“This is the best shooting team I’ve ever been a part of”
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
I hope that carries over to games but I’m liking what I’m hearing.
I'm getting excited
something I can't say I have been for a few years now
I am soooo glad Cal is gone. He just drained fan enthusiasm and then had everyone convinced that was supposed to be how they felt
something I can't say I have been for a few years now
I am soooo glad Cal is gone. He just drained fan enthusiasm and then had everyone convinced that was supposed to be how they felt
"I'm used to being the best shooter on the team, and now I'm starting to second guess that..."
Loved this quote from Brea...
Loved this quote from Brea...
The only people he had convinced were children who never knew anything before Cal and BCG.
Kind of like how socialism sounds awesome to Gen Z’ers.
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It finally feels like we have a coach and team playing to win for us and the program again. It seemed like under Cal it was all about NBA. Every season was getting to know new freshman who wanted to leave before they got here. Yeah we wanna win but the season is just to show off for scouts with a little talk about wanting to win some games but it’s not a big deal if we don’t win anything.
The best part of it is. That we've now got a coach that will instill in his players the confidence to shoot the 3 and that won't play tight as a banjo string at tournament time.
Honestly, it was always the biggest mystery to me with Cal...for all his talk about "positionless" basketball, he recuited so many guys who couldn't shoot with range that they were very limited to games around the basket...aka NOT positionless. Even his teams with some good shooters always seemed to have 2-3 guys on the court who were not threats beyond 10 ft.
Even after having teams that lacked perimeter shooting probably cost him a title or two, he still never changed.
Three pointers and free throws will always be his Achille's heel.
I feel this UK squad is going run some teams off the floor.
Im anxious to see our defense in action, because there are going to be off shooting nights; that’s okay as long as the defense is up to task.
Im anxious to see our defense in action, because there are going to be off shooting nights; that’s okay as long as the defense is up to task.
It really feels like for the first time in a long time, it's actually a team full of grown men or adults.
I could see us overwhelming a younger Duke team and making a big statement.
I could see us overwhelming a younger Duke team and making a big statement.
yeah, that was just always confusing... especially those first 6-8 years when he was getting just about ANY recruit he wanted. I never understood if there are 2 players of fairly equal physical traits (length, athleticism, etc), why not HEAVILY prioritize the better shooter. He often seemed to do the opposite... get the slightly more athletic guy.
"seemed like"??
There was no seeming. Cal was 100% about the NBA.
I'm so glad he's gone and love all the hype around Pope and this team, but I'm still going in with caution. It's one thing to drain shots in practice against a team playing reduced defense, but a completely different animal against a team salivating to stop the 3 ball.
However, there is some hesitant excitement that Pope knows what he's doing and that this offensive scheme is very, very hard to defend when you have a good collection of 40% shooters and excellent passers with vision. I get the vibe he was never able to really get that full team of sharp shooters / passers at BYU, but at UK he should be able to prove how hard it is to defend this offense when all pieces fit nicely.
That and Pope is adapting and bringing in the kind of ball that aligns with what fans (both UK and college ball in general) want to see. It's a new era and Cal just couldn't get out of this "go create because that's what the NBA wants to see" coaching mindset.
I won't get caught up with the hype of them being a national championship contender team.
I don't need that this year, I just need to know the program is about prioritizing winning again
I don't need that this year, I just need to know the program is about prioritizing winning again
His biggest problem was (and likely still is) that he recruits "creators" - kids that create their own scoring opportunities. And he brings the best players on the team who are shooters/scorers off the bench while starting these "creators" in his effort to try and shove their "talent" down the throats of NBA scouts.
The funniest part about all of what I just said? His most prized "creator" - DJ Wagner - is still stuck in college at Arkansas of all places, while the two "off the bench" dudes are already killing it in the NBA preseason.
Agreed. My excitement this year is all about a new beginning with an exciting (and mature) team and a coach that understands fully what UK is all about. Compete. I have a hunch Pope is going to bring back a whole lot of what we loved from those 90s Pitino teams. Most important to me will be an actual FULL COURT PRESS all game long.
It's worse than that now. The last two teams he coached here were pathetic defensively. Good luck, Arkansas.
Pretty much how I feel. The past few seasons I had lost my enthusiasm for the game and the seasons pretty quickly after each started. Got very tired of the same old Cal speak following losses too. I'm genuinely excited for this season to get going.
I was thinking the same thing after reading some of the post on here. I hope you are correct. The years Pitino was coaching here was really fun to watch.
Yeah. He used to prioritize defense. I don't get it. Glad he's gone.
Feels so damn good to have Kentucky basketball back! We have so many fans that have missed it, and so many fans that have actually never even seen real Kentucky basketball. Let's go!!
Cal had that mindset since he started back in 2009. We just didn't care because from 2010-2019, UK was, generally speaking, a consistent FF/title threat.
If Cal was still producing like that over the past 4 years, nobody would care that he trumpets NBA picks more then college success. I know I wouldn't.
But it was time for Cal to go, and that is simply results based (last four years have been awful).
If Pope did a 180 and started putting NBA picks first, while having UK in position be a FF threat every year, I couldn't care less.
I'm going in with the mindset like I had in 89-90, Pitino's first year. Just enjoy the change of the environment and know it's about building for the future of the PROGRAM (not draft status).
I'm sure this has been posted but Sturgill Simpson (no idea) is a real fan. Worth listening too if you haven't seen it.
Mark Pope ain't f****** around!
Mark Pope ain't f****** around!
I know I would, because his job was never to place priority on the NBA over doing his job as college basketball coach at UK.
Oh how I longed for the Full Court Press to return after Pitino left. Watching a few BYU games I noticed they pressed in certain situations but that's about it, no 40 minutes of hell like we had under Pitino.
That was always the kiss of death when Cal said it. But I think this team will be very impressive for real it’s great to have Pope aboard someone who actually cares
I'm trying not to get my hopes up too much. Been there, done that. Hurts.
Here's all I want out of this season:
1. Restore that fun feeling to UK basketball- revive the spirit of what it's supposed to be
2. Win a few big games- Duke would be nice, but I get that it's the first major game. Beating Arky and UofL are musts.
3. Make Saturday of the SECT at least. It's been too damn long.
4. Make the second weekend of the NCAAT. That's nearly a must at this point.
5. No coach issues- No leaving conferences early or not showing up (unless a true emergency of course); don't talk down to fans or be coy. (I don't think this will really be an issue)
Hardly any team does that anymore sadly.
1) A lot of coaches just don't teach that level of defensive intensity
2) Finding players that will commit to that is tough; just isn't the style of defense anymore
Here's all I want out of this season:
1. Restore that fun feeling to UK basketball- revive the spirit of what it's supposed to be
2. Win a few big games- Duke would be nice, but I get that it's the first major game. Beating Arky and UofL are musts.
3. Make Saturday of the SECT at least. It's been too damn long.
4. Make the second weekend of the NCAAT. That's nearly a must at this point.
5. No coach issues- No leaving conferences early or not showing up (unless a true emergency of course); don't talk down to fans or be coy. (I don't think this will really be an issue)
Hardly any team does that anymore sadly.
1) A lot of coaches just don't teach that level of defensive intensity
2) Finding players that will commit to that is tough; just isn't the style of defense anymore
I didn't care either way really. As long as the program is winning (and doing so with decent integrity and mostly class), that's all I care about. If you can do that while pushing and getting guys to the next level? Nothing wrong with it. Bama does it in football all the time. Usually, if you're guys are that good, you'll see the results on the court/field as well. Problem was, Cal got to relying on superior talent over everything else to make up for his lack of innovation in Xs/O since the 90s/early 2000s. Innovate or die- and well, we know what Cal chose.
Man, those last few days here were just sad for everybody. Glad he's moved on and it didn't get too ugly.
You mean, sad as in how far the program had fallen in the past bunch of years, or sad because of Calipari leaving and the circumstances around it?
One thing was for sure even if Kentucky got behind in those games when Pitino was here they were never out. Always had a run or two in the game and more times than not won. Fun times! Exciting basketball. None of the dribble around and throw up a shot when the shot clock was about to expire.
Both. Seeing Cal pushing his old dog around looking defeated. Sad that it had come to that point. I know a lot of people can't stand him, and it was waaaaaaaaay past time to move on. But the man did some good things for us. Won a title here. Reenergized us after BCG just didn't jumpstart after Tubby's tenure slowed. I mean, come on. 2009 was a damn blast! John Wall, Boogie, the "Call Me" game with MSU, etc. So much fun. But the marriage got cold. And things just weren't fun anymore. Like him or not, Cal used to be a winner man. And just to see what he became was a bit sad.
I'm always reminded of that scene int he Steve Jobs movie where he was talking to John Sculley and it ends with them both saying, "Man, the things we could've done together." That's how I'll always feel about us and Cal.
"The things we could've done."
But now we have Pope and I am cautiously optimistic of what he can do here. It's about time to see!
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Cal says people negative recruit him to death over the platoon 🙄🙄🙄
If he gets negative recruited for that then just imagine some negative recruiting that could be done with that. Cal is not going to recruit UK level at ARKY he's just not going to. His replacement is going to out recruit him.
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