Mark Pope just led Kentucky basketball to a 14-loss season, something that has only occurred four times in the entire history of the program. Also, according to Mark Story, Kentucky has been ranked in the preseason AP Top 25 every year since 1990. Because this transfer portal cycle has not gone according to plan, with numerous top targets choosing to go elsewhere, Kentucky's offseason reload has been slow. If Pope and his staff don't move fast, that more than three-decade streak may be lost. Kentucky's struggles are made worse by programs like Louisville, Tennessee, Duke, and UNC, who are rebuilding their rosters at a much more efficient rate than Kentucky. Pope missing on priority, foundational targets like Donnie Freeman and Rob Wright forced the staff to scramble, and scrambling rarely results in a championship-caliber players for any team. With the national media circling like vultures, Coach Pope is on the clock.and the clock is ticking...
Given the currently outlook of Kentucky's roster, the team could be in for a rude, historic awakening at the start of next season...
- Thread starter WildcatWally-77
- Start date
-
- Tags
- megaboard
Yours strikes me as a fair, honest and sobering assessment.
This thread reminds me of those foaming -at -the -mouth posts at halftime of games that look hilarious and ridiculous when the Cats come back and win.
Does anyone really believe Kentucky’s roster is set? It’s possible that things will have dramatically changed soon —maybe by the end of today.
I was on a train bound for nowhere late one night when an old drunk told me “they’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done.” Then he stole my whiskey and died. But still, it is probably best not to jump off any bridges until we see how the roster looks when it is finished.
The OP's assessment may prove an accurate one -eventually. Or it may be embarrassingly premature. I have a feeling it’ll be the latter.
Does anyone really believe Kentucky’s roster is set? It’s possible that things will have dramatically changed soon —maybe by the end of today.
I was on a train bound for nowhere late one night when an old drunk told me “they’ll be time enough for counting when the dealing’s done.” Then he stole my whiskey and died. But still, it is probably best not to jump off any bridges until we see how the roster looks when it is finished.
The OP's assessment may prove an accurate one -eventually. Or it may be embarrassingly premature. I have a feeling it’ll be the latter.
Last edited:
I’ll say it in this thread as well… UK’s current roster, without 2 legitimate star players being added to the starting lineup, is a .500 to sub .500 team, and will be fighting for dead last in the SEC.
Bookmark this, and we’ll reevaluate next March… If not by February.
Bookmark this, and we’ll reevaluate next March… If not by February.
CMP is gonna get devoured alive next season. If he was as smart as everyone claims we would’ve foresaw it and resigned when it became clear that he wasn’t capable of recruiting even at a middle-of-the-pack SEC level.
He will likely be a changed man after next season. More cynical, frailer. He’ll never be able to look at life the same way again. That’s kind of sad. But he placed himself in his position.
I just hope he can find the will to live....
Good grief, take a step back yourself. He's a professional, Cameron Mills said on Aaron Torres' podcast that he and Lee-Ann knew what they were getting into and they took it anyway.
I don’t believe that for a second. Man is known for being unusually high spirited. People call it a fault. Doesn’t help that that’s how Mormons act. Likely didn’t know at all how rough this job was going to be for someone incapable of handling it.
He was here for 3 years as a player (1 sit out), granted times were good then. But I still think he'll be fine
There’s no way he’s walking away from all that money with no job of any note in his future.
He got away from BYU ahead of the posse.
UK had a safety net for him. There’s no net now.
Meanwhile,
Over on
Rupp’s Rafters,
Everyday it seems,
Another new poster
Informs us, in
Really dire language,
About how bad things are
Going to be
Either today or tomorrow.
But I can’t help wonder whether
A true Cat fan has actually
Initiated
The conversation.
Over on
Rupp’s Rafters,
Everyday it seems,
Another new poster
Informs us, in
Really dire language,
About how bad things are
Going to be
Either today or tomorrow.
But I can’t help wonder whether
A true Cat fan has actually
Initiated
The conversation.
Yep. He’s not returning because of his love for UK. He’s returning for the money and the money alone. That’s it. He has to know his departure after next year is inevitable.
Yes things can change, but not many difference makers are out there.
Frankly, I am not even sure Stokes will move the needle significantly if he comes to UK.
And I believe it is highly doubtful he comes to UK anyway.
I think Pope needs to add at least two stars or next season will be a 500 season EVEN with Stokes.
Yea, it is not good. And Pope has not actually understood the assignment.
Frankly, I am not even sure Stokes will move the needle significantly if he comes to UK.
And I believe it is highly doubtful he comes to UK anyway.
I think Pope needs to add at least two stars or next season will be a 500 season EVEN with Stokes.
Yea, it is not good. And Pope has not actually understood the assignment.
Guys, please refrain from discussing what we all know is going to happen next season. It’s positively rude.
They have forums for that sort of thing you know.
They have forums for that sort of thing you know.
You’re living in a fantasy world, this team will be absolutely manhandled next season, mark it down, we’ll be run iff the court at least a dozen times, where we lose by double digits.
Appears we’ve missed on a bunch of players waiting on Stokes. If we get him great if not……it’s going to get bad
I'm not defending Pope here by any means, but when it isn't your money to spend and negotiate with, who is really to blame (or credit) for hits and misses these days?
Is Duke's roster because of Duke's history? Because of Scheyer's recruiting ability? Or because of Duke's money?
Is Louisville's roster because of UoL's history? Because of PK's recruiting ability? Or because of UoL's money?
If you put Scheyer at Western Kentucky with their current NIL resources and Kelsey at Eastern Kentucky with their current NIL resources, when they miss on the Flagg's and Boozer's and Brown's of the world is it because they can't recruit? Obviously that's an extreme scenario, but highlights the point it's much less about coaching now and much more about profit.
No one on the outside ACTUALLY knows how much Kentucky ACTUALLY has available in NIL. We also don't know which donors say no to certain players and which donors say I will only give money for THAT kid so you have to go after THAT kid, even if the coach doesn't want them, thinks they will be a cancer, or knows they don't fit the system. NIL is so much more (control) around the program from outside sources beyond the head coach. Pope is still in over his head at UK, but there are a lot more hands steering this sinking ship than just his no one talks about.
Look at the garbage salivating for losses. Terrible representation of BBN and probably everything they touch for that matter.
Just stop with this nonsense. Neither you nor anyone else here would think of walking away from most of a guaranteed $28 million contract as “smart“ if you were in his shoes.
It would obviously be the patently stupid move for he and his family. Which is why there was never any chance that it was gonna happen.
And just imagine if Pope didn’t have the good fortune of Duke and Gonzaga collapsing and our various buzzer beaters.
I would say if our NIL is so low that Pope can't put together a nice roster, then he should have resigned. But he didn't, so I assume our NIL is plenty.
It is freaking April. Mark has done a great job of building the roster so far & he is not finished. How about have some perspective & be something that is hard for UK fans....a little less negative, sly is falling, click bait fan.
Total speculation, but the number ($15 million) for this years NIL has been thrown around a lot. Seems like a heck of a lot of money, but not if you are offering one guy 5 or 6 or have to pay 3 mid/high level portal guys 3.5 each. Again, Pope is not the guy for the job, but we aren't getting a homerun hire that will instantly change the program right now either. Sadly we gotta ride out year three while a new AD is hired and Pope's successor is back channeled throughout the season. Not many coaches want the smoke of a blue blood head coaching job anymore, especially in the NIL era. You saw how many told UNC "thanks, I'm good here with less pressure and less people controlling me."
Last year by all intensive purposes, should have been a 17 loss season. If Barnes doesn’t melt down and change what he was doing and that buzzer beater by Oweh. Also LSU has a monumental collapse and all UK was doing was ISO.
So YOU are 100% certain Stokes by himself is going to make us a FF caliber team? That is the needle we need moved with the supporting cast assembled by Pope as of 4/28. I hope I am very wrong, but been around long enough to know there are no certainties.
Absolutely. There are so many strong players left, both in the portal and the HS ranks. And Pope and Co have demonstrated such a strength at landing them, we really shouldn't even worry. I mean, it's only been a month and we already have 2 transfers committed. I doubt any other school comes close to that. And we are Absolutely killing it on the HS recruiting trail. Williams and Baby Hawthorne are absolutely 2 of the best in this class. I don't know why people aren't more pumped about them. Then we have arguably the greatest international prospect ever. He put up 10ppg in a French league at only 22 years old. If that doesn't scream phenom, I don't know what does. And Euro players always pan out in CBB.
the rude awakening is with the fanbase.
this is pretty much who kentucky is. its a program that is relevant because its a large fanbase that consumes a lot of internet content and watches games, as a result its on tv in prime spots and mentioned by media constantly. performance wise...outside a 6 year run by pitinio and a 6 yea run by cal, its been average for 40-50 years.
the name on the front of the jersey, this history, the blue blood status doesnt matter. playing money ball with nil and not being willing to be a top 5 spender....you get a roster like this every time with just about any coach.
this is pretty much who kentucky is. its a program that is relevant because its a large fanbase that consumes a lot of internet content and watches games, as a result its on tv in prime spots and mentioned by media constantly. performance wise...outside a 6 year run by pitinio and a 6 yea run by cal, its been average for 40-50 years.
the name on the front of the jersey, this history, the blue blood status doesnt matter. playing money ball with nil and not being willing to be a top 5 spender....you get a roster like this every time with just about any coach.
John MacArthur fan boy? "Grace to you" is an early Christian greeting & is often used in the Apostle Paul's epistles. It has nothing to do with John MacArthur whose theology I do not ascribe.
But either way, don't get offended for me calling you out. We do not want trolls creating accounts to try to get info or stir up negativity, which is what you do.
Ummm. No one called me out. Grace - greeting for Romans. Peace - greeting for Jews. Got it. But also name of John M’s website/ministry.