One of the things we like about Coach Cal is that he talks to the fans and doesn't hide behind the usual coach-speak. Calipari knows that the UK fans are just about at Def-Con 5 with Archie Goodwin. In six SEC games, Goodwin has shot 25-71 from the field, for a percentage of only 35.2 percent. He has shot 1-13 from three-point range, for a percentage of 7.7 percent. And he has shot 20-36 from the line, for 55.6 percent. Plus he has 20 turnovers and only 12 assists. Obviously, these are horrific numbers for a shooting guard, and they are a major part of why UK is currently on pace to miss the NCAA Tournament. Not surprisingly, the grumbling against Goodwin on the message boards has been intense.
Now almost every coach UK has ever had would have refused to address these issues in public. But Coach Cal is out with a blog post urging Wildcat fans not to give up on Goodwin. Among other things, he tells us that Goodwin works extremely hard, that the coaches are helping him develop his shot, and that Goodwin (and the rest of the players) "are doing everything they can for this team and our fans."
I hope that this is all true, and I am willing to trust Coach Calipari on this one. And I'm really happy he took the time to address our concerns. More folks in authority should adopt this approach.
I hate the rest of the SEC.
ReplyDelete"Hall said a fan had brought {the Grunfeld switch} to his attention."
ReplyDeleteI bet that's true.
That's two unmitigated shots from you on an 84-year-old man so far today.
ReplyDeleteMy comment was really more about the UK fans than it was about Joe B. Hall.
DeleteI do like the fact that he speaks to this issue. You're right there aren't enough coaches, especially at the college level, who answer their fans. As good as he may be, when I hear that coach at Butler interviewed, all I can think is what a jerk he seems to be.
ReplyDeleteI of course wonder how much of him playing Goodwin and being stuck with playing Goodwin is the commitment he made to Goodwin to bring him in. How much playing time was he promised? And if Cal goes back on that promise how much would that hurt his credibility with future recruits?
ReplyDelete