Siap: Stokes NEW tattoo “502 Made”

MidseasonTweak

Heisman
Mar 1, 2020
9,908
16,544
113
He is such an egomaniac, fatigued of his **** at this point!
What is worse is that Pope is so pathetic in that he has allowed Stokes to embarrass him. Staff should have offered a final offer weeks ago to commit. Put the pressure on his agent. Instead, we are being held hostage for no reason as this kid simply isn't going to choose UK. We could have been getting involved more seriously with other good players. Now we are screwed.
 

philstat

All-American
Jan 3, 2004
10,721
9,530
56
What is worse is that Pope is so pathetic in that he has allowed Stokes to embarrass him. Staff should have offered a final offer weeks ago to commit. Put the pressure on his agent. Instead, we are being held hostage for no reason as this kid simply isn't going to choose UK. We could have been getting involved more seriously with other good players. Now we are screwed.
I agree 100%, would have given him tops 24-48hrs upon conclusion of his visit and then focused on the portal, Juke, Blackwell, Graves, etc., at the same price point. Sports Nation had an article on this exact issue yesterday, that essentially TS derailed Pope’s entire recruitment campaign and caused him to miss out on several big time players.
 

gonefishin

All-Conference
Jul 7, 2025
380
1,171
93
I’m still
Holding out hope. I want him in UK blue. I don’t believe he is the cancer some of you are saying. He is just damn good, knows it, and can be a dude in college next year. Like a dude that leads us to a final four.
Does he have a massive ego? Yep. I would too if I was that good. He has shown, even in all star games, he is a very willing passer.
He just wants to win at the highest of levels.
Gimme that dude all day everyday and twice on Sunday.
 

philstat

All-American
Jan 3, 2004
10,721
9,530
56
I’m still
Holding out hope. I want him in UK blue. I don’t believe he is the cancer some of you are saying. He is just damn good, knows it, and can be a dude in college next year. Like a dude that leads us to a final four.
Does he have a massive ego? Yep. I would too if I was that good. He has shown, even in all star games, he is a very willing passer.
He just wants to win at the highest of levels.
Gimme that dude all day everyday and twice on Sunday.
He will be nowhere even close to what AJ was for BYU, not going to happen.
 

philstat

All-American
Jan 3, 2004
10,721
9,530
56
Strongly disagree. Stokes is going to be a force whichever team he chooses. Number one pick. He's good. Everyone's is down playing it. Saying the class is weak just because the last class was super strong. Stokes is top shelf
  • 25.5
    1st
  • REB
    6.8
    150+
  • AST
    3.7
    150+
  • FG%
    51.0
  • AJ’s numbers, absolutely zero shot TS does this, IMO, that’s an ungodly freshman campaign while shooting 51%.
 

Artlaibesghost

All-Conference
Nov 30, 2022
1,047
2,080
113
Our coach seems to have put himself in an impossible position with this kid. By allowing Stokes and his agent to set the tempo of this situation he is at thier mercy. He should have taken control of this situation 2 weeks ago at least. Simply told them we need a commitment in 48 hours after his visit or we move on. My understanding of our murky (at best) NIL situation is that some select high pocket boosters have pledged to pay for Stokes but no one else. If true that begs the question if we even have the money to pay a different top 10 player. Based on results so far the answer appears to be no. One wonders if he has waited so long on this kid because he simply can't afford anyone else of his caliber. I hear so many stories about how much money we do or do not have it is hard to know what to believe.
Pope has nobody to blame but himself regardless since he did such a poor job of managing the ample sums available to him last year. He certainly isn't going to tell folks I don't have the money for the team I need this year because I wasted so much last year. His roster construction and management is going to get him fired, just a question of when..
 

anot

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
602
1,208
93
  • 25.5
    1st
  • REB
    6.8
    150+
  • AST
    3.7
    150+
  • FG%
    51.0
  • AJ’s numbers, absolutely zero shot TS does this, IMO, that’s an ungodly freshman campaign while shooting 51%.
He will have amazing numbers. I'm not really into comparing players side by side like Jordan and LeBron. I'm not saying Stokes is better. I'm just saying his numbers will be close. He's in the tier with AJ imo.

AJ will always obviously have that height and length making him a freak like KD.
 

TheDude73

Heisman
Jan 7, 2006
24,169
23,729
113
"#1 player in the world". A far stretch, bordering on straight bull sh*t. According to talking head opinions he's the top player coming out of high school in the US school system. Not anywhere close to "the world".

And boy is this kid arrogant. My goodness. Just end this and go to Oregon or KU and shut the fluck up.
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
45,708
82,981
113
I agree 100%, would have given him tops 24-48hrs upon conclusion of his visit and then focused on the portal, Juke, Blackwell, Graves, etc., at the same price point. Sports Nation had an article on this exact issue yesterday, that essentially TS derailed Pope’s entire recruitment campaign and caused him to miss out on several big time players.
That’s Pope’s Own fault, he’s such a pathetic recruiter that he knows he would not get them so he’s desperately hanging onto TS.
 

anot

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
602
1,208
93
But I don't find this to be a troll move by him. If the kid grew up in Louisville then that's where he's from and is going to represent that. Him getting 502 on his leg is just a tattoo. I don't find this to be a troll job by him no matter which school he chooses.

Is he supposed to not like the city he grew up in? I'm fine with him having 502 on his leg if he's winning games in Lexington. I'll hold off with the little faith he comes to UK. I know it's highly unlikely he commits here but I'll wait till he doesn't to go yamms on him
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
45,708
82,981
113
I’m still
Holding out hope. I want him in UK blue. I don’t believe he is the cancer some of you are saying. He is just damn good, knows it, and can be a dude in college next year. Like a dude that leads us to a final four.
Does he have a massive ego? Yep. I would too if I was that good. He has shown, even in all star games, he is a very willing passer.
He just wants to win at the highest of levels.
Gimme that dude all day everyday and twice on Sunday.
He could lead us to a final four with the right team. So far even with him that isn’t happening he probably raises our ceiling from 10 wins to maybe 15-16.
 

gonefishin

All-Conference
Jul 7, 2025
380
1,171
93
  • 25.5
    1st
  • REB
    6.8
    150+
  • AST
    3.7
    150+
  • FG%
    51.0
  • AJ’s numbers, absolutely zero shot TS does this, IMO, that’s an ungodly freshman campaign while shooting 51%.
What about winning? BYU lost games they shouldn’t have and couldn’t win their first round game against Texas even with him scoring 35. I know they lost Saunders but they still should have ended the year better. 3.7 assists is higher than I would have guessed considering he didn’t pass unless he was forced to. I think stokes won’t put up those numbers but could ultimately have a bigger all around impact on his team. I just don’t think he is the cancer some say, and his passing desire and ability seems much higher than AJ.
 

TheDude73

Heisman
Jan 7, 2006
24,169
23,729
113
Check out the game on in the background. It's the Rupp Arena floor logo. Big time troll here. Good grief.
Yeah I saw that. Obviously trolling, but there are no doubt a ton of fans that see this 502 made and UK on in the background and fully believe he's signalling his decision is made to come to UK (spoiler: He's not - this is a straight up FU troll job).
 

TheDude73

Heisman
Jan 7, 2006
24,169
23,729
113
But I don't find this to be a troll move by him. If the kid grew up in Louisville then that's where he's from and is going to represent that. Him getting 502 on his leg is just a tattoo. I don't find this to be a troll job by him no matter which school he chooses.

Is he supposed to not like the city he grew up in? I'm fine with him having 502 on his leg if he's winning games in Lexington. I'll hold off with the little faith he comes to UK. I know it's highly unlikely he commits here but I'll wait till he doesn't to go yamms on him
Ok Mr. Naive - how do you explain the Rupp Arena game on in the background?
 
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anot

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
602
1,208
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Ok Mr. Naive - how do you explain the Rupp Arena game on in the background?
Far from naive. Don't take his tattoo personal enough to feel trolled even if he was trying. So if he commits to UK he was trolling by having that in the background? If he goes elsewhere oh well. UK is going to have a terrible season either way. You put prime Jordan on next year's team and it will be bad.
 

TheDude73

Heisman
Jan 7, 2006
24,169
23,729
113
Far from naive. Don't take his tattoo personal enough to feel trolled even if he was trying. So if he commits to UK he was trolling by having that in the background? If he goes elsewhere oh well. UK is going to have a terrible season either way. You put prime Jordan on next year's team and it will be bad.
I don't care about the tattoo, but the video in the background is an obvious troll job.
 

philstat

All-American
Jan 3, 2004
10,721
9,530
56
What about winning? BYU lost games they shouldn’t have and couldn’t win their first round game against Texas even with him scoring 35. I know they lost Saunders but they still should have ended the year better. 3.7 assists is higher than I would have guessed considering he didn’t pass unless he was forced to. I think stokes won’t put up those numbers but could ultimately have a bigger all around impact on his team. I just don’t think he is the cancer some say, and his passing desire and ability seems much higher than AJ.
Get real man, they lost Saunders for the season, up until that point they were a perennial top-10 team. AJ was about as team oriented as it can get.
 
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anot

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
602
1,208
93
I don't care about the tattoo, but the video in the background is an obvious troll job.
If he commits somewhere else I'll come back and say yes you was right. I feel like he's coming here. He went out of the way to put UK on in the background is how I look at it. Why wouldn't he troll anybody else if he's between three schools?

If he's going to oregon why not troll Kansas. If he's going to kansas why not troll oregon? He just chooses UK to troll? I think he's showing UK love. Just my opinion tho.

And the tattoo makes me feel more confident. Even tho it's Louisville..... It's still Kentucky. He's claiming Kentucky at the end of the day. He was made in Kentucky basically.
 
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TheDude73

Heisman
Jan 7, 2006
24,169
23,729
113
If he commits somewhere else I'll come back and say yes you was right. I feel like he's coming here. He went out of the way to put UK on in the background is how I look at it. Why wouldn't he troll anybody else if he's between three schools?

If he's going to oregon why not troll Kansas. If he's going to kansas why not troll oregon? He just chooses UK to troll? I think he's showing UK love. Just my opinion tho.

And the tattoo makes me feel more confident. Even tho it's Louisville..... It's still Kentucky. He's claiming Kentucky at the end of the day. He was made in Kentucky basically.
Perhaps, but I'll believe it when I see it and will be fine saying I was wrong.

He doesn't troll Oregon or KU because their fan bases simply aren't as crazy as we are. And, he's from KY, so it's more fun to rub it in the face of your home state school that you're going somewhere else and we couldn't even keep him in state. Perhaps he's saying "y'all couldn't even match what another state's gonna pay me and I'm one of your own!".
 

TX Wildcat

All-Conference
Apr 12, 2024
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That wouldn’t shock me honestly. Seems like a move he would make. They are throwing money around like crazy somehow. Makes no sense how, but they are.
All to likely finish 3rd or 4th in the ACC (2nd max) and celling at the Elite 8 (not knocking the E8, would love that for us). However, will we hear about the U6 and dUKe $XXm rosters (which will no doubt exceed the dollars we paid the "Unwatchables")? No! Only matters to the media when we spend big dollars.
 

MidseasonTweak

Heisman
Mar 1, 2020
9,908
16,544
113
If he commits somewhere else I'll come back and say yes you was right. I feel like he's coming here. He went out of the way to put UK on in the background is how I look at it. Why wouldn't he troll anybody else if he's between three schools?

If he's going to oregon why not troll Kansas. If he's going to kansas why not troll oregon? He just chooses UK to troll? I think he's showing UK love. Just my opinion tho.

And the tattoo makes me feel more confident. Even tho it's Louisville..... It's still Kentucky. He's claiming Kentucky at the end of the day. He was made in Kentucky basically.
I wish I had an ounce of your optimism.
 
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