Unfortunately Kentucky basketball is....

[nicky]

No longer elite

And it's going to take a totally different approach by the administration to get it back on track....even then it might be impossible to get back cuz we've fallen so far behind

And the problem is there's no indication that anything is going to change administratively....even if MB is out

Sad times for sure...

 

[Bowfreak.]

There is plenty of money. They just need to catch up to how CBB in the NIL era works. If you have money you have the biggest step out of the way. The rest is doable with the right people in the right positions.

 

[nicky]

There is plenty of money. They just need to catch up to how CBB in the NIL era works. If you have money you have the biggest step out of the way. The rest is doable with the right people in the right positions.

There is plenty of money. They just need to catch up to how CBB in the NIL era works. If you have money you have the biggest step out of the way. The rest is doable with the right people in the right positions.

We still have a questionable coach

 

[KentuckyStout]

Kentucky is elite, it's just in that Godzilla dormant state right now.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Administration will only listen when fans stop attending and spending money. As long as we continue to treat Kentucky basketball like we are Disney World season ticket holders, with absolutely no expectation for greatness, the program will continue to tread water.

I absolutely hate the state of our program right now. Anyone who is okay with where we are at, is likely either mentally challenged, or they are not a Kentucky fan. It's really that simple.

 

[UKGrad24]

Every single organization and program in history has ups and downs. There is no way to sustain being the best every single season or every single decade. We own the majority of “team of the decade” handed out. We own the most NCAA categories in the #1 spot, we’ve top two in most of the rest, no worse than top 5 in any really. And we were not awesome in every single year in between that.

I don’t care about cherry picked dates. I care about the full body of work. I can make an F here and there and still come out with an A. I don’t care that the F was the last test taken if the result is an A for the class.

Kentucky will never die it’s not possible. Eventually we will set the table as we always do. People said the same things when Gillispie was here “Kentucky is the Notre Dame of college basketball”. I can’t imagine what people were saying in 1977. People do not realize you’re repeating history over and over every single time you do this. It’s all been said before and it was wrong every single time.

If what Kentucky does and the way we do it is not elite, NOBODY IS.

 

[Tri-Countycat]

It’s gotta be more than money. Every school has money, we either have to hire a proven winner that players trust, or something has to be done to make UK the cool program again. A whole revamp with a young, dialed in coach with strong NBA connections, kinda like the BYU guy but certainly not him. It would also help to get someone strongly connected to Nike. If Nike can’t help us switch to New Balance and let Maxey, and Jamal Murray be the face of a new campaign.

 

[megablue]

No longer elite

And it's going to take a totally different approach by the administration to get it back on track....even then it might be impossible to get back cuz we've fallen so far behind

And the problem is there's no indication that anything is going to change administratively....even if MB is out

Sad times for sure...

Definitely not elite ... but is it still even relevant in the national landscape ?? I don't see Rupp Arena as any kind of plus factor ... in the eyes that matter ... the players !! Recruiting matters !!

 

[Artlaibesghost]

Wow another Kentucky sucks and there's no hope thread. Haven't seen one of those in a while!

 

[bbnkat02]

No longer elite

And it's going to take a totally different approach by the administration to get it back on track....even then it might be impossible to get back cuz we've fallen so far behind

And the problem is there's no indication that anything is going to change administratively....even if MB is out

Sad times for sure...

We're behind but that can literally be changed in a year.

 

[bbnkat02]

Definitely not elite ... but is it still even relevant in the national landscape ?? I don't see Rupp Arena as any kind of plus factor ... in the eyes that matter ... the players !! Recruiting matters !!

We're absolutely still relevant. Our games were some of the most watched in the first and second rounds. You don't pull that viewership without being relevant.

 

[Broker]

There is plenty of money. They just need to catch up to how CBB in the NIL era works. If you have money you have the biggest step out of the way. The rest is doable with the right people in the right positions.

How does anyone know if there is plenty of money. Enough or plenty depends on who we are bidding against and how much money the school bidding against us has in their war chest. It is totally an unknown answer. Not arguing that we don't have a lot just curious if anyone, including Pope knows if we have enough. It looks like we need atleast 5 or 6 kids out of the portal. Each kid we want and need my have a different school after that same kid. This means it will be an expensive bidding war for every good portal player. Kids today could care less what name is on the front of his jersey. It is all about can you develop me, will we be a bg winner, and of course,"show me the $$$$!

 

[megablue]

We're absolutely still relevant. Our games were some of the most watched in the first and second rounds. You don't pull that viewership without being relevant.

In the eyes of recruits is what I'm talking about, not fans and the viewing/betting public. Does playing for Kentucky strongly appeal to recruits and portal candidates ?? That is what matters.

 

[Bugs092056]

Wow another Kentucky sucks and there's no hope thread. Haven't seen one of those in a while!

Translation: I like not competing for championships

 

[Catphright23]

Translation let's just keep crying and maybe we'll get our way to the above poster. Kentucky basketball will always be Kentucky basketball. We might lose some of our bandwagon fans but that to me is okay

 

[Bugs092056]

Translation let's just keep crying and maybe we'll get our way to the above poster. Kentucky basketball will always be Kentucky basketball. We might lose some of our bandwagon fans but that to me is okay

You clown, you know nothing about my fandom. Keep making posts that do nothing but complain about other fans

 

[Catphright23]

Alright bugs bunny, most of you around like just coach cal fans. You'd complain regardless. Hes making initiative and you guys are still whining. All people like you do is make other people see how bad our fan base is. If someone constantly whines about everything they are just basically being a negative recruiter for the team they call theirs.

Portal hasn't started really and we haven't hired our second assistant. We have had crap luck and the guys most you pope haters would have wanted would have turned us down anyway why don't you wait till we get our team before same song and dance bitching.

I can't take most of you serious when every decision that is out there you cry about

 

[Bugs092056]

Alright bugs bunny, most of you around like just coach cal fans. You'd complain regardless. Hes making initiative and you guys are still whining. All people like you do is make other people see how bad our fan base is. If someone constantly whines about everything they are just basically being a negative recruiter for the team they call theirs.

Portal hasn't started really and we haven't hired our second assistant. We have had crap luck and the guys most you pope haters would have wanted would have turned us down anyway why don't you wait till we get our team before same song and dance bitching.

All i heard is its not the mediocre product, its the fans

 

[Loucatfan30]

It’s gotta be more than money. Every school has money, we either have to hire a proven winner that players trust, or something has to be done to make UK the cool program again. A whole revamp with a young, dialed in coach with strong NBA connections, kinda like the BYU guy but certainly not him. It would also help to get someone strongly connected to Nike. If Nike can’t help us switch to New Balance and let Maxey, and Jamal Murray be the face of a new campaign.

If we don't change coaches we are doomed to mediocracy. Already tired of hoping we get good mid major players.

 

[Loucatfan30]

We're behind but that can literally be changed in a year.

You left out the part of the changed needed.

 

[Loucatfan30]

Alright bugs bunny, most of you around like just coach cal fans. You'd complain regardless. Hes making initiative and you guys are still whining. All people like you do is make other people see how bad our fan base is. If someone constantly whines about everything they are just basically being a negative recruiter for the team they call theirs.

Portal hasn't started really and we haven't hired our second assistant. We have had crap luck and the guys most you pope haters would have wanted would have turned us down anyway why don't you wait till we get our team before same song and dance bitching.

I can't take most of you serious when every decision that is out there you cry about

You good hoping we get players from all these mid majors. Is that elite. Is that what we signed up for as the top of the top. With this attitude you shouldn't consider us top shelf anymore until we get our mojo back.

 

[yoshukai]

No longer elite

And it's going to take a totally different approach by the administration to get it back on track....even then it might be impossible to get back cuz we've fallen so far behind

And the problem is there's no indication that anything is going to change administratively....even if MB is out

Sad times for sure...

Bullcrap. We are just one “right hire” away from being right back where we’ve historically been.

 

[caliman]

Bullcrap. We are just one “right hire” away from being right back where we’ve historically been.

Do you trust this administration to make the right hire? Calipari was begging to come after Tubby left and they took BCG. In 2009 Barnhart was removed from the process and Calipari was hired. After Calipari, the job was offered to Drew and Pope. No real search of any kind.

They’ve crapped the bed 2 out of the last 3 hires, and lucked into Calipari on the other. That kind of record doesn’t produce confidence.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Déjà vu thread. Groundhog Day.

 

[yoshukai]

Do you trust this administration to make the right hire? Calipari was begging to come after Tubby left and they took BCG. In 2009 Barnhart was removed from the process and Calipari was hired. After Calipari, the job was offered to Drew and Pope. No real search of any kind.

They’ve crapped the bed 2 out of the last 3 hires, and lucked into Calipari on the other. That kind of record doesn’t produce confidence.

Nope I don’t trust em .Im just REALLY hoping we hire someone from outside for AD .

You know , I always believed that about Barnhart not wanting to hire Calipari the first time and being removed the 2nd time but that was disproved last month by Lee Todd . He said Barnhart wanted to hire Calipari in 2009 but Todd wouldn’t let him . After the BCG disaster, Barnhart arranged for Todd to meet with Calipari and Cal sold himself to Todd in that meeting.

I was really surprised to hear that and quite frankly…..Lee Todd is kind of an Ahole to let that rumor perpetuate all these years.

 

[Ash Williams]

We're Indiana or NC State.

Also-rans.

 

[BGCATFAN2012]

Its not just the coaching or lack there of in our program. They quality of players that play for us isnt f4 or title type players and hasn't been since Fox left. Good players sometimes but stud point guards haven't been here in a while. Hell our last 8 guards have either been hurt or wanted to leave. Im not a gloomy person but op is right we are 5 years away from this **** being fixed.

 

[Artlaibesghost]

Its not just the coaching or lack there of in our program. They quality of players that play for us isnt f4 or title type players and hasn't been since Fox left. Good players sometimes but stud point guards haven't been here in a while. Hell our last 8 guards have either been hurt or wanted to leave. Im not a gloomy person but op is right we are 5 years away from this **** being fixed.

Then why don't you and the OP come back in 5 years and let the rest of us pull for the Cats and get what joy we can instead of CONSTANTLY suck every scintilla of positivity out of program you can.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Translation let's just keep crying and maybe we'll get our way to the above poster. Kentucky basketball will always be Kentucky basketball. We might lose some of our bandwagon fans but that to me is okay

We haven’t been Kentucky basketball for almost a decade now.

 

[whack0001]

Yeah we know. It’s literally all we talk about but thanks for reminding us.

 

[JakeKx]

 

[TheApostleSaulSmith]

We're behind but that can literally be changed in a year.

This. Every year with Pope is postponing our return to greatness. But it will happen. There's too many people who care about this program for it not to happen.

 

[Farsight Clone]

Kentucky is elite, it's just in that Godzilla dormant state right now.

Yes, unless Uconn gets #7. This year somehow. That is 1 title behind us.

 

[ArcticChar]

Wow another Kentucky sucks and there's no hope thread. Haven't seen one of those in a while!

Because we suck. IT should continue to be stated until we don't suck.

 

[CRZ4UK]

F

There is plenty of money. They just need to catch up to how CBB in the NIL era works. If you have money you have the biggest step out of the way. The rest is doable with the right people in the right positions.

From what I understand our money is different from others money. I’ll explain.
Other programs have collectives that raise cash money from businesses and boosters/Fans. Rev Share is cash as well. Athletes are paid in cash.
Mitch brings in JMI. They are not a collective. They are a for profit company. They go out and find corporate partners. Take Paul Miller Ford for example. Paul miller donates a 100k truck lease to a player ( see Jaspers truck ). JMI gets paid cash for the transaction. Jasper gets a leased truck for a year. Not cash. That’s put down as 25k compensation. This is done with leased properties. Apartment leases. 20k, Free food and beverage at Restaurants 20k. Get the picture. Others pay in cash and let guys buy what they want. A lot of our “ Compensation “ isn’t in the form of cash. That’s probably what agents hate. Also Mitch has famously told agents that UK doesn’t give hard numbers on Rev share. They will have to wait and see but its probably “ In this ballpark”. I’m sure agents hate that as well.
Pope didn’t want anyone on this roster. It’s the only guys he could get to take that kind of deal. Let’s hope things at UK and JMI have changed with last years results.

 

[CUJO_1970]

I want to be here when the beast reawakens.

When it's out for blood and will take no prisoners. I want to feel the way I did when Mashburn was making guys look like fools and John Wall was dunking all over North Carolina and the fans were cheering instead of booing.

 

[nicky]

We're absolutely still relevant. Our games were some of the most watched in the first and second rounds. You don't pull that viewership without being relevant.

Fan following in numbers does not equal relevancy in terms of competitive success

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

We're definitely not elite at the moment at least in terms of the product being put on the floor and into play. We'll be back at some point, I don't know when though.

I want college basketball to have an "I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve" moment, and soon.

 

[TheApostleSaulSmith]

Fan following in numbers does not equal relevancy in terms of competitive success

2 different things.

Elite? No we are not currently elite, in my opinion. Haven't been since before Covid.
Relevant? Yes we will always be relevant, because of the fanbase and the history here.

 

[nicky]

We're absolutely still relevant. Our games were some of the most watched in the first and second rounds. You don't pull that viewership without being relevant.

Bullcrap. We are just one “right hire” away from being right back where we’ve historically been.

That's part of my point....the current administration instills ZERO confidence in making the right hire