I'm hoping some of the elite coaches leave the SEC.

[Son_Of_Saul]

Presently, this conference is historically great. There is no greater collection of coaches out there. Right now, it's going to be a murderer's row each season going forward, so long as Golden, Oats, Pearl, Beard, Gates, Jans, Moser, and Barnes are in this league.

We need two or three of those guys to leave if we're going to keep pace with Kansas in the all-time wins lead. I'm hoping Golden takes the Indiana job. I don't want to deal with him over the next decade. Oats to UNC wouldn't be bad either, or even if he decided to jump to the NBA.

And for those of you who suggest that Kentucky needs these other elite teams in order to prepare for March, that's fallacy. UK dominated college basketball when the SEC was top-heavy with just three or four great teams (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2012).

 

[MonsterMash79]

Presently, this conference is historically great. There is no greater collection of coaches out there. Right now, it's going to be a murderer's row each season going forward, so long as Golden, Oats, Pearl, Beard, Gates, Jans, Moser, and Barnes are in this league.

We need two or three of those guys to leave if we're going to keep pace with Kansas in the all-time wins lead. I'm hoping Golden takes the Indiana job. I don't want to deal with him over the next decade. Oats to UNC wouldn't be bad either, or even if he decided to jump to the NBA.

And for those of you who suggest that Kentucky needs these other elite teams in order to prepare for March, that's fallacy. UK dominated college basketball when the SEC was top-heavy with just three or four great teams (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2012).

Sounds like somebody wants their conference back lol. Let’s join the ACC lmfao

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I like it what it is now, Kentucky just needs to get healthy and stay that way for a full year

 

[Larry Skaggs]

Look for South Carolina and LSU to get great coaches and then every game will be tough.
SEC basketball is here to stay.
It will make Pope that much better

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Sounds like somebody wants their conference back lol. Let’s join the ACC lmfao

Absolutely. I want to win 30 plus games a year, compete for a elite eights and final fours, and dominate the SEC.

I thought these were things that all Kentucky fans wanted, but I'm sure that there's fans that like 7-7 records and 7th or 8th place finishes in the SEC.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I like it what it is now, Kentucky just needs to get healthy and stay that way for a full year

Kentucky wasn't going to win this league, even if healthy. A healthy Kentucky team finishes 12-6 at best and probably more like 11-7 or 10-8.

 

[Cawood86]

Disagree with the post. Competition creates who you are. This league is exactly how I'd like it to remain.

 

[NociHTTP]

I will NEVER be okay with winning with handicaps. Ever. The other teams have the same issues. Enough of the excuses.

 

[UK67KU59]

Disagree with the post. Competition creates who you are. This league is exactly how I'd like it to remain.

I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t want the SEC to be THIS good 🤪. But if we are a top 4 conference every year and top 2 regularly I think that’s good for us.

 

[HeismaNole]

For years, this conference never gave a shit about basketball unless they were playing Kentucky.

This should be fully embraced. But with NIL, I imagine everything is going to look different every single year.

 

[Edgarman]

I’m somewhere in the middle. I don’t want the SEC to be THIS good 🤪. But if we are a top 4 conference every year and top 2 regularly I think that’s good for us.

If we can't compete for the championship of the SEC because it is so strong, how the heck do you expect us to win anything in the NCAA if we can't win our conference. I would love to see the top ten team in the nation to all be SEC teams. What a fun season that would be. If we can't compete, find a coach who can and will. Think how great it would be to sit in Rupp and see a top 10 team roll in to play us during the SEC season.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I don't see it ever going back to the way it was. 3 regular season titles and 3 sec tournament titles n a 10 season period going forward will be considered a great success.

 

[Zissou87]

Presently, this conference is historically great. There is no greater collection of coaches out there. Right now, it's going to be a murderer's row each season going forward, so long as Golden, Oats, Pearl, Beard, Gates, Jans, Moser, and Barnes are in this league.

We need two or three of those guys to leave if we're going to keep pace with Kansas in the all-time wins lead. I'm hoping Golden takes the Indiana job. I don't want to deal with him over the next decade. Oats to UNC wouldn't be bad either, or even if he decided to jump to the NBA.

And for those of you who suggest that Kentucky needs these other elite teams in order to prepare for March, that's fallacy. UK dominated college basketball when the SEC was top-heavy with just three or four great teams (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2012).

I completely agree, but would replace Porter with Buzz. That seat in Oklahoma is pretty hot right now.

 

[OliverSimmonstwinbrother]

Outside of the NBA there aren't any better jobs then where they are at now. The "blue blood" jobs aren't as appealing anymore, our last search proved that. With NIL you can win anywhere if your a decent enough coach.

 

[KingofHedgehogs]

This is like the Yankees complaining about not playing high school teams any more. It makes UK, and you, look bad as though the only reason UK was successful is because of a weak conference...which put them in a better chance via seed....to win in the tourney.

Alabama could succeed in a football dominated conference and ultimately is still the face of the SEC.....if UK can't do the same when other teams get more serious than UK never deserved to be the face of the SEC in bb.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Kentucky wasn't going to win this league, even if healthy. A healthy Kentucky team finishes 12-6 at best and probably more like 11-7 or 10-8.

Yeah but we can’t rag on Louisville for how terrible their conference is and then Say we want good coaches to leave our league. Kentucky with a fully healthy roster all year is 22-5 or 21-6 right now. They beat vandy the first time if butler is good, and they beat Arkansas and Texas if both are healthy.

 

[Wildcats1st]

We needed to land nate oates. Pope is like the 6-7th best coach in the league and that don’t fly

 

[65pacecar]

I like the conference having strong coaches but hate the new structure with Oklahoma, Missouri, Texas teams etc. The “super conferences “ are a bit ridiculous across the NCAA.

 

[Lempface]

Kentucky wasn't going to win this league, even if healthy. A healthy Kentucky team finishes 12-6 at best and probably more like 11-7 or 10-8.

And winning games against all major rivals we faced? Hell of a season by Pope, derailed by injuries. Future is bright, let the rest of the league do whatever they do, I wouldn't trade coaches with any of em.

 

[jwphelps]

Presently, this conference is historically great. There is no greater collection of coaches out there. Right now, it's going to be a murderer's row each season going forward, so long as Golden, Oats, Pearl, Beard, Gates, Jans, Moser, and Barnes are in this league.

We need two or three of those guys to leave if we're going to keep pace with Kansas in the all-time wins lead. I'm hoping Golden takes the Indiana job. I don't want to deal with him over the next decade. Oats to UNC wouldn't be bad either, or even if he decided to jump to the NBA.

And for those of you who suggest that Kentucky needs these other elite teams in order to prepare for March, that's fallacy. UK dominated college basketball when the SEC was top-heavy with just three or four great teams (1993, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2012).

I doubt that happens only a hand full of schools outside the SEC pay what the SEC does.

 

[BC_Wader]

No way I want these coaches to leave. I don't want the league to turn into the ACC and have people say we dominated the conference but will have trouble come March because we played nobody. This is Kentucky. I've always wanted the league to be strong like it is now. Why run from competition? Yeah it sucks we are losing games but we wouldn't be in this situation with a healthy roster. It's a tall order going to a place like Bama and wining without our two best players. Let's get these two back and make a run.

 

[65pacecar]

We needed to land nate oates. Pope is like the 6-7th best coach in the league and that don’t fly

Good coach but can’t stand to watch him whine and work the refs constantly, glad he is not at KY.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

We needed to land nate oates. Pope is like the 6-7th best coach in the league and that don’t fly

Why are you still continuing this tired narrative. You have watched the wins he has gotten and the energy back in to the fanbase, and then you sit here and say oh I want Nate oats. Oats was never coming here, pope has been great.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

This current state is just how it's going to be for at least a while. Too much money and prestige. We just have to get used to it. We also need to hope we can adjust to avoid annually being middle of the pack.

 

[Edgarman]

We needed to land nate oates. Pope is like the 6-7th best coach in the league and that don’t fly

How in hell can you rank Pope 6th or 7th or even first when he hasn't coached a full season and actually has not even had a recruiting season yet. Don't be a Karen and fall all to hell because we are a middle of the conference team. Don't even use injuries as an excuse because every team in the SEC have and are dealing with injuries. Give Pope 3 recruiting cycles and then if we are a middle of the conference team, then he is a 6th or 7th ranked coach. Until then I would be ashamed to pass judgement on Pope. He is a good man and coach. That is all we actually know about him this early in his job.

 

[Ron Mehico]

The only thing I don’t like about the SEC is the fact that its style of play is extremely physical and therefore ends up beating us up and causing injuries. That part is awful and extremely self defeating. HOWEVER, I love us being in exciting games every single week and still being a top 4 NCAA seed even with multiple losses. Not sure how you can’t be happy about that.

 

[kywildcat41035]

Why are you still continuing this tired narrative. You have watched the wins he has gotten and the energy back in to the fanbase, and then you sit here and say oh I want Nate oats. Oats was never coming here, pope has been great.

Don’t get me wrong I love Pope but problem is we have Mitch as an AD and he wouldn’t be able to get anything right if it smacked him right in the face! Oats, Pearl, and Hurley all would’ve been great candidates but we all know that Mitch never really made a serious offer to any of them!

 

[JimboBBN]

We are Kentucky. This is a weak mindset to have IMO. Let’s beat them at their best. Not when they’re handing us wins. The better the conference the better for Pope and UK

 

[Fadhi]

Absolutely. I want to win 30 plus games a year, compete for a elite eights and final fours, and dominate the SEC.

I thought these were things that all Kentucky fans wanted, but I'm sure that there's fans that like 7-7 records and 7th or 8th place finishes in the SEC.

Auburn only has one SEC loss. You just have to be good

 

[seccats04]

We needed to land nate oates. Pope is like the 6-7th best coach in the league and that don’t fly

As of right now, I agree. Hope to be proven wrong in five years but if it’s five more years of 10 plus loss seasons on top of Cal’s flameout the last five years, we are looking more and more like Indiana, I’m afraid.

 

[Stretch98]

We want the SEC to be hands down the strongest conference. The best conference gets the best TV contracts, i.e., the most money and the highest exposure, which attracts the best players. Golden to IU and/or Oats to UNC boosts those conferences and weakens the SEC. The SEC brand needs to continue growing with no setbacks, period.

 

[Digger-Cat]

@Ron Mehico is right, the SEC is extremely physical, every game is a dang car wreck, but that's the only part of this I don't like.
Mark is going to learn from this season and he will get those stronger 'Oweh' type guys that can sustain the physicality.

The thing CMP needs to work on, is consistency. You can't beat duke and Gonzaga, then get housed by Ohio State by 20, you can't look lifeless in games against Georgia, Vandy, Texas etc… He has to win the games he's supposed to win and rise up against the top teams he plays.

As far as KU and the all time wins lead, it looks to me like Bill Self is at the beginning of his down-swing and he's going to milk the street cred he got from that 2022 title for a long time.

 

[seccats04]

Don’t get me wrong I love Pope but problem is we have Mitch as an AD and he wouldn’t be able to get anything right if it smacked him right in the face! Oats, Pearl, and Hurley all would’ve been great candidates but we all know that Mitch never really made a serious offer to any of them!

We could’ve easily gotten Pearl. He would’ve crawled on his knees to Lexington and brought most of his number one team with him. Granted, we would probably only get him for five good years at his age but that would’ve been perfect to see if Pope is legit or not before coming to UK. Pope had one good season at BYU and has never won a tournament game so he is still largely unproven. Big gamble for UK.

 

[MonsterMash79]

Absolutely. I want to win 30 plus games a year, compete for a elite eights and final fours, and dominate the SEC.

I thought these were things that all Kentucky fans wanted, but I'm sure that there's fans that like 7-7 records and 7th or 8th place finishes in the SEC.

And you can win all those games with no competition.. What fan wants to be 500? Nobody I hope lol. I’m sure Kansas wants to dominate the Big 12 again too..

 

[Digger-Cat]

Two other points I want to make:

1) The biggest goal is national titles, the best way to win titles, is to get a good seed. Well, we have 9 losses and we are still a 3 seed. We lost by 13 last night and actually MOVED UP in the NET. Our defensive efficiency went up, even though we gave up 94 points. That's unreal. It's because we keep playing top tier competition.

2) I love CMP, but Nate Oats does one thing I really like. He hates losing and when they lose, he grits his teeth and has an anger about him in press conferences and refuses to lose the next game. That drive carries over to his players and they do everything they can to refuse to lose. That's a personality that I like seeing in coaches.
I know it rubs some people the wrong way, but I love seeing my coach get angry at losses and hold his players accountable and do everything possible to make sure it never happens again.

Alabama got smoked by UK last year, they used that loss as motivation and it carried them all the way to the FF.

 

[CaptainBoogerBuns]

For years, this conference never gave a shit about basketball unless they were playing Kentucky.

This should be fully embraced. But with NIL, I imagine everything is going to look different every single year.

Preach. Kentucky has more SEC titles than all the other schools combined. That says more about a historical rec-league conference than it does about Kentucky.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Two other points I want to make:

1) The biggest goal is national titles, the best way to win titles, is to get a good seed. Well, we have 9 losses and we are still a 3 seed. We lost by 13 last night and actually MOVED UP in the NET. Our defensive efficiency went up, even though we gave up 94 points. That's unreal. It's because we keep playing top tier competition.

2) I love CMP, but Nate Oats does one thing I really like. He hates losing and when they lose, he grits his teeth and has an anger about him in press conferences and refuses to lose the next game. That drive carries over to his players and they do everything they can to refuse to lose. That's a personality that I like seeing in coaches.
I know it rubs some people the wrong way, but I love seeing my coach get angry at losses and hold his players accountable and do everything possible to make sure it never happens again.

Alabama got smoked by UK last year, they used that loss as motivation and it carried them all the way to the FF.

It’s only Popes SECOND year coaching in a major conference. He’s arguably our least experienced coach we’ve ever had. I really think with more experience and seasoning he’s going to be a homerun. He has a lot to learn, and looking at lots of other coaches first years he’s doing phenomenal. With his passion and hard work I expect to see a very different coach in a lot of ways in 5 years.

 

[Digger-Cat]

It’s only Popes SECOND year coaching in a major conference. He’s arguably our least experienced coach we’ve ever had. I really think with more experience and seasoning he’s going to be a homerun. He has a lot to learn, and looking at lots of other coaches first years he’s doing phenomenal. With his passion and hard work I expect to see a very different coach in a lot of ways in 5 years.

Oh yeah, I am glad we have Pope, in the long term, he's the best guy for the job. Oats feels like a guy that is looking for the next big thing, which might be the NBA.
Pope is definitely the right guy, but I would have been very happy to have a guy like Iats that gets angry when he loses.

 

[Wildcats1st]

As of right now, I agree. Hope to be proven wrong in five years but if it’s five more years of 10 plus loss seasons on top of Cal’s flameout the last five years, we are looking more and more like Indiana, I’m afraid.

Forget IU we will be in a category all to ourselves. We needed a legit ego driven coach. That’s how uk bb thrives.

 

[know1]

We're Kentucky. We shouldn't be resorting to hoping our competition gets weaker. We should just get better.