A year ago John Calipari was recruiting Jasper Johnson to play at Kentucky. Now Calipari is 0-4 at Arkansas and Johnson has signed with UK to play for Mark Pope.
Which Southeastern Conference basketball fan base has to be the most disappointed today after what happened Tuesday?
Let’s start with Alabama, the former No. 1 team in the country and a high-powered offensive team averaging 91 points per game. The Crimson Tide managed just 65 points against Ole Miss and LOST AT HOME. Alabama lost second chance points 12-4, points off turnovers 19-10, and fast break points 16-8. Ole Miss won but hit only six 3-pointers.
Let’s go to Florida. Remember a week earlier the Gators dismantled then No. 1 Tennessee in Gainesville in a game that was never close with the Gators winning 73-43. But on Tuesday night, the host Gators lost to unranked Missouri. Of course, Missouri is now 14-2 and did beat No. 1 Kansas earlier this year but I am not sure anyone saw an 83-82 win at Florida coming.
Now let’s go to Arkansas, the SEC’s biggest flop so far. The Razorbacks fizzled again and lost 78-74 on the road to LSU. That leaves Arkansas — and coach John Calipari — 0-4 in league play. The Hogs dropped to 11-6 overall and 0-4 in league play. As good as the SEC is, Calipari may need a lot of “tweaks” to find a way to get this team into NCAA Tournament contention.
No surprise that what Calipari said after the game was similar to what he said the last few years at UK.
“I’m just disappointed in myself that I’m not getting through to get these guys where we have to get over the hump. I may have to drag them to the finish line in some of these games,” Calipari said after the game. “And if I have to coach that way, I will. I’m trying to create space and give them opportunities.”
Good luck Cal. Dragging players to the finish line didn’t go over exceptionally well at UK the last few years and he could be in danger of losing this team with the games Arkansas has coming, including a game on Feb. 1 in Rupp Arena.
So while it was stunning to see Alabama and Florida lose at home, the SEC’s most disappointed fan base has to be Arkansas to be only four games into league play and already out of title contention.
Meanwhile, Kentucky is 3-1 in league play, has five wins over top 15 teams, and has a fan base all-in with the coach. Arkansas has none of that.
24 Responses
LV – let’s don’t count our chickens quite yet – long laborious 6 weeks ahead.
Paul, that’s what some were saying before we started SEC play. I think were doing pretty good job as were we stand now. Stay positive!
At least we have some chickens to count that are already in the henhouse.
very true UKFan
He’s lazy as simple as that. He was happy that he got his son a job, but is he happy, that at this rate, his son will never get another job?
Brad would be great working for Dillard’s.
Who the hell would want to play for Cal?!?! With the talent he had at Kentucky there should have multiple titles. Thank goodness Arkansas bailed us out! We now have a Coach that truly understands what Kentucky basketball is and understands how important it is to the BBN family. Go Cats!
I hope every player that left Lexington to play for a lesser coach are all regretting not playing for a great coach and even greater person. I hate to be this way but Coach Cal can’t coach! Never could. He’s just a slick snack oil salesman. My only issue is can we send Stoops to Arkansas too. He is the worst head coach in the SEC by far and is way overpaid. He is making a mockery out of UK athletics.
Moving on to be an octogenarian, remember just a few things now. ( well, maybe more then a few. ).
I remember the rank and file yelling for Rupps scalp as a freshman as he went 13 & 13 with two All Americans ( Riley and Dampier ) returning. Then came Joe B , who won a championship with calls from the Two Keys “ Joe must go “. Gets a little fuzzy after that because I so involved in business and family. Then came Billie ( if you beat the Cards once – you get a job @ UK ) ? 🤮 maybe Eddie with his perm and a few shots in the AM at the CCI got him a few years – then Rick, who proclaims at every speaking engagement says his biggest mistake was leaving UK – ( normal fee $200K ). Tub was the most affiable Coach but used to meet him in Orlando for the. Big AAU games and he had no idea who was playing. Thought Call was the last chance of catching UCLA’s 11. So much for that.
Not a Catholic, but I bow ro the Pope. I think I have a chance to see it now.
Great history lesson Paul.
I think lots of us just want to see atleast one more championship.
This article nailed it.
One coach made one program happy and has made another program very unhappy, and did not take long to do it!
Cal is so full of $hi$.. He makes it sound like he can turn on a switch.. Hey Coach ..If you aren’t already doing all you can to win then shame on you. Drag them over the finish line.. ! He an idiot. He’s collecting paychecks.
I watched some of Ark’s last game. Cal looked defeated and 10 years older since he left.
Big Z looked like he didn’t care. He made a mistake, looked over and saw his replacement coming, and decided he had to chuck a shot or two up real quick. Even the announcers commented on it.
Question…If Z transfers, should Pope try to bring him back? Seems he’d have thrived in this system at the point-center.
Not sure Big Zs defense is good enough for coach Pope.
His defense could get a lot better playing for someone he would enjoy playing for. Such as a guy like Mark Pope..
Drag them over the finish line..how conceited.
Cal could coach, he has just decided to go a different direction. Cal was a very good coach at UMass and I thought he was a great coach at Memphis considering how he put his teams together and how hard they played. Nobody looked forward to playing Memphis. The problem is that once he got to UK and could recruit the best of the best, he changed from coaching winning basketball to coaching NBA showcase teams and could win with just more talented players. That worked when he could get half of the top 12-15 high school players his first few years. When other schools, like Duke, started getting their share of the top players and Cal was having to rely on more kids ranked 15-30, his approach of showcasing players and winning with talent, not game preparation and basketball basics, started to fall apart.
I truly feel sorry for Cal because he can’t see the forest for the trees and see that he has become his own problem. If Cal ever decides to go back to "old school" basketball and actually coach and teach his team instead of letting the players run the show, I think he would become a very dangerous coach again.
Old fan – great assessment – but don’t see him changing. He’s now living in a fantasy world. Sad.
Wait what? Why did you lose that game? Sometimes coach you just go off on your own!
Man, how far, fast and hard, has Coach Cal fallen. I agree he stopped coaching winning basketball and relied on talent, 1 and dones. You can’t build a program recruiting just talent, it’s teamwork, and chemistry. The last four games I’ve semi watched to guiltily gloat. Cal was a coach, now he’s a whiny bi+ch. He has the potential, to field a decent team, but keeps on self destructing. C’mon Feb 1, I hope it is an absolute beat, beat, beat down instead of Gatorade, Tar and the Cats ripping out the Feathers. Go BBN!
Cat fan since 1971
What a sack of $h!t. When he first came to KY. I was all in on Coach Cal at first,After he screwed up the 38 and 0 team I knew 2012 would be the last championship we would get from him.. I feel we should have had at least 4 championships , 3 anyway. I think with any other top flight coach we would have had that many.. I personally think the ego got to him the last 6 or 7 years.. Larry it would fascinating to get your opinion on this… Go Blue
The game has passed Calipari. He said he would not be coaching after 60, but he is trying to leave on a high note and I just don’t see it coming. If he doesn’t retire at this season’s end, he will get fired at next season’s end. Thank you Arkansas for enticing the FRAUD to leave Lexington. Some doubted the Pope hire, but he has proven that he can recruit, coach, and win. He will only get better while The FRAUD will only get worse.
Uk fans were delusional. In the beginning of Cal, real fans of Basketball, knew Cal couldn’t coach. But, no, bbn was so tight when people said their coach wasn’t a coach. BBN got blinded because they got #1 recruits and thought they were the shisnizz. Then you get best players year in and year out, and still couldn’t win it every year. Well, duh, that should turn on the light that Cal couldn’t coach, but hillbillies aren’t smart either. So I get it, lol.