Does anybody still belive in Pope?

[FLBBNFAN]

I’m really not sure. Going to be decided on the court. Hope almost on empty.

Yeah that tank is getting low on fuel unfortunately. Man it really seemed like we were going to cleanup this portal season. I understand Pope is paid extremely well but part of me gets bummed out thinking how horrible his life is right now. To watch something you love be destroyed and knowing you had a significant part in the destruction.

I get he's paid well and its on him but to be our captain on maybe the best college team ever and now all the good vibes with the fan base has been burned into ashes. If he gets run out of here he probably never comes back again which sucks since he is one of ours.

He's a big boy and that is life. The university should protect our program for sure and if needed protect it ruthlessly but still a bummer that one of our guys goes out in a debacle .

 

[FLBBNFAN]

Did any UK fans want him to be hired in the first place? I don’t know a single UK fan that thought Pope was a good hire. Everyone’s reaction that I knew, including my own, was WTF???

Pretty much across the board I bet. The introduction was a big hit and most folks got behind him initially even if they had serious doubts.

 

[Gobigblue812812]

Really interested in this path that you claim to see.

He's going to have to piece together a good roster, I'm not sure he can get a great roster at this point, and overachieve next year. He'll also need to make some adjustments like hiring a great GM, work on his personal recruiting skills like stop thinking high level players are playing for the front of the jersey and so on. This is why I said its a dark and narrow path. I'm not sure he can navigate it at this point.

 

[JASUN74]

I do but I know of a couple guys we already have in the bag. We need a public announcement soon to keep some of you away from the ledge, though. lol

Sure you do. Let me guess, as soon as they commit you’ll say “told you”? He may have them but no one here knows anything about it.

 

[Bugs092056]

Pretty much across the board I bet. The introduction was a big hit and most folks got behind him initially even if they had serious doubts.

False, I'd wager confusion and bewilderment were the initial reactions. The pep rally was straight propaganda

 

[JAC71]

Our rivals sure do

 

[ZaytovenCat]

lol still? I never did and I feel I’ve been proven right in that feeling.

 

[BlueManchu]

He just landed Diallo! The pieces are falling into place

 

[FLBBNFAN]

False, I'd wager confusion and bewilderment were the initial reactions. The pep rally was straight propaganda

Not so sure. I wasn't there but the crowd looked pretty stoked to me. They certainly got the crowd amped and feeling nostalgic with having former players there.No doubt they were shooting for that effect to gin the fanbase up

 

[Bugs092056]

Not so sure. I wasn't there but the crowd looked pretty stoked to me. They certainly got the crowd amped and feeling nostalgic with having former players there.No doubt they were shooting for that effect to gin the fanbase up

Pope's hire was a surprise. The reactions were genuinely incredulous. Barnhart is either a believer or he laughs at the common uk fan. I call it malpractice

 

[Gobigblue812812]

I was caught off guard when his name popped up as a candidate late in the process.

 

[BlueManchu]

I do now!!!

 

[Randy Bob]

Things are not looking good for Ky and Pope, do not see any changing, maybe at the end of next season.

 

[CUJO_1970]

I was 100% finished after the Alabama game last year. By then, any shred of hope I had in Pope was taken off life support.

My opinion of him as a coach has only gotten worse since then. The longer he’s here the more weaklings and excuse-makers satisfied with 19-20 wins infiltrate our fan base.

 

[Tim0808]

I do but I know of a couple guys we already have in the bag. We need a public announcement soon to keep some of you away from the ledge, though. lol

Whatever. Pope is terrible and the only thing he has in a bag is his assortment of dirty socks and underwear. No he just needs to hit the road!!!

 

[TeamAmerica]

I don’t think most believed in him to begin with. I know for sure I hated the hire day 1. We all got behind him in hopes. Turns out we were right to begin with.

lots of people thought he was going to take UK back to the top otherwise you wouldn't of had 25k fill up Rupp for his first news conference.

 

[Tri-Countycat]

To win the SEC or make a final four? Never in a million years of coaching here. He can have some good seasons but like the rest of his career, he won’t win a thing.

 

[KOF98]

The 2024 season was fantastic, both in roster construction and coaching job considering he was disadvantaged with a late start in the portal. They ended up having three Top 50 players by BPR. They all improved from the previous year, most of them substantially. That doesn't happen with terrible coaching.



The troubling part is seeing him go backward the following season with a larger budget, regular start date in the portal, and of course the fact that he whiffed on basically every recruit of consequence. Oweh was their best player by BPR this season ranked at 100. That's a significant decline in talent.



Talent evaluation wasn't the problem because he was on the right guys: Lendeborg, Gillespie, Caleb Wilson, etc. The problem was talent acquisition. There's still time to get that talent this year but the clock's ticking and the options are dwindling.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Yes, more then I believe in your spelling.

Next question.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

He has to earn that belief from all of us. He hasn't thus far. The most troubling thing to me other than his inability to recruit thus far is losing 14 games by double digits n 2 seasons. We have lucked out on coming back to win some games down by double digits but still a horrific stat. Tells me he sucks at game prep. You aren't winning anything that matters getting down double digits n March repeatedly.

 

[Cliffhanger82]

Knew the guy while at UK. Very good to me… all the time. It’s hurting my heart how things are going right now bc I personally like the guy so much.

Regardless, this has to be better than what he’s currently delivering.

Feelings aside, fix it or find someone else who can.

I’m in the same boat. Loved him as a player and his esoteric post game interviews were entertaining. I think he has a Phil Jackson sort of approach. I was hopeful in year one with the way he was able to spread the floor, run and yet have some presence at the rim. This year he had very little of that. The thing that disappointed the most this year was the lack of respect he had from his players. Fatal flaw. Times are different than when he played. I don’t believe he will survive this year and am hoping a new AD already has folks to call who will thrive here. Lots of hope at this point - not much confidence we have folks in our current administration that care to care.

 

[BradyJames]

Mitch does.

 

[kfwa]

I still do

I'm not blind to the issues but I felt there was a learning curve for Mark, and it appears his biggest problem is he either thought he was returning to, or is trying to turn UK into 1996 again.

He is also going to have to compromise his principles in recruiting, which I suspect is very tough for a person like Pope.

And finally, he is going to have to be a heartless SOB with these kids once they are on campus. They don't need a big brother, they need a guy that tells them to wear a condom, don't bother calling for bail, and your butt is on the bench the moment you don't give it your all in practice or on the court.

If he can do that, and still like the man he sees in the mirror, he'll be OK. But that is a tough order for a guy going into a make or break season.

Maybe instead of watching Andy Griffith, he needs to watch White Shadow

 

[wkycatfan7]

Yes. Giving him our support at this point is the best thing we can do. Jury still out long term.

 

[Gobigblue812812]

Yes, more then I believe in your spelling.

Next question.

Thanx

 

[wkycatfan7]

He has to earn that belief from all of us. He hasn't thus far. The most troubling thing to me other than his inability to recruit thus far is losing 14 games by double digits n 2 seasons. We have lucked out on coming back to win some games down by double digits but still a horrific stat. Tells me he sucks at game prep. You aren't winning anything that matters getting down double digits n March repeatedly.

I liked that team he recruited for his first season and did it in short order. We've had mixed results so far. Jury still out.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I liked that team he recruited for his first season and did it in short order. We've had mixed results so far. Jury still out.

Lost 12 games, 8 by double digits and finished 6th in the sec. Making the sweet 16 made that an above average season at least.

 

[Buckwheat Otay Is Dead]

Let me say that I'm not a Mark Pope cheerleader. He has definitely underachieved here for UK standards.

I'm trying to stay impartial until after the portal/high school cycles are over but it doesn't look good. If he continues to miss in recruiting this year, I won't care if he has a good season. That would just mean he'll never attain greatness here. I still see a path for Mark but it's getting narrower and darker by the day.

I want him to succeed, but I think he's a square peg trying to fit into a round hole at UK.

Go ahead and fire away.

Popes biggest problem is he’s the best BBN fan. In the last few days this site and this Internet has been a cesspool .

 

[BlueManchu]

You all have written his coaching obituary way too soon. This class is shaping up to be killer

 

[philstat]

You all have written his coaching obituary way too soon. This class is shaping up to be killer

Man, getting a tad bit carried away, IMO, we have no impact freshman, and we have the #26 and #41 players from the portal, getting Freeman, Stokes and two other impact players, sure.

 

[ChocoChicken]

Man, getting a tad bit carried away, IMO, we have no impact freshman, and we have the #26 and #41 players from the portal, getting Freeman, Stokes and two other impact players, sure.

It’s a hell of a guard duo, I’ll give them that. But we gotta get at least Freeman for next year to be of any importance.

 

[PoopooPeePee]

I’m not putting hope in Pope. But I’ll put hope in players if he continues to at least pull in guys that have a pulse.

 

[DelkBowl]

Without a superstar we are still severely lacking

 

[anon1777473514]

Man, getting a tad bit carried away, IMO, we have no impact freshman, and we have the #26 and #41 players from the portal, getting Freeman, Stokes and two other impact players, sure.

No he isn’t, bro. OP is a troll.

 

[#1 cat fan]

Everything he's done this off-season looks great
Upgrading staff
Upgrading guards
He just had to land a few players
I think he's gonna be ok now

 

[BlueManchu]

Everything he's done this off-season looks great
Upgrading staff
Upgrading guards
He just had to land a few players
I think he's gonna be ok now

Yes! He's going to be here awhile

 

[#1 cat fan]

Portal rankings mean absolutely nothing
It's about evaluating talent
Pope has went after the right guys every year he just didn't get them all
I think mo williams will help with that give me stokes n freeman and we good

 

[Monday Nitro]

Man, getting a tad bit carried away, IMO, we have no impact freshman, and we have the #26 and #41 players from the portal, getting Freeman, Stokes and two other impact players, sure.

Nice try. You've been dancing around and presenting the worst possible scenario for days......and we aren't close to done yet. Embarrassing performance.

 

[Dr.LutherSan]

Mark Pope still has to win. He is a career mediocre coach. The recruiting means nothing if he can't win.

 

[BookofMormon]

It’s a hell of a guard duo, I’ll give them that. But we gotta get at least Freeman for next year to be of any importance.

but is there a plan, or is it going to be two ball dominant guys warring for the ball? Plan or desperation?