Radical changes needed for UK's Basketball Program

[meteordealer]

And got fired. Now we have a coach being proud because he feels he did a little better than that.

You missed the entire point.

 

[meteordealer]

So we fired Calipari, to hire Calipari?

The point was that preseason #1 rankings get you absolutely nothing.

 

[RunninRichie]

The point was that preseason #1 rankings get you absolutely nothing.

Having a terrible coach gets you about the same.

 

[catswin_9]

Ky FB I think was supposed to finish last or so, how about give this BB team a chance.

This post was not intended to knock this team and their chances. It was focused on looking at the big picture for the BB program.

 

[meteordealer]

I didnt miss the point. I answered your direct question with a direct yes very much so.

So you prefer moral victories. Got it.

 

[meteordealer]

Cal won multiple conference championships. An actual championship and final fours. Thats not moral victories.

He's also been a head coach for almost 40 years. I would hope he's won something at this point. He surely didn't win anything his last 5 or so years at UK.

 

[RunninRichie]

He's also been a head coach for almost 40 years. I would hope he's won something at this point. He surely didn't win anything his last 5 or so years at UK.

Pope has been a head coach for almost 15 years. He has 0 championships of any kind. No NCAA or conference tourney, or even regular season titles.

 

[meteordealer]

Pope has been a head coach for almost 15 years. He has 0 championships of any kind. No NCAA or conference tourney, or even regular season titles.

Cool story. Lets go back and hang some banners in Rupp for all of Cal's #1 recruiting classes, and preseason #1 ranking in the polls. Since that's so important. That was the entire point of this thread. PRESEASON RANKINGS.

 

[RunninRichie]

Cool story. Lets go back and hang some banners in Rupp for all of Cal's #1 recruiting classes, and preseason #1 ranking in the polls. Since that's so important. That was the entire point of this thread. PRESEASON RANKINGS.

It's a little different. With Calipari you could always expect a solid 20-25 wins. Because he had a sample size, that showed that. His last season here, he would have those type of regular seasons, but flame out in the tourney. When it started becoming a pattern, of losing early in the NCAAT and SECT, he bailed. With Pope, we can infer, it's most likely going to be another 11 or 12 loss season, with no SEC or NCAA hardware. His career here, at BYU, and Utah Valley, shows that.

People, Mark Pope is not a young, unproven, head coach. Every great coach has had success somewhere. Hurley was elite as a HS coach, Calipari made final fours at doormats, Coach K got Army to the NIT, Knight took Army to the NIT 4 times. Pope couldn't get BYU any conference titles. Never made the NCAAT as even a 15-16 seed at Utah Valley.

 

[Anon1751335390]

His last 5 seasons at UK, Cal averaged 12 losses, and had a total of 1 NCAA tournament win.

Cal was running on early 2010's momentum. It finally petered out in the 2020's. He exploited a market inefficiency, perception of freshman ability, but then everybody caught up and Duke got even better at it than him. I also believe Cal lost a bit of coaching edge. He just couldn't get his teams to defend like they did in the early 2010's anymore.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

When you go 5 seasons without a tournament win, the Sweet 16 seems awesome.

That didn't happen though.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

So it was better with Cal? When we were preseason #1 in everything. Then finished with 12 losses and first round choke jobs in the tourny every year?

That didn't happen.

 

[Anon1751335390]

It's a little different. With Calipari you could always expect a solid 20-25 wins. Because he had a sample size, that showed that. His last season here, he would have those type of regular seasons, but flame out in the tourney. When it started becoming a pattern, of losing early in the NCAAT and SECT, he bailed. With Pope, we can infer, it's most likely going to be another 11 or 12 loss season, with no SEC or NCAA hardware. His career here, at BYU, and Utah Valley, shows that.

People, Mark Pope is not a young, unproven, head coach. Every great coach has had success somewhere. Hurley was elite as a HS coach, Calipari made final fours at doormats, Coach K got Army to the NIT, Knight took Army to the NIT 4 times. Pope couldn't get BYU any conference titles. Never made the NCAAT as even a 15-16 seed at Utah Valley.

Your sentiment is understood, but Pope did make the tournament in 2 out of the 4 opportunities he had a BYU. There was no tournament in 2020, which ironically, was probably his best team at BYU. In the mythical 2020 tournament, we might have been destined to play against them in a 4/5 seed matchup.

 

[Anon1751335390]

That didn't happen though.

Correct. I forgot about the 1 win in 2023.

 

[seccats04]

If the AD didn't hire stein then who did? Do tell.

Club Blue made this happen, led by Jacob Tamme.

And Mitch did not want to retire, he was ‘encouraged’ to, if that’s the word you want to use. His hiring privileges were taken away as it was obvious to anyone paying attention that we were behind the times in both major sports and it was time for a change.

 

[The Nightman2]

Club Blue made this happen, led by Jacob Tamme.

And Mitch did not want to retire, he was ‘encouraged’ to, if that’s the word you want to use. His hiring privileges were taken away as it was obvious to anyone paying attention that we were behind the times in both major sports and it was time for a change.

When was this ?

 

[BookofMormon]

Pope has been a head coach for almost 15 years. He has 0 championships of any kind. No NCAA or conference tourney, or even regular season titles.

Two NCAA tourneys for Pope with BYU, two losses as a 6 seed to an 11.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

Two NCAA tourneys for Pope with BYU, two losses as a 6 seed to an 11.

And it took a miracle to avoid having a first round loss for the 3rd out of 4 ncaa appearances.

Im just hoping we can lose the ncaa game by single digits this season when we lose.

 

[moses1uk]

unfortunately for pope.....comparing his performance to cal's final years is fundamentally irrelevant since that is not how we measure any kind of success at this program.

Pope went further with the best players injured . Bravo

 

[seccats04]

When was this ?

Don’t you remember Mitch saying he was taking a committee approach versus just him being involved? That was not his doing. The BOT knew it was time for a change at AD and they were not gonna let Mitch botch another hire with an insane contract to handcuff the school anymore.

 

[Catastic5]

unfortunately for pope.....comparing his performance to cal's final years is fundamentally irrelevant since that is not how we measure any kind of success at this program.

And yet people desperately try to force the rest of us into accepting the results because they’re “better than Cal!”

 

[CB3UK]

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

When was this ?

There is no real evidence it ever happened. It's just something they choose to believe because it matches their feelings.

 

[Wildcat_in_DC]

Pope went further with the best players injured . Bravo

and again...when compared to the standard that at least once was kentucky basketball.....that is not good enough.

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

They weren't better than Cal. Popes best years are about even with cals worst. Thats why he compared his first two years to Cals last two.

It's like compare your first two years to his buddy.....amd if you're good enough to stay more than ten years compare your last two to his last two. Probably won't get a chance because he will be fired.

It's comparing it to what the situation was when he took over with an empty roster. He also has dealt with extreme injury issues that would be a challenge for any coach to overcome. Have fun with your response Dandy Andy Dudah as your new 33 minute old account is now on ignore.

 

[sefus12]

It's a little different. With Calipari you could always expect a solid 20-25 wins. Because he had a sample size, that showed that. His last season here, he would have those type of regular seasons, but flame out in the tourney. When it started becoming a pattern, of losing early in the NCAAT and SECT, he bailed. With Pope, we can infer, it's most likely going to be another 11 or 12 loss season, with no SEC or NCAA hardware. His career here, at BYU, and Utah Valley, shows that.

People, Mark Pope is not a young, unproven, head coach. Every great coach has had success somewhere. Hurley was elite as a HS coach, Calipari made final fours at doormats, Coach K got Army to the NIT, Knight took Army to the NIT 4 times. Pope couldn't get BYU any conference titles. Never made the NCAAT as even a 15-16 seed at Utah Valley.

If Cal could be counted on to win 20-25, wouldn’t that also mean he probably has 10+ losses?

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

It's a little different. With Calipari you could always expect a solid 20-25 wins. Because he had a sample size, that showed that. His last season here, he would have those type of regular seasons, but flame out in the tourney. When it started becoming a pattern, of losing early in the NCAAT and SECT, he bailed. With Pope, we can infer, it's most likely going to be another 11 or 12 loss season, with no SEC or NCAA hardware. His career here, at BYU, and Utah Valley, shows that.

People, Mark Pope is not a young, unproven, head coach. Every great coach has had success somewhere. Hurley was elite as a HS coach, Calipari made final fours at doormats, Coach K got Army to the NIT, Knight took Army to the NIT 4 times. Pope couldn't get BYU any conference titles. Never made the NCAAT as even a 15-16 seed at Utah Valley.

Pope has been here 2 seasons. He inherited an empty roster and has been crushed by injuries. He has also faced the two most difficult schedules in UK history and has still met your 20-25 win plateau.

Citing HS accomplishments and NIT's is laughable.

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

Pope has been a head coach for almost 15 years. He has 0 championships of any kind. No NCAA or conference tourney, or even regular season titles.

Just how many times will you attempt this stupid exaggeration when you have been corrected numerous times? He has been a head coach 11 seasons. In no world would almost 15 seasons be an appropriate claim.

 

[moses1uk]

and again...when compared to the standard that at least once was kentucky basketball.....that is not good enough.

Pope knows he has to win big this year

 

[Wildcat_in_DC]

Pope knows he has to win big this year

"big" needs to be defined. so do the consequences for not meeting those goals.

 

[RunninRichie]

Just how many times will you attempt this stupid exaggeration when you have been corrected numerous times? He has been a head coach 11 seasons. In no world would almost 15 seasons be an appropriate claim.

"almost", boomer.

 

[RunninRichie]

Pope has been here 2 seasons. He inherited an empty roster and has been crushed by injuries and has still met your 20-25 win plateau.

Citing HS accomplishments and NIT's is laughable.

Pope coached at 2 other schools before UK, shill. Laughable how? The NIT wasn't a slouch in the 60s when Knight was there or the 70s with K. It was on par with the NCAA.

 

[AllBall]

It boils down to guard play.

I for one don't have much confidence in Zoom at PG. He hasn't proven himself to be a winner at the collegiate level. If he can stop over dribbling, utilize his physicality, and shoot efficiently then maybe he'll surprise me but I have serious reservations.

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

"almost", boomer.

This makes zero sense. 11 is not almost 15 and I'm not a boomer nor would it matter in any way if I was.