Kentucky Basketball

[IAJay]

Ok, just so we are all clear, let's review the sanctions and questionable practices of John Calipari and then we can debate the legitimacy of his program and perhaps begin to assess the blame and damage.
1. Marcus Camby accepts $30,000 from an agent. UMASS gets its 1996 Final 4 season vacated.
2. DaJaun Wagner's father is hired Coordinator of Basketball Operations at Memphis shortly after Wagner is recruited to Memphis in 2001. No sanctions.
3. Derrick Rose cheats on the SAT. Derrick Rose's brother is allowed to travel to games for free. Memphis gets its 2008 National Runner-Up season vacated.
4. Tyreke Evans' strength and conditioning coach is hired as Calipari's administrative assistant at Memphis in 2008. No Sanctions.
5. After taking the Kentucky job, Calipari successfully re-recruits DeMarcus Cousins and Darnell Dodson from Memphis to Kentucky. He fails to re-recruit Xavier Henry, who subsequently goes to Kansas. John Wall hadn't committed anywhere before Calipari took the Kentucky job. Daniel Orton, John Hood, and Eric Bledsoe had already signed with UK before Calipari took the job. I highly doubt that there will be any sanctions from this recruiting class.

Here's my take: Calipari doesn't actually "do" anything wrong. He didn't pay Camby or take the test for Rose. Nothing can be pinned on him at least. However, it seems that he runs a loose program. Did I miss anything?

Spot on sir. He plays the game well.

 

[theboat]

This is a classic example of "where there is smoke, there is fire." Nobody has seen fire but there sure is a ton of smoke.

 

[swanssy]

Will all 5 players get drafted? I didn't follow KY all that much, but I certainly don't remember thinking they had 5 players NBA ready.

Yeah they are all projected first rounders. Wall could easily go #1 and Cousins is top 10 also.
Patterson declared last year but changed his mind so he can't come back now.(if he declares again)

 

[IAJay]

This is a classic example of "where there is smoke, there is fire." Nobody has seen fire but there sure is a ton of smoke.

Where is there any fire other than the fact that he can say, "If you come and play for me I can make you into a first round draft pick"?

 

[theboat]

Where is there any fire other than the fact that he can say, "If you come and play for me I can make you into a first round draft pick"?

I said there has been no fire, but a lot of smoke.

Can you name a player that he has "made into a first round pick?" It seems much more that he gets first round talent and doesn't pressure them to be much more than a one year wonder.

 

[tm3308]

I said there has been no fire, but a lot of smoke.

Can you name a player that he has "made into a first round pick?" It seems much more that he gets first round talent and doesn't pressure them to be much more than a one year wonder.

This. He's a pretty good coach, but he rides talent as much as anyone. Memphis should have won the title in '08, and Kentucky should have won this year (after Kansas got knocked out, anyway). They weren't really coached up too much, he just let them go play.

 

[IAJay]

I said there has been no fire, but a lot of smoke.

Can you name a player that he has "made into a first round pick?" It seems much more that he gets first round talent and doesn't pressure them to be much more than a one year wonder.

I am not trying to argue that he is a guy who "coaches them up", I am just saying he has an impressive list of recent NBA players. You know top recruits eyes light up when they see something like that.