How Far?
- Thread starter LXWildcat
- Start date
My guess is 4th or 5th best team in SEC and capable of winning a NCAA tourney game.
So, How long??
So, How Long do you all give Mark Pope to get to a Final Four? Yes, he has a good staff and has struck gold in the portal, but realistically...this is a "rebuild". We will have a lot of talent and a veteran team for the most part. But, that don't mean instant results. Just give him some...
kentucky.forums.rivals.com
Team will take Pope further than he has ever gone in the tourney.
Top-25 team
JT Toppin
Achor Achor
Adding one of those two make us a top-5 team.
I would love to add JT Toppin and Jaylen Wells.
JT Toppin
Achor Achor
Adding one of those two make us a top-5 team.
I would love to add JT Toppin and Jaylen Wells.
WildcatfaninOhio
All-American
Today? Possibly 20 regular season wins and a 6 seed in the NCAA
Add Jaxson and definitely 20+ wins and a 3 seed.
Add Jaxson and definitely 20+ wins and a 3 seed.
stonethecrow
Sophomore
Tommy "Hot Lips" Crean got a few wins, a sweet sixteen, and started "the movement" at a blue blood that had fell on hard times. That sense of hope mustered up an iconic popcorn box, and not much else.
I love Pope, and I love the energy he has injected back into the program...but I think it's a reasonable thing to just take it one game at a time for now. He definitely knows the weight, but give him a chance to feel it on his shoulders and settle in to it.
I love Pope, and I love the energy he has injected back into the program...but I think it's a reasonable thing to just take it one game at a time for now. He definitely knows the weight, but give him a chance to feel it on his shoulders and settle in to it.
BYU finished 23-11, 10-8 in the Big 12 which was good for 5th and made the NCAA tournament as a 6 seed. So you have to ask yourself a couple of questions....
Do we have more talent than last years BYU team? I would say yes and if we get Robinson a definite yes.
Will the SEC be better next year than the Big 12 was this year. I would tend to say no but I don't think the Big 12 would be significantly better IMO.
So if both of those things are true you would have to expect us to at least be equal to the season BYU had last year. If we do get Robinson I could see a 25 win season, top 4 finish in the SEC, make it to Saturday in the SEC tournament and a chance at a Sweet 16 with the right matchups. Maybe I am just being too optimistic but that is my story and I am sticking to it.
Do we have more talent than last years BYU team? I would say yes and if we get Robinson a definite yes.
Will the SEC be better next year than the Big 12 was this year. I would tend to say no but I don't think the Big 12 would be significantly better IMO.
So if both of those things are true you would have to expect us to at least be equal to the season BYU had last year. If we do get Robinson I could see a 25 win season, top 4 finish in the SEC, make it to Saturday in the SEC tournament and a chance at a Sweet 16 with the right matchups. Maybe I am just being too optimistic but that is my story and I am sticking to it.
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You lost credibility soon as you referred to IU as a blue blood.
I feel like I'm a lot more confident in next year's team than a lot of posters here. At BYU last year, Pope had nothing near the talent or experience that he's assembled on this team so far. BYU ended up a six seed and hit the top 25.
Of course, we still have to see who else signs, but Robinson was easily the best player in Provo last year. If Robinson comes to UK, I don't know that he's the clear #1 player. I think Oweh, Brea, and some guys on the defensive end could easily help spread the wealth, so to speak.
This team may not have superstars yet, but I think the talent, as a whole, is significantly better than anything Pope has ever worked with before.
I think this could be a team, when all the ink has dried, that could get to the final four. As of alright now, I think we're looking at the Sweet Sixteen.
Of course, we still have to see who else signs, but Robinson was easily the best player in Provo last year. If Robinson comes to UK, I don't know that he's the clear #1 player. I think Oweh, Brea, and some guys on the defensive end could easily help spread the wealth, so to speak.
This team may not have superstars yet, but I think the talent, as a whole, is significantly better than anything Pope has ever worked with before.
I think this could be a team, when all the ink has dried, that could get to the final four. As of alright now, I think we're looking at the Sweet Sixteen.
Well they have elite experience, and seemingly near-elite basketball IQ and skills. So I think the only problem here would be their overall talent and athleticism. If we assume Pope can coach them well enough, then it seems to me that the only teams that *might* be tough for them, are any teams that have those next level NBA guys.. someone who is just faster than Butler and he can't stay in front of them.. or someone who is just stronger than Kerr..
Sadly, its the teams like Duke and Arkansas (assuming Cal gets the talent) that might be tough for this team. Can these guys handle soon-to-be NBA talents like Flagg or Maluach or Richmond or Knox? I think just like with Cal's Kentucky teams.. there are just going to be some guys like Wall and Cousins and AD and Fox.. that are just too tough to contain.
BUT, the flip side to that, is those types of teams are usually much younger, and we've seen recently that this model of Very-talented but very-young.. usually doesn't work.
So I'm thinking Elite 8. And a shot at a Final4.. but that's probably just slightly out of reach for first year Pope and a brand new team.
Sadly, its the teams like Duke and Arkansas (assuming Cal gets the talent) that might be tough for this team. Can these guys handle soon-to-be NBA talents like Flagg or Maluach or Richmond or Knox? I think just like with Cal's Kentucky teams.. there are just going to be some guys like Wall and Cousins and AD and Fox.. that are just too tough to contain.
BUT, the flip side to that, is those types of teams are usually much younger, and we've seen recently that this model of Very-talented but very-young.. usually doesn't work.
So I'm thinking Elite 8. And a shot at a Final4.. but that's probably just slightly out of reach for first year Pope and a brand new team.
Well this team is deep with very similarly talented players. We’ll see how the roster ends up. But I think they can withstand a couple injuries
It’s Kentucky dawg…injury bug seems to never leave this program. Even before Cal.
I'd be happy with a single tourney win with our roster as it is. Anything else is gravy.
Those of you that are old enough to remember Pitino’s first 2 years need to remember how we tempered our expectations and just enjoyed the season game to game, knowing that good times were ahead and Kentucky was on the right track. This year Kentucky is like an expansion team in the pros where they had to build 100% of the roster. It will take a few seasons to get everything in place and now we have a coach that is all about banners and not draft night. If he wins 20 games he should get coach of the year after constructing a roster from scratch.
considering the roster, talent/coaching faced, as well as challenges associated with being a new coach, new situation, following a HOfer, etc. now take all that and put it in a pressure cooker like Kentucky…you never know what you’ll get out. I think 20 wins and making the tournament would be a “win”.
I think they make the tourney and could get a win. Obviously getting a guy to pull out of the draft would make things much better.
This how I see it as well. Patience and decreasing expectations are important this first year unless we get a couple more game changers.
There is absolutely ZERO way to determine this!!! Just so glad that "Calipari University" is gone!!!!
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I'm just gonna have fun riding this roller coaster.
stonethecrow
Sophomore
I wouldn't consider them that anymore, but up until the turn of the century many people would have put them in that catagory. That was a Saturday game on CBS that mattered...every, single, year. Good guys vs. Bad guys. When the bad guys won, it ruined your whole weekend. Losing to Bob Knight and those candy striped warmup pants was the drizzled shits. Question my credibility if you'd like, but I remember a time that there was reason for them to be hated and they were very much relevant.
About that far.
By experience and talent we have enough pieces to get to a sweet 16 and if the buy in 100% then we could go further.
I think most people would rate this team much higher if we had historical data from Pope in the fish bowl and SEC. Can this team of Vets navigate the SEC physical play and refs blowing whistles when they blink is yet to be seen. I do however think that Pope has an entire team of coaches from 96 and people at the program willing to do any and everything to ensure he succeeds. I would be really excited about next year if I had seen him coach at UK a prior season but because I haven’t I am optimistically tempering my expectations.
iIm very clear on the Saturday games against them and losing to “The general”. I have been a fan of UK for over 40 years. Losing credibility was said in jest, but I would never consider them a blue blood. A rival yes once upon a time (and thanks to Cal again possibly in the future), a blue blood never.
Another thing to note about BYU that season is that they were Kenpom rated 18th. That's actually better than the 23rd we finished despite the fact we were a 3 seed and they were a 6 seed. So they were kind of undervalued at 6.
I really think this is hard to tell but then again like most of the seasons that were under Cal. Cal it was hard to tell because you never knew how the Freshmen were going to produce.
This at least these guys have had somewhat of a track record at their previous schools. The thing becomes how well do they mesh as a team and also how long that takes.
I have no idea what to expect at this point. Either way regardless how Year 1 goes, I think Pope will have us trending in the right direction
This at least these guys have had somewhat of a track record at their previous schools. The thing becomes how well do they mesh as a team and also how long that takes.
I have no idea what to expect at this point. Either way regardless how Year 1 goes, I think Pope will have us trending in the right direction
Yep. Ha. I understand everyone wanting to throw out rebuild and all the wait and see stuff, but, look at this group of guys we’re getting. Going to be a great season in my opinion and we’ll 100% compete to win the SEC. Guys we have some real experience here, more than we’ve had in probably 18 years. Experience win in college basketball right now and we’re loaded with some really good players who I believe want to win. They would never have chose Kentucky if they didn’t think they could win at a high level. Anyway.
At one time Indiana was Kentucky’s most hated rival before they started playing Louisville. Younger folks don’t realize this. During the mid 70s through mid 80s it was a war.
Want to bet houses? lol. I suppose we’ll never know because we’re going to end up with at minimum two better than already on the roster guys so never mind. I do think Pope know exactly what we need to get to that big time level, I’m sure they have a plan and we’ll probably have to be patient. May just be break the internet type players. lol. Here’s hoping. I do like the guys we have a lot already.
I'm old enough to understand what the rival was like and I still don't like IU or Robert M Night!
stonethecrow
Sophomore
Absolutely! I can remember my father calling Knight just about every name in the book at any given opportunity, and then some. Passionately hated in our household, for sure.
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