For the Basketball Bennies out there...

[sambowieshin]

We saw lots of things almost every game under Cal that were jaw dropping coachable errors being committed repeatedly by his teams. For example.....Zero inbounds plays.....Zero adjustments to out of bounds plays by the opponent....No mixing up the D.....Very poor screens.....Very poor screens defense....etc.
The long pass inbounds play against Duke was a breath of fresh air from a coaching standpoint.
Anyone noticing any Bennie Blind Spots for Pope in the short amount of times to observe his coaching??

 

[KentuckyCat420]

Nope, we actually have a coach that is way F’ing smarter than us now.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Way too early to tell. The halftime adjustments in the Duke game, however, were incredible.

 

[CastleRubric]

I thought it was interesting that Bilas said Coach Pope uses data / analytics in a near genius way ---

I suppose that goes beyond recruiting but i don't know how (I don't understand basketball as well as football to be honest)

 

[Cleatortoises]

Nope, we actually have a coach that is way F’ing smarter than us now.

Amen brother, and that is a comforting thing.

 

[Lempface]

I loved what he said in the pre Lipscomb conference about emotional resiliency. Said you're likely to only get 1 of every 10 offensive rebounds if you go as hard as you can for every single one. It's easy to be discouraged when you're striving to do something that seemingly isn't paying off but one rebound can be the difference in winning or losing a close game so he's working to get his guys go focus on the effort and not necessarily the immediate desired result so it's 2nd nature.

 

[Bluegrass79]

Maybe he'll end up being too smart for his own good?
That's all I got cuz he's damn basketball smart.
Hopefully it serves him well.

 

[wildcatknh]

I thought it was interesting that Bilas said Coach Pope uses data / analytics in a near genius way ---

I suppose that goes beyond recruiting but i don't know how (I don't understand basketball as well as football to be honest)

I'll give you one example he mentioned. As far as conditioning and maximum effort, they use analytics and practice data to measure exactly how long our players can expend maximum energy before they start to tire and begin to lose efficiency. He said for most players it's usually somewhere in the 6-8 minute range. Jax he said could usually go 11-12 minutes before he started being affected negatively by fatigue. Pope said they use these kinds of metrics to help determine rotations and substitution patterns. They know when a player is likely to begin to fatigue even before it happens and hopefully someone will be subbed out before they make a big mistake because of fatigue.

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

I’m straight up nitpicking here but the rotation is too big. Stupid statement on my part because it is working out.. just feel like we would be even more efficient if the rotation was reduced.. in the event of injury, should be easier to introduce a next man up since most everyone is getting playing time though.

 

[katwest]

Well, we found out Pope is not afraid to change things up and make adjustments when things are not effective. That's two things his predecessor wouldn't or couldn't do.

 

[jwphelps]

We saw lots of things almost every game under Cal that were jaw dropping coachable errors being committed repeatedly by his teams. For example.....Zero inbounds plays.....Zero adjustments to out of bounds plays by the opponent....No mixing up the D.....Very poor screens.....Very poor screens defense....etc.
The long pass inbounds play against Duke was a breath of fresh air from a coaching standpoint.
Anyone noticing any Bennie Blind Spots for Pope in the short amount of times to observe his coaching??

I not sure why Cal ignored all those things as a coach. If he just was not a good coach, or too stubborn to change because his arrogance he thought his way would win no matter what. Or maybe winning was not that important, just getting his pet projects to the NBA.

 

[Mdnerd]

Well, we found out Pope is not afraid to change things up and make adjustments when things are not effective. That's two things his predecessor wouldn't or couldn't do.

He couldn’t, but claimed he wouldn’t, to hide his incompetence.

 

[KentuckyCat420]

I’m straight up nitpicking here but the rotation is too big. Stupid statement on my part because it is working out.. just feel like we would be even more efficient if the rotation was reduced.. in the event of injury, should be easier to introduce a next man up since most everyone is getting playing time.

Pope reduced it mid game.

Chandler and Almonor never saw the floor again after getting a few mins in the 1st half.

Chandler looked completely overmatched and uncomfortable. Almonor hit a 3 but I’m guessing both were removed for defensive reasons since that was the biggest issue of the 1st half.

 

[blue cincy]

Pope is a lot of Rick Pitino mixed with a little Phil Jackson. He talks about the karma of the game and such. He has a good balance of what he is doing. Will be fun watching it grow.

 

[North Carolina Blue Wildcat]

Pope reduced it mid game.

Chandler and Almonor never saw the floor again after getting a few mins in the 1st half.

Chandler looked completely overmatched and uncomfortable. Almonor hit a 3 but I’m guessing both were removed for defensive reasons since that was the biggest issue of the 1st half.

I should have clarified I was referring to the season so far. But yes, he adjusts on the fly and people don’t play as much if they aren’t contributing. Can’t recall the last time Cal sat a high profile kid for not contributing.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I have no issues with anything Pope has said or done so far and that's refreshing.

As long as he wins a national title (or 2) and makes multiple final fours over the next decade or more coaching here, he will be a UK coaching legend.

 

[bowfreak]

In the past we had a random act of coaching here and there from Cal. All season we have seen Pope make adjustments. It is refreshing to say the least.

I was texting friends in the first half about us being manhandled in the first half. I texted that Duke was overplaying like crazy and eventually we are going to start cutting to the basket for an easy bucket. The next time down the court someone cut back door and a Duke player grabbed them to save a bucket prior to the pass being made. I am sure the game was full of these little things too.

 

[BigBlue1992]

I’m straight up nitpicking here but the rotation is too big. Stupid statement on my part because it is working out.. just feel like we would be even more efficient if the rotation was reduced.. in the event of injury, should be easier to introduce a next man up since most everyone is getting playing time.

Not stupid at all. There’s nothing wrong with us looking at the road ahead and critiquing. It was refreshing to play not so great and still beat Duke. However, there is still plenty to work on. Good post!

 

[mcnicKY91]

We saw lots of things almost every game under Cal that were jaw dropping coachable errors being committed repeatedly by his teams. For example.....Zero inbounds plays.....Zero adjustments to out of bounds plays by the opponent....No mixing up the D.....Very poor screens.....Very poor screens defense....etc.
The long pass inbounds play against Duke was a breath of fresh air from a coaching standpoint.
Anyone noticing any Bennie Blind Spots for Pope in the short amount of times to observe his coaching??

Definitely a breath of fresh air.

However, I can only imagine BBNs collective response if the inbounds pass flew over Butler's head and landed out of bounds. Duke would have gotten the ball right underneath their own hoop with 6 sec (or something like that) and only down 2.

Glad it worked out, but that is one of those high risk high, reward plays. No doubt UK has practiced it enough if Pope feels comfortable enough to run it at the end of a big game. But man, not sure if I would have had the stones to call that.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Pope reduced it mid game.

Chandler and Almonor never saw the floor again after getting a few mins in the 1st half.

Chandler looked completely overmatched and uncomfortable. Almonor hit a 3 but I’m guessing both were removed for defensive reasons since that was the biggest issue of the 1st half.

And that's what a good coach does, make adjustments at the half.

I like Chandler and almonor but they are clearly 9th and 10th men in some order for a reason.

 

[bowfreak]

Definitely a breath of fresh air.

However, I can only imagine BBNs collective response if the inbounds pass flew over Butler's head and landed out of bounds. Duke would have gotten the ball right underneath their own hoop with 6 sec (or something like that) and only down 2.

Glad it worked out, but that is one of those high risk high, reward plays. No doubt UK has practiced it enough if Pope feels comfortable enough to run it at the end of a big game. But man, not sure if I would have had the stones to call that.

The only way that goes bad is if nobody touches the ball. Even if it is picked off Duke is going away from their basket and time will be ticking. I loved the call. 100x better than shielding off your man and throwing it over the top.

 

[jeffky]

Nope, we actually have a coach that is way F’ing smarter than us now.

President elect said "we have to protect our geniuses so very few of them " 😃

 

[Soupbean]

Pope reduced it mid game.

Chandler and Almonor never saw the floor again after getting a few mins in the 1st half.

Chandler looked completely overmatched and uncomfortable. Almonor hit a 3 but I’m guessing both were removed for defensive reasons since that was the biggest issue of the 1st half.

Yeah and that may be the only pick I can come up with at all as I watched it live action. Once I saw that Duke extended the defense and took us out of any three point game rotations ointh perimeter, we really needed some kind (any kind) of dribble penetration to attack that as they were so extended they opened up some space behind them. And we tried it but none of the guys out there seemed to be able to get a shoulder by their man and I thought Chandler was our best at that and he never got back in. So thats my only pick at all.

 

[sambowieshin]

Definitely a breath of fresh air.

However, I can only imagine BBNs collective response if the inbounds pass flew over Butler's head and landed out of bounds. Duke would have gotten the ball right underneath their own hoop with 6 sec (or something like that) and only down 2.

Glad it worked out, but that is one of those high risk high, reward plays. No doubt UK has practiced it enough if Pope feels comfortable enough to run it at the end of a big game. But man, not sure if I would have had the stones to call that.

That had to have been something they have practiced repeatedly. Only thing that would have allowed it to work better would have been a better back screen for Butler.
But you're correct. If it had failed, a lot of second guessing by the BBN.

 

[sambowieshin]

Pope is a lot of Rick Pitino mixed with a little Phil Jackson. He talks about the karma of the game and such. He has a good balance of what he is doing. Will be fun watching it grow.

Hopefully Pitino's X's and O's plus Phil Jackson philosophy minus the hookers and whores. 😂

 

[Rondoed]

Definitely a breath of fresh air.

However, I can only imagine BBNs collective response if the inbounds pass flew over Butler's head and landed out of bounds. Duke would have gotten the ball right underneath their own hoop with 6 sec (or something like that) and only down 2.

Glad it worked out, but that is one of those high risk high, reward plays. No doubt UK has practiced it enough if Pope feels comfortable enough to run it at the end of a big game. But man, not sure if I would have had the stones to call that.

That was an old-school Joe B. Hall inbounds play the 1978 team used to run with Kyle Macy throwing the bomb. Kentucky burned Duke with it in both 1978 and 2025. That is what made it even sweeter.

 

[Mike-McD]

I’m straight up nitpicking here but the rotation is too big. Stupid statement on my part because it is working out.. just feel like we would be even more efficient if the rotation was reduced.. in the event of injury, should be easier to introduce a next man up since most everyone is getting playing time though.

If one of Pope's main strategies is fitness and wearing down the other team, we do need to play 9 or 10.

 

[Allcats08]

Pope is a lot of Rick Pitino mixed with a little Phil Jackson. He talks about the karma of the game and such. He has a good balance of what he is doing. Will be fun watching it grow.

That Phil Jackson comparison is spot on. Says things differently than everyone else. Example was the declared cuts, never heard that one before

 

[rob_47]

And that's what a good coach does, make adjustments at the half.

I like Chandler and almonor but they are clearly 9th and 10th men in some order for a reason.

I actually think Travis would give us more than Chandler does but that's just me. Travis is super efficient and incredibly mature with the basketball and his decisions. May give up some defensively but no more than Kerr does.

 

[ruppcat]

I'll give you one example he mentioned. As far as conditioning and maximum effort, they use analytics and practice data to measure exactly how long our players can expend maximum energy before they start to tire and begin to lose efficiency. He said for most players it's usually somewhere in the 6-8 minute range. Jax he said could usually go 11-12 minutes before he started being affected negatively by fatigue. Pope said they use these kinds of metrics to help determine rotations and substitution patterns. They know when a player is likely to begin to fatigue even before it happens and hopefully someone will be subbed out before they make a big mistake because of fatigue.

Now that's impressive.

 

[truebluewildcat]

I feel like any concerns would just be natural by products of a run n gun system.

Passing up 2s…live n die by xyz applies. Great if you’re hitting the deep ball, not so great if you’re clunking them.

We saw that for most of the game the other night. It was clunk city, not only from deep but we missed a lot of layups. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Now duke is one of the best teams we’ll see all year talent and coaching wise. So I’ll chalk most of the clunks, especially inside, up to great Xs Os and jimmy joes on their part.

Going forward I think the mid range and attacking via the lane needs to get cleaned up. There will be plenty of off shooting nights from 3 which is fine that comes with the territory. Need to see some sort of development of consistency inside just to fall back on during the stretches in which the 3s don’t fall.

 

[Catzman]

I'll give you one example he mentioned. As far as conditioning and maximum effort, they use analytics and practice data to measure exactly how long our players can expend maximum energy before they start to tire and begin to lose efficiency. He said for most players it's usually somewhere in the 6-8 minute range. Jax he said could usually go 11-12 minutes before he started being affected negatively by fatigue. Pope said they use these kinds of metrics to help determine rotations and substitution patterns. They know when a player is likely to begin to fatigue even before it happens and hopefully someone will be subbed out before they make a big mistake because of fatigue.

This is the coolest shit I've ever read and it makes so much sense to do.

Even beyond this, what makes Pope a long time coach here for as long as he wants (if he keeps winning and recruiting) is that, unlike Cal, he will adjust to the times. If 3s become old school and the game shifts to stall ball and 50 point games like Bo Ryan's old Wisconsin ball, then by God we will be the best at that after he and the coaches completely rework their approach. He's willing to learn and change and adjust. Something a lot of the older generation coaches struggle with. If he wins, recruits, a championship or 2, he can retire here and have a coach K, Boeheim, Izzo long tenure here and I'd be all for it.

 

[BassProCat]

Yeah I don’t think Coach will need too much help from the BBN Bennie’s…

 

[BassProCat]

View embedded media

Yeah I don’t think Coach will need too much help from the BBN Bennie’s…

Also if Cal ever watched this clip his reaction would be

 

[Ky_Bred_Cat]

Amen brother, and that is a comforting thing.

CMP is so smart...he makes us look like Bennies.

 

[chroix]

My only concern is NIL. He’s shown he’s very smart and put together a well balanced well budgeted team but at some point money could f**k things up at some point.

 

[Cats192]

During the last year or 2 of the Cal era, every game was infuriating. You could always pick out things we were doing wrong. I'm hardly a basketball expert. But it was a constant "Why are we doing stupid $hit."

It's really nice not to have that now.

 

[Cats192]

A few things:

1. We were getting eaten alive by the pick and roll in the 1st half. We weren't in the 2nd half.

2. We ran them to death. Duke fans are burning up Twitter with "Yeah but if we make those shots we beat you." That was part of the game plan. You don't make shots when your legs are dead from running a marathon.