wildcat2334 Posted July 2, 2009 Share Posted July 2, 2009 on a related note - Sean Miller just landed an ex-USC top 100 recruit - giving Arizona a top tier recruit at all 5 positions and essentially a top 10, top 15 class for '09- simply unheard of in such a short time frame. THANK YOU TIM FLOYD - for not accepting the UA offer, and for resigning your crooked post at USC, well done sir. I think you can bank on Sean Miller fighting Ben Howland and UCLA for the best players on the west coast for many years to come. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billay Posted July 3, 2009 Share Posted July 3, 2009 I think UNC is going to waayyyy better than most think. They're in better shape this year than they were the year after they lost all those guys from the '05 Natl Champ and that '06 team didn't end up so shabby. And that "06 team just happened to get a "W" in Rupp... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclones Posted July 5, 2009 Author Share Posted July 5, 2009 I think UNC is going to waayyyy better than most think. They're in better shape this year than they were the year after they lost all those guys from the '05 Natl Champ and that '06 team didn't end up so shabby. I haven't seen them ranked below 5th in any preseason poll I've seen. If they're wayyyyy better than that I guess we can bank on an udefeated romp through the schedule Det? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billay Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Well the guy is 0-2. It's one thing to vacate wins and Final Four appearances when you're no longer at the school. How is Blue Nation going to take it when they have 40+ wins yanked out from under them? Those who lie down with dogs...wake up with fleas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclones Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 Well the guy is 0-2. It's one thing to vacate wins and Final Four appearances when you're no longer at the school. How is Blue Nation going to take it when they have 40+ wins yanked out from under them? Those who lie down with dogs...wake up with fleas. Nobody knew it at the time, but those missed free throws didnt just cost Memphis the National Title, but 38 wins as well. If Memphis wins that game, nothing comes of this - the NCAA will NEVER take a basketball title away from a team after the fact. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detlef Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Yet another. Of course, like every other scandal that can be linked to a Calipari program, this should, in no way be a reflection on him. The dude implicated in the story doesn't have very nice things to say about Roy Williams because Roy apparently never wants anything to do with the guys he handles. As a UNC fan, I think I'm OK with that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclones Posted October 25, 2011 Author Share Posted October 25, 2011 Figured this thread was worth a revisit since we are 2 full years into the Calipari experiment. We also have a lot of UNC love in this thread and UNC and UK seem to be pretty much the consensus #1/#2 in all the polls, predictions, etc. I posted in another thread about a year ago that I wasn't sure Cal's recruiting philosophy could deliver national titles, and I'm inclined to still feel that way. We got lucky that Jones decided to stay in school after last season, that's the only reason we are sitting at #2 right now. Otherwise, our only experience would by Miller (who is actually very capable and probably underrated nationally) and Lamb (one dimensional, but when the one dimension is 49% shooting from 3 I guess I won't complain too loudly.) After this year, its a sure bet that Miller goes (graduates,) plus Davis, Jones, Kidd Gilchrist and I'd say 75% sure Lamb and Teague go. That leaves Cal with another empty cupboard (he has a commit from top 10 Archie Goodwin for 2012, but that's it so far.) I don't see how we can expect to win titles while recycling the roster every season. I don't doubt that we'll make deep tourney runs as long as Cal is here, but I wouldnt be comfortable betting on anything beyond that. The final four last year was a huge surprise in my book, and went a long way to debunking the myth that Cal cannot coach. He is one of the best defensive coaches in the country - their defense won the game against OSU in the sweet sixteen and held UConn to under 60 in the semifinals. This year's team, on paper, looks stacked. It features 5 first round picks, with the potential for 4 in the lottery this year if Teague plays to potential. I'm not too worried about the rest of the SEC - Florida is great but very guard heavy, and Vandy is a perennial underachiever. I think we win the SEC regular season and will be a #1 seed in the tourney. The showdown with UNC at Rupp is one of the most anticipated non conference games I can remember in my time as a UK fan. Ticket prices are outrageous - well over $1,000 each for good seats. Roy worked his magic again getting a bunch of guys who would have been early picks to stick around, and I think UNC will be favored by ~3 points in this game, which is fair. Barnes is spectacular, and Henson and Zeller bring a lot back. Marshall scares me. I don't think Teague matches up well at all with him. This game may come down to shooting - if Lamb and Miller can consistently knock some threes down, it should be a close game that UK can win. I'd gladly take a repeat of the 95-96 season where UK lost to UMass early in the season only to avenge the loss in the final four. To sum up, Cal hasn't dominated the game in his first two years as I so brashly predicted earlier in the thread. He certainly has re-ignited the biggest fanbase in college basketball, and has hauled in 3 #1 recruiting classes in 2 years, an impressive accomplishment. We took a step in the right direction last year getting back to the final four, I think the potential is there to do even better this year if the pieces come together and Cal can manage the egos. I'd love a rematch with UConn in the semifinals and a finals date with UNC in New Orleans. Good luck heels, except in December at Rupp. I hope you sleepwalk through that game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billay Posted October 28, 2011 Share Posted October 28, 2011 This is one of those special years for UNC, or any program for that matter, where a national title is a real possibility. Such opportunities don't come around all that often, and it takes a lot of solid play, and a lot of good luck to bring it home. This year will also be significantly different for UNC in that Larry Drew is a distant memory. UNC finished so strong last year, it is easy to forget that the season started off on very questionable footing. Larry Drew was not a quality point guard, that much was obvious. But also, and perhaps the bigger issue, was that he was also a cancer in the locker room. This team has now had an opportunity to form a fresh identity, it is now Harrison Barnes team, and he has stated that his only goals for the year are to "win every title possible." I believe him. In addition to Barnes, UNC returns all of its starters from last year. We lost our 6th man over the summer, Leslie McDonald, for most if not all of the year, but we also got Reggie Bullock back from injury. Reggie is not as well-rounded of a player as is McDonald, but is possibly a better shooter, which frankly, what UNC needs. Dexter Strickland has also had the summer to heal, as he played most of last season on a bum knee. Dexter is one of those guys that, when he gets his head on straight, he will be better than anyone ever thought he could be. I see a David Noel type year for him this year, and that's high praise for those who know. As much as I would have liked to win that tournament game against UK last year, that was a good loss. It was the kind of loss that brings a team back hungry the next year. Last year's team was not quite yet ready to make a real run. Similarly, as much as I would like to win the UK at Rupp this year, it is much more important to keep our eyes on the prize. A win in Rupp could go to the team's head, and set them up for failure down the road. Championship seasons usually have a disappointing loss early that serves to further motivate the team, like the "93 team that lost to Michigan in the first month of the season, but ended up beating them for the national title. Don't get me wrong, I'd like nothing better than to stick it to Blue Nation in their home arena, but UNC has bigger fish to fry. One of the things I like about Roy is that he seems to get this, like when he held Ty Lawson out of the ACC tournament semi-finals in 09. UNC was clearly the best team in the ACC that year, and really should have won the title. But Roy knew losing Ty for any length of time could mean big trouble in the NCAA tourney. Ty healed up a couple of weeks later, and the rest, as they say, is history. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclones Posted October 29, 2011 Author Share Posted October 29, 2011 Don't get me wrong, I'd like nothing better than to stick it to Blue Nation in their home arena, but UNC has bigger fish to fry. Don't think you are the only team in the country who feels that way. I believe this year its UNC > UK >>>>> Everyone else. OSU is losing a lot more than people are talking about, and don't forget that as great as Sully is, he got played to a virtual draw by a clumsy, hard working white dude who had to go to JUCO before anyone even took a look at him, and it was Billy Gillispie at that. UConn is an intriguing team with the addition of Drummond, but Walker was EVERYTHING to that team last year. I don't think they duplicate. It takes some luck for sure, you have to avoid injuries (Louisville's sensational freshman recruit Wayne Blackshear tore his labrum at practice today, ending his season, as an example) and the tourney is a crapshoot. The four teams who made the final four last year were all underdogs, in a big way. You just never know what will happen in a one and done tourney, but there isnt any reason to think UK and UNC dont have the best shot of anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wildcat2334 Posted November 1, 2011 Share Posted November 1, 2011 UA locks up the clear #1 class for 2012 - Cats and Miller looking to dominate 2012 #1 class Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclones Posted November 1, 2011 Author Share Posted November 1, 2011 UA locks up the clear #1 class for 2012 - Cats and Miller looking to dominate 2012 #1 class Yeah, its gonna be hard to catch AZ's class now - 3 top 10 guys. Cal actually just signed a four star he is slipping. I'm hoping Cal can talk Bazz off the west coast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclones Posted September 27, 2012 Author Share Posted September 27, 2012 Well this thread went dead, with college BBall starting up again I thought it was worth a resurrect. I won't gloat about the '12 title because we lost the entire team and even though Cal refilled it with yet another #1 class, these guys can't possibly replace everything that left, and on top of that Noel is still questionable to be eligible. Looks to be a bit of a down year across college basketball though, with Louisville and Indiana getting most of the hype (deservedly so IMHO.) Any early Final Four predictions? I'll go with Indiana, Ohio State, NC State, and Arizona. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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