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This makes me sick...

BookofMormon

BookofMormon

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
893
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What a recruiting advantage. No one else out there could pull this off other than UK. Could you imagine telling a kid coming in you'll get floor time with with Tatum, Kyrie, Banchero, Flagg. This is something a UConn can't pull off. I think i saw them bring back a couple guys, but nothing of this caliber.

This is what you lose by moving off Cal. La Familia could keep up, and keep churning out the top recruits.

Sometimes you don't know what you got till it's gone. There was a lot more you were losing by pushing Cal out than just wins/losses. He built an entire empirse of UK alum that now move their allegiance to Cal, not UK. It's a bit sad.

Parts of me felt we should have rode or died with Cal.
 
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sk73

All-Conference
Feb 16, 2013
3,238
3,314
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JPFisher said:
Are we just ignoring John Wall coming to BBM last year and WCS and KAT talking to the team at practices? What are we doing here, Y'all?

Besides, 90+% of the guys Cal brought in were here to get to the NBA. UK was a pit stop to their careers and a nonzero number of them couldn't have given less of a f--- about UK if they tried. If anything, blame Cal for bringing in talent for talent's sake.

You don't get a Shaedon Sharpe situation when you bring in characters that give af.
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We have like 11 or 12 new guys this year. In most cases, overpaid to be here. Most, if not all of them will be gone after this season. Praise be that this is now Not a Pit Stop.
 
BigBlue1992

BigBlue1992

All-Conference
Apr 17, 2011
2,026
3,762
81
NineIsOnTheWay said:
Duke did it better than us. That part is clear to see. They have a brand. We don't. Even when we had the NBA it was never the UK brand. It was the Cal brand.
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It became the Cal brand the last few years but I really believe in his prime years he bled blue. You’re always gonna have to deal with an ego with the top guys. That’s part of it and is fine as long as they’re winning big. When Cal was on his run, it was Duke that was chasing us.

I know people are tired of hearing me say this but it cannot be stated enough the damage Mitch Barnhart has done to UK athletics is criminal.

I’m getting off topic but that’s why I keep saying it’s critical that the next basketball coach will be a 100% success. We don’t need an “up and comer.” We need a “been there, done that and will continue.”
 
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BookofMormon

BookofMormon

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
893
1,171
93
BigBlue1992 said:
It became the Cal brand the last few years but I really believe in his prime years he bled blue. You’re always gonna have to deal with an ego with the top guys. That’s part of it and is fine as long as they’re winning big. When Cal was on his run, it was Duke that was chasing us.

I know people are tired of hearing me say this but it cannot be stated enough the damage Mitch Barnhart has done to UK athletics is criminal.

I’m getting off topic but that’s why I keep saying it’s critical that the next basketball coach will be a 100% success. We don’t need an “up and comer.” We need a “been there, done that and will continue.”
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The ask there will be a difficult one to allure - not sure established coaches with NIL that are already winning will find much advantage coming to UK, while getting a lot more BS pressure, unless the money is that much better.

The established coach list that could use an upgrade possibles are at:

Texas Tech?
Bama?
Iowa?
Iowa St?
Miami?
Florida?
 
N

NineIsOnTheWay

Senior
Aug 12, 2026
364
636
93
BookofMormon said:
The ask there will be a difficult one to allure - not sure established coaches with NIL that are already winning will find much advantage coming to UK, while getting a lot more BS pressure, unless the money is that much better.

The established coach list that could use an upgrade possibles are at:

Texas Tech?
Bama?
Iowa?
Iowa St?
Miami?
Florida?
Click to expand...
Jai Lucas would kill here like many others have stated
 
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BigBlue1992

BigBlue1992

All-Conference
Apr 17, 2011
2,026
3,762
81
BookofMormon said:
The ask there will be a difficult one to allure - not sure established coaches with NIL that are already winning will find much advantage coming to UK, while getting a lot more BS pressure, unless the money is that much better.

The established coach list that could use an upgrade possibles are at:

Texas Tech?
Bama?
Iowa?
Iowa St?
Miami?
Florida?
Click to expand...
That may be true and if it is.. well then.. we might be in trouble.

But that’s just what we don’t quite know. Did Barnhart call anybody else other than Scott Drew and Danny Hurley (not even sure if Hurley was fully offered the job-seen multiple things reported on him)? We don’t know til we ask. We do know Bruce Pearl was willing to drop all things at Auburn to come here. We need somebody like him. Even if it’s for a 5-7 year span. We need somebody to get us back immediately then when tenures about up, you have a nearly guaranteed coach lined up. Kind of like Duke did.
 
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K

KYFOSSIL

Heisman
Jan 13, 2005
8,515
11,793
62
Son_Of_Saul said:
Cal should have finished here. We could have endured Sweet Sixteen finishes for 5 to 7 more years with maybe one or two legit shots at a Final Four. It would have been worth it.
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It's up there the top three most stupid **** you've said and that's saying a lot. In the 1st place, Calipari wasn't sniffing sweet 16 his last four or five years here, and he still under achieving with the talent he brings in.
 
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K

KYFOSSIL

Heisman
Jan 13, 2005
8,515
11,793
62
Son_Of_Saul said:
Downside to keeping Cal:
1. He lost his fast ball. Those early exits were horrific.
2. He has only partially adapted to the NIL era. He still downplays older transfers. He takes them, but not nearly at the rate needed to win in the modern era.

Upside to keep Cal:
1. Elite freshmen recruits.
2. NBA alumni players would still be favorable to UK.
3. More exciting players.
4. Cal as an ambassador for UK after he retires.

I'm still not sure if there is even one upside to having Pope here. Maybe the X and O factor, but is it significant enough to negate Cal's strengths? I don't think so.
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Well, he did better his first two years here than Cal did his last four or five. Cal had pretty much alienated the entire fan base. Yeah the number three pick in Sheperd and a great player in Rob not to mention big O and what did he accomplish with them.
 
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U

UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,315
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113
KYFOSSIL said:
It's up there the top three most stupid **** you've said and that's saying a lot. In the 1st place, Calipari wasn't sniffing sweet 16 his last four or five years here, and he still under achieving with the talent he brings in.
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Just not the case. 2 of Cal’s last teams were a 2 seed and a 3 seed.

Those were very good seasons that ended in upsets.

Two things can be true. It was time for Cal to go and Pope was the wrong hire.
 
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K

KYFOSSIL

Heisman
Jan 13, 2005
8,515
11,793
62
UKBB4Ever said:
Just not the case. 2 of Cal’s last teams were a 2 seed and a 3 seed.

Those were very good seasons that ended in upsets.

Two things can be true. It was time for Cal to go and Pope was the wrong hire.
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I don't disagree about Pope. This whole discussion is about the thought of that we should've kept Cal. I don't care what said they were if they lose the teams that absolutely shouldn't have been within 10 points of them
 
S

SenseMaker_Cats

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
2,264
6,641
113
ToniTonyToneDelkDelkDelk said:
For some reason many on this board think he’s not qualified.
I can’t put my finger on it though. What could be the reason? 🤔
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Maybe his ONE whole year of head coaching experience? We just hired a guy that wasn’t qualified. Why rush to do it again.

You’re probably right though anyone not completely sold on JL after one decent year is probably just a racist. 🙄
 
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JPFisher

JPFisher

Heisman
Jul 24, 2013
6,885
13,432
113
sk73 said:
We have like 11 or 12 new guys this year. In most cases, overpaid to be here. Most, if not all of them will be gone after this season. Praise be that this is now Not a Pit Stop.
Click to expand...
You wanted us to keep the guys we had last year? Garrison? Chandler and his non-existent defense? Aberdeen? Lowe? Dioubate?

If you hate the team, just say that. Damn.
 
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UK4Life#9

UK4Life#9

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Jul 3, 2025
800
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I love these type of threads. I get to put the miserable UL trolls on ignore. They usually show you exactly who they are in these. 😆
 
ToniTonyToneDelkDelkDelk

ToniTonyToneDelkDelkDelk

All-Conference
Feb 20, 2007
2,469
2,368
113
SenseMaker_Cats said:
Maybe his ONE whole year of head coaching experience? We just hired a guy that wasn’t qualified. Why rush to do it again.

You’re probably right though anyone not completely sold on JL after one decent year is probably just a racist. 🙄
Click to expand...
One year that’s decent out of one year.

Vs

Many Meh Years. And no decent years.

Oh…. This is a tough one.
 
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R

rivercatinfl

All-Conference
Nov 21, 2012
2,252
2,272
97
BigBlue1992 said:
It became the Cal brand the last few years but I really believe in his prime years he bled blue. You’re always gonna have to deal with an ego with the top guys. That’s part of it and is fine as long as they’re winning big. When Cal was on his run, it was Duke that was chasing us.

I know people are tired of hearing me say this but it cannot be stated enough the damage Mitch Barnhart has done to UK athletics is criminal.

I’m getting off topic but that’s why I keep saying it’s critical that the next basketball coach will be a 100% success. We don’t need an “up and comer.” We need a “been there, done that and will continue.”
Click to expand...
Good post. Who would you pick?
 
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sk73

All-Conference
Feb 16, 2013
3,238
3,314
113
JPFisher said:
You wanted us to keep the guys we had last year? Garrison? Chandler and his non-existent defense? Aberdeen? Lowe? Dioubate?

If you hate the team, just say that. Damn.
Click to expand...
I was responding to a poster that said Cal only brought in players that were using UK as a pit stop. I am guessing that I actually gave my response to the wrong topic.
If I hated the team, I would not be spending time on this board.
 
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Wildcatmenace

Wildcatmenace

Senior
Oct 29, 2025
568
880
93
Son_Of_Saul said:
Downside to keeping Cal:
1. He lost his fast ball. Those early exits were horrific.
2. He has only partially adapted to the NIL era. He still downplays older transfers. He takes them, but not nearly at the rate needed to win in the modern era.

Upside to keep Cal:
1. Elite freshmen recruits.
2. NBA alumni players would still be favorable to UK.
3. More exciting players.
4. Cal as an ambassador for UK after he retires.

I'm still not sure if there is even one upside to having Pope here. Maybe the X and O factor, but is it significant enough to negate Cal's strengths? I don't think so.
Click to expand...
Cal had to go but MP is not cut out for it. I’m rooting hard for him but I think he’s gone after this year.
 
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B

bnewt5

Senior
Feb 17, 2026
599
723
93
UKBB4Ever said:
Pope’s first team here quit just as often as his second team.

As for the pay, it’s correct that no one knows to the decimal point. But pretty much everyone knows ballpark. And no one is outbidding UK.also doso
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I do not understand how nil works or how revenue sharing works. This aside I also do not think UK can win bidding wars with the top teams if it based solely on supporters. Maybe I am wrong uk just doesn't have that kind of $
 
U

UKBB4Ever

All-Conference
Jul 3, 2025
2,315
4,013
113
bnewt5 said:
I do not understand how nil works or how revenue sharing works. This aside I also do not think UK can win bidding wars with the top teams if it based solely on supporters. Maybe I am wrong uk just doesn't have that kind of $
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They do. Pope has an unlimited amount of money to spend. UK will not be outbid. And UK has not been outbid. Players take less to play elsewhere.
 
BookofMormon

BookofMormon

All-Conference
Mar 27, 2026
893
1,171
93
Global Havok said:
Dukes guys were all around when Scheyer was also there, no? Most of our alumni in the league don't really have ties to Pope.

There are a lot of legitimate complaints to make about Pope, but I don't think this is one.
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K committed to the OAD around 2010, it's documented. Since then, Duke has picked up some really high end name brand players. Their hype train previously was probably guys like Boozer, Brand, Battier, Grant Hill. None of these guys were household names or stars.

Now they have Kyrie (he has an iconic profile), Tatum, Zion, Flagg, Banchero. Kyrie is hysterical because he only played 11 games at Duke. Zion Williamson may end up being the most marketable college player in this century. They've also really marketed around the Brotherhood and created an aura around it.
 
Dr.LutherSan

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
4,542
9,152
113
ToniTonyToneDelkDelkDelk said:
No... that's a cop out. He's a Kentucky Player. He's now the head coach. You galvanize the fanbase and alumni. It's that simple. Cal was able to do it by reaching back (had Wayne on staff. Tayshaun and Rondo would show up among others).
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Cal had Delk and Padgett on staff his first season. Years later he brought on Marquis Estill as a GA.
 
M

mhs1964

Senior
Feb 8, 2018
517
611
88
BigBlue1992 said:
It became the Cal brand the last few years but I really believe in his prime years he bled blue. You’re always gonna have to deal with an ego with the top guys. That’s part of it and is fine as long as they’re winning big. When Cal was on his run, it was Duke that was chasing us.

I know people are tired of hearing me say this but it cannot be stated enough the damage Mitch Barnhart has done to UK athletics is criminal.

I’m getting off topic but that’s why I keep saying it’s critical that the next basketball coach will be a 100% success. We don’t need an “up and comer.” We need a “been there, done that and will continue.”
Click to expand...
I’m not optomistic that our next coach will be a “been there, done that and will continue that” type. Why would a coach with that description want to step into this pressure cooker and please don’t say our reputation. These coaches will already have crazy contracts, probably more money for players and less pressure. In response to the report this week that UK was near the bottom of the SEC in spending for football KSR indicated that they believe that J. Batt would close that gap as if he finds some more monies the other teams remain static. Also the hot name in the moment may be a flash in the pan as some thread on here describes Drew. It is a new era that is not friendly for UK.
 
yoshukai

yoshukai

Heisman
Dec 21, 2002
30,254
43,120
102
UKBB4Ever said:
But you do get Nowehs that just walk out of bounds with the ball and he and the coach shrug it off.

Duke guys are just on a pit stop to the NBA too.

So why spend that year at UK? We even pay better.

What’s the obvious difference?
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We DO NOT pay better than Duke . That’s a ridiculous statement.
 
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yoshukai

yoshukai

Heisman
Dec 21, 2002
30,254
43,120
102
Son_Of_Saul said:
Cal should have finished here. We could have endured Sweet Sixteen finishes for 5 to 7 more years with maybe one or two legit shots at a Final Four. It would have been worth it.
Click to expand...
Im not “sure” if you’re an idiot but……..that was an idiotic statement.

You’re the guy whose wife hadn’t had sex with him for 5 years…she leaves him and now he’s pinning for her to come back because the sex was so great when she was young,lol .
 
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S

SenseMaker_Cats

All-American
Jul 3, 2025
2,264
6,641
113
mhs1964 said:
I’m not optomistic that our next coach will be a “been there, done that and will continue that” type. Why would a coach with that description want to step into this pressure cooker and please don’t say our reputation. These coaches will already have crazy contracts, probably more money for players and less pressure. In response to the report this week that UK was near the bottom of the SEC in spending for football KSR indicated that they believe that J. Batt would close that gap as if he finds some more monies the other teams remain static. Also the hot name in the moment may be a flash in the pan as some thread on here describes Drew. It is a new era that is not friendly for UK.
Click to expand...
I’m the opposite. I’m very optimistic. If things go south,the next coach won’t be replacing Calipari. Again, just saying if things go south, there will be nowhere to go but up.

I realize many have just given up but there are still coaches that would crawl across a shattered glass covered gravel road to get here.

Also the circumstances will be far different. At the end of February 2024 or heck even into March, UK/Barnhart had no idea they’d be hiring a new coach.
 
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