Hope he works out as coach here at Kentucky but the days of players playing for the name on front of their jersey is over. Look at how talent is spread out these days money talks and means more than a name on jersey!
Pope
- Thread starter wildcat_nation28
- Start date
Unfortunate, but true. If not money, it's the fastest route to the NBA.
Excluding Brea, Pope just got 7 good experienced starters from other teams. And Brea was the best 3 point shooter in college basketball. He hung onto Perry and got two other fantastic offensive freshmen to go with Perry. Pope has worked morning, day and night everyday he has been here. He has already got his foot in the door with a lot of the top 25 guys and put us in a position to have a great 25 class. He has put us in a position to have a competitive and fun transition year with good enough tough, experienced and talented players to have a really good year. What more could the guy do? His system is a team system. And he has put together the parts needed for a lot of situations. Maybe he is one more offensive player short, maybe not. But he isn't done yet either.
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Where's all these beeches coming from?
Nice thread title and even nicer post. Thanks for playing.
Sick of this garbage. Dipshit reactionary posts are a dime a dozen and a total waste of everyone’s time. I’ll catch you all next fall. Hopefully the dust will have settled by then and the chicken littles will be back on their meds.
Lol what the hell is everyone so pissed for? OP isn't wrong. Players don't give a damn about ''the name on the front''. the grievance lobby spent years turning the college game. Into the NBA player empowerment movement. Players transfer after final fours to get NIL dollars while their name is hot. They don't give a damn about the name. Just however much they're getting paid. No different than the NBA. It sucks, but it's where the game is.
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Duh some players are in it for the money, hell back in the day money still talked it was just hidden and not out in the open.
Not really...generally speaking, players will go where they get paid the most. That is their primary concern. Anything else plays a secondary role.
If it was me, as much as I love UK, if I was offered more money elsewhere, I would end up there.
What do you call it when they don't come even when we offer more money (i.e. Lanier, Hurley, etc...)? We need to come to terms with our place in MODERN college bball. Above average program that just got done being a one-and-done factory with hit or miss success. It will take some time, hopefully with Pope, to get us "back".
I don't think the name means as much as it did. Money and the transfer portal has done a number on all dynasties.
That said, would you rather earn $500,000 playing basketball at Kentucky or at Louisville? The smart recruit will pick Kentucky 99 times out of 100. Bigger fanbase, better endorsement opportunities, nicer accomodations, MUCH better history (which means better connections), and a larger platform.
All that still matters.
That's either willfully reductive or disingenuous, or both, IMO. Osobor was following his old coach and got $2 mil.
Just because school name doesn't always win out doesn't mean it's worthless in modern college athletics.
Thankfully you don't speak for everyone. I'm not saying that money isn't THE factor for a lot of people, but it's not the deciding factor for everyone.
This ridiculous notion that playing for Kentucky (or whatever blueblood) doesn’t matter or make a difference. It’s an extreme position and the truth is somewhere in the middle. In a couple years we might have some players that accept 600k to play here instead of 750k at butthole state because we run a fun offense, are on national tv all the time, and they were a fan growing up or want the challenge of playing at an elite school. Pope has been here 3 weeks and already has tons of transfers from smaller schools excited to play for Kentucky.
Not if your a kentucky kid. That argument can be said for every school. So if Alice Lloyd had a billion in NIL they would get any player they wanted. Or EKU or Western, or any small school. If thats the case Texas, uSC, UCLA, Notre Dame, Stanford would get only 5 stars. They dont because it dont work that way.
Lol. I was just saying money trumps all. He went to Washington because he got paid. They don't care about the school. Cal's players literally left UK to go play at Arkansas.
They did. They were Cal guys, despite the fact that he mishandled at least half of 'em. Osobor had his coach. Heck, UK football just pulled an insane DB away from Michigan because Marrow's that guy. You think UKFB is offering the same dough the defending national champs are?
Relationships still matter. Chandler followed Pope. Saunders was basically a lock to UK till (IMO) family took precedent.
Hurley turned down the most lucrative contract in college athletics history. Scott Drew turned down a pretty penny, too.
But, Perry never wavered even with all the coach carousel stuff. Noah literally decommitted from SCar after signing his NLOI and came here. Transfers have talked about how awesome it is to fulfill a lifelong dream of playing for Kentucky. There's no doubt that money plays a factor in some decisions, but there have been refutations throughout this off-season to "money trumps all."
Again, just my 2¢.
I don't put stock into what transfers say for cameras. Amari Williams agent was shopping him around for more NIl money. Even after he said he couldn't believe he was apart of UK. The school plays a small part sure. But money is 75% of it. Drew turned it down due to family. Hurley just won 2 titles back to back. Do you walk away from a 3peat chance?
I just don’t get it Cal has gotten into a lot of peoples heads that you have to have all these 5 star recruits. Well guess what those 5 star recruits didn’t win us jack $hit!!!! He has still got some of these fans so gun shy. I’m glad Pope is here and I love how he’s approaching the job and I think he will do a wonderful job on delivering in the end. I figured this change would unite the fan base but nope we still continue to be on different sides. POPE IS ONE OF US we need to embrace as a fan base and move forward I personally can’t wait till October!!!!
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Somewhere in the middle is key.
The nil has forever changed things and I'm sure agents will work diligently to find the highest bidder and keep their 10% coming.
It is now a business and no longer an allegiance thing.
That's the middle man affect.
JMO
No one said it but it just has that feel to it. It just seems that everything that Pope has done well it just isn’t good enough. Some of these players aren’t worth what they’re asking for and if I’m Pope I wouldn’t pay for it either to be honest!
Fans are people. Their reactions are most often determined by their personalities and upbringing.
I take about 90% of reactions with a grain of salt.
We're all doing the best with where we're at.
You are correct with 99% of these kids. However, this didn't all just happen overnight. It's been happening for a while now. That statement sounds good and all, but it is far from reality.
To the OP: Guys are getting compensated well. He just doesn’t want the mercenaries who only go to the highest bidder. What do you expect Pope to say?
Right… Perry and Noah are at UK for the money.
Good chance a couple more Ky kids in Johnson and Moreno will be joining them next season.
I don’t think Chandler came for money and would bet a couple more like Almonor didn’t either.
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