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UK basketball headed towards worst decade in its history

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LongliveWildcatDon

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Jun 23, 2026
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Per KSR...Per and article written by Mark Story.

Worst winning % in UK history 65%
Fewest NCAA Tournament wins 45%
SEC Championships 0
SEC Tournament Championships 0
10 Yrs without a Final Four
and not in the decade but we are 2yrs away from having just 1 title in 30yrs.

I'm sure we all knew this but its pretty damning to see it all laid out.

And these numbers are favorable because he started it at 2019/2020 season with Maxey if he started 20/21 season the numbers would be much worse.

I'm rooting for Pope but he has to show it this year because the decline has been going on far too long.

Also, only 2yrs of that is on Pope and that's why I laugh out loud when I hear people pining over Cal.
 
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Goingfor9

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
16,416
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TellurideCat said:
Maxey with Fox, Bam, and Monk jettisoning Briscoe might not have lost to UNC.
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lol. Man it’s a couple years difference. I don’t know how maxey could’ve played in all honesty. All UK all we needed was a solid four. Derek Willis is what Derek Willis is European player at the margins.. I mean that’s that was our only weakness on that team and he would’ve been fine off the bench. But we needed someone who could defend better rebound better and it’s gonna be the same with this team this season we have to put some complete rosters together if you want to compete..
 
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Dr.LutherSan

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
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Goingfor9 said:
lol. Man it’s a couple years difference. I don’t know how maxey could’ve played in all honesty. All UK all we needed was a solid four. Derek Willis is what Derek Willis is European player at the margins.. I mean that’s that was our only weakness on that team and he would’ve been fine off the bench. But we needed someone who could defend better rebound better and it’s gonna be the same with this team this season we have to put some complete rosters together if you want to compete..
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Marcus Lee would have been perfect for that role.
 
TellurideCat

TellurideCat

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Jul 21, 2025
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Yeah not sure! The OP’s roster wasn’t exactly correct except even junior year Bam and Monk with Maxey wouldn’t have won either as the tournament was canceled.
 
U

UKWildcats1987

Heisman
Sep 9, 2021
20,208
35,738
113
LongliveWildcatDon said:
Per KSR...Per and article written by Mark Story.

Worst winning % in UK history 65%
Fewest NCAA Tournament wins 45%
SEC Championships 0
SEC Tournament Championships 0
10 Yrs without a Final Four
and not in the decade but we are 2yrs away from having just 1 title in 30yrs.

I'm sure we all knew this but its pretty damning to see it all laid out.

And these numbers are favorable because he started it at 2019/2020 season with Maxey if he started 20/21 season the numbers would be much worse.

I'm rooting for Pope but he has to show it this year because the decline has been going on far too long.

Also, only 2yrs of that is on Pope and that's why I laugh out loud when I hear people pining over Cal.
Click to expand...

If he started with 2019-2020 then UK won the sec championship. By 3 games I believe. Doesn't make it much better but they won it.

And no one is pining for Cal. I think people just feel we could have done way better than Pope.
 
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SenseMaker_Cats

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
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UKWildcats1987 said:
If he started with 2019-2020 then UK won the sec championship. By 3 games I believe. Doesn't make it much better but they won it.

And no one is pining for Cal. I think people just feel we could have done way better than Pope.
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“And no one is pining for Cal. I think people just feel we could have done way better than Pope.”

Most agree with your last statement. When it comes to the first statement, you do understand we have eyes and can read this board, right?
 
S

Smeegs

All-Conference
Nov 19, 2025
1,076
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WeWant9 said:
We do need to end one of these droughts:

- Last SEC regular season title: 2020
- Last SECT title: 2018
- Last NCAAT 1 seed: 2015
- Last FF: 2015
- Last NCAAT title: 2012

Last E8 was back in 2019, too.
Click to expand...

It really is striking how long it’s been since we’ve done ANY of those things. Hell, we’ve only gotten past the first weekend of the tournament one time this decade, and even that one and only time was kinda ruined by the ensuing beatdown from rival UT. This era has truly been the empty desert in the landscape of UK hoops accomplishments.

But, on the bright side, there’s still three years left this decade to change its story!
 
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NociHTTP

NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
12,933
20,247
113
Son_Of_Saul said:
I actually think it's harder to find angles to defend him. I mean, what is he actually good at? There's not a lot of angles there at all.
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How many different angles do you think we should be looking at for coaches? He's dealt with a lot of injuries, is that one of your angles? He's dealt with depth issues because of injuries. Is that another angle? He's UK-first, not NIL-first. Is that another angle.

EDIT: in other words, you don't want to defend him. Thanks for playing.
 
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NociHTTP

NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
12,933
20,247
113
VC99 said:
Every Kentucky fan is rooting for Pope but he is not the guy who is gonna turn this around. Both are objectively true. I can root for a golden retriever vs a wolf, but it's not gonna happen.
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That is patently false. There are UK fans who can't get Cal's elite recruiting out of their heads, it guides their every thought.
 
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UKWildcats1987

Heisman
Sep 9, 2021
20,208
35,738
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SenseMaker_Cats said:
“And no one is pining for Cal. I think people just feel we could have done way better than Pope.”

Most agree with your last statement. When it comes to the first statement, you do understand we have eyes and can read this board, right?
Click to expand...

Anyone pining for cal isnt a real UK fan. He stayed 5 years too long.
 
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L

LongliveWildcatDon

Senior
Jun 23, 2026
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63
NociHTTP said:
"I'm rooting for Pope"

No you're not. You're actively looking for angles to attack him, and you just insert that for mass appeal.
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I have no clue what you’re talking about. I actual teared up during his introduction and his first yr was one of the more enjoyable I’ve had in yrs.

I have hope that last yr was a blip and this yr is more like his first. But even that in yr 3 is worrisome.

Pope being great here would be an incredible story. But he looked lost last yr. Has yet to recruit at a high level. And in yr 3 we don’t look to have a Final Four caliber roster. Thats worrisome to say the least and that’s not an attack, its just me living in reality.
 
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UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,230
3,879
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LongliveWildcatDon said:
Per KSR...Per and article written by Mark Story.

Worst winning % in UK history 65%
Fewest NCAA Tournament wins 45%
SEC Championships 0
SEC Tournament Championships 0
10 Yrs without a Final Four
and not in the decade but we are 2yrs away from having just 1 title in 30yrs.

I'm sure we all knew this but its pretty damning to see it all laid out.

And these numbers are favorable because he started it at 2019/2020 season with Maxey if he started 20/21 season the numbers would be much worse.

I'm rooting for Pope but he has to show it this year because the decline has been going on far too long.

Also, only 2yrs of that is on Pope and that's why I laugh out loud when I hear people pining over Cal.
Click to expand...
Aren’t we already here?

Worst UK basketball coach in my lifetime.

Maybe we had worse pre Rupp? I didn’t witness them.
 
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Kyfan27

Senior
Jan 7, 2023
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TellurideCat said:
Yeah not sure! The OP’s roster wasn’t exactly correct except even junior year Bam and Monk with Maxey wouldn’t have won either as the tournament was canceled.
Click to expand...
Yeah the timeline doesn't match. I could be wrong but didn't Hagsns reclass and there was talks of Maxey reclassing also? That's a big "what if" for me if Maxey is on the 2019 team
 
DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,987
12,446
113
Kyfan27 said:
Yeah the timeline doesn't match. I could be wrong but didn't Hagsns reclass and there was talks of Maxey reclassing also? That's a big "what if" for me if Maxey is on the 2019 team
Click to expand...
Haha for sure reclassified. Can’t remember with Maxey. I don’t think he did but for sure could be wrong.
 
The Ganner

The Ganner

All-Conference
Nov 21, 2009
384
1,005
93
NociHTTP said:
How many different angles do you think we should be looking at for coaches? He's dealt with a lot of injuries, is that one of your angles? He's dealt with depth issues because of injuries. Is that another angle? He's UK-first, not NIL-first. Is that another angle.
Click to expand...
Excuses only go so far. What in Pope's history, here or elsewhere, makes you think he's going to win SEC titles, go to FFs, win a championship? Personally I think his ceiling is middle-years-Tubby level.
 
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JwUKFan11

JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
7,616
15,756
113
UKCowboys said:
Or....we might win a couple of Championships and have our best decade of this century. You don't know
Click to expand...
Sign Language Mental Illness GIF by Sign with Robert
 
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UKCowboys

All-American
Oct 14, 2019
4,776
8,968
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JwUKFan11 said:
Sign Language Mental Illness GIF by Sign with Robert
Click to expand...
This years squad isn't the favorite, but they could win it. Pope is in on every good HS player in the country and always does well in the portal. Good luck on health and its still not likely but possible. If anyone said Hurley was going to go on the run he did after his first two seasons they would be laughed out of the building.

You hate the guy. Pretty clear
 
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JwUKFan11

JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
7,616
15,756
113
UKCowboys said:
This years squad isn't the favorite, but they could win it. Pope is in on every good HS player in the country and always does well in the portal. Good luck on health and its still not likely but possible. If anyone said Hurley was going to go on the run he did after his first two seasons they would be laughed out of the building.

You hate the guy. Pretty clear
Click to expand...
Common sense isn't so common.
 
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