Yaxel, Wilkerson, Stokes, Kusturica, Spears Jr., Demary Jr., Mullins, Collins, Holt, Lanier, Dent, Wright, Lewis, Hall, Rippey...

[bnewt5]

This is easily his most exciting roster to date.

I actually think it's going to be very good - I really like Wilkins and with getting Milan and Malachi, I think you have a really solid 4.

True, but is that really saying that much?

 

[BookofMormon]

True, but is that really saying that much?

Rome wasn't built in a day. He needs to show he can coach this year.

 

[Im The Village Idiot]

How can you say that when Duke's recruiting is better than ever. Arizona and uconn are doing OK too.

Can you clarify your question? I don’t believe Arizona or UConn are recruiting to the level Cal did at Kentucky. Duke is continuing to recruit at the same level they were from 2015-2024 when Cal exited Kentucky. What are you asking me?

 

[MichaelGray]

Idk man. Last season’s team finished 28th in KP defensively. I was mildly encouraged by the defensive progression by the staff. There’s still work to do — it was the offense that struggled last year. Gotta shoot for being top 20 in OFF and DEF.

Defense was better imo because he sacrificed offense for defense building the team, simply because of how they got manhandled his 1st season. This year's team is built to score like the 1st year, the difference is the length of this team, they should be better on defense, time will tell.

 

[MichaelGray]

Cal did well until Coach K did it better.

Coach K did better when Cal pissed Phil Knight off, Duke started getting all the best Nike players when Cal refused the Phi Knight invitational.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Coach K did better when Cal pissed Phil Knight off, Duke started getting all the best Nike players when Cal refused the Phi Knight invitational.

Well, we never recovered. Cal still had great classes, but just not as good. Going hard with first year dominance on the court requires the very best HS talent.

 

[Son_Of_Saul]

Rome wasn't built in a day. He needs to show he can coach this year.

What if he doesn't?

Do we extend him a longer leash? Hurley wasn't dominant at UConn until year #5. Do we give Pope the same amount of time, even if he's raking in 24-11 or 22-12 seasons in years three and four?

 

[BookofMormon]

What if he doesn't?

Do we extend him a longer leash? Hurley wasn't dominant at UConn until year #5. Do we give Pope the same amount of time, even if he's raking in 24-11 or 22-12 seasons in years three and four?

Hurley's situation was entirely different. While it was early portal, there was not NIL. Top players were not moving freely, it's not what it is today where you can rebuild a program in a year.

My gut - he's got a 4 year window, this being a big year to show his coaching ability. His recruiting chops thus far have been somewhat lackluster given the resources, sans a last minute Milan get. I think he's got 2 years to get the team to what feels F4 caliber.

I feel like he's in the same boat as DeVries, although their football is so good right now they may not care as much these days.

With May gone and Boynton signed for 2 years, with Self close to retiring, there could be 3 big jobs open simultaneously.

 

[NociHTTP]

I can put together a similar list of "misses" for any coach in America that goes after the top kids

Don't bother. If Pope has a great year they'll say "I'm ready to eat crow. If Pope doesn't win the championship next year he needs to be gone"

 

[Beatle Bum]

Hurley's situation was entirely different. While it was early portal, there was not NIL. Top players were not moving freely, it's not what it is today where you can rebuild a program in a year.

My gut - he's got a 4 year window, this being a big year to show his coaching ability. His recruiting chops thus far have been somewhat lackluster given the resources, sans a last minute Milan get. I think he's got 2 years to get the team to what feels F4 caliber.

I feel like he's in the same boat as DeVries, although their football is so good right now they may not care as much these days.

With May gone and Boynton signed for 2 years, with Self close to retiring, there could be 3 big jobs open simultaneously.

So, are you saying if he does well this year it will be because of coaching ability because he has yet to demonstrate he can recruit?

 

[Anon1732656906]

Terrible ROI. Did you see what we spent on this years roster?

It is no longer about being a Kentucky kid. This is a business about making money and putting a product on the court. For the money that I am being charged to go watch the product, I expect a good product. The players are all about the money and have made it clear that is what it is about to them. So, I am all about the product and could care less about where the kid is from. If he can not play, it is time for the next guy. As the barber says, "Who is Next?"

 

[BookofMormon]

So, are you saying if he does well this year it will be because of coaching ability because he has yet to demonstrate he can recruit?

I'm saying his recruiting approach has been mixed, and yet he was able to land a decent roster this year. Portal season recruitment was a hot mess in how it was handled, and no HS recruits. So given he was able to land a pretty strong roster, he's going to have to show he can coach it to success if he's going to show he's the guy.

 

[Beatle Bum]

I'm saying his recruiting approach has been mixed, and yet he was able to land a decent roster this year. Portal season recruitment was a hot mess in how it was handled, and no HS recruits. So given he was able to land a pretty strong roster, he's going to have to show he can coach it to success if he's going to show he's the guy.

So, he “lacklusterly” recruited a “pretty strong roster”?

 

[BookofMormon]

So, he “lacklusterly” recruited a “pretty strong roster”?

Not sure you were paying attention or not, but they fleeted recruits in on conveyor belts and struck out a number of times (good programs do not do that). If not for Milan on the back end of the process, where it was pretty clear $$ was his primary goal, this place would have been in a total meltdown. So had Milan stayed in the draft, then what? It wasn't a proactive, planned assault on recruiting. It was a lucky a dude decided to come back.

 

[Beatle Bum]

Not sure you were paying attention or not, but they fleeted recruits in on conveyor belts and struck out a number of times (good programs do not do that).

That defies any definition of lackluster. You say “struck out” as if going after many recruits and landing a roster just means you “struck out” with the others. Zoom and Wilkins looks like a really great starting backcourt. Milan is a top three, if not the top, portal get. It is clear that Pope works his a$$ off and talks with just about any recruit that is interested. It’s not lackluster and you don’t land the the guys we land if you cannot recruit.

On paper it also appears he recruited smartly, also getting guys who are ready to come off the bench. And recruited smartly with a scheme purpose in mind. Good shooters who are overall very long.

There are a number of guys on this team who are on NBA evaluation boards. Moreno and Milan could both be first round. Wilkins. Has been described as a future pro. That looks like a “good program.”

If not for Milan on the back end of the process, where it was pretty clear $$ was his primary goal, this place would have been in a total meltdown. So had Milan stayed in the draft, then what? It wasn't a proactive, planned assault on recruiting. It was a lucky a dude decided to come back.

Bidunga was one of the first big name portal guys who signed. He is a top 1-3 portal transfer. Milan on “the back end” (he was in the draft) is financially on par with the first big name landed out of the portal. NO ONE Was going to get Milan for less and NO ONE was going to get him early. So, what difference does it make when he signed?

Pope wanted Milan. Milan reportedly wanted Pope. Had Milan stayed in the draft we may have landed Kustrica. No one knows because the alternative plan was not needed.

 

[BookofMormon]

That defies any definition of lackluster. You say “struck out” as if going after many recruits and landing a roster just means you “struck out” with the others. Zoom and Wilkins looks like a really great starting backcourt. Milan is a top three, if not the top, portal get. It is clear that Pope works his a$$ off and talks with just about any recruit that is interested. It’s not lackluster and you don’t land the the guys we land if you cannot recruit.

On paper it also appears he recruited smartly, also getting guys who are ready to come off the bench. And recruited smartly with a scheme purpose in mind. Good shooters who are overall very long.

There are a number of guys on this team who are on NBA evaluation boards. Moreno and Milan could both be first round. Wilkins. Has been described as a future pro. That looks like a “good program.”



Bidunga was one of the first big name portal guys who signed. He is a top 1-3 portal transfer. Milan on “the back end” (he was in the draft) is financially on par with the first big name landed out of the portal. NO ONE Was going to get Milan for less and NO ONE was going to get him early. So, what difference does it make when he signed?

Pope wanted Milan. Milan reportedly wanted Pope. Had Milan stayed in the draft we may have landed Kustrica. No one knows because the alternative plan was not needed.

We shall see - I found the entire process to be discombobulated and shooting darts in the dark. Shall we list all the players he didn't get, who we was involved with, which would have nullified needing Milan?

Let's see how he can congeal the group. I will be specifically interested in seeing how Kelsey and Pope both motivate big $$ rosters.

 

[Beatle Bum]

We shall see - I found the entire process to be discombobulated and shooting darts in the dark. Shall we list all the players he didn't get, who we was involved with, which would have nullified needing Milan?

It’s not as if we had a good view. Pope is incredibly credible when he says he sees things reported and posted that are just crap and wrong. There is no way someone on the fan side alone could say the staff was just shooting in the dark. There is more unknown than known. So, that assessment can’t have merit.

I don’t know we were in with anyone who “nullified” a place for Milan. Stokes is not that guy. Nor is Freeman. Definitely not Wright, who was never evidently an option, learned upon his visit. Milan fits with all of those guys and is not replaced by any.

Even with Freeman healthy, Wright is the only guy who visited that I wish we landed. Wright and Zoom would have been quite a duo. But, I think Wilkins nullifies that need.

 

[UKCowboys]

We have a good team. That makes all this hamd wringing so much Haterade