Rooting for Perfection

[1999.2004.2011]

Listen, I know I'm going to be hated on the board for posting this thread because for some reason people think we have this rivalry with Kentucky and Calipari because we've played them in big games over the past couple of years (which we won btw), but hear me out.

Without UConn in the tournament, I'm starting to come around and root for UK to run the table. Their team has an opportunity to complete a perfect season, and that is an incredible feet in a sport where most of the great players are required to only stay for one season.

Everyone loves to hate the villains (Patriots, Yankees, Miami Heat) in sports, but why can't people just appreciate the greatness of certain teams? Sure Calipari has had his run ins with the NCAA (UConn also has too) but being able to recruit nine (9!) McDonald's All Americans and getting them to check their egos' at the door to buy into a pro style system in college basketball is remarkable. They play an entertaining style of the game in an age where guys are "over-coaching" literally every single position, leading to boring, awful games in the 50's (I'm looking at you Virginia). As a basketball and sports fan, I've realized that you can be the blowhard who refuses to acknowledge greatness, or you can be the person who can appreciate it.

Without a rooting interest, I'm going to enjoy watching quality basketball the rest of the tournament and will acknowledge that this Kentucky team is one of the all time greats if they finish it out. I also know that if UConn miraculously made it into the tournament, we'd be the one team they wouldn't want to run into...

 

[husky99]

no and you are banned for three days

 

[Scoe]

Its also fun to route against them, and thats what sports is all about you have fans that wanna see it happen and fans that route against it. They are the biggest villain in college basketball.

 

[Inyatkin]

Listen, I know I'm going to be hated on the board for posting this thread because for some reason people think we have this rivalry with Kentucky and Calipari because we've played them in big games over the past couple of years (which we won btw), but hear me out.

Small point, but the UConn-Calipari issues go back way before the past few years, or maybe you weren't a fan in the mid-'90s.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

Small point, but the UConn-Calipari issues go back way before the past few years, or maybe you weren't a fan in the mid-'90s.

I'm in my early twenties, so the UConn (Calhoun)-UMass (Cal) rivalry really means nothing to me.

 

[Inyatkin]

I'm in my early twenties, so the UConn-UMass rivalry really means nothing to me

It was pretty heated. And a lot of the people who seem to hate Geno probably trace it back to him cozying up to Calipari back then.

 

[John]

A million times No. A googleplex No. No, No, No. Nope, Nay, Nah

http://www.wikihow.com/Say-No-in-Various-Languages

ALTHOUGH
the only thing better than seeing one National Championship vacated and the banner taken down is seeing TWO National Championships vacated and the banners taken down. The dude DOES have a wee bit of a track record.

 

[DogMania]

I hate you!

Granted it would be a great feat if they achieve the perfect season. They are very talented. They didn't exactly have a murder's row throughout the season, like what we use to face in the old BE. There doesn't seem to be any talented and upperclassmen laden teams this year...maybe Wisconsin, but not sure they're a good match-up.

There's a right way to do thing, and filling up each year with one-and-done talent is not the way I'd like to see a program dominate on a regular basis, but that's what might begin to happen if UK keeps on loading up the way they did the past two years. Now I don't blame them for doing it that way. If the best players want to go there and Cal can load up each year, then what coach or program wouldn't take them. UCLA back in the day, had that going for them. I like getting to know our players for 3 to 4 years, and if we get a 2-and-done, I can live with that. I'm not sure I'd like to be the fan of a program that has a revolving door each year of talent coming in and out, but if it means winning NCs on a regular basis, I'm sure I and most of us would get used to it.

I look at it this way. It's all the sweeter when we beat a young talented team like UK with one of our talented experienced ones. My one concern is that if the Squids teams are as deep and talented as this year's team, year after year, then it's going to be a tall order to beat them. I just don't know if UK can load up every year and have this mix of talent, which included a bunch of returning players, albeit burger-AAs.

I guess we'll see if they can pull it off, but it sure looks like they're just getting better and better. They're not playing like a team that is resting on their All American statuses. They all seem to play hard and don't mind sharing their minutes, so it's going to take some team that can match their intensity that jumps on them early. But then again, who would have thought our 2011 and 2014 teams had the horses to beat the field and end up to be the last team standing?

 

[Deepster]

I'm in my early twenties, so the UConn (Calhoun)-UMass (Cal) rivalry really means nothing to me.

Well, that's just stupid. Because you're young, it doesn't exist? Calipari had 15 seconds of fame with umass and basically called Calhoun and UConn t for not immediately setting up an annual game between the two teams.

The game was set up on an annual basis but by then, Calipari had skunked his way out of umass and was on his way to throwing his stink all over the Memphis program. And UConn naturally dominated that annual matchup to where it was soon squashed from the schedules.

There's no way I want to see him attain one of the highest achievements in the sport.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

I hate you!

Granted it would be a great feat if they achieve the perfect season. They are very talented. They didn't exactly have a murder's row throughout the season, like what we use to face in the old BE. There doesn't seem to be any talented and upperclassmen laden teams this year...maybe Wisconsin, but not sure they're a good match-up.

There's a right way to do thing, and filling up each year with one-and-done talent is not the way I'd like to see a program dominate on a regular basis, but that's what might begin to happen if UK keeps on loading up the way they did the past two years. Now I don't blame them for doing it that way. If the best players want to go there and Cal can load up each year, then what coach or program wouldn't take them. UCLA back in the day, had that going for them. I like getting to know our players for 3 to 4 years, and if we get a 2-and-done, I can live with that. I'm not sure I'd like to be the fan of a program that has a revolving door each year of talent coming in and out, but if it means winning NCs on a regular basis, I'm sure I and most of us would get used to it.

I look at it this way. It's all the sweeter when we beat a young talented team like UK with one of our talented experienced ones. My one concern is that if the Squids teams are as deep and talented as this year's team, year after year, then it's going to be a tall order to beat them. I just don't know if UK can load up every year and have this mix of talent, which included a bunch of returning players, albeit burger-AAs.

I guess we'll see if they can pull it off, but it sure looks like they're just getting better and better. They're not playing like a team that is resting on their All American statuses. They all seem to play hard and don't mind sharing their minutes, so it's going to take some team that can match their intensity that jumps on them early. But then again, who would have thought our 2011 and 2014 teams had the horses to beat the field and end up to be the last team standing?

I probably should have clarified the OP, where I'm rooting for the kids more than the coach. I dislike the moniker that these kids are "one and done" because the vast majority of these guys are sophomores and juniors, actually go to class and most of their guys are pretty likeable. Hypothetically, if this team had different jerseys on or played for a different coach I think America would embrace this team rather than hate them.

I guess the other thing I don't understand is why so many people harp on these kids because they elect to go to college for one or two years, and then declare as opposed staying all four years. Athletes have an incredibly short span of time to earn as much money as they possibly can in the pros, so why not leave early? These universities aren't going anywhere, and many players return to school after the NBA or during the summer to continue working towards their degrees. Our society praises the artist, chef, computer wiz who maximizes their earnings potential by joining the professional ranks as soon as possible, but why do we hold it against athletes?

 

[pepband99]

The only thing that would be "perfect" is UK losing. Period.

 

[1999.2004.2011]

Well, that's just stupid. Because you're young, it doesn't exist? Calipari had 15 seconds of fame with umass and basically called Calhoun and UConn t for not immediately setting up an annual game between the two teams.

The game was set up on an annual basis but by then, Calipari had skunked his way out of umass and was on his way to throwing his stink all over the Memphis program. And UConn naturally dominated that annual matchup to where it was soon squashed from the schedules.

There's no way I want to see him attain one of the highest achievements in the sport.

So I'm assuming that you think everyone in the Big East loved UConn when Calhoun came to Storrs, and we started regularly winning Big East titles? We made a lot of enemies along the way, but that is what championship caliber teams (and coaches) do. Sure, Calipari had slip ups along the way at UMass and Memphis, but to ignore the fact that things didn't happen at UConn during Calhoun's tenure is just as crazy

 

[Kitaman]

uk is dook 1999 redux!

and all I to hope do is: linky!

 

[SixRings]

I only want one team to be able to do this and it isn't UK.

 

[AfgHusky15]

Listen, I know I'm going to be hated on the board for posting this thread because for some reason people think we have this rivalry with Kentucky and Calipari because we've played them in big games over the past couple of years (which we won btw), but hear me out.

Without UConn in the tournament, I'm starting to come around and root for UK to run the table. Their team has an opportunity to complete a perfect season, and that is an incredible feet in a sport where most of the great players are required to only stay for one season.

Everyone loves to hate the villains (Patriots, Yankees, Miami Heat) in sports, but why can't people just appreciate the greatness of certain teams? Sure Calipari has had his run ins with the NCAA (UConn also has too) but being able to recruit nine (9!) McDonald's All Americans and getting them to check their egos' at the door to buy into a pro style system in college basketball is remarkable. They play an entertaining style of the game in an age where guys are "over-coaching" literally every single position, leading to boring, awful games in the 50's (I'm looking at you Virginia). As a basketball and sports fan, I've realized that you can be the blowhard who refuses to acknowledge greatness, or you can be the person who can appreciate it.

Without a rooting interest, I'm going to enjoy watching quality basketball the rest of the tournament and will acknowledge that this Kentucky team is one of the all time greats if they finish it out. I also know that if UConn miraculously made it into the tournament, we'd be the one team they wouldn't want to run into...

Well... this explains why you don't have 2014 in your username...

 

[Kitaman]

I dislike the moniker that these kids are "one and done" because the vast majority of these guys are sophomores and juniors, actually go to class and most of their guys are pretty likeable.

UConn is the reason their sophomores are not one and dones.

And UConn is the main reason for their undefeated performance this year and their mission. Just be glad we don't know the taste of losing a Championship game.

 

[Taco]

I hope thy lose, but I'm not all that invested in it. If they win / perfect season, the heat will turn up - a la UNLV - on how their program is run / the whole sham of the players being "students - athletes". When it's in their face, they'll be forced to address the issue - it's bad for the game.

 

[Joobie]

The man should be selling used cars & not influencing the lives of young men! 'Nuff said. Hoping KY & their jelly of a coach gets beaten in the tourney!

 

[Deepster]

So I'm assuming that you think everyone in the Big East loved UConn when Calhoun came to Storrs, and we started regularly winning Big East titles? We made a lot of enemies along the way, but that is what championship caliber teams (and coaches) do. Sure, Calipari had slip ups along the way at UMass and Memphis, but to ignore the fact that things didn't happen at UConn during Calhoun's tenure is just as crazy

a) I'm not ignoring anything that happened at UConn during Calhoun's tenure.
b) Calipari had two Final Fours struck off the record books. You're being kind calling them "slip ups".

 

[Inyatkin]

So I'm assuming that you think everyone in the Big East loved UConn when Calhoun came to Storrs, and we started regularly winning Big East titles? We made a lot of enemies along the way, but that is what championship caliber teams (and coaches) do. Sure, Calipari had slip ups along the way at UMass and Memphis, but to ignore the fact that things didn't happen at UConn during Calhoun's tenure is just as crazy

Well, you did say you expected to be hated.

 

[gtcam]

Anything Calipari simply stinks
The guy is the scum of the scum.
Its not the kids - its him

 

[1999.2004.2011]

Well... this explains why you don't have 2014 in your username...

Can't change my original username, otherwise I would have updated it

 

[ctchamps]

I suppose the OP would root for Germany when they bombed Pearl Harbor. Looked like the Axis had a perfect record at that point.
No way I root for the villain. I'd go out of my way praising Duke if they were the team to stop Calipari. Nothing against Kentucky. Just don't like Calipari.

 

[Offhegoes]

He sure managed those ego's in the 2012-2013 season. Right into the NIT. Point is, it's more the kids he is recruiting than his coaching or "managing ego's". The group just seems to play well together.

 

[kcc1442]

The only reason I would agree is if someone told me the crook made up his mind to go pro if they go all the way and win it all. Then we could say good riddance and full-well know that this championship has a 5 year life before it gets vacated.