Kentucky is one of the few teams doing well without returning players
- Thread starter Smashcat
- Start date
Pope is proving to be an ELITE level coach, from roster construction to Xs and Os. It’s an absolute perfect marriage. Not sure if it could’ve been scripted any better. Soooo glad the “top” targets didn’t come here! He’s gotta be the early favorite for NCOY!
Just another indicator that Mark Pope is one heck of a coach. Imagine how awesome we're going to be when he has players that return for a 2nd & 3rd years under his coaching.
I think this speaks to the type of elite talent that Pope is as a coach.
There is really no reason why UK should be 9-1 with a brand new roster, regardless of experience, with almost zero 5* guys. Credit to them for playing well, but for me Pope has done a phenomenonal job.
There is really no reason why UK should be 9-1 with a brand new roster, regardless of experience, with almost zero 5* guys. Credit to them for playing well, but for me Pope has done a phenomenonal job.
Pedantic quibble with thread title.
It's not that others are struggling, they are struggling to meet the expectations.
Yes Arkansas should be better based on talent.
But those results are better than last year.
People used to complain that Cal didn't do as much with great talent. But I'd take that over Pitino overachieving with the trash he brought in to Louisville.
It's not that others are struggling, they are struggling to meet the expectations.
Yes Arkansas should be better based on talent.
But those results are better than last year.
People used to complain that Cal didn't do as much with great talent. But I'd take that over Pitino overachieving with the trash he brought in to Louisville.
Yes. A little misleading. Vanderbilt for instance is much better than last year but worse than Miyas expectations?
Likewise, SMU is better with Enfield, while USC is better with Musselman, while Arkansas is better with Calipari.
Oklahoma didn’t have a coaching change, but they overhauled their roster (other than Moore) and are looking much better.
Do you think Pope's system will be dependent on getting upperclassmen through the portal every year? Can a typical freshman learn his intricate offense well enough to contribute in year one? It's exciting to get a super-talented top 10 kid, but will his lack of experience keep him off the floor, only to leave in June for the draft? There aren't too many Reed Sheppards out there.
Good question. I think we'll continue to see a mix under Pope with some top freshmen who might do well Under Pope in their first year and others who may stay 2 plus years developing. I like what I see from Pope so far and trust that things will just getter better under his leadership. Plus, if he continues to have a very successful season more kids will want to play for him.
In a recent Lex. HL article, Cody Fueger discussed that that is what they strive for, as their system is at its best with multi-year players. The indication is that Pope’s goal is to build the core of his team with returning players who actually play a large role. That sounds good to me, as that is the type of team building model that give the best chance for championships today.
