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There’s Absolutely Nothing Pope Can Do To Make Me Want Him Here

ZaytovenCat

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
24,075
8,861
97
I reached a point with both Cal and Stoops where I couldn’t stand them and wanted them gone outside of winning a national title. I’ve reached that point with Pope. Except with Pope, I don’t know that I’d want him here even if he somehow pulled off the luckiest National Title in history this coming year. Reason being is that it’s beyond clear that nobody with an ounce of talent will seriously consider playing here for Pope. So even if he someone won a title, we’d likely go right back to losing 13+ games the next year.

The news that Stokes signed his Kansas non-rev share paperwork around the same time that he came to Kentucky for a visit weeks ago has Pope looking like the biggest chump in the sport. He’s been absolutely played like a fool by numerous recruits in his short time here. Perception is reality and the perception is that Pope is a chump who can easily be used in recruiting to drive their price up. You’d think as many times as he’s been played that Pope could tell when he’s being used.
 
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ChocoChicken

All-Conference
Apr 6, 2026
388
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ZaytovenCat said:
I reached a point with both Cal and Stoops where I couldn’t stand them and wanted them gone outside of winning a national title. I’ve reached that point with Pope. Except with Pope, I don’t know that I’d want him here even if he somehow pulled off the luckiest National Title in history this coming year. Reason being is that it’s beyond clear that nobody with an ounce of talent will seriously consider playing here for Pope.

The news that Stokes signed his Kansas non-rev share paperwork around the same time that he came to Kentucky for a visit weeks ago has Pope looking like the biggest chump in the sport. He’s been absolutely played like a fool by numerous recruits in his short time here. Perception is reality and the perception is that Pope is a chump who can easily be used in recruiting to drive their price up. You’d think as many times as he’s been played that Pope could tell when he’s being used.
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I’m legitimately starting to hate the man. I hate the way he talks. I hate the way he acts. I hate his f***ing goofy a** face. I hate what he’s done to this program. The man is a walking embarrassment. I never hated Billy G this badly.
 
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Jimmy James

Jimmy James

Senior
Jul 3, 2025
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ZaytovenCat said:
I reached a point with both Cal and Stoops where I couldn’t stand them and wanted them gone outside of winning a national title. I’ve reached that point with Pope. Except with Pope, I don’t know that I’d want him here even if he somehow pulled off the luckiest National Title in history this coming year. Reason being is that it’s beyond clear that nobody with an ounce of talent will seriously consider playing here for Pope.

The news that Stokes signed his Kansas non-rev share paperwork around the same time that he came to Kentucky for a visit weeks ago has Pope looking like the biggest chump in the sport. He’s been absolutely played like a fool by numerous recruits in his short time here. Perception is reality and the perception is that Pope is a chump who can easily be used in recruiting to drive their price up. You’d think as many times as he’s been played that Pope could tell when he’s being used.
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Pope getting played.


 
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ala_kat2

ala_kat2

Heisman
Jan 4, 2003
11,215
10,601
103
I understand your frustration. What if he wins a national title? (Not likely, or even remotely likely, but many would change their tune).
 
J

James Arington

Senior
Jan 14, 2002
817
521
93
ZaytovenCat said:
I reached a point with both Cal and Stoops where I couldn’t stand them and wanted them gone outside of winning a national title. I’ve reached that point with Pope. Except with Pope, I don’t know that I’d want him here even if he somehow pulled off the luckiest National Title in history this coming year. Reason being is that it’s beyond clear that nobody with an ounce of talent will seriously consider playing here for Pope. So even if he someone won a title, we’d likely go right back to losing 13+ games the next year.

The news that Stokes signed his Kansas non-rev share paperwork around the same time that he came to Kentucky for a visit weeks ago has Pope looking like the biggest chump in the sport. He’s been absolutely played like a fool by numerous recruits in his short time here. Perception is reality and the perception is that Pope is a chump who can easily be used in recruiting to drive their price up. You’d think as many times as he’s been played that Pope could tell when he’s being used.
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Poor little boy is going home to cry and go home to mommy.
 
C

ComebackCats98

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
676
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Forget they missed on the number 1 recruit. No shame in losing a player to a program like Kansas with a hall of fame coach.

The thing most concerning from me today is Pope during the day liking a tweet about Stokes decision. Mo Williams replying to Stokes’ tweet about the announcement with excitement. These guys are so out of their league that they thought they had him. That’s scary to me. It’s clear they’re in way over their head and not in reality.

You ever talked to somebody in your day to day life that ignorantly think they know what they’re talking about when they clearly don’t? That’s Kentucky’s coaching staff.
 
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ZaytovenCat

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
24,075
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ChocoChicken said:
I’m legitimately starting to hate the man. I hate the way he talks. I hate the way he acts. I hate his f***ing goofy a** face. I hate what he’s done to this program. The man is a walking embarrassment. I never hated Billy G this badly.
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Same here. Sad part is he’s ruining, or has already, ruined his legacy here. Most fans won’t be able to separate what he did as a player and as a coach.
 
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anot

anot

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
989
1,651
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ChocoChicken said:
I’m legitimately starting to hate the man. I hate the way he talks. I hate the way he acts. I hate his f***ing goofy a** face. I hate what he’s done to this program. The man is a walking embarrassment. I never hated Billy G this badly.
Click to expand...
Because at the end of the day Billy was at least a G.
 
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Son_Of_Saul

Son_Of_Saul

Heisman
Dec 7, 2007
45,425
99,694
113
ZaytovenCat said:
Same here. Sad part is he’s ruining, or has already, ruined his legacy here. Most fans won’t be able to separate what he did as a player and as a coach.
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I'll be honest with you. I get sick of Pope talking about the '96 team. He uses it for leverage and it's pathetic. That team played a long damn time ago. Shut up about '96. That team would have slaughtered a team filled with eleven years worth of Pope's best players by 30 points. He will never see even 1/4th the level of talent that that team had. Not if you combine the entirety of his entire career.

He's a disgrace.
 
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Bluedog1

Senior
Jan 4, 2012
764
789
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Fellas this is just regurgitating what everyone is saying but I dont think I have seen this much ineptness from a Uk coach ever in my life. to put this in perspective i do recall one game remembering Adolph Rupp most likely his last year at UK. So ive seen Rupp, Hall, Sutton, Pitino, Billy Clyde , Cal and now Pope. I was too young to remember anything but what my dad told me about Rupp, but this is the worse I have felt about UK basketball since the Kentucky Shame article came out and we got put in probation in 89`. I know Pope so loves this university and program, and he is truly a good guy. I so want him to succeed but feel very deflated that he has the tools to do so.
 
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JAC71

All-American
Jun 28, 2015
5,015
9,428
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ala_kat2 said:
I understand your frustration. What if he wins a national title? (Not likely, or even remotely likely, but many would change their tune).
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A national title in foosball maybe but this man isn’t winning a national championship here and we all know it
 
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Skyguyb27

All-American
Feb 12, 2008
4,761
7,893
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ala_kat2 said:
I understand your frustration. What if he wins a national title? (Not likely, or even remotely likely, but many would change their tune).
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He can celebrate then pack his bags.

seriously though, that scenario will never happen so no reason to wonder about it. Any player worth getting is to the title game won’t play for him. You’d be better off hoping the bad news bears go undefeated.
 
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VC99

Senior
Sep 16, 2025
246
575
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ZaytovenCat said:
I reached a point with both Cal and Stoops where I couldn’t stand them and wanted them gone outside of winning a national title. I’ve reached that point with Pope. Except with Pope, I don’t know that I’d want him here even if he somehow pulled off the luckiest National Title in history this coming year. Reason being is that it’s beyond clear that nobody with an ounce of talent will seriously consider playing here for Pope. So even if he someone won a title, we’d likely go right back to losing 13+ games the next year.

The news that Stokes signed his Kansas non-rev share paperwork around the same time that he came to Kentucky for a visit weeks ago has Pope looking like the biggest chump in the sport. He’s been absolutely played like a fool by numerous recruits in his short time here. Perception is reality and the perception is that Pope is a chump who can easily be used in recruiting to drive their price up. You’d think as many times as he’s been played that Pope could tell when he’s being used.
Click to expand...
Same, I did not want Pope here (for all the obvious reasons we are seeing) but it's been somehow even worse than that, somehow. I don't even understand how it's possible to do this bad in SO many different bizarre and unnecessary ways. Just blunder after blunder. It's not more complicated than, I just don't want Mark Pope to be the head coach of Kentucky.
 
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TFCat11

TFCat11

Heisman
Mar 25, 2019
6,191
11,347
108
CatBearPig said:
I agree. It’s not going to work. Why even put Pope through next year. It’s going to be awful for everyone.
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I mean, Billy Freak’n Donovan is just standing there, waiting to be asked out to the dance floor by UK!

UK has been cursed since the moment Calipari said goodbye to BBN.
 
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Drcatfan

All-Conference
Apr 14, 2015
1,438
1,647
61
I literally thought it was a joke when I first heard we hired him as a coach. Admittedly, the first year with a team thrown together quickly I was impressed with the success he had the first year. Everything since that point has reaffirmed my initial reaction was correct. He's just not anywhere near the caliber of coach needed at Kentucky. The sooner he leaves the better.
 
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Dr.LutherSan

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
4,365
8,839
113
The Pope Pumpers have really stopped their posts lately. The only thing they have now is something about the failures of the previous coach.
 
S

Snarks

All-American
Jan 31, 2005
8,482
6,819
93
These lame duck (prove you can do it) years are always a disaster. We gave Cal 1 more year and lost to Oakland. Stoops 1 more year and had a terrible year. Popes 1 more year is on track for a similar season
 
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Dr.LutherSan

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
4,365
8,839
113
Drcatfan said:
I literally thought it was a joke when I first heard we hired him as a coach. Admittedly, the first year with a team thrown together quickly I was impressed with the success he had the first year. Everything since that point has reaffirmed my initial reaction was correct. He's just not anywhere near the caliber of coach needed at Kentucky. The sooner he leaves the better.
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Prior to Calipari leaving there were a few that brought up Mark Pope as a great replacement and I mocked that idea pretty harshly. Man do I wish I was forced to eat crow.
 
Resignmarkpope

Resignmarkpope

Junior
Mar 13, 2026
374
354
63
Mark pope is destroying Kentucky. To Hire a Scientology member I mean Mormon was risky in the first place. Especially unqualified one.
 
K

kyhankypanky

All-American
Mar 21, 2004
4,441
7,765
113
ZaytovenCat said:
I reached a point with both Cal and Stoops where I couldn’t stand them and wanted them gone outside of winning a national title. I’ve reached that point with Pope. Except with Pope, I don’t know that I’d want him here even if he somehow pulled off the luckiest National Title in history this coming year. Reason being is that it’s beyond clear that nobody with an ounce of talent will seriously consider playing here for Pope. So even if he someone won a title, we’d likely go right back to losing 13+ games the next year.

The news that Stokes signed his Kansas non-rev share paperwork around the same time that he came to Kentucky for a visit weeks ago has Pope looking like the biggest chump in the sport. He’s been absolutely played like a fool by numerous recruits in his short time here. Perception is reality and the perception is that Pope is a chump who can easily be used in recruiting to drive their price up. You’d think as many times as he’s been played that Pope could tell when he’s being used.
Click to expand...
I agree. Some may interpret your post as an ignorant my-mind-is-made-up-no-facts-can-convince-me post, but I would argue that such a position is not rooted in ignorance but an observation of patterns and trends. There are so many data points suggesting Pope is in over his head - and an often overlooked one is that whatever brand image he had is completely wrecked by news of the last few months (the UM guy who busted him with little pushback, the whiffs on major recruits) - that even an unlikely "success" at this point is mostly a fluke. Looking big picture, long term, it is not worth the degradation of the program and the constant struggle we will face to retain Pope. His bad moments will FAR outshine any good moments.
 
will1976

will1976

All-Conference
Dec 10, 2003
3,352
2,749
113
Held on too long with Gillispie. Seen the writing on the wall after Mark Few ran the same play over and over to whip our Coaches *** in front of a Blue and White crowd. Time to go Pope!
 
R

RationalKentuckyFan

Freshman
Apr 29, 2026
53
86
18
It is really sad that he has completely destroyed his legacy. I believe that he was no one's first choice and answered the call when we desperately needed someone. I believe he came here to try to succeed and answer the call and now he will be forever remembered with Kentucky failed coaches like Billy Gillispie and Eddie Sutton.
 
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