Work smarter, not harder. Yes, there's some benefit to being a grinder who will stop at nothing but you've need to operate efficiently. If u can't identify areas that are lacking all the hardwork in the world won't compensate.
Real Talk - Pope is Putting in the Work
- Thread starter philstat
- Start date
I'll answer I'll answer your question but you're not open minded enough to listen because you've been a negative jerk since you ever got on here.
They beat Duke, which hadn't been done in quite a while
Beat nine or 10 top 15 teams which we have been very pathetic about previously.
Took us to the first Sweet Sixteen in 5 years.
and he did thid with major injuries with key players no to mention no returning players to work with.
It was a joke, coming from an old episode of Frasier. Viet Nam vet myself, thank you for your service.
Ye
Yes sir, 1968 Tet Counter Offensive, Pleiku forward observation base. 12 months.
We’ve got 3 very good guards coming. Returning some developing talent with Moreno Williams Hawthorne Noah and Potter. Couple of them could be real good. Just need a couple more solid pieces and I think we will be alright.
This fanbase is so fragile. So Soft. Kinda whiny. Toughen up. Be positive. Still recruiting.
Freeman has battled injuries. Don’t need that here anymore. Been burned enough. He liked UK but his agent objected to a clause that he got paid if he played a certain number of games.
Coach Pope will be coaching. Let’s see how the year goes or take next season off to save you the “ misery” of watching UK. Go support your local HS team.
If it bottoms out then it’s time to assess the HC spot.
This fanbase is so fragile. So Soft. Kinda whiny. Toughen up. Be positive. Still recruiting.
Freeman has battled injuries. Don’t need that here anymore. Been burned enough. He liked UK but his agent objected to a clause that he got paid if he played a certain number of games.
Coach Pope will be coaching. Let’s see how the year goes or take next season off to save you the “ misery” of watching UK. Go support your local HS team.
If it bottoms out then it’s time to assess the HC spot.
As a non-religious person, the only thing I am going to add to this thread is if I were to discuss another coach in a similar fashion as this thread and swap “Mormon” with “Christian” or “Catholic” so many of you would be losing your ever loving minds.
Let’s leave religion out of it, shall we?
Let’s leave religion out of it, shall we?
That is a total guess on your part. There are many that claim it is only because he played here. That motive seems much more logical.
Everybody knows that Mitch looks at the perceived piety of his coaches. Let’s not pretend otherwise. Even before CMP was hired, multiple fans pointed out he’d probably go after someone who was considered very religious. You think he’d hire an open atheist even if he had multiple final fours and was dying to coach UK?
Sounds like he was recruiting against Chandler's wife. That is a very difficult battle to win.
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Injuries and the two most difficult schedules in school history have factored greatly in limiting his success.
BCG played much weaker schedules and still had a considerably worse record.
Yeah it was. Still he went from Roding with Pope in the last press conference to leaving awfully quick. Like she didn’t make it known a long time ago? Makes no sense why he said that. I think if the money was right he would have stayed.
I don't have any idea how much they paid him but if they overpaid to get him so be it. It doesn't make sense to pay a lot more than he is worth. BYU may have upped the offer significantly.
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He didn’t have the players prepared many games last season also which led to us being down double digits right from the tip.
Now I feel he would be a decent offensive assistant for another coach but he has no business leading a program like Kentucky.
Yet at the end of the day, BCG recruited multiple guys that were vital pieces in going to the final four and winning a title.
CMP wishes he will have even a hint of that kind of success. I hate to say it because between CMP and BCG, one is clearly much classier, but CMP’s tenure will look like a fart in the wind compared to ole Clyde’s.
I wish he didn’t have the former NBA Kentucky players mural removed . That is the goal for a lot of these kids that pass through the program whether we like it or not.
They were complimentary pieces on those teams but not the main reason they had that success. I think you are referring to two guys (I forgot Jorts as well but I give Cal most of the credit for his development 7.6 ppg) one of which was a Ky kid that Pope almost certainly could have landed as well.
High maintenance fan base???? Are you kidding me. It's professional insanity on a daily basis with our fans. The only thing that needs a factory reset is the delusional fans living in the past. Zero patience. It's not Pope's fault that Cal was a mail it in guy the last several years. Or that several key players got hurt. I hope he lands Stokes or an A+ roster just to see all of the crow eaters line up 2 by 2 and chomp some feathers. That will be justice in a world that has little these days...
I’d rather Kentucky basketball burn to the ground than settle for less than the standard. There’s nothing more miserable than accepting mediocrity for the rest of our lives. I’d just as assume as never watch Kentucky basketball again than witness other programs fly past us.
I hate this living in the past BS. The only ones living in the past is the administration and coaching staff who refuse to accept that this is a new world of college basketball. Get with the times or fall behind like we’re doing.
Pope contract runs to April 2030 at $5.5million to $6.5million a year. With a buyout at 75% of balance of contract. If he wins 24 games a year he will be the coach until 2030 & he gets a year extension for every Sweet 16 - so if he gets a couple Sweet 16‘s he’ll be at Kentucky till 2032. NUmbers never lie.
I'm not arguing that BCG had a better tenure, he was an embarrassment in many ways. It just made more sense when he failed, I'm not quite sure why Pope is failing but hard work and wanting something aren't enough if that's all you have.
Wait..."considerably worse record"?
Clyde was 40-27
Pope is 46-26
Surely you're smart enough to realize the extra games are against garbage opponents in the SECT, correct?
The other stuff you say is true. Clyde's SOS overall was 40ish and 50ish for his two years. Pope's was top 10 both years. The concerning thing for me about the trend with Pope? In year two, the SEC schedule got easier and his non con was WAY easier (like 80th in yr one to 150ish in yr two) and his team was far less competitive than in year one. That trend, along with the "pfft"s in recruiting currently, are super concerning. It's trending in the way wrong direction.
I know everyone that pays attention on here knows my affinity for Clyde. I love the underdogs and I love the grinders (why I like Beard so much too). I know both their stories well, and have mutual friends/colleagues. So I get it, a little personal and I admit that. One of the things I loved about Clyde was he's about as genuine of a dude as you can get. Isn't going to sugar coat it, isn't going to pretend. And that's a bad fit for UK.
Mark Pope is just the opposite. He's a fake and a fraud. It's the same reason I can't stomach guys like Coach K or Tiger Woods. They are constantly trying to project a false narrative about who they are. You know what? That's a horribly bad fit for UK as well. Some just aren't capable of accepting that because of some perceived legacy.
Six more wins and one less loss is significant. Pope only has 3 wins in the SEC tourney vs 1 for BCG. Had BCG not lost in the first round to a terrible 17-17 Georgia team the first year it should be just a game difference or maybe even. BCG's only win was against 16-15 ole Miss. Pope beat a 20 win Oklahoma and a 20 win Missouri. While 20 wins is not great these days it is certainly better than 16. You really have no point on that account despite the arrogant way you stated it.
The national rank of our schedules doesn't really tell the entire story either. We have had higher ranked schedules before with lower difficulty ratings. Pope's are rated the two most difficult in school history. BCG's second season is the lowest rated schedule between 1973 and 2026.
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Check out the Kentucky Wildcats College Basketball History, Stats, Records, Polls, Leaders and More College Basketball Stats at Sports-Reference.com
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Brother, playing more games doesn't make a record significantly better. There were also rule changes that allowed for two (maybe three, I can't remember) more games per year. The losses matter. Pope has been better than Clyde, no doubt about it. Give Pope time though, he's trending in the right direction.Six more wins and one less loss is significant. Pope only has 3 wins in the SEC tourney vs 1 for BCG. Had BCG not lost in the first round to a terrible 17-17 Georgia team the first year it should be just a game difference or maybe even. Bcg's only win was against 16-15 ole Miss. Pope beat a 20 win Oklahoma and a 20 win Missouri. While 20 wins is not great these days it is certainly better than 16. You really have no point on that account despite the arrogant way you stated it.
The national rank of our schedules doesn't really tell the entire story either. We have had higher ranked schedules before with lower difficulty ratings. Popes are rated the two most difficult in school history. BCG's second season is the lowest rated schedule between 1973 and 2026.
Kentucky Wildcats Men's Basketball Index | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com
Check out the Kentucky Wildcats College Basketball History, Stats, Records, Polls, Leaders and More College Basketball Stats at Sports-Reference.com
Did you forget, he loves the fanbase, and is a great husband and father?
6 more wins and one less loss against a way more difficult schedules in 2 seasons is definitely significant. The SEC tourney excuse was clearly shown to be insignificant. Pope's loses were to 28 win #5 Alabama and 27 win #4 Florida. Bcg's were to 17 win Georgia and 27 win #20 LSU.
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Gotta be worth a few wins, right?
Hey...if you think it's a "significantly better" record, and need the win, it's yours. I already addressed the SOS. The way you worded it had them separated, or at least in my simple mind it did.
Mark Pope has been better at Kentucky than Clyde in all aspects. Dunk on me and take your victory lap. Here's hoping, honestly, that is still true after the 26-27 season. As things currently stand, that's not a given. And that's scary.
What do you mean by right direction? He is on pace to have his worst roster yet in year three.
Sarcasm. Meaning he's trending in the direction of being as bad, or worse, than Clyde.
Why don't you just come out and say "microwave fans," Mitch?
Look at you, fighting to convince everybody that Pope was SLIGHTLY better than BCG. You keep up the fight, bruh! Noble work you're doing!
You can find **** things every season from any coach. The dude won more top 10 games then has ever been done in a season at uk. Without his pg,2g and backup pg. We went to the sweet 16 with a whole new roster
Don't be stupid
A GM is just another excuse to bash pope
How in the living hell would a gm convince Freeman or wright to come here? They wouldn't. If we were a school with less money and needing to know the market I would tend to agree. We aren't though. We've offered the money, kids are not coming here and a gm wouldn't change that