Drew vs Pope

[sambowieshin]

We dodged a Barnhart bullet. I get why that was his first choice but Pope is exactly what this program needed after Cal.
So glad Drew's wife hated Lexington and Drew is scared of big boy basketball. 🤣

 

[Basscat1987]

Saved a bunch of money for a few years also. Barnhart was probably ready to make Drew the highest paid coach in the country.

 

[chroix]

Fortunate for sure but hard not to think being here would elevate Drew the same way it has every other coach since Rupp.

 

[BlueBomb]

We could not have gotten a "more suited for the job" coach than Pope. What a fantastic hire.

But to be completely transparent: When I saw some people on this board talking about Pope as a possibility, I said, " THE Pope has a better chance of coaching Kentucky next than MARK Pope."

Gotta agree with the wife on this one. I'm an idiot.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

We dodged a Barnhardt bullet. I get why that was his first choice but Pope is exactly what this program needed after Cal.
So glad Drew's wife hated Lexington and Drew is scared of big boy basketball. 🤣

Dodged a Barnhardt bullet? I have never understood the BDS but it doesn't surprise me coming from you. Did you or anyone have Pope on a list for the job? Give him credit for even offering to the coach of BYU.

 

[WildcatNC]

We would have been fine either way. Drew is a great coach and UK would have elevated his potential.

I'm glad it went this way in hindsight though. Hurley would have imploded in the Lexington fishbowl. I don't think Drew checks as many boxes as Pope does overall, despite being more accomplished.

 

[KAB Cats]

More proof that God is a Kentucky fan

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Fortunate for sure but hard not to think being here would elevate Drew the same way it has every other coach since Rupp.

If you aren't a drunk you will win a national title at UK. We have enough data points on that now.

 

[sambowieshin]

Saved a bunch of money for a few years also. Barnhart was probably ready to make Drew the highest paid coach in the country.

With a 50 million dollar lifetime contract. 🫣

 

[sambowieshin]

Dodged a Barnhardt bullet? I have never understood the BDS but it doesn't surprise me coming from you. Did you or anyone have Pope on a list for the job? Give him credit for even offering to the coach of BYU.

Have zero doubts you were one of the 10k idiots in the stands cheering on Joker his last year and currently praising Barnhart's 40k dollar lifetime contracts with Cal and Stoops.
Judging Barnhart's job performance is nuanced and not nearly as simple as you are.

 

[KAB Cats]

It's b-a-r-n-h-a-r-t

 

[DrH. Lecter]

Have zero doubts you were one of the 10k idiots in the stands cheering on Joker his last year and currently praising Barnhardt's 40k dollar lifetime contracts with Cal and Stoops.
Judging Barnhardt's job performance is nuanced and not nearly as simple as you are.

First of all Sambo, it is because of Wokies like you that we were forced by your ilk to hire Joker....who BTW was the Associate Head Coach or Coach in waiting as designated by a GREAT hire in Coach Brooks. The media and your ilk were calling for Mitch to hire Doug Williams. Are you still pissed that we got CRB and not Williams. So STFU idiot.

As for Cal....how'd that lifetime contract work out for Cal? Did he collect a dime from its exit clause? Uh no. And he is still alive. So STFU.

As for Job performance....you wokies do not believe in that. To each according to his needs is what I believe you have said.

 

[TFCats11]

And as a token of Pope’s appreciation towards Drew declining, he went and poached Drew’s top assistant 🤣

 

[sambowieshin]

First of all Sambo, it is because of Wokies like you that we were forced by your ilk to hire Joker....who BTW was the Associate Head Coach or Coach in waiting as designated by a GREAT hire in Coach Brooks. The media and your ilk were calling for Mitch to hire Doug Williams. Are you still pissed that we got CRB and not Williams. So STFU idiot.

As for Cal....how'd that lifetime contract work out for Cal? Did he collect a dime from its exit clause? Uh no. And he is still alive. So STFU.

As for Job performance....you wokies do not believe in that. To each according to his needs is what I believe you have said.

Take your garbage back to the political thread fool.

 

[CRZ4UK]

Saved a bunch of money for a few years also. Barnhart was probably ready to make Drew the highest paid coach in the country.

I continue to stress ALL of Barnhart successes were after he stuck out on all his top choices. If he was a great negotiator and got his man, he would’ve flopped so badly.
Cal was forced on him by boosters. Barnhart did not want him and passed him over on the BCG hire.
Rich Brooks was a last ditch after about 6 of his choices said NO. It’s a famous quote Rich said…..What about Me. I’ll take it. Mitch had hired him to consult and they struck out on every one.
Stoops had his agent reach out after Barnhart again had been told No by all his choices. Stoops was no where on his radar.
He did get his first choice a few times.
BCG was his first choice. Disaster.
Elzy was also. Disaster.
Joker his first choice coach in waiting. Disaster.
Drew was his only choice. He never dreamed he would say no. He didn’t. His family did.
Drew would have been another disaster.
He lucked into Pope too.

 

[Basscat1987]

How the hell can u say Drew would of been a disaster🤔

 

[jbne222]

Have zero doubts you were one of the 10k idiots in the stands cheering on Joker his last year and currently praising Barnhart's 40k dollar lifetime contracts with Cal and Stoops.
Judging Barnhart's job performance is nuanced and not nearly as simple as you are.

Barnhart is a buffoon for the way he handles contracts, but if we get 20 years of success with Mark Pope I think that’s enough to make his tenure a big success (TBD with how the Stoops situation goes)

 

[STL_Cat]

Ultimately I think Drew would have done a great job as well but I sure am happy it played out the way it did

 

[CRZ4UK]

How the hell can u say Drew would of been a disaster🤔

Have you watched Baylor play this year?? They are as boring if not worse than a Calipari team. The average in the 60s. They have been blown out of two games this year. They lost to the same Gonzaga team by 30.
People were already hammering Pope after the Clemson loss. Hard.
If this fanbase had to watch forty minutes of rock fights again, they would have turned on him quickly. He’ll, half the posters on here were ready to fire Pope 8 days ago.
Drew’s style is slow, controlled half court rock fights.

 

[sambowieshin]

How the hell can u say Drew would of been a disaster🤔

Never said that.
Any UK coach that's not a drunk will do well here. Just think that Pope is an overall better fit for BBN. Drew's personality and lifestyle would most likely have been uncomfortable in the fishbowl that is UK basketball.
That's ultimately why he chose to stay in the friendly confines of WACO Texas.
Fun fact....Drew lost by 38 points to Gonzaga this year.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

Take your garbage back to the political thread fool.

Facts don't care about your feelings there my guy.

 

[sambowieshin]

Facts don't care about your feelings there my guy.

Merry Christmas.

 

[DrH. Lecter]

I continue to stress ALL of Barnhart successes were after he stuck out on all his top choices. If he was a great negotiator and got his man, he would’ve flopped so badly.
Cal was forced on him by boosters. Barnhart did not want him and passed him over on the BCG hire.
Rich Brooks was a last ditch after about 6 of his choices said NO. It’s a famous quote Rich said…..What about Me. I’ll take it. Mitch had hired him to consult and they struck out on every one.
Stoops had his agent reach out after Barnhart again had been told No by all his choices. Stoops was no where on his radar.
He did get his first choice a few times.
BCG was his first choice. Disaster.
Elzy was also. Disaster.
Joker his first choice coach in waiting. Disaster.
Drew was his only choice. He never dreamed he would say no. He didn’t. His family did.
Drew would have been another disaster.
He lucked into Pope too.

Are you aware of the pressure being applied by everyone from the CJ to national Sports media for MB to hire Doug Williams? Being pressured to make a DEI STATEMENT that had nothing to do with competence. Assuage for the guilt of the "racist" Rupp. For the good ole boys coaching network in the SEC. He could have easily crumpled under that pressure but didnt and went after Bill Purcell as he swung for the fence. Rich Brooks to this day is still my favorite FB coach at UK. Much underappreciated and he did deserve the right to select Joker as his replacement. Beloved former player. But I am sure he'd have gone another route if he could have.

Lets see...the greatest AD ever...as many of our fans believed/believe..... hired Kragthorpe and Chawley Strong.

 

[Eccain01]

How the hell can u say Drew would of been a disaster🤔

Not from a basketball perspective but he and his family not built for this level of attention. The way they supposedly reacted when they visited says it all. And there’s nothing wrong with that

 

[CRZ4UK]

Are you aware of the pressure being applied by everyone from the CJ to national Sports media for MB to hire Doug Williams? Being pressured to make a DEI STATEMENT that had nothing to do with competence. Assuage for the guilt of the "racist" Rupp. For the good ole boys coaching network in the SEC. He could have easily crumpled under that pressure but didnt and went after Bill Purcell as he swung for the fence. Rich Brooks to this day is still my favorite FB coach at UK. Much underappreciated and he did deserve the right to select Joker as his replacement. Beloved former player. But I am sure he'd have gone another route if he could have.

Lets see...the greatest AD ever...as many of our fans believed/believe..... hired Kragthorpe and Chawley Strong.

Charley did pretty well at U6 when he wasn’t banging all his buddies wives. Lol
Krapthore walked into a roster that was created by Petrino . 10qbs, 20 WRs and 4 D linemen on the roster.
Bobby bolted because he knew it was about to collapse. His rosters always did in year 4. I don’t think anyone could have won with that roster.
I would not have wanted Jurich because he was win at ANY cost. He almost bankrupted the school. That’s extreme.
They now have facilities they can’t fill.
Thousands of football seats every Saturday.

 

[stenchymouse]

I continue to stress ALL of Barnhart successes were after he stuck out on all his top choices. If he was a great negotiator and got his man, he would’ve flopped so badly.
Cal was forced on him by boosters. Barnhart did not want him and passed him over on the BCG hire.
Rich Brooks was a last ditch after about 6 of his choices said NO. It’s a famous quote Rich said…..What about Me. I’ll take it. Mitch had hired him to consult and they struck out on every one.
Stoops had his agent reach out after Barnhart again had been told No by all his choices. Stoops was no where on his radar.
He did get his first choice a few times.
BCG was his first choice. Disaster.
Elzy was also. Disaster.
Joker his first choice coach in waiting. Disaster.
Drew was his only choice. He never dreamed he would say no. He didn’t. His family did.
Drew would have been another disaster.
He lucked into Pope too.

BCG wasn't his first choice. Donovan was.

 

[NociHTTP]

VS

 

[Jim Malone Lt.]

We dodged a Barnhart bullet. I get why that was his first choice but Pope is exactly what this program needed after Cal.
So glad Drew's wife hated Lexington and Drew is scared of big boy basketball. 🤣

I always think about this before I give Barnhart too much credit for the Pope hire.

 

[bnewt]

I continue to stress ALL of Barnhart successes were after he stuck out on all his top choices. If he was a great negotiator and got his man, he would’ve flopped so badly.
Cal was forced on him by boosters. Barnhart did not want him and passed him over on the BCG hire.
Rich Brooks was a last ditch after about 6 of his choices said NO. It’s a famous quote Rich said…..What about Me. I’ll take it. Mitch had hired him to consult and they struck out on every one.
Stoops had his agent reach out after Barnhart again had been told No by all his choices. Stoops was no where on his radar.
He did get his first choice a few times.
BCG was his first choice. Disaster.
Elzy was also. Disaster.
Joker his first choice coach in waiting. Disaster.
Drew was his only choice. He never dreamed he would say no. He didn’t. His family did.
Drew would have been another disaster.
He lucked into Pope too.

Maybe it is better to be lucky than good. He 1st choices were indeed horrible, but honestly, what good football coach would want to come to uk? No tradition, no in state pipe line of players. Just can't compete with football schools. Basketball is a different story. Barnhart just needs to be better versed in up and comers

 

[CRZ4UK]

Maybe it is better to be lucky than good. He 1st choices were indeed horrible, but honestly, what good football coach would want to come to uk? No tradition, no in state pipe line of players. Just can't compete with football schools. Basketball is a different story. Barnhart just needs to be better versed in up and comers

See that’s what a remarkable AD does. He gets his man. He leaves everyone saying wow!!
Name me one Wow!
We wanted to bring home Billy Donovan. Slam dunk hire. Even with the connection he told Barney No.
Bill Parcels interviewed once. Barnhart couldn’t close.

 

[EliteBlue]

Fortunate for sure but hard not to think being here would elevate Drew the same way it has every other coach since Rupp.

My biggest fear with Drew other than I hate the style of play, was that he already won a title and maybe wouldn’t have the same drive. Basically you’re getting the Cal post 2012 version when he stated “glad that’s out of the way” and it became all about nba legacy for himself and his players.

Style of play side note: (I personally think the Kentucky brand should always have an uptempo coach…Rupp perfected the fast break and made it mainstream…Joe B slowed it down and while won a title the brand slowly devalued and we became stagnant….Pitino brought back the in your face, run teams out of the building, excitement to the brand….Tubby—see Joe B…Cal brought the initial excitement with electric guards that he let take over and make plays, Wall/Bledsoe/Knight/Ulis/Fox/Monk. We slowly morphed into over controlled plow ball but the end and it killed the momentum)

 

[UKBB4Ever]

We could not have gotten a "more suited for the job" coach than Pope. What a fantastic hire.

But to be completely transparent: When I saw some people on this board talking about Pope as a possibility, I said, " THE Pope has a better chance of coaching Kentucky next than MARK Pope."

Gotta agree with the wife on this one. I'm an idiot.

Exactly!! Pope may not be a perfect coach. But he is the perfect coach for UK at this time. And probably for the next 20 years.

Hurley would probably have been a great hire for a couple of years then the wheels fall off. Just no way he makes it long term in this job.

Drew was never right for this job. We definitely dodged a bullet. Personally I was all in on Vogel. I thought we should make him say no. I'm glad they didn't listen to me. I still think Vogel would be great here but not the perfect hire that Pope appears to be.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

How the hell can u say Drew would of been a disaster🤔

He doesn’t have the personality or demeanor to coach here. This job would have eaten him alive

 

[Rockfly78]

Hurley was first choice. Had to make him say no. Then Billy D. He may have been interested but the timing was off. We couldn’t wait on him. Then on to Drew who turned us down. I had just talked myself into liking him. But this job would have eaten him alive. Supposedly we took a run at oats but his family situation and his child custody arrangement made it a no go.

So really pope was far from the top pick but Mitch did a hell of a sell job and now we are all happy. He has to get his flowers for that

 

[Fox2monk]

We dodged a Barnhart bullet. I get why that was his first choice but Pope is exactly what this program needed after Cal.
So glad Drew's wife hated Lexington and Drew is scared of big boy basketball. 🤣

I think Drew would have led us to plenty of success but we wouldn’t have loved him as much as we do Pope.

 

[Fox2monk]

My biggest fear with Drew other than I hate the style of play, was that he already won a title and maybe wouldn’t have the same drive. Basically you’re getting the Cal post 2012 version when he stated “glad that’s out of the way” and it became all about nba legacy for himself and his players.

Style of play side note: (I personally think the Kentucky brand should always have an uptempo coach…Rupp perfected the fast break and made it mainstream…Joe B slowed it down and while won a title the brand slowly devalued and we became stagnant….Pitino brought back the in your face, run teams out of the building, excitement to the brand….Tubby—see Joe B…Cal brought the initial excitement with electric guards that he let take over and make plays, Wall/Bledsoe/Knight/Ulis/Fox/Monk. We slowly morphed into over controlled plow ball but the end and it killed the momentum)

That’s a good point, I think coaches would have more leeway with some subpar seasons if they had a fun style too. Losing rock fights sucks so bad but maybe not quite having enough while playing a fun style helps.

 

[sambowieshin]

I think Drew would have led us to plenty of success but we wouldn’t have loved him as much as we do Pope.

As a "Basketball Bennie" UK fan.... it has just been so much fun to watch superb execution, actual productive plays out of timeouts, logical player rotations and in game adjustments that make sense.
The absolute opposite of Cal.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Agreed. Wasn't thrilled with Scott Drew, but was also starting to be in panic mode because it seemed like that might be all we could get.

We know what Drew's ceiling is.. and it's, pretty good. I'm sure he's a top25 coach or somewhere in there. Not sure he's ever getting a other title, and even a Final4 might be tough. It seems like he struck gold with that title team, as all the other years around it were and round exits.

What we don't know is Pope's ceiling and I think we're seeing that it could be pretty high. Kentucky can't really afford a coach muddled in the top25 or so guys, it needs a top5 guy. We has it with Rupp, we had it with Pitino, and I do believe we had it with Cal for those first 6 or 7 years. Pope's on the right track to join the group IMO.

 

[BigBlueFanGA]

Dodged a Barnhardt bullet? I have never understood the BDS but it doesn't surprise me coming from you. Did you or anyone have Pope on a list for the job? Give him credit for even offering to the coach of BYU.

I'm not a Barney fan but he did an outstanding job with this hire.

 

[sambowieshin]

Agreed. Wasn't thrilled with Scott Drew, but was also starting to be in panic mode because it seemed like that might be all we could get.

We know what Drew's ceiling is.. and it's, pretty good. I'm sure he's a top25 coach or somewhere in there. Not sure he's ever getting a other title, and even a Final4 might be tough. It seems like he struck gold with that title team, as all the other years around it were and round exits.

What we don't know is Pope's ceiling and I think we're seeing that it could be pretty high. Kentucky can't really afford a coach muddled in the top25 or so guys, it needs a top5 guy. We has it with Rupp, we had it with Pitino, and I do believe we had it with Cal for those first 6 or 7 years. Pope's on the right track to join the group IMO.

Tubby and Sutton were good Xs and Os guys. Tubby struggled with recruiting/coaching elite talent and Sutton had alcohol issues.
I think Pope has a higher ceiling than a few that have passed thru here.