Current Roster Outlook and Expectations
- Thread starter Anon668007
- Start date
If Pope doesn’t fill these last three spots with potential starting players or players that can contribute, we’re doomed. I bet Pope has had 100s of zooms and we are aware of all the on campus visits. It’s a beyond terrible look and it all started with Byrd, no way you lose that kid to providence.
I thought that the first year. The whole front of the jersey crap is Coach speak to get nostalgic boomers to think he is putting UK first. Fact is, these foreign kids are coming for the money, along with every other transfer. Moreno, Potter, Morton and Noah might be here for the name and that’s it. Plus last year we had the worst collection of team players ever assembled, I honestly think he is so bad at recruiting, Pope is taking whomever with say Yes.
There’s potential there to be a good team. The subtraction of Oweh will go a long way to helping build a team.
It will most likely be a much more fluid offense. There’s certainly more ball handling on this team.
But defense and rebounding?
If the strategy of hope they miss continues then it won’t matter if the offense is improved. Rebounding is a complete unknown.
How good are these guys from the jump? That’s important because they are not going to improve playing for this coaching staff.
We will know early what we have. Whatever they are in November is what they will be in March. Barring injuries.
It will most likely be a much more fluid offense. There’s certainly more ball handling on this team.
But defense and rebounding?
If the strategy of hope they miss continues then it won’t matter if the offense is improved. Rebounding is a complete unknown.
How good are these guys from the jump? That’s important because they are not going to improve playing for this coaching staff.
We will know early what we have. Whatever they are in November is what they will be in March. Barring injuries.
I’m sick to my stomach looking at our options for a starting 5, this is ridiculous for UK.
If Pope really loves the University then he needs to let everyone know that he’s stepping down at the end of the season. That way we can get a Big Time Coach that can start recruiting for next year.
If Pope really loves the University then he needs to let everyone know that he’s stepping down at the end of the season. That way we can get a Big Time Coach that can start recruiting for next year.
Wilkins is our go-to scorer. I think a lot of our fans are severely underrating him because he comes from Furman. Diallo is a guy who can get his own shot (he did it a lot for a bad team last year). What we lose in terms of direct, go-get-your-own-bucket scoring from those two compared to Aberdeen and Oweh we'll make up for in superior passing/creating. Kam/Hawthorne could give us what Chandler/Jasper did and even if they're a slight downgrade, we've upgraded the 4 spot (on the offensive end, at least) and we go from freshman Moreno to sophomore Moreno. I am strongly of the opinion that we're not worse than last year... we're just not good enough, barring one or two big time additions from overseas or guys who pull out of the draft.
Out of this group ? It won't matter. This may be worse than the 9-21 season............Pope needs divine intervention this year.
IMO Wilkins is the key.
Diallo has played major minutes in a power conference for two years and he is what he is; talented and pretty physical, but not a good outside shooter and not a very efficient scorer (two straight years of starter minutes and an effective field goal rate of 50.4% - meh).
Wilkins, on the other hand, had a pretty solid effective field goal percentage and as a 19 year old, he can gain some weight and physicality. But his turnover rate, even in a low level conference, was bad (per 40 of 6.3 assists/5.1 turnovers), and his outside shooting was also not good. However, he plays like he wants to be an alpha, which is a necessary trait for an off-guard. He needs to fill the Oweh role, but his resume pre-UK is not as good. That doesn't mean he can't be excellent; but that is the evidence so far.
So, can Wilkins mature and improve both his outside shooting and turnover rate all while moving up to a significantly higher level of competition on a night in-night out basis? Maybe yes; that game he had against UConn showed it is possible and made him some big money, but it's also possible to have an excellent game on occasion yet still not be a consistently plus player. It's important to UK's season that he does so on a consistent basis.
A Wilkins and Diallo summary problem? Them, and all of the featured/top six or seven guys seem to have a problem with turnover/assist rate (except Morton), and that is likely going to be a season-long team issue.
Last edited:
Diallo was exactly as efficient last year as Aberdeen was for us (TS% identical). Which, yes, leaves Wilkins trying to match what Oweh gave us. I'm not expecting him to fully match it, but I thinthinkk Diallo will be better than Aberdeen at creating for others, and Wilkins will be better than Oweh at creating for others.
It can't be overstated how much different this team has the opportunity to be from last year by simply doing these things:
-Hitting WIDE OPEN teammates with passes
-Not dribbling off your leg multiple times in crunch time moments
-Having a third guard that can dribble the basketball while not looking at the floor
-PF that can actually hit open shots and not set the game of bball back 30 years with the bricks being laid from that spot.
Literally just improving those ridiculously simple things should improve us by 2-3 wins at least. Last year's team was just awful IQ wise.
-Hitting WIDE OPEN teammates with passes
-Not dribbling off your leg multiple times in crunch time moments
-Having a third guard that can dribble the basketball while not looking at the floor
-PF that can actually hit open shots and not set the game of bball back 30 years with the bricks being laid from that spot.
Literally just improving those ridiculously simple things should improve us by 2-3 wins at least. Last year's team was just awful IQ wise.
Yea, I’m guessing we won’t be worse than the 9-21 season.
It’s ok to be disappointed, but some of you folks are more emotional than a 12-year old after getting dumped by the “love of their life”.
I think our starting guards will be a better tandem. I doubt either replaces OO in pt production but actual guard play and game flow.
Moreno should be better this year but still has weaknesses.
3 & 4 should be more offensively skilled but gamewise are still unknowns (Hawthorne and N’Diaye).
Overall, I think this team still gets killed on the boards against physical teams (ex: Florida). I think Pope has to go back to the 30 threes per game philosophy to open up the floor. If they shoot well they will look good. Shoot bad and they can lose to anyone.
Moreno should be better this year but still has weaknesses.
3 & 4 should be more offensively skilled but gamewise are still unknowns (Hawthorne and N’Diaye).
Overall, I think this team still gets killed on the boards against physical teams (ex: Florida). I think Pope has to go back to the 30 threes per game philosophy to open up the floor. If they shoot well they will look good. Shoot bad and they can lose to anyone.
I bet Williams/Pope see Mo's son playing that role. I don't like it but we aren't in the mix for anyone at that spot.
Outlook? Bad
Expectations? Lower than Monday Nitros testosterone
Expectations? Lower than Monday Nitros testosterone
At some point, we will surely add another starter. In all honesty, we have more "practice" players than anything else.
Not if you don't care where you sit. Lower level is a lifetime almost. But you can get into any game and have great seats. Only variable is the price.
Only game I've been in Rupp for during the Pope era was the Arkansas game last year. We sat in good seats and paid dearly for them.
I'm betting lower level tickets will be had cheap this season.
This is not a bottom-tier SEC roster. We look like we are about 6th best right now. Not great, but certainly above the bubble.
Moreno has the most potential to be a star next season. He is young and was the most productive player per minute last season out of those currently on the roster. He is all SEC level if he cuts down the turnovers and/or makes a few more layups. With better playmaking and handing guards, I suspect he will.
Did I ever say don’t complain? Did I mention you by name? Insert Cal’s old quote about yelping dogs here.
But giving up completely on the next season based on paper rankings when the roster isn’t set, these guys haven’t practiced together once and not a single game is played? C’mon. That’s just some loser defeatist mentality some of you use as a coping mechanism.
Apologies for being level headed. I will try to be better at flying off the handle at something I can only watch on TV. Lol
Honestly i think fans will probably better appreciate this upcoming team to an extent. They'll probably play harder despite being severely undermanned. They'll probably win a few games they shouldn't because someone will get hot.
It'll be Pope who gets the heat because his guys will be so underpowered. Sad too, because Pope had no business being in this position. Mitch will be long gone eating hay, so we won't be able to direct ire at him.
It'll be Pope who gets the heat because his guys will be so underpowered. Sad too, because Pope had no business being in this position. Mitch will be long gone eating hay, so we won't be able to direct ire at him.
Pope’s two teams here have quit in several games.
Two completely different rosters. Yet they both didn’t play defense, didn’t rebound and would quit.
Why will that not be the case next season?