Taylor Combs

Why am I starting a Substack (when the rest of you already have one and it's probably just more noise)? open.substack.com/pub/eastandede…

@Forrill159114 @DanielBrad46654 @TristanUda “Established in” made me chuckle. Asking because you just sound like somebody who wasn’t into CBB in the 2000s—2010s. The entire narrative around Cal, dating back to Memphis, was (1) he chokes, (2) you can’t win championships with freshmen, and (3) he just rolls the ball out.

@combstaylor_ @DanielBrad46654 @TristanUda Don’t see the relevance. But established in the late eighties/early nineties.

When Calipari was at Kentucky, the narrative of choking in the NCAAT with elite freshmen was pushed every year. Duke has had the most talented roster multiple times, with multiple #1 picks, for the better part of a decade and have failed to capitalize. Where is the same energy?

@Forrill159114 @DanielBrad46654 @TristanUda Serious question: how old are you?

@DanielBrad46654 @combstaylor_ @TristanUda They? Cal wasn’t getting criticism nationally for final fours and elite eights. Maybe on a local radio station.

@GoodmanHoops Aaron Harrison's collective three consecutive game winners? (Would be higher if they had beaten UConn!)

WHERE DOES BRAYLON MULLINS BUZZER-BEATER STAND AMONG THE TOURNEY ALL-TIMERS? Gotta be top 10 - Villanova’s Kris Jenkins shot to win the 2016 national title - Duke’s Christian Laettner in 1992 vs. UK in Elite Eight - Gonzaga’s Jalen Suggs to beat UCLA in 2021 Final Four - San Diego State’s Lamont Butler to beat FAU in 2023 in Final Four - Braylon Mullins in to beat Duke in 2026 Elite Eight - UNC’s Luke Maye to beat Kentucky in 2017 Elite Eight - Duke’s Christian Laettner to beat UConn in 1990 Elite Eight - NC State’s Lorenzo Charles dunk to win the 1983 national title - Valpo’s Bryce Drew to upset Ole Miss in 1998 first round - UCLA’s Tyus Edney’s coast-to-coast layup to beat Missouri in the second round in 1995

@clayton_cash @Forrill159114 @TristanUda Yup

@combstaylor_ @Forrill159114 @TristanUda It was said every year that we came up short. It may have cooled a bit after 2015 because while losing in the F4 is coming up short, 38 in a row is still impressive. But the only reason it stopped for Cal was he wasn't getting those dudes anymore and was losing in the first rnd

@Forrill159114 @TristanUda People were saying that long before those few years: Elite 8 in 2010, Final Four in 2011, Finals in 2014, Final 4 in 2015, Elite 8 in 2017, Elite 8 in 2019. 🙄

@TristanUda They went to the elite 8….. Cal wasn’t doing that. People weren’t complaining because he was losing elite 8s. They were complaining because he was losing to St. Peter’s, Oakland, and Kansas St, in the first 2 rounds. Where have you been?

@WardrobeDoor I’m almost sorry for you, because I also cannot stand UConn. And that was brutal. So, almost sorry.

@combstaylor_ I was waiting on it. I earned it. 😂

When was the last time Siena got a rebound? Dudes just have no legs. But I think Rick Pitino is gonna eat this Duke team for lunch…

@WardrobeDoor Probably would’ve been better off posting to Pitino though right?

God loves Christ for us, and he loves us in no other way but as in Christ. (Paraphrase of John Owen)

@dandarling Spot on on every point. I’d love to see @gavinortlund post a response video—though I know that gets exhausting. But his talk at the CPT conference a couple years ago on church history and the boundaries of orthodoxy was super helpful.

I'm late to this conversation, but I'm disappointed in the way it makes several critical errors. I watched the whole thing to make sure I got the entire discussion and that they weren't being unfairly maligned, which happens on social. - Yes, Nicene and Apostles Creed are good to solidify and frame orthodoxy. If you are outside of them, you are not orthodox. - Those creeds don't mention sexuality because nobody in the church was making the claim that Biblical sexuality and gender were anything but what Scripture says they are from the beginning. Nobody was asking those questions at the time, not because they were second tier, but because they were so foundational as to be assumed! The Bible doesn't stutter on the issue of biblical sexuality. - The conversation talks a lot about history and the historic church. Making the bizarre claim that to put sexualty and gender as a first order issue gets rid of most of the church through history. Actually a revision of sexuality and gender does that. The church's view on sexuality and gender predates the creed! @TrevinWax has an important article on this here: thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/trevin-w… - I also think they misunderstand theological triage (a healthy and important exercise) and fundamentalism (from which I came). - Fundamentalism, yes makes third-tier ideas first tier doctrines, but to hold to biblical sexuality doesn't make one a fundamentalist. Otherwise, every Christian denomination was fundy up until 15 years ago. - Lastly, the bizarre insertion of MAGA is an unnecessary pejorative reason on this issue. First, hardcore MAGA is different than churchgoing evangelicals who may vote Republican. In fact, unchurched MAGA is less orthodox on Christian sexuality. Hating Trump so much you waffle on sexual ethics is a choice. - Finally, there is an air of elitism and "they" kind of language that is so dismissive of evangelicals. This, btw, in a conversation that seeks to bridge divisions. Ironic.

@BBN_Commenter Two out of the following four: 1. Win the SEC regular season 2. Win the SECT 3. Be a 1–3 seed 4. Make the Elite 8

Before we start portal season I want the expectation for 2026-2027 to be set now For Mark Pope to keep his job he needs to do what? For me it’s this, make the weekend of the SEC tournament & a elite 8. The injury excuse doesn’t work 3 yrs in a row for me

@CoachDavidSisk @YankeeGiantGuy Yea that’s cherry picking. It’s not the “last” 17 if Kentucky and Carolina also played CBB in 2018 (they did).

@YankeeGiantGuy UK has made it once since 2019( six seasons) Kansas once since 2018 (7 seasons), & UNC twice since 2019 (6 seasons). Not counting the COVID seasons. Combing the three to 19.

Out the last 19 combined non-COVID seasons Kansas, Kentucky, and North Carolina have advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament four times.

@maseballard Oh no

I’ve been informed that some people thought this was my obituary. I am not dead.

Kentucky literally came back from down 18, 17, and 14 in the second half this year. They got rolled today, but this is a dumb take.

Tough loss. Not a good season. I’d love for Pope to get a healthy roster next year. Oweh deserves a ton of love for what he did in two years. Aberdeen as well for what he had to do. Lastly, surely Iowa St.’s coach can afford to buy a shirt that fits before the Sweet 16.

Malachi is the softest big man we've had since Jared Carter.

@rarerookies ISU doing 3x that on every possession on the other end.

Ticky tack

Not gonna stop doubling down on this.

Iowa St. is pushing, shoving, holding, grabbing with two hands on us on every single possession, and bald ref just called three consecutive touch fouls. After the missed technical in the first half. This is really bad.

Apparently, you're now allowed to kick the ball into the stands.

@BRamseyKSR Why are we not talking about a player kicking the basketball at a ref and not getting a T?

What a total disaster down the stretch of that half. Iowa State is such a dominant force defensively, but you just HAVE to handle it better. Shooting variance is ALL the way in Kentucky’s favor…yet the ‘Cats trail by 1 at the half. That is VERY bad news.