Do you think selling Stokes to come in and fill Oweh's role is a good strategy ?
- Thread starter UncleAdolph
- Start date
It's the ONLY strategy.
Offer him to come in and be the man, let him show off what he can do, and hopefully use it to build some recruiting momentum.
Offer him to come in and be the man, let him show off what he can do, and hopefully use it to build some recruiting momentum.
I think selling him on being the number one option, yes. But Stokesā game is different than Oweh from what Iāve seen. Unique blend of skill and power. Would be huge if he signed with UK.
I donāt believe Mark will ever recruit at that level and itās the main driver in us needing a coaching change. 13 years, no top recruits, none. You canāt do that and coach at Kentucky. The key to look for is Pitino. He signed them all, from top players in the class to diamonds in the rough nobody has heard of. He didnāt bend his system to the league the league tried to keep up with his system. All things Mark isnāt and never will be. I just donāt think any coach changes when heās been trying for nearly 15 years. I rarely get into absolutes but for this I nearly cross it because 13 year is a major sample size in college basketball. Pope cannot recruit those types. Maybe money will change it for a recruit or 2, but itās definitely not going to be sustained. Pope will have to drastically overpay for players like that.
On the Oweh comparison, no. Different players. You sell him on being the top pick and money.
On the Oweh comparison, no. Different players. You sell him on being the top pick and money.
Itās exactly the thing that Pope must have or he wonāt make it. You have to have a major shift and big big news. This is the only thing that can turn anything around for him, recruiting.
To my untrained eye very different games. Stokes is a unique player. You should check out some of his highlights online. Not really sure what player comp fits him best but seems way different than Oweh IMO.
Stokes would be better than any player Pope has ever had.
His handles are off the charts. The ball stays glued. You can't strip him. The turn-around dunks are something else.
It's a moot point cuz he's not coming here everyone knows he's a jailhawk
Stokes is like MKG without a broken jumper or Kevin Knox with a mean streak and a motor.
I donāt know if I would want him or not. No doubt a talented player but there are some red flags. His signing may help with recruiting momentum for both 26 & 27 recruits seeing him going to UK.
Even better if he has a great season next year to refute the charges against CMP getting and developing star players. Just hope his signing does not empty the coffers and prevent us from getting additional talent from high school and the portal.
Built like an Alex Poythress..
How hell delete a pic that accidentally gets put in post? I never chose any pic of him but there it is..
How hell delete a pic that accidentally gets put in post? I never chose any pic of him but there it is..
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I think thereās more than that coming down the pike. Iām hopeful for Stokes but equally as hopeful for an impactful GM
hire. Just seems like maybe theyāre setting up a counterpunch/PR campaign to counter the negativity. I have zero contacts in the know but Iām sure thereās the true core of boosters and stakeholders that know itās time to adapt and retake our rightful place. I donāt think Pope is hopeless and he might be the one to bring us back but Iām not scared that somebody wonāt do it because too many people want it too badly. If itās not Pope somebody else will do it.
With Popeās recruiting I think the first big get opens up the tap. And the right GM can help facilitate that first big get. Would be even better if Pope and the staff can pull it off on their own and then hopefully reinforcements are incoming.
And if they donāt adjust or get that first recruit then Pope will be gone. I donāt get as upset as many do about it all because UK is bigger than any university president or AD or coach or even players. The fans are the engine that keeps it going. The fans will never let that happen so I know it will get fixed. Some get a little more heated about it than others lol but the vast majority all want the same thing.
It may not always work on the timeline we want but thatās the thing about a true blueblood program. It outlives all of us. My grandpa got me started and heās been gone 15 years. I hope I have a grandchild one day that I pass it on to. Itās like a family heirloom but shared by millions of people.
All I can hope for is that the little slice I get in my lifetime is a good one. Itās been pretty damn great since the first team I can remember in 86. But even the heartbreaks are epic because itās UK basketball.
Excited about Sunday now. Who knows what an epic ending like today can do to galvanize a team? Whatever happens Iāll be back next year obsessing over this again like everyone else on this board lol
i mean we literally sold caleb holt on the oweh role and he said no
No he's not it has changed,he's coming for a visit, he will be a cat
If he's a risk then it's one we have to take because it really looks bleak with no proven "bucket getter" returning.
There are players on this team I like as role players but I struggle to see us being better than we are this season (which should be one of many goals) if they have to take over as "the man". No guarantee we get one in the portal, either.
Someone will do it. Kentucky isnāt the type of program to disappear thereās too much focus. Now we can go on 20 year droughts if weāre not careful which is the danger right now, I donāt want to see that. Itās no secret Iām pretty much think Pope is finished here, I cannot see a pathway for him and I think a lot of people are hoping for it without actually looking at what is happening. Pope has lost his footing and it will take big things to turn it. Like I said the issue is heās never done it and has struggled to do it with a lot of money. It doesnāt look good I donāt see how anyone could say this looks okay.
Eventually something will break though. Either Pope will somehow align with the right method (doubtful) or someone else will. Boosters are not a monolith thatās for sure but I do know 2 of them who are contributors and they are pretty meh. Another issue I think regarding pope is the boosters wanted Pearl, so he started with an eye on the situation. It probably shortens the window a bit but winning big can cure it. My main issue here is Kentucky needs to be consistent. And even if he were to make a run or two (Hubert), I cannot see a possibility he turns into a consistent level coach who can manage a blue blood year in and year out. So I think eventually barring something major heās on borrowed time.
But Iāll be hoping for a few runs in the mean time even if not. Maybe this season will be one. My main concern is we hold too long if he does, or begin to do Indiana chants over sweet 16ās. Itās likely what Barnhart and the BOT want but in the end people will get sick of it anyway Iām sure. Thatās just where Iām at with it.
Itās not just recruting that he is lacking in. Evals, game prep, motivation and development have all left a lot to be desired as well.
His in game adjustments are A tier though. That and the Kentucky brand(ie still being able to get players that are decent (oweh, aberdeen, dioubate) to outstanding(brea, butler, amari) are the main reasons weāve been able to make the tourney despite all of his glaring shortcomings. That will only carry a bad coach for so long though.
But even if say we hire a good GM and that has a positive impact on recruting and evals, theres sfill the issues of development, game prep and motivation. All of which are also vital.
He had a strong relationship with Tommy Lloyd. "While Kentucky was in his top five and hosted him for visits, reports suggested Arizona (along with Alabama) was the frontrunner for much of the process due to this established, trusting relationship."
Also, back in the December Holt made the statement that Kentucky "is going through tough times right now." While he didn't elaborate on what he meant, it could refer to the continued calls for Pope to be fired on the chat boards. Just speculation on my part. Your guess is as good as mine. One speculation I heard online was that it had to do with the Christian Collins/JMI stuff.
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We have lost 26 games with OO being the man at times last 2 seasons. Stokes can't do it all like OO can't do it all every game. You have to get multiple high level talented players to succeed and win things that matter like sec regular season, sec tourney, make final fours and win a natty title.
Money talks and BS walks. These one and done players will come to UK and play, we just need to get the first one to commit and go from there. I doubt Pope could ruin them in 9 months.
Correct we have 2 seniors for sure leaving 2 redshirts coming in. Not sure inexperienced freshmen one and done is what Coach should be looking at as a priority at the present time I am sure he would pay alot to get him. Unlike the last 2 years he can be patient,