I love how you ignore the point of his post to latch on to obvious hyperbole.
How old are you guys? Seriously?
- Thread starter Vek96
- Start date
I probably am a moron. I still choose to be optimistic. What other chose do I have?
We can all pick and choose timelines.
It's entertainment. Have fun and don't give a ****. Nothing anyone says here matters bro.
He did a great job his first season. Got to the sweet sixteen without his best player, Jaxson Robinson, and his second best player, Lamont Butler. That was a phenomenal coaching job.
This year was disappointing. However, his all in with Quaintance backfired on him.
I just like to be fair. Pope might not be the answer. Probably still too early to tell. The hatred for him is unwarranted.
You're right about the misery.
I must correct you otherwise - there is no way you can compare program building back then to now. You can build a team in the portal year one. Look at Dusty May. Back then, you'd inherit someone else goods, have to keep them, then start your HS recruiting for the following year. First year was almost always a throw away, then you'd have to bring your HS recruits in and season them up over time. It would make it virtually impossible to win if you inherited a garbage coaches players.
Again, by all accounts, Pope’s first season here was a success. He took UK to the sweet 16 for the first time in 6 years, despite his two best players injured. You do realize Jaxson Robinson didn’t play in the tournament, and Butler was about useless due to a shoulder injury?
You don’t like me. That’s fine. I respect your posts, whether I disagree with them or agree with them. You can put me on ignore. I’ve been a diehard fan since I remember being alive. So, around 55 years I suppose.
I don’t know if Pope is the answer. I think it’s too early to tell. He might end up getting fired next season. However, I’m choosing to stay optimistic. I’m sorry this bothers you. Have a great night.
I had to create a new account I’m not new been on here for almost 20 years because I criticized the coaching staff.
You make some great points. I’m just trying to be optimistic. Great post.
I just wonder what the truth is about UK and this JMI deal with the NIL stuff.
I said Lloyd originally also liked Drew either is better than what pope has done I wish he related with these recruits and agents but it’s not happening
6th place in the sec, blowout losses, showing up seemingly unprepared to play, bad defense and lack of effort is not a great job his first season. It wasn’t terrible, it was just an okay season, not a great one. Way too much stock has been put into that first season
My guess is that he's actually a fan of a rival school and wants Pope to stay here forever. Some of the stuff he has said doesn't sound like something a Kentucky fan would say. Kentucky fans don't downplay the historic success of this program.
Honestly, I think we have more of an NIL issue than a coaching issue. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I do know quality players aren’t taking less money to go to schools like Michigan, Arizona, and Duke.
UK is just not matching offers for these top players.
We're taking about the 22-13 Illinois team that finished 7th in the big10 and was ranked once in the last 7 AP top 25 polls that year?
Who are the experts and what exactly did they say?
That says more about the roster construction which is on the coaches. Even healthy we honestly weren't that good. We beat Duke early in the season because Scion James got injured early in the game, and Flagg and Knueppel had cramping issues. They were beating us double digits before that. Gonzaga was beating the **** out of us and we made a miracle comeback. Yet, we still lost to unranked OH st, Clemson, Arkansas, UGA, Vanderbilt and Texas.
The positives were beating UT twice and Florida in Rupp. However, UT returned the favor by beating the **** out of us in the NCAA tournament. We also got abused by Bama 3 times, Auburn, Ole Miss.
I mean, if 11 years of coaching isn't enough to form an opinion on, I don't know what more time is going to show you.
If you're wrong a lot, maybe you're just a slow learner.
…. and this ^ tells me all I need to know about YOU. You literally don’t know your *** from a hole in the ground. You need to take a few days off and then quit.
LOL. Yeah, that’s it. Come to my house, and I’ll prove how I’m not a UK fan. Everything is decorated with UK memorabilia. From Rupp, to Pope, and Bear Bryant to Will Stein.
What a stupid thing to post. I‘ve had UK basketball and football season tickets for more than 30 years. How about you? How many years have you had season tickets?
Dude stein and football are not struggling he is killing it and im excited for football
Also beat Duke, Gonzaga, Tennessee. You forget to respond to the sweet 16 appearance for the first time in 6 years, without his two best players.
You're right, first 2 under Pope is better than the last 4 under Calipari but it isn't good enough, Pope has 1 year to figure it out or he's done.
I’m cautiously optimistic. Actually looking forward to the football season. We will be there again. Tailgating in the orange lot next to the barn looking building.
Worthwhile question - because honestly, not a lot of kids would turn down an offer if it can in substantially higher, unless there was something fishy about the structure.
You can't tell me Kelsey is a guy kids are running to play for.
Dude you need to seriously take a break from here. Not only are you defending the slobbering tard we have as a coach, you’re now stooping so low that you’re making things up.
I mean this seriously, do us all a favor and post less.
You didn’t respond to anything I said. He had some good wins, also had really bad losses. Including getting blown out by Tennessee in the sweet 16, blown out by Ohio state, blown out by ole miss, swept by Alabama etc..
We have a brutal schedule but he is building now and for the years up coming with talent I’m thrilled on the recruiting aspect
Me too, section 223, season tickets for years, can't wait till August.
You are the one who said Kentucky hasn't been anything special since the 50's. Just seems like a "stupid" thing to say for such a big Kentucky fan.
If you have season tickets for football you may be in for some better times. Will Stein seems to be doing a great job thus far. I’ll be there as always and I’m optimistic. Mark Pope ? Hell no.
lol. My wife even jumped my *** about the thread I started downplaying our significance in CBB history. I’m as frustrated as much or more than any UK fan. I’m not sure what’s the answer is.Put down the alcohol if you’re drinking today lolyou’ve made some wild posts buddy
The thing is that we’re going to just have roll with what we have next season, and hope it’s better than we think it is.
Kentucky basketball is the best tradition in all of sports in my opinion.
Again, his first season was a success. Now, since then, things are trending downwards, but, don’t discount his first season.
It was a stupid thing to say. I’m frustrated with the direction of the program. I have been for 6 years now.
Butler played n the ncaa tournament. He contributed.
If your gonna beat the injury drum for pope how come u don't reference it for cal? He had immense injuries the last few years, not to mention injuries that cost UK a title n 2015 and 2014 most likely.
Be consistent or shut up about injuries.
I’m high on Stein. We tailgate in the orange lot by the barn. Come over and hang out anytime. White Tahoe, right by the big ESPN white and Blue Mini Bus.
LOL I would prefer if you all were right about Pope. I’d take being wrong about that because I hate seeing a good guy get fired. I just don’t see this working out because of how hard of a time he has recruiting and with the media.
I think he would do really well at a smaller school where the pressure isn’t as high and he doesn’t have to recruit these 5 star kids. It takes a special coach to survive at a blue blood school.
I don’t, he knows he’s a bad fit and refuses to do the right thing. Plus the dude
Is making 5 million a year to watch his team
get spanked.
Most of the main haters will completely vanish during and after big wins. That’s a pissant in my book and I barely correspond with trash like that.
What you say about Donovan’s record is something I think about with Pope. If Hurley got hired at UK the year he started at UConn and had the same record each season, he would not have lasted long enough to win the titles. Ditto Donovan at Florida. People would’ve been calling for Golden to be fired if he lost in the NIT 1st round then NCAA 1st round in the first two seasons.
On the other hand most coaches with subpar first 2-3 seasons don’t go on to win titles at those schools.
Could Pope ramp up and be a championship level coach by season 5? Maybe, who can say, but he probably needs an elite eight by season 4 to get a shot at a 5th season, right or wrong.