ADVERTISEMENT

Pope pays attention to every detail

Champions Classic used a Spalding basketball. Coach made the team practice with it all week. Players say he sends film for them to watch on their phones too. I have VERY high expectations for this season.
That is what good coaches do, attention to details no matter how small may just win a game here or there. Cal was horrible when it came to the small things. like inbounds plays, defending inbound plays, free throws, watching game film making in game adjustments. I am not sure if Cal was lazy or just arrogant.
 
That is what good coaches do, attention to details no matter how small may just win a game here or there. Cal was horrible when it came to the small things. like inbounds plays, defending inbound plays, free throws, watching game film making in game adjustments. I am not sure if Cal was lazy or just arrogant.
Wow, what a difference from "I don't watch film" to "sending team a video on their cell phones". Really smart
 
It's such a simple yet smart thing to do. Granted, after starting 5-5, we only went 5-20 the rest of the game so it's a shame the results weren't better shooting (I know 40% is great but still).


Just when I think I can't love Pope more, I read stuff like this. Ugh, I'm man-crushing.
 
That is what good coaches do, attention to details no matter how small may just win a game here or there. Cal was horrible when it came to the small things. like inbounds plays, defending inbound plays, free throws, watching game film making in game adjustments. I am not sure if Cal was lazy or just arrogant.
 
That is what good coaches do, attention to details no matter how small may just win a game here or there. Cal was horrible when it came to the small things. like inbounds plays, defending inbound plays, free throws, watching game film making in game adjustments. I am not sure if Cal was lazy or just arrogant.
It's such a simple yet smart thing to do. Granted, after starting 5-5, we only went 5-20 the rest of the game so it's a shame the results weren't better shooting (I know 40% is great but still).


Just when I think I can't love Pope more, I read stuff like this. Ugh, I'm man-crushing.
Kansas was only 29% from three, so we did ok against a really good Duke team
 
Champions Classic used a Spalding basketball. Coach made the team practice with it all week. Players say he sends film for them to watch on their phones too. I have VERY high expectations for this season.
Paying attention to the details adds up over a season. I'm sure other coaches do this but I'm guessing most don't think its important enough to worry about. A good player can adapt. While true, in a one game setting making a percentage or two better can mean the difference between a W or an L. Anyone who has played on the playground knows how different bballs can feel.
 
It still blows my mind that the ncaa doesn’t have a standard ball for all games the entire year. The feel and grip varies way too much between the different brands. We’ve heard about this numerous times from teams during the ncaa tournament.
😂 Thanks ! I actually tried to post this exact link, but wouldn’t let me
 
Champions Classic used a Spalding basketball. Coach made the team practice with it all week. Players say he sends film for them to watch on their phones too. I have VERY high expectations for this season.
Thats Nice Reaction GIF by MOODMAN
 
Pope's mentor, Pitino, was also a madman when it came to details.

Meanwhile Cal's mentor, Larry Brown, was so bipolar commitment wise, that he was nicknamed "Leaving Larry."

There are hints of both men still residing in the minds of their proteges.
 
I just hope coaching at Kentucky is his ultimate ambition. We could be on the cusp of another Rupp type era. Never know how things could shake out but love the foundation he’s building.
Well Mark is 52, so I don't think we will be getting 41 years of coaching out of him, but if he wants to coach into his 70's and give us 20 years or so, as long has he can maintain the success, who am I to complain?
 
  • Like
Reactions: cat tat2 and chroix
Champions Classic used a Spalding basketball. Coach made the team practice with it all week. Players say he sends film for them to watch on their phones too. I have VERY high expectations for this season.
You should; we are going all the way.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mrjuk
Well Mark is 52, so I don't think we will be getting 41 years of coaching out of him, but if he wants to coach into his 70's and give us 20 years or so, as long has he can maintain the success, who am I to complain?
I just hope we can get like 10 years out of him here. I don't want a burnt out coach that doesn't know when to quit. If he can make it 20 years and stay successful under the stresses of this job, then that would be awesome. Not sure anyone can last that long here anymore. Seems like 10 years is the magic number before they should or need to move on.
 
Years ago, Coach Rupp had the team inside the court at the old Stokley athletic center. He warned to the team to watch out for the uneven-ness of that old plastic type flooring they used back then. The imperfections in the surface meant you could be bouncing the ball one moment fine, but the next, it could catch one of those diviits in the floor.... And off goes the basketball to a turn over.

He warned our players about that and told them not to let that happen or try to get away with using it as an excuse.... If that happened in a game there.

It's just a real refreshing realization Coach Pope used that coaches challenge so wisely, and does all the little things a good college needs to do.

Cal was negligent in so many basic areas of coaching and his philosophy hamstrung his teams at UK (no difference at Arkansas) .

The over reliance on freshman one and done talent was known from day one. He always doubled down when speaking about talent / experience.

History has shown his sole title in 2012 is just that - the exception, not the rule, when it comes to winning a title.

He had the talent, but there was so much more he COULD HAVE DONE.

Now we have a coach that is going to throw the kitchen sink BACK at the opposition, instead of just rolling his balls out there....

Coach Pope is such a great contrast to what we had here, there's no comparison.

No way would cal ever do some of these things Pope will do to win games for us.


I'm very happy we got a true ambassador for Kentucky basketball as a head coach!

Go Big Blue !
 
I just hope coaching at Kentucky is his ultimate ambition. We could be on the cusp of another Rupp type era. Never know how things could shake out but love the foundation he’s building.
Don’t think Pope will leave us like Pitino did. He won’t make that mistake. I don’t have that vibe we’ll be running him off anytime soon either lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: chroix
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT