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Derek Anderson on Pope’s Struggles

philstat

philstat

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I don’t recall seeing this on here, though believe DA is being very modest and I couldn’t agree with him more so.
www.yahoo.com

Derek Anderson gets brutally honest on why Mark Pope is struggling to teach the Kentucky ‘mentality’

Mark Pope has openly joked about the group chat he shares with his 1996 national championship teammates, claiming they keep him grounded. But according to former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, that chat is a lot more intense than Pope has let on. During a recent appearance on KSR, Anderson pulled...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
 
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Son_Of_Saul

Son_Of_Saul

Heisman
Dec 7, 2007
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philstat said:
I don’t recall seeing this on here, though believe DA is being very modest and I couldn’t agree with him more so.
www.yahoo.com

Derek Anderson gets brutally honest on why Mark Pope is struggling to teach the Kentucky ‘mentality’

Mark Pope has openly joked about the group chat he shares with his 1996 national championship teammates, claiming they keep him grounded. But according to former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, that chat is a lot more intense than Pope has let on. During a recent appearance on KSR, Anderson pulled...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
Click to expand...
DA said the UK players were not being taught the simple things last year. He's actually very critical of Pope in that interview. He said he told Mark that he needs some "dog" in him as a coach at UK, and the nice guy thing only works at places like BYU. That's why I respect DA. He tells the truth regardless.

One of my all-time favorite Cats. Still makes me sick that he was injured in 1997.
 
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philstat

philstat

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Son_Of_Saul said:
DA said the UK players were not being taught the simple things last year. He's actually very critical of Pope in that interview. He said he told Mark that he needs some "dog" in him as a coach at UK, and the nice guy thing only works at places like BYU. That's why I respect DA. He tells the truth regardless.

One of my all-time favorite Cats. Still makes me sick that he was injured in 1997.
Click to expand...
Yeah, he and Mercer would have led us to a title, that team was going to be epic!
 
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philstat

philstat

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rick64 said:
Got to meet DA by chance in Louisville. We were both waiting for the elevator in the old PNC building in downtown Louisville. He ws wearing the 97 runner up ring. He let me see it. He said it should've been the championship ring.
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Would have been one of the most electrifying and dominant teams of all time, they would have cleaned house!
 
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Farsight Clone

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philstat said:
I don’t recall seeing this on here, though believe DA is being very modest and I couldn’t agree with him more so.
www.yahoo.com

Derek Anderson gets brutally honest on why Mark Pope is struggling to teach the Kentucky ‘mentality’

Mark Pope has openly joked about the group chat he shares with his 1996 national championship teammates, claiming they keep him grounded. But according to former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, that chat is a lot more intense than Pope has let on. During a recent appearance on KSR, Anderson pulled...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
Click to expand...
Anderson needs to be an assistant coach on the team. He knows ball. Unfortunately, his philosophy vs Pope's would clash.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
45,499
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Son_Of_Saul said:
DA said the UK players were not being taught the simple things last year. He's actually very critical of Pope in that interview. He said he told Mark that he needs some "dog" in him as a coach at UK, and the nice guy thing only works at places like BYU. That's why I respect DA. He tells the truth regardless.

One of my all-time favorite Cats. Still makes me sick that he was injured in 1997.
Click to expand...
He still is my favorite Cat ever.
 
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NociHTTP

NociHTTP

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Mar 8, 2023
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He has zero chance now to land an assistant coaching position under Pope, but if he was going to talk about the situation with Pope this was the only outcome of one is honest. So now we know why these players aren't prepared for games and why they didn't develop.
 
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Coach777

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Dec 19, 2022
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philstat said:
I don’t recall seeing this on here, though believe DA is being very modest and I couldn’t agree with him more so.
www.yahoo.com

Derek Anderson gets brutally honest on why Mark Pope is struggling to teach the Kentucky ‘mentality’

Mark Pope has openly joked about the group chat he shares with his 1996 national championship teammates, claiming they keep him grounded. But according to former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, that chat is a lot more intense than Pope has let on. During a recent appearance on KSR, Anderson pulled...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
Click to expand...
You would think this article would "blow up" on this board and show just how flawed Pope is as a coach. Just like this article points out the lack of coaching basic fundamentals. I mentioned this so many times about the bigs not having any post moves. BG in the program for 2 years and not knowing how to play around the rim - that's lack of coaching.
But this article tells just how flawed he is in other aspects of coaching. But many on here will be hanging on any news about recruits. It's great to be optimistic but the reality is Pope is never hanging #9. What's alarming this is happening at UK.
 
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Smeegs

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philstat said:
I don’t recall seeing this on here, though believe DA is being very modest and I couldn’t agree with him more so.
www.yahoo.com

Derek Anderson gets brutally honest on why Mark Pope is struggling to teach the Kentucky ‘mentality’

Mark Pope has openly joked about the group chat he shares with his 1996 national championship teammates, claiming they keep him grounded. But according to former Kentucky star Derek Anderson, that chat is a lot more intense than Pope has let on. During a recent appearance on KSR, Anderson pulled...
www.yahoo.com www.yahoo.com
Click to expand...
So basically he needs to be less of a nice guy and more of an *******?
 
O

ORCAT

Heisman
Jan 6, 2003
24,657
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philstat said:
Would have been one of the most electrifying and dominant teams of all time, they would have cleaned house!
Click to expand...
That team was so fun and exciting to watch and I loved watching Anderson. The injury cost us a championship for sure and they still came a whisper of winning it without him available.
 
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gonefishin

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Still sick for him and the team he got hurt. He would have made life hell for Miles Simon in that ship and no doubt UK wins.
 
Wildcat_53

Wildcat_53

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Son_Of_Saul said:
DA said the UK players were not being taught the simple things last year. He's actually very critical of Pope in that interview. He said he told Mark that he needs some "dog" in him as a coach at UK, and the nice guy thing only works at places like BYU. That's why I respect DA. He tells the truth regardless.

One of my all-time favorite Cats. Still makes me sick that he was injured in 1997.
Click to expand...
You could really see the lack of fundamentals just from all the missed layups. I think the team from Pope's first year had a high enough basketball IQ that they didn't need to practice basics as much (although they had a tendency to botch passes a few times a game), but clearly this group should have been practicing fundamentals all summer.
 
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E

Eagles_Ball_69

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Son_Of_Saul said:
DA said the UK players were not being taught the simple things last year. He's actually very critical of Pope in that interview. He said he told Mark that he needs some "dog" in him as a coach at UK, and the nice guy thing only works at places like BYU. That's why I respect DA. He tells the truth regardless.

One of my all-time favorite Cats. Still makes me sick that he was injured in 1997.
Click to expand...
I cringed more than once during that interview. DA was brutally honest at times. Needed to be heard, but honestly, those that defend Pope will just say DA's got an agenda.
 
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Eagles_Ball_69

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Wildcat_53 said:
You could really see the lack of fundamentals just from all the missed layups. I think the team from Pope's first year had a high enough basketball IQ that they didn't need to practice basics as much (although they had a tendency to botch passes a few times a game), but clearly this group should have been practicing fundamentals all summer.
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Full of dudes that had already played four years of college basketball, and most at a decently high level.
 
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KentuckyJelly

KentuckyJelly

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I know I'm probably going to bet blasted on here since I'm not a regular poster. "I just read the articles"
I met DA at the KSR Show last weekend here in Louisville. What a great individual representative of KY Basketball. Speaking on the '97 game he actually addressed that. He said that he was practicing and dunking on people. Players as well as himself knew he was good to go for the 'Zona game. Even Pitino.....He's got a new bourbon out called "AOK", Acts of Kindness. Was great to meet him as well as him speak candidly on many issues that are currently surrounding the program (Coaching approach, Free Throw Formality in Practice, etc)
 
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Ukwazoo3

Ukwazoo3

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Son_Of_Saul said:
DA said the UK players were not being taught the simple things last year. He's actually very critical of Pope in that interview. He said he told Mark that he needs some "dog" in him as a coach at UK, and the nice guy thing only works at places like BYU. That's why I respect DA. He tells the truth regardless.

One of my all-time favorite Cats. Still makes me sick that he was injured in 1997.
Click to expand...
Hard to believe he and Pope played on that same hard-nosed team under Pitino. Night & day
 
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Farsight Clone

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Eagles_Ball_69 said:
If Pope is going to be successful (he's not), he needs people that clash with him.
Click to expand...
100%. The problem is, it's clear that Pope does NOT want conflict. That's why he doesn't push his players and yell at them. He said that "doesn't work" and he "doesn't want to be that guy." So he uses overly positive messaging. Which has been detrimental. There is a place for criticism and positive affirmation. If you bombard someone with positive affirmation, it loses its meaning. And they get used to it and when it doesn't come, it can make someone question are they doing something wrong. Anyways, this is one of many reasons why Pope isn't the guy so far.
 
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BigChiefWildcat

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Apr 20, 2026
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kyhankypanky said:
First degree trafficking at the minimum
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Nonsense. Being friends with a now deceased known drug dealer does not mean you should be charged with trafficking. DA is a stud ..and yes he was friends with those guys, but DA doesn't smoke, and he says he doesn't drink. He made it because of his friends, ... and maybe in spite of some of them, but the big dawg took care of him. It is alleged that while in San Antonio , he helped connect some people ... but that is hearsay from a known murderer that killed at least three people.
 
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pattyice270

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Mar 31, 2019
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KentuckyJelly said:
I know I'm probably going to bet blasted on here since I'm not a regular poster. "I just read the articles"
I met DA at the KSR Show last weekend here in Louisville. What a great individual representative of KY Basketball. Speaking on the '97 game he actually addressed that. He said that he was practicing and dunking on people. Players as well as himself knew he was good to go for the 'Zona game. Even Pitino.....He's got a new bourbon out called "AOK", Acts of Kindness. Was great to meet him as well as him speak candidly on many issues that are currently surrounding the program (Coaching approach, Free Throw Formality in Practice, etc)
Click to expand...
Back then former kentucky players i believe would do scrimmage type games throughout the state at high school gyms. Henderson County was one of the schools that they went to. Now I didnt get to go the year after the Zona loss, but heard stories that da was there doing all kinds of crazy dunks. People were furious cause it made people believe he was healthy enough to play and blamed Rick costing Kentucky a championship. Da would've been able to defend their guards. I wasn't there to say its true.
 
Wildcat_53

Wildcat_53

Freshman
Apr 1, 2026
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12
Farsight Clone said:
100%. The problem is, it's clear that Pope does NOT want conflict. That's why he doesn't push his players and yell at them. He said that "doesn't work" and he "doesn't want to be that guy." So he uses overly positive messaging. Which has been detrimental. There is a place for criticism and positive affirmation. If you bombard someone with positive affirmation, it loses its meaning. And they get used to it and when it doesn't come, it can make someone question are they doing something wrong. Anyways, this is one of many reasons why Pope isn't the guy so far.
Click to expand...
I feel like in a competitive environment, you need conflict. You have to push your team to make them stronger. You don't have to be an abusive d¡ckhead like Bob Knight, you don't have to recreate the rushing or dragging scene from Whiplash, but you have to challenge your dudes. Hugs and positive vibes may work for some, but a lot of guys are just going to take that for weakness and write you off as a pushover.
 
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MichaelGray

MichaelGray

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philstat said:
The game about a decade ago when UK played UNC in the tournament broke me forever as a fan of CBB, was one of the most lopsided called games of all time! I’ve rarely watched any CBB since that day.
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The break away play the last couple of seconds before halftime, Fox got fouled like 3 times & Higgins just swallowed his whistle.
 
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