The Herd is Usually Wrong

[king of cali]

This is a question that some keep throwing around that I don’t think has any contextual value and frankly doesn’t mean what they think it means.

Would Sheyer have been made HC if he didn’t go to Duke? Hubert? Joe Hall? No, but that doesn’t matter. Pope DID go to UK, and that’s a huge factor in this decision. We needed a guy who understood what this job means, and you might not think he has ENOUGH to be the head coach but that’s just an opinion. What he’s done at BYU is incredible. What you want is to see that he made some deep run this year and he didn’t. Well, it’s a single elimination tournament and what happened happened. But if you look at everything else I’d say there is plenty that says he might be a really good hire. When you add he played here and is well connected to our family component it’s really not a bad hire and might very well pay off. Just look at the 90’s rebrand going on right now, we’re connecting what we are to all of the 30 and under crowd. 90’s UK is selling everywhere, we’re connecting with Pitino again; and the younger generation is watching it all. It’s a really cool and awesome thing. If he doesn’t work we’ll just hire someone else we always do. But this is a really cool thing and I don’t see any way he’s not going to do well. ITs the era of NIL, this is Kentucky, he’s got crazy support everywhere, and an offense players want to play in.

If he ends up a damn good hire we’re going to be glad he played here because had he not we might not have really looked his way and hired Janie Dixon instead. And I believe we would have hired him had we knew enough about him to look his way.

LOL at anyone that expects a guy to do better at BYU than he did. It’s unbelievable.

Scheyer was on staff at Duke and kept continuity. Same with Davis at UNC. Same with Joe B. There is no comparison between those hires and Pope.

He hasn’t been apart of the UK program for 30 years. He hasn’t recruited high level players since his days at Wake and UGA.

Time will tell if he’s the perfect hire. I have my doubts. But we’ll see who he brings on staff and how he handles the portal. Hearing that he may be bringing the center from BYU is not inspiring.

He didn’t have to make a deep run in the tournament. If UK hired anyone else with this sort of resume this place would be apoplectic. But now we’re all supposed to be giddy because we hired a 90s player and Pitino advocated for him? I mean I guess.

When the ball goes up in October I’ll be right there cheering the program on. It doesn’t matter who the coach is. I’m for the program.

 

[KYCAT78]

Greetings fellow Kentucky fans. I have bled blue for almost 50 years. That is a lot of games, several coaches, and many highs and lows. Let me preface by saying that I might be wrong. The truth is that no one knows the future. However, I have learned through the years that the herd is usually wrong. I am old enough to remember the herd liking if not loving the Billy Clyde hire. They also loved the Cal hire and at first it looked like they were right, but they were wrong. Cal attempted to strip Kentucky of their rich tradition and make this program about him and NBA players. We now have a Kentucky first coach, who would have crawled here to get this job. We have a good Xs and Os coach who will get the most talent he has ever had to work with. We have a likeable man who plays a fun style of basketball. No, we don't have a superstar, and this makes some mad. However, the herd will be wrong about Pope. This is a good day for Kentucky basketball, at least I am hopeful. Not wanting to argue, but to voice my support for a former Wildcat who deserves a chance.

Oats was not a superstar when they hired him, they took a flyer on a coach from Buffalo. Hurley was not a superstar when he was hired and if the truth was told he would have been fired at UK if his results at his first few seasons at UCONN were at UK. Pearl has been at TN and AU, what has he won in all of those years. Picking a coach is a crap shoot and I would rather have someone who loves UK rather than someone only interested in money and fame.

 

[YardCat]

110-52 (.679) record.
Has taken low level recruits and produced Top 25 teams.
Let’s face it - he has been fairly successful

About like our record
Take the Top Recruits
Top 25 teams sometimes
Not successful

 

[susan2361]

You don’t think Coach K and Roy Williams are not in the background mentoring these guys as they go? Big difference between those guys and Mark Pope.

Crazy idea here. Pitino said he would contribute NIL $$$, so what if he mentors Pope behind the scenes (even though he a coach right now)? He did say wonderful things about Pope and Pope played for him.

Now before everyone goes off on me, it was just a "what if" kinda question. Just asking.

 

[king of cali]

Crazy idea here. Pitino said he would contribute NIL $$$,

Is Pitino allowed to contribute to UKs NIL? Seems like a huge conflict of interest.

 

[susan2361]

Is Pitino allowed to contribute to UKs NIL? Seems like a huge conflict of interest.

That's a good question. I never thought about that. I don't know but that's what he said he would do if Pope needed it. Surely he wouldn't do something at this point to get himself in trouble. And I'm sure UK would definitely check it out before letting it happen.🙂 At least I hope so.🤪 But thanks for that question. I will have to try and find the answer. I like learning.

 

[RaginRondo]

Scheyer was on staff at Duke and kept continuity. Same with Davis at UNC. Same with Joe B. There is no comparison between those hires and Pope.

He hasn’t been apart of the UK program for 30 years. He hasn’t recruited high level players since his days at Wake and UGA.

Time will tell if he’s the perfect hire. I have my doubts. But we’ll see who he brings on staff and how he handles the portal. Hearing that he may be bringing the center from BYU is not inspiring.

He didn’t have to make a deep run in the tournament. If UK hired anyone else with this sort of resume this place would be apoplectic. But now we’re all supposed to be giddy because we hired a 90s player and Pitino advocated for him? I mean I guess.

When the ball goes up in October I’ll be right there cheering the program on. It doesn’t matter who the coach is. I’m for the program.

Not trying to make this too long but it might be.

I’m aware of the differences of Mark and the UNC and Duke system coaches, but it doesn’t change the fact that neither of them would be the UNC and Duke head coach had they not played at those universities. And that’s exactly what you said. Had mark not played here he wouldn’t have been considered, that’s the case in a lot of situations. This was a rare situation where we had a candidate that was former player and it’s not like we intentionally look for that this is the first time.

There’s a reason the next morning after the hire a lot of people including myself got on board.

1. We learned the kind of offense he runs.
2. We learned he took an impossible job in the hardest conference and recruited elite players, beat teams like Houston and Kansas, and maintained them as a top 25 program.
3. Our NIL was going to be there for him.

I’m almost sure that even if Mark had not coached here he would have been somewhere on the list, and checking around guess who has had interests in mark being their head coach? Arizona. He is not some guy that we just said oh he played here let’s do.

This in my mind ended up being the perfect hire because Calipari had destroyed our brand with OAD mercenaries who have no loyalty to the program. That’s a recipe for disaster over the long haul. The under 30 crowd is almost brain dead from his tenure, and there just so happened to be an alumni who was captain of the greatest team of all time winning at a program who really shouldn’t be able to get a top 100 recruit.

Most people ended up supporting this hire because they were ignorant to facts before they erupted. Mark Pope is going to end up solid and he’s got a lot of Brad Stevens in him which is something else no one is talking about.

One more thing that people who keep taking this line of thought ignore. Had he went to the elite 8 this year they would be fully on board, and that’s absurd when you consider tournament games are what they are, and it’s amazing he was even there in the first place. A program like Kentucky is going to elevate him and give him the players that make it extremely hard to beat. Houston and Kansas already learned this while he was recruiting / converting Mormons to BYU LOL.

I definitely understand the issue you’re having but when you add it up on totality, I think we just got lucky as dog sht Pope was a player here and still available.

 

[MrHotDice]

The issue is Pope has done nothing to earn the UK head coach position. He's probably a great guy to be around, but lets face it, Barnhart panicked and hired someone underqualified.

Done nothing? He won a NCAA chsmpionship which in my book says everything. He didnt wim it at Florids. Ot UCON. Or Baylor. He won it for us. Gets that in your head asap.

Scheyer was on staff at Duke and kept continuity. Same with Davis at UNC. Same with Joe B. There is no comparison between those hires and Pope.

He hasn’t been apart of the UK program for 30 years. He hasn’t recruited high level players since his days at Wake and UGA.

Time will tell if he’s the perfect hire. I have my doubts. But we’ll see who he brings on staff and how he handles the portal. Hearing that he may be bringing the center from BYU is not inspiring.

He didn’t have to make a deep run in the tournament. If UK hired anyone else with this sort of resume this place would be apoplectic. But now we’re all supposed to be giddy because we hired a 90s player and Pitino advocated for him? I mean I guess.

When the ball goes up in October I’ll be right there cheering the program on. It doesn’t matter who the coach is. I’m for the program.

It’s not the herd, it’s the MOB. Blocking makes these BS artists go away.

 

[sluggercatfan]

Greetings fellow Kentucky fans. I have bled blue for almost 50 years. That is a lot of games, several coaches, and many highs and lows. Let me preface by saying that I might be wrong. The truth is that no one knows the future. However, I have learned through the years that the herd is usually wrong. I am old enough to remember the herd liking if not loving the Billy Clyde hire. They also loved the Cal hire and at first it looked like they were right, but they were wrong. Cal attempted to strip Kentucky of their rich tradition and make this program about him and NBA players. We now have a Kentucky first coach, who would have crawled here to get this job. We have a good Xs and Os coach who will get the most talent he has ever had to work with. We have a likeable man who plays a fun style of basketball. No, we don't have a superstar, and this makes some mad. However, the herd will be wrong about Pope. This is a good day for Kentucky basketball, at least I am hopeful. Not wanting to argue, but to voice my support for a former Wildcat who deserves a chance.

It'll be a great choice!! Challenge everybody to go watch BYU games from this season . Man can coach!

 

[RaginRondo]

Our guy beat Kansas at Kansas, Baylor. And NC State. And won enough games in his teams first year in the Big 12 to make the tournament with a 6 seed. He doesn't need a mentor.

Yea I just don’t get it. He’s beating national championship teams with a team that recruits using church regulations. This is college basketball and he’s doing that.

I think one of the issues some are having has to do with a misunderstanding of the power of programs too. I don’t care that Hubert and Scheyer were groomed for the job, Pope didn’t need to be he did it 100% on his own. He’s more qualified for this job that John Freakin Scheyer is for Duke. The guy has never coached a game in his life and went to the elite 8 last year. Why is that? Because he was paired with a great program. I know it’s a little different and they were succession plans but it’s still true. Pope has not had a chance to be at a program where that’s possible and he’s still beating Kansas, Baylor, and final four teams. Why fans some cannot quite get this through their head I don’t know.

Arkansas just hired a coach who can’t get himself out of Oakland and St. Peter’s. lol. Who’s not qualified?

BYU shouldn’t even be in the NCAA tournament. It’s a small miracle that they’re there. This isn’t a good program it’s a church team with unrealistic expectations in recruiting and he took them to a 6 seed and won at Kansas while beating Baylor.

It’s just absurd that people are still hung up on this. It’s the same guys that thought we needed to get Dan Hurley. The same guy that they didn’t even know existed until last season. It’s ridiculous logic and they just need to be ignored. If you didn’t wake up the next day after the hire and do some research which changed your mind then you don’t understand this system at all.

Pope had led one of the most impressive jobs in all of college basketball. The initial outcry was because nobody had been paying attention to the facts. The culmination of support the next day is because WE ACTUALLY LOOKED INTO THE FACTS MORE.

 

[RunninRichie]

Yea I just don’t get it. He’s beating national championship teams with a team that recruits using church regulations. This is college basketball and he’s doing that.

I think one of the issues some are having has to do with a misunderstanding of the power of programs too. I don’t care that Hubert and Scheyer were groomed for the job, Pope didn’t need to be he did it 100% on his own. He’s more qualified for this job that John Freakin Scheyer is for Duke. The guy has never coached a game in his life and went to the elite 8 last year. Why is that? Because he was paired with a great program. I know it’s a little different and they were succession plans but it’s still true. Pope has not had a chance to be at a program where that’s possible and he’s still beating Kansas, Baylor, and final four teams. Why fans some not quite get this through their head.

Arkansas just hired a coach who can’t get himself out of Oakland and St. Peter’s. lol. Who’s not qualified?

BYU shouldn’t even be in the NCAA tournament. It’s a small miracle that they’re there. This isn’t a good program it’s a church team with unrealistic expectations in recruiting and he took them to a 6 seed and won at Kansas while beating Baylor.

It’s just absurd that people are still hung up on this. It’s the same guys that thought we needed to get Dan Hurley. The same guy that they didn’t even know existed until last season. It’s ridiculous logic and they just need to be ignored.

Just comes down to staff hires IMO. Get a staff of killer recruiters and we're fine. The offense is zoom action NBA type stuff. Should be able to score in bunches. I mean hell, Kelvin Sampson said it was the hardest offense to guard. And that guys a defensive savant.

 

[RaginRondo]

Just comes down to staff hires IMO. Get a staff of killer recruiters and we're fine. The offense is zoom action NBA type stuff. Should be able to score in bunches. I mean hell, Kelvin Sampson said it was the hardest offense to guard. And that guys a defensive savant.

His staff is going to be the most important factor moving forward. Everything else is there for success. But Pope is one of the smartest minds in the game. The last guy with that level of intelligence in coaching was Brad Stevens. I think there might be some comparisons here that are hiding in plain sight.

If Dope head backwards coaching John Calipari can go to 6 final fours and win a title, I think Pope can manage enough success here.

Keep the ego in check Mark, get the right staff, don’t play games with this. I don’t think he will. He’s too smart he’s going to max this opportunity and leave nothing left to wonder.

 

[RunninRichie]

His staff is going to be the most important factor moving forward. Everything else is there for success. But Pope is one of the smartest minds in the game. The last guy with that level of intelligence in coaching was Brad Stevens. I think there might be some comparisons here that are hiding in plain sight.

If Dope head backwards coaching John Calipari can go to 6 final fours and win a title, I think Pope can manage enough success here.

Keep the ego in check Mark, get the right staff, don’t play games with this. I don’t think he will. He’s too smart he’s going to max this opportunity and leave nothing left to wonder.

Calipari was just a figure head. Good at selling and making stuff look good. Recruiting. While the real coaches on his staff got to work. Kenny Payne, Robic, Strickland. Pope looks to be a real coach.

 

[RunninRichie]

His staff is going to be the most important factor moving forward. Everything else is there for success. But Pope is one of the smartest minds in the game. The last guy with that level of intelligence in coaching was Brad Stevens. I think there might be some comparisons here that are hiding in plain sight.

If Dope head backwards coaching John Calipari can go to 6 final fours and win a title, I think Pope can manage enough success here.

Keep the ego in check Mark, get the right staff, don’t play games with this. I don’t think he will. He’s too smart he’s going to max this opportunity and leave nothing left to wonder.

Let me add. Seeing Pope's twitter banner is so damn refreshing. A title banner and a pic of him holding a title. Loving it. So good to be getting back to being a college basketball program. And not a G-league affiliate. Where winning is the focus, not draft picks.