The House of Blue

If by terrible you mean Elite 8, Final 4, and a National Championship ill take it every day of the week and twice on Sunday...for the first time our freshman are playing like FRESHMAN, and it hasn't looked pretty at times but it doesn't always click the same ways with kids...oh and by the way we have 5 McDonalds All-Americans coming in next year...its gonna be ok

I don't like to bash people for opinions. But this is a pretty bad one. I defy you to tell me that you'd turn away Davis and MKG because they wanted to go pro after one season. Do you not have them on your team? Do you recruit lesser talent? If you would turn Davis and MKG away in order to avoid this "one and gone" thing you're talking about, not only are you a fool, but you're a fool without any championships.

Recruit the best. The rest sorts itself out. We are in an off year to say the least. I just want to make the tournament this year and end somewhat respectably. Then, come on down Wiggins, join the class and watch next year's "one and gones" go all the way to another Final 4 and championship.

Totally agree Derek.

Just some food for thought ... what if Doron Lamb & Marquis Teague would have stayed? We would have MUCH better back court play, better leadership and increased scoring. I am not begrudging Lamb or Teague for going pro last year, but this year's team would look very different if those that could have used one more year would have stayed around.

While I agree with your assessment, look what Cal has done with Hood. He was a highly regarded 4 star talent that never sees the floor. I know he has had issues with his knee and Mono, but apparently he is doing well in practices now. He should have been getting 5-8 minutes a game since the league games started to spell our freshmen and gain some confidence. The fact that he got 2 offensive rebound put backs at UT was a sign that he can play to a certain niche for this team. With Noel's injury though, he will probably play a lot more than he should and will get exposed from time to time until he figures it out under the big lights.

I agree 100%. I don't think that anyone is saying that you turn away the best players, but it obvious that you need a mix of some experience and the oad talent. This is Cal's first team at UK without that returning talent and leadership and we're seeing the results. I think it's important to find that mix.

BlueGhost, I agree with your analysis. I add that when Coach Calipari recruits these kids each year, he is crystal clear that UK is not for everyone, and if a player wants to be the big fish in the pond, UK is probably not for him, but if the player wants to sacrifice for the team, he can be a part of something very special. He also has the object lessons of success to demonstrate how it works:

1. Anthony Davis took the 5th most shots on his team, and earned the #1 pick.
2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist took the 4th most shots on his team, and earned the #2 pick
3. Josh Harrellson changed his work ethic and transformed from a space heater into a NBA draft pick
4. Darius Miller agreed to help his team by coming off the bench after starting 2 seasons and transformed his stock from undraftable to a draft selection.

On and on, Coach Calipari can rattle off these object lessons to the recruits. For some reason, this group either did not hear the message, did not understand the message, or did not believe the message. For me, the message delivery is proven effective, therefore, the issue is one of comprehension and commitment.

He can now point to some object lessons about what happens when players come into this system intent upon being the big fish rather than the one of a team who all think team first. I read elsewhere that the recruits, the opposing coaches, etc. are watching how Coach Calipari handles this situation with this group, finishing this season. Perhaps they are, but for me, it all boils down to how he modifies and delivers his basic message to the next group of top recruits in the 2014 class. We will not know the answer to that question for another year or so.

You know coach Cal has talked a whole lot about loving your teammates this year. That could be a clear sign that the guys on this team just simply don't get along. We didn't have to worry about that with Cal's first 3 teams. They sold out for each other. This team on the other hand just doesn't seem as close. It may be because we lack a true leader on and off the court. But it may be just that the personalities on this team don't mesh. To many of the same types of personalities.