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Men's Basketball

Info On Kentucky’s Closed Scrimmage with Transylvania

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4 years ago

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Due to COVID-19, Kentucky’s game against South Carolina last night was canceled. Kentucky tried to schedule multiple games, but all plans fell through. John Calipari instead chose to scrimmage Transylvania at Rupp Arena.

I spoke to a source last night close to the scrimmage and this is what they said.

Kentucky won by 20-25

The source that I spoke to said that Kentucky and Transy scrimmaged for 40 minutes and then did “situational stuff.” From what I was told, Kentucky won by 20-25 in a “weird format with lots of stoppages in play.”

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However, Transy was missing their two best players.

Dontaie Allen hit 7-8 three’s but was a liability on defense

Fans, including myself, have been begging for Dontaie Allen to get playing time. Cal said last Monday night on his call-in-show that he had talked to Dontaie and told him he was going to get his chance. Last night he did, and the source told me that Allen “hit 7-8 three’s.”

But, the source also told me that Allen “is a major liability on defense and that’s why he doesn’t play.”

Kentucky doesn’t have a leader and isn’t very coachable

A great team needs a great leader and the source I spoke to said “Kentucky doesn’t have a real leader.” According to the source, “They played for four hours and no one was leading the team. Cal has to say something five times before they get it and there was a lot of screwing around. They don’t have a true leader and aren’t really coachable.”

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Terrence Clarke didn’t play

It was reported by Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio earlier last week that Terrence Clarke had been in a walking boot and had missed practice for most of the week. However, Cal did try to play him against Louisville, but admitted that “it was a mistake” in his postgame presser.

The source that I spoke to said that Clarke did not play and was in a walking boot the whole time.

Cam’Ron Fletcher

Something happened after the UNC loss and whatever it was, it wasn’t good. The whole ordeal ended in Cam’Ron Fletcher going home and then Cal taking a shot at him in his Louisville postgame presser.

According to the source, “Fletcher played, but didn’t play much” and had an “okay” attitude.

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BJ Boston is close

The most disappointing thing about this season so far is the lack of production from BJ Boston. A superstar coming into the year hasn’t performed close to the level Kentucky needs him to. According to the source, “Boston played good and is getting close. He was money from mid-range.”

This is uncharted territory for John Calipari

The source that I spoke with said that they talked to Calipari for around 10-15 minutes and it was obvious he wasn’t sure what to do.

“Cal has never been 1-6 before” the source said. “This is uncharted territory for Cal and it seemed like he wasn’t sure what to do.”

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Players Say They Think About Winning National Championship “Every Second”

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3 days ago

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November 18, 2024

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Kentucky basketball players celebrate after their big over Duke.
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The expectations at Kentucky are the highest of any school in the country, and there is good reason why. The winningest college program ever. Eight national titles, under five different coaches. Seventeen Final Four appearances. You get it, a lot of success.

Fans want the players to have those same expectations. Despite not having the elite talent or preseason hype of great Kentucky teams past, this year’s team still has their eyes set on doing something “people will remember forever”, winning a national championship.

Asked on social media, if hanging banner #9 was all the players thought about “every second”, Ansley Almonor had a response.

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“We do.”

It takes a lot to win a national championship, including some luck, but this team is certainly going to be loved for their desire to live out their dream of playing at Kentucky and their unselfishness. Those two things can take them a long way this season .

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky AD Mitch Barnhart Seemingly Takes Shot at John Calipari, “Anybody Can Recruit”

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5 days ago

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November 16, 2024

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Mitch Barnhart sitting next to basketball coach John Calipari.
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John Calipari and Kentucky Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart had their differences over fifteen years, but success can hide a lot of things. Not that they hated each other, but they each had vastly different personalities. As that success weaned towards the end of Calipari’s tenure, those issues started to be noticed publically.

If you need evidence of that, despite their efforts to dispute it, there is the infamous press conference where Barnhart talked about “entitled” coaches, shortly after Calipari publicly called for a new practice facility. Then, there were multiple times when Calipari expressed that the administration was not on the same page and that he was facing “headwinds”.

That said, Calipari is now at Arkansas, but those differences and some disdain remain. During an interview on the Kentucky Football pregame show, Barnhart seemingly took a shot at Calipari when asked about Mark Pope’s recruiting philosophy and prioritizing fit.

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“I tell people all the time, ‘Anybody can recruit, not everybody can evaluate,’” Barnhart said. “You can recruit. You can be phenomenal at bringing people to your program. But if it does not fit you, it’s really not helpful.”

Of course, Calipari is one of the best, if not the best, recruiters in college basketball history. At times, he prioritized talent and athleticism over fit.

Quite the coincidence.

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ESPN’s Jay Williams Gives Message to Kentucky Fans, “You’re Not Going to Like It…”

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6 days ago

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November 15, 2024

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ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams gives a message to Kentucky fans after the Wildcats win over Duke. "You won't like it."
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Back in April, opposing fanbases like Duke, told Kentucky fans to “cope with Pope” following the hire of Mark Pope and the corresponding initial shock. On Tuesday, those same fanbases had to watch as Mark Pope outcoached Jon Scheyer and Duke in the final minutes of the Champion’s Classic to get his first marque win in just his third game at Kentucky.

Of course, shortly after the game, Duke fans began to rationalize the loss by highlighting their team’s youth. While true, it sounded like an echo chamber of what Kentucky fans said for years under John Calipari. One notable example was former Blue Devil Jay Williams.

At halftime, while Duke was leading 46-37, Williams called this year’s Duke team the most talented since the 2001 team that he was a part of at halftime. To his credit, he complimented Kentucky on the comeback victory, specifically on their offense and maturity, but then 36 hours later he posted a message to Kentucky fans on social media.

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“Let me put you on to something,” Williams started. “Whether you like it or not, networks are going to sell Cooper Flagg. He’s going to be the number one pick in the draft. You’re going to talk about whether he won the or whether he lost the game, regardless of the outcome.”

“You’re not going to like it. There should be more kudos to Mark Pope and Kentucky,” Williams continued. “Regardless of whether you won the game or not, they’re still going to sell Cooper Flagg because he is selling the sport. Sorry.”

William’s statement is true. That said, it comes off as ‘sour grapes’ about losing. Cooper Flagg is a great talent and will likely be the first pick in the NBA Draft, but most Kentucky fans would say they would much rather have the win than the marketing.

Futhermore, Kentucky and its ‘brand’ has raised the level of multiple players and coaches, and will continue to do so. A deeper impact than Cooper Flagg will have on Duke in just one season.

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