We've finally reached the point of the season where I'm inches away from believing that this team just isn't going to turn it around anymore. It's hard to be hopeful for this team when they continue to make the same mistakes, Cal lets the five-stars have unlimited minutes when they aren't producing, and the real stars of the team have been coming off the bench all season.
Kentucky's defense actually wasn't that bad against Auburn throughout the entire game, but their offense just continues to be up and down. One game it clicks and the next they look like a high school junior varsity team. Cal has yet to find his true five, and rotation is continually changing every game, and is stuck on letting Brandon Boston 'run' the show.
It's been the message of the fanbase for weeks now, as to why Dontaie Allen gets limited to his reps, and Olivier Sarr and BJ Boston get to full blown go at it for 35 minutes a game, while neither of them come close to putting up the stat lines of Allen thus far.
Fans all across the Twitter machine seem to be FED UP with Head Coach John Calipari's coaching decisions, and I honestly don't think they're wrong. Now, don't include me in the "fire Cal" crew by any means, but please put me in the section of the people alluding to that he needs to get someone in his and let him know that his loyalty to playing these 'five-star' recruits and big name transfers are costing him the season; and even the fan base. Cal, wake up, we are 4-8. We've lost eight of our twelve games this season and at Kentucky that is far beyond unacceptable. At some point you have to decide on making BJ Boston happy, or winning basketball games. Which of the two is your job?
In the postgame press conference, Cal was asked on why he didn't start Allen (and Toppin) after they had 16 of Kentucky's 25 first half points. While on thin ice from consistently giving excuses on why he's not playing some of these guys despite their upmost performances, he was quoted saying this: “We want to win every game we coach but the other side of it is I’m not trying to take anyone’s heart away. So you can sub them in three, four minutes in, and be fine."
Well, that was one of the WORST answers he could've said as that drew the line for many of people. Translation: Cal doesn't want to sit the five-star players in worry that his recruiting classes might not come here after seeing that they too could get put behind the role players if they don't immediately perform.
The road of making excuses and playing the guys who aren't providing any value to this team is closely coming to an end. Your this close to not even having a chance to making the Tournament, and your just pushing Dontaie Allen closer and closer to transferring. If it comes to that, then count me in as the group who will be very angry at our Head Coach. Pushing away our in-state Mr. Basketball award winner who is a damn good ball player would be about as embarrassing as it could get in Lexington. No one wants to succeed more at this school than a life long Kentuckian.
Ridiculous.
Kentucky will look to play in Athens this Wednesday, against the Georgia Bulldogs at 7 pm. We'll see if they can find their 5th win.