Speaking reality isn't pissy or upset. I'm to old to get upset over a game. The odds for UK to win the Championship was 65-1 a few days ago. Do they have a shot to win? Of Course they do. A 90-1 shot hit at Charleston yesterday so anything can happen.. But most likely they don't.
Dont expect a decision on MOMI until saturday or sunday "sea of blue"
- Thread starter jeffky
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Yeah probably will drag out. I can see the Sunday night articles. Things change, new team emerges. He’s 50/50 on where he wants to go now.
That was Wednesday.
Today is Saturday.
Kentucky supposedly already has a deal signed with him.
Even if we get him, why the hesitation?
Because elite players are hesitant to put their trust into Mark Pope, even when a $7 million offer is staring back at them.
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I don't have "sources", I listen to KSR and watch a few podcasts if they pop up under UK basketball. Aaron Torres is the person I heard say MiMo was still fulfilling contracts and could not commit till Sunday. I have no idea if its true, but I did hear it. I didn't say that to Anon 687865 because he is a 26 account troll, the biggest UK hater on the board
What a weird statement. But probably true for some of you dopes
I think Torres is wrong here. We all heard those things as well, and yes it is true that Milan still had some advertising responsibilities to Iowa State but…
Boosters are losing confidence in Pope because of his inability to close here. Some of them are concluding that the only reason the deal isn’t done is because of Mark Pope — we have the role, the system, the brand and the highest offer by $1M…
Pope better close this or boosters are going to want him gone by midseason….and no, this is not an exaggeration. Momcilovic or it’s over for Pope.
^ These opinions and/or takes did not originate from me btw
OR, hear me out, maybe he’s not 100% sure and his agent is doing everything he can to get all the money he can from whatever team MM eventually signs with?
We hope that’s the case but there hasn’t even been a draft of a contract on the JMI end. And boosters have grown frustrated with the saga. Things don’t line up with the idea that this was done already.
Hopefully it won't be, but you reminded me that A LOT of great athletes, despite having so and so in their ear telling them "go prove everyone wrong, make the program elite again" in the end really just don't care. On one hand I can see Milan being genuine in like for Pope and what how he can fit in with what Pope's wanting to do....and the other hand going "Meh".
Oh, I'm sure that's the case. But Duke got Blackwell immediately. No negotiation. Just done.
Same for Yessofou and St. John's.
To claim that Pope struggles to close is probably the biggest understatement in the history of our program.
Meanwhile, the "poor state" of Kentucky has a city team that is outspending us at every turn.
Doesn't add up unless one factors in the reality that Mark Pope as a personality is a major turnoff to elite players.
He's weird, and everyone knows it at this point.
I'll be honest, and I know this will sound bad, but Mormons can seem like strange folks. I've known many and are friends with several. But they do strike folks as being odd. For young black dudes I can really see it. And Pope has the added difficulty of coming off as goofy on top of that.
What's a biatd? That 5th grade education is shining through...
No. Torres speculated it’s already over and that there was Iowa State NIL advertisement obligations remaining and that’s why we are still waiting.
I have zero inside information coz I’m not connected at all — but others who are say this is not done and has not been done.
I will say Rainmaker is confident it has been done as well.
We will find out soon and I hope, for Pope’s sake, that Mom is a Cat.
If I won mega millions, I'd consider just swapping teams with St. John's as well as coaches. Keep Moreno, Wilkins, Hawthorne and McBride. Trade the rest of the players straight up and pay out the difference.
G - Wilkins - Ellis
G - Jackson - Ellis
F - Yessoufou - Hawthorne
F - Momci - McBride
C - Moreno - Prey
Pitino wins a title with that group, and it would be worth $30 million to me to see him do it.
They don’t even have a draft of a contract yet? How is that even possible?
"I'm hearing" that no one knows what the decision will be...including the Kentucky coaching staff. I'm also hearing that these insiders and experts are just making stuff up. How could they possibly know anything if the Kentucky staff likely doesn't even know? That's what my "sources close to the program" are saying.
Take it with a grain of salt. The person who said it has a long track record of accuracy and is plugged in on the JMI side. But still could be wrong, ultimately.
The only thing it would mean to me is this thing is absolutely not done. Some will say “it’s only been 72 hours since he withdrew from the draft” and that is true — but we have been here before with the “UK is a lock. This is done” and a few days later we get radio silence and then “things changed.”
Pope needs to lock it down.
What do you mean there were no negotiations for Blackwell? Of course there was. You think Duke just said come and play for us and we will figure out later what we’ll pay you? I am sure his agent was taking bids from other teams. No different than this one, but we are sitting here analyzing every tweet/article/post on Milan.
Why? Pope kicked their *** with last years team...this team will be much better
Yeah, now that you broke out spell check, you got it Jr
What I mean is that he didn't hesitate once he withdrew from the draft. He didn't fight for leverage or ask for more than they originally agreed on. He could have, but he didn't.
And why single him out when you ignored the point about Tounde's near immediate commitment to St. John's? Why does that seem to happen for virtually every elite program, but Kentucky has to go through a "process?" Collins, Stokes, Wright, Wilkerson, Wilson, etc. These were all guys we supposedly led on. All of them negotiated their way right out of committing to Kentucky.
The point is that UK seems like one of the few elite programs out there that has to go through the 11th hour deep negotiation process every time when it comes to primary targets.
Great logic!
And Pope got waxed by Nate Oats every time they've met up. Do you think Oats is a better coach than Pope, when he's won by 5 points, 13, 15, and 29 points for an average of 15.5 points per win?
Pitino is the better coach. Pope got the best of him last year. That doesn't mean squat when it comes to the overall abilities of both of these men.
I can certainly believe it. I mean, as bad as it has already been, this fanbase is going to absolutely erupt if Pope fails here.
I want to give you some much deserved credit, you held a position on Pope for the longest time, but as new and increasingly ample data came in, you adjusted your stance on him accordingly, just like any reasonable person should do.
That’s a lot more than I can say for many posters on here who have their heels firmly planted in the, “Pope does no wrong” side of the argument…
I had almost given up on you being a reasonable man, but lately you have definitely earned much respect
You have to admit the entertainment value would be off the charts with Billy Joe Wildcat losing its mind
I’ve always strived to be honest first. I long held that Pope was a B+ recruiter. That was a D+ opinion.I want to give you some much deserved credit, you held a position on Pope for the longest time, but as new and increasingly ample data came in, you adjusted your stance on him accordingly, just like any reasonable person should do.
That’s a lot more than I can say for many posters on here who have their heels firmly planted in the, “Pope does no wrong” side of the argument…
I had almost given up on you being a reasonable man, but lately you have definitely earned much respect
I will always WANT Pope to succeed and I won’t ridicule him. I just don’t think he can survive losing this recruitment.
You don’t have to tell me. I’ve been on this side a long time now. This recruitment is set up on a tee for him.
Why wouldn’t he be able to sign and do the advertisement? None of the BS from the usual suspects makes sense.
I genuinely don’t know. You’re asking the wrong guy there. I think it could be one of those things where an element of truth exists in it, but it is taken to a false conclusion. I disagree with Torres. I think the ball in Pope’s court to finish this and it sounds like he has the support needed from JMI. It comes down to Pope.
Longer it takes the less likely we get him IMO. Clock is ticking. Get it done.
Please tell me who the Pope can do no wrong posters are lolI want to give you some much deserved credit, you held a position on Pope for the longest time, but as new and increasingly ample data came in, you adjusted your stance on him accordingly, just like any reasonable person should do.
That’s a lot more than I can say for many posters on here who have their heels firmly planted in the, “Pope does no wrong” side of the argument…
I had almost given up on you being a reasonable man, but lately you have definitely earned much respect