Calipari says goal was to send eight players to NBA, not win national title!! Wow

[shadow force]

Statistical fact trumps opinion every time. Most of you here are just taking the easy way out and ignoring statistical fact when it comes to Cal. Par for the course, I guess.

I didn't read the entire thread but I was just curious. Do you- and the other UK fans posting here- agree or have any problem with what Cal said in the below quote?

“Last year we started the season with a goal,” he told the Alltech Rebelation crowd. “You may think that goal was to win the national title and win all the games and be… It was to get eight players drafted

 

[JC for 3]

Translation: The team had an amount of talent beyond the normal level (hence, the platoon system). If we have 8 players getting drafted by the end of the season, the winning games and national title should fall into place as a result.

I don't have a problem with it....not too hard to think that achieving one would lead to achieving the other. The NCAA tournament being a single elimination scenario is the wildcard. That's why the best teams don't always win it.

 

[rockycard]

That's true, but the team that was equally as talented won it, that is why I'd like Calipari recruiting a team but someone else coaching it if I were a UK fan.

 

[JC for 3]

....not sure I can agree w/you on that.... They don't have 7 guys entering the draft and they weren't as deep on the bench, either. They also got smoked at home by the Miami Hurricanes. Winslow was playing his best basketball of the season for them in their tourney run, however.

 

[OneEarWonder]

I didn't read the entire thread but I was just curious. Do you- and the other UK fans posting here- agree or have any problem with what Cal said in the below quote?

“Last year we started the season with a goal,” he told the Alltech Rebelation crowd. “You may think that goal was to win the national title and win all the games and be… It was to get eight players drafted

I can't speak for anyone else, but I don't have a problem with it. To me, it's "coach speak". Going into the season, it would not be realistic to think 40-0. It would not be realistic to expect a title. You can strive for those things, but you can't expect them, IMO. However, you can control how you prepare your team and players. SO getting 8 players to the draft was within his control. And if you have that much talent, then you will be in contention for titles, etc.

Of course, he's a master marketer too... he knows that soundbite would be repeated... free air time. Hey recruits, come to me, we'll get you to the NBA. So I take it with a grain of salt. I don't see it as a big deal.

 

[zipp]

...Going into the season, it would not be realistic to think 40-0. It would not be realistic to expect a title. You can strive for those things, but you can't expect them, IMO. However, you can control how you prepare your team and players. SO getting 8 players to the draft was within his control. And if you have that much talent, then you will be in contention for titles...

A few different issues in here...

Getting 8 players drafted is no more within his control than that other stuff. Saying otherwise don't make it so. And if getting guys drafted was his primary objective, why didn't he give Lee more playing time? That surely would have helped Lee's chances.

That linkage between getting guys drafted and winning titles is not rock solid. Why wouldn't you say your objective was to have guys in peak physical condition and to outwork everyone? Do those factors lead to winning titles? Sure they do.

LPT has had 20-something draft picks and one title. That's the issue... LPT fans DO expect 40-0 and a title when their team has more talent than anyone else. Didn't they tout their bench as Top Ten if it was a standalone team? Realistic or not, those lofty goals ARE what they expect.

Truth be told, Pitino Lite is simply covering his a$$ talking about the draft being his top priority. He's only had one title with all of that wasted talent, and he knows that many of his delusional fans feel that way. He's making excuses and changing the discussion.

"Elite program", my a$$...

 

[OneEarWonder]

A few different issues in here...

Getting 8 players drafted is no more within his control than that other stuff. Saying otherwise don't make it so. And if getting guys drafted was his primary objective, why didn't he give Lee more playing time? That surely would have helped Lee's chances.

That linkage between getting guys drafted and winning titles is not rock solid. Why wouldn't you say your objective was to have guys in peak physical condition and to outwork everyone? Do those factors lead to winning titles? Sure they do.

LPT has had 20-something draft picks and one title. That's the issue... LPT fans DO expect 40-0 and a title when their team has more talent than anyone else. Didn't they tout their bench as Top Ten if it was a standalone team? Realistic or not, those lofty goals ARE what they expect.

Truth be told, Pitino Lite is simply covering his a$$ talking about the draft being his top priority. He's only had one title with all of that wasted talent, and he knows that many of his delusional fans feel that way. He's making excuses and changing the discussion.

"Elite program", my a$$...

I agree on most points. Yes, SOME fans have unrealistic expectations... they do every year. BBN is spoiled. I don't think Cal is making excuses, but I agree wholeheartedly that he is changing the discussion. Like I said, master at PR and spin, no doubt. Which is why I think most fans are not bothered by the statement, they know to take it with a grain of salt.

 

[Cardiotonic]

 

[JC for 3]

L1Cal7.

 

[Steelers2012]

L1Cal7.

*** OK...I've deleted that multiple times to keep you able to post. Now stop it for good please. Consider this your final warning

 

[atlcat1]

They whiffed on a few guys this year so he feels compelled to remind the kids what he cares about. Father John, looking out for their best interests.
Calipari has the wool pulled over the eyes of the U of K officials. He's got them convinced that not winning the championship is not a bad thing. He wants them to think that sending first year players on to the NBA is more important than winning championships. That doesn't even include getting them to graduate. Winning championships is what the game is all about, and Calipari can't win them. So he cooks up this #$%$ story of getting players drafted and makes it look like he's doing something great. UK officials wake up. You keep throwing money at this guy and you're not getting the top prize in return. Are you paying Calipari to rent a player every year and move them on to the NBA, or are you paying him to win championships? There seems to be a conflict of interest going on and it needs to come out in the open. Is there possibly some sort of kickback going to Calipari to turn these kids out to the draft? Something is not right, something stinks. Here you have supposedly one of the best coaches in the game with the top recruiting class every year and says it's more important to get these guys to the NBA then to win a championship. If winning a championship is important to the Wildcats, then they better not depend a lot on their coach. They need to stop throwing new contracts and more money at him until he starts delivering championships. Save as much of that money that you can, you might need it to buy out his contract.
THE TRUTH

If winning a championship is important to Cards fans they just need to hope the Cats are not in their bracket

 

[shadow force]

but give Pitino 9 5 star recruits in 10 years and ZERO will be playing in the league today.

I guess draft night really is the most important night in UK history.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

I guess draft night really is the most important night in UK history.

Half go broke and the avg NBA player's career is ..... long.

Makes no sense to be used as any kind of measuring stick.

 

[JC for 3]

Half go broke? Who other than Antoine Walker went 'broke'?

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

Over half of the NBA population goes broke, sorry if my general statement was misleading. The avg NBA career is short.

It makes no sense when people make such a big deal about the NBA at all when over half the players go broke when they retire and the average career is a couple years.

 

[Cats192]

Cal said from the moment he stepped on campus that this would be a players' first program. He said that first draft with Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, etc was the biggest night in UK history. This sort of talk is nothing new from him.

I think he's the greatest salesman in basketball today. Kids hear how much joy he gets out of them succeeding at the next level, and they want to play for that guy. He's putting your interests above his. Cal hopes that brings him the best of the best, and somewhere in there he wins some basketball games.

I think fans of other programs like to say Ca will do whatever it takes to get recruits...even say stuff like this. So, when he gets a kid, he's lying/cheating/stealing his way to the top. When the kids go pro, he doesn't care about winning.

Moreso, aren't you guys about L1C4? Don't you guys LOVE your players? You guys don't sell your souls to win. Aren't you proud when your guys succeed and advance? So, does winning suddenly matter because Cal said he puts it secondary?

 

[JC for 3]

"So, does winning suddenly matter because Cal said he puts it secondary?"

...It only 'doesn't' matter when they play UK.

 

[Steelers2012]

Cal said from the moment he stepped on campus that this would be a players' first program. He said that first draft with Wall, Cousins, Bledsoe, etc was the biggest night in UK history. This sort of talk is nothing new from him.

I think he's the greatest salesman in basketball today. Kids hear how much joy he gets out of them succeeding at the next level, and they want to play for that guy. He's putting your interests above his. Cal hopes that brings him the best of the best, and somewhere in there he wins some basketball games.

I think fans of other programs like to say Ca will do whatever it takes to get recruits...even say stuff like this. So, when he gets a kid, he's lying/cheating/stealing his way to the top. When the kids go pro, he doesn't care about winning.

Moreso, aren't you guys about L1C4? Don't you guys LOVE your players? You guys don't sell your souls to win. Aren't you proud when your guys succeed and advance? So, does winning suddenly matter because Cal said he puts it secondary?

I agree with your statement that Coach Calipari is the greatest salesman at the very least, in the game today. Him and his sales pitch is what is swaying today's best talents to UK. That is simply the reality of the current recruiting landscape. It is now up to each and every program recruiting against Coach Calipari and UK to overcome the combination of his salesmanship and history of having high NBA draft picks come from UK. That's the assignment; you know what the competition (UK) is doing, now go out and compete for recruits. Easier said than done, because the success of the UK program and their players in the NBA don't show any signs of waning anytime soon. Give credit where credit is due.

 

[balderthanu]

L1Cal7.

OK, this 1-7 record against the only coach in the history of the game to have two final fours vacated, certainly sticks in my craw like almost nothing else. But is it not true that in every single one of those games, Cal had a significant edge in talent? How did Pitino win the one? How did Coach Wonderful lose ANY games to less-talented Louisville teams? And, of course, we all know that 1-7 isn't the lifetime record for these two coaches against each other. I don't have the numbers but I'd wager Pitino had similarly dominant results against Coach Cheat when he was at UMass and Memphis State, eras when the talent discrepancy between the teams was negligible. It's kind of like the theme of this very thread. Cal's absolute domination in recruiting (through whatever means that might have taken) over the last 7 years and all he has to show for it is one title? Hell, we have one too in less tries

 

[JC for 3]

Cal is 12-9 all-time against RP as a college basketball head coach.

"But is it not true that in every single one of those games, Cal had a significant edge in talent? How did Pitino win the one?"

...recruiting is the coach's job right? How can anyone other than RP take the blame for the 'significant edge in talent'? Even so there was still a lot of talk from Card fans that their team was equal to (if not better than) UK. (ex. "Siva >Wall") ...remember that?

How did RP win the 1? His team pulled out a 3-point win (after leading by 17) at home, against a UK team known as the 'weakest' of the Cal era at UK. They went to the NIT.

 

[balderthanu]

Cal is 12-9 all-time against RP as a college basketball head coach.

"But is it not true that in every single one of those games, Cal had a significant edge in talent? How did Pitino win the one?"

...recruiting is the coach's job right? How can anyone other than RP take the blame for the 'significant edge in talent'? Even so there was still a lot of talk from Card fans that their team was equal to (if not better than) UK. (ex. "Siva >Wall") ...remember that?

How did RP win the 1? His team pulled out a 3-point win (after leading by 17) at home, against a UK team known as the 'weakest' of the Cal era at UK. They went to the NIT.

Recruiting is not on an even par. You're welcome to continue your ostrich routine about how the greatest program of all time got at best above-average recruits under Tubby and Billy Clyde and then stratospheric results with Cal (and WWW and the posse and the posse's "perks"). Fine.

Bottom line, UofL does more with less; UK does less with more.

 

[JC for 3]

"You're welcome to continue your ostrich routine about how the greatest program of all time got at best above-average recruits under Tubby and Billy Clyde and then stratospheric results with Cal (and WWW and the posse and the posse's "perks"). Fine."

....I think I'd rather just sit back and enjoy the results that Cal has achieved at UK (recruiting, a national title, 4 of the past 5 final fours, etc.) while all the while our rivals continue the mantra of accusing Cal of underhanded recruiting tactics. It's been 6 years and not an inkling of any trouble from the NCAA. Seriously....how long you going to beat that drum?

Comparing Cal's recruiting to Tubby and BG is just silly. Tubby actually did pretty well for the majority of his time at UK until tailing off near the end (Letting Rigot and Hobbs do most of the work was just devastating to his recruiting success). BG was a disaster from Day 1.

 

[balderthanu]

Again, UK does less with (a lot) more; UofL does more with less. And none of us go to sleep at night worrying about how UofL did more. I realize you are totally fine (in denial?) about how pure Cal is but I'd wager that the more honest part of your "BBN" has a fair amount of anxiety about that question.

 

[ArmyWildcat81]

Jamal Murray to UK. #1 Class.

 

[Cardiotonic]

Jamal Murray to UK. #1 Class.

WOW!!! Go hang a banner !! Another player for the NBA farm school ! LOL

 

[zipp]

...I think I'd rather just sit back and enjoy the results that Cal has achieved at UK (recruiting, a national title, 4 of the past 5 final fours, etc.)...

Make sure not to forget all of those memorable losses as well. 20-something draft picks and almost 40 losses in six seasons.

That's a lot. Two less per season than Ten-Loss Tubby averaged over his ten-year LPT career with a helluva lot fewer draft picks. Of course, that guy could coach 'em up.

"Elite program", my a$$...

 

[Cardiotonic]

Cal isn't interested in winning national titles, his greatness moments ( according to him ) at uk is how many players he can get to the NBA ..........Hmmmm OK !!! And all the blue holes are fine with that ?!!? WOW!!

 

[Cardiotonic]

The blue holes are happy as a fat pig in slop tonight LMAO

 

[JC for 3]

Nobody on this board appears to be as angry as cardio.

 

[Cardsmack29]

I could care less what uk is doiing in recruiting. All I know is we have a hell of a group of kids coming in to join a good group already on board and we will have another good group coming in next year. If something is happening down I-64E I'm too busy not giving a fudge.

 

[teamcanada]

What's funny is everybody saying Cal gets guys to the NBA. Players like Walls, Cousins, Davis etc. would be lottery picks even is the had played at Wyoming. What about the kids were regarded as lottery picks before coming to UK? The Harrison twins, Lee and others like them.

 

[JC for 3]

Lee is still there because he needs to be developed. Not sure he was ever described as a 'Lottery pick'. As for the Harrisons.... 1, possibly both will be drafted tonight. If Aaron goes undrafted as some think, he'll still do well for himself playing overseas.

 

[Cardiotonic]

Nobody on this board appears to be as angry as cardio.

Angry ? You're funny boy you know that ! LOL

 

[JC for 3]

The big, bolded print....the heavy use of exclamation points.... you sure seem angry.

 

[Cardiotonic]

The big, bolded print....the heavy use of exclamation points.... you sure seem angry.

LOL!! You are one sad clueless blue hole, clueless rube....... you keep me laughing though !

 

[Cardiotonic]

I expect and I'm looking forward to the University of Louisville to do great in all of the NCAA sports and still maintain their high level of integrity. Integrity in not only sports but in education as well as the outstanding sportsmanship of our fans .

 

[Steelers2012]

Time to lock this thread. It's become an exhibition of some of the worst in both fan bases.