Kentucky's Death March

[uconndoit]

Great article about how Calimari's method is bad for NCAA basketball.

"They're going to win. And what happens next will be really bad for college basketball.
By Chuck Klosterman on March 28, 2012"

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id...cky-march-final-four-means-college-basketball

 

[upstater]

Great article about how Calimari's method is bad for NCAA basketball.

"They're going to win. And what happens next will be really bad for college basketball.
By Chuck Klosterman on March 28, 2012"

http://www.grantland.com/story/_/id...cky-march-final-four-means-college-basketball

I seem to remember other teams full of frosh and sophs winning.

 

[uconndoit]

I seem to remember other teams full of frosh and sophs winning.

That's not the point of the article.

 

[msgordon]

The premise seems like a pretty big reach. Overdramatizing it

 

[UCHuskies08]

Can't disagree.

Like I said in another thread, Eric Bledsoe and Daniel Orton going in the first round validated everything Cal does. Now he's at a powerhouse school, not the A-10 or CUSA, and I don't think he even has to do anything shady or untoward to reel in the recruits he does now. Before he only had his system, now he has the system and the Kentucky name brand. It's enough to make you puke, or hope he bolts for the NBA.

 

[upstater]

That's not the point of the article.

Didn't say it was.

 

[uconndoit]

Didn't say it was.

Ok - good then.

 

[jrazz12]

Forget the cheating "rumors" surrounding Calipari, this is the reason I root against him. There's something inherently wrong about his whole one-and-done strategy that makes me queasy. I don't blame him for it, but I'll always root against it and him until the NBA fixes the rule and stops bastardizing the college game.

 

[uconndoit]

The premise seems like a pretty big reach. Overdramatizing it

I don't think so. If Cal keeps bringing in the top one-and-dones but he starts winning NCs with them it will turn NCAA bball into something different, something less pure - and that purity is why I love college bball as opposed to the NBA.

 

[BarkingDog]

I don't think so. If Cal keeps bringing in the top one-and-dones but he starts winning NCs with them it will turn NCAA bball into something different, something less pure - and that purity is why I love college bball as opposed to the NBA.

If you're thinking there's anything pure about college basketball you ain't paying attention.
The point here is that Calapari is at least honest in that he treats the game as a business. You and the author of the article may not like it, but in some ways it's a refreshing departure in the massive cess pool of hypocrisy that is major college athletics.

 

[uconndoit]

If you're thinking there's anything pure about college basketball you ain't paying attention.
The point here is that Calapari is at least honest in that he treats the game as a business. You and the author of the article may not like it, but in some ways it's a refreshing departure in the massive cess pool of hypocrisy that is major college athletics.

Ah the bitter cynic has joined in.

College bball is worth saving and Cal takes it In the wrong direction. But who knows, maybe Cal's directness will blow things up and force the NCAA's hand to make radical changes.

 

[UConn5]

Ultimately the article is about the flaw of the system, not Calipari. I hate Cal as much as anyone, but the fact is that the top kids see UK as a place where they will be allowed to immediately showcase their skills for a year so that they can jump to the NBA after the season, or the next season at most.

 

[Gurleyman]

Whether it is right or wrong, I just wouldn't enjoy their system. I like seeing players improve and develop over time, and maybe see them fight through adversity. We got to see the 1999 team evolve over a three-year time frame (two with KEA added to the mix). We got to see Emeka Okafor go from a guy who's range was a dunk into a legitimate All-American post threat. We got to watch Kemba Walker turn from a hyper bench guy with only one speed into a remarkable leader. Even the team that didn't win, we got to watch AJ Price and Hasheem Thabeet improve by leaps and bounds over three years to get to the Final Four (not to mention see Jeff Adrien will his way into the Final Four and the NBA).

When a stage full of one-and-dones hold up a trophy, it just wouldn't feel the same, in my opinion. It's like they are just using the uniform - just as much as if they used it to lay across a mud puddle to prevent from getting mud on their shoes. Whereas the guys who are there for a long period of time would get their shoes caked in mud long before they would let anything happen to their uniform.

 

[BarkingDog]

Ah the bitter cynic has joined in.

College bball is worth saving and Cal takes it In the wrong direction. But who knows, maybe Cal's directness will blow things up and force the NCAA's hand to make radical changes.

Cynic, probably. Bitter, nah. I love college hoops. I'm just, as they say, keeping it real.
And you're right about the game worth saving and that it needs changes. But as long as the people running the game are making boatloads of cash, there's no real incentive to change.
I'm afraid the author might be right about more programs copying the Calapari method and reducing the game to the have-mores and the have-nots. Kind of like the way american society is headed in general .... Ah, there I go again.

 

[uconndoit]

Cynic, probably. Bitter, nah. I love college hoops. I'm just, as they say, keeping it real.
And you're right about the game worth saving and that it needs changes. But as long as the people running the game are making boatloads of cash, there's no real incentive to change.
I'm afraid the author might be right about more programs copying the Calapari method and reducing the game to the have-mores and the have-nots. Kind of like the way american society is headed in general .... Ah, there I go again.

A-greed
I'd rather see the one-and-dones go straight to the pros - maybe in a development league. Then we can watch the dark horses develop and make or break their careers while needing to keep their grades up as a fall back in case they don't make the pros. It sucks that those destined for the pros are taking playing time and coaching attention away from those who need it the most.

 

[Druken Friar]

Agree with those who say the system is the problem. Let players go from High School to the NBA if that is their true goal. Let the NBA create a real developmental league just like professional Baseball and Hockey.

If you go to college, you should have to commit to 2 or 3 years. The players who are 1 and done are simply doing their time before going to the draft. It's also not a sustainable "system" for any college program.

It wouldn't ruin college basketball. Things were fine in the old days when players like Kobe Bryant skipped college.

 

[freescooter]

Forget the cheating "rumors" surrounding Calipari, this is the reason I root against him. There's something inherently wrong about his whole one-and-done strategy that makes me queasy. I don't blame him for it, but I'll always root against it and him until the NBA fixes the rule and stops bastardizing the college game.

Calipari is just taking what everyone else does and carrying it to its logical conslusion. It is a huge problem for college basketball and I think contributes to the declining ratings, declining attendance during the regular season and the post season. It makes the coaches the "stars" rather than the players to an even greaater extent than they have been historically. And the NCAA pretends it is powerless to do anything about it. What a bunch of wimps.

I completely agree with you guys that it isn't susptainable, and I don't think anyone would really mind if guys who thought they were ready jumped directly to the pros, or to a real minor league. the college game will actually be improved, the pro game won't get any worse. But of course the NCAA would rather wring their hands about too many texts than deal with a real issue.