‘Cal detox’ is real, man. We are getting back to UK basketball. Feels great.
Is Pope building…….
- Thread starter LXWildcat
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To be fair though, that roster has guys who had already been playing together and most had been to the FF twice, winning a title in 96That’s what they said in 1997-98 as well.
So this will be a little different
That is not a realistic expectation for a new coach taking over a roster of 0 experienced players and only 1 incoming 4 star freshman.
Cal gutted our program because he hated BBN and MB.
Fans need to at least give the man who loves BBN and wants to rebuild the program a chance to do just that.
If things continue the way they’ve been going, I think our team looks like a top 15 team this coming season. So, if they preform up to par I think they make the sweet 16.
Taking some star players from crappy teams isn't going to get Pope far. Pearl, Oats, Cal, Barnes are going to eat him up alive.
Learn to read the room, Bruh. This is a feel good thread. /s
Ultimately, it won’t be the talent on the team that will probably hold us back. It will be the newness. A completely rebuilt roster where no guys have played with anyone else. That is what will be hardest to overcome.
Once we start keeping some of these guys for multiple years, that’s when Kentucky will make a serious move.
Once we start keeping some of these guys for multiple years, that’s when Kentucky will make a serious move.
Think next year will be your championship caliber team. This year just needs to be a solid 25 win sweet 16 type season.
Listened to him on KSR at 11am. Each time Pope goes public you have to just enjoy how he is embracing the challenge. Matt had a lot of questions, Pope answered one at a time. Some he could not give specifics on but others he explained and broke down things. Biggest take away was that they still have 29 guys on their big white board they are deciding on (pros and cons to fit the system), he stated each addition changes the board (which makes sense) and that if gets to 10 guys early he will hold off to fill the last little bit due to guys pulling out of the draft. Sounds like he has a plan.
We need elite shot creation badly…..when your system revolves around a bunch of catch and shoot players somebody has to be great at taking people off the dribble to generate them great looks. Once that piece is or is not obtained we can evaluate the team much more fairly. We also could use some more consistent scoring punch.
Cal couldn't beat Oakland and some community College called St. Pete when he had top 10 talent to work with.
Cal couldn't beat Barnes. Barnes owned him and will continue to own Cal, yet Barnes couldn't beat any other team that really mattered in the NCAA year after year. And the dude is 70 years old.
Pearl is 65 years old. And obviously on the down side of his career. Also, rarely wins a top 10 game that matters unless he is coaching against.....Cal.
Pope is a YOUNG up and comer coach with a lot of energy and a drive to win at HIS ALMA MATER!!
None of these rest home aged coaches are going to beat Pope for very long, if at all.
This and in not sure why posters here get enraged whenever it's pointed out. We took a few guys that don't fit his traditional mold because that's the best available that we could get.
He came in somewhat late and had no experience at high level mbb. I think after this year, we'll look completely different. This year can definitely still be good/very good, but we still have a ways to go.
here are my 5 I would like to get NOW, then save 2 sports for post NBA draft entries (hopefully Robinson BYU being one) No particular order :
1. Deivon Smith PG - Utah
2. Great Osobor - PF - Utah State
3. Adam Mahaney - 2G - St. Marys
4. Koby Brea - 2G - Dayton
5. Javon Small - PG - OSU
A couple nice PG's that can score and dish, couple of 2G's that can flat out shoot it, and the PF Osobor who can score and rebound. Added to the tough, defensive guys we have already signed, this roster would have a very nice balance or scoring, passing, rebounding, and defense. Solid top to bottom. Add Robinson and another great portal guy, this team could make some noise and very deep. Not likely we get all of these, but some are very likely.
1. Deivon Smith PG - Utah
2. Great Osobor - PF - Utah State
3. Adam Mahaney - 2G - St. Marys
4. Koby Brea - 2G - Dayton
5. Javon Small - PG - OSU
A couple nice PG's that can score and dish, couple of 2G's that can flat out shoot it, and the PF Osobor who can score and rebound. Added to the tough, defensive guys we have already signed, this roster would have a very nice balance or scoring, passing, rebounding, and defense. Solid top to bottom. Add Robinson and another great portal guy, this team could make some noise and very deep. Not likely we get all of these, but some are very likely.
You have wisdom.
I will be satisfied with Pope laying a foundation to build on for the future.
I agree. But I do think we will be surprised ..happily so
Pope actually builds a system off the players he has. If we do not have a team that can run the same offense, he will change up how we play. Simple as that. Not sure why everyone thinks Pope has only 1 style of play. Go back and watch games from last year. Depending on who had on the floor they would play one of a few ways.
Anyone that thinks the players we have so far are not good are plain bias when it comes to Pope and this team. They are like Pope said today the four corners of the foundation (meaning Williams, Butler Oweh and Carr). They 29 guys (not 2) that they are looking at right now. Each move has counter moves, each decision makes his board change.
We get Great, a good pg , and Jaxson. Yeah we got a tram with title contender potential likely ranked 10 to 15.
Imo it takes Pope maybe 2 years to figure shit out then he makes the leap.
Cal was instant but Cal was established and brought a monster recruiting class with him. And it was the start of 1 n done before it got figured out.
Imo it takes Pope maybe 2 years to figure shit out then he makes the leap.
Cal was instant but Cal was established and brought a monster recruiting class with him. And it was the start of 1 n done before it got figured out.
He also didn’t have to contend with the portal or NIL at that time so he had some players already here
And even so it took Calipari until his third season to win a title.
I think for Mark he has it figured out, he just has to develop that reputation, that name, needed to attract the top talent
LoL love the passion and excitement...but don't build up personal expectations for next yr
13 brand new players, 0 returning. Probably made up of 1 true frosh & 12 guys who played for 12 diff college teams in '23-24. Coached by a newly assembled staff.
Enjoy a fun tough team learning to play for each other all season & the name on the front. Anything in March is a big big bonus.
13 brand new players, 0 returning. Probably made up of 1 true frosh & 12 guys who played for 12 diff college teams in '23-24. Coached by a newly assembled staff.
Enjoy a fun tough team learning to play for each other all season & the name on the front. Anything in March is a big big bonus.
Cal beat Pearl in Auburn, destroyed Alabama, and beat UT on senior day AGAIN. Saint Peters was a bad loss, but losing to Oakland wasn't on him. I dont know how you stop a guy throwing up 3's blind folded.
Correct, Pearl is 65....and is very excited to play UK next year.
Correct again, Pope is coaching at his Alama Mater. Stats should tell you that it very rarely works out in the coaches favor. Juwan Howard, Patrick Ewing, Matt Daughtery, Kenny Payne.....those were all exciting choices at one time. Pope gives some fans hope, but if KU hired him we'd be laughing for years.
Cal is 9-10 against Barnes, 8-6 against Pearl.
Pearl is really excited when he plays UK with Cal as coach. 3-3 over last 6 games with UK rated higher in almost all of those games.
If Pope wins 50% of his games against those two and Cal, will you treasure him as your coach like you treasure Cal???
I don't think it was a good hire. Gillispie had a better resume.
I dont think building a team full of players from garbage teams can get you far. But I get it, youre excited and have lots of hope...thats great.
I just think our fans should give the man a chance to prove whether he can coach at this level or not.
If he can, great. You have a coach who loves this place and won't trash the program when it comes time to step aside.
If he doesn't work out, we are not stuck with a lifetime contract.
I hope the Cal fans will extend CMP the same amount of grace they gave Cal for the past five years of subpar performance and unacceptable losses.
You'll be ok if we just keep repeating "wait till next year" right?
I'd say if we add Osobor, Brea, and Robinson we would have a top five team so that's a championship contender.
Considering that I think we probably get all 3 I'm feeling pretty optomistic about next year.
Considering that I think we probably get all 3 I'm feeling pretty optomistic about next year.
He’ll need to finalize the remaining pieces in order to truly answer this. But defense wins championships and he is killing it on this front. Have not been this excited for UK basketball since the 1996 season.
Sign Brea and a top flight point guard and the immediate answer is yes. Long-term the answer is yes based on the coaching staff alone.
Who knows. Off the top of my head I’m gonna say no but that’s because we have no idea how all these guys will play together. It will be fun to see how this all comes together though. There is a lot of optimism in BBN, we will all be there to cheer our squad.
Is there a championship level PG out there? I mean we already have Butler who has proven he can get a team there but we need more than 1 guard too.
Holy sh*t man. It was completely on him. Why have all these long athletes? Could have just put one of them on the guy to slow him down just a bit, right?
LMFAO - when has winning at Auburn been beyond UK? Beating UT on senior day. Wow, Mitch should have given him another raise.
The irony is that you are ragging on folks implying that they are lowering their expectations for Pope. All the while your expectations are the lowest of the low.
I’d be perfectly happy with that for year 1 with 0 returning players of any kind.
Marquis Teague was a championship level point guard if you catch my drift. So I think there likely is.
I dont think theres anyone not giving him a chance, but the majority on here remind me a little bit of the football crowd. Theyre very excited until the first game.
The bad thing is, if he is a flop....he'll still get 3 years. I hope he does great, but i have serious doubts.
