The House of Blue

I think 3rd time last 10 years this has happened to defending champ, down years happen, this could help long term as experience. There will be a bounce back next year, Cal owns recruiting until someone can dethrone him.

It's actually the 3rd time in the last 6 years that a defending champion has not made the tourney the following year. Florida in 2008, North Carolina in 2010 and Kentucky in 2013.

I don't think it does either. In fact, Cal can use this in recruiting and coaching to his benefit. He now has a great example of what happens when his players don't listen to him.

All that is being said about the pieces already in place are true for next year. The question won't be answered until we see how recruiting goes over the next 6 to 12 months.

Land Randle and/or Wiggins, and the early signs are this season is nothing more than a mild bump in the road. Lose them both, and the focus must shift to the 2014 class, which has not begun to emerge yet in public view, but Karl Towns has already committed in that class, and Calipari is well positioned with the majority of the elite players in that high school class. By next November, this question will be answered in clear terms, and I fully expect that the Beat Goes On.

I don't think it affects kids desire to play at UK in the least. Cals body of work out shines one NIT bid. Chris had that article where Cal was hinting to a recruit that he may change his philosophy however. Also if Goodwin and Poythress are back it'll be the first time that guys like the twins and Young committed when they likely expected the freshman ahead of them to be gone. So maybe that'll encourage some kids to wait a little longer before deciding. So maybe this season could change things a little, but we're still gonna land top talent and top talent will want to play here.

Why would it have any affect on recruiting?

IT will change how Cal recruits a tad. He will target more guys and I think he will be more diligent in his evaluations of the character of these guys regarding will to win. I don't think we know for sure until we see what Archie, Alex, and Willie do.

This. Cal will now fill out the end of the roster (2-4 players) with hawkins type kids. If we had anthony hickey or somebody like him on this team we probably aren't having this conversation. What we don't know is what had to be promised to Teague to get him to commit. Did we have to promise we wouldn't recruit another pg? Those are the things we'll never really know.