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We were two portal misses away from being the best team in the country…

dynastydreamuk

dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
1,853
1,396
113
That kind of over simplifies it BUT

Im starting to think it really is as simple as having the best players.

Calipari his first 10 years at kentucky when we got top 5 guys, yes he should have won more than one Ship.

Now John Scheyer at duke has the Nike train still going, he will win a ship eventually just on talent alone.

This is now the biggest take away for me about Pope, if he can't get big time players he just can't stay as our coach.

Hopefully some how we land Stokes and some other big time guys for next year but I have little faith.
 
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BlueKnight2011

BlueKnight2011

Junior
Feb 22, 2026
118
381
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dynastydreamuk said:
That kind of over simplifies it BUT

Im starting to think it really is as simple as having the best players.

Calipari his first 10 years at kentucky when we got top 5 guys, yes he should have won more than one Ship.

Now John Scheyer at duke has the Nike train still going, he will win a ship eventually just on talent alone.

This is now the biggest take away for me about Pope, if he can't get big time players he just can't stay as our coach.

Hopefully some how we land Stokes and some other big time guys for next year but I have little faith.
Click to expand...
Yup, the decline of Calipari coincided with the top tier recruits deciding to go to Duke or smaller programs to be the guy. Cade, Paolo, Zion, etc etc etc.

College basketball is largely an arms race. I think Pope has the X’s and O’s chops to win big if we can manage to land 2-3 stars and have them surrounded with shooting
 
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F

FatCatMan

All-Conference
Feb 19, 2026
1,355
3,223
113
Bugs092056 said:
Credit to the guy previously who called him Whiff God. The truth hurts
Click to expand...
People will get mad for us speaking the truth but it’s not like we can change who he is. Pope will have to be the one to change and there’s no guarantee that’ll happen.

If the man refuses to make changes in the offseason he’ll never change and never be the right coach for Kentucky.
 
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BlueKnight2011

BlueKnight2011

Junior
Feb 22, 2026
118
381
63
FatCatMan said:
People will get mad for us speaking the truth but it’s not like we can change who he is. Pope will have to be the one to change and there’s no guarantee that’ll happen.

If the man refuses to make changes in the offseason he’ll never change and never be the right coach for Kentucky.
Click to expand...

we should have a GM and a full time staff scouting players. It’s inexcusable that we’re behind the curve on that
 
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Bugs092056

Bugs092056

All-Conference
Sep 20, 2022
910
1,681
93
FatCatMan said:
People will get mad for us speaking the truth but it’s not like we can change who he is. Pope will have to be the one to change and there’s no guarantee that’ll happen.

If the man refuses to make changes in the offseason he’ll never change and never be the right coach for Kentucky.
Click to expand...

Dude has had all the tools, if he can't build it then what the hell are we doing
 
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JwUKFan11

JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
7,310
14,783
113
Problem with Pope isn't the X's and O's, he just can't get the talent. We are getting ready to hit 3 seasons in a row without landing a big fish in either HS recruiting and the portal. He has about a month and a half to change that narrative, he may want to hire that GM just to have an extra helper.
 
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MdWIldcat55

MdWIldcat55

Heisman
Dec 9, 2007
21,264
84,810
113
Yaxel would have been a good get. Lots of teams wanted him. He'd gotten to know Dusty May when both were in the AAU Conference and for whatever reason really, really wanted to play for him. Not sure anybody else had a chance.

Wilkerson? LOL. He's a "high volume" (ball hog) shooter for a bad team, uninterested in any part of the game except getting off his shots. He didn’t want to compete with Oweh to be a first option offensively. Before Kam was hurt it looked like he was going to be a well-rounded wing player who was a better fit. If you are simply looking for a shooter, I’ll take Chandler.
 
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A

anon1772831261

Junior
Nov 29, 2025
249
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An additional shooter and a backup PG are two of the biggest weaknesses. Have to fix this on next year's team and have depth at the guard position to fit Pope's system.
 
U

UKCowboys

All-American
Oct 14, 2019
3,336
5,647
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Coach Cal had the best players...many more times than the one Championship we won woth them. The most talented team we have ever had started 38-0 and lost to a team with 5 upperclassmen in their top 7 players. If Pope brought back the base of this team not just next season, but the following season, and add a couple of talented kids to that group....that is how you build a National Champion IMO
 
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bluveincats

Senior
Mar 17, 2013
251
436
57
BlueKnight2011 said:
Watching MSU/Indiana right now and just thinking if you add Lamar Wilkerson and Yaxel to this roster there’s barely any team out there that could’ve beaten us.

Pope HAS to find a way to land this caliber of player next season
BlueKnight2011 said:
Watching MSU/Indiana right now and just thinking if you add Lamar Wilkerson and Yaxel to this roster there’s barely any team out there that could’ve beaten us.

Pope HAS to find a way to land this caliber of player next season
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
B

bluveincats

Senior
Mar 17, 2013
251
436
57
BlueKnight2011 said:
Watching MSU/Indiana right now and just thinking if you add Lamar Wilkerson and Yaxel to this roster there’s barely any team out there that could’ve beaten us.

Pope HAS to find a way to land this caliber of player next season.
Click to expand...
There’s 100 teams that could say that
 
SamePooter

SamePooter

All-Conference
Feb 21, 2026
946
1,232
93
dynastydreamuk said:
That kind of over simplifies it BUT

Im starting to think it really is as simple as having the best players.

Calipari his first 10 years at kentucky when we got top 5 guys, yes he should have won more than one Ship.

Now John Scheyer at duke has the Nike train still going, he will win a ship eventually just on talent alone.

This is now the biggest take away for me about Pope, if he can't get big time players he just can't stay as our coach.

Hopefully some how we land Stokes and some other big time guys for next year but I have little faith.
Click to expand...
Pope has to recruit some players with their own motivation. Need players to play hard every game. Pope is the worst motivator.
 
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BlueKnight2011

BlueKnight2011

Junior
Feb 22, 2026
118
381
63
MdWIldcat55 said:
Yaxel would have been a good get. Lots of teams wanted him. He'd gotten to know Dusty May when both were in the AAU Conference and for whatever reason really, really wanted to play for him. Not sure anybody else had a chance.

Wilkerson? LOL. He's a "high volume" (ball hog) shooter for a bad team, uninterested in any part of the game except getting off his shots. He didn’t want to compete with Oweh to be a first option offensively. Before Kam was hurt it looked like he was going to be a well-rounded wing player who was a better fit. If you are simply looking for a shooter, I’ll take Chandler.
Click to expand...
Lmao he’s a 21 PPG scorer shooting 38% from three with multiple 30+ point games. If you don’t think he would’ve elevated this team you don’t know ball
 
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BlueKnight2011

BlueKnight2011

Junior
Feb 22, 2026
118
381
63
UKCowboys said:
Coach Cal had the best players...many more times than the one Championship we won woth them. The most talented team we have ever had started 38-0 and lost to a team with 5 upperclassmen in their top 7 players. If Pope brought back the base of this team not just next season, but the following season, and add a couple of talented kids to that group....that is how you build a National Champion IMO
Click to expand...
Yea banking on 3-4 year guys in this transfer portal era is not gonna get it done. You go get the best players.
 
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J

JaredJordan2

Redshirt
Oct 20, 2023
45
37
18
Bugs092056 said:
It's okay that you're an idiot
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jim carrey mask GIF

Thread is idiotic
 
U

UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
1,749
3,046
113
BlueKnight2011 said:
Watching MSU/Indiana right now and just thinking if you add Lamar Wilkerson and Yaxel to this roster there’s barely any team out there that could’ve beaten us.

Pope HAS to find a way to land this caliber of player next season.
Click to expand...
Those guys would be just as poorly coached as the guys we do have.

Yes, their floor is higher but still not going anywhere with Pope coaching them.
 
F

FatCatMan

All-Conference
Feb 19, 2026
1,355
3,223
113
BetterThanYou said:
This is a UK problem and not fully a Pope problem.

Nike decided to back Duke after 2017.

UK fell to the wayside for the most part with recruits.

UK has to find a way back into favored status with Nike.
Click to expand...
Pope has proven time and time again that he’s not capable of recruiting elite talent. Will that change this off season going into next year? I doubt it. But I guess miracles could happen.
 
dynastydreamuk

dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
1,853
1,396
113
SamePooter said:
Pope has to recruit some players with their own motivation. Need players to play hard every game. Pope is the worst motivator.
Click to expand...
I wish I could disagree, but the evidence that your correct is exemplified by the team randomly getting blown out one week and then later going to the likes of at Florida and holding their own... then losing at home to Georgia or Missouri.

Puzzling
.. similar happened last year and basically as well at the other schools pope coached at.
 
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yoshukai

yoshukai

Heisman
Dec 21, 2002
29,649
41,901
102
MdWIldcat55 said:
Yaxel would have been a good get. Lots of teams wanted him. He'd gotten to know Dusty May when both were in the AAU Conference and for whatever reason really, really wanted to play for him. Not sure anybody else had a chance.

Wilkerson? LOL. He's a "high volume" (ball hog) shooter for a bad team, uninterested in any part of the game except getting off his shots. He didn’t want to compete with Oweh to be a first option offensively. Before Kam was hurt it looked like he was going to be a well-rounded wing player who was a better fit. If you are simply looking for a shooter, I’ll take Chandler.
Click to expand...
Indiana also hired Wilkersons mentor onto their staff.
 
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