OT: Calipari throws Harrison's under the bus...

[Rocktheworld]

Just so you know, apostrophes are never used to indicate plurality.

 

[JonnyRI]

What a scum bag. I couldn't possibly imagine being a recruit, or anyone for that matter, and wanting to be associated with a pos like him.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Can someone quote me the dickish part?

Joining the dick-ish grammar police, the dickish part might have been left out of the singular possessive subject heading. Which Harrison's unidentified item? I jest!

 

[donyell34]

Ah!!! The grammar police rise again. This isn't school Rock ; get over it dude.

 

[CL82]

I forgot that the Harrisons went 2nd round and undrafted.

How come there isn't more press about Calipari taking two Top-10 kids and failing to get them drafted in the first round? He gets credit for turning #1 recruits into lottery picks, but no blame for destroying other kids' draft stock.

So is he saying that the season was a failure because the Harrisons went undrafted? I mean that is how he counts success right?

 

[Huskyforlife]

What he should have said, was that he didn't want to put the game in the hands of 2 freshman guards.

 

[Rocktheworld]

What he should have said, was that he didn't want to put the game in the hands of 2 freshman guards.

Yeah, using the "they're freshmen" excuse is exactly what we all heard at the end of 2014

 

[Huskies4ever]

I don't even understand the purpose of making those remarks
1. You throw your former players under the bus
A. hurts those relationships
B. Could make future recruits question if you'll stand by them
2. The observation and assessment of his coaching strategy/decisions is useful introspection, but what's the upside of making it public? The statement actually does both blame the Harrison twins and it is an acknowledgement of a coaching mistake.
3. So the only purpose I can see is IF Calipari thinks the statement sells the concept; "I'm loyal to my players to a fault" - but just an outright stupid way to make that point.

Also, in blaming the twins, he discredits Wisconsin.

Hey, coach! It's been 6 months. You lost. Give credit where credit is due and move on.

He came oh-so close to the perfect season. You can tell how much this one hurts.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Yeah, using the "they're freshmen" excuse is exactly what we all heard at the end of 2014

At the end of a 30-something game season, the "they're freshmen" excuse holds a whole lot less water than on opening night. Any port, or excuse, in a Calimari storm.

 

[Scottzer]

I'm very sorry I didn't proofread my post!

 

[David 76]

Here is what Cal said:
We lost because 2 cold players were left in too long. (I won't tell you their names but they are twins.)
I was aware this was happening but chose to do nothing.
The above was not bad coaching, it was not my fault.
In fact it was my positive trait of loyalty that did this.

He is basically saying he let the game get away from himbut it was a good thing that proves how wonderful he is
The arrogance is amazing

 

[mauconnfan]

The way I'd read your post (in my mind) was something like - "you've just said the safest thing you can say in here."

I propose a new boneyard font color system:

red - anger
blue - happy
green - sarcasm
white - stupid comments

I am going to use yellow all the time now for fear of being thrown to the Judge.

 

[dennismenace]

I suppose it's a matter of interpretation and personal opinion.
The message behind the words that I received was, "the Harrisons were playing like crap, leaving them in cost us the win, and ___________________________."
What goes in the blank? Doesn't matter. Could be, "and therefore you can see how loyal I am." or "and they earned the right to be there and I'd do it again." or "and there was real chance they'd work their way out of their slump."
Doesn't matter.
The mere utterance of the concept that leaving them in cost Kentucky the win is a body slam to them, and, given that it's a done deal that can't be undone, there was zero point to saying it, other than, perhaps, for Calipari to shunt blame for the loss on them. If you don't agree with that, then fine - we view the world and human interaction very differently.

If Calipari claims that he left them in out of loyalty to them, then one has to wonder where that loyalty went when he decided to call them out as having been the cause of the loss.

I think this post gets to the essence of what the real problem is. All of us have character defects and faults. Not only do we have them but we tend to deny, rationalize or blame them on others. Human condition. Hopefully we grow from our experiences both bad and good. If we are in leadership positions we have an even greater responsibility to be both humble (see things as they really are) and courageous (to be willing to grow in character). Watching UConn men bb since the Big East era has given me an appreciation for what leadership really is all about. It is interesting that you can often find the lessons of life observing college hoop.

 

[willie99]

what a weasel, have some pride Cal

"walk like a man"

 

[champs99and04]

I think people might be misinterpreting the comments. The Harrisons played reasonably well against Wisconsin, and the reason they lost had nothing to do with them. They lost because Cal's switch-everything approach - that was so successful all season against lesser opponents - backfired against a team that could exploit them. As many know, I'm more fond of Cal as a coach than most on this board...but I think it's fair to say he got outcoached. Even Cal - if he watched the tape - would have to acknowledge this.

I took the comments to mean, "although some may think I botched the game by not playing Ulis and Booker more, those two were struggling which is why the Harrisons - who earned my trust the year prior - played ahead of them."

Does it make any more sense when framed this way? No. He can't pitch the loyalty card if he's also going to turn around and tell future recruits - most of whom leave after one year - that the floor is theirs. His entire recruiting philosophy is predicated on freshman showcasing their talent from day one and he undermines that if he's conceding that he kept two kids on the bench because they were freshman.

 

[Mr. French]

I think people might be misinterpreting the comments. The Harrisons played reasonably well against Wisconsin, and the reason they lost had nothing to do with them. They lost because Cal's switch-everything approach - that was so successful all season against lesser opponents - backfired against a team that could exploit them. As many know, I'm more fond of Cal as a coach than most on this board...but I think it's fair to say he got outcoached. Even Cal - if he watched the tape - would have to acknowledge this.

I took the comments to mean, "although some may think I botched the game by not playing Ulis and Booker more, those two were struggling which is why the Harrisons - who earned my trust the year prior - played ahead of them."

Does it make any more sense when framed this way? No. He can't pitch the loyalty card if he's also going to turn around and tell future recruits - most of whom leave after one year - that the floor is theirs. His entire recruiting philosophy is predicated on freshman showcasing their talent from day one and he undermines that if he's conceding that he kept two kids on the bench because they were freshman.

I thought he said the Harrisons were struggling, not the two Frosh, but he left the twins in because of loyalty... Which is, as a poster above said, simply him turning something that he could and should be criticized for into a way to claim he is so loyal and loving to his players...the same ones he seems to be blaming for the loss months later and that he pushed out despite their draft stock and readiness...

I can't understand how anyone can see the crud this guy spews and not call him out for the absurdities and double talk, depending on a situation and how it paints him.

 

[champs99and04]

I thought he said the Harrisons were struggling, not the two Frosh, but he left the twins in because of loyalty... Which is, as a poster above said, simply him turning something that he could and should be criticized for into a way to claim he is so loyal and loving to his players...the same ones he seems to be blaming for the loss months later and that he pushed out despite their draft stock and readiness...

I can't understand how anyone can see the crud this guy spews and not call him out for the absurdities and double talk, depending on a situation and how it paints him.

That's what I thought at first as well, but if you go back, the Harrisons were actually outplaying Ulis/Booker at the time...so I'm not sure where the loyalty part comes from.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

I can't understand how anyone can see the crud this guy spews and not call him out for the absurdities and double talk, depending on a situation and how it paints him.

I would be surprised if there's even a handful of members of the college basketball cognoscenti who don't think of Cal as a bull___ artist and used car salesman extraordinaire. I just think some of them think it adds to his bizarre charm or whatever, and they don't take the next step and call him a sh__ty coach.

 

[Mr. French]

I would be surprised if there's even a handful of members of the college basketball cognoscenti who don't think of Cal as a bull___ artist and used car salesman extraordinaire. I just think some of them think it adds to his bizarre charm or whatever, and they don't take the next step and call him a sh__ty coach.

I probably agree, which makes it that much more infuriating.

 

[David 76]

[QUOTE="champs99and04, post: 1428830, member: 488, I'm more fond of Cal as a coach than most on this board...but I think it's fair to say he got outcoached. Even Cal - if he watched the tape - would have to acknowledge this.[/QUOTE]

I don't think the squid is capable of acknowledging that.

 

[David 76]

Champs, I don't see how you read that article and not get that the Squid says the twins were struggling, Cal saw it and thinks he could have won the game bringing in the freshmen, but didn't because he is so loyal.

You know, because the twins felt much better losing the game then if they were substituted for while "struggling".