It's not the criticism so much as the constant whining and negativity you spread constantly . Your argument becomes annoying and lacks substance . Stereotypes are difficult to overcome practice some civility you just might grow to like it
BB - Washington Center Kepnang commits to UK
- Thread starter BlueBloodKyFan72
- Start date
They do play forever my friend! Whole thing is a Joke. College BB is in the *******!
Yes, because he's a BACKUP center. That's a damn good piece for a backup, you're acting like he's our projected starting pg. We're getting a physical shot blocker that finishes with authority as a backup.
You guys are ridiculous. You focus on year 2 of the Pope era, but totally ignore year 1 and the injuries. Year 1 was a success, it was easily within the standards for UK. Yes, 10 losses is unacceptable, but that was against a top 3 strength of schedule. We got a 3 seed and made the sweet 16. That is a very good season.
Season 2 was a total system failure. We knew Pope was training on the job and we knew there would be ups and downs. He screwed up, but even at his worst, he still made the NCAAT and won a game.
You’re bs statement about this being the worst time in UK history, is nothing short of laughable. That's not even close and that tells me you lied about being a 50 year fan. Nobody that has been a fan longer than 17 years would make that statement. Cal had 2 years that were worse, BCG's two years were far worse and the probation years were rock bottom.
Get a grip
100% agree. He has to improve and I think Mo Williams will help with that.
He really messed up in year 2, but year 1 was really good considering the hurdles he had to get over.
We always knew Pope was going to have ups and downs, he’s never coached at a place anywhere close to UK and he chose a really bad time to screw up.
He has a lot to fix, some of those fixes involve his personality and toughness, but he’s a good game manager and he has a very good basketball mind.
I understand fans jumping off the Pope train, even though I think the comments fired at Pope are unfair and over the top, but for someone to say this is the worst time in UK history, is the dumbest thing I've read on here in a long time. It’s hate hyberbole at it's worst.
All you have to do is go back 1 season. Sorry to burst the hate bubble you live in, but that was within the UK standard.
If Pope got to play a SOS in the 60's, like Cal always did, he wouldn't have had 10 losses. He played top 4 SOS's the last 2 years and had injuries to his point guards.
You guys keep thinking 1996, 2012 and 2015 is the standard here, that's your problem.
These guys expect Karl Towns level guys to come here to play behind Moreno and they won't be happy with anything less. Their momentum, is all driven by hate, so they see the worst in everything.
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So he can also grab the offensive rebound and put it back in?
Will Pope listen to Mo is the question? He wouldn't listen to Jason Hart and that's one of the reasons he left.
You mean like a good backup?
THIS! People on this board claiming we have fallen off a cliff prove their ignorance daily. I think most are from other fan bases trying to stir the pot.
Really? How do you know this? Who do you know on the coaching staff?
It doesn’t get talked about at all
In year 1:
-Pope started in April with no roster and zero assistant coaches
-Played the 3rd toughest schedule in the country
-Lost his backup pg almost immediately
-beat duke on a neutral
-beat Gonzaga on the road
-beat Florida
-swept Tennessee
-Carr was hobbled
-Butler, our only remaining pg, blew out his shoulder
-Robinson hurt his wrist and ultimately had to bow out
-still made the sweet 16 with a depleted roster and a pg with a bad shoulder
-won more quad 1 games than any team in the history of the game.
But we have people saying we are at the worst point in UK history.
Yes, year 2 sucked, but to say year 1 wasn’t up to our standard, is bs.
Did cal ever play a top 5 sos? I don't believe he did. In fact, he severely watered his schedules down with cupcakes… ..and lost to some of them.
Our 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2018 teams lost a lot of games and they did that against much weaker competition and with much more talent, but nobody says those seasons were below our standards.
If those teams had to play a top 5 SOS, do they even make the NCAAT? Maybe 2011 does, but you can pile up a lot of losses when you have to play schedules like we had the last 2 years.
Even at his worst, Pope still made the tournament and won a game. Cal can't say that.
Kam was 41% at Tulane so we know he can shoot it, he was starting to shoot really well before the injury. McBride is 40%, Morton 38%, Mason Williams was 40% in high school, he's gonna play probably more than people think, no way he doesn't with his father being on staff & working with him, Hawthorne drills them in practice from what I've read, Wilkins is 40% on catch & shoot 3's, he will get plenty of those with Diallo running the point. Of course it would be nice to get another shooter but there's more shooting on next year's team than you think, with 2 creator type PG's, there's going to be a whole lot more wide open looks from 3.
I'd also say N'Diaje(sp?) is a good 3 point shooter when open; I know his percentages aren't great but his shot looks good and the film indicates he has taken a fair amount of contested threes. Also, Potter could surprise some folks if he's put on weight by next season as he's got a beautiful shot. Noah might eventually start making shots in games and that was all that kept him from being a decent player last year. So I think they do look like a pretty good 3 point shooting team and there's still one longshot out there that could elevate UK into being a very strong 3 point shooting team.
Yeah, Kam is one who can help. But, no way you can count on McBride. He shot 29% & 24% from 3 in his first two seasons. That’s really bad. We don’t know if last year was an anomaly or if he figured it out & will be a great shooter going forward. Plus, he’s gonna see a massive jump in competition & athleticism on our schedule. Until I see it, I can’t put any faith in him.
Morton probably won’t see the floor enough to make a difference. He’s looking at 10-15 mpg most likely. Mason Williams shot it well in HS, but again, he’s gonna see a huge jump in competition & a deeper 3pt line in college. We’ve seen tons of guys shoot at a high percentage in HS & get to D1 & struggle. And, he’s probably looking at even less PT than Morton. So, he’s not likely to make a difference, either. Definitely can’t COUNT on him.
We have no idea about Hawthorne. Josh Carrier was Larry Bird in practice, too. I agree that all those guys COULD possibly be the shooters we need. But, they aren’t proven & we just don’t know. I wouldn’t want to rely on that in a make or break season as a coach. We desperately need to add at least one proven knockdown shooter, IMO.
Wilkins is probably our best hope right now. But, that’s assuming he buys into playing off the ball. Normally, I love the idea of 2 PGs or a PG & a CG playing together. But, in a system like Pope’s, those guards shouldn’t be ball dominant. Getting open looks in this offense is based on ball movement. And, if we have even one guy, much less 2, dribbling for 20 seconds every possession the offense will be dysfunctional, at best.
Diallo & Wilkins are both used to having the ball in their hands. If Pope wasn’t a system coach I’d feel a lot better about the roster. But, he is. And, he has a few guys at key positions who don’t fit zoom action, at all. In fact, Diallo is the antithesis of a zoom action PG. We have to hope he can get these guys to buy in or it’ll be another long, ugly season. I hope you’re right. I just don’t think it would be wise to bank on it.
Pope has said on more than one occasion since the season ended that one of his priorities was the bring in “creators”. This suggests that he is not married to a particular offense or system.
Pope Desperate to Bring Creators to Kentucky
Mark Pope said roster management all depends on salary cap management. (Vicky Graff Photo)Kentucky Mark Pope is giving the Wildcats a couple of days to decompress before conducting individual meetings to help determine a path forward. The
www.yoursportsedge.com
I think this is a good center to have on the roster if he can stay healthy. I wish we could sign a star forward to add to this team. Momsilovic is really good, but considering how many high ranked guys other schools have, I’m afraid we are going to struggle.
I hope you’re right. We’ll see, I guess. You’d think he would’ve adapted this past season when it was clear he didn’t have the personnel to run zoom action. It’s not just my opinion that good perimeter shooting is required for that system to thrive. It’s just a fact. Same goes for quick ball movement & cutting. Not saying you can’t be successful still, but, it’s at its best with the “5 out” philosophy.Pope has said on more than one occasion since the season ended that one of his priorities was the bring in “creators”. This suggests that he is not married to a particular offense or system.
Pope Desperate to Bring Creators to Kentucky
Mark Pope said roster management all depends on salary cap management. (Vicky Graff Photo)Kentucky Mark Pope is giving the Wildcats a couple of days to decompress before conducting individual meetings to help determine a path forward. The
If he does run something different I’ll like our chances a lot more. I think we’re a bubble team, as is, if he doesn’t make any changes in philosophy. And, that’s with a 76 team field. I just know he’s been a system coach for a while & will be stepping out of his comfort zone by changing it up.
That doesn’t mean he can’t do it. I hope he does. But, I’m somebody who has to see it to believe it. I want it to work. As I’ve said, I’d love to have a coach who wins & wants to be here 20+ years. Even better if it’s a former, beloved player. I thought he was great in year 1. But, this past season & the last 2 offseasons have given me serious doubts, in a few areas, about Pope. Nobody will be happier than me if he figures it out & makes me look dumb. Idgaf about being right. I just want to win.
With his injury history I am confident Pope can have him every third week of every third month of the season.
At this point he should try, I think he stubbed his toe in 9th grade. Definitely cost him a year of college time.
I would be nice to get a Rob wright type boom one day. I mean he’s a solid backup, but Washington was terrible so count me as not a total believer.
I hear you Funk Doctor Spot!Pope has said on more than one occasion since the season ended that one of his priorities was the bring in “creators”. This suggests that he is not married to a particular offense or system.
Pope Desperate to Bring Creators to Kentucky
Mark Pope said roster management all depends on salary cap management. (Vicky Graff Photo)Kentucky Mark Pope is giving the Wildcats a couple of days to decompress before conducting individual meetings to help determine a path forward. The
The amount of sweat equity you have put into defending Pope with these War & Peace screeds is staggering. You'll be a ghost come next March.
Hope he can stay healthy but odds are against him. He is obviously an enforcer on defense
You wanna bet?
The only reason I'm defending Pope, is the amount of bs hate and critisism on the board is way over the top. I have shared my critisisms of the guy, but we have too many "fans" saying this is the worst coach in UK history and the worst shape this program has ever been. Both statements are ridiculous and not even close to true.
BTW, can you refute anything I stated in the post you quoted?
Agree. I say desperation not because it’s not a solid pickup for what we do right now, it is. But this is UK, and Pope can’t even land guys who fit his system. Pope is basically taking what he can in hopes is works out. It’s obvious.
Pope is finished at UK, I just hope he doesn’t figure out how to squeak out a 16 and be extended and the guys that are desperately trying to hold on to the idea of Pope begin to scream and jump. This is Kentucky, this isn’t western. But they’re damn set on lowering our standards here.
In the end it won’t matter. If Kentucky wants to be a blue blood they will do what blue bloods do. If they don’t, we won’t. Guys like Nitro and the rest will be content with 7 place finishes and a sweet 16 every 5 years. I however will not accept it and never will.
Pope is a failure at Kentucky. There’s no way around it, he is the worst coach we’ve ever hired and his recruiting shows it. Not to mention, he’s a terrible evaluator too, he’s just not fit for big programs. Truth is BYU was going to fire him within the next 2/3 years. Their writers have said the university was already growing tired of him and his ceiling isn’t there. Pope is meant for mid major ranks, he’s not even power 5 good. He has no upside.
While we don’t agree on Pope at all, and we could spend a long while discussing that, Pope is the worst coach we’ve ever had at UK. The only debate is whether or not he’s worse than Gillispie, and there is an argument that he is. I can prove that factually. It’s not hate, Pope is not build for power programs. You’ve done this long enough you should easily see that. Gillispie was so far and away a better recruiter than Pope it’s not arguable in the least. Gillispie was also a better coach, commanded teams to play his style much better, and he was a good developer too, superior to Pope.
Gillispie’s down fall was not in recruiting (like Pope) or in evaluations (like Pope). Gillispie was an alcoholic, basketball subject matter was not his issue. He would have been a good coach, although probably not UK good, had he remained straight and had his mental health in order.
Mark has full command of his mental health and he’s not an alcoholic. It’s fine if we want to throw it in a vacuum and say he is better than Gillispie. But no one, none, would take Pope over Gillispie when it comes to basketball alone in the basketball world.
Pope is so bad at recruiting it’s hard to fathom any UK fan not understanding where this is headed. Pope is also atrocious at understanding analytics, which is surprising. He clearly doesn’t understand how to apply data to sports. Pope is a train wreck of a UK coach. If he wasn’t I wouldn’t say it. I’m not using hyperbole. When you add that he can buy rosters, lbs for lbs, he is the worst coach in UK history as far as basketball alone goes.
Truly. With Moreno back, the Center position is a great position to compete in the SEC. Gotta hold the reigns until the waiver is approved.