea how to attack a zone. Absolutely mind boggling.

As for BYU fans, let them come over and say whatever they want. Let them tell us Pope is not the answer. I have no idea if Pope will pan out. Nobody does. But I do know, with 100% certainty, Cal's best days are long gone.

 

[kyjeff1]

Now you're saying he's a bad defensive coach too? Didn't he have a highly-rated defense almost every year at Kentucky and Memphis?

And the "he'll never change" argument would work better if he hadn't revamped his offense just last year.

He didn't revamp his offense last year bub, he had an offensive coordinator (John Welch) for one season. John had enough of Cal and decided to take less money at Fresno State.

As far as his defense, it worked fine back in 09-17 when he had guys with extreme size and athletesism and nobody was spreading the court, but he's trying to run that same defense today and it's not working.

-He's a horrible offensive mind
-He's a below average defensive mind
-He's an F- when it comes to defending inbounds plays
-He's a D when it comes to scouting the other team
-Rebounding and preparing dudes for the draft, he’s an A+. He makes a great farm team manager.

 

[kyjeff1]

The point is it would've been foolish to judge Self by those two games, which he later proved. But at the time everybody thought he didn't have it, and he almost found himself on the hot seat.

Those games were more a product of the up and down nature of March Madness than anything else. Same with St Pete and Oakland. If Sheppard and Dillingham don't both have their worst game of the year on the same night, they'd have moved on easily.

Self was criticized early on for being too tight and causing his teams to have puckered sphincters in March. Maybe Calipari's had the same issue the last few years, I don't know.

One thing's for sure...if a bunch of BYU fans were bombarding you guys with "get ready!" posts all offseason, and I told you so's after every loss, you'd probably think it was a little annoying and over the top. Lol.

What you aren't understanding is this isn’t a case of a coach just having a couple bad years, this is a narcissist that is prioritizing individual accomplishments and goals.

He's a guy that gets pieces from different puzzle sets and puts them on the court knowing they don't fit and all they are doing is trying out for the NBA.
Wins are a byproduct of this.

Listen to his interviews, he’s been telling everyone for years, "it's about these kids, not wins and losses, it's about the kids and their families". This guy is running a farm system and he doesn't care what anyone thinks.

Bill Self got through his ordeal because his priorities were focused on winning in college. If you do that, good things will happen for the players.

And I can't believe we have people putting the Oakland loss on two bench players. How about Wagner and Edwards, check their stats. The only ones that showed up were the 2 seniors. But they scored 76 points. You can't give up 80 to Oakland.

 

[kyjeff1]

In the few months Pope has been on the job, he has checked every box he could possibly check. He is going to prioritize a positive environment, winning, a high octane offense, cohesive teams, recruiting and communication.

Pope doesn’t mind f*ck everyone, he gives you straight up answers and he runs a legit system.

But the isn't BYU east, he got better players in one month at UK than he was ever able to get at BYU and he has been killing it with hs recruiting.

At this point, even if he loses 12 games this year, he’s still a great choice for this job. He gets it and his priorities are where they should be.