Early take on the Pope era

[bnewt]

Oweh isn't losing it mentally. He is our best player. He has had one bad game all season lol.

Almonor is a good role player. Nothing more, nothing less. He was a fine player at his old school but nothing special. He has had big moments for thid team.

Robinson was disappointing in non conference but was playing quite well in SEC play.

Oweh being the best player says it all about the talent on the team. They were totally over achieving when healthy. Noah and Perry are basic role players on any d1 team. Pope has done an excellent job with what he has to work with.

 

[deep3]

There was a reason KY was basically unranked to start the season, and it wasn't because Pope was disrespected as a coach I think, it was because he got a bunch of mid major Allstars who won't be going pro and made them into a team that didn't look good on paper. The freshmen (while I love them personally) were nothing to write home about either. All the guys have massive holes in their game and years of ingrained habits that either come from playing with subpar teammates or getting subpar coaching and/or lack of opportunities, some have busted shots and others still havent physically developed after years in college, the rest have athletic ceilings much lower than our SEC opponents. Maybe Lamont being the only guy who has a bit of a good coaching and big game experience pedigree that matters.

The only judgement that can be made about player development is that he made the 3 freshman and Almonor serviceable enough to plug into the system and not embarrass us with everyone else out which is actually VERY impressive and that he turned Amari into a dollar store Jokich even though the guy can't shoot and isn't physical. All which are very impressive feats of development to me, plus his overall commitment to a rotation and building depth with has me excited for next year if we can get 2-3 good portal guys.

Great post spoooot on

 

[JwUKFan11]

I'm happy so far. I was worried about the level of player at times he was targeting in the portal but even a guy like Richie Saunders that he wanted and I wasn't sold on would have been great here and looks good at BYU. So I trust him to put together a team.

Finals are coming up so lets see if his first year remains on track. Excited for the future.

 

[bnewt]

Imagine a jasper, Javon small/bruce Thornton, and Oweh backcourt

If I am going to wish, I wish for a couple of Cooper Flagg clones. That guy is tremendous

 

[KYFOSSIL]

I feel Oweh is losing it mentally, not sure what is going on but seems to have lost confidence. Carr has been up and down, some of which I'm sure is the injury. We have games in which Almonor is great, and others in which he gives us nothing (maybe matchups). Robinson seems unpredictable as well - even when healthy.

The freshmen seem to be getting better though.

It was one bad game. He was the leading scorer against Vandy and jas been our most steady player. Thats just a really bad take on your part.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

It was one bad game. He was the leading scorer against Vandy and jas been our most steady player. Thats just a really bad take on your part.

Oweh is legit gonna be 1st team all SEC or he should be

 

[bigblueinsanity]

For his second ever year coaching in a power 5 conference I think he’s done phenomenal. I would say just being more consistent and ability to handle intense pressure games (the Arkansas game) will be key points to improve on.

This is a concern but imo the biggest one is his marriage to analytics including the laser focus on 3s.

We let guys in some games shoot wide open because the numbers said they weren't good shooters. Turns out if theyre shooting wide open they can and will hit.

Also i don't think such a heavy focus on 3s is the recipe for post season success. In all those environments, its tough to win 6 in a row. You will have at least one off night and you need a counter. Will he sende that in time to counter?

 

[bigbluefan81]

It’s just that. We are simply not athletic enough to guard athletic offensive players one on one.

We have to help each other. And I thought 5th year guys would do that.

They have to done extent. But our defensive problems really have a root in poor defensive rebounding.

Our first shot defense is not that bad. It’s more than adequate to compete at a high level considering how good our offense is.

But we just give up far too many 2nd and 3rd shots.

The defense is scrambling on an offensive rebound.

We are just a terrible defensive rebounding team.

And that should be fixable. But it hasn’t been.

You can’t turn a player into an offensive rebounder if he’s not. But you can improve defensive rebounding. And Pope was a terrific rebounder. If he can’t get through to these guys then they are hopeless.

Getting away from SEC athletes and SEC officials in the tourney is going to help this team more than most.

Depending on matchups I see this as an E8 team at least. Then with some luck maybe the FF?

They have gotten better at defensive rebounds here lately. Like last night, they held Alabama to 8 offensive rebounds

 

[UKBB4Ever]

They have gotten better at defensive rebounds here lately. Like last night, they held Alabama to 8 offensive rebounds

We didn’t really hold them to anything.

And we are not better at defensive rebounding.

Noah might be the best rebounder on the team? So if he gets more minutes we will get more.

But without Butler and Robinson we’re just treading water.

 

[Eagles_Ball]

I just don’t get the Pitino love. He was good when he was here but after that proved to be a horrible person. I guess time heals old wounds but Rick Pitino is still an asshole, refurbished in his old age or not.

You don’t think Rick Pitino was an asshole at UK?

 

[Phil_The_Music]

Pope gets an A from me in all areas except one, in game subbing and rotations. Yes players need rest but having 3-4 subs in has given up several leads in several games. Stagger the subs a bit and always have at least 3 threats in the game.

100 percent! He refuses to keep the hot hands/rotations in the game when we are killing it. We've lost so many leads because of this. You roll with the players who are winning the game for you. When they get tired and stop producing, THEN you give them a rest. Or like you mentioned, stagger the subs more and don't put in an entirely new teams. Pope is letting the numbers completely blind him to the feel of the game.

 

[crestcat]

The athleticism upgrade will help for sure. What frustrates me, is how they leave 3 point shooters wide open. When a shooter out there gets the ball, they just stand there.

Standing there might be the best thing to do, they go to the line for three if we’ve got anybody in the vicinity.

 

[kats23]

Imagine taking a bunch of 2nd rate players from small programs outside of Oweh & Carr, probably not an NBA player on the roster and beating Duke, Gonzaga, UT 2x. Then you lose your starting backcourt and you have to play 2 freshman who weren’t even in the rotation and you keep your head above water in the roughest conference in the the country.

And then some jackass on the internet says “player development isn’t Pope’s strong suit”
Jesus Christ, they really let you say anything on here.

 

[Deli owl]

I’m trying to figure out why they pass so well the first 10 games and then they dribble the rest

 

[bthaunert]

I think he’s done about as well as he could putting a team together late in the process and being competitive with injuries, including some really good wins.

My concern from the day he was hired is winning in the postseason. That will remain my concern until he proves me wrong.

 

[billoliver40]

I would give Pope incomplete on several fronts.
Passion for the game A+
Intelligence A+
Love of the University A+
Offensive set A
Defensive coaching skills c- to c.
Teaching ability incomplete.
Player motivation incomplete.
Individual player motivation varies by player

Rick Pitinos first season was a .500 year. ..and he had returning players. The second year Kentucky had best record in the SEC but was on probation. The third year was the unforgettables.

I like the passion, the focus on school/ team.
Next year will be teach and rebuild but not as much. But i will be better able to grade him.
The third year will be the major tell.

 

[Wildcat-in-STL]

Imagine a jasper, Javon small/bruce Thornton, and Oweh backcourt

Small is a senior, the Ncaa 2 or so weeks ago said they havent discussed a 5th year for everyone and its not on the table this year. So everyone can forget about Small

 

[jace2012]

You would think with Pope having played for Pitino that he would adopt his conditioning practices and defensive philosophy but he seems to be more aligned to Mark Fox and his former mentor at BYU

 

[UKBB4Ever]

You would think with Pope having played for Pitino that he would adopt his conditioning practices and defensive philosophy but he seems to be more aligned to Mark Fox and his former mentor at BYU

That certainly seems to be one thing he doesn’t carry from his Pitino years.

If these guys are in tip top condition it doesn’t show.

 

[MrHotDice]

What is everybody's take on the lack of defense? I know some of it is lack of athleticsm, but what is the issue with leaving people wide open?

You can recruit defense or you can recruit offense. But its very rare to get both with freshmen. Anyone who complains about this team is brain dead. A year ago we had no players. Are you getting that, zero players. Without injuries we beat a lot of teams that no one saw us beating. Lets all cool our heals and see what the team looks like after year three not now which is just stupid.

 

[BigBlue1992]

He’s done a heck of a job but I’m not willing to grade until the most important part of the season has passed.

This off-season will be huge for Pope. I think a Sweet 16 - Elite 8 will be a must for next year…probably more so an Elite 8. And this is assuming injuries catch up to us this postseason.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Small is a senior, the Ncaa 2 or so weeks ago said they havent discussed a 5th year for everyone and it’s not on the table this year. So everyone can forget about Small

Thornton it is

 

[I-Move-Like-The-Pope]

As far as Pitino goes, who cares what kind of person you are as long as you're not involved in DV, SA, DUI or murder. It's coaching college basketball not a good Samaritan contest.

 

[BBNinSC]

Imagine taking a bunch of 2nd rate players from small programs outside of Oweh & Carr, probably not an NBA player on the roster and beating Duke, Gonzaga, UT 2x. Then you lose your starting backcourt and you have to play 2 freshman who weren’t even in the rotation and you keep your head above water in the roughest conference in the the country.

And then some jackass on the internet says “player development isn’t Pope’s strong suit”
Jesus Christ, they really let you say anything on here.

My sentiments exactly. Thanks for putting into print.

 

[L.O.D.]

Pope built an entire team in 2 months . Everyone new. He has 7 top 15 wins 5 top 10 wins .. if team was healthy would be un top 10 if not top 5. Pope has done as good or better than anyone hoped for n he was GIVEN NOTHING .

Has as many top 10 wins in 1 year so far thsn Cal had in his last 5 years at UK.

Pope is the coach for a while

 

[bigbluefan81]

You can recruit defense or you can recruit offense. But its very rare to get both with freshmen. Anyone who complains about this team is brain dead. A year ago we had no players. Are you getting that, zero players. Without injuries we beat a lot of teams that no one saw us beating. Lets all cool our heals and see what the team looks like after year three not now which is just stupid.

I'm not complaining, I'm just curious, cause the defense has been an issue. Even commentators, and analysts have mentioned it.

 

[ukfan1622]

Public relations and program building: A

Player recruitment: B cobbled together a decent collection of talent in a transition year. Closing a fourth player like Ament would position us very well in combination with another good transfer class. Opportunity to move up.

In game coaching/scheme: B+ seems solid, his offense in particular has yielded good results with less than stellar talent. Noticeable adjustments made in game, such as early action inside the paint in the second half of the Vandy game.

Player development: C the freshmen have improved noticeably. But some of the upper classmen seem to be volatile and not delivering consistent production.

Bottom line, he is doing better than I expected (B). However his ability to work with the administration to invest in talent will determine if we contend for Final Fours. I also believe he will need to toughen up a bit and be a bit more demanding of players and with officials. This is just opinion with no inside information.

ps: but I would go with Pitino every time.

I'd add: Offensive system: A++

How many offenses don't even have to have a point guard to be effective? Pope only needs guys that can guard point guards.

 

[tf4fun]

I'd add: Offensive system: A++

How many offenses don't even have to have a point guard to be effective? Pope only needs guys that can guard point guards.

How many coaches could stay competitive in this conference with playing these freshman that many minutes. No knock against the freshman. But they were not expected to be difference makers before this year started. Pope staying competitive is amazing. I have been frustrated with him a few times, mainly at TX, and vandy. But no coach is perfect. Thought both those games were winnable with the guys we had. But Saturday night at bama was not a game that this group was going to take down. Bama lost the 2 before this, and were desperate. I'm not going to blame the refs, because it'll never be cleaned up.

Next year is when I start judging Pope.
He saw what this league is about , now he needs to go prepare to kick there tails next year. I'm curious to see what kind of team he puts together for next year. He already has some very good pieces, and throwing these freshman into the fire this year should and will give us some solid depth that can shoot!

Now go find your key pieces that puts us over top.

 

[NociHTTP]

You said it lack of athleticism to recover in time and bad positioning

How to correct the positioning?

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

How to correct the positioning?

Watch how we guard ball screens, and pick and rolls. Our guards don’t recover quick enough and our bigs play way to far up, and garrisson is somehow nowhere near the rim every time

 

[NociHTTP]

100 percent! He refuses to keep the hot hands/rotations in the game when we are killing it. We've lost so many leads because of this. You roll with the players who are winning the game for you. When they get tired and stop producing, THEN you give them a rest. Or like you mentioned, stagger the subs more and don't put in an entirely new teams. Pope is letting the numbers completely blind him to the feel of the game.

I think he is also trying to not upset guys who he thinks (my speculation) are worried about playing time. It's going to cost us, IMO.

 

[bigbluefan81]

Watch how we guard ball screens, and pick and rolls. Our guards don’t recover quick enough and our bigs play way to far up, and garrisson is somehow nowhere near the rim every time

So the question is, would that be on the players, or does that blame go to Pope?

 

[NociHTTP]

Watch how we guard ball screens, and pick and rolls. Our guards don’t recover quick enough and our bigs play way to far up, and garrisson is somehow nowhere near the rim every time

I see those things. I'm asking what needs to happen for Pope to correct those things? Do we think he's really tired resolving this, or is it something he's glossing over?

 

[TTTblue24]

The hockey line subbing is really hard to watch in these games especially the bigger games cause it seems to kill our momentum and give the other team a chance to get back in the game. We were up 30-18 last night then he subs and they go on a huge run, that can’t continue this season & future seasons. Also, if these guys aren’t in shape then again another problem but I’ve felt the last month that we lose focus at the end of games and conditioning is a huge part of that. But I like his philosophy and how he’s developed our guys especially Williams & oweh, be interesting to see what he does with the roster this offseason but we truly can’t grade him till the post season then again if we have butler & Robinson back.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I see those things. I'm asking what needs to happen for Pope to correct those things? Do we think he's really tired resolving this, or is it something he's glossing over?

No I don’t think he is ignoring this, if we notice he obviously notices it. Most college teams hedge ball screens, and switch everything or want to. Kentucky doesn’t have the athleticism to do that

 

[olehosk]

It was one bad game. He was the leading scorer against Vandy and jas been our most steady player. Thats just a really bad take on your part.

It could be, I was referring to his play at crunch times during the end of Texas and parts of Bama. He had 20 against Texas but he seemed rattled at the end and a good part of Bama as well.

Butler will solve the issue for the most part

 

[Fox2monk]

My early take is that with the proper resources and good continued eye for talent he will thrive here.

 

[Fox2monk]

It could be, I was referring to his play at crunch times during the end of Texas and parts of Bama. He had 20 against Texas but he seemed rattled at the end and a good part of Bama as well.

Butler will solve the issue for the most part

We have to remember that he is our only threat to break a man down on the court right now. That’s so easy to defend.

 

[yoshukai]

You said it lack of athleticism to recover in time and bad positioning

I believe it is also why the opponents seem to come up with the majority of loose balls . Just seems like we’re a step late SO MANY times .

 

[MEMEBLUE]

I just don’t get the Pitino love. He was good when he was here but after that proved to be a horrible person. I guess time heals old wounds but Rick Pitino is still an asshole, refurbished in his old age or not.

Asshole or not, best damn coach this university has seen in the past 50 years and probably the next 50.