A championship caliber team?
Is Pope building…….
- Thread starter LXWildcat
- Start date
He's doing the best he can given the circumstances IMO. I definitely think the roster he's built, along with the potential to add a few of the guys he's targeting, will be a competitive team next year. Good enough to win it all? Time will tell, but I don't think the growing pains will be anything we can't handle after the last four seasons.
This season Ill be trilled with an NCAA win.
Hypothetically speaking
But how crazy would it be if Pope hung a banner in his first season?
But how crazy would it be if Pope hung a banner in his first season?
All of the guys we have gotten already and all of the guys we are still in on have different skill sets. My question because most of you would know better than me. For this coming season who are we giving the ball to in a close game, clear out and get us a bucket? Not sure we have that guy yet but feel like some of the ones still deciding are that type of player. From what I’ve read Robinson seems to fit that. Would Wells and Davis also?
Multiple SEC tournament victories, a fun style to watch and at least one NCAA tournament victory. That's my minimum requirement year one regardless of roster.
Getting to the Sweet 16 would be overachieving this year imo
I think he’s building a solid foundation for now and the future. A lot of damage has been done to our program. It’s going to take time and hard work by the coaching staff, and patience from the fans to bring UK Basketball back to life
I believe we have the pieces to have a good team right now. Championship caliber remains to be seen
I have high hopes though. We have a really good start.
It's probably going to take a year, maybe two.
We did OK this weekend, and it seems like we might be landing another 2-3 guys this week.. but I'm still a little underwhelmed. NIL and a great upcoming coach in Pope, still seems to not be quite enough to draw these guys in. Of course, we aren't going to just get everyone.. but to me, it felt like there were too many "Thanks but no thanks" decisions for a place like UK. Is that just how the game is today? Is it something deeper? Remains to be seen.
The hope here is that Pope is just still somewhat unproven right now.. which is why I think these first few seasons are SO pivotal for him. If he can grab an Elite8 next year, that will go a LONG way into showing recruits and transfers that he's for real.
We did OK this weekend, and it seems like we might be landing another 2-3 guys this week.. but I'm still a little underwhelmed. NIL and a great upcoming coach in Pope, still seems to not be quite enough to draw these guys in. Of course, we aren't going to just get everyone.. but to me, it felt like there were too many "Thanks but no thanks" decisions for a place like UK. Is that just how the game is today? Is it something deeper? Remains to be seen.
The hope here is that Pope is just still somewhat unproven right now.. which is why I think these first few seasons are SO pivotal for him. If he can grab an Elite8 next year, that will go a LONG way into showing recruits and transfers that he's for real.
At the very least, he's building a team with synergy instead of a collection of high-potential individual pieces that don't work well together.
I have “Hope in Pope”, but I am also trying to temper expectations. That is a tall order for a returning HOF coach, much less a relatively inexperienced, new Head Coach who has to start out with not just new players and coaches to him, but also new to each other.
I truly believe Kentucky can bring out the best in a coach because of the expectations and history. It can also melt them with the intense heat our fan base brings.
I don’t think Pope is a snowflake. So, I have my fingers crossed!
I truly believe Kentucky can bring out the best in a coach because of the expectations and history. It can also melt them with the intense heat our fan base brings.
I don’t think Pope is a snowflake. So, I have my fingers crossed!
I think Pope is doing great recruiting so far. I think we are three players away from being considered a championship contender assuming those three players are some really good ones
somewhere out there , someone is selling shirts that say "I understand the assignment"
I will be buying one
I'm not going to put crazy expectations on a team assembled from the portal. Been there, done that, have the St. Peters loss to show for it.
But I do like that he is showing he is already in the game and it will only get better year after year for the immediate future.
He youngish, he's likeable and players are going to want to play for him and Kentucky.
I predict good days ahead
I will be buying one
I'm not going to put crazy expectations on a team assembled from the portal. Been there, done that, have the St. Peters loss to show for it.
But I do like that he is showing he is already in the game and it will only get better year after year for the immediate future.
He youngish, he's likeable and players are going to want to play for him and Kentucky.
I predict good days ahead
Bro, easy there man. That's a whole lotta unrealistic craziness to think that year 1.
I have no doubt he will be assembling rosters capable in the near future. Idk about year 1. Pretty good roster coming along, but idk about championship
I have no doubt he will be assembling rosters capable in the near future. Idk about year 1. Pretty good roster coming along, but idk about championship
As people have already stated, he is doing what he can with the cards he has been dealt. Needs to continue filling out the roster for THIS year with the solid players he has signed thus far, and needs to land a couple TOP portal guys with 2 or so. They all can't be studs, but he needs a couple to go with the solid class he is filling out. Keep in mind a lot of these guys have ONE year remaining, meaning they will also have to be replaced next year. So he has two tough assignments, one is fielding a roster competitive for this coming year, second, land a class for the next year as it will be a long list needed also. Not as bad as this one, but will need to sign many guys for the second class. tough chore, but he is grinding and working his ass off. Good thing is, he has a lot more time to build the second class and can be SOME what more selective.
That is why a couple of the guys he has signed are so important not just based on talent, but the fact guys like Oweh, have TWO years remaining so that helps with the next class. He HAS to sign a really solid freshman class for the second year, he can't just depend on portal guys. Need a nice balance. Maybe 5 or so really good freshmen for the next class, mixed with multi year portal guys for this year, Perry and the other freshmen for a second year.
That is why a couple of the guys he has signed are so important not just based on talent, but the fact guys like Oweh, have TWO years remaining so that helps with the next class. He HAS to sign a really solid freshman class for the second year, he can't just depend on portal guys. Need a nice balance. Maybe 5 or so really good freshmen for the next class, mixed with multi year portal guys for this year, Perry and the other freshmen for a second year.
Get back to me in June once the roster is full
You could be right, but I'm not there yet. Some of these guys we got were literally because other players we contacted/wanted first, turned us down. I'd say these guys we got so far, seem to be in the range of a opening weekend NCAA tournament exit as far as their talent goes. I'm not sure I'm seeing a roster that can get to a Sweet16 and beyond, and probably one that won't be ranked for much of the year. But that can certainly change this week,
But I want to emphatically reiterate, the slow start might literally just be because Pope is kind of an unknown.. and that can change (and it probably will change) very quickly.
There's no way of knowing anything until the team gets to know each other, forms some chemistry, and learns a brand new system (offense, defense, coaches, personalities, facilities, operations). It's a LOT. Just look at Arkansas this past season, or other teams that were made entirely of transfers due to a roster overhaul/turnover. Getting a bunch of veterans sounds great, but the intangibles decide if they become a TEAM.
My biggest question: who is the go-to scorer when UK needs a bucket? Who's the guy that will go get you a bucket w/ the clock winding down, trailing by 1-2 points, etc.?
We can't say that person is on the roster ... yet. Not with any decent level of confidence. At least not in my opinion.
My biggest question: who is the go-to scorer when UK needs a bucket? Who's the guy that will go get you a bucket w/ the clock winding down, trailing by 1-2 points, etc.?
We can't say that person is on the roster ... yet. Not with any decent level of confidence. At least not in my opinion.
This is how I would measure Pope's first season expectations...
NCAA Tournament appearance = Expectation
Make it to the Sweet 16/Elite 8 = Dependent on how the season goes
Final 4 Appearance = We are back sooner than expected and has over achieved his first year.
#9 = High expectations for the next 3-4 years.
NCAA Tournament appearance = Expectation
Make it to the Sweet 16/Elite 8 = Dependent on how the season goes
Final 4 Appearance = We are back sooner than expected and has over achieved his first year.
#9 = High expectations for the next 3-4 years.
I think too it’s always hard to leave a known situation to enter an unknown. Yes we are UK and that means a lot but what we show this year will go a long way in drawing future interest. Now that could mean w/l or style of play and for some it will just come down to Nil.
I think he's building a team, espicially if we get Great, that will be much better defensively
and on the boards than last year's Kentucky team. Plus, Pope's teams normally play a
better style offense than Kentucky did(before last year anyway and Cal's new offensive
guru got replaced by KP and Brad). So I think Pope is building a team that will lose less
games and win more tourney games...but championship expectations next year is asking
too much.
and on the boards than last year's Kentucky team. Plus, Pope's teams normally play a
better style offense than Kentucky did(before last year anyway and Cal's new offensive
guru got replaced by KP and Brad). So I think Pope is building a team that will lose less
games and win more tourney games...but championship expectations next year is asking
too much.
Pope is building a championship "program" not necessarily a 24-25 team. There is still going to be a great challenge for him to produce chemistry from these pieces. It can be done and right now I'm thinking this coaching staff can do it. I still think we owe some patience.
I just can't imagine where we would be without the portal during this coaching transition. It could have been really, really bad.
I just can't imagine where we would be without the portal during this coaching transition. It could have been really, really bad.
To be fair without the portal we would have retained some players as well.
One thing that can't be overlooked is what Cal's one and done recruiting philosophy did to our recruiting as a whole. How many 3-4 star players did we sign over the last 5 years or more? Very few were willing to come to UK because they knew they would constantly be recruited over by high profile burger boys. Hard to build a program that way and to Cal's credit, he was successful with it for a few years.
Yeah, the number of players who didn't come to Kentucky because of Calipari's approach to recruiting, I assume, is far greater than the number of athletes we attracted because of his approach.
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Well if he did unlike Tubby nobody will be say he did it with the former coaches players as he is pretty much rebuilding the roster
Don’t even have close to a full roster yet, this post makes zero sense.
Pope’s offense clears out all the time. They don’t just hand the ball to a guy and then empty the floor, though. They have complicated sets and reads so Popes players need to be alert and unselfish.
"Minimum requirement"!? Or what?
Somebody get word to coach Pope that an important Rupp Rafters poster, with a whopping 216 posts. REQUIRES him to meet his expectations.
Good grief, some of you people...
I think he is building a team along the lines of FAU and San Diego State two years ago and to a degree NC State this year -a team full of tough, experienced full grown men who won’t get rattled and with the right draw and luck might do something. There were other teams built that way that didn’t make the Final Four, by the way. So it’s a long shot.
But probably his team will have a better chance to not collapse if some guy from the Horizon League starts hitting shots.
But probably his team will have a better chance to not collapse if some guy from the Horizon League starts hitting shots.
With the short time frame Pope has had to recruit getting to a Sweet 16 would be an achievement this year imo. Not that hard to grasp.
Championship expectations seem a little overzealous to me right now. I think right now he’s assembled what seems to be a high floor roster that should be competitive in most games and can hopefully make the tournament. Lots of experience, and if everyone plays to their track record, they should be a fierce defensive unit. I’m just not sure as of today that we have any truly elite pieces that you look at and say they should be one of the best players in the country, and having 1-2 of those is usually necessary to have a championship ceiling.
There have been some crazy, over-the-top terms thrown around on this board for years but a "Cal Detox" is sure not one of them., at least personally. I have to check and re-check my steps daily. I'm getting there though.
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