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Pope, Calipari, Hurley, Drew — This Season

Now that our regular season is over, it’s interesting to look at the final numbers of how the teams coached by Pope, Calipari, Hurley and Drew fared.

Kentucky 21-10 (ranked 19, ranked all season)
Arkansas 19-12 (unranked)
UCon 22-9 (unranked)
Baylor 18-13 (unranked)

Go ‘Cats!
Probably move up to about 15.
 
Now that our regular season is over, it’s interesting to look at the final numbers of how the teams coached by Pope, Calipari, Hurley and Drew fared.

Kentucky 21-10 (ranked 19, ranked all season)
Arkansas 19-12 (unranked)
UCon 22-9 (unranked)
Baylor 18-13 (unranked)

Go ‘Cats!
th
 
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No . It was common knowledge that she thought she was above the state of Kentucky but ……. It was the Celtics !
Well, I knew that part but just wondered if Lazarus had been part of a quote because it would've been extra hilarious to me.

I was a teenager at that weird quasi-mall at Rupp for a Pitino press conference where we were chanting for him to stay.
 
Well, I knew that part but just wondered if Lazarus had been part of a quote because it would've been extra hilarious to me.

I was a teenager at that weird quasi-mall at Rupp for a Pitino press conference where we were chanting for him to stay.
I don’t remember ever hearing that quote, but it would have been funny.
 
We hired Pitino 26 years ago. He left of his own choice otherwise he'd likely still be coaching here. Stop bringing him up as if he was actually an option.
Truthfully, Pope is the coach and we are no longer considering candidates anyway. We have completed a full regular season under Pope, which was a resounding success, exceeding every preseason expectation. I think we are past comparing the “candidates” anyway. What if UConn had 28 wins right now? What if Arkansas had 25 wins? Would either of those things mean Pope was any less successful? I don’t think so. We are a Sweet 16 run away from the laggards of the fanbase finally realizing we are in the Pope era.
 
I'm convinced Mark Pope is a basketball savant. And he's going to have absurd success at Kentucky.

This roster was thrown together at the 11th hour. He had no returning players. He hasn't had a fully healthy roster most of the season.

In spite of that, he'll have Kentucky in the big dance as a 3 seed.
 
I'm convinced Mark Pope is a basketball savant. And he's going to have absurd success at Kentucky.

This roster was thrown together at the 11th hour. He had no returning players. He hasn't had a fully healthy roster most of the season.

In spite of that, he'll have Kentucky in the big dance as a 3 seed.
Only had a full healthy roster 22% of the games..
 
I'm convinced Mark Pope is a basketball savant. And he's going to have absurd success at Kentucky.

This roster was thrown together at the 11th hour. He had no returning players. He hasn't had a fully healthy roster most of the season.

In spite of that, he'll have Kentucky in the big dance as a 3 seed.
I've come full circle, I think.

When Pitino left, I (and many others in BBN) felt like IF He would have stayed at Kentucky, we would have passed UCLA long ago. Well. That didn't happen.

Instead, we see Pitino finally come back after the debacle at Louisville, and have success at St. John's. I am happy for him in his least years coaching. I do wish him luck against everyone but playing Kentucky. Having said that :

Coach Pitino has been consistent in praising Coach Pope and being positive for BBN and Kentucky in keeping him and moving forward. It's another legacy he has given us. All of the good things Coach Pitino has said regarding Pope, of all the wise basketball things he has spoken, he has never wavered in saying how much he supports Coach Pope and thinks Kentucky will love him, everyone in BBN will love him, because Coach Pope loves Kentucky, has a great mind, and is the best man in the world for the job here. He would know.

I think he's right. And he is the best basketball coach in America, sorry Coach Hurley. You ain't. You're not even the best coach in your own conference. Pitino is.

I hope Big Blue Nation stays the course and focuses on the future with Coach Pope, and realize that maybe everything had to happen for a reason.

When you stop and consider that this year's Kentucky team might be the LEAST talented (from a standpoint of roster building/construction/recruitment) that Coach Pope will ever have here at Kentucky ( and why would he not be able to recruit at a high level and get the best players after this year, at least a better team than this team that he had to put together in such impossibly short order??)

In short, the results of juggling the injuries and adapting, overcoming, in a year when the SEC has never ever been better .... and he has already beaten more top 15 teams in a single season in the HISTORY of Kentucky basketball? Whew.

THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING.

And I like Coach Pitino's words about the modern sport today, and his assessments are still the most insightful of any other person I've heard about today's game.... (and truthfully, his remarks about Beard and IU, eh. I could stand to see IU hire anyone except Beard, but Pitino is right about him, too, he would be perfect for IU and that he may even be able to bring the Hoosiers back to relevance - I know - blasphemy!)

Coach Pitino is right.

So I am ecstatic we got Pope. with him, we have the true heir apparent for Rick Pitino. And he is one of us.

Trust in Coach Pope. We are going to have ultimate success with him here. If we don't then Coach Pitino will actually have been wrong, and in this case, I don't think there's a shadow of a chance we fail with Pope.

Go Big Blue !
 
I've come full circle, I think.

When Pitino left, I (and many others in BBN) felt like IF He would have stayed at Kentucky, we would have passed UCLA long ago. Well. That didn't happen.

Instead, we see Pitino finally come back after the debacle at Louisville, and have success at St. John's. I am happy for him in his least years coaching. I do wish him luck against everyone but playing Kentucky. Having said that :

Coach Pitino has been consistent in praising Coach Pope and being positive for BBN and Kentucky in keeping him and moving forward. It's another legacy he has given us. All of the good things Coach Pitino has said regarding Pope, of all the wise basketball things he has spoken, he has never wavered in saying how much he supports Coach Pope and thinks Kentucky will love him, everyone in BBN will love him, because Coach Pope loves Kentucky, has a great mind, and is the best man in the world for the job here. He would know.

I think he's right. And he is the best basketball coach in America, sorry Coach Hurley. You ain't. You're not even the best coach in your own conference. Pitino is.

I hope Big Blue Nation stays the course and focuses on the future with Coach Pope, and realize that maybe everything had to happen for a reason.

When you stop and consider that this year's Kentucky team might be the LEAST talented (from a standpoint of roster building/construction/recruitment) that Coach Pope will ever have here at Kentucky ( and why would he not be able to recruit at a high level and get the best players after this year, at least a better team than this team that he had to put together in such impossibly short order??)

In short, the results of juggling the injuries and adapting, overcoming, in a year when the SEC has never ever been better .... and he has already beaten more top 15 teams in a single season in the HISTORY of Kentucky basketball? Whew.

THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING.

And I like Coach Pitino's words about the modern sport today, and his assessments are still the most insightful of any other person I've heard about today's game.... (and truthfully, his remarks about Beard and IU, eh. I could stand to see IU hire anyone except Beard, but Pitino is right about him, too, he would be perfect for IU and that he may even be able to bring the Hoosiers back to relevance - I know - blasphemy!)

Coach Pitino is right.

So I am ecstatic we got Pope. with him, we have the true heir apparent for Rick Pitino. And he is one of us.

Trust in Coach Pope. We are going to have ultimate success with him here. If we don't then Coach Pitino will actually have been wrong, and in this case, I don't think there's a shadow of a chance we fail with Pope.

Go Big Blue !

Funny how we hired Pope on our own and Pitino supported him AFTER the hire and had nothing to do with it. Pitino tried to tell us to hire Pelphrey and Ford............lol
 
Funny how we hired Pope on our own and Pitino supported him AFTER the hire and had nothing to do with it. Pitino tried to tell us to hire Pelphrey and Ford............lol
that is true.... And an interesting angle, if you stop to think about it. It might even be said he was that way because he knew that Pope was really the best fit from the get-go and didn't want to see him (or Kentucky) have success, paired together. Maybe, maybe not. Hiring Pelphrey or Ford was never going to happen though.

At least, I don't **think** it ever had a chance.
 
'ppreciate your post, runt#69. The three coaches in the original post each have NCAA titles. When the news broke that it was going to be Mark Pope, several, including me, were dissapointed. Despite losing some games "I" believe we should have won, there is no way - no way - that the BBN thought he would have 21 wins before the SEC tournament started when he put his roster together in six weeks or so. Cal took kids that were with him at UK, plus those he had signed. For some of the narrative on "X" that Cal has done his best coaching job is hilarious to read. Hurley would have been like oil and water with Barney. Drew was as lots of us believed, not ready to take over the helm of the winningest program in college sports history.

Season's not over. We may be dissapointed with early flame outs, yet I do not see them moving forward once Pope gets his kids on campus year in and year out.

GO BIG BLUE!
 
that is true.... And an interesting angle, if you stop to think about it. It might even be said he was that way because he knew that Pope was really the best fit from the get-go and didn't want to see him (or Kentucky) have success, paired together. Maybe, maybe not. Hiring Pelphrey or Ford was never going to happen though.

At least, I don't **think** it ever had a chance.
I don’t think it would have ever happened, either, but when he said it at the time, it showed me that he wanted us to struggle. Now he wants back in to stick it to Cal. elF that guy, lol.
 
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The dad dad was.. Came over here late 1800s or so.. Guess would be his grandsons or great grandsons I'm talking about in 80/90s.. Partying bunch they was..
Lived in East Ky for a while, (Moved there from Arcturus) when I was younger. Willie Dawahare was a good friend of mine back then. He was a wonderful man and very generous (although his wife wasn't and rode him constantly over his generosity). Every time I went to see him he would give me expensive stuff from his store - as long as his wife wasn't around.
 
Lived in East Ky for a while, (Moved there from Arcturus) when I was younger. Willie Dawahare was a good friend of mine back then. He was a wonderful man and very generous (although his wife wasn't and rode him constantly over his generosity). Every time I went to see him he would give me expensive stuff from his store - as long as his wife wasn't around.
Yea if they liked you they'd take care of you..
 
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Was that an actual quote from the time? Reminds me of another long-dead store Dawahares.
Since I live in Louisiana I never went to one of their stores. But I became very good friends with one of the Dawahare heirs - Willa Itani. She was one of the most loyal UK fans ever and a great friend who passed away much too soon!!
 
I've come full circle, I think.

When Pitino left, I (and many others in BBN) felt like IF He would have stayed at Kentucky, we would have passed UCLA long ago. Well. That didn't happen.

Instead, we see Pitino finally come back after the debacle at Louisville, and have success at St. John's. I am happy for him in his least years coaching. I do wish him luck against everyone but playing Kentucky. Having said that :

Coach Pitino has been consistent in praising Coach Pope and being positive for BBN and Kentucky in keeping him and moving forward. It's another legacy he has given us. All of the good things Coach Pitino has said regarding Pope, of all the wise basketball things he has spoken, he has never wavered in saying how much he supports Coach Pope and thinks Kentucky will love him, everyone in BBN will love him, because Coach Pope loves Kentucky, has a great mind, and is the best man in the world for the job here. He would know.

I think he's right. And he is the best basketball coach in America, sorry Coach Hurley. You ain't. You're not even the best coach in your own conference. Pitino is.

I hope Big Blue Nation stays the course and focuses on the future with Coach Pope, and realize that maybe everything had to happen for a reason.

When you stop and consider that this year's Kentucky team might be the LEAST talented (from a standpoint of roster building/construction/recruitment) that Coach Pope will ever have here at Kentucky ( and why would he not be able to recruit at a high level and get the best players after this year, at least a better team than this team that he had to put together in such impossibly short order??)

In short, the results of juggling the injuries and adapting, overcoming, in a year when the SEC has never ever been better .... and he has already beaten more top 15 teams in a single season in the HISTORY of Kentucky basketball? Whew.

THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING.

And I like Coach Pitino's words about the modern sport today, and his assessments are still the most insightful of any other person I've heard about today's game.... (and truthfully, his remarks about Beard and IU, eh. I could stand to see IU hire anyone except Beard, but Pitino is right about him, too, he would be perfect for IU and that he may even be able to bring the Hoosiers back to relevance - I know - blasphemy!)

Coach Pitino is right.

So I am ecstatic we got Pope. with him, we have the true heir apparent for Rick Pitino. And he is one of us.

Trust in Coach Pope. We are going to have ultimate success with him here. If we don't then Coach Pitino will actually have been wrong, and in this case, I don't think there's a shadow of a chance we fail with Pope.

Go Big Blue !


I had not thought about the point you made that I underlined…

One of the best parts about Pitino being at St. John’s is that Hurley won’t have a cake walk in his conference…with that being said, here is to hoping Pitino hangs around long enough and has enough success at St. Johns that Hurley just moves onto the NBA (or falls off the radar and can never replicate his recent success).
 
Seemed like he was talking about guys we may have hired and one we got rid of.

I think he’s saying that dude at St. John’s should have been an option for us.
She 😉 wasn’t referring to Pitino, I was indeed comparing the record for Pope’s first regular season with the records of the coach that left, and two potential hires. UK is currently the only ranked team of the 4 teams, and we have been ranked the entire season, never fell out.

So proud that Coach Pope led this team to 8 wins over Top 15 teams and for the success he’s had. If Year One looks like this with limited time to compile a roster plus the injuries, I’m excited about the future! Go ‘Cats!
 
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Lived in East Ky for a while, (Moved there from Arcturus) when I was younger. Willie Dawahare was a good friend of mine back then. He was a wonderful man and very generous (although his wife wasn't and rode him constantly over his generosity). Every time I went to see him he would give me expensive stuff from his store - as long as his wife wasn't around.
Serur Dawahare immigrated from Syria to NYC about 1900. Somebody told him about the coal camps in eastern Kentucky and he moved his family to Jenkins in Letcher County. He started out as a peddler, likely riding a mule into the hollers. The first actual store was in Jenkins and they expanded, first to Neon and then Whitesburg, Pikeville and Hazard. Serur had 11 children. He died in the 50's and the sons continued on. Son Willie ran the store in Hazard, I believe. Hoover founded Hoover's Furniture. They opened the first Lexington clothing store in the Gardenside Shopping Center in the 60's.
 
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This thread is making me nostalgic for mid-1980s Fayette Mall, especially the sunken seating areas with the tropical plants.
 
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