Cal with athletes first, basketball skills secondary and Pope with actual basketball skills first, shooting etc.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out
Will be interesting to see how it plays out
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Yeah, it would be nice to see a collection of mentally & physically tough dudes running up and down the court wearing Kentucky basketball jerseys once again.One thing for certain, we won’t get bullied from now on! Everything about this team screams grit and toughness.
Very nice.The truth is, the best possible roster is probably somewhere in the middle. Pope couldn't be expected to land NBA first round talent for next year, but I assume he'll parlay Kentucky's brand and cachet, NIL money, etc., into the kinds of talent that can put a team of sound basketball players over the top.
Pope also has a really high iq and when it comes to planning ahead and making strategy that can really come in handy.I'm not going to knock Cal for his accomplishments while at Kentucky. He was the head coach at Kentucky and him or anyone else should have and was elated to land the greatest job in college basketball. He won a championship for us, and I am thankful for that. Everyone felt like we needed a change, and Cal himself, realized he wasn't the voice of the Wildcats anymore, and needed to step down. I think he felt pressure from the fans and that was who he won over the moment he stepped on to campus. I am, however, excited to see what Pope can do with the group that he has brought in here. I hope we see a team that has an offense somewhat differently than what we have ran in the past, and it will be fun watching these backdoor cuts, and people shooting threes all over the court. I think this was a breath of fresh air for Cat fans and I think Pope was the perfect hire. Did he have the resume others did, no, but he is diehard Kentucky and I feel like if we are patient and give him time, he will bring us another national championship and maybe an SEC championship or two as well. If they were a coach here, with the exception of Gilispie, I back them all. I may have disagreements or misunderstandings about some called plays, or defensive assignments but Cal was good for Kentucky and his record proved it. Many people don't take into consideration, that coaching, especially this day and time, isn't just about what you do on the court, it is how you handle your team off the court, and the things you do to make them better young men when they get older. Cal put numerous kids in the NBA, and although that was his ultimate goal, nobody can tell me it didn't tickle him to death to hang a championship banner in Rupp Arena. In saying that I hope we beat Arkansas to death this year, just like I hope we do the rest of the teams on our schedule.
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Is a good post but I disagree about losing to teams with talent just because you can’t overcome the gap. Pope beat Kansas at Kansas and a few big names last year with less. And As Cal demonstrated talent doesn’t equate to wins. I much prefer a smart coach and a team full of high IQ basketball players. That was always Cal’s Achilles heel.Super excited about next years team and really hope Pope can prove out his system at this level so he can continue getting high ranked recruits and portal pieces that fit his system. I definitely don't think avoiding top HS players or hot portal pieces expecting huge NIL bags is a permanent solution though. I think the fanbase will need to adjust quickly to how we will lose games going forward. With Cal's teams we were more talented than everyone we played, even the top teams, and our losses were due to youth, lack of basketball IQ, and Cal's weird tactical and system decisions. With the current UK squad, we are going to lose games when Mark's coaching and our shooting on a given night cannot overcome the better "dudes" on the opposing side of the court. But there will be no reason to panic and I feel good about the future for the Pope era. I hope people don't start clamoring for the return to the Cal years just because some future NBA player drops 30 on us to cost us a game. Even as a diehard fan, by the end of the Cal era I could barely get myself to watch anything but the biggest games because they were so painful and frustrating. I don't want to go back to that.
How do you honestly know their recruiting philosophy? They can't just pick anyone they want. Part of it is who agrees to come here.Cal with athletes first, basketball skills secondary and Pope with actual basketball skills first, shooting etc.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out
Great point.How do you honestly know their recruiting philosophy? They can't just pick anyone they want. Part of it is who agrees to come here.
When you look back at recent champions they all had an amazing group of older players and 1-2 big time recruits and that seems to be what Pope is aiming for, trying for 5 stars is great but relying on them like Cal did is where problems ariseYeah, as I said in another thread, the 5* freshmen in themselves are not an issue. It’s the complete reliance on them. I’m loving the new philosophy here. Pope is still recruiting 5* kids but I think we’ll see a much better balance with one or two of those, multi-year guys like Chandler who could be stars after a couple years, and portal transfers.
Just like with Kelsey interested to see if either can get guys to stay multiple years and develop. IMO I think it is more likely for the local guys to stay opposed to entering the portal. That's why it was stupid for both previous head coaches (Cal and Payne) to not recruit Trent Noah.We will see how he recruits when he has more time to build a roster. Turnover happens everywhere (except Gonzaga this year), so the players we hope to stick around and develop for 4 years hopefully don't leave for more PT.
This. He will keep recruiting five stars, but just as finishing pieces. Lets hope he can land one or two every year.The truth is, the best possible roster is probably somewhere in the middle. Pope couldn't be expected to land NBA first round talent for next year, but I assume he'll parlay Kentucky's brand and cachet, NIL money, etc., into the kinds of talent that can put a team of sound basketball players over the top.
I agree with this. The 2025 recruiting class will give us a good glimpse into Pope's recruiting capabilities. What he's been tasked with having to do to assemble next years squad is far from what will be a normal off season.The truth is, the best possible roster is probably somewhere in the middle. Pope couldn't be expected to land NBA first round talent for next year, but I assume he'll parlay Kentucky's brand and cachet, NIL money, etc., into the kinds of talent that can put a team of sound basketball players over the top.
Every single player Pope has gotten so far either has a reputation as a strong defender or a lights out shooter. I think I see a pattern rather than just taking what's available.How do you honestly know their recruiting philosophy? They can't just pick anyone they want. Part of it is who agrees to come here.
Cal valued recruiting rankings even above athleticism. For example, he did recruit a total non-athlete out of HS in the glacially-slow Kyle Wiltjer. Why? Because Wiltjer was highly ranked as a 5 Star and a McDonald’s All American.Cal with athletes first, basketball skills secondary and Pope with actual basketball skills first, shooting etc.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out
I really think you hit the nail on the head because there are lots of other examples. Ware, Askew, Boston, Edwards are another four that were not great athletes or good shooters. They had only one thing in common, they were all rated as 5 stars by somebody prominent(Askew wound up only a 4 star by Rivals but after dropping and still was an Espn 5 star).Cal valued recruiting rankings even above athleticism. For example, he did recruit a total non-athlete out of HS in the glacially-slow Kyle Wiltjer. Why? Because Wiltjer was highly ranked as a 5 Star and a McDonald’s All American.
Cal’s player evaluation method seemed to be quite simple: look at the Rivals and ESPN numerical rankings and whoever had the higher number next to his name was the one he considered better for him.
Yes, the people saying we need a big name have it all wrong. We need a TEAM that functions well together, passes the ball, puts it in the basket, team defense.......you don't need "a guy that can go get a bucket" for that.Cal with athletes first, basketball skills secondary and Pope with actual basketball skills first, shooting etc.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out
He started looking for a new job as soon as he saw that there weren’t going to be NIL funds there for him. He had no choice but to bolt or stay here and fail miserably.I'm not going to knock Cal for his accomplishments while at Kentucky. He was the head coach at Kentucky and him or anyone else should have and was elated to land the greatest job in college basketball. He won a championship for us, and I am thankful for that. Everyone felt like we needed a change, and Cal himself, realized he wasn't the voice of the Wildcats anymore, and needed to step down. I think he felt pressure from the fans and that was who he won over the moment he stepped on to campus. I am, however, excited to see what Pope can do with the group that he has brought in here. I hope we see a team that has an offense somewhat differently than what we have ran in the past, and it will be fun watching these backdoor cuts, and people shooting threes all over the court. I think this was a breath of fresh air for Cat fans and I think Pope was the perfect hire. Did he have the resume others did, no, but he is diehard Kentucky and I feel like if we are patient and give him time, he will bring us another national championship and maybe an SEC championship or two as well. If they were a coach here, with the exception of Gilispie, I back them all. I may have disagreements or misunderstandings about some called plays, or defensive assignments but Cal was good for Kentucky and his record proved it. Many people don't take into consideration, that coaching, especially this day and time, isn't just about what you do on the court, it is how you handle your team off the court, and the things you do to make them better young men when they get older. Cal put numerous kids in the NBA, and although that was his ultimate goal, nobody can tell me it didn't tickle him to death to hang a championship banner in Rupp Arena. In saying that I hope we beat Arkansas to death this year, just like I hope we do the rest of the teams on our schedule.
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It's not enough of a sample size and it might not even be his philosophy. Wait a few years and see.Every single player Pope has gotten so far either has a reputation as a strong defender or a lights out shooter. I think I see a pattern rather than just taking what's available.
Well, one thing we know for sure - the results CAN'T be any worse than the last several years!!! The POS who posed as a coach did not give a crap!Cal with athletes first, basketball skills secondary and Pope with actual basketball skills first, shooting etc.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out
I think a good way to measure how different their approach to recruiting is , look at the offers they extend for next years class. I have a feeling there will be a few of the same recruits offered by both coaches.Cal with athletes first, basketball skills secondary and Pope with actual basketball skills first, shooting etc.
Will be interesting to see how it plays out
KentuckyYeah, as I said in another thread, the 5* freshmen in themselves are not an issue. It’s the complete reliance on them. I’m loving the new philosophy here. Pope is still recruiting 5* kids but I think we’ll see a much better balance with one or two of those, multi-year guys like Chandler who could be stars after a couple years, and portal transfers.