Pope is 4-1 against COTY finalists.....He's not on the list
- Thread starter silentsaregolden2.0
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I'd say it's discrimination against mormons.
Lost too many games that should have won. This is probably their reasoning. Ohio State, Georgia, Vandy, Arkansas. Win those four and I think he is easily in the top 4 to win it. We should have won those games.
I just don't know how you couldn't include him in this list for what he did at UK in just 1 years with absolutely no team left for him to take over.
Honestly shouldn't even be a debate. If this was any other program in any other sport, this coach would walk away with the award.
Honestly shouldn't even be a debate. If this was any other program in any other sport, this coach would walk away with the award.
I don't know if he would walk away with it, but he'd damn sure be on the short list.
I'm not sure about the last line, but he would definitely be among the top candidates. Not being on the list at all when people like Tom Izzo are, well, that's just insane.
Gotta take injuries into account.
I'd love for him to be on the list and I'm pretty darn happy with the job he is doing, but a 21-10 record doesn't exactly scream COTY.
You aren't winning coach of the year with 10 losses.
I'm sure he will win one someday but it's about final fours and titles here. Pope couldn't care less about this type of thing.
I'm sure he will win one someday but it's about final fours and titles here. Pope couldn't care less about this type of thing.
Some of you need to pay attention to things outside of BBN. There are a plenty of cases where teams have been decimated yearly, especially when a coaching change occurs. And "starting from scratch" in the portal era isn't exactly what it once was or unheard of. Hell, IIRC, there were over 800 guys in the portal the day we hired Pope.
Pope has done a great job. But his team has lost 10 games and finished T7 in their conference. Now, some of you won't digest that first sentence, so maybe try to go reread it. While he's done a great job, he's not getting the COTY with 10 losses in the regular season. He's going to wind up with 12 losses, more than likely, and I'd venture a guess no COTY has had anywhere close to 12 losses in the season they won the award.
If 23-8 for Wisconsin does, and supposedly it DOES, then I don't see why not. Dennis Gates made the list with the exact same record as Pope. That's the problem really. Some of the coaches on the list have similar records with easier schedules and teams they have been leading for years or even decades.
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Yeah it’s nothing but a homer take. I love Pope but he may not even be top 3 in SEC coach of the year, much less NCOY.
Golden took Florida from top 15 to number one seed
Pearl completely dominated the most ridiculous league in CBB history
Gates went from 0-16 in SEC one year to a the same conference record as us. I like Pope over Gates personally, but people have to be fair if we want to be consistent
It's a shame but he should have plenty of chances in the future.
He also took out a team together in a month and won huge games with the. So this is dumb. And with all the injuries
This. And it’s getting kinda silly having to empathize it again.
No coach with 10 losses is going to win COY. I love Pope but that’s just fact.
We're just damned lucky to have Coach Pope. I don't care who "they" think the best coach in the country is this year.
I KNOW who is for me.
Trust in Coach Pope.
His name and time for recognition will come, and he will be right here representing Kentucky. It'll make it that much sweeter when it does come. I'LL BE SO HAPPY TO WATCH IT HAPPEN.
Go Big Blue
I KNOW who is for me.
Trust in Coach Pope.
His name and time for recognition will come, and he will be right here representing Kentucky. It'll make it that much sweeter when it does come. I'LL BE SO HAPPY TO WATCH IT HAPPEN.
Go Big Blue
Agreed. And again, I think he's done a good to great job. It's no knock. But this season also doesn't scream COTY. I guess if him being nominated makes some feel better, then sure, I think there's an argument there. But you either win it or you don't, and even if he was a nominee, he's not winning it.
Tough to argue him over Pearl, Golden, or even Oats for that matter. Just is what it is. He's better than Gates. Gotta remember, Gates is the dude that resurrected Mizzou from 0 conference wins. He's also the dude that coached them to 0 conference wins. Gates is fine, but he's nothing special.
I don't get the uproar over Pope not being included. He lost 10 games and finished 6th in the conference.
He has done a great job this season but who should he be ahead of on the list?
He has done a great job this season but who should he be ahead of on the list?
Are we though? Like, if you really consider that statement...Are we? And look, I love what he's done. I love the feeling I get now versus the feeling I got the last 5ish years of Cal.
But we are also the same place that had prime Pitino. We also had HUNGRY Cal. We got Tubby when he was the hottest name moving up the ladder. Hell, Clyde was quite a bit hotter commodity than Pope. Christ, Rupp transformed the game.
Here's what I believe, and I think Coach Pope does too. Coach Pope is damned lucky to have the UK job. It's TBD if it's the other way around. I sure hope it is, and I think it can be.
Call it whatever you want man. Go look up past COTY winners and their records. Then come back with that same opinion. Which, if we're being completely honest with ourselves, the reason the opinion exists is because of lot don't pay attention to basketball outside of BBN.
As much as I question the first part of your post, I can't agree with this more. Mark Pope winning national COTY at UK would be pretty freaking awesome. Not just because of what it means for the season we will have had, but for what we all know it would mean to the fanbase and Coach Pope.
Since you didn't mention it what COY list you are talking about and didn't post a link who is on the list?
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totally agree. He sure is and he knows it.
Fair enough, good to have a critical eye. Good job, I approve, keeps him on his toes, he nor I would wish it any other way where Kentucky basketball is concerned.
Hoping and thinking it will and can be so ...... That is the proper perspective.
I'm just secure in knowing that Kentucky basketball means so much to Coach "being Coach Pope HERE", that is the thing that gives me security and knowing he loves this as much as anyone could, and give it his all from his heart and soul, and take it and make it his own now. He's got this opportunity. And he ain't screwing it up, he is overcoming adversity in SPADES, brother.
You can't fail when you love something like that. I just know that.
But you make the best possible post for proper perspective.
(I'm just a big fan of the man and person Mark Pope is. He is the kind of man - not a bobby knight type - people that we need more of in this world coaching, not less. I do think he will become a hall of fame coach someday, by the time he leaves - retires from Kentucky. THAT, I already surely certainly HOPE for.
We shall see.
I agree with the losses except for the Vandy game. It was on the road and other good teams/coaches lost there.
If we win the SECT and go to an elite 8, he has to be coach of the year.
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Certainly agree with all of that. Honestly, I LOVED Swaggy Cal, Prime Pitino, and if I'm being completely honest...I freaking loved Clyde's arrogance when he got the job. I love the mavericks and the guys that just put it all out there and are completely raw about who they are. That said, I think that's who Pope is too. He's just a different human being than those other guys. His nerdiness and dorkiness is who he is, and I kind of dig it. It's a weird thing for me.
BTW, I am not claiming it's anything against Pope personally. He was on the list last year.
When I look at the circumstances.. Brand new coach, first year at a premier program, he didn't have a SINGLE hold over, took just two players with him from BYU, had no recruits except generally non-factor guys, played in a gauntlet of a conference and I believe had the most top25 wins of anyone. Got them to a 3-seed. No other coach had the level of injuries he had (as far as I know) and no other coach was starting from scratch the way he was.
Yeah, the losses don't help him. But this award has never been about which coach has the most wins. This is very similar to the MVP awards in sports.. it doesn't neccesarily just go to the guy had the best year (even if, maybe, it should). It's why LeBron didn't win the award for 15 straight years or why Joker didn't win 3 in a row, or why Lamar won also year, but not this year.
Coach of the year to me means the most outstanding performance. That's Pope to me. Some of these coaches started on 1st base, or even 2nd base.. teams already formed, system in place.. meanwhile Pope started in the dugout this year. That to me says volumes. And it really has nothing to do with him being at UK lol.
Yeah, the losses don't help him. But this award has never been about which coach has the most wins. This is very similar to the MVP awards in sports.. it doesn't neccesarily just go to the guy had the best year (even if, maybe, it should). It's why LeBron didn't win the award for 15 straight years or why Joker didn't win 3 in a row, or why Lamar won also year, but not this year.
Coach of the year to me means the most outstanding performance. That's Pope to me. Some of these coaches started on 1st base, or even 2nd base.. teams already formed, system in place.. meanwhile Pope started in the dugout this year. That to me says volumes. And it really has nothing to do with him being at UK lol.
