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Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 03-20-2021, 03:08 PM:

He will declare for the draft and sign with an agent.

IMO, a terrible decision. He does not have an NBA-ready body, nor an NBA-ready game.

Best wishes, BJ.

Posted by catmandoo (Member # 1284) on 03-20-2021, 03:23 PM:

Here is a article on his decision:

Link

Posted by ukcatfannfl (Member # 1425) on 03-20-2021, 06:03 PM:

Glad he is gone - G league here he comes at minimum salary,,

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 03-20-2021, 08:54 PM:

Yep. G-league and PB&J sandwiches for lunch.

If he had returned, put on some muscle, and had a great season, he would have been so much better off.

I doubt he will go in the first round.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 03-20-2021, 10:14 PM:

He hasn't faced any obstacle like he will be facing the next year.

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 03-21-2021, 08:48 AM:

I wish him luck, and I'm glad he's gone. Let's hope the G-League ups the salaries so that more of these kids stop wasting college scholarships. College ball needs to be for kids who want to be in college.

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 03-21-2021, 10:49 AM:

I wonder if he was part of the bad chemistry that bedeviled the team. I remember an interview with him before the season where he talked about how he treats the game as a mental challenge, and uses meditation to 'get inside himself'. That doesn't really sound like a team player to me.

IMO, Cal made four terrible and persistent decisions last year. Starting Boston despite how poorly he played, letting Clarke "opt out", trying to make Sarr a post player, and not moving Mintz over to the PG spot as soon as it became apparent that Askew didn't have it.

Imagine if our starting lineup had been this back in December:

Mintz at PG (backups Clarke and Askew)
Clarke at SG (backups Boston and Askew)
Allen at the '3' (backups Toppin and Brooks)
Brooks at the '4' (backups Toppin and Ware)
Jackson at the '5' (backups Sarr and Ware)

That lineup could have been significantly better than what we saw. But, alas, Clarke didn't want to play, Cal wanted Sarr to be Karl Anthony-Townes, and Boston an Askew never saw the bench as much as they should have.

[ 03-21-2021, 10:50 AM: Message edited by: Tiptree ]

Posted by Old Norm (Member # 1482) on 03-21-2021, 02:34 PM:

I have not lost one iota of sleep over these guys deciding to leave. I wish Jackson didn't have to go, but I do think he's doing the right thing. I still do not want Cal to go, like some of you do, But I sure wish he could lure Kenny Payne back.

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 03-29-2021, 04:07 PM:

I'd love to know what kind of advice Cal gave BJ to help him make his decision. I've been thinking lately that maybe Cal told him to transfer, turn pro or be prepared to sit the wood next season.

Posted by Bama Cat (Member # 153) on 03-30-2021, 10:50 AM:

I surely don't think Cal tried to stop him, or any of the others that are leaving. He would have liked to keep Jackson but he knows Jackson needs to take the money while he is high on the list. But with his shooting percentages I'm not so sure he'll go as high as they say.

Posted by handycat (Member # 2323) on 03-30-2021, 11:55 AM:

I just never felt the “love” for Allen most on here have. Great shooter at times that brings almost nothing else to the table.

He simply is not athletic enough to fit in in a typical Cal offense, much less his defense.

IMO, we will once again be in serious trouble if he is a starter next year and plays major minutes.

I also would hate to see Cal leave. He swung and missed this year. It happens.

[ 03-30-2021, 11:59 AM: Message edited by: handycat ]

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 03-30-2021, 12:57 PM:

Handy, Allen was clearly one of the top two shooters on this team - a team that had major problems scoring - yet he played very few minutes while Boston and Askew, and at times Sarr, killed this team. Cal wasted the entire season with Askew at the point.

Bringing in another group of freshmen, we will be relying on Mintz (hopefully), Brooks, Allen and the guy who got booted from West Virginia. We could easily be in trouble again next year, but not really because of Allen.

The NBA is clearly affecting college basketball. It has it both ways - you can't go straight to the pros, but you can go to their G-league. I think this is good because it is beginning to remove one-and-dones from college. But now Cal has to catch up by recruiting 4-star players and actually coaching them, and more importantly, keeping them.

Posted by handycat (Member # 2323) on 03-30-2021, 01:19 PM:

Paul, I’m not saying we will be in trouble next year because of Allen. I firmly believe if Allen gets major minutes next year, at best this team may be slightly better than mediocre. But only because that will be indicative of overall talent. IMO, he could and should be a valuable role player.

IMO, our best hope for next year is that a couple of new faces will turn into a go to guy, something missing from this years team.

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 03-30-2021, 02:18 PM:

I have to agree with Handy. Allen is a good shooter. Period.

His defense is mediocre, his passing atrocious, and his demeanor is often "I am too cool to be here". Physically, he is rail-thin and not particularly quick. He often seemed unfocused on the game.

The various analyses showing which combinations performed best on offense and on defense never included Allen. In my observation, the team just didn't 'flow' with him in the game. That may be because the rest of the team didn't like him (there were hints of that). Or, it could be because he just isn't that great of a team player.

The reason so many were calling for Allen to get more PT last season is because the team was desperate for a scoring threat. I actually think Cal was right in not playing him more... he was a net negative. Honestly, I expected more from him, given his experience watching Cal's system, and his storied HS career.

I certainly hope that he improves this year, but he will have to commit to improving his many weaknesses. He CAN become a major impact player, but it will have to work hard at it.

Posted by country cat (Member # 1774) on 03-30-2021, 04:53 PM:

in all the years coach Cal has been at ky---until this year i never said or posted a bad post on him---but when him and this team took a knee during the national anthem---that is when i felt he was thinking he was bigger then ky basketball--and i will sat it again i think he should go 8 to 10 million a year and he allows him self and our team to disrespect our flag and all the people who died to keep us free

Posted by Tiptree (Member # 844) on 03-31-2021, 10:20 AM:

Absolutely agree, country cat. I found that reprehensible.

I have been saying all along that Cal gets sucked into "their world", instead of teaching them how to succeed in the "real world". I think that is a terrible failure on his part.

Posted by handycat (Member # 2323) on 03-31-2021, 12:14 PM:

I’m a veteran who opposes disrespect for the American flag.

These were kids (or young men) who were trying to make a statement about the mob trying to overturn our government on Jan 6th. IMO, They made a mistake in their chosen method of protest. I was disappointed in them and Cal. Did they make a bigger mistake than those who decided to overthrow our government?

It is far easier for me to forgive them than the mob of rioters. At least no one was killed or injured and no property was destroyed in their protest.

Cal regretted this kneeling as indicated in the attached article.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2926888-john-calipa ri-on-uk-players-kneeling-during-anthem-not-a-good-time-to-do-it

Had to edit this to say one more thing. For the first time in my life I chose to not watch a couple of games. It had nothing to do with the players kneeling.

[ 03-31-2021, 12:44 PM: Message edited by: handycat ]

Posted by PaulCat (Member # 513) on 03-31-2021, 12:29 PM:

Handy, I think we both meant the same thing about Allen getting a lot of PT. We needed Allen on the court, and that indicates that it wasn't a very good team. And honestly, I don't think next year's team will be much better than this year. But if that big guy from WV can make an impact, then I think we've got a chance to do well.

Posted by handycat (Member # 2323) on 03-31-2021, 12:46 PM:

I agree Paul. I’m not overly optimistic about next year. However, we can onli get better. I think.