Lol. Almost every one of those players would have been in the NBA without cal. How many championships did he win again with all that talent? A few actually decreased their draft stock by playing for cal.
BYU snags foreign star Egor Demin over Arkansas, putting together a good roster, Does this concern you about Jaxson Robinson staying at BYU ?
- Thread starter Uncle Adolph
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Not sure why you're getting heat for this. It's unfortunate that BYU seemingly went out and hired an NBA guy, who might actually be a BETTER replacement than Pope.. that type of coaching fill in doesn't often happen and it probably prevented some guys coming here.
But it seems the only BYU guy we brought in was Chandler, right? That's not exactly great. We didn't retain a single player from last years team, we get 1 guy from BYU to come over (off of a 6-seed team), and more of them actually went to Louisville, and our final grade on the transfer portal is.. decent? ok? I mean, it's a lot of mid major guys, and we we're told "thanks, but no thanks" by a lot of the top players. We got the 23rd guy, the 32nd guy and the 48th.. for top50 guys.. on a team that had literally no one coming in. I certainly wouldn't say that's "great".
You miss out on Jaxson and it's hard for me to give this offseason anything higher than a B. Keep in mind, we are still Kentucky.. we have a heck of a lot to offer, especially with NIL.
Popes never won a tourney game ever. It used to be you would have to at least go on one good run before you’d get a job at like Texas, let alone Kentucky. Pope has never won a tourney game and is our coach. Just crazy to me.
One championship. 4 Final fours. 7 Elite eights. Responsible for almost a quarter of all of UKs Final Four appearances. Most tourney wins, etc.
Seriously?
My prediction is that he stays in the draft. Seems to me that he would have already announced a return if he didn't think he had a chance in the NBA. Ultimately, I think it's the wrong decision to make, but UK will have to look elsewhere.
Now do the last five years. His early success gave him plenty of cushion. NIT 2013, 9-16, St. Peters, Oakland. Thats more than we allowed Tubby. I know you are struggling to find meaning in life without Cal here but rest assured Kentucky basketball will be fine.
So an assistant coach is better than a coach with over 10 years experience. A coach that has never coached as a head coach. I do not care if he was a good assistant coach. Does not make him a coach. Yes Pope (not playing here) would be the better coach over Young. Pope has won at both locations. He has done it with less talent. He is proven, just not enough for you. I guess you would rather have Young that has never coached a game here this year over Pope.
I don't know that they've gotten better (on paper), certainly not better than if Pope had stayed at BYU.
Pope actually had them set up well with 8 seniors next year and 9 of 10 rotation players back. Also they would've had Chandler coming in. They were in the top 15 before he got hired here.
Then they lose 4 to the portal, replacing them with the Utah center, Keita and Demin from Russia. Demin likely won't start with Hall, Knell, and Saunders still there.
Robinson is Pope's guy. They are very close. I just do not see how Robinson stays in the draft. He is not even on most mock boards. LATE 2nd is the best I have seen, by ONE outlet. Hardly a ringing endorsement he will be drafted. The comment Robinson made a few weeks back has stuck with me, "Coach Pope still checks up on me and cares about me, he is not even my coach any more, not YET at least." I would be SHOCKED if Robinson is not at UK next year. I wouldn't been any more surprised if I woke up with my head sown to the carpet.
From a recruit's perspective that has NBA aspirations? Yes absolutely.
Young has been a head coach at several stops overseas and in the D-League and was the highest paid assistant in the NBA for the Suns. He is very highly thought of and considered up there in coaching vacancies for NBA positions.
Agree with this post outside of the last line. They didn’t pay 2 million for a bench player.
Not sure I agree with that. Kenny Payne was an NBA assistant (well loved), assistant at UK and failed at UofL. So being an assistant in NBA might help a little it does not make him better option. Just because he got 1 foreign player over Cal does not lay out a path where BYU is the better destination over UK due to coaching.
OK, again, none of that matters at the college level. He has to go prove it just like you all keep talking about Pope has to go prove it. That roster is still 80 percent Mark Popes players. Guys he brought in and got ready to play.
Some of this banter about coaching ability that is saying Pope not ready, Pope unproven, blah blah blah but hey that dude BYU got is a proven coach and has made BYU better over what Pope did is just wrong. Keep twisting facts to try to make your point, that is fine.
I didn't say that and have even provided the BYU roster above contradicting exactly that.
That's all I'm saying. You can already tell this board is going to be messiah like when it comes to Pope.
I think Pope will do well here and win a title and 2 to 3 final fours. H
It's not unfair to question somethinf with him though. Especially with high level recruiting. He has a lot to learn there at this level. He will get there but it's not easy. Thankfully we have a ton of NIL to help.
Or the MOST needing to return to college, which ever way you prefer to word it. So the "4th of players that could or could not be drafted" along with all the mock drafts that do not even have him listed, does not exactly give him a ringing endorsement. I do not like his odds I will put it that way. Late in the draft is when teams draft and stash so many foreign players who are young and have potential. Every year there are the guys nobody has heard of teams will take a chance on. A lot of the teams do not really have salary cap to add to their current roster (better teams are at the end of rounds), so a draft and stash is a cheap way to go for them, if the guy pans out a couple years down the road fine, if not, not really lost.
Was agreeing with what you said earlier about the roster.
The post about BYU being better than under Pope to me is just incorrect and the whole thing of the assistant NBA coach being more proven over Pope as well. He will get guys to BYU and will hurt Cal / Duke, some of those guys a small amount.
I do not think he will kill us in recruiting or in what Pope wants to do here. Heck he might get Robinson back to BYU, would not be unheard of and would be $$ driven. I still like UK with Pope.
If Pope were a UNC player or Duke player and taking over their rosters we would be debating over how much he would hurt UK.
Like i have said in the past. I will stick with Pope. If we have a horrid year, which I highly doubt, I will stick with Pope. If he does not get 5* guys (which I doubt as well), just not going to get 4 to 6 a year, I will stick with Pope.
After 3 years and he has worked out or has not then UK will take a look.
Mark Pope at UK is like the Colonel frying chicken in Kentucky, AB Happy Chandler singing my ole KY home, like going to the brown hotel and getting a hot brown, going to Buffalo Trace and sipping some Pappy.
He loves this state, our Commonwealth, the community, University, representing one of the biggest traditions in sports. He is not afraid, even if some of us are, he is not backing down, he is not trying to hold down expectations. He will get the guys that best fit KENTUCKY basketball as he is a part of that tradition. He is trying to be the beacon to get the players, coaches, staff and fans on board.
I will take that over John C, Mike K., Rick P, and whomever else you want to name now, Oats and so forth. I would have enjoyed seeing what Hurley could have done or maybe Billy the Kid, but as far as someone for me that is easy to get on board with 100%, it is Mark Pope. Heck I might be the crazy one here, who knows, I am wrong as much as right when it comes to sports. But I go with what I know. Someone that wants to be here and no where else coaching the UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY WILDCATS.
He loves this state, our Commonwealth, the community, University, representing one of the biggest traditions in sports. He is not afraid, even if some of us are, he is not backing down, he is not trying to hold down expectations. He will get the guys that best fit KENTUCKY basketball as he is a part of that tradition. He is trying to be the beacon to get the players, coaches, staff and fans on board.
I will take that over John C, Mike K., Rick P, and whomever else you want to name now, Oats and so forth. I would have enjoyed seeing what Hurley could have done or maybe Billy the Kid, but as far as someone for me that is easy to get on board with 100%, it is Mark Pope. Heck I might be the crazy one here, who knows, I am wrong as much as right when it comes to sports. But I go with what I know. Someone that wants to be here and no where else coaching the UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY WILDCATS.
I can just see it now. We lose by 10 after going 8-41 from 3 and get out-rebounded by 15. We will have same guys in here with selective memories clamoring for the days of Oscar Tshibwe, Boogie, etc. Same people calling Cal Triple C now were arguing with other fanbases in years past that said Cal just rolled out a basketball. They laughed at the lack of success other schools players had in the NBA and now are talking like Mark $&$)ing Pope is going to win banners here.
Yeah, by the time you throw some foreigners and others not being mentioned it is very unlikely he gets drafted. Just a matter if wants to stay in and plan on being picked up to try out for a team. And that is where he ends up over seas or somewhere else just bouncing around for years most likely.
SWEET. Now tell us about all his success in, oh, the last decade.
Highly recommend the "ignore" feature for the trolls. Responding to them just gives them more visibility and it's what they want.
Well you said DECADE, so last 10 years : (IF you would have said last 4/5 years you might have something.)
(14-15) 38-1 (18-0 1st in SEC) Final 4
(15-16) 27-9 (13-5 1st in SEC) Sweet 16
(16-17) 32-7 (16-2 1st in SEC) Elite 8 - Lost to UNC last second
(17-18) 26-11 (10-8 4th in SEC) Sweet 16 - Lost to K-State (thanks PJ)
(18-19) 30-7 (15-3 2nd in SEC) Elite 8 - Lost to Auburn in OT
(19-20) 25-6 (15-3 1st in SEC) No tourney - Covid (probable 1 seed)
(20-21) 9-16 - UGH
(21-22) 26-8 (14-4 2nd in SEC) Round of 64
(22-23) 22-12 (12-6 3rd in SEC) Round of 32
(23-24) 23-10 (13-5 2nd in SEC) Round of 64
10 season totals :
258 wins / 87 losses (75% winning %)
1st in the SEC 4 times
2nd in the SEC 3 times
1 Final 4
2 Elite 8's
There’s no need for anyone to downgrade Cal’s accomplishments, but if national championships are the actual goal then he wasn’t the answer at his current age in this era of college basketball.
I agree. But to act like he was the worst coach in the NCAA like the poster suggested is crazy talk. No, he hasn't had the results expected at UK, but there are several teams that would kill for those results. I am not one of those happy about it. I do not put the pressure of championships like many do, but Final 4's and a actual shot to win it all I do expect. 1 Final 4 in the last 10 years, though he had a few really strong teams capable of winning it, the last 5 years is where my frustration comes in. the previous 5, no, they was some really good years and teams was capable of at least getting to the Final 4. The St. Pete, Oakland, and other loss was / is unacceptable.
I'm sorry I forget, how much of that was achieved in the last 5 years with all those NBA players. It must be a lot. Hahaha, truthfully I've never seen a coach in any sport at any level underachieve at the level cal did. Great recruiter, not even a mediocre coach. So glad the narcissist is gone and took university of calipari with him.
This. BYU has been getting more national exposure directly bc they were caught in the middle of the Kentucky/Arkansas(Cal) media storm so they became a side story to that story line. They were able to capitalize and benefit from extra headlines and exposure
In spite of their limitations, BYU has had a good basketball program for as long as I can remember and now they're in the Big 12 and have lots of money to take advantage of NIL so their recruiting should be expected to improve under the new coach, just like it would have if Pope had stayed there.
Did you mean "Club dismissed" or "Cult dismissed?" Lol
BYU is absolutely not the better destination than Kentucky. However, it is the coach and his staff's responsibility to make this be known to these kids, and to assure them that UK will be the most beneficial to them and their future.
To me and you it is absolutely not a better destination, but we are not deciding. This kid has his own priorities, just as all future UK recruits do. He may be thinking similarly to the Richie Saunders kid, and nothing wrong with that. I was as shocked as anyone when he stayed. Saunders visited and I don't think Robinson has.
The only positive right now we know for sure is Pope talks with Robinson daily and has since way before Pope left BYU. They have a tight relationship. Sanders never discussed Pope in that manner.
Pope LEAVING BYU to go to UK is the headline. Not to take anything away from them but that’s what’s brought media attention to BYU.
As far as how good they’ll be this year is an unknown product atm. Also, no one knows what Popes roster would’ve looked like if he had stayed.
Hate to say it, but BYUs record stayed about the same with Pope. He didn’t exactly knock it out of the park.
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