<p>The Harrison kids went to HS in our district. As an LSU alum, I’m supposed to hate Kentucky, but will make an exception to cheer for the twins!</p>
<p>I heard on the radio today that UConn players have an 8% graduation rate. Is this what you folks are talking about when you say ‘one and done’? Could it really be that low? Yikes.</p>
<p>No- most of the one and dones are Kentucky. It means they intend to go pro and are not really students. The NCAA requires that they go to college for a year and do not allow draft out of high school. Not sure if this is NBA or NCAA or both. UConn has upped it’s program graduation rate, and things should improve under the new coach. The players either declared for the draft after a year or two, or simply never completed degree requirements. Yes, the 8% graduation rate was a problem and let to the program’s suspension last year from post-season play.</p>
<p>“We’ve gotten into this situation where integrity is really lacking and that’s why I’m glad I’m not coaching,” he said. “You see we’ve got a coach at Kentucky who put two schools on probation and he’s still coaching. I really don’t understand that.” </p>
<p>Just like all of us who don’t understand how Knight got another job after hurling the chair across the floor and choking one of his players. There are plenty of coaches who have graduated and graduate students who aren’t the horrible human being that Bob Knight is. </p>
<p>Calipari is infamous to long time Big East fans as the guy who told a recruit not to go to St Johns because everyone knows Louie is dying from cancer.</p>
<p>Cal was an assistant at Pitt at the time I believe.</p>
<p>Enjoy-</p>
<p><a href=“Sports Illustrated”>Sports Illustrated;
<p>I actually like to hear Calipari being interviewed.</p>
<p>Thanks, MOWC, for that explanation. </p>
<p>Actually, Uconn’s suspension last year had nothing to do with the graduation rate. It had to do with the APR which measures students academic progress on an annual basis. UConn was hurt by students who transferred without being in good academic standing, and by kids going to the NBA without finishing their spring semesters. The players responsible for the poor APR score were no longer even on the team last year when those players, who were in good academic standing, were suspended from post-season play.</p>
<p>UConn was suspended for actual violations of a bunch of rules, not just academic progress. Their own website says: “The violations in our case related to improper recruiting inducements, impermissible phone calls and text messages to prospective student-athletes, failure to monitor and promote an atmosphere for compliance by the head coach, failure to monitor by the university, unethical conduct, and some secondary violations.” It included suspending Jim Calhoun - one of those guys labeled a “coaching legend” - for part of the 2011-12 season, after which he retired. </p>
<p>As for Calipari, when he leaves a school, you can take it to the bank that it will be suspended. </p>
<p>And this is why I won’t watch the NCAA final. </p>
<p>Straightshooter- You don’t know much about Bob Knight, but that’s not the point of this thread. </p>
<p>Fun to be in Lexington tonight and see everyone decked out in their blue and white. I don’t follow the Cats like I did when I was in school here, but I’m rooting for them tonight.<br>
MOWC, I graduated in '78 when UK beat Duke for the championship and I had class with a number of those players and knew one player fairly well because he was in my French class two semesters in a row. They weren’t genius material for the most part, but I wouldn’t call any of them thugs. Maybe you are thinking of later UK teams when the Cats were coached by Eddie Sutton and they ended up on probation. Not their best shining moment.</p>
<p>I was thinking of DeMarcus Cousins in particular. He is pretty well known as a thug. I think he was 2010-11 one and done. He got into some trouble in the NBA, too. That year’s team was pretty rough. </p>
<p>Agree about Cousins. UK has also had some players who majored in entitlement & attitude since my days there. One, Richie Farmer, is our state’s former agriculture commissioner who is headed for prison in the near future for corruption related charges.</p>
<p>I’m just too annoyed by the one-and-done situation and by Calipari’s record of ethical flaws to be neutral about Kentucky. Yes, I know that the Connecticut program too had questionable conduct under Coach Jim Calhoun, who was no statesman. As writer John Feinstein said in his recent column, the whole NCAA system stinks.</p>
<p>Incidentally, the NBA shares much of the responsibility for this. The NBA could easily adopt the Major League Baseball rule that permits high school seniors to participate in the draft, with the option of a college player being given one shot at the draft during his first three years. If he goes un-drafted he will not be eligible for the draft again until the [his] class graduation year. Works for me.</p>
<p>Full disclosure, I still hold a grudge against Kentucky because of that bigot and head coach, Rupp. Yeah, he was a great coach but as a human being he was a malicious neanderthal. Sorry, that’s my intellectual Achilles heel.</p>
<p>Unfortunately. I think Kentucky is going to win. </p>
<p>I think your assessment of Rupp is very fair. He was truly evil.<br>
I’m not sure Kentucky is going to win.
If UConn wins, Dog Henry wins the pool, right!</p>
<p>How many months until college basketball season starts again?</p>
<p>Rumors are a Cal is going to the Lakers. Not sure I believe it. </p>
<p>am guessing you are happy to be wrong on this one, thumper !</p>
<p>One big, fat shining moment for UConn! Booyah!</p>