Name Another NCAA Basketball Coach That Has Done Less With More Than Calipari

[Creo]

Just stunning the talent he has collected for the last 15 years and has one championship to show for it. He should thank the heavens each night that Anthony Davis played on a team he was called the coach of at UK. He'd be ringless without him.

This UK team has a very small chance to make noise in the NCAA Tournament. They are athletic, but not physical. Cal's best teams have been his most physical teams. This team is weak and does not defend well. A second Sweet Sixteen flameout in as many years plus this loss will leave the blue people grumbling all offseason.

 

[BringBackRoyal]

Well, experience matters. Calipari is pure sleaze, but he does an outstanding job, given the youth and roster turnover he deals with every year.

Even if he was a massive underachiever as a coach, which he isn't, there are only two schools that wouldn't kill for the success that Kentucky has had under Calipari.

 

[Creo]

..that wouldn't kill for the success that Kentucky has had under Calipari.

What success? Dominating an intramural basketball league in the SEC? They have a ten week bye from now until the NCAA.

He builds his roster a certain way. He chooses to do it in a way that devalues experience. That's on him. It is stunning to look at the numbers being put up in the NBA by players who he could not even get to a Final Four. Cousins, Wall and Bledsoe on one team, and not even a Final Four. You could dig Adolph Rupp up and sit him on the sideline Weekend at Bernie's style and make a Final Four with that group.

 

[CardMonarch]

Bill self has to be close

 

[CardFanBudMan]

Dean Smith is the winner in the clubhouse, but Calipari is making his move.

 

[JohnKBA]

Smith spent 35 years at a blue blood school littered with NBA hall of famers that actually stayed in school and won 2 titles. Calipari has spent 8 years at one with a revolving door of freshmen (yes, I understand that's his own choice) and has one title. I think the latter is more impressive myself.

 

[CardFanBudMan]

Smith spent 35 years at a blue blood school littered with NBA hall of famers that actually stayed in school and won 2 titles. Calipari has spent 8 years at one with a revolving door of freshmen (yes, I understand that's his own choice) and has one title. I think the latter is more impressive myself.

I think Cal could cure cancer but he can still kiss my ass.

 

[JohnKBA]

I think Cal could cure cancer but he can still kiss my ass.

That's fair, you're supposed to hate the guy. Makes the rivalry better IMO.

I wonder who the next generation of this rivalry is gonna be? CRP and Calipari don't have that many years left in them I wouldn't think.

 

[LouisvilleKid79]

This UK team has a very small chance to make noise in the NCAA Tournament. They are athletic, but not physical. Cal's best teams have been his most physical teams. This team is weak and does not defend well. A second Sweet Sixteen flameout in as many years plus this loss will leave the blue people grumbling all offseason.

That's fair, you're supposed to hate the guy. Makes the rivalry better IMO.

I wonder who the next generation of this rivalry is gonna be? CRP and Calipari don't have that many years left in them I wouldn't think.

Billy Donovan for the Cards. The Thunder will fall apart here soon. He is on the shortlist.

 

[clearthebases]

Really surprised how bad a defensive team KY has. 1st time watched them play. Looked like all those 5 star burger boys were playing for the NBA scouts instead of the name on the front. They could not even defend the pick and roll.

 

[Louisvillian]

Nobody

 

[Creo]

Really surprised how bad a defensive team KY has.

They won't improve as much as his teams normally do either. Rail thin backcourt that's way more excited about scoring than winning. A team with a decent level of physicality will hammer them into submission. They are no threat to a championship this year. You can safely discount their chances.

 

[Cue Card]

I can't stand Calipari the man, but I respect his ability to coach the game of basketball. I can't say he has done less with more without taking under consideration the massive roster turnover from year to year. He's a great recruiter (above board or not) and his in game coaching decisions has improved over the years.

 

[Kratz]

IMO it's the SEC that hurts UK. They have more talent than everybody else in most given years. They play a decent OOC schedule, but then the SEC sets in and they're lucky if they play 2 ranked teams for the remainder of the year.

You have to take that talent and hone it against good competition. They don't get that opportunity. They don't face adversity, close games, etc. Those are the things that shape a team for March.

Not Cals fault that the rest of the SEC sucks, just how it is. But I do think it puts them at a disadvantage in March when it comes down to the elite 8 level. The great team that was supposed to go 40-0 lost to a tested Big 10 team. That tested Big 10 team then lost to a tested ACC team.

 

[JohnKBA]

I can't stand Calipari the man, but I respect his ability to coach the game of basketball. I can't say he has done less with more without taking under consideration the massive roster turnover from year to year. He's a great recruiter (above board or not) and his in game coaching decisions has improved over the years.

That being said, CRP schooled him last night. The pick and roll ate us up and we never adjusted for it.

As Calipari said after the game - we aren't good enough or experienced enough right now to go on the road against a top 10 team and win. Hopefully we will learn from it.

Merry Christmas guys! Enjoy the rest of your week.

 

[LouisvilleKid79]

They won't improve as much as his teams normally do either. Rail thin backcourt that's way more excited about scoring than winning. A team with a decent level of physicality will hammer them into submission. They are no threat to a championship this year. You can safely discount their chances.

Agree with most of this. They will improve for sure.

If I was a UK fan, I would be concerned with a few things that are glaring. I could do the same for the Cards. You could do this with all teams to be fair.

The inability of their guards to guard off the bounce, inability to defend the pick and roll and their half-court offense. The pick and roll is hard to defend because you can defend it in a multitude of ways, but it requires discipline and proper rotation in defense. There is reason why you see a lot of pick and roll in the NBA.

You cannot or it is going to be difficult winning and getting through the tournament on transition offense alone. Look at UNC (transition team) in the years they have won it or made deep runs in the tourney they could execute fairly well in the half-court.

Limit the transition buckets, make them a jump shooting team (take your chances on percentages), attack them off the dribble.

If they develop an offense, play better D and develop or get more from their bench utilizing Mulder and Willis, they could be a serious problem. They will improve and get better.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

Rick Barnes says hi.

 

[BringBackRoyal]

What success?

Rightly or wrongly, most people regard making Final Fours as one of the most prestigious accomplishments in college basketball. Pretty sure he has more than anyone else during his time at UK.

Feel free to provide the long list of schools that wouldn't trade their accomplishments since 2009 with UK.

He builds his roster a certain way. He chooses to do it in a way that devalues experience. That's on him.

And no one said otherwise.

It is stunning to look at the numbers being put up in the NBA by players who he could not even get to a Final Four.

Players tend to improve quite a bit after their freshman seasons. As I said, experience matters.

 

[ACCCard]

What would Pitino have done with all that talent? I think we all know the answer to that question.

 

[zipp]

Rightly or wrongly, most people regard making Final Fours as one of the most prestigious accomplishments in college basketball. Pretty sure he has more than anyone else during his time at UK.

Feel free to provide the long list of schools that wouldn't trade their accomplishments since 2009 with UK...

The problem with that logic is you're at an apex, for sure as far as talent. There has never been a parade of blue-chip talent thru one school in history as there has been at LPT this decade. That will end when Pitino Lite leaves.

You will probably get a better coach, but you won't get a better recruiter. Better hope he somehow gets another championship while you have this opportunity.

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

 

[BringBackRoyal]

The problem with that logic is you're at an apex, for sure as far as talent.

That's not even minimally responsive to anything I've said, much less indicative of any "problem" with anything I've said.

And I'm not a UK fan. That should have been clear when I said Calipari was "pure sleaze."

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

There are two programs that wouldn't trade their accomplishments since 2009 with Kentucky's (and one of the two hasn't been nearly as consistently good as UK). That makes UK elite by definition.

 

[hubble88]

Agree with most of this. They will improve for sure.

If I was a UK fan, I would be concerned with a few things that are glaring. I could do the same for the Cards. You could do this with all teams to be fair.

The inability of their guards to guard off the bounce, inability to defend the pick and roll and their half-court offense. The pick and roll is hard to defend because you can defend it in a multitude of ways, but it requires discipline and proper rotation in defense. There is reason why you see a lot of pick and roll in the NBA.

You cannot or it is going to be difficult winning and getting through the tournament on transition offense alone. Look at UNC (transition team) in the years they have won it or made deep runs in the tourney they could execute fairly well in the half-court.

Limit the transition buckets, make them a jump shooting team (take your chances on percentages), attack them off the dribble.

If they develop an offense, play better D and develop or get more from their bench utilizing Mulder and Willis, they could be a serious problem. They will improve and get better.

 

[Louisvillian]

There are two programs that wouldn't trade their accomplishments since 2009 with Kentucky's (and one of the two hasn't been nearly as consistently good as UK). That makes UK elite by definition.

That's not what this thread was about. it's not about what schools would trade accomplishments with UK since Calipari has been there, it's about how 1 National Title and 1 NIT appearance in 7 years while having 4-6 NBA draft picks on your team every season is underachieving, or not.

You said you didn't think Cal has been a massive underachiever. I agree, not massive and the job he (or John Robic) did during the 2014 Tourney run was impressive.

In the spirit of the OP, I do believe his teams have not been as successful as all that ridiculous talent would warrant. Recruiting: A+, Coaching: C+.

Happy Holidays

 

[valley St. Card]

Pastner comes to mind. Did I spell that right?

 

[Cardinal Cash]

Leonard Hamilton at FSU comes to mind. He has been recruiting on an elite level on and off for a while now and rarely makes the tournament. Just a horrible X's and O's guy. Seems levelheaded and classy, but for some reason can't seem to take his teams loaded with 4 and 5 star talent to the next level.

 

[Mayoman]

At the risk of riling up BBN....I would put both Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton in the hat for underachievers considering the talent they massed and what they were unable to achieve with it.

Was there ever a worse melt down the uk-G-Town game in which the cats suffered a total 2nd half meltdown and were outscored something like 33-6 or such in the NCAA-T? Took along time for my cat fan buddies to explain that one away.

 

[gocds]

At the risk of riling up BBN....I would put both Joe B. Hall and Eddie Sutton in the hat for underachievers considering the talent they massed and what they wee unable to achieve with it.

Was there ever a worse melt down the uk-G-Town game in which the cats suffered a total 2nd half meltdown and were outscored something like 33-6 or such in the NCAA-T? Took along time for my cat fan buddies to explain that one away.

And what about the year they lost to Middle TN and blamed it on a lack of "electrolytes". Yeah, they were going to have to face us in the next game. Drink some damn gatorade.

GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!

 

[bobby elvis]

What would Pitino have done with all that talent? I think we all know the answer to that question.

Let's hear it. Why has he only won title at UL? Shouldn't the best coach in the NCAA win at least every 5 years?

 

[Louisvillian]

Let's hear it. Why has he only won title at UL? Shouldn't the best coach in the NCAA win at least every 5 years?

Elvis, you were something back in the day. Coaching ability was at the heart of this thread. Bless your heart.

 

[zipp]

Updated numbers from Rivals through the 2016 recruiting class. Pictures speak for themselves...

U of L is in the group of 8 tied with 2 signees.

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

 

[ThroughBlue]

Do final fours count for nothing?

 

[Cue Card]

Do final fours count for nothing?

Yes, except for the vacated final 4's. It's as if they never happened.

 

[bobby elvis]

Elvis, you were something back in the day. Coaching ability was at the heart of this thread. Bless your heart.

Exactly, that's why I asked the question.

 

[bobby elvis]

Do final fours count for nothing?

That doesn't fit the argument. Neither do National runner up. You have to win it all to count. Apparently this standard is only for Cal since K, Izzo, Roy and Self aren't held to the same question. If you have the most talent, you automatically should win every single year according to this logic.

 

[gocds]

BE your coach is known for rolling out the ball instead of actually coaching. Whatever they've learned was at the HS level.

GO CARDS - BEAT EVERYBODY!!! God Bless America!!!

 

[Cue Card]

Apparently this standard is only for Cal since K, Izzo, Roy and Self aren't held to the same question

Actually most look at Self and Calipari as two peas in a pod. Both have ridiculous amounts of talent each year, yet 2 titles between the two.

Can't really put Izzo in that group since he isn't getting top 3 recruiting classes every year. At least Roy has 2 titles so he removed himself from the list. Coach K has 5 titles. He as many as Calipari, Self, Izzo, and Williams combined. Not sure why you even mentioned him.

 

[bobby elvis]

Actually most look at Self and Calipari as two peas in a pod. Both have ridiculous amounts of talent each year, yet 2 titles between the two.

Can't really put Izzo in that group since he isn't getting top 3 recruiting classes every year. At least Roy has 2 titles so he removed himself from the list. Coach K has 5 titles. He as many as Calipari, Self, Izzo, and Williams combined. Not sure why you even mentioned him.

Because the way this theory works is that Cal somehow buys players and just rolls a ball out there. I've never understood that one. So shouldn't a coach like Pitno win at least more than one in 10 yrs? I mean according to this theory, you just show up and win based off of how good a coach you are. No mention of luck

 

[zipp]

Do final fours count for nothing?

Sure they do...

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

 

[Creo]

Updated numbers from Rivals through the 2016 recruiting class. Pictures speak for themselves...

U of L is in the group of 8 tied with 2 signees.

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

Devastating graph. Numerically addresses the point of this post. Also proves that the answer is that no one has done less with more. Every time I see the ESPN ticker showing Anthony Davis putting up other worldly numbers in the NBA I am reminded of just how big a talent gap Calipari needs to compete with basketball coaches.

 

[ULarder]

The problem I would have if I were a UK fan is with how Cal builds his teams, not his coaching ability. Every year he brings in a whole new team comprised of freshmen. To his credit, he sometimes gets these children playing well enough to have a shot at the Final 4 by the end of the season. But why put your fans through that every year. Why not try to build a team with enough experience and shooters to win 6 in a row against the tournament field. The way Cal tries to do it basically requires that he have the best freshman at every position and then they have to be playing like a junior by the end of the year.