Question for a few posters

[runt#69]

I've read every word in this thread, and there's a lot of really sound takes and proper perspectives going on. Kudos to everyone that has their head on right around here. Here in the Rafters ... that's sayin' something !

I'm not a barnhart fan at all. But he got Brooks and Pope here. So I'll give them time to show us what they can ultimately do and what level of success they will bring. I'm cautiously but positively optimistic with them both as coach. I won't mind seeing Mitch step down when he does. Sooner the better.

As for Cal, I am so over him, and I am glad that people around here seem to have moved on as well. For those that have. Some, they havent. And that's ok, because there was bound to be a transition season when he left, and I'm glad the transition season has at least played out the way it has. It could have been utterly disastrous.

I truly feel like Pope will be killing it here. The job he did under such adversity with injuries, but delivering big quality wins that were all welcomed, I say it's more evidence we can feel confident in moving forward with him. But there are concerns as well. We will see.

Anything Cal does at Arkansas this year has no bearing on us. Nada. Zip. Zilch. I could care less if he wins or loses, if it were up to me, i'd see him lose every game he ever coached in now that he's not coaching Kentucky. He was finished here, and thats all that matters to me. Same for Pitino.

Pope is our future and we should be all in, as I think most are.

After 50 years of following the Cats, I've seen a lot of ups and downs, as we all have that's been around long enough to witness. This year was refreshing and rejuvenating and I know the future is bright with Pope here at Kentucky.

In time, we will be very thankful we have CMP. I am already.

 

[W1LDCAT22]

What if they do? I expected them to before the season. Both returned key players. Cal took Wagner, Thiero, & Z. Combined them with two top portal players in Aidoo & Davis. Throw in Brazile, Fland, & other freshmen and they should have had a great team. They just underperformed in conference play. I’m sure BYU returned several guys to go with their star freshmen. We built a roster from scratch and are derailed by injuries. Too many people worried about the instant gratification instead of the long game.

It wouldn't be the best look for us if it did. Pope, Cal, and Young all had to basically start from scratch. Yes, Cal was able to convince some of his recruits, some previous players, and one previous Arkansas player to return, but Pope had the same opportunity to do the same thing but was unable to get more than one of his former players at BYU to come with him, and only one recruit that had committed to UK to stay. This goes for Kevin Young as well. The three coaches all had a level playing field to build their rosters after basically starting over. Some just did a better job at selling themselves and their new program.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

It wouldn't be the best look for us if it did. Pope, Cal, and Young all had to basically start from scratch. Yes, Cal was able to convince some of his recruits, some previous players, and one previous Arkansas player to return, but Pope had the same opportunity to do the same thing but was unable to get more than one of his former players at BYU to come with him, and only one recruit that had committed to UK to stay. This goes for Kevin Young as well. The three coaches all had a level playing field to build their rosters after basically starting over. Some just did a better job at selling themselves and their new program.

Nonsense. It has nothing to do with selling your program. BYU is a Mormon school. Those kids aren’t trying to leave. It’s a miracle to get them to consider leaving. They brought back 4 key guys from last year’s squad this season. Cal took his guys with him. They weren’t program guys, they were Calipari guys. He added two of the top transfers and a good freshmen class. We built a Frankenstein of a roster in a few weeks and had some amazing wins. Season was derailed by injuries but we’re still playing. If you think that’s a bad look, then it’s an ignorant/shallow look.

 

[Cleatortoises]

Nonsense. It has nothing to do with selling your program. BYU is a Mormon school. Those kids aren’t trying to leave. It’s a miracle to get them to consider leaving. They brought back 4 key guys from last year’s squad this season. Cal took his guys with him. They weren’t program guys, they were Calipari guys. He added two of the top transfers and a good freshmen class. We built a Frankenstein of a roster in a few weeks and had some amazing wins. Season was derailed by injuries but we’re still playing. If you think that’s a bad look, then it’s an ignorant/shallow look.

Well said.
It is Frankenstein's monster.

 

[W1LDCAT22]

Nonsense. It has nothing to do with selling your program. BYU is a Mormon school. Those kids aren’t trying to leave. It’s a miracle to get them to consider leaving. They brought back 4 key guys from last year’s squad this season. Cal took his guys with him. They weren’t program guys, they were Calipari guys. He added two of the top transfers and a good freshmen class. We built a Frankenstein of a roster in a few weeks and had some amazing wins. Season was derailed by injuries but we’re still playing. If you think that’s a bad look, then it’s an ignorant/shallow look.

If Pope couldn't bring more of his former players with him from BYU due it being their religious school, which is nonsense, why didn't Waterman, Khalifa, Atiki, Adams and Toolson follow him. Your argument is based on BYU players staying at the school due to religion, when in fact, that is far from the case. Pope was only able to get one former player, Robinson, to follow him and one of his previous recruits to follow.

The having to build a new roster in a limited amount of time argument is also baseless and the issue for most new coaches in college basketball. A good portion of new coaches that are hired around the time Pope was hired here have to do the exact same thing. So to act like this was an anomaly that only Pope has had to endure is just a lazy excuse at this point.

I am not bashing our coach, or pumping up a former one by just stating obvious facts.

 

[Blue_2_the_bone]

If Pope couldn't bring more of his former players with him from BYU due it being their religious school, which is nonsense, why didn't Waterman, Khalifa, Atiki, Adams and Toolson follow him. Your argument is based on BYU players staying at the school due to religion, when in fact, that is far from the case. Pope was only able to get one former player, Robinson, to follow him and one of his previous recruits to follow.

The having to build a new roster in a limited amount of time argument is also baseless and the issue for most new coaches in college basketball. A good portion of new coaches that are hired around the time Pope was hired here have to do the exact same thing. So to act like this was an anomaly that only Pope has had to endure is just a lazy excuse at this point.

I am not bashing our coach, or pumping up a former one by just stating obvious facts.

It’s not just being a Mormon. It’s all that comes with it. A lot of those guys are married and are starting families. We all know the Saunders story about his wife not wanting to move. Of the guys who transferred and didn’t come here, which would you take over our current guys who came via portal? Robinson was already a journeyman so of course he’d move.you taking Khalid’s over Williams or Waterman over Carr? How many of those coaches hired at the same time as Pope rebuilt their entire roster and are still playing in the tourney? Both of those teams, Arkansas & BYU, had a consistency before the season with guys who already played with each other that we didn’t. You can use facts without context all you want.

If someone told us at the beginning of the year we’d lose Kerr & Robinson for the season, Carr would be hampered by injury and Butler would be playing with a torn labrum & unable to move his shoulder then we’d say it’s a miracle we’re in the second round of the tourney. That has nothing to do with what BYU or Arkansas is doing.

 

[Cleatortoises]

If Pope couldn't bring more of his former players with him from BYU due it being their religious school, which is nonsense, why didn't Waterman, Khalifa, Atiki, Adams and Toolson follow him. Your argument is based on BYU players staying at the school due to religion, when in fact, that is far from the case. Pope was only able to get one former player, Robinson, to follow him and one of his previous recruits to follow.

The having to build a new roster in a limited amount of time argument is also baseless and the issue for most new coaches in college basketball. A good portion of new coaches that are hired around the time Pope was hired here have to do the exact same thing. So to act like this was an anomaly that only Pope has had to endure is just a lazy excuse at this point.

I am not bashing our coach, or pumping up a former one by just stating obvious facts.

Heathen.