John Calipari’s last four years at Kentucky were not good | The Cal Era Part 3

[@williamhunt9305]

Thoroughly enjoyed this series. Would love to see more! Thanks for the great content.

[@MGnKntkY]

Ya know, I knew the past 4 years were terrible. But your excellent recap of this time in Kentucky basketball made me remember just how ridiculous these most recent years actually were. I think I had subconsciously buried a lot of these memories to keep my sanity. Excellent work, Steven, but damn you! 😂

[@BrizzyBlue]

So very thankful for what Calipari did here, but it was obvious to everyone after 2022 that he had run his course here. His old buddy Joe B Hall gave him some great advice, 10 years is the shelf life.

[@spinblackcircles]

KSR should feature you more, you did an absolutely unbelievable job with this series. Your grandad reminds me of my dad so much lol. Go cats

[@ethanstrong]

Great job making this!

[@babyj3386]

Excellent video series. You did a great job breaking down the Cal era.

[@WatchKSR]

Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed it.

[@Patso65]

This was an excellent, well thought out and professional video production. Great job guys, thank you for sharing!.

[@WatchKSR]

Thanks! I am glad you liked it

[@natet5959]

Great work and summary of the Cal era. I'm looking forward to the Pope era. Let's go!

[@Kywildcats-or9bb]

Great video. I thoroughly enjoyed this series.

[@WatchKSR]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@tonyhall8460]

Excellent editing and work as a whole! Safe to say I enjoyed watching the piece as a whole - but sure didn’t enjoy reliving these years. 😂 The downfall of Cal has been unfolding right before our eyes - it was inevitable. Let’s get back to our winning ways and kids wanting to be here for the name on the front. Go Cats!

[@WilliamBeamon-dm2tv]

That was an awesome series on UK basketball/Coach Calipari! Excellent job!

[@Paducahrus]

I love your grandfather. You should do something for charity where people pay a few bucks to watch a game with him at KSBar - or something like that. Maybe Zoom/Teams calls. I absolutely want to watch a game with him.

[@WatchKSR]

Making sure he sees this haha

[@GlenWoodfordnofrills4shills]

Great work here boss. Can't wait to see more indepth looks.

[@bshayc79]

It was interesting seeing the papers your grandpa kept stats on. I've been doing that (still do it here and there) since the Unforgettables years. I wish I still had those old ones.

[@jsmallwood3260]

Don't really care how it ended I'm just glad it did end. Ready for a new chapter with Mark Pope and a man who truly puts Kentucky Wildcats first. Go big blue.!!!

[@ukfan041]

Great job again!

[@WatchKSR]

Thanks again!

[@MrMashman93]

The regular seasons under Cal never felt right after that 9-16 in 2021

[@rushmore3927]

He manifested into the Mother Teresa of NBA development. The actual team and Kentucky became a low priority. He was a self-righteous and highly deflective person.

[@Jrich-yj5es]

@@rushmore3927 spot on

[@williamhamilton6321]

We did so much with a few of this early teams with B.Knight and the other one with J.Young and co. It made us a fans think it was the jelling of the team and not something fundamentally wrong with the program. We got a jolt again with D.Fox and co, and thought it was just a matter of a basket or two. However after that year losing to UNC in the elite 8, Kentucky never really recovered to a powerhouse basketball team. Maybe it was the loss of Payne, maybe it was lineup issues. All I know is that Cal never once said “I need to do something different, it starts and finishes with me”. Cal just kept these weird mantras and beliefs that talent would prevail. He is one hell of an exciting coach to watch and his recruits come with question marks and excitement as well. I just believe he will never change the way he coaches to the detriment of the team and the school.

[@racking4507]

Great video and what I've been waiting for. I wish Matt or someone would do a segment (unless I missed it) that dwells more on the why, not just what happened. It seems to be a myriad of reasons. The main reasons I see are 1. The SEC got insanely tougher 2. The college game changed tremendously and Cal didn't adapt enough to it. 3. Crucial coaching staff changes/losses. Probably more but that's the main things I see.

[@WatchKSR]

It’s definitely a mix of all three of those.

[@colbymartin9317]

What a AWESOME VIDEO

[@Swellington_]

That dude has hand written down the stats of every single game SINCE 1975??!!! That’s crazy 😂😂

[@panteraJTM]

I also keep stats every game. I started doing it the year Tayshaun was a freshman. I've got 2 big totes full of notebooks

[@getoffmeow]

"can you imagine going into a game without a point guard?" just saw it last night, babay!!

[@johnnycorn7225]

You just had to realize that something was really really really really really really lacking in his in-game coaching when he lost with his two NBA lineups on one college team in 15. 2010 too.and more.

[@earvinwiblums4447]

Man I forgot how hard I disassociated from 2021 and I was at a lot of those games.

[@Sunuvagunner312]

The 9 win season, the NIT season, the countless injuries, the recruits that never even played or played just a few games. The overhyped 5 stars and total lack of coaching them up. There’s so many top 5 stars that didn’t amount to anything is absurd. Not because they weren’t good but because they weren’t coached and by seasons end they’d get pushed out one way or the other. Thank you Arkansas for all you’ve done to put UK basketball where it’s supposed to be! Thank you Cal for leaving!😉

[@d.s.7637]

As I had a conversation today with old friends, my expectations aren't high, I am just glad to see something different. The NCAA landscape is different. I want something better for college and nba. I dont think Cal actually did anything for the show outs. These guys were gunna go and do things no matter what.

[@Drewmack22]

His bull crap at the Auburn press conference was embarrassing

[@jlhuff12]

This was done so well.

[@mgers75]

Props to the poor soul that had to edit this series together.

[@WatchKSR]

😂 first part was really fun.

[@theMermaidRhonda]

Your grandfather is so cool!

[@bigpapi2658]

When he allowed his BLM activist player to take over the team and convince the team to take a knee, that’s when I knew it was over for him. I knew he didn’t have control of his team. He wasn’t teaching the young man, he was allowing them to run the team.

[@ffrn99]

Great job Steven.

[@Michael-mt1zq]

Losing Jon Robic really hurt. I wish they’d do a story about what actually went down with him and Cal. After the loss to Oakland by the look on Cals face when he was walking off the floor you could just kind of feel it was over and he wouldn’t be back.

[@mmartinez8439]

Yea because he actually scouted lol. And yea I agree seeing cals face I knew it was over

[@ngarcia103]

After 2022-23, I remember saying that the reason we hadn't been winning was because Cal went away from the teams that had worked best for him. Except he got that kind of team back in 2024 and it backfired in the worst way.

[@FirebrandAL]

Cal's an unreal recruiter. One of the best motivators in the history of the game and he's changed so many people's lives. But now with the portal - it's a huge ask to think a bunch of 17/18 year olds are just going to overwhelm a team physically that's like 22-23. Then X's and O's, all of it - it's a bridge too far. There's such a huge gap between cal and like.. Hurley - it's wild.

[@bradkirchhoff5703]

Hurley sucks too lol. Hes getting exposed bad right now.

[@FirebrandAL]

@@bradkirchhoff5703 exposed how? He just won back to back national titles, the #2 recruiting class in the country and had one bad weekend and are almost entirely back up and have the #3 offense in the country.

[@spinblackcircles]

@@bradkirchhoff5703wild thing to say, since they’ve won back to back titles and even this last 2 weeks have beaten a few good teams. Losing 3 games at the start of a season and still being ranked top 15 is not being ‘exposed’ lol

[@chadwickstephens3708]

The use of Puddles Pity Party rendition of Royals was a perfect touch

[@nate.hanlon]

mark stoops did good and was like we’re a football school when basketball was on a down year now look at him too on the hot seat oof maybe we don’t need to talk about what school we are.

[@Marshall_Weber]

Your Grandfather is Awesome ❤ #BBN

[@WatchKSR]

Thank you. I’ll make sure he sees this

[@ngarcia103]

Anyone who wanted Cal fired from 2021-24 is justified and I was slowly getting into that camp myself. However, I don't entertain any argument from anyone who claims he should have been fired after 2015. That would have been a hell of a bar for his successor if he was fired then.

[@chrisk3536]

Ya'll had to make an entire series to convince yourself you made an upgrade lol

[@Jrich-yj5es]

When you hold down 2 lottery picks and don't start them. Things could go wrong

[@rcjr2633]

Raw Facts. Its Kentucky. The BBN. Average is unacceptable. RIP and thanks for the memories Terrence Clarke.. #BBN

[@jasonporter8483]

We couldn't hide him here.

[@eddie3489]

Sharpe playing in Canada! Lol

[@Paducahrus]

I thought it had already dropped, just to find out that I still have to wait seven hours. What do you expect me to do? Work. 🤣

[@WatchKSR]

😂 this was depressing to make but I hope it’s entertaining enough to offset how upsetting it is.

[@stevemcgill355]

Well done. I was a harsh critic of Calipari towards the end. Now he seems a bit more sympathetic. Still, all that NBA talent and only 1 title and if Anthony Davis doesn't go nuclear on Kansas, he wouldn't have any.

[@KatieDetweiler-iy7hi]

What is the name of the song at The start of the video

[@WatchKSR]

It's Postmodern Jukebox covering the song "Royals" by Lorde

[@wilsonmatthew5190]

Im waiting for conference play to start. By the end of the season will be demanding a new coach

[@justincrady]

Cal has always been a GREAT recruiter. Last 4 yrs no play calling. They would run a weave up top and then told players to make a play..... smh

[@mmartinez8439]

Ppl think cals roster building was his issue at uk but it wasn’t. He built good vet teams and got great transfers. His preparation and coaching just went to shit

[@HarveyBlevins-i4h]

Tbh it always was shit

[@mmartinez8439]

@@HarveyBlevins-i4hyes it was. He was fortunate that he was only one who embraced one and done before others. Once talent level evened out that’s when he declined.

[@spinblackcircles]

Calipari needed Kenny Payne, John robic, and Dewayne peavy to help him with the crazy amounts of talent he would get together. Once he lost all of them, he was kind of exposed for his lack of game planning and scouting. The transfer portal putting all these grown ass men against his teams with their best players being 18 year olds, that was the nail in the coffin.

[@michaeltb6276]

The NCAA tournament is a FICKLE thing. If Brandon Knight's shot rims out, that Final Four doesn't happen. If PJ Washington doesn't choke at the line (in two different tournaments), we make another Final Four (or two). If the Fox team got a fair whistle, we win a title easily. There are things out of every coaches' hands. I don't blame Cal for any of them except for Oakland when the team's poor defense caught up with them.

[@WatchKSR]

I agree with this take. Like I said at the beginning of the video, he was (basically) one basket away from a Final Four three straight years (17, 18, 19). Not to mention if Sharpe played in 2022 or even 2023 things could have been a lot different. Cal will ultimately be remembered fondly and his name will be in the rafters. - Steven

[@michaeltb6276]

@@WatchKSR Fair enough. I enjoyed your videos. We're all not going to agree on everything, which allows us the fun of arguing about sports. Keep up the good work. GBB!

[@stevetackett581]

Yeah Higgy baby put the wood to us against UNC. Humphries was growing up before our eyes, who knows what might have been if we win and he comes back to school. Would’ve been nice to see him become a steady contributor

[@michaelkepesky5635]

KSR and the Peake Family need group therapy!! 😂 let it go fellaz. it's gonna be ok

[@WatchKSR]

Lol you're not wrong

[@michaeltb6276]

Cal saying he didn't care about the SEC Tournament was nothing more than reaffirming that Kentucky's goals are ALWAYS the NCAA tournament, not the SEC tournament. Why that confused some UK fans is beyond me.

[@StevenPeake]

Yea he 100% cared about it. So I never understood why he would say he didn’t.

[@mmartinez8439]

They did understand but when you say that and don’t win in the ncaa either then that’s the problem lol

[@michaeltb6276]

@@mmartinez8439 They never understood his point or how tournaments work.

[@spinblackcircles]

@@StevenPeakehis teams sure played like he didn’t care about it after 2019

[@apriar94]

Peake at the 22:21 mark always makes me sad. Brother just needed a hug

[@WatchKSR]

Hahaha 😂 was a rough night

[@michaeltb6276]

I'm extremely glad we have Pope and think he's going to return us to the top, but certain things about how Cal was treated I will never agree with. Fans lumping the covid year of no tournament in with the others to make the streaks seem longer? It's dishonest.

[@spinblackcircles]

I mean, it’s Kentucky. 4 years of not making the second weekend of the NCAA and not making the SEC championship is bad enough on its own, and unacceptable at UK. Adding the Covid year for 5 years just makes that even worse but the original point is true and was coaching malpractice at a place like Kentucky.

[@forrestbarnes6035]

Great job!

[@shawnlong4039]

I didn't like Calipari from the start! At least in the beginning, he pulled in enough quality players to win games despite his pathetic coaching abilities to actually do something of significance. His less than mediocre coaching abilities, lies, stubborness and arrogance made me actually dread the start of the season for the last decade of his coaching. I'm so happy to see that man gone and thankful that we have a coach in Mark Pope, that actually cares about fans, banners, tournaments, wins and championships.

[@BlahBlah-v1y]

I grew up in Kentucky. Started watching Kentucky about 1994. Would study the UK basketball year books better than my class subjects. When they hired Cal I stopped. I explained to a coworker once. Kentucky basketball is something different. Kentucky doesn't lose games, and if it's not a national championship season. Then that season was a disappointment.

[@spinblackcircles]

So you’ve been disappointed in every season besides 2 since 1994? I personally really love final fours, too. Any time we are hanging a banner, I’m happy with that season. Even the 2015 year, though disappointing in how it ended, it is still nice to say we had one of the absolute best teams in college basketball history.

[@BlahBlah-v1y]

@spinblackcircles No, that's not my point. There was Tubby teams that went to the Elite 8 that I loved. The Patterson Bradley team that Gillispies coached was 2 on 5 and very respectful. I was saying that in Kentucky as a fan, it is title or bust.

[@wingsofdomesticthreats]

Sahvir on the team and getting insane PT was the worst thing to ever happen to the Calipari era Actively rooted against them when that dude was allowed to do whatever he wanted

[@coreyjohnson7393]

My god rewatching this nightmare…..Why….Why….

[@biff2218]

Geez, give it up, nobody cares about that narcissist anymore. Let him go coach that other team to mediocrity. How many fans are you trying to lose?

[@nickperkins8477]

Cal’s “…basketball school…” comment was amateurish and immature, coming from the head coach of the program. There is a place for that kind of talking, arguably, but it is around the water cooler. It’s fan talk. To hear that talk from the head of the program was embarrassing.

[@bradkirchhoff5703]

How can your dad be a Cal fan through and through after he literally scraped every bit of integrity out of the program?

[@WatchKSR]

I don't think my grandfather thinks of it like that. He sees it as Cal won a title here and won a lot of games. Not saying I 100% agree with him though lol

[@joebar20]

13:20 I don’t wear the color blue for a week after that game

[@barrywaldren8585]

Kentucky is a basketball school. Somebody needs to tell the football coach. 😂 Football team never does anything. Every year is the sane. Football team gets over hyped then fall short. Rinse and repeat

[@IsraelStacy]

At least he won games of relevance in his tenure. Stoops makes 9M and never won the SEC, made a NY6 bowl, certainly not the CFP’s. Long story short he has the best job in America and tries to leave annually and many love him, really odd…

[@ajg8722]

That’s what I’m saying.

[@wranglerman270]

It just seems like he’s made a career on recruiting nba ready one and done talent. It honestly does not look like he knows how to coach defense and his offense is the most simplistic nonsense predicated on just being faster and stronger than the opposition. Drive and kick, high pick and roll, and THATS IT. I’m already souring on him at Arkansas, has anyone honestly done less with more than calipari?

[@nate.hanlon]

is it true he could’ve been the la lakers GM?

[@jaimemcdanieltravels]

Cal is a great recruiter, but sucks as a coach. Especially in game decisions. I could name a dozen coaches quickly that are better at coaching than Cal.

[@kvdude7279]

After signing the lifetime contract, Cal was coaching to get fired for the fat buyout. It's just that simple. Then he screwed up and got caught shopping for a new job. Thanks Cal!

[@jordanlujan2179]

What couldve been in 2020 i really wanna know haha

[@carterhall1687]

Why keep on with the Cal shit?? He's at Arkansas, let it go, Matt Jones.

[@Ky_fan]

I agree. No more on Cal and more on Pope

[@bobbyosborne2375]

No shit. Talk about the new guy. He's pretty cool

[@WatchKSR]

This was the last Cal thing for a while lol. We’re all ready for Pope era to start.

[@stevetackett581]

The three dudes at KSR are ok. There’s pretty much nobody that likes or respects Matt “the braggart/name dropper” Jones. One minute he’s the Duke law school intellectual, the next he’s trying to convince listeners that he’s a “mountain boy” smdh. He’s a spoiled jerk with a platform to spew from. He should be paying UK for being allowed to ride our love of the cats to success.

[@stevetackett581]

Oh, and everyone likes Mario. Those guys seem to be gentleman that practice some manners.

[@rogerberry4088]

Neither is his 1st year at Arkansas.

[@michaeltb6276]

Oh, yes. Let's rehash St. Peter's without mentioning ONE THING about Grady, Wheeler and Washington's injuries. Get real.

[@JMFATZ47]

oh the eternal mystery injuries. The built-in excuses for the early exits. Hilarious b/c those are on him too.

[@michaeltb6276]

@@JMFATZ47 There was no mystery, champ. If you followed the team you'd have been well aware of them, and it's stupid to say Cal injured the players. Keep your dumb mouth shut.

[@doncleaver5994]

The professionalism of college basketball has relegated Kentucky to a future of mediocrity. Kentucky apparently doesn’t have huge moneyed backers and as a consequence cannot compete in the NiL environment! Does not matter who is the coach anymore.

[@michaelmcintoshatky]

Reaching the final four doesn't mean anything sorry #notsorry you either win a national title or it was a wasted season in bbn eyes.

[@mikejones6486]

Actually, the last 3 years were not awful. 2021 was awful. The last 3 post seasons were awful. However, UK was a # 2 seed in 2022, a # 6 seed in 2023, and a # 3 seed in 2024. Also, Coach Cal is now at Arkansas and UK has Coach Pope. It's time to move on.

[@TBlack-t6u]

In Pope We Trust….!! #BBN!!

[@ZeusAmun-pt9dc]

Well he was great at Memphis and that's all that matters

[@pmontyjaaaymes488]

Well he's gone, so yall dont have to keep bitching about it.

[@rushlibby]

Why do you want to take up your time with this? This is gone. We are living in the present! Why aren’t you?

[@WatchKSR]

We’re all pumped for the Pope era to start. This video more than any shows how we got to Mark Pope. It’s the last Cal video on this channel until Arkansas comes to Rupp.

[@DCfan966]

And Pope's last 9 years are better? Sad that Pitino turned down Kentucky and now the Wildcats are stuck with a guy who got the job bc he's an alumni. No tourney wins, never 1st in his conference even once. I get that he's a nice guy but Kentucky took a step towards joining Indiana in the realm of has-beens

[@robertbarron166]

Y'all Kentucky fans are completely devastated that coach cal is gone lmao GO HOGS

[@nicholasruber1174]

🤡

[@jessasdad]

Nope and nope

[@Sunuvagunner312]

You’re😂 delusional!

[@chadwalkup8830]

You have no idea how ignorant that makes you sound. “Go Hogs”

[@pmontyjaaaymes488]

​​@@jessasdadWell i mean Ksr and the unknowledgable fans, along with the crafts ran him off. Better hope Pope can measure up. Ungrateful ass fan base we have.

[@shawndittman4844]

I had no idea these existed. Many more views will come with time. This is the first one I've seen, and I gotta admit, I may not watch the first 2. I've not liked Cal being UKs coach since probably around 2017, 18. It took a good friend to point certain things out to me to convince me that cal was not the right guy. I thought it was cool that we had lots of players going to the NBA, but I quickly got sick of a whole new roster every year and not getting quality, within-reach wins. The dribble drive never really was a strategy. He never came up with solutions. He yelled ALL THE TIME. Ticket prices were staggered, and were way too expensive. We lost tooooo many games and looked dumb. He wouldn't take advice. He made too much money for what he produced. Then he knelt for the anthem and was on that BLM propaganda. No, those events were not in order, but all that culminated in me really hating that he was still the coach. Long story short: thank u Arkansas!

[@FredRockbreaker]

Lesson learned. Take something for granted and lose it.

[@dannywilson8021]

Cal a Recruiter he can get the top player.. lets be Honest he Not a coach and Arkansas..so they Hire Him thinking he will help get National championship