Notre Dame coach pokes a little fun at Kentucky schedule

The UK non-conference basketball schedule this season has not been significantly different from the non-conference basketball schedule over the previous 19 years (2002-2019). One measure of a non-conference schedule is the aggregate strength of the non-conference schedule. Of course, no two schedules are identical, so the strength of the non-conference schedule will vary year to year, and would vary even if each year’s schedule included the same mix of teams and venues. Furthmore, this span of seasons, 2002 through 2019 and 2022 belong to coaches Smith, Gillispie, and Calipari.
The three weakest non-conference schedules belong to Tubby (2005) and Gillispie (2008 and 2009), not Calipari. Furthermore, Calipari claims 2 of the 3 toughest non-conference schedules, but both of these occurred in the first 2 years of his reign here. Since about 2014, the schedule has taken the form we see now, and this year’s SOS is not significantly different from the SOS between 2015 and 2019. Therefore, the weakness of the schedule should not be an excuse for a team’s poor play, or the reason for a team’s good play against the upper crust of college basketball.
There have been many suggestions, especially this season, that these cupcake games are there to prepare a team for what is coming. However, that also is not the case. What prepares a team for what is to come is practice and coaching. These games are show and tell time for a team, not preparation time. A well-prepared team, a well-coached team will consume these cupcakes in short order, without any regard to who the opponent is or what the opponents’ rank or reputation is. A team takes the floor for show and tell, and shows its fans, and the basketball world, what type of team it is.
Well, when an opponent is clearly weaker, as have been each of UK’s opponents since Duke (including Notre Dame), a clearly superior team beats them by playing its game as efficiently as it can.
I believe that is exactly what this team has done. It has played this schedule as efficiently as it can. Therefore, these “show and tell” exercises lead to a conclusion that this team is not nearly as strong as many want to believe.
Through 9 games, UK’s efficiency has been good enough to rank #35, which is not in the top 15, top 10, top 5, or best in the land. #35. However, there is an essential footnote to this situation. UK’s efficiency is at #35 today, and it is falling. It is falling like a rock through water. UK has been less efficient in each of the last 3 games than it had been in its previous game. It is not the W’s and the L’s against this type of schedule that matter but the efficiency of play. UK is on a 3-game losing streak with regard to its efficiency of play.
Like a broken record, I will continue to skip back and repeat my warnings.
1) UK’s program has been slipping since 2015, and 2022 will be a continuation of that slippage
2) This team will lose double digit games (A condition that ultimately sent Tubby Smith on his way after becoming Ten Loss Tubby.
3) This team will not win the SEC, and will not earn a double bye into the SEC Tournament’s quarterfinal round
4) This team will have an early exit from the NCAA, and if Calipari does not stop this current plunge soon, this team risks a season ending loss in the NIT.
Calipari is the head coach, and this programmatic decline falls is on him. It is not the players who are failing, it is Calipari who has failed the BBN.
In my opinion, he does not view his performance here as anything but great and when pressed he always reverts to the same lecture about players first, and these kids’ realizing dreams that change lives. I am all for any person who can realize dreams and change lives for the better. To criticize what Calipari has done to this program does not equate to a disdain for those individual successes. That is a common tactic used to stifle conversation and especially criticism.
His players first philosophy puts the program’s health and success too far down the priority list, especially for the man who is paid millions to protect the health and success of this program.
His priorities are all wrong. He must go!!!!

7 Responses

TheProfessor says:

December 13, 2021 at 9:02 am

The UK non-conference basketball schedule this season has not been significantly different from the non-conference basketball schedule over the previous 19 years (2002-2019). One measure of a non-conference schedule is the aggregate strength of the non-conference schedule. Of course, no two schedules are identical, so the strength of the non-conference schedule will vary year to year, and would vary even if each year’s schedule included the same mix of teams and venues. Furthmore, this span of seasons, 2002 through 2019 and 2022 belong to coaches Smith, Gillispie, and Calipari.
The three weakest non-conference schedules belong to Tubby (2005) and Gillispie (2008 and 2009), not Calipari. Furthermore, Calipari claims 2 of the 3 toughest non-conference schedules, but both of these occurred in the first 2 years of his reign here. Since about 2014, the schedule has taken the form we see now, and this year’s SOS is not significantly different from the SOS between 2015 and 2019. Therefore, the weakness of the schedule should not be an excuse for a team’s poor play, or the reason for a team’s good play against the upper crust of college basketball.
There have been many suggestions, especially this season, that these cupcake games are there to prepare a team for what is coming. However, that also is not the case. What prepares a team for what is to come is practice and coaching. These games are show and tell time for a team, not preparation time. A well-prepared team, a well-coached team will consume these cupcakes in short order, without any regard to who the opponent is or what the opponents’ rank or reputation is. A team takes the floor for show and tell, and shows its fans, and the basketball world, what type of team it is.
Well, when an opponent is clearly weaker, as have been each of UK’s opponents since Duke (including Notre Dame), a clearly superior team beats them by playing its game as efficiently as it can.
I believe that is exactly what this team has done. It has played this schedule as efficiently as it can. Therefore, these “show and tell” exercises lead to a conclusion that this team is not nearly as strong as many want to believe.
Through 9 games, UK’s efficiency has been good enough to rank #35, which is not in the top 15, top 10, top 5, or best in the land. #35. However, there is an essential footnote to this situation. UK’s efficiency is at #35 today, and it is falling. It is falling like a rock through water. UK has been less efficient in each of the last 3 games than it had been in its previous game. It is not the W’s and the L’s against this type of schedule that matter but the efficiency of play. UK is on a 3-game losing streak with regard to its efficiency of play.
Like a broken record, I will continue to skip back and repeat my warnings.
1) UK’s program has been slipping since 2015, and 2022 will be a continuation of that slippage
2) This team will lose double digit games (A condition that ultimately sent Tubby Smith on his way after becoming Ten Loss Tubby.
3) This team will not win the SEC, and will not earn a double bye into the SEC Tournament’s quarterfinal round
4) This team will have an early exit from the NCAA, and if Calipari does not stop this current plunge soon, this team risks a season ending loss in the NIT.
Calipari is the head coach, and this programmatic decline falls is on him. It is not the players who are failing, it is Calipari who has failed the BBN.
In my opinion, he does not view his performance here as anything but great and when pressed he always reverts to the same lecture about players first, and these kids’ realizing dreams that change lives. I am all for any person who can realize dreams and change lives for the better. To criticize what Calipari has done to this program does not equate to a disdain for those individual successes. That is a common tactic used to stifle conversation and especially criticism.
His players first philosophy puts the program’s health and success too far down the priority list, especially for the man who is paid millions to protect the health and success of this program.
His priorities are all wrong. He must go!!!!
uk1996champs says:

December 13, 2021 at 9:38 pm

Didn’t Cal himself say all of college basketball was in trouble for making fun of us last season?
Guess what Cal! You’re still losing and they’re still making fun!
1. Larry Vaught says:
  
  December 14, 2021 at 7:28 pm
  
  No fear of the Cats
Paul says:

December 14, 2021 at 10:17 am

Hey – we’re going to need a few of those easy W’s come selection Sunday !
OSU, UL & KU along with an SEC schedule loaded with top 25 teams – gimme a break.
TheProfessor says:

December 14, 2021 at 12:26 pm

These is nothing dangerous or unusual about this schedule. If UK were indeed a contender on the national stage, the schedule would just be the way to demonstrate the fact. But, the schedule has become a cause of concern.

How sad it has become.
1. Larry Vaught says:
  
  December 14, 2021 at 7:26 pm
  
  Schedule far from difficult
LarryPup says:

December 14, 2021 at 8:43 pm

The schedule speaks for itself, the ND loss does too. Watch Baylor and you will see a real basketball team every power five team should fear. What this UK needs right now is a lot more muscle, hustle, and brawn; like they used to put on the floor. Oscar can’t do this by himself.