Comments on: VIDEO: John Calipari tees off on his team after 30-point loss at Tennessee

By: jthammerstix

jthammerstix — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:11:24 +0000

It happens by design. You can’t use that as an excuse when this is exactly what cal wants.

By: cranespy

cranespy — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 01:57:51 +0000

Resorting to juvenile characterizations tends to discredit your astute observation regarding point guard play and ridiculous expectations. I cited the access that Cal allowed at the beginning of the season as evidence of that very point. Having this years crop of freshmen make their first appearance at Rupp part of a tv special obviously contributed to creating unrealistic expectations. Last years team was one of the best college bb has seen in some time. Far superior to the John Wall led group as well as Lambs group that followed. While your lack of tolerance for any opinion that is not in line with yours is obvious…..I am using the forum as intended to comment on the topic at hand. While you may not agree…I stick with my other two points, 1 that I believe many UK fans will tire of the approach that Cal is using….basically bringing in a new core every year UNLESS it results in additional Championships in the near future. My second point is like the first an OPINION…..I personally do not believe that Cal is that great a coach. I base it on multiple factors over his career not just his time spent in Lexington. Facts are he didn’t win it all at UMass nor at Memphis…..he has ushered a long list of players to the NBA but until that juggernaut last year he had never cut down the nets on Monday night in April. I believe his strengths are obvious, recruiting and running an offense that affords players ample opportunity to show their potential at the next level. He has a long history of getting extremely frustrated with players that do not buy in to his approach. While some coaches MAY be able to take the current crop and bring them together as a team a year or two down the road….Cal does not embrace that type of program. He is all in on one and done and even though I personally do not like that type of high risk/high reward approach…..folks in BBN obviously do. Time will tell how long it lasts.

By: mshelby1

mshelby1 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 22:02:36 +0000

Saw Coach Cal step out on the court & take a minute during a TV Time-out to show BRANDON KNIGHT how to properly ‘box out’ another player. Coach Cal is a great coach. He’s a motivator. He’s pushing buttons trying to find something that works on these guys.

trust me, every D1 coach worth anything totally gets what Cal is trying to do & having to do.

By: knicksukcats

knicksukcats — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 12:57:40 +0000

Dude when are you gonna come up with some new material? Bad thing is that I did not even read your whole post. I just knew what your first line would be. Your lame as hell with the “Cal can’t coach” nonsense. You say it in every post yet I never seen your ignorant a$$ last year when he won the championship. You are just another internet troll who has baseless comments that you can only voice in a forum. I unlike you never expected UK to be great this year due to lack of talent coming back, poor PG play and the ridiculous expectations that last years team left. That is a comment of substance.

I will help you out for next year when UK is on a tear again. All your comments will be that Cal can’t coach, its only because he has all the talent, he just recruited the right players, etc… I am sure in your simple mind you will find more reasons as you maintain your status as a keyboard warrior with a shallow thought process.

By: cranespy

cranespy — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 03:26:50 +0000

Even with NN Kentucky was a good team…..not great….just good. Last years team..totally different. They had the swagger but they backed it up by playing as a team…..they are the only crop that Cal has assembled in Lexington that lived UP to expectations.

1 Cal is the VERY BEST recruiter out there….2 He is only average as a coach ( check out his all time record vs Bob Huggins)…..3 BBN will soon tire of the revolving door of Blue Chippers who are only there because they are barred from the NBA for one year. When it works as it did last year it is a thing of beauty……when it doesn’t its ugly…..Cal’s not the coach who can help them improve as a team for a dominating run a year or two down the road…..it’s NOW or else….I am NOT a UK hater I am merely saying this approach is high risk/high reward and I believe BBN will soon tire of it unless he can win another title sooner rather than later. Now as for that ESPN behind the scenes look at UK hoops….bet Cal doesn’t allow that again……talk about raising expectations for a bunch of freshmen.

By: kansacity88

kansacity88 — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 03:00:34 +0000

I’m not a Kentucky fan but I will say this: Not ALL highly ranked freshmen will be able to come in and do what AT did. Dude….they’re FRESHMAN!! You’re gonna have growing pains! They’re gonna lose games like that from time to time. I don’t know what kinda coach Cal is because I watch HORRIBLE college basketball at my alma mater (Northern Illinois University) so I am used to seeing 30 point blowouts at the hands of the opponents. Again, they’re freshmen…and to be honest, they’re probably gonna wanna go 1-on-1 whenever they get the ball because they are on national tv. I understand that they need to follow the scheme and all but SOME (if not most) highly ranked freshmen are still gonna get jitters when you play for such a program steeped in tradition like Kentucky! HELL, I know I would! Again, not a Kentucky fan and I have nothing against them personally but every top ranked kid you get WILL NOT come in and dominate like the guys did last year. Sorry, but that’s just how it is, plain and simple! Now NEXT YEAR……you may see a huge difference!

By: bobskallen

bobskallen — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 22:04:17 +0000

Kentucky lost their top six scorers to the NBA and their best player to injury. Show me any team in college basketball this year that would have been good if that had happened to them.

By: bartlettruss

bartlettruss — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:23:58 +0000

Welcome to the John Calipari we Memphis fans lived with. Eventually he’ll blame the UK fans when they get tired of his nonsense. When fans here complained he nicknamed them “the Miserables”. He kept calling Memphis fans that after he left town with our entire recruiting class…

By: brotherlove2012

brotherlove2012 — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 20:02:37 +0000

Last year team was special, in more way than one.This team looked good on paper, but it has no chemistry whatsoever, and most of all it lacks “character” players. Cal sounded like a desperate coach trying to salvage a very average season. He should be careful though, you can lose a team very quickly with those kind of comments.

By: kevpft

kevpft — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 19:00:12 +0000

So the hotheaded jerk is saying one (or more) of three things: 1) I picked the wrong guys to be on this team; 2) I have no ability to coach people who don’t do exactly as I say right away; 3) I am not adaptable to the circumstances I am presented with, and unable to make competitive adjustments either before or during a game.

And *this* guy is blaming it on the kids? You’re supposedly a top-flight coach, pal, and being paid accordingly. The accountability rests with you.

By: florida727

florida727 — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:50:36 +0000

I’m a Florida fan, so I should be delighting in seeing them struggle… but I don’t. Kentucky being good is good for college basketball and good for the SEC. Personally, I’m not reading that much into this loss. Yeah, it’s bad, Tennessee isn’t exactly a basketball powerhouse these days, but I think Kentucky’s play yesterday is more a result of the hangover of losing their best player than it is anything else. I still think they’re dangerous. And, unfortunately for the rest of us, I think they’ll show that before the season is over. Hope we beat them in Lexington of course, but I have too much respect for them not to realize they’re far from being done. BTW, for those who want to “hate” on UK, better do it now. Next year’s recruiting class (from what I’ve heard) will make this one look bad by comparison.

By: cranespy

cranespy — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 16:38:54 +0000

When will BBN realize that Cal is unparalleled as a recruiter but only AVERAGE as a coach. When will they understand that he is ALL IN on recruiting one and doners because if they can play together they can win it all. That’s his definition of a PROGRAM. The problem is….what if it doesn’t work….”they don’t expect me to actually coach do they??”. Just look at the let of NBAers he h assembled at UK…..and only one title….number 2 isn’t coming anytime soon…..e en if NN had not gone down they were on track for a second round ticket home. The saving grace for Cal now is that they are bound for the NIT with NO expectations around their neck. Can you imagine an early exit from the NIT WITH NN?

By: tincansailor981

tincansailor981 — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 15:32:43 +0000

Doesn’t matter, he’ll just go out and buy some more players next season. They’ll be back.