OT- Wiltjer (UK) *might* Transfer, Squid Weighs In

[James]

The jury is still out on Cals ability to produce successful pros that get better. John wall could be his first , he played great at the end of the year. boogie cousins is the most talented 5 in the league but also the biggest head case. MKG still a project, Brandon knight a 2 guard masquerading as a 1. but it's hard to ignore the slough of 5 stars he's been bringing in. hard to argue his recruiting ability

 

[uconnbill]

All of those players would have done equally well at other schools and maybe some would have gotten better than they did at UK. I truly believe squid doesn't improve the overall play of his players and may have hindered some of them.

 

[mauconnfan]

The jury is still out on Cals ability to produce successful pros that get better. John wall could be his first , he played great at the end of the year. boogie cousins is the most talented 5 in the league but also the biggest head case. MKG still a project, Brandon knight a 2 guard masquerading as a 1. but it's hard to ignore the slough of 5 stars he's been bringing in. hard to argue his recruiting ability

But again, the word "produce" doesn't really work well with kids who stay a year.........especially when they aren't ready or don't have a positive impact in the NBA immediately......his ability to prepare them is highly overrated but kids like what they see on TV and hear from their coaches and friends.........

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Exactly, Calamari is too impatient to develop existing players. Everyone knows he runs them off after one season. He doesn't care about existing players. That's what Wiltjer is noticing. It's one thing to bring in another highly rated player but to bring in 4 players to take time away from Wiltjer, do you not think Wiltjer sees the writing on the wall? Where is the loyalty with Calamari? Calamari really doesn't care about these kids... otherwise, 1/2 of his kids would not have been run off to the NBA before they were ready... See B.Knight, J.Teague, D.Orton, D.Lamb, T.Jones, A. Goodwin...

You just repeated what you said before. Newsflash: guys get recruited over at every school in the country, including UConn. Ask Kevin Ollie, who was recruited over repeatedly. You have a couple options: (a) keep your job by outplaying your replacement; (b) come to terms with fewer minutes; or (c) leave. It's big-boy stuff. And the only program where people seem to think this is a bad thing is Kentucky. Trust me, if Ollie had Cal's class coming in no one on here would be crying about the lack of loyalty.

 

[EricLA]

Completely missed my point... So you're saying it's about the money, rather than being successful NBA players?
B.Knight - Detroit is already looking to replace him at PG.
M.Teague - barely played & when he did it was because N.Robinson Or K.Hinrich were out.
D.Orton - didn't have his rookie option picked up in Orlando and won't be on a roster next season. Out of the league in 3 years.
T.Jones - barely played and spent more time in the D-League.
D.Lamb - barely played. Lamb's contract is not quaranteed next year & Orlando is most likely drafting a 2G tonight.
A.Goodwin - is most likely a 2nd round pick tonight, but he left because the Harrison twins were coming & Goodwin knew they would time away from him.

The jury is still out on Cals ability to produce successful pros that get better. John wall could be his first , he played great at the end of the year. boogie cousins is the most talented 5 in the league but also the biggest head case. MKG still a project, Brandon knight a 2 guard masquerading as a 1. but it's hard to ignore the slough of 5 stars he's been bringing in. hard to argue his recruiting ability

I found both these comments really interesting. These players come out of high school with as much hype as any high schoolers in the nation. Those that chose Kentucky are not necessarily developed, pushed, or given direction and skills - meaning that Cal (IMHO) is more interested in getting the kids to win than in developing good practice and personal habits to serve them well in the future.

These kids are given $ by the Squid, their egos stroked, classes are "comp'd", and they come out after a year of college not necessarily with the tools to really take on the next level. I think this may be one reason we see these apparent "uber stars" not really progressing in the NBA. Compare that to guys who came through UCONN who were nowhere near the top but who carved out nice or decent careers in the NBA. These kids were pushed super hard by JC (and now by Ollie) and actually prepared for the rigors of the pro life.

I'm not sure if I'm really saying it well enough, but it seems Cal is more concerned about promoting his own agenda and that of winning at Kentucky over the best interest in developing kids mentally, physically, and in every way to prep them for the next level.

 

[RPM101370]

I guess what I found the most odd are the dueling on-line posts regarding a transfer that *might* happen, especially the post on the coach's "personal home page." It's not even fan or media speculation. It's the actual player and coach posting.

The dynamic probably happens every day. I've just never seen it play out so publicly.

I'd add that I'd hardly call an N.I.T. bid complete with first round exit to Robert Morris as "dominance."

http://espn.go.com/mens-college-bas...hools-interested-kyle-wiltjer-leaves-kentucky

 

[huskyharry]

The cash flow is clearly a part of the attraction as well. Kensucky has openly showcased the large sums spent on special dorms etc. which wink-wink are available for other students as well and their new practice facility.
However, I suspect that ole World Wide Wes is still an active part of the recruiting process, despite him now being a licensed agent. I'm sure the limo rides and Leer Jet flights with NBA stars continue as well as promises of all the future benefits of being part of the "family", although he is likely much more subtle about it now.

 

[BearJWS]

The cash flow is clearly a part of the attraction as well. Kensucky has openly showcased the large sums spent on special dorms etc. which wink-wink are available for other students as well and their new practice facility.
However, I suspect that ole World Wide Wes is still an active part of the recruiting process, despite him now being a licensed agent. I'm sure the limo rides and Leer Jet flights with NBA stars continue as well as promises of all the future benefits of being part of the "family", although he is likely much more subtle about it now.

Don't forget Jay-Z is frequently in the KenSucky locker room for games. Not that I care about the guy, but he seems popular with today's youth.

 

[BearJWS]

You just repeated what you said before. Newsflash: guys get recruited over at every school in the country, including UConn. Ask Kevin Ollie, who was recruited over repeatedly. You have a couple options: (a) keep your job by outplaying your replacement; (b) come to terms with fewer minutes; or (c) leave. It's big-boy stuff. And the only program where people seem to think this is a bad thing is Kentucky. Trust me, if Ollie had Cal's class coming in no one on here would be crying about the lack of loyalty.

I do so when people miss the point I'm making.