Kentucky Sports Radio
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
[Moderated by Matt Jones, Drew Franklin and Tyler Thompson]
On this morning’s SEC Coaches’ Teleconference, Calipari said this team’s problem right now is that they haven’t totally “bought in” to how they have to play to win. Cal said they’re trying to please him in practice, but that there’s a lack of trust that’s holding them back from being able to rely on their teammates and finish games.
Cal cited DeAndre Liggins and Josh Harrellson as two players who “bought in” and reaped the rewards. Jorts “almost got thrown off the team before he bought in,” and when he did, he helped the Cats make a Final Four and earned a place in the NBA. Liggins bought in and it “changed his life,” evidenced by his first NBA career start last night against the Trailblazers.
What will make this group push all their chips in?
“The only thing that brings about a change is crisis. I hope it’s Texas A&M, but it might not be. We might have to get hit on the chin three or four more times.“
Let’s just hope we’ll have a postseason to play in once they get there.
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January 14th, 2013 at 12:08 pm
Nice write-up. So now we all know that Cal gets it. I think most of us bought into Calipari three years ago.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:12 pm
I heard something about a commit from a big receiver. Was this blue or another? Anyone else heard of this?
January 14th, 2013 at 12:12 pm
I know we aren’t having a good year but I guess I am still on the high of winning the national championship last year. I just can’t get upset with this team. We put 6 guys in the league last year…this is what happens. I’m still pumped!
January 14th, 2013 at 12:13 pm
Its no so much that these players dont get it. Its that they dont care. Most of these guys are only going to be here for a year and they know that win or lose they are going to be playing in the NBA. they know that they dont have to work as hard as Cal wants them too. I love my Wildcats. I was born a kentucky fan and i will die a kentucky fan. It just pains me to see such young kids playing for us that dont care or understand the tradition that is kentucky basketball and i fear that until they buy in and understand that this season will be doomed to mediocracy and failure.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:16 pm
U know what? I love my wildcats no matter what. A reloaded team? So what! Winning the ncaa last yr has me excited for several more yrs. We cant win every game or championships every yr. Its just great being a wildcat fan.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
#3 I agree. Guess we are fat and happy after winning the NC last year. That’s not a bad thing. Every once in a while, patience is required. But as for Cal’s quote that this team “might have to get hit on the chin three or four more times.”, well if that happens in the woefully weak SEC, we might be on the bubble for the NCAA tourney. Sure hope we get it figured out without taking any more hits on the chin.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:21 pm
Maybe we can dub this team as “Team Toast”
January 14th, 2013 at 12:22 pm
What I dislike more than a Duke fan, is a bad UK fan., John wooden didn’t win it all every year. I bet all the negittive people r wildly successful and never has had any challenges
January 14th, 2013 at 12:25 pm
#6, we are squarely on the bubble RIGHT NOW…our best win is against Maryland, whose RPI as of last week was 86…our RPI before the A&M loss was in the 50s….that is not the resume of a Tourney team.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:29 pm
I have been thinking about something. The reason we are the top job in the country is our fanbase and tradition. We care more, they do not compete with professional sports and we are literally born life long fans. This is a special opportunity for these kids and I am not sure they understand. Certainly you cannot appreciate the gift they have been given in a few short months. The problem is I think they may believe UK is special because of a chance of going to the NBA and to a lesser extent Cal. That is a problem for me. Anyone on this board would give anything to have had a chance to play at UK. It means something much deeper and meaningful than Draft Night. Can they learn that in one season?
January 14th, 2013 at 12:30 pm
Mrs. TT is by far the best writer on KSR.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:31 pm
@6 – it won’t take 3 or 4 more losses in the SEC to put UK on the bubble! UK is on the bubble now! Get prepared for back to back National Championships! NCAA & NIT!!!!!
January 14th, 2013 at 12:36 pm
I wish Cal would find a way to spin his ill advised marketing slogan of this will be a “players first program”. It just does not feel right. At first I stomached it because I thought it would bring in the recruits, but do we really need that? I do not know the answer but Cal using this phrase every 4 minutes along with calling that first NBA draft the greatest night in UK history is utter bs. They did not win anything and they all left after one year. That is not even close to even important much less greatest …
January 14th, 2013 at 12:38 pm
11- Beisner was way better.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:44 pm
This year’s team has no heart. “Heart” is what kicks in when you’re in a close game and you decide I’m going to destroy the player guarding me and going to lock him up on defense. This team has no pride about themselves. Losing is OK with them. Noone is flipping out about it, cursing people out, or even have an upset attitude about it in the post game questioning. Everyone walks around with their head down. The NBA is not a guarantee. The only ones playing with any type of effort are our two big men. The guards are getting killed day in and day out. It neeeds to stop.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:45 pm
13. But that draft night laid the foundation for future recruits, especially Davis. One could argue that we would have gotten him anyway, but without the UK commercial that is draft night, would we get so many talented guys? And of course, that foundation led to one NC, and maybe another next year if those guys have more heart and grit.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:47 pm
One and dones are the current formula for success. With that comes some years like this one. I’m ok with folowing the successful formula until another one comes along.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:48 pm
#16 that is a good point. Thank you. I still just get a bad taste in my mouth. I love the kids and I appreciate that they pick UK.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:52 pm
#12 I felt that way yesterday too, but after listening to the show today, I think we are just venting without thinking about where we have come from. Just think only 5 seasons ago, we were a joke, then the next year, elite 8, then final four, then ncaa champs! These kids are not like the last few teams, give ya that, but look how many loses brandon knight and jorts took and they made the final four! I have commented about waiting long enough for potential and the team to come together, NOEL has waited long enough too! Hopefully NOEL is the new Deandre Jorts Miller-Kid Gilchrist of the team and Mighty Mouse” Ryan Hsrrow” helps him fill that role. Like they said today, if we get in, even if it is a 7,8 or 9 seed, that might just be what the doctor ordered for another final four run to ‘ship #9! We will see if Noel got his crew up for the challenge tomorrow at 7pm! We just have to accept, MKG AND DAVIS ain’t wlking thru that door! It is time for the KID”RYAN” and FADE”NOEL” show to take this team over! to quote sylvester stallone…” IT AIN”T OVER TILL IT”S OVER!”
January 14th, 2013 at 12:59 pm
All true UK fans need to take a deep breath and calm down, the ul and iu fans-why are you visiting BIG Blue BROTHER”S site? Our wonderful,great coach CAL is trying to figure his team out have some patientence with this TEAM.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:00 pm
#2 it is 4 star JUCO transfer Javess Blue. He is a WILDCAT OFFICALLY! STOOPS BRINGIN’ THEM IN LIKE CAL!
and he can play this year!!
January 14th, 2013 at 1:27 pm
I wish I understood what he meant by “buys in”. Nerlens leaves everything on the floor. WCS hustles but has hands of stone, and just seems to lack fundamentals such as good box out technique. I remember he followed Elston to the three point line last game, then turned around and went into the paint leaving him wide open for a three that he nailed. Wiltjer looks afraid to shoot now, and that probably stems fromn the Cal rage fests and frequent benchings for missed shots. Archie just cannot pull up before charging, and is a poor outside shooter. Poythress has been such a dominant physical specimen his whole life that effort wasn’t something he had to give. I doubt any AAU coach got on his case for lack of effort. From what I have read from nuermous coaches and scouts, the hardest thing to instill in a player is the desire to give full effort. I’m not sure Cal CAN change Poythress. So there are the issues, but I don’t see any player WILLFULLY saying “F U coach, I’m doing it my way”. The effort form the team has gone up noriceably across the board from earlier in the year. Maybe I’m wrong. Is there a player who truly isn’t doing the things he’s asked to do? I don’t mean, not trying to do the things like box out, I mean just not doing them because they “don’t buy in”? I just don’t see it.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:29 pm
#19 – amen bro. Finally good to see some mature posters here who get it. We are good at the two most crucial and toughest to fill spots on the floor, namely point guard and interior defense/center. Now if we could get some good wing play and consistent back side rebounding, something that this teamn SHOULD be able to do come March, then this team could make a deep tourney run. We looked VERY good for the first 30 minutes against Vandy.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:29 pm
“Buying in” has nothing to do with it. These kids just aren’t good, accurate, consistent shooters. They miss A LOT of layups too.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:43 pm
I’m not completely convinced the kids are trying. I think right now they do not know what to do while on the floor and have no confidence to do anything. They look lost and afraid. In my opinion they are playing worse now than they were at the beginning of the season. I lay that in large degree at the feet of the coaches. Give them a system that will work for them, based on the skill set they possess. Then instill some confifence in them. Personally. it looks like instead of breaking Poythress down to build him back, Cal has simply broken him. I’m not really impatient with the players. I feel bad for them. They do not look like they know what to do and are getting more and mroe frustrated. Maybe they don’t know what to buy in to. I’ve seen as many coaching mistakes in games this year as I have player mistakes.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:43 pm
sorry, should have read “not trying” in first sentence
January 14th, 2013 at 1:49 pm
just heard alex is not in the mock drafts at all this week! is this what AP needs? nothing motivates more than MONEY!! Will we need RANDLE OR WIGGINS IF STEIN OR AP stays?
January 14th, 2013 at 1:51 pm
Good lord, I’d hate to be a member on this team and have to hear the “belly aching fans” every time something doesn’t go well. Am I happy we’ve lost 5 games this year? No, but I expected to be down somewhat from last year after losing our top 6 guys. AND, I don’t blame any of them for leaving. I’d love to be making the money they are right now.
Listen, 5 years ago, Kentucky (and it’s fans) would have been thrilled to death just to be mentioned as a decent team again while under BCG. Then after hiring Calipari, we asked him to make us relevant again. His first year, we make the Elite 8. His next year, we make the Final 4. His third year, we win a NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP….A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP IN HIS 3RD YEAR!!!!!! PLEASEEE, GO BACK A READ THAT LAST STATEMENT AGAIN IF IT DIDN’T SINK IN ALL THE WAY! Every men’s college basketball internet page has something about Kentucky on it somewhere. We are ALWAYS mentioned when talking about the best programs in the nation and like Coach says, “WE ARE THE GOLD STANDARD”.
Saying that, if you don’t like being a team capable of a title year in, year out, and all you can do is fuss and complain during the dips in the road, go be a dang Louisville fan. I’m sure they would take as many as they can get since they are few and far between. All I know is last year, you didn’t hear anybody complaining when our team was winning 38 games. Shut your mouth and enjoy the ride folks.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:52 pm
We start four kids that are about 18 year old and were in High School 6-7 months ago! They’re not mature physicaly or mentally, and we’re seeing them abused by older players on the other teams. That’s a chance you take with relying on Freshmen. We were just fortunate to have some outstanding kids – and some physical specimens – the last three years. Compare the bodies of Teague and Harrow, Miller and Mays, and Jones and Wiltjer or WCS. These guys will get better, although their ceiling probably isn’t as high as te previous teams due to that lack of physicality.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:59 pm
Coach Cal should stop worrying about wins this year and use the bench not just for a few minutes teaching lesson but for GAMES if players don’t respond. Coach this team like he would coach a team with 10-11 players not 6-7. Does anyone think Alex would be playing much less starting if he was on last year’s team or next year’s team? Anybody think Goodwin, after one of his acrobatic attempts, wouldn’t be watching instead of attempting the next out of control move last year or next year?
I know most of BBN would be up in arms but these problems need fixing and not 3-4 minute bandaids. If the bench don’t fix the problem then the problem ain’t going to be fixed.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:26 pm
We don’t have a bench. How quickly do you think the game would get out of control with Polston, Twaney, Hood, and the walkons playing big minutes.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:42 pm
Wouldn’t you like to find out if that is the fix! Talented players know if no one can challenge them for time then take a few plays off because the coach can’t afford to but in the less talented players. I would let everyone know that if the talent takes off plays then sit the bench and watch the bench play.
31. Think the NCAA cares if you lose by 12 or 20 at home despite who’s playing for your team!
Right now the bench is the last option and I would like to know this year if that would solve the problem and not wait till next year.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:49 pm
Hood being able to play will help us…
January 14th, 2013 at 3:03 pm
Maybe all the 5-stars except Noel should go “ET” and “Call Home” and see what Mom and Dad thinks?
January 14th, 2013 at 3:32 pm
#25 – I agree. Cal’s approach with Poythress seems to be “The beatings shall continue until moral improves”. His rage fests on the side lines are unexcusable and counter productive. Now we have a lot of players with low confidence. That helps a lot, doesn’t it?