NBA posters removed from practice gym

[KAB Cats]

Sure. And I absolutely agree with that.

But, you gotta lean into the NBA, at least a bit, if you want to recruit the Jasper Johnsons of the world.

And taking down posters of past Cal-era NBA players? I think it's counter-productive. But, that's just my opinion. I'm willing to see how this play out.

And say what you will, Cal never slandered the past two coaches that did next to nothing (I still feel that 98 title was just as much as Pitinos because Tubby did nothing but decline after that).. so it's at least a little interesting to see Pope take a bit of a shot at the past regime.. a regime that has quite a few banners in the rafters.. before ever coaching a single game. These statements better be backed with wins (such as talking about how our defense is just going to lock down opposing PGs)

I find this whole thing to be.. very.. peculiar? For lack of better word?

We will see, I'm probably wrong.

No one, including Mark Pope, is saying Kentucky is not a great place to go the the NBA. There is something to be said, however, about playing for more than yourself. I’d argue that’s actually a more conducive environment for advancing your life. I’ll leave it at that

 

[bbncal02]

And say what you will, Cal never slandered the past two coaches that did next to nothing (I still feel that 98 title was just as much as Pitinos because Tubby did nothing but decline after that).. so it's at least a little interesting to see Pope take a bit of a shot at the past regime.. a regime that has quite a few banners in the rafters.. before ever coaching a single game. These statements better be backed with wins (such as talking about how our defense is just going to lock down opposing PGs)

Cal was a good ambassador. And was a good coach here up until a few years ago.

That being said, Pope understands the fan base was absolutely tired of the same old tired stuff. So he's trying his best to move in an opposite direction. Which is what you have to do in most situations when you take a new management job.

 

[Skyguyb27]

According to some, top talent will immediately cease coming to UK because we don’t put the players first.

They also said recruiting will die soon as Cal left and we would never find a coach to bring us back.

 

[WeWant9]

I don’t have an issue with an area honoring ALL UK players who made it to the NBA, but it doesn’t need to be in the practice facility.

 

[KAB Cats]

I mean, the other elephant in the room is that with the exception of John Walls and some others, any player going to Fayetteville and putting on an Arkansas practice jersey is a liability to Kentucky.

Kentucky is bigger than Calipari. One day we will make peace, but it is what it is

 

[Skyguyb27]

Isn’t there a huge mural in the Locke room area of players in the NBA? How many places do the Cal era players need pictures up? I don’t see anything wrong with making practice about getting better and championship banners.

 

[KAB Cats]

Isn’t there a huge mural in the Locke room area of players in the NBA? How many places do the Cal era players need pictures up? I don’t see anything wrong with making practice about getting better and championship banners.

That’s down too I believe

 

[RunninRichie]

College basketball can no longer be just "about the name on the front of the jersey". Any school that tries to do it this way will be dead in 10 years, maybe less.

Great players want to play for winning programs? Lol, explain Rutgers landing two top5 players. This isn't college football. The college programs NEED the players.. the players don't need Duke or UK.

You HAVE to cater to the player in college basketball, at least a bit. That's just the way basketball works. It's a player driven sport, not a team driven sport.

Does UCONN have posters of their NBA players in their gym?

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

I can’t imagine going into Duke, UNC, UConn, or Kansas and seeing NBA posters up in their practice facility. Glad they’re gone. Say what you want about this NIL era but I haven’t seen any teams all of a sudden becoming powerhouses. They claimed Southern Cal & UCLA would. It’s still the same schools with rich tradition who are dominating football and basketball.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I can’t imagine going into Duke, UNC, UConn, or Kansas and seeing NBA posters up in their practice facility. Glad they’re gone. Say what you want about this NIL era but I haven’t seen any teams all of a sudden becoming powerhouses. They claimed Southern Cal & UCLA would. It’s still the same schools with rich tradition who are dominating football and basketball.

I mean it's really just UCONN dominating in the brief NIL era n basketball.

 

[RunninRichie]

I mean it's really just UCONN dominating in the brief NIL era n basketball.

Kansas, UNC, Duke have all made final fours since 2020. So has UCLA. Kansas has a title, and UNC a runner up.

 

[BBNinSC]

Sure. And I absolutely agree with that.

But, you gotta lean into the NBA, at least a bit, if you want to recruit the Jasper Johnsons of the world.

And taking down posters of past Cal-era NBA players? I think it's counter-productive. But, that's just my opinion. I'm willing to see how this play out.

And say what you will, Cal never slandered the past two coaches that did next to nothing (I still feel that 98 title was just as much as Pitinos because Tubby did nothing but decline after that).. so it's at least a little interesting to see Pope take a bit of a shot at the past regime.. a regime that has quite a few banners in the rafters.. before ever coaching a single game. These statements better be backed with wins (such as talking about how our defense is just going to lock down opposing PGs)

I find this whole thing to be.. very.. peculiar? For lack of better word?

We will see, I'm probably wrong.

You’re too caught up in the removal of the posters. They should have never been there. There is no statement to be made here, it’s only cleaning up a dumb idea someone had to hang them there in the first place.

 

[bbncal02]

You’re too caught up in the removal of the posters. They should have never been there. There is no statement to be made here, it’s only cleaning up a dumb idea someone had to hang them there in the first place.

I don't think it's a dumb idea to celebrate former player's accomplishments. A lot of programs in colleges do that including academic departments. It's a way to sell your programs to people. If a medical program has a Nobel winner you can be damn sure that person's name will be SOMEWHERE on campus. I do agree that may have not been the spot for them, but acknowledging the player's accomplishments is a good thing. Always.

 

[bbncal02]

Kansas, UNC, Duke have all made final fours since 2020. So has UCLA. Kansas has a title, and UNC a runner up.

UCLA seems to have been a fluke, they've sucked since then.

UNC, jury is still out.

Kansas sadly has done decently, albeit not great from them last year.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

I think it's at least a little egotistical to think Kentucky is a Ferrari at this point, or maybe at any point that wasn't 1950, 1998, or 2014. Ask the top150 recruits if they can tell you anything about UK's basketball history, as opposed to anything about UK's current NBA players.

But, we can see how this goes. I dont believe Pope will take this much further.. or at least I hope not. So it's probably not going to matter.

But this is 10,000% a statement move, and I don't really like that. I'd rather coaches just leave the past be.

I teach and mentor young people for a living. I'm not sure many of them could tell you who the president was before Obama, let alone anything about UK's, or Duke's, or Kansas' history (at least before they get to my class).

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

It helps to be UK, sure. But ask Tubby and BCG about their recruiting. Again, it's not always about the name on front of the jersey, like some of you think it is. It's wild to see some of you still be bewildered when we don't land a recruit.

And I don't know how else to tell you this, but North-****ing-New Jersey just out recruited Kentucky and basically everyone else for 2024.

Jersey.

Jersey!

If that doesn't tell you how much this is a player driven league, then I don't know what else to tell you.

I actually like the way Duke handled it. Coach K and his staff utilized the following strategy in the last 10-15 years:

1. Publicly remind the players and general public what an "honor" and "privilege" it was to play at Duke and how the players were a part of a sacred "legacy." Fans love to hear that stuff and it's a good instructional reminder for the players as well because there is truth to it. This helps players stay level.

2. Publicly also remind the fans that without the players, there is no program. Coach K was constantly chiming in on how he's nothing without his players. This helps the fans stay level.

3. Privately do everything in your power to assuage the recruits families of any fear that their son will be held back. Promote, "We're going to prepare him for a career and life." Here, "set for life" is actually a brilliant tactic, and if Cal had been wise, he would have stolen it from Duke.

You make some good points. Pope will still have to ultimately deliver the same thing Cal did for players if Pope wants to land guys like Caleb Wilson. Those guys DO care about what Julius Randle and Tyrese Maxey and SGA are doing in the league, and those players care if those guys still care about Kentucky. They also want to know if Kentucky still cares about them.

I believe we can have it all, but some of BBN seems ready to jettison our NBA pipeline, and that's foolish if you're going to win the recruiting long game.

 

[NC Weasel]

I don't think it really matters about the player pictures. A new coach HAS to put their own stamp on a program. So change is needed and necessary.

Take down the pics. Big Blue Madness at Memorial. And probably dozens more.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Did anyone consider if Calipari took the pictures with him?

I could see him doing that, particularly since he takes credit for those guys being in the NBA.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

According to some, top talent will immediately cease coming to UK because we don’t put the players first.

I'd feel a lot better about supporting this post if we had already landed a top 10 kid from outside the state.

Maybe we get that kid in Wilson, but he still has three or four visits to take. Time will tell if Pope can beat out the big dogs for non-Kentucky natives.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Kansas, UNC, Duke have all made final fours since 2020. So has UCLA. Kansas has a title, and UNC a runner up.

I'd feel a lot better about supporting this post if we had already landed a top 10 kid from outside the state.

Maybe we get that kid in Wilson, but he still has three or four visits to take. Time will tell if Pope can beat out the big dogs for non-Kentucky natives.

Wilson is a huge get if Pope can close the deal. You aren't gonna get multiple top local guys every off season. KY doesn't have the depth to do that as a state.

 

[chroix]

Good. For the incoming kids and the fans.

 

[Titpwhami2014]

I would have settled for two national championships under Calipari. He had the talent to win 4-5. But I would have settled for two. Will bother me for the rest of my life!

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I would have settled for two national championships under Calipari. He had the talent to win 4-5. But I would have settled for two. Will bother me for the rest of my life!

Pitino had the talent to win 3 or 4. Hall had the talent to win 3 or 4.

UK coaches only winning 1 title is nothing new. Fans just think not winning more with raw freshmen talent is worse than not winning more with experienced very talented rosters for some reason.

 

[LineSkiCat14]

Does UCONN have posters of their NBA players in their gym?

Do we know that they dont?

I don't know, you want to recruit top guys, whose goal is to go to the NBA.. why NOT have some posters up of past great players, some of them wearing their NBA jerseys, of the team paying them $40mil/year? I just don't see the problem with that.

I'd also have posters up of past greats going back to the 50s. I'd have Pitino up there because he's still a damn good coach. I'd lean into ALL of it.

1987 had a good point: kentucky isn't going to have two top25 in-state recruits very often (was this the first time ever?). You have to take every advantage you can get, and that might at times mean, pointing to all the great past UK players in the NBA.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

Eh, don't like this.

For starters, they ARE a part of UK history, and our current players, and the players we will recruit for the next 15 years, idolize these guys.

On top of that, how can you possibly try and recruit top25 Talent, players that want to go to the NBA (Guys that we know Pope is going after), and then make this pseudo anti-NBA statement? These top25 guys are looking to play in the NBA for 10-years and make $100mil and beyond, playing 1-2 years in college is a distant secondary goal. Coaches at these power programs don't have to cater to the NBA like Cal did, but you at least have to acknowledge what the real goal is for these recruits.

Not a good look IMO. There was absolutely no harm in leaving these posters up, no one was really going to notice and say "Hey I need to get to the NBA because look at John Wall on this poster!". But the act of taking them down actually DOES make a statement

i'll take this another step further. Imagine the outrage if Cal took down posters of Tubby and BCG players? This place would be LIVID. I know Pope means no ill will towards past players, but this was unnecessary, and only causes rifts to happen. No coach should be taking anything down of UK's past. And with all this, can you blame a guy like PJ for repping Cal/Akansas now?

Agree. If they were indeed banners, im fine celebrating those players in a different but similar way. To completely erase it does injustice to those players and fractures an already fragile relationship.

Judging how pope handled everything else so far, im guessing they are honored still just in a different way.

 

[Ron Mehico]

Everyone in this thread is completely clueless and has no idea what they’re complaining about. For all we know those posters were moved and displayed in another room next door for everyone to see and they are doing a little freshening up of the practice facility or wanting to add new things. Pope has never said anything negative about the NBA and has signed and is currently recruiting potential one and done players. This whole thing is fake news based on some stupid Twitter photo with completely unverified and baseless comments.

 

[Random UK Fan]

Maybe some of the ex players visiting Cal miss seeing them and requested to have them up an Arkansas now. Would that come as a surprise to anyone?

 

[travisbickle]

Pope should just put up a giant poster of himself from his NBA career. Would be a baller move

 

[CatWalk]

Were images of the NBA players removed totally from the facility or just from the gym itself? I don't know for sure, but I suspect there continues to be images in other locations in the facility. Does anyone know for sure?

 

[TopCatCal]

View embedded media

No doubt the reason that Calipari had the NBA posters of UK players there was for recruits to see. BUT it also probably had the unintended consequence of a lot of our players that was no where close to being NBA ready ( Daniel Orton, Archie Goodwin, James Young) ect., ect..... leaving here way too early. Players like this leaving here with 2 or 3 years of eligibility left that needed to stay was the downfall of our basketball program under Calipari.

 

[BBUK]

Eh, don't like this.

For starters, they ARE a part of UK history, and our current players, and the players we will recruit for the next 15 years, idolize these guys.

On top of that, how can you possibly try and recruit top25 Talent, players that want to go to the NBA (Guys that we know Pope is going after), and then make this pseudo anti-NBA statement? These top25 guys are looking to play in the NBA for 10-years and make $100mil and beyond, playing 1-2 years in college is a distant secondary goal. Coaches at these power programs don't have to cater to the NBA like Cal did, but you at least have to acknowledge what the real goal is for these recruits.

Not a good look IMO. There was absolutely no harm in leaving these posters up, no one was really going to notice and say "Hey I need to get to the NBA because look at John Wall on this poster!". But the act of taking them down actually DOES make a statement

i'll take this another step further. Imagine the outrage if Cal took down posters of Tubby and BCG players? This place would be LIVID. I know Pope means no ill will towards past players, but this was unnecessary, and only causes rifts to happen. No coach should be taking anything down of UK's past. And with all this, can you blame a guy like PJ for repping Cal/Akansas now?

Even wearing Hog gear? Nah, not so much. 2012 players and other previous champions are enshrined....

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Wilson is a huge get if Pope can close the deal. You aren't gonna get multiple top local guys every off season. KY doesn't have the depth to do that as a state.

Sure we do. We're reportedly a top 5 NIL basketball location and we've already added Johnson partially because of the $1.3 million coming his way (according to reports).

If you get Wilson and Johnson, you've got two players making north of a million. Not only can we afford it, we're doing it as we speak.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Pitino had the talent to win 3 or 4. Hall had the talent to win 3 or 4.

UK coaches only winning 1 title is nothing new. Fans just think not winning more with raw freshmen talent is worse than not winning more with experienced very talented rosters for some reason.

Pitino lost to the likes of Webber, Howard, Rose, Rasheed Wallace, Stackhouse, Mike Bibby, Laettner, Hurley, Hill, etc. Half of those losses were in OT. Two of those teams were two of the most renowned teams in the 1990s (Fab Five and 1992 Duke). One (Arizona), featured three future NBA starters; one is considered one of the top 5 teams of all time (Duke '92); and one featured two future multi-year NBA All-Stars and two of the top six college All-Americans in their respective year (1995 UNC).



Specifically, outside of the 1994 loss, which team did we lose to that had less NBA talent?

 

[Montana81]

Pitino lost to the likes of Webber, Howard, Rose, Rasheed Wallace, Stackhouse, Mike Bibby, Laettner, Hurley, Hill, etc. Half of those losses were in OT. Two of those teams were two of the most renowned teams in the 1990s (Fab Five and 1992 Duke). One (Arizona), featured three future NBA starters; one is considered one of the top 5 teams of all time (Duke '92); and one featured two future multi-year NBA All-Stars and two of the top six college All-Americans (1995 UNC).



Specifically, outside of the 1994 loss, which team did we lose to that had less NBA talent?

Let's see the names...

Not to mention Pitino was here for 6 post season eligible years compared to 14 for Cal.

I swear man…the brain dead Cal defenses were obnoxious when he was here and just as much now that he’s not.

Also, I think Rick had like 5 macdonalds all americans his entire time here. Cal had dozens. Including 6 in one recruiting class. But yeah Cal did only have them for one season. Maybe if he would have tried a little harder to sell the program and university and not just the nba he could have kept some of them around a little longer.

 

[crawfords corner]

Putting his stamp on the program. He's the leader now not the guy Febuk. Makes sense.

 

[kitkat46]

This coach understands the assignment.

It's not the name on the front of the ship, (jersey). It's who's doing the driving! Big difference!

 

[Jamal Sunburn]

Sure. And I absolutely agree with that.

But, you gotta lean into the NBA, at least a bit, if you want to recruit the Jasper Johnsons of the world.

And taking down posters of past Cal-era NBA players? I think it's counter-productive. But, that's just my opinion. I'm willing to see how this play out.

And say what you will, Cal never slandered the past two coaches that did next to nothing (I still feel that 98 title was just as much as Pitinos because Tubby did nothing but decline after that).. so it's at least a little interesting to see Pope take a bit of a shot at the past regime.. a regime that has quite a few banners in the rafters.. before ever coaching a single game. These statements better be backed with wins (such as talking about how our defense is just going to lock down opposing PGs)

I find this whole thing to be.. very.. peculiar? For lack of better word?

We will see, I'm probably wrong.

Stop making sense. This is the epitome of cutting off your nose.

 

[natchezrule]

Eh, don't like this.

For starters, they ARE a part of UK history, and our current players, and the players we will recruit for the next 15 years, idolize these guys.

On top of that, how can you possibly try and recruit top25 Talent, players that want to go to the NBA (Guys that we know Pope is going after), and then make this pseudo anti-NBA statement? These top25 guys are looking to play in the NBA for 10-years and make $100mil and beyond, playing 1-2 years in college is a distant secondary goal. Coaches at these power programs don't have to cater to the NBA like Cal did, but you at least have to acknowledge what the real goal is for these recruits.

Not a good look IMO. There was absolutely no harm in leaving these posters up, no one was really going to notice and say "Hey I need to get to the NBA because look at John Wall on this poster!". But the act of taking them down actually DOES make a statement

i'll take this another step further. Imagine the outrage if Cal took down posters of Tubby and BCG players? This place would be LIVID. I know Pope means no ill will towards past players, but this was unnecessary, and only causes rifts to happen. No coach should be taking anything down of UK's past. And with all this, can you blame a guy like PJ for repping Cal/Akansas now?

I like it

 

[Farsight]

For people who said CCC understood the assignment... he did until 2015. After he couldn't go 40-0, he made it more about the NBA. Before 2015, I think it was 50/50 about the NBA, getting a title and going 40-0.

 

[AJG-15]

Are the posters of former teams, players and coaches still on the hallway?

I think in the practice gym you want to have only very meaningful messages , like UK is about winning championships.

I would like to see the posters removed from the practice gym displayed somewhere else so we show that we still appreciate them .