If Zoom leaves town without us getting a commitment, how concerned will you be ?

[AllBall]

Like a 3. It would raise some level of concern obviously so it’s not a zero. But he could be wanting to make sure he gets his bag and isn’t the discounted option for UK as well.

I’m less attached to the names as I am tiers of players.

Right now I still have 4 tier 1 PGs on the board that we’ve been associated with: Wright, Diallo, Dedan, Quinn Ellis(that name faded quickly when everyone thought he was committing to Louisville a couple weeks ago lol)

Agree on tier 1 but I'm honestly intrigued by a few mid major guys like Alex Wilkins and Blyden Jr.

Frontcourt wise, I really hope we can land Desean Goode and one of Freeman/Murauskas/Graves.

There's minutes and money to offer so there's no reason UK shouldn't load up. If not, it's definitely a staff/coach recruiting thing. Time will tell but the BLUEprint article has me concerned how this plays out.

 

[Kameron50]

Someone on Twitter posted a picture of Zoom at a restaurant with Pope and the kid looked miserable. I know pictures can be deceiving but take it FWIW.

 

[NociHTTP]

Pretty concerned. I'm thinking that players don't want to come here and have to dig themselves out of a hole every game.

 

[JohnRambo82]

We want now!we want now, we demand now

 

[Cats192]

I'm not going to get upset on an individual player level. You can't live and die every time we do or don't win with a guy we reached out to.

This staff casts a wide net. They don't talk to the media. We've seen commitments from guys we didn't even know we were recruiting.

I'm not going to get upset until we get to the end of portal season with a bad team--or until most of the good players are gone and we have a bad team.

 

[RunninRichie]

Will we field a team?

 

[AllBall]

Zoom is the #9 PG in the portal and a 30% three point shooter, hopefully not being recruited as a starter.

You'd like Blyden Jr. from Toledo based on shooting.

Z Diallo has improved his outside shooting. What makes him desirable is size, athleticism, and overall durability. Zoom can get downhill, facilitate, rebound, and provide defensive presence.
He shoots 82% free throws with close to 50% fg and draws fouls.

 

[BMR1987]

Pretty concerned because IMO this would be the first player this portal cycle that I would consider a "whiff" as it got serious enough for us to bring him in for a visit. It reaffirms the brutal narrative about Pope's abilities as a "closer" that have already taken hold.

Pope is fighting an uphill battle to keep his job after next season, missing on our first serious target of portal season would be more ammo for those that are already fed up.

 

[Reggie Noble]

You'd like Blyden Jr. from Toledo based on shooting.

Z Diallo has improved his outside shooting. What makes him desirable is size, athleticism, and overall durability. Zoom can get downhill, facilitate, rebound, and provide defensive presence.
He shoots 82% free throws with close to 50% fg and draws fouls.

When I watched him one of the things that I noticed was his lack of athleticism and explosiveness. There are also concerns about him staying in front of smaller guards and he doesn’t have the ball on a string so I worry about him against ball pressure in the games and highlights that I watched. If he effects Stokes then I’m all for it , I believe Stokes will be a beast.

 

[BigBluefoot]

Why would I concerned about something we haven't had?
I'm at the point now, that I fully expect to lose any decent recruits.
Concerned....No.
Very surpised.......if we land any top targets.
This program is in a bad way right now.
We've lost our MOJO.

 

[mdluk1]

Someone on Twitter posted a picture of Zoom at a restaurant with Pope and the kid looked miserable. I know pictures can be deceiving but take it FWIW.

How was he walking?

 

[Anon1739778738]

Pope will strike out again ky is being used to leverage higher offers from other schools recruits do not want to play for, POPE that is very obvious. If he really loves ky he should resign and spare his family from future crazed and nasty reactions from demented fans.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Pope whiffed on the same dude twice. That is an epic level of failure.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Someone on Twitter posted a picture of Zoom at a restaurant with Pope and the kid looked miserable. I know pictures can be deceiving but take it FWIW.

Same with Wilkerson last year.

 

[anot]

So when does he leave Lexington? Is he still on a visit?

 

[#1 cat fan]

I'm not that impressed with him, either. I get you ...

Why? What's not impressive? He's always been highly ranked and gets in the paint easily

 

[ChocoChicken]

Pope whiffed on the same dude twice. That is an epic level of failure.

“He wasn’t serious about him.” Or Pate either, apparently. At some point you just have to accept that CMP is who he is. There’s nothing wrong with saying he has difficulty recruiting players.

 

[mdluk1]

“He wasn’t serious about him.” Or Pate either, apparently. At some point you just have to accept that CMP is who he is. There’s nothing wrong with saying he has difficulty recruiting players.

I wonder how not having many current players that can show recruits around, might be hurting recruiting also.

 

[RoyKent]

I don’t get the excitement for Diallo at all. Unless Stokes comes with him. Otherwise he is a PG who can’t shoot or pass and is a 40ish ranked transfer.

I know we are desperate but Diallo is not a star or a stud in any way.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

No booms or crystal balls yet?

 

[mdluk1]

No booms or crystal balls yet?

 

[JASUN74]

Zoom is the #9 PG in the portal and a 30% three point shooter, hopefully not being recruited as a starter.

That’s what I’m thinking. Backup to Wright hopefully. If he’s trying to get him to be the #1 and the leader it’s not giving a ton of confidence in next season. I’ll roll with whoever he brings in of course and support them. We never know how guys will mesh together and maybe he’s the guy for Pope.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

This.

Pope is either going to put together a great roster capable of being nationally competitive all season long or he’ll build a mediocre to bad team that will seal his fate as UK’s coach. I am rooting for the former but bracing for the latter.

I’d definitely prefer it to work out with Pope. I still think it’s more likely than not to work but the next few weeks could change my battery percentage.

 

[philstat]

That’s what I’m thinking. Backup to Wright hopefully. If he’s trying to get him to be the #1 and the leader it’s not giving a ton of confidence in next season. I’ll roll with whoever he brings in of course and support them. We never know how guys will mesh together and maybe he’s the guy for Pope.

In a three guard lineup some of these flaws wouldn’t be as severe, especially if we had TS as a SF, M as C, probably doable, though Pope needs much more than that.

 

[BlueSince92]

I don't think Pope is recruiting like he understands the assignment.

It might make sense for other schools to recruit the portal like he's doing: negotiating, sniffing for diamonds in the rough....

Other schools aren't a top 5 program all time that just lost nearly an entire roster to portal/league AND whiffed on every single high school kid but one very late choice 4 star guy.

At this point it's not even worth trying unless you're absolutely swarming the very best players available in the portal with everything you've got and throwing the bank at all of them. Like, totally throwing unreasonable offers at them so you couldn't even remotely afford for them all to accept....

But that way you might actually land one or two of them even with your bad reputation. And if you wound up landing three of them you could go and beg our boosters on your knees to reach deep into their pockets and fund you one year even if it hurts to let you prove to them you really are the guy.

Pope doesn't seem to be anywhere in that neighborhood. Nowhere close at all. Much more in the "progress" neighborhood. Sad to say but I just don't think he gets it.

 

[bnewt5]

Add Isaiah Johnson Colorado pg to Texas just committed

This is the guy pope should have gotten

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

Zero. The roster is going to be what is regardless of my level of concern.

One path: Pope puts together a great roster and we look like UK of old. That’s a win.

Second path: Pope puts together a mediocre or bad roster and we get to go find another coach next year. That’s a win.

I see only wins in the future, baby . Zero worries either way.

I wouldn't call having another bad season and firing the coach a win.

 

[bnewt5]

Hopefully this and the Zoom smoke with Zona means Rob Wright is about to commit to us. If we whiff on all three it's my fault for getting my hopes up I guess

Would be great, but how can uk buy bought since funds have supposedly been cut?

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

I wouldn't call having another bad season and firing the coach a win.

I wouldn’t consider losing or having a bad season a win. But I’d consider cutting our losses and finding a winning coach a win. I want it to work with Pope, Paul. Don’t have to worry about that — I still have some faith left.

 

[BlueBloodKyFan73]

This is the guy pope should have gotten

There are still guys out there but what are they going to pay

 

[Supafuzz75]

Iowa St has had 5 players visit and locked up 4 of them before left town..

 

[Shaudylo]

Even if someone doesn’t like Diallo it’s still not a good thing that once again Pope is missing out on the guys he is targeting .