You know CM Pope is also in a learning curve

[Kybluedude]

UK bball is a big step up on and off the court. I have to give it to CMP for his efforts. Recruiting, BBN, NIL, contacts, scheduling, media, personal demands on time, resources, travel, pressure, and on and on.

I bet it takes years to adapt. He’s learning and doing great with it.

 

[St.PatterSoN-54-]

We got the right guy.

 

[kywildcat41035]

Playing here sure helps with the transition of coaching here. I know the 2 are totally different aspects but it sure helps with knowing the expectations and the passion of our fan base. I love Coach Pope and loved him as a player too!

 

[Jgrass34]

Not only all the things you mentioned, but dang, what about an SEC learning curve? I think it hit him right between the eyes that A.) The league is better than he thought B.) It's more physical than he expected and C.) He is going to HAVE to put emphasis on defense. But he has really handled everything well. To me, it would be hard to find anyone else who would have done it any better.

 

[Kybluedude]

Playing here sure helps with the transition of coaching here. I know the 2 are totally different aspects but it sure helps with knowing the expectations and the passion of our fan base. I love Coach Pope and loved him as a player too!

Good points. Even though he played in the 90s it was high flying highly ranked teams with a high profile coach who handled it well. I have to think you’re correct it helped. However, no transfer portal, social media or nil back then.

 

[bigblueinsanity]

After the sec tournament i posted my two major concerns were his lack of focus to defense and over reliance on the three point shot.

In the ncaa tournament, he addressed both those things specifically the over reliance on jumpers. I loved seeing guys take midranges because it attacked the open space from the center dropping way back and the screened defender trailing.

It took till now, but at least the adjustment was made. You know its an adjustment because its completely opposite of his usually strict analytic approach.

 

[TM2013]

He has all the tools needed to excel here

 

[Kybluedude]

He has all the tools needed to excel here

Are you talking about the resources available to him provided by UK or the inherent skills he personally possesses?

 

[runt#69]

There's still a lot more to learn, Coach Pope has done an admirable job managing everything. The single greatest thing about what we see right now is how much Kentucky has improved defensively. Which doesn't get talked about enough here.

That's made all the difference, and just believing in themselves. For me, as a fan, it makes it feel so much more comfortable to have faith and love something like that when you know the coach and the team (family) loves something that much. It can't fail.

Defensively, they've improved at least as much as they had to in order to get this far. That was the consensus, even with all the impossible roster issues with injuries all year long. That's the amazing thing about it - keeping the ship from sinking at all and it not be a disaster.

And I like the matchups here on out. Great to be back in the sweet sixteen where we have been so many times before. The long drought is over.

Go Big Blue ! ( On to Indy ! )

 

[LineSkiCat14]

I feel like this sentiment is woefully overlooked, and not even a factor in some fans minds. It's his first year here, there's a whole lot of settling in that needs to happen. And it's a big hurdle mentally as well. Can I do this job? How will the media be? Will my family like it here?

 

[bbncal02]

He also walked into the toughest conference in CBB history. And had to adjust philosophies and tendencies almost immediately.
He basically learned every SEC game is like playing KU at Phog every night.

 

[AshWilliams]

Are you talking about the resources available to him provided by UK or the inherent skills he personally possesses?

Well he was a 3 year med student.

 

[KyCatFan]

And I like the matchups here on out.

Yeah, we've shown twice we match up well with UT. Houston seems closer to UT than say Alabama. So that's a good thing. We also have shown we can beat Duke. We've beaten Florida and I think we will perform much better if we got to play Auburn with how they've played to close out the year and us being pretty healthy now. The only real issue is Bama if they get to and beat Duke and we make it to them. Now this doesn't account for any upsets by other teams, but I don't think any of them really are matchup nightmares like Bama is.

 

[actionjaksen]

UK bball is a big step up on and off the court. I have to give it to CMP for his efforts. Recruiting, BBN, NIL, contacts, scheduling, media, personal demands on time, resources, travel, pressure, and on and on.

I bet it takes years to adapt. He’s learning and doing great with it.

Pope is everything we needed just at the time we needed it.

 

[PopesReignOverCardinals]

After reading "CM Pope", I need to see one of those blended photos of CM Newton and Mark Pope now.