Terps Sports

1. This is one of the points I have the most difficulty disputing, because you're right, innocent until proven guilty is legit. But here's the thing and you have to recognize this: It's become the battle cry of anyone out there who dodges the NCAA bullet. So it goes in our legal system, we are all innocent until proven guilty. But it's not apples to apples. Our legal system also ensures a right to quick and speedy trials. College basketball ethics are governed by an NCAA that punishes USC/Reggie Bush years after the fact, tends to go light on its breadwinners, and is totally outpaced by the infastructures used to funnel $ incentives to players and power-brokers.

I understand the innocence until proven guilty. I really do. But you'll excuse many out there if the words ring hollow. I think we need to be responsible about throwing out accusations and I think it needs to be measured. But to an extent, I don't mind and in fact count on the court of public opinion scrutinizing what the NCAA so rarely can.

In Calipari's case, there's smoke. In the case of the 2 erased final fours, his name isn't mentioned. Camby receives something like 30k in benefits from an agent and Derek Rose gets by with suspect test scores. Both kids are technically ineligible so the final 4's are stripped (look no further than Maggette and Thomas come awfully close to mirroring these examples and Duke going unscathed for questions about the NCAAs consistency). But when you look Calipari across the board, you can make a strong case for failing to see a program of compliance. This is basically the language that condemned Calhoun so there's a precedent.

To his time at Kentucky. First, I think that the pedigree of Kentucky puts a bigger limit on the underhanded stuff. A blueblood like that sells itself more than Mass/Memphis. But here's the thing. Kentucky always knew what it was hiring. Hire Cal and you hire his relationships. Cal gets gutted in the court of public opinion because he is the face of a one and done system that's nearly professionalized the entire game. The next jump in logic is that those kids are almost all the elite (we're talking 4, top 10 kids a class or so). It's pretty well thought, that top 10 kids get paid, or their inner circle taken care of. The stuff operates through a vast infastructure of handlers/brokers/agents of which Cal has the creme de la creme in Nike/CAA/Wes/booster backing. Yes, the NBA fast track is a huge sell and the gift that keeps on giving. But a lotta top 10 kids tend to be pricey. Cal has gotten a lot of them. You do the math. There's no bag man or paper trail. All he has to do is turn a blind eye and let it happen.

False accusations, fine. Techincally your right. But I think the difference ultimately lies in what's cheating and some angst as to why Cal bears the brunt of the accusations. I don't think Cal touches money, ever. But I think somewhere along the way he networked and mobilized an infastructure that does his bidding when needed. I also think there is a laundry list of high-major programs that do the same thing.

2. Generalizing fan bases or any group sucks. But we do it all the time in sports. "Duke fans" are so entitled. "Kentucky fans" are so naive. It's mostly just a lazy way of saying stuff.

3. Tahj handled this one. The main point I'd make is that Calipari's an underrated floor coach. His teams are good defensively and he tends to make a team of individuals. But his player development/nba turnover is probably overblown. He's getting a great product coming in with most kids. These aren't fringe top 50's puddle jumping into the lottery. A lot of these kids are doing what they'd of done anyway outta highschool had Stern not floored the age limit. The Draft trends on potential and most of these kids are cashing in regardless of college destination (though there have been notable failures or kids who can't outlast their rookie contract). Cal's helped some kids. But there's no way to really quantify if Billy Donovan or Rick Pitino couldn't have matured kid x or kid y the same way.

Marquis Teague, Terrence Jones, Doron Lamb, Eric Bledsoe, Daniel Orton, Shawne Williams, Darius Washington Jr.

That's a list of 5 star recruits that Calipari brought in that he didn't turn into top 15 picks. But clearly none of these count in your analysis.

Separate issue. I was just addressing UKDUDE2's essentially saying that Cal gets his players into the league, as the reason why the twins should go there.

Teague, yes, but his flaws were exposed and was very inconsistent at the start of the year, if he had stayed another year, he could have been a top 10 pick, remember Jeff Teague took a couple years as well. Terrence Jones, he just fell in the draft, and had he left the year prior he would have been a top 5 pick, Doron Lamb was not a 5 star recruit, Eric Bledsoe by most wasn't even in the top 100, Daniel Orton wasn't even a recruit of Calipari's, he just stayed along, and should have stayed like Teague, the dude averaged 2 ppg and was a 1st round draft pick... I'm not going to get into the Memphis players because I don't know as much on their situations. And there goes with the Calipari stuff again... Seriously guys, had Coach K and Duke been convicted on those 2 cases, you wouldn't have these clever little nicknames for him, you'd have little nicknames for Coach K. I know there's definitely some smoke that some see surrounding Calipari, but this is going to happen when you consistently recruit top 5/10 players. Let's be honest, we all don't know if Calipari had knowledge of Camby, and as far as Rose, that's 100% the NCAA's fault for clearing a player to play, then overruling their own previous judgement by saying he should have been ineligible. Which again points to what a previous poster said, the inconsistency of the NCAA.

A lot of us would be disgusted. We would move on though.

Dont you love it when a kentucky fan comes onto a maryland board - like coming as a guest into someone elses house - and whines, complains and makes excuses?

Calipari gets guys to the NBA and as higher picks - except of course when he doesnt and there is an excuse for each of them

Calipari is clean - except that he has been the head coach for a remarkable number of vacated wins - so far - and there are excuses for each of those. How about the violations that were not discovered? Hmm, hard to know. Generally, a dirty program cheats in recruiting many players not just one.

Our visitor has lost respect for maryland and its fans because of a post on this forum? Then our visitor has no sense of judgment or reality. I will also note that neither Maryland nor its fan base seeks his respect, but that is a different question.

Kentucky does have a great hoops tradition - including a tradition of violations - Eddie Sutton regime - cash in an envelope. Systematic payments. Of course, Maryland also has been on probation - we had an assistant coach give players rides to class......oh the horror.

Then again, Kentucky does have Ashley Judd and some darn good players so they are always worth watching,

thanks for playing, if you dont like it here feel free to head on back some wildcat forum where people like dark blue and view coach Cali through Rose colored glasses.

I'm a current University of Kentucky student and I'm getting sick of your garbage. Keep this stuff on the circle jerks known as KSR and Cats Pause.

Joe Black, on Scout, says he has confirmation that they're going to KY. ''found out today that the official decision is Kentucky...from the Harrison family so Pops can't refute this

yup...Under Armour lost to Nike yet again...wasted time and money on them two''

Guess we'll find out soon....

Come on NoCal. Joe Black? Really?

I certainly believe they could pick Kentucky, but Joe Black is NOT going to be the one with the scoop. I promise you that.

Of course they might pick Kentucky. But quoting Joe Black is not going to win you any points. He's a major league troll who desperately wants to be a big shot. There's a reason every board but that one has banned him.

i will be drinking thursday night. the liquor will flow. either for celebration or for depression.