Ostensibly Hoops

[THE_WIZARD_]

Calipari sings The Go-Go's...

Can't seem to get my mind off of you
If I'm not cheatin' there's nothin' to do
Now that I'm away
You wish I'd not stayed
Kentucky just really wanted to win

When you looked at me you should've run
But you thought it was just to win
You know you was wrong
And I'm not so strong
I should've known all along that time would tell

Past seasons with sanctions
Thought you'd forget
Two weeks into Madness
Still haven't gotten it yet

CHORUS
Vacate all of the wins
Vacate had to give 'em back
Vacate 'em meant to be just gone

[Gator by God's Grace]

meh. i don't see all the big whoop re Lville v Ky. this is only a semi-final.

[Gator by God's Grace]

I do think Lville has a chance, because they have the big guy at center, extremely quick guards who can penetrate, and solid defense. ultimately, though, kentucky will have to have an off-night for the cards to win.

[DooKSucks]

Barnes, Marshall and Henson are expected to announce that they are entering the draft per IC.

McAdoo looks like he will enter the draft as well.

2010 will seem like a banner year compared to 2013.

[THE_WIZARD_]

Roy should have stayed in Lawrence.

[Jungle Rat]

You should have stayed at CNN/SI

[THE_WIZARD_]

No...I got banhammered by Mike King.

[Saint]

I expect anyone with a notion of playing in the NBA to announce for the draft. I don't know if that means they'll remain in it. If so, UNC-Duke next year will be more like a JV game compared to recent seasons.

[Dave23]

Adonis Thomas is staying at Memphis...

[Gator by God's Grace]

Lawd a mercy I hope Brad Beal decides to stay in school one more year.

[eCat]

Fair article about UK, Calipari and College basketball

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id/774 ... basketball

I can remember Ben Washburn desperately trying to convince the UK fans a few years ago that UK would never be able to seriously get back at the top of the recruiting game because of a number of reasons including location. I realize now he was trying to convince himself, not UK fans. Especially when Matt Doherty showed up.

IF....big IF...but IF Cal wins a national championship, then what does any school have to offer? UK is already the destination for future pros who see themselves limiting their college experience, and add that Cal can win you a national championship at the same time?

UNC, Duke, Kansas and any other school that even dares to do it the "old way" will see themselves falling behind. That includes building not only a modern facility to play in but also having state of the art practice facilities geared toward developing pro prospects.

The author of the story has a point. Kentucky has to lose in order to save the legacy of old school college basketball.

Of course Cal could win the national championship, then run off to coach the Knicks 2 days later.

[Saint]

I don't think so. Cal can put a great team out there every year but unless he's winning national titles every 5-6 years, he's no better than the other guys who usually have good teams and win a title once (or in the UNC coach's case) twice a decade. Cal came into UK and turned into a desirable destination but shit, wasn't Donovan in the same position a few years ago? If Cal stays at UK for another 5-10 years, he'll have mini-swoons. I doubt they'll fall into the abyss again but don't get too excited about becoming the new UCLA.

[eCat]

I don't think so. Cal can put a great team out there every year but unless he's winning national titles every 5-6 years, he's no better than the other guys who usually have good teams and win a title once (or in the UNC coach's case) twice a decade. Cal came into UK and turned into a desirable destination but shit, wasn't Donovan in the same position a few years ago? If Cal stays at UK for another 5-10 years, he'll have mini-swoons. I doubt they'll fall into the abyss again but don't get too excited about becoming the new UCLA.

perhaps, but if UK is getting the lion's share of prospects to attend UK, then a great parity effect will fall into the mix. You're operating under the assumption that UNC and Duke will continue to get to final fours and title games at the same clip but your logic is based on UNC putting together a team like 2009 on a regular basis.

Donovan's case was different. He had the same team with same players give him two national titles and then he fell back into the good but not cosistently great team mold that many thought he'd worked up to.

And my point isn't that UK is about to become the next UCLA. My point is that as the author suggests, UNC, Duke, Kansas - any school that puts a premium on winning is going to have to adapt to the model - at least until the NBA changes it rules. I think we're seeing that now, and as the author suggests, its only Cal that is just being upfront about it. Of course UK is the kind of school that would lead in that area, because the fan base has always had great allegiance to the program and the players that played in it - and in doing so never really invested much in the player getting the whole "college experience". The only difference is to the fans, college is simply a platform to win the national championship, to Cal its a platform to get them to the NBA (and if you win a national championship, it raises your draft prospects in the process)

I don't see multiple titles for Cal, hell I haven't seen one yet, but he is definitely changing college basketball.

[Saint]

of course I'm not basing my logic on UNC having a '09-caliber team on a regular basis. that was one of the greatest college teams ever, certainly in the top 10. nobody will have a team like that on a regular basis. I'm saying there are enough good basketball players out there that just because one school swallows 3 or 4 in the top 10 of any recruiting class, there's hardly any guarantee it'll translate into national titles every year or every other year.

But it will translate into having a top 25 or even top 10 team every year and that's pretty much where UNC, Duke, UConn and Kansas have been. I don't see how UK winning a title this year will change that. If UK wins 3 in 5 years or something like that, I'd agree that Calipari has it figured out. But he's got an unbelievable amount of pressure trying to put a group together every year that has 6 months to turn into a national champion. and he still hasn't succeeded once despite having the most talented team in the country in '10.

plus, as you can see, a key injury at the wrong time can sink a team, no matter how much talent it has.

Besides, if he loses to Pitino on Saturday, it'll be tough to recover from the psychic onslaught of despair that will collectively slam into Wildcat basketball.

[eCat]

you are blaming it on a key injury but UK with its team of freshmen already beat a veteran UNC once this year, and knocked them out of the tourney last year with a different set of freshmen.

Given what is rumored to be happening at UNC now and IF, again IF, UK lands Nerlin and Mohammed (both one and ones) to go with the other 2 potential one and dones, what are the chances UNC beats UK next year? (assuming they play?)

How long would UNC fans tolerate that?

[Saint]

also, I think Duke, UNC, KU, etc are trying to get the best recruits they can, just like Cal. Roy may hand out an offer or 2 to the guys who will be career reserves but Cal does that, too. You have to have a few warm bodies. It's just that Cal has been able to land more of the higher-rated guys over the past couple of years and they've actually, for the most part, lived up to their hype. that's key because there have been plenty of great recruits who didn't get it done (coughcough Harrisonbarnes)

[Saint]

you are blaming it on a key injury but UK with its team of freshmen already beat a veteran UNC once this year, and knocked them out of the tourney last year with a different set of freshmen.

How long would UNC fans tolerate that?

I never said UNC would have beaten UK with Marshall. but it's clear that without Marshall, any chance UNC had of a title was gone. both UK wins were close; nothing in either suggested UK would win convincingly if they met again.

There is no team left in the field that has come as close to beating UK as UNC and if I were you, I'd be happy I wouldn't have to play Carolina again. I know that's how I would feel about UK if the situation was reversed

[eCat]

you are blaming it on a key injury but UK with its team of freshmen already beat a veteran UNC once this year, and knocked them out of the tourney last year with a different set of freshmen.

How long would UNC fans tolerate that?

I never said UNC would have beaten UK with Marshall. but it's clear that without Marshall, any chance UNC had of a title was gone. both UK wins were close; nothing in either suggested UK would win convincingly if they met again.

There is no team left in the field that has come as close to beating UK as UNC and if I were you, I'd be happy I wouldn't have to play Carolina again. I know that's how I would feel about UK if the situation was reversed

For our titles hopes I am, but that doesn't change the issue

[Saint]

what is the issue?

[eCat]

what is the issue?

that UNC is about to become a one and done factory