Rupp

[UT IE 95]

UK went 32-3 last season, won the SEC and SEC tourny..and with all freshmen. The year before they were in the NIT. Cal is a solid coach, you cant coach the kids to shoot well.

If UK is reduced to measuring success based on SEC wins, you should be in good shape. Based on talent alone, he'll win plenty of conference games.

At one time though, the big blue measured success with National Championships. Those take coaching to capture, which is where Cal regularly stubs his toe with the most talented teams. Case in point - last year. You had an NBA roster that was eliminated from the tournament in the same round as a UT team without one NBA prospect.

 

[Judge_Smails]

If UK is reduced to measuring success based on SEC wins, you should be in good shape. Based on talent alone, he'll win plenty of conference games.

At one time though, the big blue measured success with National Championships. Those take coaching to capture, which is where Cal regularly stubs his toe with the most talented teams. Case in point - last year. You had an NBA roster that was eliminated from the tournament in the same round as a UT team without one NBA prospect.

Upsets happen. Kansas and UK were the two best teams in the country last season and neither made it the final four. The majority of the time, the best team doesnt win the title. All it takes is a team to get hot from outside and they can beat anyone. Luck plays a lot bigger part in the tourny than people think.
As for titles in UK...Cal will win one on the next few years. People tend to forget that winning the whole thing is tough. Coach K is considered the best college coach in the country, and he's only averaging one every 9 years....and people are ready to give up on Cal.

 

[misplacedfan#1]

Yeah, cause coach K as actually won a title. CAl hasn't and nor do I think he ever will. He had an unbelievable team last year. Hell, all of them went in the draft. He couldn't win the title then and isn't going to win one this year or the next.

 

[Judge_Smails]

Yeah, cause coach K as actually won a title. CAl hasn't and nor do I think he ever will. He had an unbelievable team last year. Hell, all of them went in the draft. He couldn't win the title then and isn't going to win one this year or the next.

You cant base a decision off one season, especially that being his first. UK had a ton of talent, but nobody could shoot worth a damn. No, UK will not win it this year, but next season they'll have a better team than last years...they'll have a pretty good shot. They'll be more talent on one team than the 1990 UNLV team.

 

[UT IE 95]

You cant base a decision off one season, especially that being his first. UK had a ton of talent, but nobody could shoot worth a damn. No, UK will not win it this year, but next season they'll have a better team than last years...they'll have a pretty good shot. They'll be more talent on one team than the 1990 UNLV team.

The old, just wait till next year, argument. Works every time.

 

[JZVOL]

Talent and experience wins titles, not just good coaching. You can be the best coach in the world but if you don't have talent with experience you won't win titles.

I can't think of a team that's won a national title depending on multiple freshman in the starting lineup.

 

[Judge_Smails]

The old, just wait till next year, argument. Works every time.

They have the #1 player coming in from every position, along with the returning players from this year. Thats a better class than last seasons, and last seasons wasnt too bad.

 

[Judge_Smails]

Talent and experience wins titles, not just good coaching. You can be the best coach in the world but if you don't have talent with experience you won't win titles.

I can't think of a team that's won a national title depending on multiple freshman in the starting lineup.

And I cant think of a team that even has multiple freshman in a starting lineup. Out of the 50 top programs in America, no team in the country recruits like Cal does. So basing a decision on whether UK could win it all, just on one season seems a bit premature, doesnt it? If they havent in 10 years, then the argument is legit.

 

[Hardwood_fanatic]

Next year will be a better shot than last year, and I don't think its that much of an argument. Yes, there were 5 draft picks last season. Two of them rode the hype of the other three into the league, and two of them have already been sent down to D-leagues. Next years class with the addition of Lamb, Liggins, Miller, and possibly Knight and Kanter (if ruled eligible for next season) will be a favorite. It will end up being Cal's best chance to win a title at UK, not last season.

But as always, a one and done tournament is never predictable. Thats why they play the games.

 

[misplacedfan#1]

All I am saying is that you can win 30 games every year and no title at the end and those wins mean nothing. And everytime he does get there it gets vacated because he runs a dirty program.

 

[Judge_Smails]

All I am saying is that you can win 30 games every year and no title at the end and those wins mean nothing. And everytime he does get there it gets vacated because he runs a dirty program.

He runs a dirty program? Funny..

Winning 30 games a year does mean something, it gives you the opportunity to win a title, and thats all UK wants. Nothing is guaranteed, but its about the possibility of winning it all....and with Cal, the possibility is pretty good.

 

[UT IE 95]

He runs a dirty program? Funny..

Winning 30 games a year does mean something, it gives you the opportunity to win a title, and thats all UK wants. Nothing is guaranteed, but its about the possibility of winning it all....and with Cal, the possibility is pretty good.

How many years has Cal been a head coach? How many times has he "won it all"?

You do know he's run the little one-&-done turnstile game before, right?

So how are figuring your "possibilities are pretty good"?

 

[Escape Goat]

And I cant think of a team that even has multiple freshman in a starting lineup. Out of the 50 top programs in America, no team in the country recruits like Cal does. So basing a decision on whether UK could win it all, just on one season seems a bit premature, doesnt it? If they havent in 10 years, then the argument is legit.

:snoring:

 

[misplacedfan#1]

He runs a dirty program? Funny..

Winning 30 games a year does mean something, it gives you the opportunity to win a title, and thats all UK wants. Nothing is guaranteed, but its about the possibility of winning it all....and with Cal, the possibility is pretty good.

What would it matter if he does win it all, if that ever happens which I don't think it will, if you have to turn around and vacate everything. Yeah those players made it to the league but they took a crap on the school and Cal. But would you care if you knew you were only there for one year?

 

[Judge_Smails]

How many years has Cal been a head coach? How many times has he "won it all"?

You do know he's run the little one-&-done turnstile game before, right?

So how are figuring your "possibilities are pretty good"?

Last year was his first year as a head coach at a major program. He took an NIT team and turned it into a title contender overnight. Who'd be upset at that?

The one and done stuff is normal for top programs. Kansas and UNC have it every year, too, and they've won a few titles in the last 10 years. Losing as many as he did last season wont be the norm. Look at this year, I'm not too sure he'll lose anyone.

The possibility of winning it all is greater when the program is a title contender, and thats what UK is with Cal as head coach. What would be the alternative? Hire a Tubby Smith type again and just try to break into the sweet 16 every year? I'll take an aggressive recruiter with a fast pace style anyday of the week over 99% of the coaches available right now.