What I'm hearing is ... Making progress. Doing better than Cal did the last 4 years. Injuries. Very difficult schedule. Losing J Lowe messed up everything we had planned. Reason for optimism.
CMP show 23 March 2026
- Thread starter Zuma75
- Start date
What’s the reason for optimism? I see zero. I hope Leeann sleeps with John calipari and makes pope watch from a chair.
^ too much, Anon56644674(7$555574467?;4()356
Just reporting what he's saying. The optimism is his, not mine.
He apparently has 4 coaches jumping ship. What optimism is there? You have to be delusional to be optimistic about next year. He wants to keep players but why would they stay if we’re losing a bunch of coaches? They probably don’t want to be here either.
Taking the time to come up with the stats to include the COVID season to justify your performance is incredibly weak.
He’s not wrong about Lowe’s impact and more difficult schedules.
He’s not wrong about Lowe’s impact and more difficult schedules.
Blaming everyone but himself. Players were soft because he was soft and wouldn't take responsibility. Great leader.
Agree ... but yeah, I don't like using Cal's last 4 years as the baseline for comparison.
He's a con man. Don't let the nice guy shtick fool you. Guys like Pitino and Calipari are genuine about who they are, and players recognize real. He's spits more snake oil than Cal ever did.
If he's actually talking on Cal's last few years to try and bolster his time here, I do not know what to even say.
There's really not much I want to hear him say outside of this season wasn't up to UK standards and everything will be done to right this ship.
There's really not much I want to hear him say outside of this season wasn't up to UK standards and everything will be done to right this ship.
This is maddening. Defending being awful. You think comparing Cals down years is a good idea? The thought of having to go through another year of this or worse because we have zero players lined up next year. The ones we do will drop 20 games.
Pope you are a fool. Cal had multiple final fours, a runner up, a natty, multiple sec regular season and tournament titles, elite 8s. Only lost like twice to Louisville since 2009. I’m glad Cal moved on but pope you are a degenerative(for Nitro) fool.
Might be nothing but a takeaway I had:
-talked about Malachi and Chandler in his roster construction/development rambling yet talked about Trent/Jasper in his blaming of the season on the Lowe injury. Felt like he was giving an excuse/out for the lesser guys that probably leave while highlighting the positive trajectory of two he plans to build around
-talked about Malachi and Chandler in his roster construction/development rambling yet talked about Trent/Jasper in his blaming of the season on the Lowe injury. Felt like he was giving an excuse/out for the lesser guys that probably leave while highlighting the positive trajectory of two he plans to build around
Anyone still think he understands the assignment? He’s acting like comparing himself to Cals last 4 years is an accomplishment. That’s like taking over a failing company and being like “well at least we only lost 18 million, the last guy lost 20 million”
Tell me a UK coach isn’t counting a Wednesday and Thursday win in the SEC tournament as progress, when our standard is to double bye to Friday. I thought he understood the mission. Guess not!
We’re being driven into the f*cking abyss by Captain Ahab and his delusional bullsh*t. He’s driving the ship right into Moby Dick’s maw and no one can take the wheel away from him.
That last remark about the 1% of negative fans sounded a lot like what Barnhart says. It's a little more than 1%.
Comparing himself to Cal is just plain LUDICROUS .
He’s a yes man surrounded by his own personal yes men. But even they aren’t sticking around. Take the f*cking hint. Someone relieve him of his duties before he destroys whatever is left of this once proud program.
Glad someone else can see this. Dude is fake AF.
Not the Kentucky standard:
- losing to Evansville, UNC Wilmington, St. Peter’s, and Oakland
- two postseason wins in five seasons
Also not the Kentucky standard:
- playing on SEC tournament Wednesday
- getting routinely pummeled by high majors
- second round exits
- losing to Evansville, UNC Wilmington, St. Peter’s, and Oakland
- two postseason wins in five seasons
Also not the Kentucky standard:
- playing on SEC tournament Wednesday
- getting routinely pummeled by high majors
- second round exits
I THINK he was trying to communicate that it hasn’t been up to his or our standards but there have been reasons and it’s been better than the current perception leads on.
I think he’s spot on, but the necessary researching of that point and beating us over the head with it a day after a humiliating loss is insanely out of touch.
He feels the need to make his case for keeping his job. Even if you grant there was progress, based on selective metrics, it is incremental at best.
He can blame injuries, but there is no excuse for the lack of skill for the roster that remained.
He can blame injuries, but there is no excuse for the lack of skill for the roster that remained.
Has it been? What type of coach whiffs on all of the elite talent in the portal last year with 22 million, doesn't bring in or keep the committed back up PG, and signs a guy with a torn ACL with a big chunk of the money. By no means did this year inspire any hope or confidence that he can turn it around in another year. Especially from a guy that said he had a Ferrari and understands the assignment. A Ferrari doesn't turn into a civic just because it doesn't have a steering wheel, you shove a backup wheel on that sucker and drive it.
“Well I was better than him” is never a good look
I do think he sounded genuinely optimistic about recruiting, not just lip service. You get the sense he had news to share, but can't yet.
UK lost to a 13 and 15 seed during those 4 years and missed the tournament one year.
I always want him to say more until he starts talking then I want him to talk less.
And then I totally understand why we can't land any recruits.
And then I totally understand why we can't land any recruits.
He is definitely word salad guy.
Didn’t think he was word salad man tonight. Thought he was actually giving good answers at the times he wasn’t reading off his justification stat notecards.
Think he knew the mood called for a little more directness than beautiful talk.
Didn’t think he was word salad man tonight. Thought he was actually giving good answers at the times he wasn’t reading off his justification stat notecards.
Think he knew the mood called for a little more directness than beautiful talk.
This is what happens when people create this stupid “anti-Cal” persona around Pope. Now he’s beginning to believe the fans’ delusions himself.
Got the same vibe. Obviously he could end up being wrong, but felt like he genuinely felt good about someone.
He should have never brought up the last four seasons…that was the reason we wanted a change and to say his two seasons were better just slightly is ridiculous
I don't think taking potshots at the last coach to try and justify his failure is a good look.
If he is comparing his first two years to the last few years with Calipari, then he clearly doesn't "understand the assignment". I really can't believe he did that.
Really it's been up to his standard, because up to this point he's been a mediocre coach everywhere, and he's that here.
He's an exceptionally poor communicator in almost every medium. I'm wondering if he even aced the interview for this gig. I imagine it was a lot of Clint Eastwood squinting and nonsense talk with buzz words.
He's an exceptionally poor communicator in almost every medium. I'm wondering if he even aced the interview for this gig. I imagine it was a lot of Clint Eastwood squinting and nonsense talk with buzz words.
That’s some quality cherry picking there. Selectively choose only Cal’s worst stretches to show how well you’re doing comparatively. LOL
So, coach, would you now like to discuss his best seasons?
So, coach, would you now like to discuss his best seasons?