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Trent Noah says Pope bringing in players that are “good for the locker room”

NoJuice

NoJuice

Sophomore
May 27, 2026
191
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Son_Of_Saul said:
They're cleaning up the ego mess created by Garrison, Mo D and some others?

I never felt like last year's locker room liked each other very much. I'm glad some of those guys are gone.
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I don't like anybody that bones my ol lady lol. Last year was screwed from the beginning...crazy thing is I still believe we had enough talent to make some noise. Just lacked togetherness and a tough coach.
 
NoJuice

NoJuice

Sophomore
May 27, 2026
191
163
43
BlueBomb said:
If that's true, then it's complete happenstance and not a strategy. He whiffed on 20+ recruits (high school and portal), so the team makeup was only dependent on who accepted...or not.

This isn't meant to be another bash on Pope; it's just reality and proof this was no strategy.
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I agree. But we both have to be miserable and hate our life to speak reality.
 
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Johnnie Africa

Johnnie Africa

All-Conference
Feb 27, 2003
935
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Last year was such an unmitigated disaster, especially compared to year one, that I’m open to thinking not only was the makeup terrible (Mo D the starting 4 in a mark pope offense lol JFC) but that there were chemistry issues as well. Really no excuses for this year it’s put up or shut up time. 5 seed and sweet sixteen would be a disaster imo
 
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MdWIldcat55

MdWIldcat55

Heisman
Dec 9, 2007
21,451
86,063
113
BlueBomb said:
If that's true, then it's complete happenstance and not a strategy. He whiffed on 20+ recruits (high school and portal), so the team makeup was only dependent on who accepted...or not.

This isn't meant to be another bash on Pope; it's just reality and proof this was no strategy.
Click to expand...
Did it ever occur to you he whiffed on some of those guys (cough Stokes, cough Freeman cough Wright...) BECAUSE after meeting with them and explaining what it meant to play for Kentucky, what he wanted out of them in the locker room, what their role would be and how they were going to have to sublimate their egos they chose to go elsewhere? Or Pope stopped recruiting them as hard?

There are lots of guys who look great on paper, or watching a highlight reel. Are they also guys who think about doing whatever it takes to win basketball games, rather than making themselves look good?
 
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BBNinSCar

BBNinSCar

All-Conference
Apr 23, 2013
1,520
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MdWIldcat55 said:
Did it ever occur to you he whiffed on some of those guys (cough Stokes, cough Freeman cough Wright...) BECAUSE after meeting with them and explaining what it meant to play for Kentucky, what he wanted out of them in the locker room, what their role would be and how they were going to have to sublimate their egos they chose to go elsewhere?
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This is probably close to what happened. You won’t make a point with some here because they have an anti-Pope answer for everything.
 
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BlueBomb

BlueBomb

Heisman
Apr 3, 2009
10,782
19,807
103
MdWIldcat55 said:
Did it ever occur to you he whiffed on some of those guys (cough Stokes, cough Freeman cough Wright...) BECAUSE after meeting with them and explaining what it meant to play for Kentucky, what he wanted out of them in the locker room, what their role would be and how they were going to have to sublimate their egos they chose to go elsewhere? Or Pope stopped recruiting them as hard?

There are lots of guys who look great on paper, or watching a highlight reel. Are they also guys who think about doing whatever it takes to win basketball games, rather than making themselves look good?
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I couldn't agree more with your last statement.

However, I don't believe the first part. I think Pope would've taken any top player he could get. His job is on the line, and he needs talent. Maybe I'm wrong. Just a hunch.
 
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Seth_C

Seth_C

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Mar 12, 2017
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BlueBomb said:
If that's true, then it's complete happenstance and not a strategy. He whiffed on 20+ recruits (high school and portal), so the team makeup was only dependent on who accepted...or not.

This isn't meant to be another bash on Pope; it's just reality and proof this was no strategy.
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It's not proof, because unfortunately you presented no proof, because you don't understand logic.

Let's say he whiffed on 30 players, no, let's say 50! But he believed all 50 would be good for the locker room. Oh look, your "proof" disappeared.

These are two completely separate arguments. If he refused to recruit players who might be a risk to the locker room, it doesn't matter if he got his first, third, or fifteenth choice.
 
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Catlogic1552

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I hope it’s true, but I’m not sure at this point Noah would know the other guys well enough to judge to make that statement.
 
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BlueBomb

BlueBomb

Heisman
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Seth_C said:
It's not proof, because unfortunately you presented no proof, because you don't understand logic.

Let's say he whiffed on 30 players, no, let's say 50! But he believed all 50 would be good for the locker room. Oh look, your "proof" disappeared. ********, some of you are stupid.
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If you really believe that 30 or 50 players could ALL possibly be bad for the locker room, then I don't know what to tell you.

Also, there are more mature ways to get your point across than calling people "stupid." Not trying to argue. I'm not that guy.
 
L

Lameguy

Sophomore
Mar 20, 2026
114
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Son_Of_Saul said:
They're cleaning up the ego mess created by Garrison, Mo D and some others?

I never felt like last year's locker room liked each other very much. I'm glad some of those guys are gone.
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It sure looked like last years team was a collection of me first players. I would say all
Of the following: DA, OO, Mo D, BG, JJ, and JQ were all right there. You have to go back to Tubbys team turmoil to find a group that dysfunctional.
 
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CB3UK

CB3UK

Hall of Famer
Apr 15, 2012
64,104
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This is something I'm hanging my hat on trying to sell myself on this year going better than things appear on paper. Last year had locker room issues, noatter what they tell the fans and media. We all know it. They should have been better than they were. So yeah, IT IS possible that things pan out this year. I still have to see it to believe it.
 
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MdWIldcat55

MdWIldcat55

Heisman
Dec 9, 2007
21,451
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BlueBomb said:
However, I don't believe the first part. I think Pope would've taken any top player he could get. His job is on the line, and he needs talent. Maybe I'm wrong. Just a hunch.
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I had a different hunch, and I guess neither of us will ever know for sure, but I stated my hunch back in April, and at least in its outline it came true:

My hunch is that Pope knew his personality and Stoke's would never mesh, and that having him on Kentucky's team as the Big Dog was likely going to be a disastrous clash of wills. While he couldn't just say no thanks to the guy, he wasn't all in emotionally with that recruitment.

I think Pope had his eye on Momcilovic all along, knowing there was a risk the guy would stay in the NBA draft, but not much of one. After all, he's being paid at a level he'd never have attained late in the first round. With the money saved on Stokes, AND with Kentucky's cachet, a wide open slot as Top Dog and his 3-oriented offense, I think Pope knew he had the best shot at Momcilovic if he stayed in college, which was likely.

My hunch makes more sense if you are Pope and know this is a make or break year: Do you want that resting on the shoulders of an egomanic narcissist like Stokes or a guy like Milan? No question in my mind.
 
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BlueBomb

BlueBomb

Heisman
Apr 3, 2009
10,782
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MdWIldcat55 said:
I had a different hunch, and I guess neither of us will ever know for sure, but I stated my hunch back in April, and at least in its outline it came true:

My hunch is that Pope knew his personality and Stoke's would never mesh, and that having him on Kentucky's team as the Big Dog was likely going to be a disastrous clash of wills. While he couldn't just say no thanks to the guy, he wasn't all in emotionally with that recruitment.

I think Pope had his eye on Momcilovic all along, knowing there was a risk the guy would stay in the NBA draft, but not much of one. After all, he's being paid at a level he'd never have attained late in the first round. With the money saved on Stokes, AND with Kentucky's cachet, a wide open slot as Top Dog and his 3-oriented offense, I think Pope knew he had the best shot at Momcilovic if he stayed in college, which was likely.

My hunch makes more sense if you are Pope and know this is a make or break year: Do you want that resting on the shoulders of an egomanic narcissist like Stokes or a guy like Milan? No question in my mind.
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That might be true about Stokes. But the other 29? :)
 
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Anon815310

Redshirt
Jun 4, 2026
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MdWIldcat55 said:
I had a different hunch, and I guess neither of us will ever know for sure, but I stated my hunch back in April, and at least in its outline it came true:

My hunch is that Pope knew his personality and Stoke's would never mesh, and that having him on Kentucky's team as the Big Dog was likely going to be a disastrous clash of wills. While he couldn't just say no thanks to the guy, he wasn't all in emotionally with that recruitment.

I think Pope had his eye on Momcilovic all along, knowing there was a risk the guy would stay in the NBA draft, but not much of one. After all, he's being paid at a level he'd never have attained late in the first round. With the money saved on Stokes, AND with Kentucky's cachet, a wide open slot as Top Dog and his 3-oriented offense, I think Pope knew he had the best shot at Momcilovic if he stayed in college, which was likely.

My hunch makes more sense if you are Pope and know this is a make or break year: Do you want that resting on the shoulders of an egomanic narcissist like Stokes or a guy like Milan? No question in my mind.
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Pope plays 4D chess when other coaches are playing checkers. Didn't want Stokes anyway and now neither did the fans. You people are the best revisionist historians around
 
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*Fox2Monk*

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
46,301
84,534
113
CB3UK said:
This is something I'm hanging my hat on trying to sell myself on this year going better than things appear on paper. Last year had locker room issues, noatter what they tell the fans and media. We all know it. They should have been better than they were. So yeah, IT IS possible that things pan out this year. I still have to see it to believe it.
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It was easy to see, I think that it improved over the year but obviously early on they hated each other. It was easy to watch and see. I think that’s why they got blown out so much too. No trust and fight for one another.
 
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gtown965

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Feb 12, 2026
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Anon815310 said:
Pope plays 4D chess when other coaches are playing checkers. Didn't want Stokes anyway and now neither did the fans. You people are the best revisionist historians around
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Hey NoJuice, thought you had just gotten off a 13 hour shift, smoked a blunt amd hitting the sack? 😂
 
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Skyguyb27

All-American
Feb 12, 2008
4,793
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BBNinSCar said:
This is probably close to what happened. You won’t make a point with some here because they have an anti-Pope answer for everything.
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Eh, I would’ve like to see Pope leave after last year but I’m also a realist. I sure there have been zoom calls and either side hung up saying hell no. For all the things Pope does I don’t like there’s some things he does that I do like.
 
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MidseasonTweak

MidseasonTweak

Heisman
Mar 1, 2020
10,238
17,504
113
BlueBomb said:
If you really believe that 30 or 50 players could ALL possibly be bad for the locker room, then I don't know what to tell you.

Also, there are more mature ways to get your point across than calling people "stupid." Not trying to argue. I'm not that guy.
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That guy is a clown. Pay no attention
 
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ZaytovenCat

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
24,108
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MdWIldcat55 said:
Did it ever occur to you he whiffed on some of those guys (cough Stokes, cough Freeman cough Wright...) BECAUSE after meeting with them and explaining what it meant to play for Kentucky, what he wanted out of them in the locker room, what their role would be and how they were going to have to sublimate their egos they chose to go elsewhere? Or Pope stopped recruiting them as hard?

There are lots of guys who look great on paper, or watching a highlight reel. Are they also guys who think about doing whatever it takes to win basketball games, rather than making themselves look good?
Click to expand...
They definitely chose to go elsewhere but it wasn’t because pope quit recruiting them as hard. That’s just dumb. He would have given his arm for Stokes and he tried as hard as he could for Wright too.
 
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CB3UK

CB3UK

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Apr 15, 2012
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*Fox2Monk* said:
It was easy to see, I think that it improved over the year but obviously early on they hated each other. It was easy to watch and see. I think that’s why they got blown out so much too. No trust and fight for one another.
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Absolutely. No one is going to convince that team didn't flat out quit v Gonzaga. Period. It was complete bullsh*t.

And if Pope isn't the kind of guy who can navigate that sh*t properly and get them to get over whatever bullsh*t reasons they don't like each other, then he has to go, because that is absolutely part of being a successful coach.

You can be a mediocre coach and have that sh*t. Cal at least, for all his other faults, knew how to handle egos of elite players. Pope's over here struggling to manage the attitudes of guys who finished 9th in the SEC. I'd tell them "look you motherf*ckers, you're not even good enough to have a bad attitude about sh*t yet."
 
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bleedsblue5

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Jul 1, 2025
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I mean there had to be something to all the rumors last year there were just 2 many to be ignored.

I hope that issue and the injuries is what has made Pope average at best so far, but judging by our defense and lack of intensity I seriously doubt it.
Most likely it shows how Pope just struggles to control a locker room.

I think we are done with excuses for Pope, it is time to win.
 
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BBNinSCar

BBNinSCar

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Apr 23, 2013
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ZaytovenCat said:
They definitely chose to go elsewhere but it wasn’t because pope quit recruiting them as hard. That’s just dumb. He would have given his arm for Stokes and he tried as hard as he could for Wright too.
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I am glad Stokes is not part of our program.
Calipari was exceptional at keeping the problem players out of Kentucky while he was here- although not many will admit it. We had almost zero player issues with his recruits and he was getting the best players in the country.
I hope Pope can do the same.
 
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Anon815310

Redshirt
Jun 4, 2026
14
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ZaytovenCat said:
They definitely chose to go elsewhere but it wasn’t because pope quit recruiting them as hard. That’s just dumb. He would have given his arm for Stokes and he tried as hard as he could for Wright too.
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brian regan what GIF
 
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