2026-27 Season

[aceman509]

While we will be competitive next season, I think Pope is aiming for the 2027 season as our year to be a legitimate title contender.

We currently have 10 players on the roster for next season, and 9 of those 10 have eligibility in the 26-27 season. The only one that does not is Oweh.

Retention is a program from season to season is a huge piece of winning championships. Here are the final four teams from this year and what they returned:

Houston: 75.1% of minutes played and 73.1% of scoring
Florida: 60.2% of minutes played and 56.9% of scoring
Auburn: 56.6% of minutes played and 58.2% of scoring
Duke: 23.6% of minutes played and 19.4% of scoring

Duke is the only team that didn't return half of their minutes and scoring, and they are clearly unique since they had one of the best freshman of all time, and 2 other freshman that are both lottery picks as well.

 

[know1]

We have the #7 odds currently to win the championship. And we were a contender this year when healthy. He's not throwing away years to aim for something in the future.

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

In this era of CBB, an idiot aims for 2 yrs down the road. Pope is not an idiot.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

While we will be competitive next season, I think Pope is aiming for the 2027 season as our year to be a legitimate title contender.

We currently have 10 players on the roster for next season, and 9 of those 10 have eligibility in the 26-27 season. The only one that does not is Oweh.

Retention is a program from season to season is a huge piece of winning championships. Here are the final four teams from this year and what they returned:

Houston: 75.1% of minutes played and 73.1% of scoring
Florida: 60.2% of minutes played and 56.9% of scoring
Auburn: 56.6% of minutes played and 58.2% of scoring
Duke: 23.6% of minutes played and 19.4% of scoring

Duke is the only team that didn't return half of their minutes and scoring, and they are clearly unique since they had one of the best freshman of all time, and 2 other freshman that are both lottery picks as well.

You don’t win the title by assembling talent. You win the title by returning talent. Pope isn’t crawling out from a cave trying to do this thing —— he knows continuity is a must. I agree with you 2027 is the plan.

 

[bookerfan66]

Would have worked before the portal but now not so much.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

Would have worked before the portal but now not so much.

If continuity wins, you try for that if you want a title —-whether it’s portal era or not. Look at the two teams playing for a title tonight. Both talented, both have major roster continuity in the portal era

 

[chasingwildcat]

I think Pope has done of phenomenal job in keeping players this season

Seems that we will return 5/5 players

We need this in following seasons

 

[bookerfan66]

I think Pope has done of phenomenal job in keeping players this season

Seems that we will return 5/5 players

We need this in following seasons

Kerr.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

I think Pope has done of phenomenal job in keeping players this season

Seems that we will return 5/5 players

We need this in following seasons

if people go rewatch a lot of these interviews with Pope they will notice he talked about continuity all the time. This has always been the plan.

 

[chasingwildcat]

Kerr.

Kerr was originally one year contract, no one thought he was hurt and could have another red shirt year

The original plan was recruiting 5 multi year players and Pope is likely to bring all 5 back

 

[aceman509]

In this era of CBB, an idiot aims for 2 yrs down the road. Pope is not an idiot.

I don't necessarily disagree, but you don't think Lowe and Williams having multiple years of eligibility did not factor in to why we targeted them?

 

[chasingwildcat]

if people go rewatch a lot of these interviews with Pope they will notice he talked about continuity all the time. This has always been the plan.

Continuity can make magic

Florida and Auburn both exit in first round in 2024, keep the main core and bring in some portal pieces, and then become FF team

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

I don't necessarily disagree, but you don't think Lowe and Williams having multiple years of eligibility did not factor in to why we targeted them?

It factors in but if you assume they all will stay both years and plan for long term without thinking you could lose anyone on your roster, you are a complete moron. Pope isn't that.

 

[JonathanW]

I'm sure Pope is trying to BOTH play the short game (next year) and the long game (year's after) at the same time.
I think the multiple years of eligibility is likely just a tiebreaker between two similarly valued players.

 

[BBNinSC]

You don’t win the title by assembling talent. You win the title by returning talent. Pope isn’t crawling out from a cave trying to do this thing —— he knows continuity is a must. I agree with you 2027 is the plan.

I don’t think any coach in CBB is looking ahead to 2027. This is just something you guys imagined on your own.

 

[aceman509]

It factors in but if you assume they all will stay both years and plan for long term without thinking you could lose anyone on your roster, you are a complete moron. Pope isn't that.

I agree, Pope's not a moron at all. He is well aware he can and likely will lose multiple guys from next years roster.

I also was not trying to imply that he is going to throw this upcoming season away. Another important piece to continuity is keeping winning players with experience. Who cares if you are returning bad players in a losing culture.

Pope is smart enough to plan for the future while also realizing how hard it is to plan for the future. I think he would be a moron if he only focused on one or the other.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

It factors in but if you assume they all will stay both years and plan for long term without thinking you could lose anyone on your roster, you are a complete moron. Pope isn't that.

There isn’t an alternative. If you don’t try to have the continuity, you don’t win titles. Only two champions in the last something like 35 years returned less than 3 starters: 2023 UConn and 2012 Kentucky. As fans we say we want titles. Are we willing to allow the process to occur that results in titles?

 

[UK67KU59]

I'm sure Pope is trying to BOTH play the short game (next year) and the long game (year's after) at the same time.
I think the multiple years of eligibility is likely just a tiebreaker between two similarly valued players.

I hope this is his mindset. We want to accomplish both winning now and setting up continuity down the road.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

I don’t think any coach in CBB is looking ahead to 2027. This is just something you guys imagined on your own.

Okay 👍

 

[chasingwildcat]

There isn’t an alternative. If you don’t try to have the continuity, you don’t win titles. Only two champions in the last something like 35 years returned less than 3 starters: 2023 UConn and 2012 Kentucky. As fans we say we want titles. Are we willing to allow the process to occur that results in titles?

If we are winning program with good team atmosphere, it is more likely we can keep players...

Don't think we likely keep 5/5 this year is just coincidence

 

[ralphdaltonfan]

There isn’t an alternative. If you don’t try to have the continuity, you don’t win titles. Only two champions in the last something like 35 years returned less than 3 starters: 2023 UConn and 2012 Kentucky. As fans we say we want titles. Are we willing to allow the process to occur that results in titles?

I am not disagreeing with the continuity approach. I'm saying any coach who assumes guys will all return is either comfortable in the $ being put into their budget for NIL/Roster Construction or are living off faith that guys will be invested/commit to them for more than one year and will be good on their word.

Only thing about the Portal that anyone knows-is nobody knows anything.

 

[Wildcats1st]

You don’t win the title by assembling talent. You win the title by returning talent. Pope isn’t crawling out from a cave trying to do this thing —— he knows continuity is a must. I agree with you 2027 is the plan.

Then 2/3 guys transfer out. Listen this “the next year is the one”. This has gone on too long in a sport where you can compete game one. I promise you pope isn’t assuming anything in regards to players. Go read cam Williams comments when he signed. He’s planning on being at UK 1 year. Some mocks have Lowe and jasper Moreno late first early second. No this time next year pope will be scrambling for players because unless you’re duke and fed to class after top class then you have to build it in the transfer portal. Time is now in cbb not in two years. That’s some of that uk fb mentality seeping in. Uk bb is now we should be in a final four next year it’s been 10 years. Time to open that checkbook and stack the roster NOW. We return 5 guys what’s there to wait on? Next year we made return 5 guys who knows

 

[chroix]

The winning approach has always been the same. It’s just how the pieces get shuffled that has changed.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

Then 2/3 guys transfer out. Listen this “the next year is the one”. This has gone on too long in a sport where you can compete game one. I promise you pope isn’t assuming anything in regards to players. Go read cam Williams comments when he signed. He’s planning on being at UK 1 year. Some mocks have Lowe and jasper Moreno late first early second. No this time next year pope will be scrambling for players because unless you’re duke and fed to class after top class then you have to build it in the transfer portal. Time is now in cbb not in two years. That’s some of that uk fb mentality seeping in. Uk bb is now we should be in a final four next year it’s been 10 years. Time to open that checkbook and stack the roster NOW. We return 5 guys what’s there to wait on? Next year we made return 5 guys who knows

You can’t guarantee everyone returns. You have to return large quantities of roster. Plenty of guys will transfer out every year with the portal so you have to go even more for continuity. It’s a required ingredient