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Pope with an interesting quote on next years roster

If you had to guess who do you think those 2 players are?
My contact wants to keep the lid on the names. He would tell me if I asked but I don't want to get my hopes up just to have them dashed. Something can go wrong at any point from either side to end that player coming. I can 100% say there is a lot of interest from excellent prospects that love pope and our style of play. Enjoy the ride.
 


“So far” ….Hinting at Ament committing ?? Or is there a sleeper recruit?
Reading his full quotes from that press conference I'm excited about next year's roster. Assuming we get the three freshmen + Oweh back (I have a feeling Garrison will move on, but who knows), and assuming we add at most 1 more freshman, then go for three to four high impact transfers, next year's team should have major depth and enough continuity to get other guys up to speed faster. In Pope I trust
 
I've heard there is a bunch of player agents back channeling to the Kentucky coaches. There are 2 top players in particular, one of them from overseas, that we are strongly interested in. But pope wants to talk to them in person and do more evaluation before offering. This will all pick up steam after our last game. The coaches are evaluating other players that are merely rumored. They want to go after the top few on their board early and save an offer for a possible late transfer.
Things will definitely start to heat up as more and more teams seasons come to an end over the course of the next few weeks. Especially the smaller and mid-major schools. Just hope we don't jump the gun on some guys before others who might be better jump into the portal.
 
watched Donovan Dent last night........guy is pretty good, or at least he was last night
pretty quick, good passer, can create and get to the basket
looks like he would be a pretty good pick up if available
 
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I don't think I've seen it mentioned on this thread yet, but I would think Pope's line changes and minutes per game played would bode well with any potential portal transfers. If I was in the portal, that would be something I look at. Pope mainly wants to play his best dudes 22-25 min a game, and have bench players heavily involved and bring energy to the game. In my opinion, this approach builds and brings a team closer togerher when youre ALL a part of the journey. At least you know if you come here, you're going to get some minutes. You may be slightly recruited over, but you're gonna get minutes in this system.

I know that Pope has had to rely on Perry, Noah, and Chandler more this year than he probably wanted to due to injuries, but I'm speaking specifically on portal transfers.
 
probably true
had never heard of him till I saw Michigan a few times..........he is very good
Was snooping over on the UNCheats board earlier in the season and they were bellyaching that they lost out on Wolf because Hubert wouldn’t match the $750k nil he got from Michigan. Hubert was quoted as saying “ I’m good with the bigs we have now “ .
 
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My contact wants to keep the lid on the names. He would tell me if I asked but I don't want to get my hopes up just to have them dashed. Something can go wrong at any point from either side to end that player coming. I can 100% say there is a lot of interest from excellent prospects that love pope and our style of play. Enjoy the ride.
The fastest way to “screw up a deal” is to let word about it get out before it happens.
 
watched Donovan Dent last night........guy is pretty good, or at least he was last night
pretty quick, good passer, can create and get to the basket
looks like he would be a pretty good pick up if available
Probably the closest thing to a Butler clone.
He's had a strong season so he's almost a lock to at least enter the draft.
May enter the draft and portal at the same time.
Would probably be the #1 portal PG if he decides to play another season.
From Riverside CA so you know UCLA and USC will be involved.
 
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Probably the closest thing to a Butler clone.
He's had a strong season so he's almost a lock to at least enter the draft.
May enter the draft and portal at the same time.
Would probably be the #1 portal PG if he decides to play another season.
From Riverside CA so you know UCLA and USC will be involved.
Dent seemed more of an offensive threat than Butler
well, if he went to New Mexico, maybe he would come to Lexington
just wonder about the $ from those 2 schools
 
Dent seemed more of an offensive threat than Butler
well, if he went to New Mexico, maybe he would come to Lexington
just wonder about the $ from those 2 schools
He is but like Butler not much of a 3 pt shooter.
Really good defender though.
He's put himself in position to get drafted but it's his outside shooting that the NBA sees as a weakness.
Other than the LA based schools I'd watch St John's if he decides to go portal.
Lil Ricky is his coach at UNM.
Rick Sr is losing his backcourt and has said he has no interest in going the HS route
 
watched Donovan Dent last night........guy is pretty good, or at least he was last night
pretty quick, good passer, can create and get to the basket
looks like he would be a pretty good pick up if available
Agreed. I like the Townsend kid from SC but I think he's going pro. Exactly the kinda guy we need though.
 
I just feel compelled to state again, for emphasis sake ... PLEASE, let us PLEASE, get OBI.

I want Obi over every other player out there, if it's possible. I mean, I'd sacrifice my birthday wish for Kentucky to be paying AFTER my birthday (later this month) - which is my usual birthday wish every year, so only Kentucky can fulfill it...

But yes, I voluntarily endorse, wholeheartedly, Obi Agbim coming here to the big stage with Kentucky next year. He would be as critical to next year's team as Butler obviously is this year.

It's really a no-brainer, but considering the way it is, it wouldn't surprise me to see Coach Pope pull more rabbits out of his hat and actually NOT get Obi in the fierce bidding war that will surely ensue for him next year..... He's a prime commodity in today's game.

In the end, though, knowing Pope put together the team he did on the fly with zero time to do so, tells me he's got an entire vision of team building that goes beyond anything I can come up with. I'll trust him on how he builds the team.

Obi would be a killer addition to the team, though. Fun to think about !
 
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Then I guess this season is already over if the head coach is talking about next years roster already. Seems a bit Busch league to me.
 
Poetal we need a great pg HIGH IQ an Defense. A starting Center or PF as good or better thsn Amari, and a grest shooting wing. Then some back ups.

Oweh and BG start but testvof starters need come from portal unless Jasper is ready. Moreno an Lewis might take time.
 
PG - Portal Guard - Kriisa - Lewis - Perry
SG - Johnson - Perry - Chandler
SF - Oweh - Chandler - Noah
PF - Portal Forward - Portal 4/5
C - Garrison - Moreno - Portal 4/5

We're going to be explosive offensively again if we lock up the right combo guard.

Looking at this roster, I'm not sure where Kriisa fits in a scenario that doesn't cost Lewis and Perry massive amounts of playing time.
 
Well there freshman and they are willing to be bench pieces. Krisa is what he is. I much rather have a really good player at PG next year
I believe Kerr can be really good. Guy was a career 40% 3pt shooter and just never got enough time for everyone to see that. He isn’t the worlds greatest defender but he plays really hard and a guy like that can be good for the freshman to learn from.
 
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I know it’s an unpopular take for some reason, but I would love if 2 of this year’s freshman would transfer.

We were happy to lose guys like Green and Whitney because they were overrated. This freshman class is so bad that it would be so so easy to replace them with better players. The replacemts would 100 percent be better defenders and just as easily better scorers.
And leave after one year. It doesnt make sense to run off players
 
That make no sense.
I just don't see us winning a title with him at the starting 5. I should have rephrased, if he can come off the bench that would be better.
Apart from the past couple games he hasn't played well all season, and he can't control his emotions during tense situations. I have a laundry list but I'll save it.
 
Was snooping over on the UNCheats board earlier in the season and they were bellyaching that they lost out on Wolf because Hubert wouldn’t match the $750k nil he got from Michigan. Hubert was quoted as saying “ I’m good with the bigs we have now “ .
Wow, he would have transformed that team too. That’s a steal of a deal for him.
 
Based on what happened to us with injuries , every year, plus the foul trouble based on the way the games are called in SEC , I think we need to fill all 15 scholarships .


Considering that we are losing :

- both our 3s / SF : JR and Brea
- both our 4s. : Carr and Almanor
- our starting PG Butler and center Amari Williams,

We will need at least 6 replacements from Portal / high school..

If Oweh, Garrison returns they are the starters at 2 and 5 . The 3 other high school and 3 returns ( Chandler , Noah and Perry ) will be back up players. So that give us 8 players. If Kriisa stays that 9 players.

Since we will have 15 scholarships, that means the maximum we can get from portal will be 5 players if Kriisa stays and Ament commits to Kentucky or 7 if Kriisa doesn’t stay and Ament goes to a different school.

PG : Portal 1 / Kriisa ?Portal6? / Perry/ Chandler
SG : Oweh/Lewis/ Chandler/ Johnson
SF: Portal2/ Portal 5/ Noah
PF: Ament/Portal7 ? Portal3/Noah
C: Garrison / Portal4/ Moreno
 
I believe Kerr can be really good. Guy was a career 40% 3pt shooter and just never got enough time for everyone to see that. He isn’t the worlds greatest defender but he plays really hard and a guy like that can be good for the freshman to learn from.
Ehh I don’t hate Krisa, but I much rather have a very good portal PG and have that PG and Lewis be our guards next year
 
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