The Marquis Teague winds appeared to suddenly switch direction late Wednesday, taking an easterly course from Louisville to Lexington. Teague is expected to finally announce his decision Thursday.
Most reports indicate that the young man has never set foot on the University of Kentucky campus, yet he’s said to be leaning in that direction. Teague has visited Louisville, indicating that he liked what he saw and, from all indications, wanted to be a Cardinal until a few weeks ago.
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The change in direction is more than a little curious after two years of positive interaction between U of L and Teague, whose father once played for Rick Pitino. None of which may have mattered much after John Calipari and his associates got involved with the player and his family.
Greasing The Skids To The NBA
The theory goes that Calipari has some special abilities that will get kids to the National Basketball Association quickly. The rash of one-and-dones at UK would appear to lend some validity to that proposition. Unless you consider the caliber of athletes who are making those decisions.
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Calipari appeals to the pecuniary instincts in high school kids, promising to get them to the “League” faster than anyone. As a result, he is getting talented players. He is not selling loyalty to a school or fan base, making a mockery of the college game.
That will be okay for a while, especially in Lexington, as long they’re winning games and pulling top recruits away from the University of Louisville. That’s as good, if not better, than beating Louisville in an actual game as far as the UK bleeders are concerned.
But UK fans base the “greatness” of the program on seven national championships. The one-and-doners are motivated by dollar signs, and couldn’t care less about tradition. Another championship would be nice but their individual goals are the highest priority.
Adolph who?
This is about a kid who chose a coach over another coach because of his proven ability to develop players for the next level. I’m a KY fan, but I’m not delusional.
He didn’t pick Blue over Red. He picked Cal over Pitino.
His choice, and a logical one. Simple as that.
Let’s be happy for the kid and forgo the conspiracy theories.
Mr. Springer,
You just insulted some HS BB players; their families and a college basketball coach with nothing to go on but your assumptions fueled by your hatred for KY bb.
I, on the other hand, want Louisville to succeed. It’s good for the state of KY.
I don’t hate Louisville fans. They are my KY brothers.
Can we stop the hating, PULLEEEEEEESE????!!!!
If we treated each other better the entire college bb experience would be more enjoyable, don’t ya think?
I’ve used no profanity, I took out the word loser, presented an excellent critique of the writer and some of the outrageous and slanderous comments on this blog, but my comments aren’t approved.
Guess this is a ‘take what we’re dishing out’ session by Louisville fans/KY haters.
Great credibility. You should be proud.
I’ve been a U of L fan for over 40 years. Before then, and before I knew any better, I respected UK. Recruiting has soured my view of college basketball to a point that I no longer enjoy the sport anymore. UK, in my opinion, is dirty beyond reproach. Eventually the NCAA will catch up with them. However, at this point, I simply don’t care anymore. I have lost my taste for college basketball.
Kentucky must be paying the kid a fortune….it’s time that some letters of inquiry be sent to the NCAA. By the way, I’d like to ask the NCAA what LaBron James was doing courtside at Rupp….I’m also sick and tired of hearing what a great recruiter Calipari is…World Wide Wes is doing the “recruiting”……where did I put that Federal Express envelope…..As a yUK Alum may say….I’m a-scart of that 3 syllable word….PRO-BA-
TION!! HA! Go CARDS (Going love it when the hammer falls)
Are you UofL fans insinuating that Rick Pitino is holier than thou? Give me a break!!! Don’t forget, we know him pretty well too. Are you unaware that he helped put the University of Hawaii on probation back in the 70s for among other things trading out used cars for season tickets? Let’s not forget Coach Cal has never been implicated for any NCAA violations. It’s so easy to cry foul play when you are beaten fair and square on a highly touted recruit. Also, to Joe – Pitino would have taken Telfair in a second if he had not dissed the Cards for the NBA. Wake up and prepare for another spanking this year on the hardwood.
Are you niave, Rick won a championship at UK and it WAS NOT VACATED. Twice this has happened to him and as far as the spanking it will be your sorry team getting spanked while Calipari and his top recruits get beat again by a Big East Team. (West Virginia, what a joke that game was especially to UK fans) Laugh at that!
Cal stated on ESPN that he wasn’t in favor of the current rules. He thinks kids should be able to go straight from HS to the NBA. He went on to say that as long as this was the system, he would continue to recruit the best talent regardless.
Let’s not forget that Pitino stated after he lost Telfair, and Amir Johnson the he was not going to recruit the one and dones. He can still get the recruits he wants. But if I’m a point guard I’m going to play for Cal. Pains me to say this since I’m a life long Cards fan. If Teague does go to UK I hope the turns out like the last recruits Cal and Rick went head to head on….Samardo Samuels and Derrick Caracter.
Kentucky has sold its soul for a bunch of mercenary players. I hope all the empty victories are worth it.
Oh Poor Kentucky. When you dance with the devil you get burned. I’m just not sure what they don’t realize. Calipari is much like the satan of college basketball. He appeals to a recruits most carnal desires:money, fame, self importance, ego, and all of the things that go with it. What the recruit doesn’t realize is that it’s not about them, in the end it’s about Calipari and his glory. He leaves nothing but a trail of broken dreams and then moves on to the next victim. Any student of the Bible knows this, even those who are Kentucky fans.
U of L won’t “buy” players and Ky will. Let them have their day now because Probation is coming. It’s just a matter of time. Next time will probably be the Death Penalty and it couldn’t happen to a nicer bunch of people. As the shirts will say….Kentucky is back…on probation. I am sick to death hearing about their seven championships that date back to the early 1940’s. There really should be some some of Statute of Limitations on that…..uh, how many have they won in the last 20 years? Gee, I think the same number as U of L. Let them buy every kid (whether with cash, cars or whatever) in the world but they still can’t buy CLASS and the whole country knows it. UK wants to be DUKE….Duke has class but yUK is a joke. When Cal took the job there was a woman commentor on ESPN (I’d give anything to know her name) who said and I quote…..you know UK fans; they don’t care if Charley Manson is their coach so long as he wins. How sad but true. Go CARDS!
UofL hasn’t won any championships in the last 20 yrs. Why are you talking trash for Duke? Are you a duke fan, or a UofL fan? I’ve never heard him called Charley Manson, you sure you’re quoting correctly? Witness credibility in question. Please strike the comments from the record.
I am a BLOOD U of L fan stricting making the comment that yUK thinks it is on the same level as Duke – NOT!!! As for the comment made on ESPN, the woman wasn’t calling Calipari Charley Manson…they were making a statement about the yUK fans not being particular (understatement) about whom they hired as BB coach. (DUH) Oh, and I stand corrected…it’s been 24 years since U of L won a Championship – how many has yUK won since then???? As for striking my comments? I don’t think so. Go CARDS!
3 legit championships not the 11 by UCLA and it stands at 11. 4 of UK’s titles came in the 1940’s when teams played in the NIT.
Looks like some deranged UK fan took offense to this post and has been commenting again and again under different names. You must have gotten under his skin, Charlie.
More than one, Jonesy although many of the comments are similar. I’m checking the I.P. addresses as they come in. Not much work getting done in the Bluegrass today.
It is not Cal’s fault the one and done rule is in place.. Dont blame UK or Cal for the rules they “have” to abide by. That being said PG’s will flock to Lexington because Pitino has NEVER put a quality point guard into the league..
Obviously you do not know much about the young men that just finished their first (and last) year at UK. They LOVED the university, the town, the atmosphere and they embraced the fans in a special way.
Your commentary bleeds of laziness and sour grapes. Even if coach Cal sells the program as a path to the NBA, it is far better than what Pitino can sell: “Come to UL and I will teach you to have unprotected sex on a restaurant table with a woman you just met and how to get her a quick abortion afterwards.”
Why are you on this board? Go back to your 2 vacated final four coach and find his board.
What an IGNORANT reply Paul. Does Cal sell them with “come help the cayuts get to the Final Four where I have a track record of having EVERY one I’ve been to VACATED?” Also, WHY are you on a UofL board? Is it because we are SO RELEVANT that you HAVE to know what we’re discussing? I can honestly say that I have NEVER visited a UofK board for any reason whatsoever, I’m sure that they must be toxic though…just like their fanatics.
well kensuckys one and done are not gona win anything..this year in final 4 there was not even 1 player who was one and done,,,so kensucky can have them all they never gona win anything
Using a professional player like Lebron is against NCAA rules? I don’t think so! If Lebron has the opinion that learning Cal’s system would benefit them at the next level he has every right to say that. The Barnes kid going to UNC next year sat in the seat right by MJ on his official visit. What the NCAA needs to get a hold on is Coaches hiring friends and family members of certain players to help get an advantage with that player. And before you call out Cal, I didn’t think it was right when he hired the father of a player at Memphis either. So, quit pointing fingers that celebrities are swaying recruits to one school or the other, when really the more shady thing was done when a close friend and a “Assistant” HS bball coach of siad recruit, skip right over being a HC in HS to an assistant at UL.
Eric you are in the dark if you believe that this is fair using professional players especially ones that never played college ball. They are not the best people to use because they were swayed by money and by the way Lebron is NOT MJ.
If Pitino could recruit the One and Dones he would do it in a New York second. Recruits are seeing that players are not improving at Louisville. Their chances of improving quickly and having an earlier shot at a pro career are realized under Coach Cal. Does a recruit want to go to UofL and sit as a freshman because Pitino wants to selfishly keep him in his system for a couple of years or would he rather go to UK and improve his game while helping his team win games? Its a no brainer! Stop crying and make it sound like a terrible thing with the one and dones. They would otherwise be going directly to the NBA out of college. Don’t blame them or Coach Cal because they are good for one another.
It is funny that you accepted it at UK when Pitino was the coach.
The only professional player trying to convince Teague into going to UK was his brother Jeff.
Teague has never set foot on campus? That’s funny. UK has been recruiting the kid ever since Calipari came to Kentucky. Just because you are bitter don’t try to act like Calipari came in at the last minute and stole him away. Teague had plenty of chances to commit to UofL, but Pitino was too busy having fun at Porcini’s. Why would Cal need associates to land Teague? He is putting five guys in the NBA….THIS YEAR, which is more than Pitino has put in the NBA in his time at UofL. What’s funny about your homer rant is that Pitino was the one who hired a close associate of Teague in order to get his commitment. So if Teague really wants to go to UofL then he will go, but let’s not let facts get in the way of our homer-filled diatribe.
Dennis—-every school that puts guys in the NBA does this. They bring back pros for summer pickup games with the new recruits and potential recruits. Michael Jordan goes to UNC every year to help them recruit. If UofL would have put more guys in the league in the last ten years then you would understand that. However, facts are facts and Cal has put more guys in the NBA in one year than Pitino has in his 8 or 9 years at UofL. Sad, really.
Umm you can leave out the personal life of Pitino which is none of your business to judge him by. You UK fans make me sick that you bash a coach that brought your sorry team in the late 80’s to a national championship including 2 final 4’s. Your loyalty is pathetic and you should look at your own coach who has had teams to vacate the final 4 due to cheating and it is a matter of time before it happens at UK. STRIKE 3 YOUR OUT!!!
and Bill Gates should have stayed in school too. Wake up! This is America. We have the freedom to make our own choices.
You mean the freedom to have to vacate your wins.
ok you all are probably not students of either UK or UL, me being a student at UK and being a fan of UL know what is going on here. It is clear that all UK players are getting special treatment, money and grades from the University of Kentucky. On the other hand the University of Louisville actually has some standards considering they didn’t hire a clown who has put his two schools on probation for violations. It’s simple everyone john Caliper is a joke a liar and a cheater we all know this. Being a university ok Kentucky student I know this better than all of you…Wait I forgot they are all underage. The simple fact is the University of Kentucky is corrupt as all get out; I am embarrassed to go here. The university of Louisville is an upstanding program who tries to do things right.
Caliari isn’t “getting” these one and done players to the league . . . they were already on their way, and they happened to spend a semester at UK of before they were qualified by NBA regulations to declare for the draft.
I am not a big conspiracy theorist, but you’ve gotta wonder why Calipari, who has done nothing but get schools into trouble, is able to recruit all of these one-and-done players while legitimate Hall of Fame coaches like Roy WIlliams, Coach K, Jim Calhoun and yes even Rick Pitino can’t get them on campus. Things that make me go hmm (but apparently don’t occur to the NCAA).
It may be the nature of college hoops today. But most sickening is the tactics that Calipari will use to nab these guys. If the rumors are true, I would think that it is time that the NCAA puts a stop to such things as professional players (i.e. Lebron) actively recruiting for particular schools, especially when it is clear that these pros are using this to advance their own professional interest. As things stand, the state of college hoops has become so ugly that many of us are very close to turning in our fan cards. Sad, really.
The recruits want to play for a man who will help them. They dont want to play for a guy who wont play them their freshman yr. Siva is way better than Soso but barely sniffed the court. Recruits see that. Be happy with Russ Smith Loserville
Ryan why are you on this board? The Loserville will be UK when they have to vacate their wins. Think about that.
You’re wrong. You could see the passion in the one-and-done players’ eyes this year; not dollar signs. The “three amigos” had a great year at UK and made great memories. They may not have gone to UK with an appreciation for the greatness of the program, but they are certainly leaving with one. They are going to be part the long “L” of a tradition at UK for a long time.
UK and Cal are not making a mockery of the college game. The system is. You and I know that most of the ONE AND DONES would not even set foot on a college campus except for that NBA rule. John Wall and Demarcus Cousins were projected as first round picks coming out of HS. Everyone knew that..so them leaving is no surprised. Orton and Bledsoe are the exception. They played their way..based on the season and/or potential talent..into first round picks. What kid wouldn’t go to the NBA if they are first round picks? What’s lame..is that you would not be say the MOCKERY word if Wall and Cousins..and Rose..and Evans..were UL players. Stop being a hypocrite. Until the NBA changes that rule..the best HS talent will continue to be ONE AND DONE..and some of those will be UK players to due Cal’s resume in getting them to the next level.