I WOULD TAKE MARK POPE OVER JOHN CALIPARI 8 DAYS A WEEK!!!!!

[Seth_C]

I’m with you. He was by no means my first (or 10th) choice, and my anger is with Mitch and his…incompetence would be too nice, but you get the idea.

Will the hire work out? I have to hope so because if not Kentucky basketball may be over as we know it. It’s a high risk choice, but if it works out the reward is he is the person least likely to ever want to leave. He could coach UK for the next 25 years if successful. We will see.

 

[Bluesbrother]

UNC hired an assistant and went to the title game. Duke hired an assistant and is doing very well.

Pope has a genius level IQ. He was up for Rhodes Scholar. With UK resources and if boosters back him , he’ll do well.

The game is a lot of paying money to get favors , refs calls, and recruits anyways so if we just spend the saved 4 million on that, we should do fine.

... but, if you have to "buy" the favor, is it really a favor?

 

[Myth Buster51]

Well go back and look. We got rid of the guy who lost those games and replaced him with the same thing.

I haven’t gone back and looked, but I've never heard of Pope running a players-first program, nor “building” a gold-standard program with one-and-dones straight out of high school. While I haven’t looked, I haven’t heard Pope ever announce that his priority as a college head coach is to get his players into the NBA as opposed to winning games and championships for the college program with whom he is employed.

I won't ever agree that with Pope UK has replaced Calipari with the same thing.

 

[Dirt Court King]

This past season Pope's BYU team beat #11 Baylor & #7 Kansas at Kansas. No Pope wasn't my 1st choice but I bet you he does better than Calipari has done over the last 9 years. I've got a feeling that Pope might do surprisingly well.

I agree we’re just gonna have to all band together and give Mark Pope a chance he’s a lot better than all these people they want to give $12 million to that didn’t want to be here. Mark Pope wants to be here.!!!

 

[Jamal Mercer]

He’s averaged 12 losses per season, never won a conference, never won an NCAAT game, has gotten one top 100 recruit in his career. In no world is he qualified to be the coach at Kentucky. This is banana land stuff

JFHogs22.

Go support your boy, slappy!

 

[TankedCat]

the return of Pitino's Bombino's?

show this to Big Z and he ain't going anywhere

watch this and tell you aren't excited about Kentucky doing this with better players

 

[bookerfan66]

I’m not kidding when I say I would have taken ANYONE over Cal.

I’m happy Cal is gone.

I honestly can’t even fathom why anyone still wanted him. He was no longer the guy for UK. And it was painfully obvious. Unfortunately, the Cal fans will be here telling us all their thoughts for the next few months.

No doubt but we can't get better than a guy who's never won a tourney game?It's not about Cal to me.

 

[bookerfan66]

the return of Pitino's Bombino's?

show this to Big Z and he ain't going anywhere

watch this and tell you aren't excited about Kentucky doing this with better players

View embedded media

No wonder people are laughing at UK.People actually excite about Mark Pope.

 

[TankedCat]

No wonder people are laughing at UK.People actually excite about Mark Pope.

I am, and I won't let anyone make me feel bad about it.

Zoom offense with a 64% assist rate and a ton of backdoor cuts with Kentucky players would be fun to watch

 

[know1]

I am, and I won't let anyone make me feel bad about it.

Same.

 

[chevyman 50]

Was out of the loop yesterday afternoon and last night and woke up to the news. Read a couple of articles early this morning (all of them scratching their heads at the hire...which is understandable I guess) but didn't see anything about Pitino recommending him. Where did you hear that? Did Mitch talk with Pitino either about the job or recommendations?

Not sure where I seen it I have read so much on this hard to remember where I seen it, of course he played for Pitino but I did see he was also recommended by him somewhere.

 

[TankedCat]

Not sure where I seen it I have read so much on this hard to remember where I seen it, of course he played for Pitino but I did see he was also recommended by him somewhere.

saw a quote from Pitino saying this is a dream come true for him because a captain from his championship team is now coach

It seemed sincere - or as sincere as Pitino is capable of being

 

[BlazerHallsBallsN96]

This past season Pope's BYU team beat #11 Baylor & #7 Kansas at Kansas. No Pope wasn't my 1st choice but I bet you he does better than Calipari has done over the last 9 years. I've got a feeling that Pope might do surprisingly well.

If you look at all the details especially with mixing defenses in and a good confusion zone this is exactly the type of team that gives the cow the most trouble

 

[BlazerHallsBallsN96]

I'm glad we're not going to be a farm team for the NBA anymore. Hated trying to learn 14 new players names and numbers every year. That wasn't Kentucky basketball.

Never could shake that feeling that Cal was pimping us out just to get kids paid. Now we have a guy who truly bleeds blue and knows the game. Give him a chance guys.

It wasn't a feeling my brother he outright said it and proved it with his actions till the very end. I told my girlfriend when I saw him sticking with Wagner and Edwards no matter what he had thrown the game already and their exposure was more important than the win. Yet still that cow turd piece of shit thought he could play UK for more money after delivering that shit sandwich. Thank God cow is gone

 

[jwphelps]

This past season Pope's BYU team beat #11 Baylor & #7 Kansas at Kansas. No Pope wasn't my 1st choice but I bet you he does better than Calipari has done over the last 9 years. I've got a feeling that Pope might do surprisingly well.

Amen

 

[jwphelps]

This past season Pope's BYU team beat #11 Baylor & #7 Kansas at Kansas. No Pope wasn't my 1st choice but I bet you he does better than Calipari has done over the last 9 years. I've got a feeling that Pope might do surprisingly well.

Pope can coach, Cal can yell that tells you all you need to know.

 

[Jamal Mercer]

If Pope can recruit...at all.......we will be fine.

 

[anonymous_2011]

I changed my tune when I saw freaking BYU was in everyones "To early top 25"

Plus if the goal is to get older well bring some of those 30 year old Mormons.

He will win the press conference

 

[ukfan117]

What did Bob Knight do before Indiana? What did Coach K do before Duke? I know those are rare examples but o act like a guy who had moderate success at a place that may be one of the hardest in the country to recruit too shows some promise. If he sucks, he will be gone quick. So give him a chance, if it doesn’t work then take it out on Mitch and get him fired. That’s all I can say about the hire.

Coach K almost got fired at Duke in his first few years. Hurley was the same with UCONN in his first few years and he has UCONN in the position to be a dynasty.

Even though it might not be the hire I wanted, Pope is better than another year with Calipari who was using Kentucky in the end.

 

[jwphelps]

This past season Pope's BYU team beat #11 Baylor & #7 Kansas at Kansas. No Pope wasn't my 1st choice but I bet you he does better than Calipari has done over the last 9 years. I've got a feeling that Pope might do surprisingly well.

Pope did something Cal couldn't do this year and that was beat Kansas.