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Does anybody still belive in Pope?

Tri-Countycat

Tri-Countycat

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Dr.LutherSan said:
Mark Pope still has to win. He is a career mediocre coach. The recruiting means nothing if he can't win.
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That’s what all the Pope over everything crew keeps forgetting. We were all on here in the fall listening to how he was comparing thi”the 2025 team to some of the best UK teams ever assembled. We had some injuries and that’s unfortunate but by mid season, we weren’t even running any offense other than a single ball screen and ISO. We didn’t switch any defenses regardless of time and situation and had zero inbounds play against the press. Pope can have a top ten preseason team (which we won’t) but he still has to coach them and I’ve personally not seem much that separates him from any other mid level coach.
 
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ChocoChicken

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I really hope he pulls it off. But I’m not going to pretend that he doesn’t have some glaring coaching and recruiting deficiencies that I’m unsure if he can solve on his own. I hope he figures it out, but I won’t be surprised if things don’t improve next year.

He got his second choice in PG and first choice in SG. Let’s hope he can get his first choice in PF and pray like hell he can pull off Stokes for the SF role. I would consider that a major improvement from the last couple of years recruiting wise, at the very least.
 
darkshadesofblue

darkshadesofblue

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I was critical of Pope this Summer but will gladly eat crow if he can turn it around and get us back in contention. I’ll be happy if we’re similar to year 1 and not like this past season
 
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TigerMoving

TigerMoving

Heisman
Jul 13, 2014
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We need 8 high caliber players to be a title contender. Right now we have 4 by my count: Zoom, Wilkins, Kam and Moreno. Hawthorne might be real good too but thats still uncertain. Get Freeman/Rancik and Stokes and we can really start dreaming. Ive been very critical but I think we are in a very solid spot right now, just gotta get a few more good ones.
 
The Nightman2

The Nightman2

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Tri-Countycat said:
That’s what all the Pope over everything crew keeps forgetting. We were all on here in the fall listening to how he was comparing thi”the 2025 team to some of the best UK teams ever assembled. We had some injuries and that’s unfortunate but by mid season, we weren’t even running any offense other than a single ball screen and ISO. We didn’t switch any defenses regardless of time and situation and had zero inbounds play against the press. Pope can have a top ten preseason team (which we won’t) but he still has to coach them and I’ve personally not seem much that separates him from any other mid level coach.
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Where is the Pope over everything crew? I can't think of a poster who fits that ?
 
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James Arington

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Gobigblue812812 said:
Let me say that I'm not a Mark Pope cheerleader. He has definitely underachieved here for UK standards.

I'm trying to stay impartial until after the portal/high school cycles are over but it doesn't look good. If he continues to miss in recruiting this year, I won't care if he has a good season. That would just mean he'll never attain greatness here. I still see a path for Mark but it's getting narrower and darker by the day.

I want him to succeed, but I think he's a square peg trying to fit into a round hole at UK.

Go ahead and fire away.
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I believe. Last he had two best players injured. This year he had three players injured. No team can win with this problem.
 
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BigBluefoot

BigBluefoot

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Jul 4, 2025
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We still haven't replaced what we've lost.
Sure, we will get bodies, but in aggregate im not sure we are any better
 
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Bleedin Blue in Ohio

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Dr.LutherSan said:
Mark Pope still has to win. He is a career mediocre coach. The recruiting means nothing if he can't win.
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I agree. Wins and loses are what matter. I don't get tied up in player rankings. Cal's last recruiting class at UK had the nations #1 Wagner, #3 Edwards, and #5 Bradshaw and all were not very good players. If rankings mattered that team would have went to the final 4 instead they got beat in the 1st round to Oakland. Florida won a Natty last year led by a 0 star do everything guard.
 
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U

UKBB4Ever

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Believe in Pope as what?

UK cheerleader? Absolutely.

UK head coach? Absolutely not. He’s in so far over his head he needs a snorkel to breathe. Pope does nothing well as coach.

The ‘24 season is the highlight of his career and always will be.

He got lucky in several games early with already coached players. Once teams figured out he was going to only run zoom offense and matador defense the luck stopped.

People want to excuse the poor effort and planning with the injury excuse. But that’s just nonsense.

Pope embarrassed UK basketball several times in year one: Clemson, Ohio St, Ark, Auburn and in the SEC tournament when he didn’t even show up.

Year 2 against Mich St, Gonzaga, Vandy, Iowa St. Even let Bellarmine score 85 points against us. But we had Christmas and they didn’t. One of the dumbest excuses ever.

And the first halves of too many games to count. The team is never prepared. The team is not in condition. There’s no player development.

But the lack of effort is the worst part.

It’s not just the losses. Pope’s teams just quit. I always compare teams to Pitino’s first team. They were 14-14 and everyone loved them. Undermanned every game but played their asses off buzzer to buzzer.

If Pope’s teams played with purpose and effort and still had the same record you could blame the injuries.

We’re at a point with Pope that if he gets a marvelous recruiting class he will win 64% of the games.

If he doesn’t we have a losing season.

If that’s “hope” then I don’t know the meaning of hope.
 
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Gobigblue812812

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UKBB4Ever said:
Believe in Pope as what?

UK cheerleader? Absolutely.

UK head coach? Absolutely not. He’s in so far over his head he needs a snorkel to breathe. Pope does nothing well as coach.

The ‘24 season is the highlight of his career and always will be.

He got lucky in several games early with already coached players. Once teams figured out he was going to only run zoom offense and matador defense the luck stopped.

People want to excuse the poor effort and planning with the injury excuse. But that’s just nonsense.

Pope embarrassed UK basketball several times in year one: Clemson, Ohio St, Ark, Auburn and in the SEC tournament when he didn’t even show up.

Year 2 against Mich St, Gonzaga, Vandy, Iowa St. Even let Bellarmine score 85 points against us. But we had Christmas and they didn’t. One of the dumbest excuses ever.

And the first halves of too many games to count. The team is never prepared. The team is not in condition. There’s no player development.

But the lack of effort is the worst part.

It’s not just the losses. Pope’s teams just quit. I always compare teams to Pitino’s first team. They were 14-14 and everyone loved them. Undermanned every game but played their asses off buzzer to buzzer.

If Pope’s teams played with purpose and effort and still had the same record you could blame the injuries.

We’re at a point with Pope that if he gets a marvelous recruiting class he will win 64% of the games.

If he doesn’t we have a losing season.

If that’s “hope” then I don’t know the meaning of hope.
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'24 was the highlight of his career? OK. I guess he'll never do better or adjust.

Pitino coached in a different era. Nobody was getting $1MM per year and he had a bunch of Kentucky kids on that team who probably wouldn't have even been recruited normally Not really comparable.

The good news is this is essentially a new team.
 
K

KYFOSSIL

Heisman
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UKWildcats1987 said:
Lost 12 games, 8 by double digits and finished 6th in the sec. Making the sweet 16 made that an above average season at least.
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I don't think you can discount the victory over Duke and the nine wins over top 15 teams which had not been done in a long time
 
UKGrad24

UKGrad24

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Apr 2, 2024
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It’s really amazing anyone actually could still think anything but the guy is a horrendous example of a UK coach. How many times does this need to be said. RECRUITING is the lifeblood of your program. He CANNOT recruit here. This isn’t western, this is Kentucky. He cannot recruit at all, and that’s just the BEGINNING of his problems. He’s a terrible evaluator too. Amazing to even suggest he could still make it. I don’t know what’s wrong with some of these guys.
 
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UKBB4Ever

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Gobigblue812812 said:
'24 was the highlight of his career? OK. I guess he'll never do better or adjust.

Pitino coached in a different era. Nobody was getting $1MM per year and he had a bunch of Kentucky kids on that team who probably wouldn't have even been recruited normally Not really comparable.

The good news is this is essentially a new team.
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Other teams are paying players too. Why do they play hard and Pope’s don’t.

If that’s your excuse then roll with it. But it’s not grounded in reality.

Pope is not going to adjust. He is the coach he is. And ‘24 is the high point of his career.

Whether it will always be is subjective. I give you that.

But I say to check back in 10 years and ‘24 will still be the high point of Pope’s coaching career.
 
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anon1777473514

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Jul 30, 2024
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UKGrad24 said:
It’s really amazing anyone actually could still think anything but the guy is a horrendous example of a UK coach. How many times does this need to be said. RECRUITING is the lifeblood of your program. He CANNOT recruit here. This isn’t western, this is Kentucky. He cannot recruit at all, and that’s just the BEGINNING of his problems. He’s a terrible evaluator too. Amazing to even suggest he could still make it. I don’t know what’s wrong with some of these guys.
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I don’t know how many times it “needs to be said” but I can see you’re hellbent on figuring that out.

Regardless, haven’t seen you posting much lately. Welcome back. 🙏
 
C

Cats_2010

Heisman
Jan 8, 2010
11,854
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I will not believe in pope until he gives me a reason too. He showed flashes in 2024 but never maintained the consistency needed. I soured on him immediately this last year with his “something happened” comment he made before the Louisville game throwing them off, then followed up with but I’m not ready to talk about it. Then WTF mention anything at all. He wanted to get an excuse out. Then his stupid we will not fail, we have only failed to this point. Pope is a fish out of water on UK’s sideline. The weight of this job has crushed him. He’s dumber now than he was before he took the job. Hes a worse coach now than he was before he took the job. He’s trying to fit in but doesn’t. Pope coaching at UK is what it looks like when someone tries to be something they’re not. This will not get better, it will only get worse.
 
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Anon1774274437

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Mar 23, 2026
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Gobigblue812812 said:
Let me say that I'm not a Mark Pope cheerleader. He has definitely underachieved here for UK standards.

I'm trying to stay impartial until after the portal/high school cycles are over but it doesn't look good. If he continues to miss in recruiting this year, I won't care if he has a good season. That would just mean he'll never attain greatness here. I still see a path for Mark but it's getting narrower and darker by the day.

I want him to succeed, but I think he's a square peg trying to fit into a round hole at UK.

Go ahead and fire away.
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No, he is absolutely in over his head. With his resume, should have never been in consideration for the job.
 
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anon1777473514

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Jul 30, 2024
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Cats_2010 said:
I will not believe in pope until he gives me a reason too. He showed flashes in 2024 but never maintained the consistency needed. I soured on him immediately this last year with his “something happened” comment he made before the Louisville game throwing them off, then followed up with but I’m not ready to talk about it. Then WTF mention anything at all. He wanted to get an excuse out. Then his stupid we will not fail, we have only failed to this point. Pope is a fish out of water on UK’s sideline. The weight of this job has crushed him. He’s dumber now than he was before he took the job. Hes a worse coach now than he was before he took the job. He’s trying to fit in but doesn’t. Pope coaching at UK is what it looks like when someone tries to be something they’re not. This will not get better, it will only get worse.
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So you’re predicting worse than a 7-seed this upcoming season?
 
S

SenseMaker_Cats

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I’m The Village Idiot said:
I don’t know how many times it “needs to be said” but I can see you’re hellbent on figuring that out.

Regardless, haven’t seen you posting much lately. Welcome back. 🙏
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I once replied to @UKGrad24 asking him if he thought there was anyone alive that didn’t know what his opinion on the matter was. He replied, “I can’t afford to risk it”. Gotta admit I got a laugh out of that. Got to respect the hustle.
 
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KentuckyFlyer

KentuckyFlyer

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Right now we are the donut hole of basketball. A Big Gapping Donut HOLE with NO Icing... NONE
 
A

anon1777473514

Heisman
Jul 30, 2024
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SenseMaker_Cats said:
I once replied to @UKGrad24 asking him if he thought there was anyone alive that didn’t know what his opinion on the matter was. He replied, “I can’t afford to risk it”. Gotta admit I got a laugh out of that. Got to respect the hustle.
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He’s a good dude. Just kicks the hell out of a dead horse. Very articulate guy, very intelligent, mostly very respectful of his opponents. Disagree with him on most things but he’s one of the best anti-Pope posters out there.
 
B

Buckwheat Otay Is Dead

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May 30, 2008
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KyWideWes said:
As much as we have people saying our fanbase is negative it took two solid signings (after losing our top three players and 5 others) to get the hopium back for a lot of our fans.
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You will go to hell for lying. Their is no our fanbase. The Internet has created those that call themselves whatever . I bet these guys will go to Lowe’s, buy a hammer and become a professional woodworker or carpenter and tell their Internet buds that is what they know because they bought a hammer. The same with trolls saying Pope is this or that, he can’t recruit, he can’t coach. But when anyone brings up his faith it proves the are not anything UKs ..
 
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