You hear people say "Well at least we beat the spread"
You know things have gone south when...
- Thread starter nicky
- Start date
Most expected a blowout. You can easily argue we were in a position to win this one. I think if Oweh shares a few of his attempts and could have been more of a decoy could have helped. The whistle in the second half was disappointing and what we have come to expect everywhere. We are a flawed team that can play with anyone or lose to anyone. I think we have addressed winning the one we should. I think if we win the Vandy and UF rematches, we can look toward a sweet 16, with a shot at a Great 8. Not sure Kam will return or if he did if spot minutes help. If JQ could give us 10 minutes a game rebounding and blocking shots, that would help. We don't need any offense from him. I would say BG is the weakest link and Malachi just keeps getting better. Mo is overachieving and Oweh, Aberdeen and Chandler have become steady scorers. Jasper can give us points, but such a liability on defense. With all this said I like this team and enjoying them at this point in the season. We need a top 4 SEC finish.
Yet another statement that shows UK has just accepted mediocrity
We are now on the same level with IU basketball.
It’s not about accepting mediocrity, it’s about being realistic with our team we currently have. We are what we are and that’s not changing for this season, therefore accept it and cheer on the team you claim to be a fan for. Expecting this years team to win the league isn’t realistic. We as fans don’t control what the team is capable of but it’s perfectly acceptable to want to see us back on top where we belong but at the same time cheer our team on and want them to do the best they can.
You won’t be the top team or the very best every year, that unrealistic for anyone. What you can do is cheer for your team and have realistic expectations. Doing that does not equate to accepting mediocrity, you can do both it not an either or.
I kind of agree to a point....I think people overlook BG being an excellent passer....and being tall he sees the court well....other than that, yeah...
Agasp (with back of hand to forehead). What shall we do? Someone said at least we beat the spread.
Stop worrying about what someone says online. This fan base will not accept mediocrity. They were booed out of Bridgestone Arena 9 games into the season. Got booed mercilessly in the first half against Miss St. Pope won’t be around if he can’t get the talent. Period. Stop ruining every thread with that crap. I think everyone knows where everyone stands by now.
Can we get a thread dedicated to actually talking basketball?
Stop worrying about what someone says online. This fan base will not accept mediocrity. They were booed out of Bridgestone Arena 9 games into the season. Got booed mercilessly in the first half against Miss St. Pope won’t be around if he can’t get the talent. Period. Stop ruining every thread with that crap. I think everyone knows where everyone stands by now.
Can we get a thread dedicated to actually talking basketball?
How does one "accept mediocrity" ?
You go out and compete as hard as you can which I thought the team did .
It's not always going to end with a W.
Never has.
In the last 50 years UK has only had two stretches where they were THE dominant force in CBB.
'96-'98 2 titles and one runner up.
'10-'15 One title 4 final fours but only 3 of those years (10-12-15) did UK have dominant regular seasons.
Lots of UK teams have lost in Gainesville.
Or, talking about “moral victories”, and, “they played hard”, etc…
Mediocrity has been the norm for the past 10 years. We have not won anything since 2015.
You are forgetting we were refereed in the elite eight in 2017, a team that could have very well won it all. And the 2019 team who fell to Auburn in OT in the elite eight so to say mediocre for the last 10 years isn't really accurate. The last 5, for sure.
The worst thing that could have happened for traditional programs (football and bball) is the transfer portal and the student athlete facade of NIL.
These changes have pulled the majority of programs into realistic parity that never existed. Now that most programs invest in pro athlete functions, expect the path to get tougher to win.
These changes have pulled the majority of programs into realistic parity that never existed. Now that most programs invest in pro athlete functions, expect the path to get tougher to win.
That's why you adjust to the new era. It sucks but what do we all want? UK back at the mountaintop
And that ended with an embarrassing loss to an inferior team that still hurts to this day
We’re at the point of being happy with moral victories. Something that should never be okay at UK.
Not only that, but the schedules aren’t balanced. Yeah, a top 4 finish isn’t the standard our 1996 team set, but we have the hardest remaining schedule. With wins at Tennessee and Arkansas, Pope got us back in a respectable spot. I don't kniw about everyone else, but I would take a 2nd place finish right now.
As far as the point spread comment by the OP, I would love to see how any of the current top 10 would have fared in that game. Florida, by the numbers, is the best team in the country right now and with a short rotation, we had a shot to win. That's not "lowering expectations", that's being real.
Back in Pitino's days, most if the SEC didn’t give a sh*t about basketball, today, everyone is all in, so the days of dominating the SEC, are over. Pitino lost games too, but these guys act like he was undefeated. Unreal.
Take 3 of the top 8 players off any team in the top 10 and they get smacked on the road at Florida.
While I agree to an extent, I have to point out, we were really good in 2019, should have been in the FF, but Cal gonna Cal and we did win the SEC by 3 games in 2020. That's not great by 1996, 2012 and 2015 standards, but heck, 95% of our history doesn't reach those standards.
Last edited:
Good point about the schedule not being balanced. That gets overlooked. And I can't remember it ever being in UK's favor. We always get the teams who are good at the time (AL, AU, FL) twice, while the rest get Miss St. twice.
Yes, the SEC up until recently didn't care about BB. That's when I see some of these posts comparing UK's history and standards and Pitino's records vs now and Pope's, it isn't the same playing field. Apples and Oranges conference wise. We aren't where we want to be...but we aren't even two seasons in and the pitchforks and torches are gathered. I really don't understand. Pitino said we were Camelot...but Rome and Camelot were not built in a day. And make no mistake, Pope inherited 0. Zilch.
He got the UK logo, some uniforms, locker rooms and Rupp Arena. No players. Even Pitino when he took over during probation had core returning players that he built his team on. In a crappier SEC conference. (Although LSU had Shaq and Chris Jackson).
We have a lot of fans, mostly on this board, that aren't really fans of UK. They are just fans of winning and bragging rights. I want to win too. I want us to get back to winning SEC titles and final fours. But it takes time to build that, yes, even with the transfer portal. Some of you probably just need to cheer for a different team every few years that is currently meeting your standards. Honestly you are miserable and just bring everyone else down with you.
Sir, unless you show up and ***** and moan after every single game and tell everyone else they are accepting mediocrity then you just aren't a real fan.
It took Calipari years to destroy the program, it is going to take Pope more than two years to bring it back.
Problem now is that you have more TP/NIL rams on the mountainside waiting to knock you off.
This describes a lot of NFL fans.
All about rockin' the gear and smack talk.
Indiana beat Alabama. 38-3. In football. The new era is going to be a tough adjustment for a lot of fanbases.
Bama is nothing special without Nick saban and IU had a once in a lifetime team this past year thats really the only two reasons for that. An actual football powerhouse such as bama if they wanted to could bring that guy cignetti aboard in a heartbeat. Indiana wouldn't be able to keep him
Basketball team hasn’t met my preseason expectations.
I am not on suicide watch.
Therefore, I have lowered my standards and
accepted mediocrity.
All kidding aside, I just accepted that we are what we are and am rooting for these guys to make a nice run. As a fan who doesn’t write fat checks to the school, it’s about all I can realistically do.
I’ll leave the hand wringing about standards and who is allowed to think what is acceptable to y’all.
I am not on suicide watch.
Therefore, I have lowered my standards and
accepted mediocrity.
All kidding aside, I just accepted that we are what we are and am rooting for these guys to make a nice run. As a fan who doesn’t write fat checks to the school, it’s about all I can realistically do.
I’ll leave the hand wringing about standards and who is allowed to think what is acceptable to y’all.
Not only that, but if Pitino is so great, why hasn't he done anything since he left? The 2013 title was stripped and for some pretty ugly reasons.
John Calipari doesn't own very many coaches, because he's just not a good coach, but he owns Pitino.
Pitino's style worked in the 90's, but it doesn’t work now.
Duke, Kansas, UNC all still dominating. UCLA, Kansas, UNC, and Duke all have final fours in the NIL era. Keep racking up the excuses.
Kansas, Duke, UNC, all still dominating their conferences. Now, the SEC is too hard for UK. Hilarious. After Calipari's post 2019 run. The fanbase is restless and patience is thin. Pope was brought in to win. Because Calipari had caused the program to slip. We see Duke, UNC, and Kansas in final fours, winning titles. While we spin in the mud. Michigan is #1 in the country in year 2. Vanderbilt is rocking in year 2. But we are told we have to give Pope 5-6 years to "build this thing". Maybe in 2012. But now? Get out of here. With NIL and the portal? It's just cope and excuses to cover for a former player.
Todd Golden is hired.
Year one 16-17
Year two 24-12
Year two 36-4 NCAA champs.
Do you see the trend? Consistent improvement. Pope has a real chance, at finishing with the same amount of losses, as year one. With a core of returnees and a full off-season. Not a great sign.
Give a qualified coach 22 million dollars in NIL. And the UK brand. See what happens.
Last edited:
In a position to win?
Play with anyone?
Sw16 with shot at elite 8?
Top 4 SEC finish?
Lord, the lengths some of you will go to lie to yourselves is truly shocking.
How is portal recruiting any different than HS recruiting?
Sometimes McDonald's AA' s flop in college.
It will be the same for the top of the portal.
Like last years deep HS class, the portal will have strong and weak years.
Having 22 mil doesn't mean a coach can't make a mistake in evaluation.
JQ was Pope's big mistake last cycle.
I can live with the rest even though they are less than perfect.
I agree he can't misevaluate every year.
First year was about as good as he could do considering the circumstances.
Pope didn't get any of his top targets in the portal. He had to get 2nd and 3rd options. And he was forced to take a flyer on JQ's knee.
All things considered, things are going well. Have won 8 out the last 10, and gave Florida, who might be playing better than any team in CBB, all they they could handle on their home floor, despite Oweh and Aberdeen shooting a combined 12-35.
Again, when Garrison is getting significant minutes against teams like Florida, you’re really shorthanded in the paint.
Find one person who has said Pope needs 5-6 years. You can't because it's not true. Like always, you use hyperbole to suit your agenda. Literally everyone that supports Pope like myself is saying to give him THREE years before we judge his body of work, you know, the same amount of time Todd Golden had, which even you mentioned. When you have to lie to make your argument, that means you have a bad argument.
I was as down on the cats and pope as anyone a month ago, was convinced they would have a losing record in the SEC and the thought of making the NCAAT was laughable. To their credit they have turned it around, still a hard team to watch and you never know what to expect but they are grinding. Have accepted this team for what they are.
Real question marks remain what pope can do on the recruiting trail. Not landing a big splash for this season (sorry not counting JQ) and being one of the only teams in the Country without a single commit for next year is quite alarming (and quite frankly embarrassing). If pope can’t get recruits here , seasons like this one are the best we can hope for and that certainly isn’t UK basketball.
Real question marks remain what pope can do on the recruiting trail. Not landing a big splash for this season (sorry not counting JQ) and being one of the only teams in the Country without a single commit for next year is quite alarming (and quite frankly embarrassing). If pope can’t get recruits here , seasons like this one are the best we can hope for and that certainly isn’t UK basketball.
You quote my post, then turn it into something I did not say, nor implied. I referenced a couple threads that compared Pitino's last five years to Pope's first two. Then mentioned that the SEC was historically strong last season and compared to Pitino's run when only Arkansas provided any real comp. Your take, was I was implying the SEC is too hard for UK.
Also, no one said anything about 5 - 6 years....you cannot even argue without making up stuff that wasn't said.
You just spin **** and are very disingenous.