My Predictions for the Rest of the Year

[rnfoster]

Dear fellow Cat fans,

We have had an up and down year. We have witnessed the highs and lows of college basketball in one year already and it is not even March! We lost to Arkansas, but beat Duke, Florida, and Tennessee, but have gone down to teams who we were expected to beat. It has been an emotional roller coaster.

Here are my predictions. We are going to finish up okay, not perfect. We will still lose some games but will finish up respectively and enter the NCAA tournament as a fifth seed. --give or take a seed. As long as Butler stays with us, we will outperform our seed. We will not be an early out, and will make it to at least the 16 and I would not rule out a final four. However, if we are without Butler, I would not be surprised to go out in the round of 16. Pope was the correct hire, as I said from day one, but you need a point guard in the NCAA tournament. Go Cats.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

This team is exactly like last years team to me. The tourney success will be dependent on the matchup

 

[rnfoster]

This team is exactly like last years team to me. The tourney success will be dependent on the matchup

I liked your assessment but would only add that I like Pope's coaching better. People complain about a couple bad coaching games, but let's be real. He was coaching without a point guard. That is difficult and no, our center is not the real point guard. We need Butler healthy for this team to function correctly.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I liked your assessment but would only add that I like Pope's coaching better. People complain about a couple bad coaching games, but let's be real. He was coaching without a point guard. That is difficult and no, our center is not the real point guard. We need Butler healthy for this team to function correctly.

That’s the key difference for sure, but last years team had top end talent to overcome some issues. I think pope makes us a little better.

 

[NociHTTP]

I liked your assessment but would only add that I like Pope's coaching better. People complain about a couple bad coaching games, but let's be real. He was coaching without a point guard. That is difficult and no, our center is not the real point guard. We need Butler healthy for this team to function correctly.

I like Pope a lot, but I'd like him more if his game preparation were better. You're not doing anything in the tournaments trying to come back from second half deficits.

 

[TheDude73]

I like Pope a lot, but I'd like him more if his game preparation were better. You're not doing anything in the tournaments trying to come back from second half deficits.

He has started showing some aggressiveness towards the refs, albeit faint.

And the story about bloodying his hand hitting furniture at Ole Miss was promising.

What he needs now is to put a little Kentucky fire in his coaching. He can be positive, but in order to get kids to listen and take on a persona, especially in the SEC, he needs to throw in some hard to hear constructive criticism with some teeth behind it.

But again, at least we have seen him get a little more animated on the sidelines with the refs. We're in the last month, so if we're going to see anything fire-wise from Positive Pope, it's now or never.

 

[NociHTTP]

He has started showing some aggressiveness towards the refs, albeit faint.

And the story about bloodying his hand hitting furniture at Ole Miss was promising.

What he needs now is to put a little Kentucky fire in his coaching. He can be positive, but in order to get kids to listen and take on a persona, especially in the SEC, he needs to throw in some hard to hear constructive criticism with some teeth behind it.

But again, at least we have seen him get a little more animated on the sidelines with the refs. We're in the last month, so if we're going to see anything fire-wise from Positive Pope, it's now or never.

I hope we see it, too. For me, Saturday's game was a big step in the right direction. The whole "you're going to come to UK and coast" has to stop, it seems he gets it.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

I like Pope a lot, but I'd like him more if his game preparation were better. You're not doing anything in the tournaments trying to come back from second half deficits.

I think their game preparation is elite. The issue is the intensity and rebounding

 

[bucsrule8872]

This team is exactly like last years team to me. The tourney success will be dependent on the matchup

Agreed.

Strong offense, weak defense.

But Pope is a better X and O coach.

And this team has more experience obviously, but less talent/athleticism.

I think, just like last year, it boils down to if we can match our opponent’s intensity.

Both teams have struggled with that.

We paid the price for that tendency last season.

Hope we don’t this season, but I fear that we will. It’s more a question of when instead of if, IMHO.

 

[wccat2969]

It is going to be very important that Pope gets that first NCAA tournament win. First, since Cal had been flaming out in the first round but also because Pope has ZERO tournament wins. I don't expect that to last long but the longer it last, the louder the noise.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

Agreed.

Strong offense, weak defense.

But Pope is a better X and O coach.

And this team has more experience obviously, but less talent/athleticism.

I think, just like last year, it boils down to if we can match our opponent’s intensity.

Both teams have struggled with that.

We paid the price for that tendency last season.

Hope we don’t this season, but I fear that we will. It’s more a question of when instead of if, IMHO.

A terrible matchup for us would be St. John’s. And that a team I see getting paired with.

 

[bucsrule8872]

A terrible matchup for us would be St. John’s. And that a team I see getting paired with.

That’s exactly who we will be put with. The committee would love to do that.

 

[Dontworryboutit23]

That’s exactly who we will be put with. The committee would love to do that.

St. John’s, or ucla, or any team that makes you grind out games In the half court

 

[bucsrule8872]

St. John’s, or ucla, or any team that makes you grind out games In the half court

Pope vs. Pitino storyline is the main reason they would do it. They want to draw eyeballs and that matchup would bring in the average fan and improves ratings.

 

[Dead Cat Bounce]

Agreed.

Strong offense, weak defense.

But Pope is a better X and O coach.

And this team has more experience obviously, but less talent/athleticism.

I think, just like last year, it boils down to if we can match our opponent’s intensity.

Both teams have struggled with that.

We paid the price for that tendency last season.

Hope we don’t this season, but I fear that we will. It’s more a question of when instead of if, IMHO.

I have to believe this team is mentally stronger and more determined than the Kentucky squads that wilted in the tournament in Calipari’s final years. Surely they believe, at least, in Pope.