Next year's expectations
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Hopefully not a blowout loss in the sweet 16 lol
Sweet 16 again depending on how the roster shakes out. What is our nucleus going to be. Who else do we bring in other than Williams who Im not high on. Im actual skeptical rn with the Williams committment. I get he could have 3 seasons and he shot well from 3, but Id like to see more production from who we get from the portal.
We werent great or really even good at rebounding. We need better athletes(speed, quickness). Defense is an issue.
Williams should add some athleticism and defense with that long 6ft 8in frame on the perimeter.
We werent great or really even good at rebounding. We need better athletes(speed, quickness). Defense is an issue.
Williams should add some athleticism and defense with that long 6ft 8in frame on the perimeter.
Its time for a FF. We need to take a step forward year 2 Pope and Cal left us in such a hole we really need a FF run at least. It's been too long.
Pope has to bring in platoons of studs and just steamroll next year.
Pope has to bring in platoons of studs and just steamroll next year.
Final 4. Are people forgetting this is Kentucky? This is the thing that's really getting to me. It seems like most fans have gotten soft and have dramatically lowered their expectations because our coach is a nice guy who played here. Look, Pope is a good, genuine dude, but somebody please pinch me!
Has to be better than this season. No 6th place SEC finish, no getting blown out in the SECT and have to get to at least the Elite 8
I'll need to see the roster.
I don't have magic expectations because the jerseys say Kentucky on the front. That's just setting oneself up for disappointment.
I would like to finish higher in the conference, make the SEC semis and hopefully COMPETE for a national championship. But I will reserve judgement until I see who is on the team.
I don't have magic expectations because the jerseys say Kentucky on the front. That's just setting oneself up for disappointment.
I would like to finish higher in the conference, make the SEC semis and hopefully COMPETE for a national championship. But I will reserve judgement until I see who is on the team.
It’s impossible to predict anything in the era of NIL and unlimited transfers. Imagine if every player in the NBA was on a 1 year contract and every NBA team had no salary cap…now imagine trying to predict who is going to play in the western conference finals next year in that scenario lol.
The most simple way I can put this is to at least at some point in the year to be perceived as a title contender.
I think we maxed out this season as one of the best teams in the country that had no shot at winning it all.
That doesn’t mean anything specific for round of tourney or anything as random results happen. But we and the media have to think we’re a real threat is my bar.
I think we maxed out this season as one of the best teams in the country that had no shot at winning it all.
That doesn’t mean anything specific for round of tourney or anything as random results happen. But we and the media have to think we’re a real threat is my bar.
Ask me again after we have a roster.
Overall improvement. To say that year two is final 4 or bust is insane. I think another sweet 16 and better regular season is a fair minimal goal for a second year.
Dude we are really lucky to have the season we had. Don't be a dbag
We’re going to lose at least four starters. With the possible exception of Oweh, our most critical players will transfer in. I’m as impatient as the next UK fan, but I don’t think we’ll see the best of Mark Pope’s squads for 2-3+ years, when his rotation has a more stable core of veterans who have played together in his system.
The honeymoon is over. With the transfer portal, NIL, and the UK brand, it's championship or bust until Pope coaches his last game at UK.
Elite Eight.
You guys keep telling me why moneyball works and if we'd only been healthy, we would have gone further.
Okay, well then let's assume we are healthy next year. Why would we settle for a comparable season if we have an elite pro-style system, a brilliant coach, and a supposed avalanche of NIL money? Because we need for guys like Chandler/Noah to be upperclassman first?
Make it make sense. In the NIL era, you can literally flip a roster in 2 months and have a really good team.
You guys keep telling me why moneyball works and if we'd only been healthy, we would have gone further.
Okay, well then let's assume we are healthy next year. Why would we settle for a comparable season if we have an elite pro-style system, a brilliant coach, and a supposed avalanche of NIL money? Because we need for guys like Chandler/Noah to be upperclassman first?
Make it make sense. In the NIL era, you can literally flip a roster in 2 months and have a really good team.
With 4 starters leaving and a VERY weak bench returning I don't think there is any way to judge expectations for next year. First we need to see who our coach brings in. Second we need to see if any of the freshmen we bring in can contribute. There are no guarantees in today's college game. Pounding our chests and screaming we are Kentucky
and Final 4 or nothing like petulant teenagers will accomplish nothing. I want to go to FF as much as anyone but demanding a FF before we see who is or isn't on the team is just stupid. I'll wait for my evaluation until we have a full roster.
and Final 4 or nothing like petulant teenagers will accomplish nothing. I want to go to FF as much as anyone but demanding a FF before we see who is or isn't on the team is just stupid. I'll wait for my evaluation until we have a full roster.
More wins in the regular season and post season than this year.
Get wins into upper 20's or low 30's. No more than 7 losses. Improve defensively. Win SEC. Final Four.
Hard to tell but SEC will lose a bunch of veterans that didn’t transfer or go to NBA. Then had key freshman that were great. It led to an unprecedented collection on talent at the top of the league.
I think UK move up and the top comes down
a little bit. Really good coaches who know exactly what they need so the competition will still be stiff.
I think UK move up and the top comes down
a little bit. Really good coaches who know exactly what they need so the competition will still be stiff.
We are UK!
I don’t think BBN has lowered our expectations. I think from here on out F4’s and Championships are going to be expected by most every year.
Easy, to go through the year without a GD injury. THAT BEAT THIS TEAM THIS YEAR. WE only played 5 players yesterday, and one of our starters is wearing a back brace.
Do you have expectations that we should have a roster capable of a final four ?? I think there are expectations and pressure for the program to retain and RELOAD to a higher level than this year’s team. I’m not sure Final Four expectations for next year are reasonable.
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Well he exceeded most expectations this season under the circumstances, I would say if he gets the right guys in the portal, elite 8 or better.
Improvement in conference.
Really want to see the guys who return let loose. Last night and throughout the season there seemed to be some timidity among them.
No aggression/confidence. We’ll chalk it up to first year learning curve. Next year Chandler, Noah, Perry…all need to be more involved when they’re in the game.
Rebounding…obviously. Need a couple big bodies who can do some heavy lifting in the paint.
Really want to see the guys who return let loose. Last night and throughout the season there seemed to be some timidity among them.
No aggression/confidence. We’ll chalk it up to first year learning curve. Next year Chandler, Noah, Perry…all need to be more involved when they’re in the game.
Rebounding…obviously. Need a couple big bodies who can do some heavy lifting in the paint.
Might as well as him not to breathe.
As to the OP, we don’t even know who is on the roster yet.
A season not marred by injuries.
We are due one.
We are due one.
Too many things up in the air. Who comes back? Who gets better? How do the frosh do? Who comes from the portal?
I want to say this is baseline this year. Just by the coaching.
Of course we all want "better". I'll wait till game one.
I want to say this is baseline this year. Just by the coaching.
Of course we all want "better". I'll wait till game one.
Well say hello to most of college basketball next year. Most teams will have to deal with the exact same thing as Kentucky will next year. No excuses.
AGREED ... Teams no longer build or rebuild ... they reload, via the portal.
Facts. And this should certainly play into the hands of a powerhouse program like Kentucky. It's crazy how fans seem to forget who we are.
1. Lets see the roster.
2. Lets see what the SEC looks like.
3. This year set a pretty high bar. It's easy to say Sweet 16 and beyond. This is Kentucky.
2. Lets see what the SEC looks like.
3. This year set a pretty high bar. It's easy to say Sweet 16 and beyond. This is Kentucky.
We should look at this from Pope's point of view. Year #1 was a qualified success with the emphasis on success. Many understand the incredible job Pope did with an entire roster of players who had never suited up at UK before and couldn't stay healthy. The injuries were a huge problem for consistency and momentum.
Others will be jaded by the low points of the season when a tall UK team built for defense was outrebounded and kept giving up lightly contested layups that cost us games. There were a handful of times this year when UK came out of the locker room at the beginning of a half with no apparent idea what they needed to do. That happened twice against OH St. Unfortunately it happened twice again last night, and that is what some people will remember because we loathe TN.
But the take-home message is that Pope took a roster of transfers and freshmen, nurtured them through all the injuries, and coached them all the way to the Sweet 16. As far as that goes, most UK fans have a hard time remembering our last trip to the Sweet 16. So there's that.
Five players should return next season - Chandler, Perry, Noah, Oweh, and Garrison. Kerr Kriisa can also come back but I am hearing he won't. Pope signed Jasper Johnson, Acaden Lewis, and Malachi Moreno. I am hearing Nate Ament is not coming to UK. But Kam Miller is transferring from Tulane. So that's nine players for next year and we don't yet have a replacement at "4" for Andrew Carr.
How many scholarships are there? The rule is 13, but a process is underway to increase to 15 scholarships. We don't know yet which it will be next season.
Pope already has enough guards but we know he wants one more playmaker in his next backcourt. Dent (NM), Collins (TCU), and Thomas (UNLV) have been mentioned online as point guard candidates but I hear Dent is probably headed to UCLA. Pope is pushing for Thomas but could take Collins or someone else. Demary (GA), Moore (Syracuse), Eaglestaff (NDak), and Wilkerson (SH St) have been mentioned as wing guard transfers. Given current roster math, Pope probably takes only one transfer guard unless rosters are increased to 15 scholarships. It should be mentioned that freshmen Jasper Johnson and Acaden Lewis are high level guard prospects who will need to play next year.
Garrison and Moreno are a better rotation at "5" than most teams have. But Moreno will be a true freshman and Garrison has shown a tendency to foul aggressively. So Pope has checked on 7' Magoon Gwath (SD St), a strong defensive player. It's hard to assess UK's chances for Gwath.
The most interesting position to watch in the portal might be forward. Assuming we don't get Nate Ament, Kam Williams would be the starter at "3" unless Pope elects to use a 3-guard offense. Neither Williams nor Noah is a full time baseline player. So Pope will need a replacement at "4" for Carr and is known to have gone after Nick Davidson (NV), Mackenzie Mgbako (IN), Alvaro Folgueiras (Robt Morris), Reed Bailey (Davidson), and Taylor Bol Bowen (FL St). Rumors suggest he is pushing for Folgueiras or Bailey but this could take a few weeks.
There is a nice nucleus for next season but the process of finding baseline upgrades and more perimeter scorers is far from over. It's a very tough business. The first impulse is to think Pope has his hands full replacing the perimeter scoring of Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, and Lamont Butler. But this current team has lost some nig games because of poor rebounding and poorly executed defensive game plans, so those priorities look pressing for Pope. My guess is that UK will be improved next year because of Oweh, Garrison, Moreno, Johnson, and the transfers. But the foundation of next year's team is still incomplete for the next couple weeks.
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