Sounds great to me, no more pushing UK as a NBA G league team, lets get back to playing to win
The last one did to but he just didn't give a shitThis coach understands the assignment.
I could get behind removing the NC floor, but only because it's been 12 years. You win a natty and you get bragging rights. Just the way it is. That said (and to be fair), we burn couches and cars when we're "there," so... All things considered, a floor isn't the worst thing.Pretty sure they did this a few months ago. I don’t hate it. Think you should celebrate the old guys, but Calipari should’ve reeled it in when he was here to be honest.
They should remove the NC floor from the locker room too. Act like you’ve been there.
Pretty sure they did this a few months ago. I don’t hate it. Think you should celebrate the old guys, but Calipari should’ve reeled it in when he was here to be honest.
They should remove the NC floor from the locker room too. Act like you’ve been there.
Let’s hope they quit putting up the nba players pics during pre game bball games.
That’s how it is in every program in America but…… Arkansas now!….damn it feels good!I like it, the players are recruited here to win championships, that’s the first priority and they know that coming in. Everything else will fall in to place if you are good enough, but while they are here it’s to focus on winning championships.
At least until we win #9. Then, it's time to replace it.Calipari's contribution is the New Orleans final four floor in the locker room. That's the only thing I hope sticks around
I like it, they can have the mural which is fine but during practice it should be all about winning. If the players want to get to the league after seeing the mural, get yo ass in the gym and make it happen! Win us some hardware in the meantime. That’s why you get paid here.I'm ambivalent.
I don't see the harm in having them or not having them.
Our NBA guys are still very much a part of the UK legacy, but I get the reasoning behind the move. Fresh start. Prioritize chasing titles. Program over the player. I get it.
Agree. Pope is winning the fanbase over and making a definite break from the previous regime. Personally, I love lowering the NBA importance and putting Kentucky first. I think Pope is trying to be one of us in what he feels the real goal is. Wonder if all the video board stuff before games in Rupp showing all former UK players will be gone too?I like it, they can have the mural which is fine but during practice it should be all about winning. If the players want to get to the league after seeing the mural, get yo ass in the gym and make it happen! Win us some hardware in the meantime. That’s why you get paid here.
I see some of them posting in this thread, too....According to some, top talent will immediately cease coming to UK because we don’t put the players first.
Eh, don't like this.
For starters, they ARE a part of UK history, and these 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 feel the same way. It just feels a bit unnecessary. Plus despite the negativity of the fanbase towards Cal, everyone still loves the players that have gone through this program in recent history. They are very much a part of this thing.
I get that the focus should be winning titles and not the NBA..............but you still need NBA level talent to win titles lol. I was always interested to see how Pope does with this.
We can't go from one extreme to another here.
So refreshing. So glad we didn’t hire Drew and that Oats and Pearl weren’t even on the radar.I just really can’t stand Cal and love Pope. If cal wasn’t such an arrogant prick and put Ky first he would have had five titles regardless of his inability to coach. So glad Pope is here and to me there is a void between Billy G and Pope. That is how much I despise Cal and what he did here. And no lectures from you Cal nut huggers. A good coach would have won 4 titles at least with the talent we had. And yes, a good coach would have brought that talent here. Next step is to get rid of Stoops.
It’s not a front to the players of the past, but I think it was increasingly gimmicky and superficial. It’s a change in culture from being about “me” to being about “Kentucky.” That’s no different than Notre Dame, the Yankees or Manchester U.
Great players want to play for winning programs. All those guys contributed to that tradition, but we don’t need to lead with NBA posters. Of course that’s all part of Kentucky. But the goal is to win.
Calipari’s whole gimmick is that he puts players in the NBA, but we all knew the secret… it’s to push a brand that attracts NBA talent. It was never Calipari.
And we will continue to attract such players, but we aren’t just a place conducive to the NBA..it’s selling the brand short
You know guys like SGA and Maxey are going to see this. You think they're going to be quick to come back and support Pope on some big recruiting weekend?
College basketball can no longer be just "about the name on the front of the jersey".
Non-sense. It is about Kentucky. And Kentucky is arguably the greatest tradition in college basketball. We don’t need gimmicks. Yea, you come here, of course you’re NBA caliber. Because it’s Kentucky.
It’s like if Ferrari put an unmovable bumper sticker with its price on every car. What for? It’s a ****ing Ferrari.
And what about our pros before Calipari? What about Prince, Rondo, Delk, Walker, Chapman, Issel and on and on and on and on.
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.
It’s not adding up.
I 100% guarantee you that every UK target knows Kentucky has been cream of the crop of college basketball for a long time. Just like the players before them.
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.
Look, I understand your argument. It’s that in 2024, players only care about their own interests and making it to the next level.
It’s true to a degree. Except what you’re missing is that nothing I am arguing for excludes the NBA. It’s that Kentucky is more than an NBA stepping stone. It’s NOT ONLY that BUT ALSO a lot of other positive things. Not just positive things, but excellent things… that is a good place for good players who desire excellent things.