Ostensibly Hoops

[innocentbystander]

Yeah I grew up in Boston DS. And I was a very young man in the early 1990s while you were a child. I remember, and you have no idea. I remember how no one gave a fuck (no one at all) about UMass basketball until Marcus Camby. Camby came along, and then all of a sudden (for the first time since probably Dr J) UMass alumni, now living in the Boston area, were traveling 100 miles on the I-90 just to go see basketball games out in WestbumfuckIncestApalechia Massachusetts. Games were selling out (finally.) People gave a shit because Camby was doing shit they had never seen in a Massachusetts college athlete since a 5'9" QB played for BC or Reggie Lewis playing hoop for my alma mater.

I know you don't understand this. College sports are basically meaningless in Massachusetts while they are huge in North Carolina. I get that. Maybe you don't, but I do. Anyway, that one player set the stage for Cal's career. No Camby at UMass, Cal never gets the Kentucky gig. NFW.

[eCat]

Was NIL really a problem under Cal? He got everyone he wanted, except maybe the dook* recruits. I just think Pope knows how to motivate and actually coaches instead of rolling out five NBA players.

he was living off money from his former players giving him NBA money for NIL

the big money donors had cut him off after a no show in the SEC tourney, then it got even worse after Oakland. He also refused to let his players get in the political arena by endorsing candidates. He was right to do that, but in the end, those people started pushing to cut off his NIL. He started something called La Familia and it got like maybe $40K in donations from fans and he was expecting 1m+ - after that it became clear to him he was cooked. It was why Arkansas had a chance to talk to him - Tyson, Walton and Jones money essentially promised him a huge NIL bucket

Appreciate the info, e. I still think Pope actually coaches vs what Calipari devolved into. Cal was a damn good coach at Massachusetts. He became more reliant on superior talent and stopped evolving.

After the 2012 Championship, unknown to any fans, Cal decided the rest of his life was about his legacy. Up to then he was basically known as a used car salesman, bending whatever rules he had to in the chase to prove he was as good as anyone else. But after that his goal was to be honored with a lifetime achievement award where hundreds of former players would come out on stage somewhere and honor him like a Mark Twain award for coaching, talking about how he changed their life, made them wealthy, taught them values, etc - and whether it included winning at the highest level was irrelevant.

I'm not sure what his goal is at Arkansas but his coaching staff is shit - guys that were loyal to him but wouldn't be working anywhere else that was serious about competing. He mails it in, he just admitted 2 days ago that he opted not to have a shoot around prior to the UT game - you know, #1 team on the road, makes perfect sense not to go shoot some shots in their gym prior to the game. He literally hates the actual basketball part of the job now. He has no intent on going at it hard and thinks he can just bullshit his way thru every post game loss ( at UK after a bad loss he'd just not show up for the press conference)

[hedge]

" Anyway, that one player set the stage for Cal's career. No Camby at UMass, Cal never gets the Kentucky gig. NFW."

Cal coached in the freakin' NBA for several years after he left UMass and then spent a decade in Memphis, leading them to the Finals in 2008 in a game they lost in overtime (and should've won in regulation) to Kansas. UK wasn't thinking about his tenure at UMass or Marcus fuckin' Camby from 15 years earlier when they hired him in 2009, you dolt. Or is it your contention that Memphis would've never considered him if not for Marcus Camby? They were hardly a college hoops juggernaut when they hired Cal, it's not like they were holding out for Billy Donovan or Rick Pitino before they held their noses and hired Cal...

[hedge]

"I'm not sure what his goal is at Arkansas"

CAAAAAIIIIIISSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!

[innocentbystander]

" Anyway, that one player set the stage for Cal's career. No Camby at UMass, Cal never gets the Kentucky gig. NFW."

Cal coached in the freakin' NBA for several years after he left UMass and then spent a decade in Memphis, leading them to the Finals in 2008 in a game they lost in overtime (and should've won in regulation) to Kansas. UK wasn't thinking about his tenure at UMass or Marcus fuckin' Camby from 15 years earlier when they hired him in 2009, you dolt. Or is it your contention that Memphis would've never considered him if not for Marcus Camby? They were hardly a college hoops juggernaut when they hired Cal, it's not like they were holding out for Billy Donovan or Rick Pitino before they held their noses and hired Cal...

No Camby, no NBA,

You dolt.

[Dave23]

The transitive argument you are trying to make is failing miserably.

Cal got the UK job because of his success (and his “connections”) at Memphis.

Cal got the Memphis job because DEI hire Tic Price was an absolute trainwreck, and the stench of Cal’s NBA tenure had subsided somewhat.

Cal got the NJ Nets job because of his success at UMass and his regional familiarity.

Jumping Cal straight from UMass to Kentucky doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s lazy and uninformed.

[innocentbystander]

The transitive argument you are trying to make is failing miserably.

Cal got the UK job because of his success (and his “connections”) at Memphis.

Cal got the Memphis job because DEI hire Tic Price was an absolute trainwreck, and the stench of Cal’s NBA tenure had subsided somewhat.

Cal got the NJ Nets job because of his success at UMass and his regional familiarity.

Jumping Cal straight from UMass to Kentucky doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s lazy and uninformed.

I get all that and I agree with you. But you misunderstand. What I am saying is that none of it, not the Nets, Memphis, or UK would have happened had it not been for Marcus Camby. No Camby then no Nets. And likely nothing else. His entire career would have been very different.

It wasn’t being at UMass. It was getting Camby. Camby was to college basketball what Matt Ryan was for college football, a diamond that the top basketball powerhouse universities missed and wound up at a forgotten division 1 program who instantly gained national prominence. Now with NIL, these hidden diamonds will play one year at division 1 obscurity.

[innocentbystander]

Alright, if Tennessee only loses one game this season, it will probably be this one. I am actually rooting for the Gators here for no other reason than I can't stand the thought of an undefeated basketball team at the midway point.

[aTm]

Tennessee is gonna lose several games

[innocentbystander]

Tennessee is gonna lose several games

If they play no better than the way they started this one, then you are correct.

[aTm]

Kentucky should try playing defense

[innocentbystander]

So the number one team in the country went down to play hoops in Gainesville, and they got their orange asses reamed blue.

[innocentbystander]

Auburn, wow. Just, wow. Miss State Bulldogs, also, nice.

New Mexico comes back, wins. North Carolina gets it done again. Maybe early in the season they were cursed the way UConn was?

Utah State, first to 15 wins.

[eCat]

UK is going to need to learn about road games in the SEC sooner rather than later. You gotta give the home team 10 points in officiating to win

This UK team is not going to win on the road against a physical team. I try to avoid blaming officiating but last night it was pretty bad. Even the announcers in the half time show were talking about it.

[hedge]

Announcers rubbing their noses in UK's taint? Nooooo....

[Jungle Rat]

GO GATORS!

[eCat]

that was a dismantling of Tennesseee...that beatiing was so bad that they'll probably never be considered for #1 again this year

[eCat]

Sounds like Carolina is leading for Caleb Wilson now. That would be a big get for Davis. Probably job saving

[The Anti k*]

Sounds like Carolina is leading for Caleb Wilson now. That would be a big get for Davis. Probably job saving

Then I hope you get him.

We need a complete Program reset.

[aTm]

Ugh. Yikes for Broome/Auburn