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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 06-07-2016, 11:59 AM:

Kentucky has always had talent and probably always will. It's like Alabama in football. There are are ups and downs, but those sorts of programs are never going away.

Not that it matters.

There are differences between Duke and Kentucky, but talent isn't the most important one.

The main distinction is between Coach K and John Calipari and how they run their respective programs.

Calipari has said that the biggest victory for Kentucky is on draft night. At Duke, the focus is on championships.

Calipari had an immensely talented team last season too. He lost to Indiana in the round of 32.

Coach K had a very thin roster last year - the year before too, for that matter. One could argue that getting last year's team to the Sweet Sixteen was a more impressive accomplishment than the national title the year before.

But either way, both of those teams maxed out. Both of those teams adapted to and over came serious problems.

In 2015, Duke booted Rasheed Sulaimon off the team and was left with a rotation of just eight.

Last year, Duke lost its most critical player, Amile Jefferson, in December. That decimated the defense and the front line, permanently altered the rotation and forced massive changes on both ends of the court.

Matt Jones suffered a severe ankle injury in Chapel Hill on February 17th and was never the same.

Duke still had two major talents in Brandon Ingram and Grayson Allen, but beyond those two, it had Marshall Plumlee, until last year a career reserve, a crippled Jones, and three callow freshmen in Derryck Thornton, Luke Kennard and Chase Jeter.

UK by contrast lost to Indiana with senior Alex Poythress, two first-round picks (by general consensus) in Jamal Murray and Skal Labissiere, a superb point guard in Tyler Ulis, a very promising freshman guard in Isaiah Briscoe and solid complimentary players in Derek Willis, Marcus Lee and Dominique Hawkins.

The year before, Kentucky had a juggernaut of a team.

It lost to Wisconsin 71-64.

Calipari collects talent like some people collect stamps and talent is essential.

But having talent and getting the most out of it are two very different things, and that's one (but hardly the only) difference between Duke and Kentucky.

Link

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 06-07-2016, 01:07 PM:

The author of that article came across as a biased turd, imho.

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 06-07-2016, 01:10 PM:

I would prefer the championships to having a lot of players go to the NBA yearly. We have missed two golden opportunities with Cal's talented teams, the 2010 team should have won it all and the 2015 team should have also. You want your players to be successful and to be able to move on the the NBA but first and foremost, we as fans want them winning championships more than being first round draft picks for the NBA, at least I do.

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 06-07-2016, 01:25 PM:

its from the DUKE website btw! Like our sea of blue site

(p.s. Ray I wish our players luck but I really dont care where they go or really not to much what they do once they leave UK)

[ 06-07-2016, 01:26 PM: Message edited by: ukcatfannfl ]

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 06-07-2016, 04:26 PM:

I too thought it was rather bias but could not get the link to open for me earlier. Now I see that it is a Duke site which certainly makes it very bias. I think Coach K is going after the same talent Coach Cal is and one recruit even said the Duke recruiting pitch is that if you play for them, you are set for life with job from their boosters even if you don't make it to the NBA. That came from the Diallo kid we are now recruiting out of New York and was well discussed a few weeks ago, even on ESPN.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 06-08-2016, 04:39 PM:

Yeah, I have been quite impressed with the load of top NBA picks we have had. What I'd like to see now is a load of NCAA Championships for the next 5 or 6 years. [Wink]

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 06-08-2016, 07:36 PM:

It is a bit surprising that we haven't won more championships with the talent we have had since Cal has been here.

Posted by ukman (Member # 3032) on 06-08-2016, 08:46 PM:

the article is biased, but there is some truth to it. I don't think anyone on here thinks that we should only have 1 championship in this span, and i now alot of us don't like to see guys here and gone so quick. unfortunately, that's just how it is. i love seeing all the young talent, but i would trade some of that for teams that win the championship. i know it takes some luck, and some breaks, but we should definitely have at least 1 more. i am glad for all those guys that get set for life on draft night, but i sure would take a couple more championships over draft night celebrations. if we could get a few more guys to stay around for multiple years we could win many championships. but that would also take some guys understanding that they may not play alot until year two, and not most of these guys want that.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 06-09-2016, 11:52 AM:

And speaking of being biased, I certainly am in regards to Kentucky over the other programs. That being said, I do feel that Duke gets a more favorable bracket, every year. It may not be reality, but that is the way it seems to me.

[ 06-09-2016, 11:52 AM: Message edited by: boomdaddy ]

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 06-09-2016, 02:55 PM:

Regardless of favorable brackets that Duke always seem to get they have found a way to win two titles with lesser talent than us during the cal tenure at uk..

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 06-09-2016, 04:00 PM:

Ed, Cal with out a doubt is the best recruiter in college basketball but in all honesty he is not near the best x's and o's coach. imo

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 06-09-2016, 04:36 PM:

Y'all go on and get the coach you want at UK. As for me, I'll stick with Cal.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 06-09-2016, 05:54 PM:

I second the vote for Cal.!

Summer is just getting started, but I think a few posters have succumb to heat stroke and are a bit delirious. I, for one, have no complaints with current coach. I imagine there would be people who would complain about the color of money, if a stranger gave them a handful of cash. Some are never happy. I don't understand it.

Posted by ukman (Member # 3032) on 06-09-2016, 09:53 PM:

some are happy, but would be happier with at least one more championship in this span. Nothing wrong with stating that. it also doesn't mean that those wish that Cal was gone. just because you wish he were a little better at x's and o's, or that you feel we should have more than one championship, doesn't mean you want him gone. shoot, i remember BG and I sure don't want those days back.

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 06-09-2016, 10:39 PM:

BCG was worse by far than Eddie Sutton ever was. I still think that Emory Freight package was a set up deal by a UK enemy.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 06-10-2016, 08:39 AM:

I believe Duke has had a lot more early exits than Kentucky has, since Cal has been at UK. I do believe they see how many tough opponents they can stick in UK's bracket every year. I am no expert, just a biased UK fan.

If the tourney was fewer teams and the final fours were not a one and done, Cal would win more.

I do think what Cal needs every year is two big time scorers. It seems no matter how great a freshman is, they always get tight in their first tourney run and their shooting suffers. I wouldn't trade Murray for anything, but I though his shooting a got a bit cold during the tourney and so did Booker the year before that.

The catch 22 is that any kid that can light up the scoreboard only stays on year. You just can't get a big money scorer these days that has experience.

[ 06-10-2016, 08:39 AM: Message edited by: boomdaddy ]

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 06-10-2016, 01:38 PM:

my post was just stating a fact! I am all in with Cal also

Posted by mr_ukkid (Member # 2304) on 06-21-2016, 12:55 PM:

Im all in with Cal. Hope he doesn't go anywhere