Ostensibly Hoops

[eCat]

I'm not really all that upset with the loss - at some point if this keeps up I'll be ready to write the season off but our problems are correctable - and for a group of freshmen, a loss against a ranked team on the road, 10 games into the season shouldn't be a surprise.

I'm more disappointed in a vocal minority of our fan base who 1.5 years removed from a national championship are ready to ride Cal out on a rail.

That is absurd. I respect their right to judge the coach on his merits, but I just don't see any logic to trashing him now just because we haven't won a road game against a ranked team in a few games.

On the other hand, if you're calling card/MO is to recruit "one and done" players AND win championships, then instant gratification for the fans is a foreseeable result

riding Cal out is silliness, but Randle & Young are gone for sure, those two look the part & play the part.... so it's not out of the realm of utter silliness to expect early results

I think what were seeing now is a segment of the fan base that is ready for Cal to tone down the rhetoric. I think I'm one of them. He is doing as much to put a bullseye on his team as are the fans, and when you have a team that can back it up, its all fun, when you don't, its misery.

[Owlman]

UK just needs an AFAm department and a safe house where ex-players can hole up and do a lot of drugs while getting their degree and he'd be all set.

Seriously. This is getting tired. And I'm pretty indifferent to UNC.

[AugustWest]

Then dont read my post Owlman. There's people on here's who's posting history consist of 90% "shut up" and "my pee smells like ham" and for some reason you're ok with that but you dont like me talking about the cheating that's going on at a major university in the State in which I live. U*NC's cheating is important to me, and I will continue to bring it up when I want to.

[hedge]

"I'm more disappointed in a vocal minority of our fan base who 1.5 years removed from a national championship are ready to ride Cal out on a rail."

That's pretty ridiculous (athough Dot make a good point in his post), but let's face it, it's NC or nothing for UK these days. Sure, a FF appearance will always get the fans over the hump of disappointment if they don't win the NC outright (ask UNC fans), but basically if UK doesn't at least make it to the FF on a consistent basis, UK fans are going to be pissed. Early season losses will be forgotten as long as they make the FF. But if they start losing 5 or 6 games a year with annual Recruiting Title squads AND fail to make the FF, Cal needs to start worrying...

[hedge]

"
Seriously. This is getting tired. And I'm pretty indifferent to UNC."

Heh, he hasn't even gotten started yet. Or rather, it started as soon as he became an NCState fan and, as UNC bashing is the bedrock foundation of that sad association, it will never end. Never. Auggie has said as much himself. Proudly, even. As I said, sad. But also mildly amusing to watch somebody shamelessly wallow in their own never-ending misery. It's what they do. And I have to admit, they're very, very good at it...

[T Dot O Dot]

Auggie is the most consistent poster in the history of the internet, you have to give him credit for that

[hedge]

But come on, UK fans, look at your situation vs. ours. We're likely to be bounced in the Sweet 16 and be left to draw satisfaction (or something) from meaningless early season wins over highly ranked teams. And while that is certainly satisfying, it's not a blip on the screen compared to what happens in March. I'd much rather lose early games and get to the FF than win "big" games in December and lose in the Sweet 16. But of course I also realize that for UK and UNC fans, the norm is to win big all year AND get to the FF. I will admit, though, that there is going to start being trouble in Lexington if these Recruiting Title squads start losing early games and also fail to make the FF. UK fans aren't going to put up with that for long, now that they've gotten to taste the good life again after such a long drought. I don't think they'll let it go another 13 years b/w FF appearances like they did last time, even with Cal...

[hedge]

John Calipari on youthful Kentucky: ‘We’re not a good basketball team’

Kentucky coach John Calipari has been here before. He doesn't like a lot of what he's seeing from his collection of prized recruits in tough games where circumstances require them to play together as a team.

Calipari said his team has a lot to learn in that regard after its third loss of the season at North Carolina on Saturday. It was a game the Wildcats very easily could have won with a little more maturity. Heck, they almost did win without it.

The Tar Heels prevailed 82-77 but the youthful Wildcats fought for it deep into the final minute.

"What we are right now is we're not a good basketball team and we're not a good team because our emotion is all based on our individual play, instead of our team play like, 'We just got a great stop. Let's all five chest each other and let's go nuts,'" Calipari said. "We're not close to that right now. Our stuff is all based on, 'Did I miss a free throw? Did I get beat on the dribble? Did I miss a shot?' I mean, it's just we got to get through this."

Calipari was asked how he goes about changing the selfish mentality to get his collection of former star recruits to do for others what they want done for them on the court.

"You want to keep losing? Keep acting that way," he said. "We're not a good team and players aren't looking real good."

You can watch all of Calipari's postgame remarks here courtesy of the Louisville Courier-Journal.

Calipari's reaction to the loss and the way his team played wasn't entirely negative. He noted that his team still had a chance to win despite being out-muscled and out-hustled at times and missing several dunks.

He also noted that he has been through this sort of thing before with young teams and understands its a process the players have to work through and ultimately choose which direction the team goes. He said he went through it as recently as 2011 when he thought his young team eventually became the best team in the nation by the end of the year and lost to UConn in the Final Four.

[hedge]

No mention yet of the UNC game on Cal's tv show this morning. A few clips of the Baylor game and a couple of puff pieces on "Who is the most supportive teammate when things aren't going well"...

[crotch]

No mention yet of the UNC game on Cal's tv show this morning. A few clips of the Baylor game and a couple of puff pieces on "Who is the most supportive teammate when things aren't going well"...

Hedge watches the Calipari show?? Heh, I don't even do that. BTW Hedge, since you seem to be a UK fan, I know where you can get a 40-0, 39-1 and a 38-2 UK Basketball shirt for basically pennies.

[hedge]

"Hedge watches the Calipari show??"

Just today to see how Cal would react to the game. Guess they're going to wait until next week to air that...

[hedge]

I thought Crotch (or somebody) posted their game prediction which was very close to what it ended up being, but I can't find it...

[DooKSucks]

If not for the Cal technical at the end of the first, UK could have had a clear shot at winning at the end. He should have been tossed.

[crotch]

I thought Crotch (or somebody) posted their game prediction which was very close to what it ended up being, but I can't find it...

I predicted 9-11. Got close. Knew those freshman couldn't win at DD. Should be interesting if they meet again in March. Didn't watch the game but everyone at WildcatChat says you guys cheated so Augie must be right.... unc nothing but a bunch of cheaters and drug users.

[DooKSucks]

http://kentuckysportsradio.com/main/che ... est-calls/

This has to be a UL fan....

[Jungle Rat]

Auggies pee smells like bitter herbs

[AugustWest]

Those bitter herbs would be called Hops.

[hedge]

"I predicted 9-11. Got close."

Didn't you have UNC scoring 82?

[eCat]

Roger Ayers was the ref - we are 7-5 in games he has reffed and 0-3 in UNC games ( I think thats the stat). He's also T-d up Cal for 3 technicals and that may be all the T's Cal has ever had at UK. I don't remember many.
So there is more to the story about Cal getting the technical.

[eCat]

That loss to Belmont is a blip for UNC now and UK still has to play Belmont.

If we should happen to lose, then people will be jumping off cliffs in regards to this season.