Folks on here want to pay Donnie freaking Freeman $4 million a year.

Apr 14, 2019
318
917
83
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.
 

Farsight Clone

All-American
Aug 30, 2025
2,842
5,642
103
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.
rhos GIF by Real Housewives of Sydney
 
Mar 22, 2026
327
514
93
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.
If we just sat idly by without commenting on things as they're happening, what would be the need for the message board you're currently on?

In 10+ years of coaching, Pope has never signed a great roster. Anyone sitting by expecting or hoping for that is a ******* moron incapable of using logic.
 

Wildcat_in_DC

All-Conference
Nov 25, 2025
861
1,344
93
folks on here want every player ranked top 10 in the portal but only want to spend 5M dollar on them.
 

BlueSince92

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
10,758
3,389
230
It would be stupid not to unless you can do better cheaper.

You pay $4 million dollars to protect all the other money you spent from being wasted.

It's cool that some people can't understand that.
 

UK67KU59

All-Conference
Apr 9, 2020
828
1,848
93
I certainly won’t give Pope a vote of confidence at this point, but this board is so high strung, bipolar, manic, etc. You are right, it’s best to sit back and watch it unfold before making judgment. Most of what’s posted as inside information is BS, and hanging on every “news” blurb about recruits is crazy. Hopefully this staff can fill out the roster to be competitive in the SEC this year.
 

Wildcat_in_DC

All-Conference
Nov 25, 2025
861
1,344
93
CMP put himself in this situation by waiting on Freeman while Rancik moved on. He has no one but himself to blame and his job is on the line if he doesn’t do well next year. Pay for your mistake and pay Freeman or kiss your dream job goodbye.
and if he took rancik and moved on the same people would blame him for not waiting on the better player. do i think pope is a good coach. no. do i think pope will be successful here. no. but a large portion of the fan base has just decided everything is bad no matter what it is.....and there is something toxic about that.
 

ComebackCats98

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
676
2,060
93
Mark Pope made Freeman one of his top targets. He put his self in position to be held hostage by one player’s demands. This is major college sports. He CHOSE not to hire a GM and do it all himself. Instead he got an analytics guy. He CHOSE to make Freeman a top 3 priority in the portal. Now he is in a place with no backup option and nobody at the 4. That’s on him

He is the one that put himself in the position to over pay for Freeman or move way down the board for a power forward.
 

ComplexTon

Junior
Apr 12, 2026
103
226
38
I loved Sam Bowie as a great guy and always will. I also loved him as a great UK Player before he broke his foot. Would’ve preferred a different player after he became the first version of Jayden Quaintance (who also seems like a great guy). But I don’t want a Jayden Quaintance version 2.0 named Donnie Freeman (who also is probably a great guy). Definitely don’t want Pope shelling out 4 million to find out.
 
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Tri-Countycat

All-Conference
Jul 1, 2025
1,712
4,212
113
We still need two more guards, a SF, two PF and a solid backup center, not some 3 points a game project. How is he gonna fill a competitive roster with what’s left. Pope better hope more players declare for the portal or he needs to book a plane ticket to Eastern Europe asap.
 
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ChocoChicken

All-Conference
Apr 6, 2026
388
1,119
93
and if he took rancik and moved on the same people would blame him for not waiting on the better player. do i think pope is a good coach. no. do i think pope will be successful here. no. but a large portion of the fan base has just decided everything is bad no matter what it is.....and there is something toxic about that.
If Rancik made the team’s performance better next year, no one would care if he was lower rated. It’s the AD and boosters who decide who will be coach, not the fans. Not getting one or the other increases the odds of a poor season and risks his job.
 
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FilmNerd

Sophomore
Apr 19, 2026
139
140
43
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.
These fans are the goofiest in all of sports. They run with any rumor they see here or on Twitter. It has to drive these goobers mad
 

Cats_2010

Heisman
Jan 8, 2010
11,843
20,195
103
When the initial offer was not accepted within a reasonable amount of time, the offer should have been decreased by 500K. Uconn and bama cut ties early so why can’t we. Pope just continues to get played like a fiddle.
 
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King1959

Sophomore
Jun 6, 2012
77
126
33
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.
Plus with his injury history the last two years he may end up being another Quantence situation. Pope can’t get held hostage by this or any other guy.
 
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FilmNerd

Sophomore
Apr 19, 2026
139
140
43
I certainly won’t give Pope a vote of confidence at this point, but this board is so high strung, bipolar, manic, etc. You are right, it’s best to sit back and watch it unfold before making judgment. Most of what’s posted as inside information is BS, and hanging on every “news” blurb about recruits is crazy. Hopefully this staff can fill out the roster to be competitive in the SEC this year.
Bingo!
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
39,109
61,422
113
I mean, what are we to do? Do I think $4mil for a one year player, where the guy could get injured game 1 is insane? Of course. But thats where the sport is. Seems like someone is going to pay him in the ball park of what hes asking for.

The unfortunate thing is that the NIL era simply isnt a good thing for a school like UK.. now schools can just buy players and sadly, UK nor the state have any sort of advantage here. We have to pay for players now if we want to succeed. Again its unfortunate, but thats what it is. The NIL era is really going to crush some of these institutionalized top programs, like a Kansas or Kentucky.. who used to just get talent based on the jersey. Now schools like BYU, and Michigan and Miami have quite possibly leap-frogged some of those schools simple for the money they have.
 

UKortho

All-American
Oct 13, 2015
5,101
9,868
77
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.

Pope may lose Freeman, but he should take the risk. If he stays healthy he could develop into a potential nba level player.
 

Kantucke_rivals

All-Conference
Mar 9, 2015
802
1,418
93
What other choices do we have at this point, Pope is the one that takes this down to the clock running out every time.

Oh and we still have to get Stokes btw, although I think double the money should be able to sway him to sign with Pope. We shall see tho
 
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Padsfs07

All-Conference
Jan 19, 2013
3,787
3,575
108
I loved Sam Bowie as a great guy and always will. I also loved him as a great UK Player before he broke his foot. Would’ve preferred a different player after he became the first version of Jayden Quaintance (who also seems like a great guy). But I don’t want a Jayden Quaintance version 2.0 named Donnie Freeman (who also is probably a great guy). Definitely don’t want Pope shelling out 4 million to find out.

He played his last 18 games straight.
 

peterpiper09

All-Conference
Mar 19, 2006
1,308
2,596
112
There is somebody out there that wants to play basketball that is good enough to fit our system. Find him. Tell Donnie and his agent to get lost!!!
Ever heard of under the radar???
This applies.
He’s out there, now find him damnit!!!
 

KYWC36

All-Conference
Jul 11, 2013
1,362
1,979
113
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.
What I find even more hilarious is… instead of them being happy when they perceive Pope messes up or it’s fault and saying yes!!! One step closer to a new coach … they just get mad and miserable lol… hilarious
 

BookofMormon

Senior
Mar 27, 2026
468
625
93
This place has the stink of desperation with zero use of their prefrontal cortex. I'm almost embarrassed to be a fan at times.

Yes, throw 4mm out of desperation at Freeman because Pitino is on him, sends the perfect message to his teammates. When he's sitting on the bench half the season like JQ, watch what that does for the lockermoom.

Everyone needs to stop being so desperate.
 

gtown965

All-Conference
Feb 12, 2026
473
1,330
93
Some of you are so clueless. Most of you have no idea if he’s even a decent player yet you wanna write a blank check for the guy. Why don’t you wait, sit back and see how all this turns out. If Pope blows it, complain away. If Pope manages to sign a great roster, you’ll save some face and not look like the fools that you are.
Most on here are Democrats and have zero issues with spending other people’s money. Socialism baby!!!!
 

ComplexTon

Junior
Apr 12, 2026
103
226
38
There is somebody out there that wants to play basketball that is good enough to fit our system. Find him. Tell Donnie and his agent to get lost!!!
Ever heard of under the radar???
This applies.
He’s out there, now find him damnit!!!
I agree completely. But unfortunately, Mark Pope is not Will Stein.
 

JakeKx

All-Conference
Oct 5, 2023
923
1,729
92
Well to be fair it’s either pay him that much or get somebody that absolutely sucks because that’s all that is left since pope won’t hire a damn gm that knows what he’s doing
 
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dnorman0301

Junior
Feb 4, 2024
98
210
21
I would walk away at this point. Makes us look stupid. Isn’t like he is best player in the country allow his agent to play these games.
 

CameronCat22

Sophomore
Apr 12, 2026
130
113
43
Are we gonna be in cap hell? It’s almost like selling players on their future success and the NBA is better than selling them on money… oh and playing for the name on the front.