That’s not how this offense operates, not even close. Roll the balls out and go get a bucket not run a set play is a Cal thing.
What is concerning to me about this team is the FT percentage though.
Realistically?
- Thread starter wildcat_nation28
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What is concerning to me about this team is the FT percentage though.
It's hard to tell until we actually see them play together a little bit, but I think the ceiling is very high. There is a lot of experience on this roster, and I think Pope's offense will be deadly. I think we have a legitimate shot at the SEC and another 4-seed or better in March. I can't wait for it
There is a certain group of our fan base that became UK fans under Cal and don’t know any different. That’s the only way to rationalize to the resistance of the new philosophy. The difference between team ball and isolation ball is quite a bit different and the 5 out type offense Pope runs is going to be exciting.
To be realistic there is no way to know.
1. Will CMP run the exact same offense as he had last year?
2. Will our defense be better with 3 defensive player of the year players on the team?
3. Will all the players gel?
4. Who are the last 2 to fill out the roster?
5. Will the younger players Chandler / Oweh / Garrison / Noah / Perry make a jump?
Too many unknowns. If we are being realistic then you cannot answer.
Unrealistic view: I think we are one of the best 4 teams in the SEC, I think we have a shot at a 3 through 7 seed in NCAA tourney, I think we can be the best shooting team in the nation. I say we might win SEC tourney, We will win 2 to 4 NCAA games this year. Sorry I have a hard time picking against UK.
1. Will CMP run the exact same offense as he had last year?
2. Will our defense be better with 3 defensive player of the year players on the team?
3. Will all the players gel?
4. Who are the last 2 to fill out the roster?
5. Will the younger players Chandler / Oweh / Garrison / Noah / Perry make a jump?
Too many unknowns. If we are being realistic then you cannot answer.
Unrealistic view: I think we are one of the best 4 teams in the SEC, I think we have a shot at a 3 through 7 seed in NCAA tourney, I think we can be the best shooting team in the nation. I say we might win SEC tourney, We will win 2 to 4 NCAA games this year. Sorry I have a hard time picking against UK.
Agree, I think it is realistic to believe the end of season results will be better than the last 2 years
Pope also has better assistant coaches than he had at BYU. I agree that we're a 3-4 seed at this point.
Even before Cal we got top talent
Yep. I would put some of Joe B.'s recruiting classes against anyone's.
I think is a very reasonable assessment. I don't think we lose to Alabama twice though. Or to dUKe. But maybe the record is about the same? I think it's more than a S16 team too. I think we will be very good. Top 10 good. And good early. It's not going to take until Jan to see what we have. Pope was a very intense player and I'm sure he's intense as a coach.
I don't much about any of the players other than what I've read and seen a few videos. Perry is the only player I've seen play in person. And I think he will surprise people. He's no where near as athletic as Reed but he has a different kind of sneaky. He not Chris Mullin but he's Mullin like in that he has that change of speed without being herky jerky and it's hard to guard. He gets open when he shouldn't be able to get open. It's just something you have to see.
I'm very excited about this team. To quote Bart Scott, "can't wait!!"
The post point has nothing to do with talent more about concept of the offense.
Conference:
Home
Alabama -L
Arkansas-L
Auburn-W
Florida-L
LSU-W
SouthCarolina-W
Tennessee-W
Texas A&M-L
Vanderbilt-W
Away
at Alabama -L
at Georgia-W
at Ole Miss-W
at Mississippi State-L
at Missouri-W
at Oklahoma-W
at Tennessee-W
at Texas-L
at Vanderbilt-W
11-7 in SEC.
NoN-conference schedule:
Neutral site:
Duke-L
OHio State -W
Away
Gonzaga-W
ACC challenge-TBD
Home
UL- W
8 opponents -TBD
So with current schedule and roaster at least 8 losses without counting ACC challenge and whatever we add on home games.
Without adding two caliber players at SF and PF, I don’t think we win SEC regular or tournament. In NCAA we could advance maybe round 32/ Sweet 16.
Home
Alabama -L
Arkansas-L
Auburn-W
Florida-L
LSU-W
SouthCarolina-W
Tennessee-W
Texas A&M-L
Vanderbilt-W
Away
at Alabama -L
at Georgia-W
at Ole Miss-W
at Mississippi State-L
at Missouri-W
at Oklahoma-W
at Tennessee-W
at Texas-L
at Vanderbilt-W
11-7 in SEC.
NoN-conference schedule:
Neutral site:
Duke-L
OHio State -W
Away
Gonzaga-W
ACC challenge-TBD
Home
UL- W
8 opponents -TBD
So with current schedule and roaster at least 8 losses without counting ACC challenge and whatever we add on home games.
Without adding two caliber players at SF and PF, I don’t think we win SEC regular or tournament. In NCAA we could advance maybe round 32/ Sweet 16.
Whether we have 5 star Burger Boys or not is irrelevant. However, a team still needs top talent regardless if they want to compete nationally. Even though there is success with a team's scheme and system, it will only get them so far. Regardless of how many good, system players we have, it is still crucial to have a some "dudes" on the roster to unlock the team's full potential. Still hoping we can get one or two of these guys so we can truly compete to UK standards.
So when should we expect Final Fours and Championships? Are we supposed to give Pope and company a mulligan this coming year because it's his first year? Also, is year 2 when we can go back to Kentucky standards?
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10-15 wins minimum
15-20 wins realistically
20-25 wins hopefully
25-30 wins possibly
30+ unrealistically
On paper we have pieces to compete for a top 15 spot without a legit star. I don’t think there is a star available. Chaz and Robinson give us options but to me they are not guaranteed stars.
Our hope is the star is already on the team and develops beyond his projections like a reed or reeves.
Too much has to go right with this team but it is exciting because it is something that has never happened before and may never happen again. This is crazy what we are watching unfold.
15-20 wins realistically
20-25 wins hopefully
25-30 wins possibly
30+ unrealistically
On paper we have pieces to compete for a top 15 spot without a legit star. I don’t think there is a star available. Chaz and Robinson give us options but to me they are not guaranteed stars.
Our hope is the star is already on the team and develops beyond his projections like a reed or reeves.
Too much has to go right with this team but it is exciting because it is something that has never happened before and may never happen again. This is crazy what we are watching unfold.
A question I have is when the best defensive players are on the court, can we score ?? Conversely, when the best offensive players are on the court, can we defend ??
Butler yes, Oweh yes, Williams yes, Those 3 can do both. Not sure about the rest. I would think you will see most of the time a combination of 2 of those 3 in the game. Carr averaged 1.5 blocks a game last year, so he can help as well. Krissa is a little up and down as a defender, Almonor per Pope is tenacious on the court. I think we will be better all around team than last year.
Think this will be a fun group to watch, if they buy in 100%. Pope has faith in this group as is, but will wait and see the other 2 members of the roster.
With our best defenders in the game, can we score? I suppose that depends on how much you trust the system to create spot up opportunities. I’ll show you a lineup with spot up 3 pt % for each player (2024 stats) and you may be pleasantly surprised at the results:
PG - L. Butler = 36.4%
SG - K. Brea = 53.8%
SF - O. Oweh = 37.8% (low volume)
PF - A. Carr = 42.6%
C = A. Williams
This is an elite defensive lineup with high catch and shoot efficiency.
PG - L. Butler = 36.4%
SG - K. Brea = 53.8%
SF - O. Oweh = 37.8% (low volume)
PF - A. Carr = 42.6%
C = A. Williams
This is an elite defensive lineup with high catch and shoot efficiency.
You just park Brea, Kriisa, Carr, and Almonor on the 3 point line whenever they’re in the game and make everyone else ruuunnnnnnn!!!!
With all due respect, it's you people who are still hung up on Cal. Nobody's bringing up Cal other than you. Cal needed to go (I get why we weren't going to spend $40M+ to fire him but he needed to be gone a couple years earlier). But you're all still looking at things through a Cal-centric lens - you just think that since Cal was bad, doing something else MUST be good. And I think you're setting yourselves up for disappointment.
We'll be good, I think. We're NOT going to be as good as we eventually need to be. Pope is going to have to get more talent. And prove that he can assemble and coach high level teams - remember, he's never won a tournament game. But that's fine. I'm excited to see how this year goes. But I think he's going to have to grow into this job and we're going to have to get stronger rosters than we're able to get starting from absolutely zero in April. Again, that's fine - I think we will.
But remember our good teams from the pre-Cal era. I'm not even talking FF/championship teams, just the GOOD teams. 2005 had Azabuike and Rondo and Hayes. 2003 had Bogans, who was an ELITE recruit. 1995 had Delk and McCarty and Walker. 1992 had Mashburn. 1988 had Rex and Bennett. In other words - they had DUDES. Do you see one of them on this roster? I don't. Pointing that out isn't being hung up on Cal. Pretending it's not a concern, like you are, is you being hung up on Cal.
Forgot about that 2004 team. Overall number one seed in NCAA Tournament. Not a single McD AA and not a single Parade AA.
People dont have to mention Cal to show they are under the influence of Cal's system the last 15 years making them think a certain way is the way to build teams or win games etc.
Yep. Common example is they will cite a team that was built entirely out of three star guys and say “Ah but Keith Bogans”, while entirely disregarding the next season’s team which didn’t have Bogans and was still highly successful. Cherry picking to prove you have to have elite talent. Elite talent to some people means a blue chip high school guy.
With All due respect you don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m not hung up on Cowl. But your an idiot if you thing compare and contrast can’t be mentioned of offensive style when everyone is saying we need this or that. Sounds more like your a snowflake to me.
Hayes was Parade AA. 04 was a very good team (though didn't get out of first weekend of tournament). That was one of the most overachieving teams (relative to the team's "talent") we've ever had. Hell of a coaching job by Tubby, lots of veteran really good college guys. And Hayes as the anchor.
Have a good rest of your evening, friend, I hope you're not too hungover in the morning
Hayes was not Parade AA. Think he was 4th team like Hawkins. I’ll go double check
Edit: I was wrong. He was Parade AA lol
Edit again: No, I was right. He was 4th team Parade AA, just like Hawkins
You’re very presumptuous. Who said I was drinking? I actually just got out of the pool with my family and grilling and catching up on boom talk. Just because you can’t call me names for free doesn’t mean I’m a drunk. What a prick you are.
I was being charitable and not assuming that your multiple spelling and grammar errors alongside your aggressive attitude were a reflection of your mental abilities
Oh well I was assuming your weren’t a nazi grammar D bag. And your quoted how many people putting them down and call me aggressive? I bet your wife is real happy in life.
If you ever read my post the last few week you’d know I’m 100% in on Pope and don’t care a lick about Cowl.
Don’t bother, I’ll never see another of your post.
Guys I have no problem with everyone's opinion. I respect them all. I just sometimes get tired of we have to have player x y or z to be good.
You give no credence to the guys we have now. I am guessing they cannot fit a system, play much better in Pope's system over SDSU (Butler for one example), that played a version of stall ball slow offense and he still had 9 points a game, or any of the other guys. To act like none of our guys are any good, or not that good, is just as crazy as saying Lanier (that has had 1 good year) is the best player out there. All of these portal rankings are even worse than the 5* ranking system in High School athletics.
We will not know what we have to we see it. No matter how much we debate, put our point of view (and we all (me included) think our point of view is the best point of view)) out there.
I for one know I am stubborn when it comes to Cal, as I hated all 15 of his years (including the championship years because I had to listen to the snake oil salesman). I did not like his style of play, I did not like the way he coached. I did not like his State of the Union address and so forth.
I know this upcoming year could be fun, could be full of as many downs as ups. I choose not to look at things that way, just like I look at UK Football and hope for the best every year. This year 8-4 or 9-3. (yeah i will probably be disappointed). But I am almost 60 years old, I have been disappointed many a time in my life by now.
I choose to look at the best of this roster, listen to the talking heads that I listen to and see where we could be one of the best shooting teams in the nation this year, we can be a much better defensive team and blah blah blah.
We seriously do not know what style Pope will come out with this year. We are guessing till it happens. I hope we see full court pressing, run and gun, secondary break 3's. All of that. I hope we see the 3 sign courtside and we see about 20 to 25 each night. I hope we see BBN proud of what product Coach Pope puts out there and in turn the young guns in High School also see it. Then I hope Pope fills the roster that best fits, a few great young guys, a few portal guys and then keep some of the players you have each year.
I do not want to see 7 5* freshman each year and filling out the roster in July with leftovers.
You give no credence to the guys we have now. I am guessing they cannot fit a system, play much better in Pope's system over SDSU (Butler for one example), that played a version of stall ball slow offense and he still had 9 points a game, or any of the other guys. To act like none of our guys are any good, or not that good, is just as crazy as saying Lanier (that has had 1 good year) is the best player out there. All of these portal rankings are even worse than the 5* ranking system in High School athletics.
We will not know what we have to we see it. No matter how much we debate, put our point of view (and we all (me included) think our point of view is the best point of view)) out there.
I for one know I am stubborn when it comes to Cal, as I hated all 15 of his years (including the championship years because I had to listen to the snake oil salesman). I did not like his style of play, I did not like the way he coached. I did not like his State of the Union address and so forth.
I know this upcoming year could be fun, could be full of as many downs as ups. I choose not to look at things that way, just like I look at UK Football and hope for the best every year. This year 8-4 or 9-3. (yeah i will probably be disappointed). But I am almost 60 years old, I have been disappointed many a time in my life by now.
I choose to look at the best of this roster, listen to the talking heads that I listen to and see where we could be one of the best shooting teams in the nation this year, we can be a much better defensive team and blah blah blah.
We seriously do not know what style Pope will come out with this year. We are guessing till it happens. I hope we see full court pressing, run and gun, secondary break 3's. All of that. I hope we see the 3 sign courtside and we see about 20 to 25 each night. I hope we see BBN proud of what product Coach Pope puts out there and in turn the young guns in High School also see it. Then I hope Pope fills the roster that best fits, a few great young guys, a few portal guys and then keep some of the players you have each year.
I do not want to see 7 5* freshman each year and filling out the roster in July with leftovers.
I love the fact that our 11 guys are so bad they will not be able to beat the 7 man roster at Arkansas in Rupp. That is darn funny!!!! We would win at Arkansas by 12.
Realistically are we making predictions? If so, without any addition, top 3 SEC finish and S16 finish. We are one addition away to the later being F4-E8.
There’s just so much talent and precise numbers on this roster that fit the current regimes MO.
There’s just so much talent and precise numbers on this roster that fit the current regimes MO.
I actually think Arkansas has the makings of a good roster but they may struggle from the outside. Dribble drive offense struggles when there aren’t enough dependable shooters for those kick outs. Same issue I see with Duke and Kansas so far.
How the heck does a fan forum site become bickering over grammar and spelling. This is no different than texting at this point. Get your point across, overlook crap like that and keep moving.
If you want everyone to be in English Lit class, go to UK and have at it. Man this stuff on here gets to be so stupid and brings down everyone. I do not have a problem calling one another out for a point of view. But to add grammar and spelling to that is just plain petty at best.
If you want everyone to be in English Lit class, go to UK and have at it. Man this stuff on here gets to be so stupid and brings down everyone. I do not have a problem calling one another out for a point of view. But to add grammar and spelling to that is just plain petty at best.
I wouldn't usually, but when I DO just make my point and then someone calls me an idiot WHILE making those errors... yeah, I'm gonna point it out
lol seriously? I can’t speak all of the others you tagged but I literally responded to what was said in the post, therefore, I didn’t bring it up lol… good effort though. You clearly didn’t read what I said and are putting words in my mouth. Your response was not at all what I spoke to. It will work itself out one or another, either way I’m glad cal is gone and we are changing things up, but that had nothing to do with what I said. I spoke to roster building and elite high school talent being overrated and the fact we have proven it and not understanding why people can’t see that. In fact, I said I didn’t expect them to compete for a title next season. We have a completely new team and a coaching change. No one should. However, Pope has exceeded expectations in less than two months and I do think we will be better than some fans think.
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