I’ll say it

BookofMormon

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
1,071
1,407
113
Without Mitchell, I’m still a proud fan and think Pope does well this year.

You all get too caught up on the numbers and rankings and not trust your own judgement.

We have 2 high level, capable guys at the 4. McBride and N’Diaye.

Weak minded, fair weather “fans” are everywhere and always has been. Don’t let them 💩 on this season before it starts.

We are still a final four contender without Mitchell.🤷🏻‍♂️
Also, if Pope can bring Diallo and Wilkins back, he'll be starting with a really good twosome for the following year. Don't sleep on these two.

No teams are perfect in all 5 spots.
 
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Jeff Hoyt

Sophomore
Apr 11, 2024
92
180
33
Evidence of the history of basketball. Players from d-2 and small d-1 programs are simply not as good as high level d-1 players that Duke and Florida have. Fact
Wow, great evidence there. D-1 greater than D-2. So it makes sense to take a deep bench player from D-1 versus that average 35 a game at D-2, right?
 
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Beatle Bum

Heisman
Sep 1, 2002
43,691
66,495
113
Optimism and realism are not the same team. Pope haters, Pope pumpers, and everyone on this board would be super happy if this team is better than we think, but there is zero evidence that guys at mid majors or lesser D-1 programs are gonna come in here and be as good as Duke and Florida and UCONN like pumpers seem to think.
I wonder if UM fans bashed Morez Johnson, Aday Mara, Cadeau and Yaxel before last season. Mara, Johnson and Cadeau were in some minds bench players for contenders. Yaxel had not proven he could do it at a P4. Yet …

Pump the negative takes brakes and let’s see what what this deep roster can do.
 

SenseMaker_Cats

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
2,314
6,724
113
I wonder if UM fans bashed Morez Johnson, Aday Mara, Cadeau and Yaxel before last season. Mara, Johnson and Cadeau were in some minds bench players for contenders. Yaxel had not proven he could do it at a P4. Yet …

Pump the negative takes brakes and let’s see what what this deep roster can do.
KSU’s Nowell beat our butts in ‘23. One of if not the best guards in the tournament that year. KSU probably shouldn’t even have signed him because he came from Little Rock.

Lower D1 players are in no way a guarantee but it isn’t impossible for some to flourish when given the chance.
 

Beatle Bum

Heisman
Sep 1, 2002
43,691
66,495
113
KSU’s Nowell beat our butts in ‘23. One of if not the best guards in the tournament that year. KSU probably shouldn’t even have signed him because he came from Little Rock.

Lower D1 players are in no way a guarantee but it isn’t impossible for some to flourish when given the chance.
I loved Mark’s first team. Robinson was a MilMom/Moreno draft removal (Moreno is young so MilMom probably the better comparator). The rest were guys from what fans would call lesser programs. That team on paper was probably not as good as the current squad. Butler was a stud, but was not really going to move up much in success. Wilkins is a young guy who has a high ceiling. McBride, Kap, and MilMom are are likely who they are, but NDaiye, Hawthorne, Moreno, Kam, Williams are all still relatively young in their careers. How much they improve will be key. Zoom has improved each year, I suspect he too has not reached his ceiling. Could be really fun.
 

Eagles_Ball_69

All-American
Dec 19, 2003
4,891
6,477
82
Perhaps there is zero evidence because we have not played a game yet. Just exactly what "evidence" are you looking for?
Those players have played games though, which is probably where most of it comes from. At least it does for me. At the very best, you worry about McBrides lack of athleticism and N'Diayes slender build and dudes in those leagues not exactly being known for their defense. There's evidence of all of that.

For example...I had much less concern with Butler, Carr, and Robinson. Why? They had all done it consistently at a level that could at least be compared to the SEC.
 

Eagles_Ball_69

All-American
Dec 19, 2003
4,891
6,477
82
Lendenborg started out Juco then to UAB. Clayton Jr started out at Iona.
Two great examples of it working out. Kenecht was at a smaller school as well. I think we can all agree, that's not typical. Heck, it's not even realistic. Those are three players in the last five years or so...Just thinking out loud now. Bennett Stirtz was another, but he could've gone to a mid-major right out of HS. He just wanted to play for McCollum.
 

SenseMaker_Cats

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
2,314
6,724
113
Two great examples of it working out. Kenecht was at a smaller school as well. I think we can all agree, that's not typical. Heck, it's not even realistic. Those are three players in the last five years or so...Just thinking out loud now. Bennett Stirtz was another, but he could've gone to a mid-major right out of HS. He just wanted to play for McCollum.
Nowell
Brown - Oklahoma
Roy - OK State
Cluff - Purdue

I don’t think we’re going to like what we see from Wooley(UL) this year. He started at Kennesaw State. There are others.

I was responding to the condescending dude who stated “facts”. Not the norm but certainly isn’t crazy rare.
 

Lameguy

Senior
Mar 20, 2026
327
707
93
No you're just a liar. How are McBride and Ousmane "high level players at the 4?" They're not. They are role players. They would both be 3rd strings at Duke and now are our starters. Stop always lying about everything. You people are so annoying. Anytime someone speaks "oH yOu ArE sO NeGaTiVe." No you're just on a sinking ship and everyone is trying to point out the massive hole and massive amounts of water pouring in. Toxic positivity is so annoying.
“Toxic positivity” LMAO, the amount of phrases that have become popular in the last 10-15 years is just stupid. So they call you negative and you shout back about toxic positivity. How about we all have different opinions and only time will determine which idiot got it right.🤣🤣
 

0r1c

Senior
Jan 4, 2026
305
744
93
“Toxic positivity” LMAO, the amount of phrases that have become popular in the last 10-15 years is just stupid. So they call you negative and you shout back about toxic positivity. How about we all have different opinions and only time will determine which idiot got it right.🤣🤣
Toxic positivity is absolutely a real and relevant concept, particularly in the corporate world. When organizations prioritize maintaining an appearance of optimism over acknowledging legitimate problems. Forced positivity has contributed to the collapse or near-collapse of multibillion-dollar companies.
 

Lameguy

Senior
Mar 20, 2026
327
707
93
Toxic positivity is absolutely a real and relevant concept, particularly in the corporate world. When organizations prioritize maintaining an appearance of optimism over acknowledging legitimate problems. Forced positivity has contributed to the collapse or near-collapse of multibillion-dollar companies.
I’m not saying it isn’t real, the fact that it only started being used on a regular basis in the last 10 years was my point. People like to invent new phrases in order to give the appearance of intelligence, if a person is truly intelligent they don’t have to throw in catch phrases. Just because I see a new phrase doesn’t mean I have to use it. Oh wait maybe I have masculine toxicity (yeah it’s out of context with my response, my point is it’s a new phrase that’s a stupid phrase).
 

Im The Village Idiot

All-American
Sep 7, 2025
2,741
6,874
113
Biggest issue I see on this topic:

1.) The people saying D2 players are always inferior to D1 players? Obviously not true. By and large, obviously D1 is a step up in competition, but there are rare exceptions.

2.) No one can definitively say we won’t be good this year. It is correct to note that the ball hasn’t tipped yet and players can surprise people. That doesn’t mean no one has a fair gripe though. See #3.

3.) At Kentucky, it is fair to point out that you shouldn’t bank on always finding the diamonds in a rough. You should be able to put out a product that projects to be much better on the court regularly. Please do not mistake this to mean I am doubting the team or hating on Pope. I’m simply pointing out that having a roster that projects as a non-contender, outside the top 10 is unacceptable even if the team winds up good. We have enough resources to field a top 10 roster virtually every season.

I’m still cheering for Pope to succeed here and I do NOT blame him for Mitchell. It was worth kicking the tires on.
 
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