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Men's Basketball

Why UK needs Coach Cal to step away from the Titanic

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John Calipari observing his team at Kentucky basketball practice at the Joe Craft Center.

I won’t spend any time talking about last night’s loss; there’s really not much to say about it. Another year, another disappointing postseason from Calipari’s Wildcats. Big Blue Nation is devastated, distraught, enraged, and ready for a change. Stealing from James Cameron’s Titanic, BBN could hear the violins playing after last night’s loss as it seemed the UK ship was sinking. Even though UK earned a 3-seed in the NCAAT, in some ways, today is a much lower point for the program than the 9-16 season. So, it begs the question, where does UK go from here? Does the University itself want to part ways from Cal? Can the University even financially afford to do so? There’s a $33 million dollar hurdle to overcome…

The Buy-out concern

As it stands today, Calipari would be owed around $33 million dollars if UK were to fire him. As successful of a national brand as UK is, the university can’t afford a $33 million buyout. If choosing to go that route though, then how much money does UK have to pay the replacement coach? The finances behind a Cal-removal is of major concern, it’s quite the burden. If UK were to part ways with Cal, they would owe him the remainder of his contract. That is $33 million, rumored to be paid across 5 years. That raises major concerns for how much UK can afford to pay the next UK coach. By the way, shoutout to AD Mitch Barnhart for putting UK in such a terrible situation with Cal’s “lifetime contract.” There’s a real chance that Cal’s impending demise will drag Barnhart through the mud as well. But I digress…

Coach Cal needs to walk away

Cal needs to walk away on his own. UK isn’t going to pay the massive buyout. I don’t see any possibility that Coach Cal sits down with Barnhart to re-structure his current contract. Cal needs to walk away. UK has paid him an INSANE amount of money in his tenure here. He owes a great deal to this university. His only national championship was here in the Bluegrass. His books, shows, foundation, his new podcast: all launched at UK. He has accomplished a great deal here, but also owes a great deal to UK and its fanbase. So, he needs to save UK the cost of the buyout. He needs to save UK the fanbase turmoil and division. He needs to save UK the financial obstacle of hiring the next UK coach. Cal’s ego be damned, he needs to walk away before his tenure at UK parallels the Titanic’s demise.

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Can Coach Cal and AD Barnhart make it work?

I fully expect Cal and Mitch to have a meeting, of sorts at least. It’s well known that Cal and Mitch don’t have a great relationship. But Mitch won’t stray away from this impending iceberg. He has to lead, has to make difficult decisions. Mitch and Cal need to have a face-to-face difficult conversation in the immediate future. But to me, the best avenue is Cal to walk away. If there’s a chance to mediate some kind of negotiated lower-buyout, perfect. But short of that, Cal owes it to the university, the fanbase, and the future of the program to walk away now.

Kentucky hasn't meet expectations the last four seasons under John Calipari. Is it time for him to go?

Men's Basketball

Kentucky Basketball Commit Impesses at McDonald’s All-American Game

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Kentucky basketball commit Malachi Moreno is a McDonald's All American
McDonald's All-American Game

Fresh off of winning a Kentucky Basketball State Championship Saturday night, Malachi Moreno had no time to rest. After winning the State Championship, Moreno flew out the morning after to Brooklyn.

Just a few short months ago, Moreno was selected to participate in the McDonald’s All-American game. Being chosen to play in this game is considered the highest honor a high school basketball player can achieve. However, he wasn’t content with just being chosen to play in this game. He wanted to show everyone that he belongs in this crowd with the best of the best.

Playing against the elite of the elite, there was never a moment in which Moreno looked as if he didn’t belong. Although Moreno and Team East didn’t come away with a victory, he looked nothing short of impressive all night long.

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In only 16 minutes of game time, Moreno finished with 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist. He also added 2 blocked shots on the game. Moreno, who is listed at 6’10, moves very well for his size. He has an elite feel around the rim, which is tough to find for a young big man like himself. However, his best attribute may be his shot blocking ability, as shown here.

Moreno is a very gifted shot-blocker who has a knack for timing his jump when blocking shots. This will help him fill a much-needed role next season for a Kentucky team that at times struggled defensively, more specifically with blocking shots.

His night didn’t end there, he also showcased his ability to step outside and shoot the 3 ball.

He only attempted 11 3’s during his Senior High School season, finishing at 3/11 for 27.3%, but he proves here that if left open. He won’t hesitate to let it fly.

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At the practices, On3 named him their second-best performer.

“Malachi Moreno flew to the McDonald’s All-American events this morning straight off winning a Kentucky state championship last night. This scrimmage was his first participation of the week, and he made his presence felt immediately. Moreno has legit size, listed at 7-foot-0, with good length. He also has good hands, which helps his play around the basket. Moreno is a strong rebounder, cleaning up the boards in traffic. He also had a game-clinching block at the rim, putting it off the backboard. Offensively, he plays as a roll man and out of the dunker spots. It found his spots and played within himself, and he had some very loud finishes.

Moreno is one of three exciting freshmen joining the Wildcats next season; alongside him are 4-stars Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis. These three highlight an exciting new young core for Mark Pope and company.

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BB Recruiting

Kentucky Has Contacted Nation’s Leading Scorer, Four-Star Transfer Jaron Pierre Who Is “Definitely” Interested in the Cats

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Jacksonville State transfer Jaron Pierre has been contacted by Kentucky.
Jacksonville State Athletics

There are more than a thousand players in the transfer portal, meaning names are flying left and right. As of April 1st, Kentucky has one commitment in Kam Williams (Tulane), and is projected to land top 25 transfer Magoon Gwath (San Diego State).

That said, the Kentucky staff has been in contact with more than a dozen players, and there is another notable player to add to that list.

KY Insider can report that Kentucky has contacted Jaron Pierre from Jacksonville State. Pierre is currently a four-star transfer prospect and ranked as the 34th ranked prospect in 247Sports‘ transfer portal rankings.

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At Jacksonville State last season, Pierre scored more points than anyone else in college basketball (777 points), averaging 21.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 38.2% from 3-point range (9.0 attempts per game). He scored 30 points or more in six games, and only had one game where he did not score in double digits. His impressive play earned him Conference USA Player of the Year honors.

Pierre also had prior stops at Southern Miss and Wichita State, where he spent two years at each school, and will be going into his sixth season of college basketball. Pierre has also declared for the NBA Draft, but is not currently projected on any mock drafts.

While still early in his recruitment, Pierre tells KY Insider that he is “definitely” interested in Kentucky, but no Zoom meeting or visit has been scheduled.

“I love it Big Blue Nation,” Pierre said of the Kentucky program. He also really liked what Mark Pope was able to do in his first season in Lexington. “He was able to pick up right where it left off.”

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The level of competition is always a question when evaluating a mid-major talent, but Pierre’s athleticism jumps off the page and a 38.2% clip from three on nine attempts per game is nothing to slight at.

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Men's Basketball

Kentucky Receives Predictions for 7-Foot, Top 25 Transfer Magoon Gwath

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7-footer Magoon Gwath, a top 25 transfer prospect, is predicted to commit to Kentucky.
San Diego State Aztecs

Magoon Gwath, the 7-foot freshman from San Diego State, has received a crystal ball to Kentucky. No, ladies and gentlemen, this is not an April Fools prank.

Gwath entered the transfer portal on Mar. 24 after he averaged 8.5 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, and 2.6 blocks per game for the Aztecs. His play earned him Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in the Mountain West Conference. Kentucky was one of the first schools to contact Gwath, and Lamont Butler is even reported to be helping recruit Gwath to Kentucky.

At approximately 12 p.m. on April 1st, Travis Branham, a 247Sports Basketball Analyst, awarded the big man with a crystal ball prediction that has Gwath becoming a Wildcat. On3’s Joe Tipton has also chimed in, following Branham’s prediction and mentioning Michigan as a top destination as well. 

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This isn’t a guess, this is a calculated report. Now, Mark Pope and his staff will await the decision of Gwath in the coming days.

According to 247Sports transfer rankings, Gwath is the No. 22 transfer portal player in the country, ranking fourth among centers. The class of 2023 recruit was unranked, and due to a foot injury, was redshirted for the 2023-24 season.

With a 7-foot, 205-pound frame, Gwath needs to fill out some to help with his strength. However, he is an elite shot-blocker with good defensive instincts. On the offensive side, he has good vision for his size, which Mark Pope loves, and is comfortable putting the ball on the deck with his face-up game.

With the departure of Amari Williams and Andrew Carr in the frontcourt, the addition of Gwath would be major for the Pope and the Wildcats.

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Get familiar with Gwath’s game BBN.

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