Entire Kentucky roster, including walk-ons, declaring for NBA draft

[forgetful]

I think Cal is basically making a point to recruits:

If you've got the talent, Kentucky is just fine with you coming to play for a single year. We actually encourage it. As a coach, I'm there at the draft with my players and celebrate their NBA success. If an NBA career is your goal, you'll find no better place to pursue it than Kentucky.

From the NBA's perspective, not sure it means anything. It's legal paperwork related to NCAA eligibility. Doesn't mean NBA teams have to scout more players or that the combine will be expanded.

To me it says, I'm an attention grabbing A-hole, that will force people (walk-ons) to do something meaningless to prove a point and put me in the spotlight. 

[The Lens]

To me it says, I'm an attention grabbing A-hole, that will force people (walk-ons) to do something meaningless to prove a point and put me in the spotlight.

No.

What it says is, Cal knows coaches hate this because it leaves them in roster limbo for much longer.  So what 349 D1 coaches view as a problem, Cal (pretends) to embrace to curry favor with recruits.  Everything Cal done is to the point of improving his recruiting.  Cal will piss off all of BBN with a statement as long as he's sure 17 year old will like it. 

He's sort of a genius. 

[Pakuni]

So you agree with wades world?

Yeah, I think I completely misunderstood what he was stating.
My bad, WW.

[chapman]

I'm quite sure you don't have to be invited to the combine to be able to use this new rule. The combine just helps define the "date of no return" by which an athlete must declare his intentions.

Yep, they are also allowed one tryout per NBA team.  Excessive to push the walk-ons to do it because the coach wants attention, but when they've set the rule to have no downside it's worth it for many players to declare and get the feedback. 

[Marcus92]

He's sort of a genius.

Too bad for Kentucky fans that Cal is more of a genius at marketing/recruiting than he is at coaching.

[Pakuni]

Too bad for Kentucky fans that Cal is more of a genius at marketing/recruiting than he is at coaching.

I think for the most part they're OK with four Final Fours in the last six seasons and an .821 winning percentage.

[bilsu]

I think Cal is being smart on this. He knows he is going to lose some of the players anyways. This might keep the best ones from hiring an agent, since this is almost a team thing. However, where I think he is really smart is that it is like getting extra coaching for the players that do end up returning. Even if they do not get invited to the combine, if I am remembering it correctly, they can go to one team for a workout. A player goes through a team's workout and receives instruction on how to improve his game, which will be a benefit to Kentucky next season.

[WarriorFan]

Cal has outsourced his offseason/summer training and skill development to the NBA.

Nice work Cal!

[martyconlonontherun]

I like the rule and I see absolutely nothing wrong with what the Kentucky kids are doing.

Most of them won't get invited to the combine, making their candidacy moot.

The real pro prospects will benefit from this rule, and I like just about any rule that gives the kids a little power.

The system is skewed toward the rich and powerful, but every time the kids get even a little advantage -- for example, this new rule (which actually is just returning to the rule of about a decade ago) or the graduate transfer rule -- the rich and powerful cry like babies that it isn't "fair" and must be changed.

Yeah, this is how I feel. The one legit rule in college basketball where it rewards players for graduating and everyone flips out because a 23 year old wants to attend a different college for his final year.

[brewcity77]

I like the rule and I see absolutely nothing wrong with what the Kentucky kids are doing.

I love the rule, I just feel that the NCAA will be happy to change it if they feel offended. They so often seem like such a petty organization. I don't trust them to continue allowing this if their little feelings get hurt.

[Marcus92]

I think for the most part they're OK with four Final Fours in the last six seasons and an .821 winning percentage.

Good point. Hard to name someone who's been as successful with so much young talent. He probably got outcoached against Wisconsin last season, but that was only one game. I just don't like him.

[RushmoreAcademy]

He's sort of a genius.

Well, if nothing else, he really likes being in the news.

[CTWarrior]

I love the rule, I just feel that the NCAA will be happy to change it if they feel offended. They so often seem like such a petty organization. I don't trust them to continue allowing this if their little feelings get hurt.

Basically, I like the rule if it helps us and don't if it hurts us.  If Henry waits until mid-May and then decides to enter the draft and we can't replace him with a useful PF because kids were afraid to come here and sit behind him, I will not be too fond of the rule.  If that were to happen, then, despite how well he played, taking Henry as a one and done will have been net counter-productive to our success.

(Actually, I really like the rule, just don't like that it could cost us this year)

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

(Actually, I really like the rule, just don't like that it could cost us this year)

I wish it would cost us every year -- it would mean we had more good players right?

[#UnleashSean]

Too bad for Kentucky fans that Cal is more of a genius at marketing/recruiting than he is at coaching.

4 final fours in 6 years. In the sweet 16 right now. Something tells me he's doing all right. He's been to more final fours in the past 6 years then we've had over our entire history.

[wadesworld]

4 final fours in 6 years. In the sweet 16 right now. Something tells me he's doing all right. He's been to more final fours in the past 6 years then we've had over our entire history.

Err...

[ZiggysFryBoy]

4 final fours in 6 years. In the sweet 16 right now. Something tells me he's doing all right. He's been to more final fours in the past 6 years then we've had over our entire history.

Crean sucks.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I love the rule, I just feel that the NCAA will be happy to change it if they feel offended. They so often seem like such a petty organization. I don't trust them to continue allowing this if their little feelings get hurt.

If "they" change it, it will be because the member schools vote for it to be changed.   The "pettiness" would come from the members.

[ChicosBailBonds]

Good point. Hard to name someone who's been as successful with so much young talent. He probably got outcoached against Wisconsin last season, but that was only one game. I just don't like him.

He got outcoached last Saturday as well.

[Stretchdeltsig]

The NCAA and the NBA need to work out the rules regarding the eligibility of players.  I think college ball should be considered a good training ground for the NBA with the understanding that players are not eligible to sign an NBA contract until they are at least 21 or college graduation.  This will give players time to mature, receive an education and improve their game while helping their college team win.  Now it seems that the "one and dones" are hardly worth cheering for.  Perhaps that's why Cal and other coaches don't seem to coach them well.

[MU82]

The NCAA and the NBA need to work out the rules regarding the eligibility of players.  I think college ball should be considered a good training ground for the NBA with the understanding that players are not eligible to sign an NBA contract until they are at least 21 or college graduation.  This will give players time to mature, receive an education and improve their game while helping their college team win.  Now it seems that the "one and dones" are hardly worth cheering for.  Perhaps that's why Cal and other coaches don't seem to coach them well.

NBA players union would never go for this.

Just to get a second year of college mandated, the union would insist upon significant concessions from owners. The owners will not give those concessions, IMHO, therefore even that won't happen.

So it's fun to talk about such stuff, but doing so is sheer folly.

As for whether Cal and other coaches have not coached 1-and-dones "well," Calipari, Coach K and Boeheim (to name a few) have coached them well enough to win championships with them, so I'm not sure what that even means.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

NBA players union would never go for this.

Just to get a second year of college mandated, the union would insist upon significant concessions from owners. The owners will not give those concessions, IMHO, therefore even that won't happen.

I know this is true. But I really don't understand why. Isn't the job of the union to protect current players? Wouldn't current players benefit by keeping the owners from bringing in young bucks with high potential that aren't NBA ready to replace the current players? I think the only people "hurt" by this the proposal are the future NBA players who now need to spend three years in college instead of one. I really think both the owners and the union would benefit greatly from this.

I really don't pay attention to the NBA enough to know why my thinking is wrong.

[bilsu]

Too bad for Kentucky fans that Cal is more of a genius at marketing/recruiting than he is at coaching.

We had problems playing three freshmen this year. Now Cal has had multiple McDonald's Americans, but every year he is molding freshmen that are used to be the star into a pretty good team. I am not sure any other coach would of done better than he has with the same players over the last 5 years.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I hate Cal. He's a symbol of everything wrong with college athletics in today's age.

That being said, he's a helluva coach. Other programs have the resources and game the system just like Kentucky. Cal is the only one that makes it work on that high of a level

[rocket surgeon]

That's exactly WHY Cal is doing this.  Cal does not benefit 1 bit from this new rule, while a lot of other schools do big time.  Call recruits guys who are hiring an agent as soon as they lose.  Other schools get the benefit of some kids being on the fence and having the ability to come back to school if they don't hear what they're looking for.  Cal wants to force a kid to make a final decision as early as possible, because most of the kids he has are going to do that anyway.

Absolutely cal benefits from this.  In at least two ways: 1) players see that Kentucky players get noticed.  Cal's system must get players NBA ready in some form or another  and he always seems to have pretty competitive teams.  When was the last time Kentucky had a losing record and/or didn't make the big dance?  2) it opens up roster spots for the new brood to come in and...circle of basketball life