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Trying to stay positive, any positives about next year?

T

truthteller

Sophomore
Jan 28, 2007
49
117
33
I've been rooting for him to succeed, but it's obvious that he can't recruit at all, which makes the off-season hard.

I keep looking for something to make me hopeful. After seeing that we weren't in the Top 25 recruiting, I thought, hey it's a new world, it's not all about high school recruits. How many of the Final Four were in last years Top 25? I checked... 3 of them. So that sucks. It still matters.

Then whiff after whiff on the portal gets me even more unsure.

Supposedly he's a great coach and "coaches like a video game.". I guess this is the year to show everyone how well he can coach, because he's obviously going to be in a deficit talent wise. If he somehow can start coaching as incredibly as advertised future talent will see it.

Trying to be positive about next year because like it or not, he'll be our coach and this will be our team.

Any hopeful thoughts or positive things you see about next year?
 
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P

Padsfs07

All-Conference
Jan 19, 2013
3,782
3,566
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If a few of these guys step up, we could be good, but Wilkins Ndiaye and Williams have to step up. Diallo has to be good and Moreno has to be good. I think they could, but that’s your best shot!

I think we have decent depth at guard and forward but are lacking at wing and center (backup) so there is still time and money to get a couple more guys.
 
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Dr.LutherSan

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
4,363
8,835
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Padsfs07 said:
If a few of these guys step up, we could be good, but Wilkins Ndiaye and Williams have to step up. Diallo has to be good and Moreno has to be good. I think they could, but that’s your best shot!

I think we have decent depth at guard and forward but are lacking at wing and center (backup) so there is still time and money to get a couple more guys.
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HAVE to get some shooters if we want to compete in the SEC.
 
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theBlues

theBlues

All-Conference
Oct 18, 2025
1,600
3,592
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If by positive you mean any way to be a top 10 team or final four contender I'm afraid the simple answer is just no. I don't think the 18-20 losses some are predicting would be likely even if we didn't add any more players(and we will). Even if we added nobody I still think we'd be about the same as last year because we had not one single player on our second string that wasn't objectively terrible. For our bench to be as bad as it was last year took multiple injuries and no returning players improving and every single new player a miss; you couldn't repeat it on purpose.
 
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B

bgoad72

All-Conference
Apr 6, 2009
740
1,670
87
Black Sheep ITVI said:
Being genuinely honest, I cannot understand how ANYONE wouldn’t be excited about next season either way. Either Pope proves his greatest detractors wrong in an epic display or we move directions in a major way. I’m okay with whatever happens, but I’d prefer the first.
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I always appreciate your honesty and positivity on this board with the class pool of negativity it has become, but I think most of us are finding it hard to excited about this recruiting cycle. If somehow by a miracle we add one or two studs we don’t see coming, maybe we will have a good starting 5, but the optimism just isn’t there for me.
 
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Mike-D

Mike-D

Heisman
Jul 14, 2001
50,339
75,294
113
Black Sheep ITVI said:
Being genuinely honest, I cannot understand how ANYONE wouldn’t be excited about next season either way. Either Pope proves his greatest detractors wrong in an epic display or we move directions in a major way. I’m okay with whatever happens, but I’d prefer the first.
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Why would anyone be excited about finishing in the bottom half of the SEC? Even if that means Pope is fired, we're at least 2 years away from fielding a team that we would deem competitive.

Best case scenario is that we find another stud, finish out the roster, and Kentucky competes like they should next year.

End of the day, the Pope detractors still want to see UK win, first and foremost.
 
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K

kyhankypanky

All-American
Mar 21, 2004
4,440
7,763
113
Black Sheep ITVI said:
Being genuinely honest, I cannot understand how ANYONE wouldn’t be excited about next season either way. Either Pope proves his greatest detractors wrong in an epic display or we move directions in a major way. I’m okay with whatever happens, but I’d prefer the first.
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I am never excited about UK being terrible, and I’m smart enough and experienced enough to know that’s exactly where we’re headed. Hard to imagine watching more than a few games.
 
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F

Farsight Clone

All-American
Aug 30, 2025
2,842
5,642
103
Season 4 No GIF by The Office
 
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Im The Village Idiot

Im The Village Idiot

All-Conference
Sep 7, 2025
459
1,320
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Mike-D said:
Why would anyone be excited about finishing in the bottom half of the SEC? Even if that means Pope is fired, we're at least 2 years away from fielding a team that we would deem competitive.

Best case scenario is that we find another stud, finish out the roster, and Kentucky competes like they should next year.

End of the day, the Pope detractors still want to see UK win, first and foremost.
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I don’t think I agree that we’d be two years away. That might be why I’m not on the doom train.
 
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BleedBlue747

BleedBlue747

Sophomore
Dec 5, 2025
113
116
43
Always hopeful but on paper there are a lot of better teams in the SEC. I expect around .500 in conference...
 
M

MachineHead

All-Conference
Oct 20, 2009
1,139
2,333
77
Mike-D said:
Why would anyone be excited about finishing in the bottom half of the SEC? Even if that means Pope is fired, we're at least 2 years away from fielding a team that we would deem competitive.

Best case scenario is that we find another stud, finish out the roster, and Kentucky competes like they should next year.

End of the day, the Pope detractors still want to see UK win, first and foremost.
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Gotta sign Momcilovic to be that.
 
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DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,072
11,245
113
Mike-D said:
Why would anyone be excited about finishing in the bottom half of the SEC? Even if that means Pope is fired, we're at least 2 years away from fielding a team that we would deem competitive.

Best case scenario is that we find another stud, finish out the roster, and Kentucky competes like they should next year.

End of the day, the Pope detractors still want to see UK win, first and foremost.
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It does not take 2 years to rebuild a team. It took Michigan 2 years from Kenny Payne records to the winning the whole thing. A good coach can get good talent.
 
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U

UKortho

All-American
Oct 13, 2015
5,100
9,865
77
Black Sheep ITVI said:
Being genuinely honest, I cannot understand how ANYONE wouldn’t be excited about next season either way. Either Pope proves his greatest detractors wrong in an epic display or we move directions in a major way. I’m okay with whatever happens, but I’d prefer the first.
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Yes. I am excited that next year will be Dope’s last at UK.
 
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Im The Village Idiot

Im The Village Idiot

All-Conference
Sep 7, 2025
459
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UKortho said:
Yes. I am excited that next year will be Dope’s last at UK.
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I don’t blame anyone who is anti-Pope for being excited about this year. That’s my point.

Pro-Pope -> Excited about Pope proving himself to the fanbase

Anti-Pope -> Excited about him exiting the stage.

(I’d contend it isn’t necessary to call him a dope. You can 100% think he isn’t the right man for the job and avoid calling him that.)

But there’s plenty for all Kentucky fans to be excited about. It’s a big year either way.
 
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U

UKortho

All-American
Oct 13, 2015
5,100
9,865
77
Black Sheep ITVI said:
I don’t blame anyone who is anti-Pope for being excited about this year. That’s my point.

Pro-Pope -> Excited about Pope proving himself to the fanbase

Anti-Pope -> Excited about him exiting the stage.

(I’d contend it isn’t necessary to call him a dope. You can 100% think he isn’t the right man for the job and avoid calling him that.)

But there’s plenty for all Kentucky fans to be excited about. It’s a big year either way.
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I can’t think of a word that is synonymous with nerd that also rhymes with Pope.
 
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Drogon

Drogon

All-Conference
Mar 14, 2017
1,847
2,633
113
Something Ill be watching.

Braydon Hawthorne is a highly rated 4-star player and Mason Williams is the son of an NBA veteran ranked in the top 150. People will talk about Jackson State, but he wasn't really recruited all that hard because of his father being the HC at Jackson State. He also wasn't as visible on the circuit as others.

How much Williams plays will be a question, but the young man has pedigree. That doesn't always mean anything, but its way too early to dismiss his potential either. Could even be a redshirt, but with the 5 in 5 why not play him situationally the first year.


Hawthorne has been working on his body. He should be stronger, has great length, is very athletic, can create his own shot. If Pope is still around these could be good foundational pieces.


Our best hope is that the whole is greater than the sum of it's parts. That starts with our guards, Wilkins and Diallo, and Malachi Moreno. Im still betting on my theory that Moreno was negative more affected by the lack of a PG than he was of his own poor play. It caused his lack of production the last month of the season. It was easier for teams to let Aberdeen and Oweh get theiir own and hold down the rest of the team than it was to try and go all out and stop them.
 
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BookofMormon

BookofMormon

Senior
Mar 27, 2026
466
622
93
DudahUK said:
It does not take 2 years to rebuild a team. It took Michigan 2 years from Kenny Payne records to the winning the whole thing. A good coach can get good talent.
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May won a title in 2 years. He took over an 8-24 team. Golden won a title in year 3. Lucas has a fringe top ten roster in year 2. Pitino won the BE titles in year 2.

A really good coach should be in a position to be F4 caliber by year 3.
 
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DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,072
11,245
113
BookofMormon said:
May won a title in 2 years. He took over an 8-24 team. Golden won a title in year 3. Lucas has a fringe top ten roster in year 2. Pitino won the BE titles in year 2.

A really good coach should be in a position to be F4 caliber by year 3.
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I know. That’s why I said what I said.

maybe you were just continuing with my thoughts, apologize if so.
 
DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,072
11,245
113
UKCowboys said:
LMAO, the team isn't finalized and we haven't had a practice and white flags are out all over RR
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So you know something everyone else in basketball doesn’t? Why are we ranked outside the preseason top freaking 40 if we are so good? Pope is just fooling everybody? Lmao. I can’t wait to see the once the season starts and the losses continue to pile up. What will the excuse be? After 3 years, he still needs more time?
Pygmy Sasquatch said:
Honestly, I am not the least excited about next season. We may not be at our nadir, but we're damned close. Hiring Pope was the act of an unimaginative, brain-dead, clown. It may have put us into an auger that we won't pull out of in time.
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Honestly doubt I’ll watch much. My heart can’t take multiple *** beatings we will likely receive from half the teams on our schedule.
 
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Pygmy Sasquatch

Pygmy Sasquatch

Heisman
Mar 27, 2009
9,495
10,130
113
DudahUK said:
So you know something everyone else in basketball doesn’t? Why are we ranked outside the preseason top freaking 40 if we are so good? Pope is just fooling everybody? Lmao. I can’t wait to see the once the season starts and the losses continue to pile up. What will the excuse be? After 3 years, he still needs more time?

Honestly doubt I’ll watch much. My heart can’t take multiple *** beatings we will likely receive from half the teams on our schedule.
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It just sucks. We're Kentucky, this is not what we do or expect. I think we have a very narrow window to correct things, otherwise we are going to become Indiana.
 
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BBNSZN914

BBNSZN914

Heisman
Apr 9, 2024
4,720
12,120
102
Black Sheep ITVI said:
Being genuinely honest, I cannot understand how ANYONE wouldn’t be excited about next season either way. Either Pope proves his greatest detractors wrong in an epic display or we move directions in a major way. I’m okay with whatever happens, but I’d prefer the first.
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True blue post, I agree!
 
U

UKCowboys

All-American
Oct 14, 2019
4,096
7,267
113
DudahUK said:
So you know something everyone else in basketball doesn’t? Why are we ranked outside the preseason top freaking 40 if we are so good? Pope is just fooling everybody? Lmao. I can’t wait to see the once the season starts and the losses continue to pile up. What will the excuse be? After 3 years, he still needs more time?

Honestly doubt I’ll watch much. My heart can’t take multiple *** beatings we will likely receive from half the teams on our schedule.
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Dude, if you just want to cry and complain then you'll find any reason or excuse. It's pretty weak
 
DudahUK

DudahUK

Heisman
Jul 23, 2020
7,072
11,245
113
UKCowboys said:
Dude, if you just want to cry and complain then you'll find any reason or excuse. It's pretty weak
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Sorry I live in real life and not fantasy land like you and apparently Pope. Who is crying? We are just telling the truth. Sounds like you are the weak one who can’t deal with it. Go ahead and tell us how a team nobody has in the top 25 is going to do something magical. I’ll go back to smoking weed. Listening to you and that is killing the same amount of brain cells.
 
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U

UKCowboys

All-American
Oct 14, 2019
4,096
7,267
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DudahUK said:
Sorry I live in real life and not fantasy land like you and apparently Pope. Who is crying? We are just telling the truth. Sounds like you are the weak one who can’t deal with it. Go ahead and tell us how a team nobody has in the top 25 is going to do something magical. I’ll go back to smoking weed. Listening to you and that is killing the same amount of brain cells.
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You aren't telling the truth, you are giving an opinion. Its not a fantasy to think we could be good
 
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