NCAA Tournament 2024

[pdub]

I think Coach K should be mentioned, yes, when we're talking X's and O's.
He was pretty elite imo when it came to basketball knowledge.

Meanwhile Cal's players look like chickens sans heads at the end of games.

[KUTradition]

cal is now nothing more than salesman

he used to coach D

he’s gotten soft…drank too much of his own koolaid

I mean, the game is fundamentally the same as always: to make deep runs and win championships, you need to win lots of games. To win lots of games, you need lots of talent and skill, and you need the pieces and play style to all fit each other.

The coach's job is to make all that work within the environment of any given five-ish-year period.

Will Cal adjust to THIS particular period? We'll see.

if the last 5 years is any indication…

i think he forgets that he was hired first and foremost to win college basketball games

[jfish26]

cal is now nothing more than salesman

he used to coach D

he’s gotten soft…drank too much of his own koolaid

I mean, the game is fundamentally the same as always: to make deep runs and win championships, you need to win lots of games. To win lots of games, you need lots of talent and skill, and you need the pieces and play style to all fit each other.

The coach's job is to make all that work within the environment of any given five-ish-year period.

Will Cal adjust to THIS particular period? We'll see.

if the last 5 years is any indication…

i think he forgets that he was hired first and foremost to win college basketball games

Oh I think he KNOWS. The issue is, is succeeding in this environment within his skillset?

[KUTradition]

I mean, the game is fundamentally the same as always: to make deep runs and win championships, you need to win lots of games. To win lots of games, you need lots of talent and skill, and you need the pieces and play style to all fit each other.

The coach's job is to make all that work within the environment of any given five-ish-year period.

Will Cal adjust to THIS particular period? We'll see.

if the last 5 years is any indication…

i think he forgets that he was hired first and foremost to win college basketball games

Oh I think he KNOWS. The issue is, is succeeding in this environment within his skillset?

i’m not so sure he knows

he continues to tout recruiting and draft success, and seems to just hope that wins follow

[KUTradition]

thinking about this another way, cal may be a victim of his own success. he’s caught lightning in a bottle rolling out teams of highly touted freshman, even though that method is more often than not, not the most conducive to success

[twocoach]

if the last 5 years is any indication…

Oh I think he KNOWS. The issue is, is succeeding in this environment within his skillset?

i’m not so sure he knows

he continues to tout recruiting and draft success, and seems to just hope that wins follow

He has talked himself into believing that he is hugely responsible for the generational wealth his former players are getting in the NBA. He's convinced himself that his actions are so life altering for so many people so that it is a lot easier to rationalize the disappointing losing.

[twocoach]

thinking about this another way, cal may be a victim of his own success. he’s caught lightning in a bottle rolling out teams of highly touted freshman, even though that method is more often than not, not the most conducive to success

Just depends on how you define "success". It's his ego that keeps him building his roster like he does. This same conversation has been going on with him for years now.

[KUTradition]

Oh I think he KNOWS. The issue is, is succeeding in this environment within his skillset?

i’m not so sure he knows

he continues to tout recruiting and draft success, and seems to just hope that wins follow

He has talked himself into believing that he is hugely responsible for the generational wealth his former players are getting in the NBA. He's convinced himself that his actions are so life altering for so many people so that it is a lot easier to rationalize the disappointing losing.

yup, he’s bought into his own schtick

[Overlander]

Plus, Drake sucks

[DeletedUser]

thinking about this another way, cal may be a victim of his own success. he’s caught lightning in a bottle rolling out teams of highly touted freshman, even though that method is more often than not, not the most conducive to success

He's got an awful lot of tournament wins. 1st or 2nd most (with Self) of active coaches over the last 20 or so years.

Same amount of nattys as Izzo I think. Nattys are hard to win no matter how you build your teams.

Only 6 coaches ever have more than 2 titles. Maybe 7 if that's not counting all of Pitinos? They show his as 2 with an *.

[Overlander]

Looks like Illy is back where he belongs….purring nicely in Cals’ lap

[DeletedUser]

Looks like Illy is back where he belongs….purring nicely in Cals’ lap

Meh, they're out. I don't really care. I am okay admitting I like Calipari more than most.

He's a hall of fame coach. Hard to say his way hasn't worked.

He's way below Self and Roy and Jay Wright on my likeability scale and way above guys like K. To me.

[Overlander]

Reasonable Illy is ok with me

[DeletedUser]

Reasonable Illy is ok with me

You're getting soft in your old age.

[jfish26]

if the last 5 years is any indication…

Oh I think he KNOWS. The issue is, is succeeding in this environment within his skillset?

i’m not so sure he knows

he continues to tout recruiting and draft success, and seems to just hope that wins follow

I think it's also fair to question whether what we're seeing is a loss of program-based competitive edge in this new world; in a world inching its way toward direct-pay, I don't think it would be surprising to see the bluebloods' inherent institutional advantages being somewhat weakened (the barriers to competition for talent being lower).

And that's to say nothing of another question that is fair to ask - are shoe companies losing their edge now that players can be paid above the table?

[twocoach]

Oh I think he KNOWS. The issue is, is succeeding in this environment within his skillset?

i’m not so sure he knows

he continues to tout recruiting and draft success, and seems to just hope that wins follow

I think it's also fair to question whether what we're seeing is a loss of program-based competitive edge in this new world; in a world inching its way toward direct-pay, I don't think it would be surprising to see the bluebloods' inherent institutional advantages being somewhat weakened (the barriers to competition for talent being lower).

And that's to say nothing of another question that is fair to ask - are shoe companies losing their edge now that players can be paid above the table?

Well see. If Nike and Adidas lose a chunk of market share to some smaller companies who can now get into scooping up younger players now that the barrier of needing an established network of runners and high school AAU programs to get to these young players has been eliminated then the answer is yes.

[jfish26]

i’m not so sure he knows

he continues to tout recruiting and draft success, and seems to just hope that wins follow

I think it's also fair to question whether what we're seeing is a loss of program-based competitive edge in this new world; in a world inching its way toward direct-pay, I don't think it would be surprising to see the bluebloods' inherent institutional advantages being somewhat weakened (the barriers to competition for talent being lower).

And that's to say nothing of another question that is fair to ask - are shoe companies losing their edge now that players can be paid above the table?

Well see. If Nike and Adidas lose a chunk of market share to some smaller companies who can now get into scooping up younger players now that the barrier of needing an established network of runners and high school AAU programs to get to these young players has been eliminated then the answer is yes.

And couple that with highly-inefficient spend on things like locker rooms and player resort-dorms being replaced with much more efficient direct spend...it's always seemed to me like "money will just entrench the bluebloods more" was a somewhat-lazy take.

[DeletedUser]

If I am getting 750k a year to play a college sport I wouldn't give a shit about the dorms because I'd be renting a sweet ass house anyway.

[Overlander]

Reasonable Illy is ok with me

You're getting soft in your old age.

Probably

[jfish26]

If I am getting 750k a year to play a college sport I wouldn't give a shit about the dorms because I'd be renting a sweet ass house anyway.

Yep. And if I'm spending $750k on a player, I wouldn't ALSO give money for new dorms. Two sides of the same coin.