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Rothstein Podcast - Picks UK 9th in SEC

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

Saved By The Bell Pat Self On Back GIF
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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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.
 
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.
 
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?
 
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.
 
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.
It's not as crazy as it sounds when you dig into it. There were 9 current SEC teams in the tournament this past year with the lowest seeded team being 9 seed TAMU.

Not that preseason rankings mean a ton, but ESPN has us ranked as the 8th best SEC team. CBS Sports doesn't have us among the 7 SEC schools ranked in their top 25. Fox Sports doesn't have us ranked among the 6 SEC schools ranked in their top 25.

I don't think we finish that low, but it's not inconceivable that we do. I could see this being the preseason predictions:

1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. Tennessee
4. Texas A&M
5. Arkansas
6. Florida
7. Texas
8. Kentucky
 
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.
As a counterpoint I would say just look at Arkansas last year. They were team of very good transfers that never game together as a team and finished 12th. And now the conference has two more teams in it.

We have a brand new coach who has never coached under this amount of pressure before, and a completely brand new team that has to learn the brand new coach's brand new system in a pressure cooker environment. Relying on transfers is always a gamble, and when it's a bunch of transfers and a new coach and new system it's even more of a gamble. It's just as possible this gamble fails spectacularly this year as it is it succeeds.

No one knows. And to act like Rothstein's prediction is any less legitimate than someone picking us to finish fourth just because you don't like his prediction is just being a homer.
 
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As a counterpoint I would say just look at Arkansas last year. They were team of very good transfers that never game together as a team and finished 12th. And now the conference has two more teams in it.

We have a brand new coach who has never coached under this amount of pressure before, and a completely brand new team that has to learn the brand new coach's brand new system in a pressure cooker environment. Relying on transfers is always a gamble, and when it's a bunch of transfers and a new coach and new system it's even more of a gamble. It's just as possible this gamble fails spectacularly this year as it is it succeeds.

No one knows. And to act like Rothstein's prediction is any less legitimate than someone picking us to finish fourth just because you don't like his prediction is just being a homer.
You do realize that on the uk board, most of us are Homer's?
Most of us also feel better about this year's chances with a new coach, rather than the previous one.
It is also not as likely that it fails spectacularly. That would be 9-17, a spectacular fail. Remember?
I vote much less likely.
GBB!
 
https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-...kentucky-no-9-in-sec-preseason-power-ranking/

On his podcast Jon Rothstein picked UK to finish 9th in the SEC this season. He said in part "“People automatically think that just because a team wears Kentucky across its chest, it’s going to be really, really good. I want to remind people this: there are major, major jumps at hand for many of Kentucky’s players who have transferred to Lexington.”

I know it is just a preseason prediction, and it is hard to know how good anybody will be, but this seems crazy to me. If we finish 9th in the SEC this year, I will wear a Louisville shirt for a week in public.
"“People automatically think that just because a team wears Kentucky across its chest, it’s going to be really, really good."

No UK basketball fan who has suffered through the past 4 seasons thinks this. Not sure who he's referring to here.

I'm feeling optimistic that this team will be much better than expected. 9th place finish in the SEC would be very disappointing. But having witnessed the Billy G debacle plus these last 4 years of Cal ... I'm prepared for anything.
 
If we finish 9th, recruiting will be nonexistent and Pope won’t be here long. We really need a good season.
 
As a counterpoint I would say just look at Arkansas last year. They were team of very good transfers that never game together as a team and finished 12th. And now the conference has two more teams in it.

We have a brand new coach who has never coached under this amount of pressure before, and a completely brand new team that has to learn the brand new coach's brand new system in a pressure cooker environment. Relying on transfers is always a gamble, and when it's a bunch of transfers and a new coach and new system it's even more of a gamble. It's just as possible this gamble fails spectacularly this year as it is it succeeds.

No one knows. And to act like Rothstein's prediction is any less legitimate than someone picking us to finish fourth just because you don't like his prediction is just being a homer.
I am not saying we are winning the SEC. I don't even know that I would bet we will be in top 4 (I think it will be close, say 3rd-5th). So trying to not be a "homer".

But you are talking like it is a flip-of-the-coin, a roll-of-a die. Which IMO goes to the other extreme of being a "homer".

Yes, it's a brand new team, just as almost every other team will have. And actually with new players, it makes it less of a factor that our coach is new, because even though (for example) the Alabama coach has been there for awhile, he is new to many of his players. So not that different than Pope being new to his players (except Robinson).

As for the pressure on the coach, that seems to rarely be a factor that changes from coaching one school to another. The few times it is, is when that coach has other issues (like a drinking problem, BCG) that exacerbate the pressure/stress. And don't forget, Pope as a player was a captain on one of the 5 most pressured teams to win over the past 30 years, and he had 2-3 years to experience the insanity of BBN's passion for the team/game.

And while performance of transfers can be difficult to predict (although to a much lesser degree for transfers from other P5 schools), they are actually at least as predictable as performance of freshmen.

4th would be quite reasonable, even 6th would be somewhat reasonable. But 9th, you are talking the bottom half of the league. Thinking that is ridiculous is not being a "homer". And like I said, I will put my money where my mouth is on a better than 9th place SEC finish.
 
https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-...kentucky-no-9-in-sec-preseason-power-ranking/

On his podcast Jon Rothstein picked UK to finish 9th in the SEC this season. He said in part "“People automatically think that just because a team wears Kentucky across its chest, it’s going to be really, really good. I want to remind people this: there are major, major jumps at hand for many of Kentucky’s players who have transferred to Lexington.”

I know it is just a preseason prediction, and it is hard to know how good anybody will be, but this seems crazy to me. If we finish 9th in the SEC this year, I will wear a Louisville shirt for a week in public.

Where can I put down a couple hundred on that pick...(Against it.) I do not bet but if I knew an on-line place to make a bet that was credible, I'd take that bet in a heartbeat and show the betting slip or whatever it is called.
 
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I think we will have a solid team and finish top 4 in the SEC. Pope will have these guys ready to go by the time the SEC starts. We may drop a game or two we shouldn't have, but I think we win a few that nobody thought we would.
 
https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-...kentucky-no-9-in-sec-preseason-power-ranking/

On his podcast Jon Rothstein picked UK to finish 9th in the SEC this season. He said in part "“People automatically think that just because a team wears Kentucky across its chest, it’s going to be really, really good. I want to remind people this: there are major, major jumps at hand for many of Kentucky’s players who have transferred to Lexington.”

I know it is just a preseason prediction, and it is hard to know how good anybody will be, but this seems crazy to me. If we finish 9th in the SEC this year, I will wear a Louisville shirt for a week in public.
Did he predict we would finish last a few seasons ago? Enough said!
 
Pope has to prove himself. The name on the jersey doesn't mean as much in the NIL era. I couldn't ask for a better fit and love for the program, but you still have to have the dogs to win big time. Pope still hasn't shown the ability to get the blue blood talent. Proving that he can win and a solid NIL plan should help that tremendously.
 
I've certainly been wrong before....many times, but barring some serious injuries I see no way in hell we are 9th in SEC.

I know Pope flamed out in NCAAT but he took a BYU team with very very limited talent to a tie for 4th in Big 12.

This team will not lack skill, experience and talent. Is it all high end NBA talent? No. But it doesn't need to be if it meshes well.
Does this UK team have talent better than the "very very limited talent" that BYU had last year?
 
Pope has to prove himself. The name on the jersey doesn't mean as much in the NIL era. I couldn't ask for a better fit and love for the program, but you still have to have the dogs to win big time. Pope still hasn't shown the ability to get the blue blood talent. Proving that he can win and a solid NIL plan should help that tremendously.
Yeah, 97 had a bunch of 5☆dogs.
Or, a good team of mediocre pros at best. Magloire was the best of the bunch.
We are tainted by the mind fugg of the "must have the best talent" to win admin.
Perhaps coaching still matters.
We shall see.
GBB!
 
Journalism/media is just pure opinion at this point. I’d rather read one of aike’s posts with stats and logic to back things up.

with all the high early rankings under cal the guy still couldn’t sniff a one seed when it mattered.
As good as we were thru 2017, nobody would have imagines we wouldn’t have another 1 seed or post season !success after that. It’s almost hard to believe. That 2015 game and Robic’s personal problems led to the downfall of the juggernaut we were.
 
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As good as we were thru 2017, nobody would have imagines we wouldn’t have another 1 seed or post season !success after that. It’s almost hard to believe. That 2015 game and Robin’s personal problems led to the downfall of the juggernaut we were.
Robin took the game plan with him.
 
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Would you be happy with 9th in the SEC?

I actually expect a good season. Not trying to be negative. Just saying that hypothetically finishing 9th would definitely make a difficult start to Pope’s tenure.
Expect good and not negative doesn't really work.
Expect Good=good meaning not negative.
They suck= negative.
Seems optimistic to me.
GBB!
 
Would you be happy with 9th in the SEC?

I actually expect a good season. Not trying to be negative. Just saying that hypothetically finishing 9th would definitely make a difficult start to Pope’s tenure.
You know what at this point I think we will be good, I think we will go further in SEC tourney and NCAA tourney then we have the last two years. There you go.

BUT if we don't guess what I won't be doing is already calling for pope to be fired which really is what your saying in your non direct way. SO YEAH you are trolling. Cal went to Arkansas why don't you follow him.
 
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I don't think we will be ninth and that would be disappointing but acceptable as long as we make the NCAA tournament. If we don't make the tournament then Pope needs to be fired. Calipari was unacceptable so that performance from Pope should be unacceptable. We are the University of Kentucky and there is a standard. Calipari failed to perform at that standard so anything less than that is completely unacceptable.
 
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You know what at this point I think we will be good, I think we will go further in SEC tourney and NCAA tourney then we have the last two years. There you go.

BUT if we don't guess what I won't be doing is already calling for pope to be fired which really is what your saying in your non direct way. SO YEAH you are trolling. Cal went to Arkansas why don't you follow him.
I guess you haven’t seen my other posts supporting Pope.
 
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