I have always loved watching basketball started with watching with my dad and know with my grandkids. Something has changed it hurts watching other teams on tv that are fun to watch but when I watch uk games it is so frustrating. This year is the first time I have ever turned a uk game off during the game. I just wish we could be fun to watch again
Frustrating
- Thread starter Allinthefamily
- Start date
certainly felt that way a couple years, theres just no excitement at all anymore
We tend to glorify previous teams a little. This is far from the first eyesore team I’ve seen. Have we forgotten the 2023 team and how painful that was to watch? 2021? 2013? 2008? 2007? 2006? 2000? This is just the latest in the line of disappointing teams…it happens. Just try to enjoy it for what it is. Watching the 2023 season with my dad was one of my most enjoyable years because of us spending the time together , even though the basketball team was a miserable disappointment. I’d take a hundred more years of double digit losses and anemic offenses to have my dad around now. Enjoy the games with your grandkids and show them the joy of being a Wildcat through thick and thin. Life is too short to only enjoy the “peak” moments.
Well, if it’s not the injuries, then it’s the referees. If it isn’t the referees or the injuries, then other scab teams play out of their mind. I agree it really is the most frustrating thing I’ve ever seen.
No idea how a UK fan couldn’t have enjoyed last years team.
Like most on this board, I have bled blue all my life. When Pitino was coach, it was an exciting run. We were always top billing and most of the epic games included Kentucky. That was also true of Cal's early years. It seemed that we were regular fixtures at the Final Four. The last several years have indeed been frustrating, marked by under-performance, embarrassing losses, and multiple March failures.
My hope for the future rests with BBN. We have had down periods in the past, but BBN will not tolerate mediocrity. We always find a way to right the ship. The Cats will rise to national prominence again because we fans will have it no other way.
To me 2007 and 2008 had fighters and guys like Bradley went to war. really cared, they played hard they just lacked talent. This team is far worse to witness to me. Worse coaching and “touch money” attitudes. No comparison in those.
2013 had a real significant injury that blew the season. And we were coming off a title. And again that team played with purpose. Covid year I just scratch, and 2023 to me wasn’t as bad as watching this one.
To me it’s the hardest team to watch aside from maybe Covid but that was Covid. Some pretty bad coaching, even when he’s adjusting the players don’t play well together. Have yet to see them allow Chandler to get going and stay going, mark just claps.
I don’t know to me this has been my least favorite UK team of my life, that’s since 1985 and first teams I remember was 1992/93. If not, it’s in the bottom 3 hands down no doubt to me. But I I didn’t enjoy tubbys last few.
lol. Bama was much better last year than this year. We just got whipped. That UK team played with tons of heart.
I can't forget the OSU game, the Georgia game, the Vandy game, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Texas, Auburn, Bama in the SEC tourney, Tenn in the NCAA tourney, where we just don't show up and get our doors blown off from the jump. Last season was alot closer to being this season than people realize. Imagine if we don't come back and beat Duke or Gonzaga, or lose to Oklahoma once or even twice like we very well should have. We were genuinely closer to being a 15-16 loss team than people realize. Every win last year felt so hard to come by. I loved all those player don't get me wrong, but we weren't as good as people like to believe.
Last years team was good and I accepted it for what it was. Now I didn’t get that dominant “UK feeling” from that team, and I knew they were below the real standard we need to play to. It would have been a great bridge team sandwiched in between a title or some final fours / elite 8’s. Given that Calipari dropped the ball so hard, I lived with it and enjoyed the heart they had.
In context they were enjoyable, but not something I want a lot of.
Does using a name like 'Wildcat_Bill' or something else make the message any better?
There is never an excuse to lose by 29 points, no matter how bad a team or how good the opposing team is.
If I’m being honest, Pope’s inconsistent coaching performances have been shocking to me. Some games he dials up a brilliant gameplan, and whether it works out or not, I walk away feeling like he has elite chops, such as the Florida game. Other games, I’m flabbergasted as to how poor his feel is for pushing the right buttons, making adjustments in real-time, and then assessing it afterwards. He has to be a chronic over thinker. You don’t have the highs he has without some type of high-end potential, but his lows are worrisome.
Well said. My Dad passed last year in February. We watched countless games together over the yrs and if we weren't watching we'd talk about UK. Just not the same without him, but I still cheer on the Cats and try to keep the tradition alive with my kids.
Sure would be nice to have some more excitement and positivity from the program. The standard has dropped and I'm afraid if things don't change we'll only be fond of the past accomplishments.
There not fans
We might have only made the sweet 16, but that was one of my favorite teams. I really believe injury's cost that team a final four run, Butler was far better then Lowe, Carr was never the same after his back went out, and Robinson. That team was far better then this years, both healthy.
I’m not an ANON & I concur with the difficulty of watching Ky football & Basketball this year.
Watching players who should be wearing BBN Blue is very disappointing. What’s the issue?
1. Us = BBN & unrealistic expectations ?
2. Rupp & the way the crowd doesn’t intimidate Visiting teams?
3. Mitch & Staff?
4.NIL & Portal = other schools are richer?
5. Better coaches & Players at other schools?
I take it you weren’t in MSG last season for the game against OSU?
Or in Rupp for Ark and Auburn?
Or in Bridgestone for Alabama?
On the whole last season was good. But those games were a preview of Pope’s coaching.
Most blamed it on a makeshift roster.
But there’s just no way to enjoy a quitter.
I agree his coaching has been very shocking. I have seen some glimpses of capability in there, and of course he’d out coach me all day I’m sure, but I don’t see how some of this could be as bad as it’s been.
If I had to bet money I’d say it’s the team not actually him. I don’t think they respect him, and I think they don’t listen to what he says. His presser he basically said as much. But then you’ve got the crazy subbing partners. But then again maybe he’s doing it because some aren’t listening and he’s yanking them in and out. Just spitballing I’m not sure. Probably not all of it but maybe some of it.
The Ohio State game was puzzling. Definitely a letdown game. We were beat up by conference play last year. Yes, individual games were frustrating but I think Pope did a good job with that team. I haven’t forgotten about about 1/2 of the way through conference season, I was laughed out of the building on here for suggesting we could get a 3 or 4 seed in the NCAA tournament with that team. A decent chunk of posters were stating we would be lucky to win a couple more games and even make the tournament. Pope took the 29th ranked portal class, a preseason 23rd ranked team to a second weekend and a three seed. You have to be nitpicking to say it wasn’t a good year.
I don’t think it has anything to do with hating Pope. They might hate him being the coach, but nah last years team was fine given the context. And with everyone healthy, who knows. They might have been able to find a way to the final four. I think it’s fair to say it’s not a team I want every year, but given the context of Calipari’s last few years, it was fine and I enjoyed it. They played hard and together. Again just not a team that’s going to be a dominant force, awesome team to have squeezed inside of some banners or something, great first squad, just not a team that’s going to blow the doors off you. They had a lot of stumbles. But I don’t disagree it was an enjoyable team given the circumstances of the past few years.
The subbing has a lot to do with it imo. His philosophy doesn’t work for the lack of depth on this team and frankly I’m not a fan of it anyway. Hard to get rhythm when your play is being dictated at random.
I give last years team benefit of doubt due to injuries that were legit. Losing Butler for long stretches really hurt. He was the heart and soul. Losing Robinson who was our overall most talented offensive player hurt. Losing Carr hurt. And add in the fact the SEC last year was one of if not the strongest conference in the history of college basketball. I don’t give this years team that same benefit. We saw what last years team could be when healthy. This years team only gave us a brief glimpse in the St John’s game.
Watching duke and Michigan that is frustrating once was Kentucky. The reason my user name is what it is because I cannot figure out how to change it but thank for pointing that out
Hey you can change your username yourself. Go to your profile and just click on the name I think, find where it looks like it can’t be changed but it can. Delete the name and add your original, then log out and back in. Best I can do, I had to do it I just can’t remember exactly.
They were frustrating at times (the Ohio St game for one) but man they FOUGHT and very rarely did you question their effort.
This team? Outside of one or two dudes, man....they're just hard to like.
Oweh has been so up and down energy wise it's just frustrating. JJ has been somewhat of a disappointment.
Chandler and Moreno have been the bright spots. With Aberdeen being a close third (but he's had some bad moments too)
All I know is- I don't want to see Garrison anywhere near Lexington next year unless his effort and attitude improve. He's had maybe 1 really good game.
I think you have to email on3 support to change your username.
As for Kentucky, I agree it’s frustrating. We just gotta hope for the best, honestly. There isn’t much else we can do.
I will slightly agree. But blowout have become eerily common in CBB the last 2 years.
I though Pope did a pretty damn good job last year all things considered. Had Butler not gotten hurt we might have made an E8 run with an outside shot at a FF.
This year has all but negated that. Pope has done a D- job most of the year. He's had a few stretches where we thought "Man, he's gonna pull it off and coach above their level" but then lose to freaking UGA or some other team we had no business losing to.
I can't remember 2 years like this where it's been such a roller coaster. Last year gave us a lot of hope. This year has torpedoed a lot of that so far.
I'm sorry to hear that. Lost my mom in 2019 and it still sucks watching games without her. And we really just haven't been great since she's been gone. Ironically cruel in my opinion.
What has saved pope from absolutely bombing out is Kobe Brea. Duke was on him hard and we landed him. Without some of his shots, we lose a lot more game last season.
Why that’s an issue and why all of this is an issue? Because the JMI deal was not in place yet. We got some of these guys without being tied to JMI. Not sure how relevant it is, we’ll know moving forward. But so far I give Pope a C- He gets a little help with me from the team last year, but it is just a sweet 16. Can’t overdo it. Had he not been able to buy rosters it would be different. But he’s been allowed to take more NIL than almost every team and we haven’t cracked into Kentucky levels yet. Not sure how anyone could go above a C-
Next season? Gotta have an elite 8, need a final four. If it’s win win lose, win win lose, second round / sweet 16, to me you have to move on. He’s basically hitting his 14 year coaching average and that’s not going to cut it. Had Calipari retired after winning 2 titles in 2020 and 2025, it would be different. I could wait. Not a 15 year final four drought. Can’t wait
The blowouts and other bad losses from this year and last year are overshadowing the good wins that Pope has had.. I shrugged them off as growing pains last year but it’s hard to ignore them when they keep happening. Even in the games we win, we’re coming back from double digits in many cases.
Right now, I’m coming to the conclusion that there is something fundamentally wrong with Pope’s coaching ability and I’m not sure if different players will fix those issues. Not to mention Pope’s inability to land elite prospects in high school and the portal which just makes it even worse.
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