Lots of Good Games Sat.

[kyjeff1]

Problem is UK is paying Cal all that money to not have these same struggles every.single.year. Winning a title is very hard. That's understandable. But when you haven't been to a final four in what will be 4 years that is unacceptable for the talent he has brought in. The game has started to pass Cal by and he hasn't adjusted. The other great coaches (like K) have always been able to adjust when the game changes. The fat Italian in Lexington is too damn stubborn to do so.

I agree with what you are saying, but read the part that I bolded in your post and tell me your thoughts on the talent that Duke has had the last 4 years and tell me where you rank the coach of that Duke program if you don't mind.

Can you tell me the last time Duke made it to the FF?

The weirdest part of your post is you called coach K "great" and said "great coaches (like K) have always been able to adJust when the game changes". Okay, well, what has K done the last 4 years that Cal hasn't?

But again, I agree, UK should have at least 2 more titles since Cal has been at UK, but the GOAT, who is also into the one and done model, isn't doing any better with more talent. That tells me it's freaking hard.

 

[tw3301]

Okay, well, what has K done the last 4 years that Cal hasn't?

Won a national title.

 

[LetsGoDuke301]

Won a national title.

Oops

 

[RR30]

I agree with what you are saying, but read the part that I bolded in your post and tell me your thoughts on the talent that Duke has had the last 4 years and tell me where you rank the coach of that Duke program if you don't mind.

Can you tell me the last time Duke made it to the FF?

The weirdest part of your post is you called coach K "great" and said "great coaches (like K) have always been able to adJust when the game changes". Okay, well, what has K done the last 4 years that Cal hasn't?

But again, I agree, UK should have at least 2 more titles since Cal has been at UK, but the GOAT, who is also into the one and done model, isn't doing any better with more talent. That tells me it's freaking hard.

Duke won a national title in 2015. UK choked in the final four. Gives them a little bit more leeway for not making it as far. And for the record I think if they don't win the title this year K deserves a ton of criticism. He has the best player and roster by a mile. But he has 5 titles, UK has 1 under Cal. If Cal gets in done in 2014 or 2015 it's a completely different story. Let alone 2010 or 11 where they had good shots as well.

I love Cal and think he's been amazing and is a perfect fit at UK, but he absolutely should have at least one more title and it's clear in the last year + the style of play is passing him by.

 

[kyjeff1]

Won a national title.

UK was in that same Final Four. The guy I quoted was saying SINCE then.

 

[kyjeff1]

Duke won a national title in 2015. UK choked in the final four. Gives them a little bit more leeway for not making it as far. And for the record I think if they don't win the title this year K deserves a ton of criticism. He has the best player and roster by a mile. But he has 5 titles, UK has 1 under Cal. If Cal gets in done in 2014 or 2015 it's a completely different story. Let alone 2010 or 11 where they had good shots as well.

I love Cal and think he's been amazing and is a perfect fit at UK, but he absolutely should have at least one more title and it's clear in the last year + the style of play is passing him by.

I agree, Cal should definitely have more titles, but so should K. Duke had the best team last year, didn't win. Duke has had the #1 class each year since 2015 and hasn't been to a FF.

To me, the only way you're winning with the One-N-Done model, is if you have legit Junior and/or Senior talent AND you get a couple of top 5 stud recruits.

But my point is, even Coach K can't make enough adjustments to overcome youth. Maybe that changes this year, he has 2 incredibly talented freshmen, but he also has some really good veterans. If he doesn't win it All this year, how can we say Cal sucks? Cal isn't getting the top 5 recruits anymore, but guys are still bolting for the pros because they have "potential". Yes, he created it, but how do you stop it?

Lastly, I read comments on every board all the time about how "college basketball is down". I see this every year. Simply put, it ain't down. It was down back when UCLA won every year, it ain't down now, there is a ton of talent and more parity than there has ever been.

Winning games, particularly road conference games, is harder than it has ever been. Winning the tournament requires talent, poise, great execution, great coaching and a whole Lot of luck.

 

[Mac9192]

I agree, Cal should definitely have more titles, but so should K. Duke had the best team last year, didn't win. Duke has had the #1 class each year since 2015 and hasn't been to a FF.

To me, the only way you're winning with the One-N-Done model, is if you have legit Junior and/or Senior talent AND you get a couple of top 5 stud recruits.

But my point is, even Coach K can't make enough adjustments to overcome youth. Maybe that changes this year, he has 2 incredibly talented freshmen, but he also has some really good veterans. If he doesn't win it All this year, how can we say Cal sucks? Cal isn't getting the top 5 recruits anymore, but guys are still bolting for the pros because they have "potential". Yes, he created it, but how do you stop it?

Lastly, I read comments on every board all the time about how "college basketball is down". I see this every year. Simply put, it ain't down. It was down back when UCLA won every year, it ain't down now, there is a ton of talent and more parity than there has ever been.

Winning games, particularly road conference games, is harder than it has ever been. Winning the tournament requires talent, poise, great execution, great coaching and a whole Lot of luck.

Good post. Couldn’t agree more with everything you said.

Had Cal, Roy, or Self had the talent Duke had last season or even the one before, most Duke fans would have said they choked.

 

[jhmossy]

I agree, Cal should definitely have more titles, but so should K. Duke had the best team last year, didn't win. Duke has had the #1 class each year since 2015 and hasn't been to a FF.

To me, the only way you're winning with the One-N-Done model, is if you have legit Junior and/or Senior talent AND you get a couple of top 5 stud recruits.

But my point is, even Coach K can't make enough adjustments to overcome youth. Maybe that changes this year, he has 2 incredibly talented freshmen, but he also has some really good veterans. If he doesn't win it All this year, how can we say Cal sucks? Cal isn't getting the top 5 recruits anymore, but guys are still bolting for the pros because they have "potential". Yes, he created it, but how do you stop it?

Lastly, I read comments on every board all the time about how "college basketball is down". I see this every year. Simply put, it ain't down. It was down back when UCLA won every year, it ain't down now, there is a ton of talent and more parity than there has ever been.

Winning games, particularly road conference games, is harder than it has ever been. Winning the tournament requires talent, poise, great execution, great coaching and a whole Lot of luck.

Agree with a lot of what you're saying except the bolded. Duke was not the best team last year. I think Villanova definitely was and they backed it up by winning every single tourney game by double digits. They had a dominant regular season and tourney.

 

[sgrooms]

Looks like jenga.

By the way I’d crush you in that game @sgrooms

It is, and no way. I don't lose at darts, jenga, bags, or shuffleboard.

 

[kyjeff1]

Agree with a lot of what you're saying except the bolded. Duke was not the best team last year. I think Villanova definitely was and they backed it up by winning every single tourney game by double digits. They had a dominant regular season and tourney.

Should have said talent. Trying to get young talent to be the best "team" is incredibly hard.

 

[jhmossy]

Should have said talent. Trying to get young talent to be the best "team" is incredibly hard.

Trying to be the best "team" without elite talent is also incredibly hard. What makes college basketball so great is that you can achieve success using very different models and approaches.

 

[HRTheCard]

Agree with a lot of what you're saying except the bolded. Duke was not the best team last year. I think Villanova definitely was and they backed it up by winning every single tourney game by double digits. They had a dominant regular season and tourney.

Yeah I don’t think anyone was close to Villanova last year. They were just that good. The unexpected Donte DiVincenzo showed up and they just got better.

 

[schoonerwest]

It is, and no way. I don't lose at darts, jenga, bags, or shuffleboard.

Love all of those games.