Moreno is as good as gone...giving Pope a "built in excuse" for next season's failure...
- Thread starter WildcatWally-77
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I get your sentiment but how in the world could it be an excuse? Like would they say we didn't expect Moreno to leave? If he leaves and isn't a part of the team how could he be an excuse for next season?
Again I get it from the point of pumpers but like what would be the excuse?
When we signed the center from Washington that should have told everyone Pope knew Moreno was leaving. The Washington center is our starting center. Oh yes and did I hear he has an injury history therefore getting to play a 7th season? that will be the excuse when he doesn't play this year and files for another waiver for year 8.
We might as well play small ball next year and shoot 100 threes a game like Pope claims he wanted.
Again I get it from the point of pumpers but like what would be the excuse?
When we signed the center from Washington that should have told everyone Pope knew Moreno was leaving. The Washington center is our starting center. Oh yes and did I hear he has an injury history therefore getting to play a 7th season? that will be the excuse when he doesn't play this year and files for another waiver for year 8.
We might as well play small ball next year and shoot 100 threes a game like Pope claims he wanted.
Who cares? No individual poster decides the fate of the coach either way. There’s like two people left who still believe fully in Pope. Just let them be. Personally, I’m absolutely miserable having no hope about the future with the coach. Why would I want others to be miserable like me? Too many of us care what someone else thinks about this topic. Again, doesn’t matter.
I'm not disagreeing or saying it won't happen. I'm just asking what the hell will they be able to say? I can see it being some kind of excuse but like how if he's not part of the team? Will Pope say it's because Moreno went pro and I didn't have a backup? I'm just trying to see how it will be worded. I can definitely see it happening tho however they try to twist the failure if that's what happens.
Let's just win so no excuses are needed.
The “fans” will say Moreno “quit” on pope. Just like JQ did. Just like Lowe did. They will blame Moreno “pretending” he was coming back as an excuse as to why pope couldn’t get a starter. These “fans” will absolutely destroy Malachi. It won’t be popes fault. Nothing is with them.
I’m not going to sit around and worry about some 19 year old basketball player deciding if he wants to be here next season. It’s not like he set the world on fire last season. I lost track of the number of times he didn’t block out or had the ball ripped away from him. Whether he stays or leaves, if he doesn’t get a thousand times stronger, he’s not going to be anything more than a role player.
I disagree with this sentiment. Moreno would be an All-SEC player if he returns. This kid grew up fast and even looks thinner and more mature now at the combine.
He is priority number one for next season.
Aw man that's worse than I was expecting. Surely nobody will say a player that's not even on the team quit on Pope. I get that's not how you were saying it but still. There are some delusional pumpers so I'm sure it'll happen.
Take Moreno off last year's team and see how many games we win. He wasn't a star but he was almost all we had down low. Also it seems like your attitude towards him is like he's doing BBN dirty or something. The kids just trying to get to the next level. I can't get mad at him at all for trying to go pro. I don't take it as disrespect or anything. Not saying you did it just seems like it from reading what you said.
Chalk the LSU game up as a loss for sure. That's 15 losses at the least. Moreno was super solid for a freshman. I'm pretty sure he exceeded everyone's expectations. Jasper was the disappointment.
This is 100% on Pope, he failed in recruiting all year long, he missed out on every major HS and portal player he went after, to have 14 campus visits and go 0-14 is surreal, he finally got the players that no other elite programs were seriously interested in. Duke wouldn‘t have signed any player on our roster, neither would UCONN, UM, etc.
If MM stays in the draft that should be the last nail in the coffin for Mr. Pope. He can kick and stomp around with the injured players and others leaving or turning professional excuses, but that proves he is not the chosen one and will be let go before the season is over.
Excuses aren't going to matter at this point. Either Pope produces this season or he's gone. If the guy could recruit we wouldn't be in a position where Moreno's decision will decide the outcome of the season.
Because people use common sense they are pope huggers. Got it. Idk how you can honestly say injuries weren't a big part of the problem last year and the year before. The problem this coming year is recruiting. No one is happy with it. Pope was always getting a 3rd year. If he underperforms this year ,then he will be gone. So step away from the ledge and support the team , or find a new team to bash.
Who is your team again? Love how you cherry pick extreme posts from a small number of fans and try to say a large group said it. Whatever supports your bs agenda though... pathetic
It will be extremely frustrating to lose three McDonalds All-American centers off your roster in a month and not getting the best basketball out of any of them.
Another TERRIBLE thread started. Wow, it just never ends.
Might want to take a Xanax to relax and keep the blood pressure down. Maybe 1% of the fanbase will use it as an excuse. Is this trolling or drama queen posting?
Might want to take a Xanax to relax and keep the blood pressure down. Maybe 1% of the fanbase will use it as an excuse. Is this trolling or drama queen posting?
What? No one with a brain would compare Quaintance being healthy and refusing to play in February and March, to Moreno deciding whether to stay another year and collecting a bunch of NIL money, or going to the NBA to collect a bunch of NBA money. How did you come up with this ridiculous thread?
I get the frustration that many fans have.
But I agree with others who are saying that no Moreno could not be an excuse.
That is very different than having and unusually large number of injuries occur.
But I agree with others who are saying that no Moreno could not be an excuse.
That is very different than having and unusually large number of injuries occur.
What so many of you naysayers fail to realize is that Moreno going in the first round will be just the recruiting boon Pope has been looking for. He can finally say he developed a five start prospect into a first round pick. May be one of the biggest days in program history when Malachi is selected between pick 27 and 30. Pope will likely leverage this into both a #1 recruiting and transfer portal class next offseason and UK will be preseason #1 going into Pope’s fourth year!
Let’s lay out the actual, factual headwinds Pope dealt with…not the fantasy‑land versions the doomers keep recycling.
1. Injuries weren’t an excuse..they were the literal storyline of Year 2.
2. Nike let a kid string out a recruitment for MONTHS… and he went to Kansas. This would NEVER happen to Duke.
3. Moreno dragging out his draft decision is NOT Pope’s fault.
4. Despite ALL of this, Pope still won 66% of his games.
But the doomer crowd will never admit to the facts. They’d rather pretend Pope is inventing obstacles.
If losing Moreno is an excuse for next years failure then we are beyond doomed!!! I respect coach Pope, his time at UK, and his Chips!!!
With that said Mark is too corny, too nice, can't relate to young players, and is in over his head. God bless him
With that said Mark is too corny, too nice, can't relate to young players, and is in over his head. God bless him
Couldn't agree more and if we lose Moreno, Next season if it isn't already,could exceed 18-20 losses which is unreal to me
These teams must not have watched the last month of the season where his production fell off. Going for big money fast is fools gold, he has to get stronger more aggressive and better defensively before a team puts that much money out there for him. However he does have potential and had a very good freshman year overall. But what he can gain is being a lottery pick next year by coming back and getting better in the things he needs to do. The NBA will be there, I’m not sure what he means by being in a good place though when discussing staying in or coming back?
So, for example, If Daniel Orton had a very below average first year but was a late first round pick after his freshman season, NO ONE would blame him or attack him for leaving Kentucky, right? And that was BEFORE NIL.
With Moreno we "might" have as good as Roster as Tubbys worst at UK. Without maybe worst since 89.
Hell yea baby 66%!! Where the hell is the tequila I'm late to the party. I thought this was a UK forum had no clue this was actually Western Kentucky forum.
And please I really hope you aren't trying to blame Nike for the Stokes recruitment. You're damn right he wouldn't have done that to Duke because Duke wouldn't go for it.
And to any Western Kentucky people I didn't mean that as disrespect. I like them. But they aren't the state university that leads in all time wins.
Don’t question my fandom. My team is Kentucky and if you have a problem with that, go **** your self.
No one that’s serious would use Moreno’s draft decision as an excuse. If he does actually leave(which I still doubt), Pope will buy a top international center.
Kepnang and Potter will be the second and third best centers on the roster, regardless whether Moreno is here or not imo
Kepnang and Potter will be the second and third best centers on the roster, regardless whether Moreno is here or not imo
You are blaming the Stokes situation all on Nike and want others to take you serious?
I sure miss the old RR where you could go and get information. Here, no matter what, any topic seems to turn into a fist fight.
You have those who say recruits only want to play for a coach who can get them to the NBA. If MM goes pro, how does that narrative fit then?
Then you have those who blame Pope for MM staying in the draft saying he didn't want to play for him.
Then you have those who say UK is in for a 20 loss season even with MM playing for UK.
Fans saying MM is not ready for the NBA acting as if they know more about the NBA then the GM's and coaches looking at MM.
We need MM to come back for sure. If he stays in the draft, good luck to him.
Too bad fans can not go into the portal. We have some that could use a new landscape.
You have those who say recruits only want to play for a coach who can get them to the NBA. If MM goes pro, how does that narrative fit then?
Then you have those who blame Pope for MM staying in the draft saying he didn't want to play for him.
Then you have those who say UK is in for a 20 loss season even with MM playing for UK.
Fans saying MM is not ready for the NBA acting as if they know more about the NBA then the GM's and coaches looking at MM.
We need MM to come back for sure. If he stays in the draft, good luck to him.
Too bad fans can not go into the portal. We have some that could use a new landscape.
We needed an additional Center. The other thought is, why would Malachi not already say I've decided to stay in if it's such a sure thing that Pope would know about it.
I am not a doom and gloom type person, but Stokes definitely strung the coach along and 66% winning is definitely not Kentucky standard. It is subpar.
Here is the Excuse. Pope thought Moreno was coming back all along so Pope didn’t prioritize finding a starting big until they were all gone. Now the prospects are down to MAC level players and it leaves us even worse off. The truth is, Pope is the absolute worst recruiter in power conference basketball and he could have had 12 months to find a replacement and we would still be in the same spot.