38 and done...

[Forza Azzurri]

I didn't think anyone considered that UNLV team "great."

Really?

3 of the first 12 picks in the 1991 draft.

A 2nd round pick in the 1991 draft.

4 starters were drafted that season.

And, just for good measure, a guy on the bench who was a 1st round pick in the 1992 draft.

It was essentially the same team that beat Duke by 30 the year before.

If that is not a great college team, I don't know what would be.

 

[jncuse]

Actually there were 3 broadcasts. The Wisconsin team stream was on TruTV.

There was 4 broadcasts. Those in Canada had Shulman and Bilas for game 2, and Shulman/Vitale for game 1

 

[AZOrange]

I didn't think anyone considered that UNLV team "great."

Huh? They destroyed Duke the year before to win the title, then destroyed cbb in 1991. They're great.

Duke 1991 was greater.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Huh? They destroyed Duke the year before to win the title, then destroyed cbb in 1991. They're great.

Duke 1991 was greater.

If we're taking about greatness in the grand scheme of college basketball, a prerequisite,in my opinion, would be to win the national title.

So by your logic, 1990 UNLV is a "great" team. Which I agree. 1991 is not.

Anyway it's splitting hairs. My point to begin with is that this UK team will be remembered by few..outside of hardcore college bball fans.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Really?

3 of the first 12 picks in the 1991 draft.

A 2nd round pick in the 1991 draft.

4 starters were drafted that season.

And, just for good measure, a guy on the bench who was a 1st round pick in the 1992 draft.

It was essentially the same team that beat Duke by 30 the year before.

If that is not a great college team, I don't know what would be.

Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Trajan Langdon, and William Avery were taken with the first fourteen picks in 1999.

Shane Battier was a top ten pick two years later.

And if they were so great that year, they probably should have beaten that Duke team they curb stomped a year earlier, no?

 

[igor]

BS. Calipari led programs have twice been caught, and vacated final four appearances. That Calipari was able to slip off to the NBA / UK and leave UMass / Memphis behind to bear those penalties doesn't change the fact that his programs have gotten nailed. Twice.

cal was exonerated both in umass and Memphis. jb not so

 

[Nicknack]

I might have to make me a fathead of this... priceless.

 

[RF2044]

cal was exonerated both in umass and Memphis. jb not so

He wasn't "exonerated" -- that is a load of sh/t. There is an enormous gulf between "pluasible deniability" and "exonerated."

I'm tired of Calipari apologists confusing that issue. He runs dirty programs. Always has. He's gotten very good at making sure that he's at arms length of the impropriety so that he can teflon himself away unscathed. Thus far, its worked, but make no mistake--it is inevitable that at some point, UK will be the third program under his watch to have major sanctions and final four appearances vacated. It's only a matter of time.

 

[orange79]

He wasn't "exonerated" -- that is a load of sh/t. There is an enormous gulf between "pluasible deniability" and "exonerated."

I'm tired of Calipari apologists confusing that issue. He runs dirty programs. Always has. And it is inevitable that at some point, UK will be the third program under his watch to have major sanctions and final four appearances vacated.

No, no, no. I'm sure it's just coincidence that anywhere he goes he leaves sanctions in his wake.

 

[HOFCeluck]

A ten page JC thread is just what I need to get through work.

 

[Full_Rebar]

Calipari skating off to Kentucky after the Rose situation is one of the reasons why the "Coach Responsibility" clause was added.

 

[elimunelson]

He wasn't "exonerated" -- that is a load of sh/t. There is an enormous gulf between "pluasible deniability" and "exonerated."

I'm tired of Calipari apologists confusing that issue. He runs dirty programs. Always has. He's gotten very good at making sure that he's at arms length of the impropriety so that he can teflon himself away unscathed. Thus far, its worked, but make no mistake--it is inevitable that at some point, UK will be the third program under his watch to have major sanctions and final four appearances vacated. It's only a matter of time.

that's fair and probably accurate. I have a major issue with Syracuse fans calling out Calipari for rules infractions though. Regardless of the severity (there are 100 threads for that), we should keep our mouths shut about this type of stuff. Let's give Cal some credit for assembling these teams. I always will look at the 1992 Umass team as one hell of a coaching job. He is a guy who can flat out coach anywhere.

 

[elimunelson]

Calipari skating off to Kentucky after the Rose situation is one of the reasons why the "Coach Responsibility" clause was added.

I also have an issue with this. The Kentucky job opened up and he took it. It's one of the top 3 jobs in college hoops. I think he's taking that job if Derek Rose was a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship as well. Two separate issues with that timing IMO.

 

[Full_Rebar]

I also have an issue with this. The Kentucky job opened up and he took it. It's one of the top 3 jobs in college hoops. I think he's taking that job if Derek Rose was a candidate for the Rhodes Scholarship as well. Two separate issues with that timing IMO.

Right, but what I mean is that the former school took all the heat while the head coach often faced nothing, and Cal isn't alone is this. Plenty of coaches got out of town when things were coming down from the NCAA.

 

[Macky44]

The guy took Umass to the final four, Umass, what have they done since, and he should have won a national title at Memphis, what have they done since he left?

You do realize he paid that whole team right? Traveiso , Camby etc..all took the cash to go to that garbage school. Id love to see Cal try and take that 96 Cuse team anywhere close to where Jim took them.

 

[elimunelson]

You do realize he paid that whole team right? Traveiso , Camby etc..all took the cash to go to that garbage school. Id love to see Cal try and take that 96 Cuse team anywhere close to where Jim took them.

you understand Travieso and Padilla were not highly recruited? I think the highly ranked guys on that team were Camby and Bright. He's an awesome coach. Not sure why we are arguing this point. Syracuse 96 was damn lucky to not play Umass in the final four that year. It was a terrible match up for that team.

I'm not a Cal apologist but anyone who doesn't think Syracuse would have more than 2 final fours since 96 if Cuse and Umass traded coaches is out of their mind.

 

[jordoo]

Cal can coach, obviously recruiting is his strength but he does a great job convincing his players to buy in during the season as well. I think his weakness as a coach is game planning and in game adjustments & situation things. Recruiting is part of coaching in college as is communicating with these players both of which he is excellent at.

 

[Macky44]

you understand Travieso and Padilla were not highly recruited? I think the highly ranked guys on that team were Camby and Bright. He's an awesome coach. Not sure why we are arguing this point. Syracuse 96 was damn lucky to not play Umass in the final four that year. It was a terrible match up for that team.

I'm not a Cal apologist but anyone who doesn't think Syracuse would have more than 2 final fours since 96 if Cuse and Umass traded coaches is out of their mind.

Wow. So now you are claiming that Cal would have taken Syracuse teams with medirocre talent to higher peaks? I really have come to the point where i can't take you seriously anymore.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Trajan Langdon, and William Avery were taken with the first fourteen picks in 1999.

Shane Battier was a top ten pick two years later.

Wow. Seriously?

I had no idea.

I didn't realize that Avery and Langdon were ever even drafted, let alone in the first round.

Yeah, based on my criteria, that would be a great team...

That team doesn't even register on my radar whereas I remember that UNLV team clear as day.

It might be the fact that Duke lost early and was not undefeated where as both UNLV and Kentucky were undefeated all year and, of course, garnered a ton of press for it.

We'll see with Kentucky.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Wow. Seriously?

I had no idea.

I didn't realize that Avery and Langdon were ever even drafted, let alone in the first round.

Yeah, based on my criteria, that would be a great team...

That team doesn't even register on my radar whereas I remember that UNLV team clear as day.

It might be the fact that Duke lost early and was not undefeated where as both UNLV and Kentucky were undefeated all year and, of course, garnered a ton of press for it.

We'll see with Kentucky.

Yeah. I had to look it up. I had no idea about Avery.

 

[RF2044]

Yeah. I had to look it up. I had no idea about Avery.

Another brilliant first round pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves.

 

[Forza Azzurri]

Yeah. I had to look it up. I had no idea about Avery.

And Brand as #1 overall pick?

Nice career but...

I would never have gotten that...

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

you understand Travieso and Padilla were not highly recruited? I think the highly ranked guys on that team were Camby and Bright. He's an awesome coach. Not sure why we are arguing this point. Syracuse 96 was damn lucky to not play Umass in the final four that year. It was a terrible match up for that team.

I'm not a Cal apologist but anyone who doesn't think Syracuse would have more than 2 final fours since 96 if Cuse and Umass traded coaches is out of their mind.

You mean the team with Sims, Janulis, Bergen, Hill, Wallace and Reafsnyder?
Man for man UMass had more talent.
Great coaching got SU there (plus a bit of luck w UG), not great talent.
No way Cal outcoaches JB with the same players.
JB made Moten the leading scorer in BE history. Enough said.

 

[Briancuse]

You do realize he paid that whole team right? Traveiso , Camby etc..all took the cash to go to that garbage school. Id love to see Cal try and take that 96 Cuse team anywhere close to where Jim took them.

How do you know that he paid the whole team? That team outside of Camby wasn't a great team, but how about what he did at Memphis, if they could have hit some ft's they would have won a national title. Both Cal and Jb are great coaches. I know Cal rubs people the wrong way, but if you don't think he can coach, you aren't paying attention.

 

[Macky44]

How do you know that he paid the whole team? That team outside of Camby wasn't a great team, but how about what he did at Memphis, if they could have hit some ft's they would have won a national title. Both Cal and Jb are great coaches. I know Cal rubs people the wrong way, but if you don't think he can coach, you aren't paying attention.

He can't coach to the level that he is paid. The argument that he is a good coach because he has all freshman and sophomores is garbage. He barely has to coach to get that team 30 wins a year and he still cant win a ship with these squads. Its a joke really.