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Post game Pope

Pretty much what a lot have been saying. -10 rebounding first half, poor free throw shooting, said he made a disaster decision going small at one stretch. Says guys trust each other but not leaning on the system.

For me:
I really like this team. On a night where just about everything from odd officiating to bad shooting occurred they were 2 made threes from a W on a rough night.
Wouldn't surprise me to get a W at the Zags, or an L.
For all the maturity of the individual players this is an awful young team. (Odd to say but true). Several guys were come off the bench specialists that have to adjust.

I'd be a lot more concerned if this were game 16 or 17 rather than game 8.

Respond and get better.

The Sky is NOT Falling

We all knew it was coming. UK loses a game and some fans panic. But guess what, EVERY team will lose at least one, probably multiple games that they shouldn't lose. Games where if they replayed it 10 times, they would win 6+ of them. That is why there has not been an undefeated team in nearly 50 years. Players have off nights. Opponents have career nights. You get a bad call or two. They bank in a 3. You have a shot go halfway down and come back out. Things happen!!! When is the last time a team went undefeated in SEC play, I think it was our 2015 team 10 years ago, and the league has gotten much better since then. We heard them, 12 teams (almost 13) out of 16 projected to get in NCAA-T, 3/4 of the league. Did I hear them right, that the SEC was 12-1 vs the ACC before last night, so now is 21-2. Damn!!! Yes, it sucks having our team as 1 of those 2 losses. But we also have 1 of those biggest 21 wins. AND as I said earlier, by the end of the year EVERY team will have lost to some teams that they probably shouldn't have.

The key thing is what do we learn from our loss(es), is it something that we can improve on, and do we (improve on it).

Basketball ***** Postgame Press Conference Notes - UK vs. Clemson *****

KENTUCKY HC MARK POPE OFFICIAL POSTGAME Q&A:

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******

KENTUCKY HC MARK POPE UK RADIO NETWORK Q&A:

* Thought the rebounding situation in the first half let the game get away from them for a bit. Liked their competitive spirit and how they rectified that in the second half, but have to learn how to avoid that situation in the first half again.

* When things got away from the Cats, guys broke down a little bit and tried to "fix things" by themselves instead of trusting the system and playing off each other.

* Lamont Butler's playing great. The fouls in the first half and the ankle in the second half were unfortunate. Says he never wants to be a coach who "fouls his own man out," may have to find a way to roll the dice a little more on those situations with him.

* So many places in the game where we could have functioned more like us, but I'm proud of the competitive nature. We just have to play better. We left so much on the table tonight due to our own decisions and how hard Clemson played us in a scratch-and-claw environment. We haven't quite figured out how to play through that yet, but we've got to do it fast.

* On learning from this... That's why you play these games. We're far from the team we can be. We just have to continue to find ways to get better. That's the process of a season.

* A lot of "un-Kentucky" stats on the sheet, but still had a shot at the end... The big thing, the black-and-white thing, is the assists. We can't be an 11-assist, 12-turnover team.

* We've proven ourselves to be competitive, together as a team, fight to the end. But our decision-making has to get better. Our ceiling is so much higher than what we showed tonight.

Had other commitments last night, can I get the scoop

from someone that did watch the game?

-Did the refs call the fouls the same for both teams? I see where Clemson had 5 less fouls (not unlike other games we've played).

-Looks like we had maybe 4 stretches where we had significant droughts offensively. Was it just poor shooting, poor shot selection, not passing the ball enough, or just really good defense?

-Any correlation between who subbed in/out for UK and these droughts?

-No points, ZERO assists, and almost no rebounds for Kriisa.... in 21 minutes. What happened?

-Do we not have anyone else we can play at his position when he's flagging?

-Did the 20 rebound guy for Clemson truly NOT FOUL ANYONE EVEN ONCE? That's astonishing, even for a game refereed by BillMe R Ayers.

I'd appreciate any objective answers and assessment of these issues.

.........

Somebody mentioned point shaving in the game chat at the end of a recent game (or two) where we were well ahead of the spread and collapsed with bad shooting. Here we're in a game expected to be close (-1.5 UK) and we have possessions virtually given away (if reports are accurate) with quick and poor shot selection and very few assists. Is it possible that's what we're looking at right now?

  • Poll
Best Christmas Movie - Round Two - Game 2

Best Christmas Movie

  • 9 The Santa Clause

    Votes: 7 33.3%
  • 8 Scrooged

    Votes: 14 66.7%

This thread is for the matchup between the number 9 seed and 8 seed.

9 seed The Santa Clause, despite leading to the misspelling of 'Santa Claus' for several years, is a magical story of post-cocaine but pre-conservative (it's a joke. calm your tits) Tim Allen serendipitously falling into the position of the fat man in Red (not John Calipari. The other one.) We also get Judge Reinhold being kind of a dick.

Scrooged comes in at the 8 seed. Starring one of the funniest humans ever, Bill Murray, it's a grand re-telling of the famous Dickens' tale. Hijinks ensue. Good times are had by all.

Two A-list comedians from the 80s/90s in a battle for the chance to possibly get destroyed by a nearly 80 year old flick.

AI Charged Offensive Line Portal Discussion

So, here are some players I've come up with to discuss. Potential options to plug into our system and see what sticks.
  1. Vysen Lang: A redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Tennessee, Lang has entered the transfer portal after two seasons with the Volunteers. His departure marks the first public announcement from a Tennessee player following their 10-2 regular season.
    Tennessean

  2. Naeer Jackson: An offensive lineman from Florida International University (FIU), Jackson has entered the transfer portal following the 2024 regular season. His experience at FIU adds depth to his profile.
    Sports Illustrated

  3. John Bock II: Another FIU offensive lineman, Bock has also entered the transfer portal, seeking new opportunities after his tenure with the Panthers.
    Sports Illustrated

  4. Travis Burke: The third FIU offensive lineman to enter the transfer portal, Burke brings additional experience from his time with the Panthers.
    Sports Illustrated

  5. Peyton Joseph: A four-star offensive lineman from Houston County High in Warner Robins, Georgia, Joseph decommitted from Florida State University and committed to Georgia Tech. His decision was influenced by the lack of an offensive line coach at FSU and the approaching signing day.
    Tomahawk Nation

  6. Chris Marshall: A top JUCO prospect, Marshall is one of three JUCO players with a 93 rating, ranking No. 1 in 247Sports' updated class of 2024 rankings. His next school decision is anticipated in the late winter or spring.
  7. Sione Laulea: An Oregon commit, Laulea is an excellent athlete with a track background, boasting a 10.9-second 100-meter dash from his senior year. He shares a 93 rating and is ranked No. 2 in 247Sports' updated class of 2024 JUCO rankings.
  8. Josh Priebe: An offensive lineman from Northwestern, Priebe transferred to Michigan, bringing significant experience to the Wolverines' offensive line. His addition aims to bolster Michigan's front line, providing depth and expertise.
    247 Sports

  9. Nate Kalepo: After playing 40 games and starting 15 at Washington, Kalepo transferred to Ole Miss. His experience at both left and right guard positions offers versatility and leadership to his new team.
    247 Sports

  10. Julius Buelow: A former Washington offensive lineman with 31 game appearances and 14 starts, Buelow joined Ole Miss alongside Kalepo. His size and experience are expected to strengthen the Rebels' offensive front.
    247 Sports

  11. Tyler Johnson: A versatile interior lineman from Texas Tech, Johnson has extensive Big 12 experience and is considered a top transfer prospect.
    247 Sports

  12. Easton Kilty: Former Kansas State offensive tackle with significant playing time, Kilty brings size and strength to the line.
    247 Sports

  13. Cayden Green: An offensive tackle from Oklahoma, Green is among the top linemen in the transfer portal, attracting interest from multiple programs.
    247 Sports

  14. Lance Heard: A five-star offensive tackle from LSU, Heard has entered the transfer portal and is a highly sought-after prospect.
    247 Sports

  15. Parker Brailsford: An interior offensive lineman from Washington, Brailsford has entered the transfer portal, offering versatility and experience.
    247 Sports

  16. Andrew Dennis: Former Michigan State interior lineman, Dennis brings Big Ten experience and a strong presence on the line.
    247 Sports

  17. Drew Azzopardi: An offensive tackle with significant playing time, Azzopardi is looking for new opportunities through the transfer portal.
    247 Sports

  18. Seth McLaughlin: An interior lineman from Alabama, McLaughlin offers championship-level experience and leadership.
    247 Sports

  19. Jason Zandamela: A center from USC, Zandamela has entered the transfer portal, bringing agility and technical skills.
    247 Sports

  20. Nolan Rucci: A former five-star recruit from Wisconsin, Rucci has entered the transfer portal, offering high potential and size.
    247 Sports

Man, this could get ugly in a hurry - like Jokeresque ugly

If we, as expected, lose a bunch in the portal and our recruiting class falls completely apart (which it appears it may be doing), how low will this go? Are we looking at 1 or 2 wins next year with a bunch of blowouts? UKFB is not anything like UKBB when it comes to appealing to a transfer. We won't 'reload' through the portal in this atmosphere. I mean, are we really gonna hit the very lowest low this program has seen, maybe lower than Joker's last year? Hard to believe the program would disintegrate so quickly (I guess look no further than FSU, though). But, the past several recruiting classes have not been 'recruit and develop', they've been stopgap/plugging holes and go to the portal. I don't know how to fix it and I doubt Stoops does, either.

Honestly, having suffered for most of my 50+ years watching bad UK football teams play, if we sink really, really low again, I don't know if I can muster enough enthusiasm to even watch them flounder around and get drilled week after week. I'm pretty demoralized by this season, by what I anticipate happening this offseason and looking at next season which, if we're fortunate, may net another 4 wins. My patience and willingness to be fired up for FB season is waning badly at the moment.

Football Another DL portal rumor

Have heard that Tommy Ziesmer could be one to watch possibly going into the portal for UK.

Hate that we are at this point where part of the job is getting out in front of things like this with players who are already at UK and haven't announced anything but that is one I've heard about as leaning that way.

Would follow Keeshawn Silver's entry this afternoon.
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