Rothstein Podcast - Picks UK 9th in SEC

[WeWant9]

SEC is going be tough, but 9th would be disappointing. I don’t see Pope winning the league in his first year, but I’m hoping we can finish top 4.

 

[HerrosHeroes]

He is a known UK hater as most of them all.
Dont feed the troll.

 

[ccukuk]

I wouldn’t put much stock in an opinion from a guy that graduated from Ithica.

Sounds like more of a wish than a prediction.

Well one of my sons is headed to Ithica for grad school but for a slightly different place, Cornell.

 

[Cold Stout Beer]

Well one of my sons is headed to Ithica for grad school but for a slightly different place, Cornell.

 

[Cats192]

I honestly think the premise is a bit ridiculous.

Someone on Twitter posted: During Billy G's NIT season, we were 8th in the SEC. In 2021: Cal took us to the worst record in school history. We were 8th in the SEC.

As someone else pointed out: Pope finished 5th in the Big 12 with a lesser roster. I keep reading how the Big 12 is THE conference in college basketball. Yet he moves to the SEC with an improved roster and is going to fall 4 spots?

"Oh he's got a bunch of transfers that haven't played P5"

Welll.....

Tyler Kolek
Mark Sears
Grant Nelson
Baylor Scheirman
Dalton Knecht.

Several of the best players in college basketball came from smaller schools/conferences as transfers.

But...

Robinson played against the Big 12. Carr played against the ACC. Garrison and Oweh played against the Big 12. Kriisa played against the PAC10 and Big 12.

For years we've been slammed for a lack of experience. Now we have one of the most experienced teams we've seen in decades.

I'll be shocked if we're not top 4 in the conference. I think it's a top 15 roster. I think Pope is a better X's and O's coach than Calipari. I think we'll lose games. But we won't have near the frustration.

 

[Kybluedude]

Yeah I’ll say it

2025 SEC COY - Mark Pope

 

[bowfreak]

I'll eat my hat if we are 9th. I think it would be ridiculous to say we are the favorite but 9th is just as silly.

 

[WildcatNC]

We are going to need to show something on the court this year to get any respect from some.

Understandable in a way. Pope and most of the players are making a jump up in competition. No returning production. No obvious lottery picks on the roster.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

One thing I will say about the SEC is I don't see it ever going back to what it was. Too much depth and talent elsewhere to expect UK to dominate. I think winning the league and tourney 3 or 4 times each in a 10 year stretch would be very successful if Pope can pull that off.

 

[sosoblue]

It has nothing to do with the team but the coach. I believe he is not sold on Pope and his coaching staff. I guarantee if Self or Cal had this team it would not be a preseason #9. This is an important year for Pope and prove to the World he is worthy.

 

[Mike-D]

He could be right on the money. Wouldn't shock me to see UK finish top 2/3, or as Rothstein says, finish top 9/10.

No one has a clue how this team will perform, in the slightest.

We should have a pretty good indication after the Duke game one way or the other.

Yes, it would shock me to finish 9th or 10th in the SEC. Our 9-16 team finished 8th in conference. Some of you need to get a clue.

 

[Zissou87]

One thing I will say about the SEC is I don't see it ever going back to what it was. Too much depth and talent elsewhere to expect UK to dominate. I think winning the league and tourney 3 or 4 times each in a 10 year stretch would be very successful if Pope can pull that off.

Not only that, but look at the quality of coaches across the SEC, top to bottom. Has it ever been this deep?

 

[docholiday51]

Maybe he got football and basketball mixed up

 

[JonathanW]

Rothstein is a pretty big name in the college basketball world for all of you questioning his credibility.

He's not exactly wrong. How many times have we got hyped over a transfer who didn't really pan out? And this basically a team full of them with a brand new coach. His ninth place prediction is no less credible then someone who picks us to finish first. No one really knows how everything will settle out with this team.

Every freakin P5 school has transfers they are putting a lot of expectations on! Not just UK.
That is the transfer-portal we now live in.
Yes, we have more than most. But most of ours are NOT taking a big step up in competition.

Oweh, Robinson, Kriisa, Carr, Garrison, Brea, Butler, Williams, Amonor
That is 5 from P5 schools, 4 of whom were one of the 2-3 best players on their P5 team.
Add one from a school that is an upper-end mid-major (Dayton), and one who played significant minutes on a Final 4 team.
So, there are really only 2 transfers, one expected to be 9th man, coming in to face much stiffer competition than they are used to seeing.


I would bet a month's salary with him we finish better than 9th (I'll give him 9th or worse). Heck, I'll even let him have 8th.