OT: Kentucky's John Calipari is headed to Arkansas; Dan Hurley turned down $12.5m/yr offer from Kentucky

[JujitsuFlip]

Anyone else remember Calipari’s NBA stint?

Nope but I know him and Pitino were very mediocre NBA coaches, record wise.

[Snakebites]

Anyone else remember Calipari’s NBA stint?

Nope but I know him and Pitino were very mediocre NBA coaches, record wise.

Mediocre is pretty generous.

[Lalouie]

he's recruited as much as he can at KY. he hit his ceiling actually several years ago. Arkansas is just another school that needs TALENT and cal is rhe right dude. cant coach for shi* but ark won't ask it of him.

[Lalouie]

He's been overrated as a coach for several years now. One can even argue he's been an underachiver.

for his whole stint to KY save one

and to say underacheiver is being kind

[Ambrose]

Should've gone back to Memphis

[Deathray]

He was still recruiting at an elite level. This year's team had two potential lottery picks and was a historically great offensive team, only behind the 1996 title team in the last 40 years, but they couldn't play defense so when the offense had an off night in the tourney they were toast.

[jkvonny]

Is Arkansas a basketball school?

They have a good history. Won a National Championship back in the mid '90s.

[___Rand___]

Obviously their first call is Jay Wright. They can offer him a crazy amount of money. I'm thinking maybe $15M a year.

Wright, Hurely, Donovan, or Drew have to be the replacement if youre UK.

I think everyone is on the table with the potential bag UK can throw. People are saying Hurley + Donovan wouldn't be interested...but money talks and UK can throw such an insane amount they may take it.

They are going to want a splash hire.

I can see Hurley being the hire there. He's making $6m at UConn, and his buyout is $7.5m only. Oats is making $5.5, buyout is $18m. Rumor is Kentucky's already raised $30m for Calipari's buyout so they got cash. Give him $8-9m contract and no way he stays at UConn. He'll only be making a shade under Pop.

[Duke4life831]

He was still recruiting at an elite level. This year's team had two potential lottery picks and was a historically great offensive team, only behind the 1996 title team in the last 40 years, but they couldn't play defense so when the offense had an off night in the tourney they were toast.

His style of roster construction is outdated. There is a reason K retired when he did. The OAD model that Duke and UK lived off of for the last decade had become outdated with the portal coming into play.

Every other high end college team basically bought into the OAD model, but they were getting proven older vet players in the portal. While UK and Duke were still getting unproven freshmen.

Loading up via the portal will give you better and more consistent results than loading up on OAD freshmen. I dont think Cal will be able to adjust to this. And I think its best for him to go to school that wont have the same kind of expectations that UK has.

[jkvonny]

They are about to become one.

Say whatever you want about Calipari but that guy will vastly raise the floor of any team he coaches (over the long haul). Doesn't matter if it's all because of money or whatever, hiring him will get results.

A+ move by Arkansas and it shows that they are taking their basketball program seriously. It might not work out but these are the types of moves you have to make if you want to play with the big boys

Arkansas is a basketball school and produces a decent amount of NBA talent given the population size. The fanbase got re-energized under Eric Musselman and his 2 Elite Eights + 1 Sweet Sixteen in the last four years. It's not the same expectations of Kentucky (however unrealistic those are in the current college basketball environment) but there will be pressure to get past the first weekend of the tournament.

Yeah throughout the tournament I've been thinking about which schools I'd classify as basketball schools vs football schools if I had to pick, Arkansas was on the border but in my eyes this move pushes them to basketball school status.

I know in the SEC every school except for UK is really a football school, so I'm adjusting them a bit...but their bball program is more historically successful than their football program

Vanderbilt and Mississippi St both are more of a basketball school as well as baseball school. They are more historically dominate in those sports.

[jkvonny]

He was still recruiting at an elite level. This year's team had two potential lottery picks and was a historically great offensive team, only behind the 1996 title team in the last 40 years, but they couldn't play defense so when the offense had an off night in the tourney they were toast.

He'll get top recruits there in Arkansas. But a bunch of 4/5 star blue chip, one and dones (leave for the pros after a yr or 2), coach up a good young team with little chemistry, get beat by very good mid major teams loaded with vets/older upperclassmen and team chemistry in the tournaments.

A continuation what has/is happening at Kentucky over the years.

[dhsilv2]

I will say, thanks for the 2012 championship. AD willed that team to the top.

The other team that was neat even though they fell short was the 38-1 squad. KAT, Booker, WCS, Lyles, Harrison twins, and then some lesser known guys like Poythress, Ulis, and Dakari Johnson.

Good 15 season run but it was time.

That Wall season is still the most fun I ever had watching college ball..well since the 1996 team at least.

[jokeboy86]

Obviously their first call is Jay Wright. They can offer him a crazy amount of money. I'm thinking maybe $15M a year.

Wright, Hurely, Donovan, or Drew have to be the replacement if youre UK.

Call me crazy but I think Donovan doesnt want to go back to college. There have been a lot of high profile college jobs that have opened up since he’s been in the league and I kept thinking that eventually a school would pry him away. But he seems content to coach in the NBA now, not to mention the long leash and low expectations that Reinsdorf seems to give his coaches. I also wonder is Donovan like the many other college coaches who got tired of the recruiting process and dealing with boosters. The NIL thing probably hasnt made things any less stressful.

[dhsilv2]

Obviously their first call is Jay Wright. They can offer him a crazy amount of money. I'm thinking maybe $15M a year.

Wright, Hurely, Donovan, or Drew have to be the replacement if youre UK.

Call me crazy but I think Donovan doesnt want to go back to college. There have been a lot of high profile college jobs that have opened up since he’s been in the league and I kept thinking that eventually a school would pry him away. But he seems content to coach in the NBA now, not to mention the long leash and low expectations that Reinsdorf seems to give his coaches. I also wonder is Donovan like the many other college coaches who got tired of the recruiting process and dealing with boosters. The NIL thing probably hasnt made things any less stressful.

I mean he went to UK...that's a pretty big selling point. UK isn't just any other blue blood when it's your school.

[jkvonny]

Anyone else remember Calipari’s NBA stint?

Nope but I know him and Pitino were very mediocre NBA coaches, record wise.

Mediocre is pretty generous.

Calipari wasnt too bad with New Jersey Nets. They were trending upwards. Mid to late '90s. They also didnt give him enough time. Then again, he was also bumping heads with their front office and east coast local media. Not too surprising, huh? Lol

Now Pitino? He was great with the New York Knicks, mid-late '80s, way too short, also not givin time. The big market local medias and fan base on the east coast is ruff.
The Knicks were trending upwards.

And the mid '90s - early '00s? Ya, he was terrible at Boston. But the Celtics stunk during the '90s. Rebuilding, lottery team. These were the post Bird/McHale/Parish years.
After the early '90s, Celtics stunk until the early '00s. The East was very deep and a tuff conference.
The '90s were the worst decade ever for the Celtics. Pitino was'nt the only coach that was losing in Boston during that time.
But.....again. Big market, east coast local media, tuff fan base.

[MemphisX]

The split was necessary.

2024: lose in the first round to a 14 seed.
2023: lose in the second round.
2022: lose in the first round to a 15 seed.
2021: miss the tournament.

Once the NiL became a thing, Cal's advantage of recruiting went out the window.

He had the #2 class this year.

[jkvonny]

Obviously their first call is Jay Wright. They can offer him a crazy amount of money. I'm thinking maybe $15M a year.

Wright, Hurely, Donovan, or Drew have to be the replacement if youre UK.

Call me crazy but I think Donovan doesnt want to go back to college. There have been a lot of high profile college jobs that have opened up since he’s been in the league and I kept thinking that eventually a school would pry him away. But he seems content to coach in the NBA now, not to mention the long leash and low expectations that Reinsdorf seems to give his coaches. I also wonder is Donovan like the many other college coaches who got tired of the recruiting process and dealing with boosters. The NIL thing probably hasnt made things any less stressful.

Not many NBA coaches goes back into college basketball, and I dont blame them either.

Kind of the same thing with the NFL. Minus Saban and Harbaugh.

[MemphisX]

I think a lot of people are confusing the NIL era hurting him with the COVID era hurting him. So many 22+ year old players in college basketball right now did more to hurt OAD than NIL.

[Duke4life831]

Obviously their first call is Jay Wright. They can offer him a crazy amount of money. I'm thinking maybe $15M a year.

Wright, Hurely, Donovan, or Drew have to be the replacement if youre UK.

Call me crazy but I think Donovan doesnt want to go back to college. There have been a lot of high profile college jobs that have opened up since he’s been in the league and I kept thinking that eventually a school would pry him away. But he seems content to coach in the NBA now, not to mention the long leash and low expectations that Reinsdorf seems to give his coaches. I also wonder is Donovan like the many other college coaches who got tired of the recruiting process and dealing with boosters. The NIL thing probably hasnt made things any less stressful.

I agree. This was more with the thought process of Donovan being fired at the end of the season. But agreed, if he isnt going to get fired I highly doubt he chooses to go back to college.

[sp6r=underrated]

Anyone else remember Calipari’s NBA stint?

Nope but I know him and Pitino were very mediocre NBA coaches, record wise.

Mediocre is pretty generous.

For Calipari. Pitino first stint with the Knicks was okay.