TheCatsDomain.Com Message Boards: Staying clean involves some luck, which UK has had

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Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 10-18-2018, 11:13 AM:

As the trial on college basketball winds down, the two teams that are seemingly in the most trouble with the NCAA are the Louisville Cardinals and the Kansas Jayhawks.

With texts, wiretaps, and testimony, prosecutors and the FBI were able to show that both UofL and KU had staff members directly work with agents from Adidas to compensate players and their families in order for them to play for their programs.

Brian Bowen Sr. testified that UofL assistant coach Kenny Johnson dropped off a bag of money to help pay for his family’s stay at the Galt House, a swanky hotel in the city of Louisville.

As for Kansas, Adidas bag man T.J. Gassnola gave Billy Preston a car and his family around $90,000. There were multiple texts between Gassnola and Self that suggest the Kansas coach may have known what was going on.

Other big-name programs that were struck by collateral damage from this trial were LSU, North Carolina (while named, the Heels were exonerated), and Duke.

Outside of a random text from Gassnola to Self that insinuates UNC, UK, and Duke pay players without any actual evidence to back it up, John Calipari and the Kentucky Wildcats came out of this trial unscathed.

So that leaves us with the question: Is Kentucky clean or just lucky?

It’s been noted that Calipari’s usual success with the top of the class (top 5 recruits) hasn’t been what it used to be. The last time Cal landed a recruit in the top 5 was in 2015 when Skal Labisierre committed to the Cats as the No. 2 overall player.

Cal’s highest recruit since then was De’Aaron Fox at No. 6 overall.

While Kentucky has been in on the top guys in the country, they’ve all gone to Duke, the Arizona Wildcats, or to Kansas. Kansas and Arizona have been heavily implicated in this pay-for-play scandal while Duke has just been inserted into the melee following the Zion Williamson information.

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Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 10-18-2018, 06:07 PM:

I have always been happy with Cal's recruits. They all seem to be quality young men who represent our university admirably as athletes and students.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 10-19-2018, 05:47 PM:

I sure didn't realize Skal was the last top 5 player Cal has recruited.

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 10-19-2018, 11:09 PM:

Maybe after watching Skal play, Cal saw that these ranking services were full of it. He never did impress me.

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 10-20-2018, 01:53 AM:

You echo my sentiments exactly on Skai Norm, he was definitely an under achiever for his lofty ranking coming out of high school.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 10-20-2018, 09:08 AM:

Skal was a great kid. Yes, he was over ranked, but it wasn't his fault. He just needed another year.

This whole one and done has some fans thinking a player is garbage, because he doesn't wow them his freshman year.

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 10-20-2018, 10:31 AM:

You misunderstand the way I feel, Boom. Nowhere in my post did I indicate that Skal was "garbage". I said he did not impress me, indicating that he was overrated. Did he impress you as a basketball player?

Posted by SCWC (Member # 2464) on 10-20-2018, 03:10 PM:

Nobody said Skal was garbage, he just was not a very good college basketball player during his one year at UK. That is merely stating facts which his stat lines prove. He hasn't had what one would call a stellar NBA career thus far either but all of us Cat fans wish nothing but the best for him at the NBA level.

Posted by boomdaddy (Member # 2644) on 10-22-2018, 10:54 AM:

quote:
Originally posted by Old Norm:
You misunderstand the way I feel, Boom. Nowhere in my post did I indicate that Skal was "garbage". I said he did not impress me, indicating that he was overrated. Did he impress you as a basketball player?

I am not an expert. My observation was that Skal was very talented, but was timid And got pushed AROUND.

Sorry if my first post came as a personal attack. Not how I meant it, but maybe it did.

We, as UK fans, have been spoiled from day one of the Calipari era. Because he gets the top players, most do great and leave early. If one doesn't wow us in year one, he must have been a miss as a recruit

I think our Jamaican kid is going to be a force this season. I didn't like seeing him get all the PT that he did last year. Now, he may leave after his soph year and get drafted.

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 10-22-2018, 11:51 AM:

I agree about Nick Richards. He really impressed me in the Blue/White game last night. I fact, a lot of them impressed me. PJ Washington hitting from outside was nice to see as well. And what can we even say about Tyler Herro?