SouthEastern Wildcat Review

While doing a little thinking earlier this morning about just how wonderful it is to be a Wildcat fan right now, a terrible thought crossed my mind. What if Mitch Barnhart and Lee Todd hadn't pulled the trigger and fired Clyde following the NIT loss to Notre Dame? What would we be looking forward to this fall? What would the roster and probable starting lineup look like? Very sobering train of thought let me tell you. Of course we have all heard the rumors about some of BCG's more disturbing motivational tactics. All of these are alleged, no one to my knowledge has come out and directly vouched for the validity of any of these stories. There is the one where Clyde made Josh Harrellson sit in a toilet stall during halftime after Billy thought he turned in a bad first half performance. Then the one regarding an injury to Darius Miller where he was supposedly told by Clyde to suck it up and play like a man, and if he couldn't do that, maybe he needed to walk back to the team hotel instead of riding the bus. Of course a team mutiny followed, with the players stating that if Darius had to walk, they were all walking. Jodie Meeks and Derrick Jasper were also victims of the BCG "Play Through Pain" philosophy. It led Jasper to transfer and Meeks to insinuate leaving for sure if Clyde came back.

And we all know about the Jeanine Edwards interviews and the "Ambassador wasn't in my job description" comments, so I think there was a clearly defined pattern of behavior all Kentucky fans had to look forward to. Add to that the undefined substitution patterns and unpredictable starting lineups, and 'Cat fans would be standing in line to jump off the nearest cliff and what a sad, sad season we had coming my fellow fanatics.

Now my next comments are not meant to disparage any of these players in any way. All these guys (Porter especially) either gave or would have given their all for the program, this is just a talent comparison. A realization of what could have come to pass had the UK brass not had a change of heart. B.C. = Before Calipari and A.C. = After Calipari. I'm not going to compare what each player brings (or would have brought) to the team, I'll leave that judgement up to you. This list is just to remind you what would have been versus what now is.

Point guard: B.C. - Michael Porter, Konner Tucker, G.J. Vilarino. A.C. - John Wall, Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Liggins (combo 1 & 2). Maybe Porter still leaves the team, maybe he doesn't, but Liggins has stated the had Clyde came back, he would've been gone. Konner Tucker went on to sign with Wake Forest, but I believe that Wall and Bledsoe are adequate replacements.

Shooting Guard: B.C. - Jon Hood, Kevin Galloway (combo 1 & 2), Landon Slone. A.C. - Jon Hood, Darius Miller (combo 2 & 3), Darnell Dodson. The difference here being the exchange of Galloway for Dodson, Miller playing SG and SF for Cal, and Slone. I thought Galloway had more game than Clyde allowed him to show, and Dodson is still an unknown quantity, so this one will just have to play itself out. Slone had the potential to be the shooter the 'Cats need this season but transferred to Morehead after realizing Cal wasn't going to offer the scholarship that BCG had promised.

Small Forward: B.C. - Darius Miller, Ramon Harris, A.J. Stewart (combo 3 & 4). A.C. - Darius Miller, Ramon Harris, Perry Stevenson. Perry might play some power forward for Cal, it's not clear yet at this point. Stewart may or may not have been back, as he had already been suspended for the first 10 games of the season due to academic troubles. Miller will almost certainly play more shooting guard for Cal than he would have for Clyde.

Power Forward: B.C. - Matt Pilgrim (combo 4 & 5), Josh Harrellson, Perry Stevenson, A.J. Stewart (combo 3 & 4). A.C. - Patrick Patterson, Josh Harrellson, DeMarcus Cousins (combo 4 & 5). This has to be the greatest impact position because had Clyde stayed, Patterson would likely have joined Jodie Meeks and stayed in the draft. Pilgrim migrated to Oklahoma State, so the jury is still out on that one. Cousins appears to be an incredible talent who will also see time at the SF and C positions.

Center: B.C. - Daniel Orton and Matt Pilgrim. A.C. - Daniel Orton and DeMarcus Cousins. Cal's offense has so many interchangeable positions, center may not be much of a label. However Orton will be a beast either way, and personally I would take Cousins' potential over Pilgrim's potential.

So there you go, you can extrapolate whatever starting lineup you like from that list of players, and in my view Cal's version will always be superior, talent-wise. But draw your own conclusions and comparisons and come up with your own results. (I have a sneaky suspicion yours will be very similar to mine) Now onto the UK news for the day, started off with the new Louisville logo......the one on the left is before Calipari was hired, the one on the right is the redesign to reflect 'Card fans feelings about Coach Cal leading the Big Blue Nation.

It's great to be back, Kentucky has 5-1 odds to win it all this year.

Does tradition really matter? You bet it does!!

Will former 'Cat Randolph Morris ever fulfill his potential? Who knows??

Big shocker here, Cal's offense is perfect for point guards.

TMZ is claiming they have the tape of LeBron getting dunked on by Jordan Crawford.

Cal hopes Antonio Burks is OK and has learned a lesson.

John Clay's random notes.

Rich Brooks wants Randall Cobb to be more creative.

A look at the SEC by the numbers.

A pre-season SEC power poll. (UK gets no respect)

A ranking of the toughest stadiums in the SEC.

And that's the end. I haven't forgotten about the funny story to post today, I'm trying to get the guy who is the subject of the story to write it himself.

So, before John Calipari was hired at Kentucky, how many of you had the same opinion as Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio? Not that there is anything wrong with jumping on the bandwagon, tons of sports fans do it all the time. The only thing I hate is the fan who in the wake of the new "it" team winning big proclaiming to all that "Oh, I have liked them for a long time now, you didn't know that?" Or in the same category, the fan who hates/has a problem with the way a player or coach goes about their business until the moment that person becomes a member of their favorite team. But again, nothing at all wrong with it (except the aggravation bestowed upon the bandwagon jumper's friends/family) as long the reasons for the change of heart are explained. For example, how about this little nugget posted by moderator Matt Jones of KSR:

"Kansas vs Memphis….it is time for Kansas to win another. Memphis is a great team, but I simply cant pull for Calipari and the way he runs a program. Rock Chalk Jayhawk…."

Now in case you're wondering, this was posted on April 5, 2008 after the national semifinal game of UCLA versus Memphis. In the comments section of that same post, read for yourself this little exchange:

1.Cat Fan Says:
April 5th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Go Tigers. Memphis is absolutely loaded.

2.Cat Fan Says:
April 5th, 2008 at 11:56 pm
Not sure why everyone wants to pile on Cal. He can absolutely get the best players in the country to come to Memphis and he plays an exciting brand of basketball.

3.Matt Jones Says:
April 6th, 2008 at 12:01 am
All the while running one of the dirtiest programs in America….

4.Wildcat81 Says:
April 6th, 2008 at 12:06 am
3) Matt you r dead on!

Again, I want to emphasize that everyone is entitled to their opinion, and also entitled to change their opinion. Also notice that poster Wildcat81 agrees with Mr. Jones' thoughts, as do quite a few more posters in the thread. But the negativity continues:

Matt Jones Says:
April 6th, 2008 at 12:57 am
I am not going to make a post on the subject. But travel in recruiting circles and you won’t find anyone who thinks that program is clean. You are free to have any feeling about Calipari u wish but I am not a fan of his tactics on building a program.

OK, again perfectly fine to speak your mind, especially if it's on your own blog (I mean, what do you think I do here?) Let's check and see if there are any more....

The Final Four kicks off tonight with the UCLA Championships playing the Memphis Arrest Warrants.

That one was a little earlier in the day in a post previewing the Final Four matchups. While not a direct shot at Calipari, it definitely alludes to a perceived lack of discipline in his program. Maybe I'm wrong, Lord knows I could make a career doing that, but how about this one:

You just knew it was gonna happen deep down. Karma is a weird thing and it strikes at weird times and you just couldnt imagine that Memphis would really be allowed to win a national title. With a team full of players that had run-ins with the authorities, after the fight earlier this season at UAB, after their constant problems with free throw shooting and Coach Calipari’s mocking of it as an issue and the coach’s less than stellar reputation with the NCAA, you just HAD to think that it would catch up with them.

As for Memphis, you just knew this would happen. All year, they have laughed in the face of those who said you didnt need to hit free throws to win, and it was those free throws that lost the game. I make jokes about this Memphis team and I do have some problems with how Calipari runs his program.

Digging back a little further in the KSR archives produced this comment in a post previewing the 1st round matchup of Memphis and the University of Texas at Arlington:

March 18 2008
Game One
Starting out- you have Memphis playing the University of Texas at Arlington. Think of this 1 vs. 16 match up much like you would Coaches vs. Cancer: as much as you would like to see the upset here, you already know the outcome. While University of T at A boasts a recent Southland Conference Championship and an upcoming performance of Aladdin in Texas Hall, they are playing Memphis in Little Rock, Arkansas. The smell of unsolved homicides may distract UTA but surely not the fine fellows of Tunica East.

Again with the suggestion (albeit jokingly) that Calipari allows murderers on his teams. OK, now let's go forward six months to December 11, 2008 when Jones made a post listing his version of UK's top ten current rivalries:

10 UK rivalries
(8) Memphis: EDITED…..Because now I love Calipari!

Because now he loves Calipari. I would love to know what opinion he had then, but alas it has been changed for all time. [EDIT BY ROB: Obviously there has been some confusion here, I should have clarified. This post was apparently edited by MJ to remove some negative comment he had there against Cal when he originally wrote the post. I don't have the original post and have no idea what it said. Common sense tells me it was something negative.] Now fast forward to the eve of the press conference at the Joe Craft Center announcing the hire of John Calipari as the new head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats:

What a day! Actually forget about a day….what a week! Remember where we were just five days ago? We had just gotten rid of a controversial coach in a bizarre scene that left no one with a smile on their face and questions as to who could be the coach for a program that looked to be in turmoil. Now five days letter, and as Gregg Doyel suggests in this article, the Kentucky basketball juggernaut is back! Since the first inkling that I received on Saturday afternoon that this could happen occurred, I have been afraid to get too excited. There simply cant be a better marriage than Kentucky basketball and John Calipari. A charismatic winner who is dying to take a place among college basketball’s all-time elites joins a program that needs reassurance it is the best in the land. A perfect marriage and one that is exhilirating for the Big Blue Nation.

As you can tell, I cant wait. I am getting up at 6:30 am to get there early and get ready. I hate mornings but I am not going to hate tomorrow morning. UK basketball as I know it is back….and I could not be happier. Dont believe me? Then read what Calipari said to the AD at Memphis when he asked how much money Calipari needed:

“You don’t have to give me anymore. It’s Kentucky.”

Once again, it certainly is…..

This post was made on March 31, 2009 and it echoed my feelings about the Cal hire exactly. The only thing I'm curious about is at what point did his feelings change from he runs one of the dirtiest programs in America to a perfect marraige?

There was a guy I used to work with that was the epitome of a bandwagon jumper. No matter what team won the World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, or NCAA Championship, he had loved them for YEARS!! He would talk about past games and quote player stats, most of which were way off base, and we would have a nice chuckle at his expense. Even when called out that just a few weeks or months earlier he had said team so-and-so was his favorite, his defense was always that we didn't hear him correctly. Defend and deny, his motto to the bitter end.

Not that I am trying to compare Matt to this guy, I don't know Matt or anything about him, other than he has a great site that is probably the most visited UK site on the web. If the only thing that made him change his feelings about Cal was his move from Memphis to Kentucky, fine. Like I said earlier, everyone is entitled to their opinions and to change them at any given time. It's just as popular as he is and his site is, I would love to see a post explaining the change of heart. I would be willing to wager a guess that many, many 'Cat fans out there thought Cal to be a sleazy coach until UK hired him. I know a lot of people I know did. But I'm sure that bandwagon jumping has been around since the dawn of sports, and it will no doubt continue to be a popular practice.

I just want to go on record stating that now and forevermore, my teams are as follows:

1. The Almighty Kentucky Wildcats
2. The Atlanta Braves
3. The Detroit Pistons
4. The Dallas Cowboys

And that's the end. Maybe Matt will grant us an explantion, maybe not. He definitely doesn't have to, as my little site is nothing compared to the monster he has built, but it would be nice to satisfy my curiousity. See you guys tomorrow I will have some more great stuff up in the morning!! Have a good weekend!

How about this to start off your Sunday morning:

What a tribute to the greatest college basketball program of all time!! I was getting my links together for the Sunday post and was getting very sleepy. (It's almost two in the morning). I found this and my adrenaline got to flowing enough to where I decided to just stay up and throw the post on up so you early risers could have a wonderful way to start your Sunday.

Might as well follow that YouTube masterpiece with another clip, this time a short interview with Coach Cal at this year's NBA Draft:

I just love it that Cal supports his players even when technically they're not his players anymore. Keep on reading for some more on Coach Calipari.
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Normally a post like this would get under my skin. I can think of a lot of adjectives to describe our new coach, but slimy, slick, and guilty aren't among them. At least try to show Cal a little respect, like this Florida Gators poster. Of course, Louisville Loserville fans also feel the need to constantly demean our new coach, but Big Blue Uncensored has something for them I don't believe they can respond to intelligently. The more and more I think about all these rival fans that love to bash UK and its coach without reason or basis, I find myself returning to this line of thinking. As Tru over at A Sea of Blue is fond of saying, EMBRACE THE HATE!!
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Now, just so everybody doesn't think I post only the good stuff about Cal, (I actually have no problem at all with the following idea), here is a poster on Wildcat Nation saying that he has info Cal has requested that UK's locker room at Rupp Arena be renovated. Apparently it already was remodeled a couple of years ago at a cost of $512,000.00. Rupp Arena picked up the tab last time, but Cal is wanting the UKAA to foot the bill this go around. In cherry wood no less! Hey, Cal knows best, right?
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Straightpinkie (great site) has a really informative post about Coach Cal's substitution patterns and rotations. They researched Cal's last four Memphis teams and made predictions based on their findings which were then applied to the upcoming roster. Sound premise that was intelligently thought out and written.
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I really hope that Tywanna Patterson nevers gets mad at me for any reason. I would literally shake in my shoes. If you don't agree with me, just read her response when Larry Vaught told her that an unnamed NBA scout told him that Patrick won't do much to improve his draft stock by staying and playing for another year under Coach Cal. The scout says he will always be primarily an inside player, no matter how good his handles and jumper improve. I think that I agree with Mrs. Patterson on this one. And speaking of the NBA, Jodie Meeks told Brett Dawson that he has no regrets about keeping his name in the NBA Draft. I believe that he is telling the truth.
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Is it over? Is it really and truly over? According to reports that surfaced yesterday, the Mythical Practice Beast Matt Pilgrim has committed to UK alum Travis Ford and Oklahoma State University. This will be a good fit for Matt I believe, and I hope he gets everything out of his experience in Stillwater that he desires. Now all that is left is for Cal to call Ford and schedule a game this fall.
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Larry Vaught continues to put out quality stuff, even after all these years. The "Grandfather of UK Beat Writers" has another gem over at Vaught's Views about the three assistants (John Robic, Orlando Antigua, and Rod Strickland) and what they think of working for Cal and their first impressions of Big Blue Nation. Great stuff.
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Tom Leach posted in his blog a link to an article about the rise of the spread offense and that he thinks the key to the 'Cats offense will be the way Joker utilizes Randall Cobb. I happen to agree with him. Are you one of those people that is always looking to next year? If so, check out what Brian Eldridge of Kentucky Sports Report had to say about a few of the current players and the 'Cats needs for next season.
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And finally, some news I really hated to hear. Right upon the heels of a positive article by Mark Story on the effect the success that last year had on the program, comes a report of possible NCAA violations the school has committed. I like Donnie Tyndall, I am looking forward to the season opener against them in Rupp, and I hate to see Morehead get any negative press.