BB: 2026 schedule - your take ?

[Runt#1969]

I keep looking at our schedule :

1. Defend Rupp Arena, lose to *NOBODY* at home this year!!!!

We're hosting 4 teams with a higher preseason ranking than us. Frankly, looking at losing to the Vols or the Dirty Birds at home is disgusting! Just say NO! Should piss people off if we drop either of those two.... I've had enough of Alabama as well. Screw them, screw losing to them especially at Rupp Arena. And losing at home to CCC and Arkansas? Oh, the horror....Losing to Tennessee ? They low down, they dirty, they some snitches!! ( as we all know by now) Get your panties outta' yer' crack! Pope has proven he can beat a good Barnes team. Let's make it official, proving that he OWNS the Vols this year! Force Barnes to withdraw his name from every list imaginable so he can finally retire.

Sweep these punk teams. I'm serious. We have had enough. NONE of those games are options to lose at home, even if they are ranked ahead right now. And that goes double for everyone else we play inside Rupp Arena, too. God, I hope Pope and the guys are seriously ready to kick some *** on these teams. BBN has been waiting too long. I'm mad, fired up, to win at home every single game this season.



2. @Virginia, @Florida, @Tennessee, @Texas, @Vandy ( ugh, miserable gym) ... those look to be the toughest road games and possible losses this year. I'm bullish, but also realistic, and say we come out of those with only 3 losses. I can live with that. Spread the losses out if it goes down that way, and if any of them do manage to beat us (8vs.5 as usual) it's by the smallest of margins. WE FIGHT!

3. Bellweather game : Kansas. Beat them and get the momentum for the season going early. Follow thru beating Indiana (a must win, always) and *if* Virginia beats us, they've circled that one ... we should too... then we need to come back and whip *** on lil' brother and the Cheats. There's no reason why we should lose to Kansas, Indiana, Louisville or UNC*** this year. NONE. WE ARE BETTER THAN THEY ARE. Make it happen, coach.

4. Just take care of business against the teams we should beat. It's very difficult to do over the course of a season, after watching 50+ years, I have seen it. We need to be laser focused. Losing one or even two, as difficult as the schedule is, can be understood.

5. This is not a ten loss team. Not against that schedule. Not with this roster.

I'll be bullish and say UK ties Florida for the regular season title in the SEC. At worst, finishes second.

6. While we are at it, just win the damn SEC tournament this year. Make a statement even if we do finish second or worse. BBN deserves that considering how poorly we have fared at the SEC tournament lately. It's been too damn long coming for that as well.

7. We should prove we're a good team this year and net, at worst a 2 seed. Title contenders. Seriously. I know that's not what the majority would think, and without landing Mitchell, it won't happen. But it's doable. Looking at the opponents, schedules, and rosters, we are right there at the top in the SEC, and top ten in the country, 15 at worst in the preseason, and they don't have us that highly regarded right now. Maybe not even with Mitchell.

Screw them all. Haters gonna' hate. Get some angry mad and upset attitude (players and coaches!) about losing around here. Don't do it. Just don't. Look at the players and coaches that have come before you. Play with pride, confidence, outhustle and play harder in every game against every team, and go ahead, play with a chip on your shoulders. Deliver for the Big Blue Nation this season!

Go out there and play to your best ability and this team can go very far with that schedule.

Go Big Blue !
That is all

 

[Anon1751335390]

I feel bad for Florida and all their players who decided to return. They will lose on Senior Night while ranked as the #1 team.

 

[UKCowboys]

24-8

 

[UKgrad22]

 

[ComebackCats98]

I didn’t see this posted anywhere. Texas Tech coming to Rupp for an exhibition game. KSR also saying another Big 12 team will be announced at some point.

Kentucky will face Texas Tech in a preseason exhibition

KSR's Matt Jones reported Friday afternoon that Kentucky will take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in a preseason battle.

www.on3.com

 

[UKWildcats1987]

If we get Mitchell they should do well. Hard to screw up with that much talent.

 

[Runt#1969]

In all seriousness, anywhere from 6 - 8 losses I can deem as realistic and probably expected, considering the difficulty of the teams we are playing.

5 losses or less is expecting too much. The staff and players need to see that as a challenge to reach, not 6 - 8 losses as a baseline for everything being OK. Reaching for a 5 loss or less season this year, and we're solidly a #1 seed. They should have that as a goal heading into the NCAAT.

As mentioned, @VA. @ UF @ Texas @ UT and @Vandy look to be the toughest away games. Most probable losses to have to suffer thru.

The home game slate : Louisville, Vols, Bama', Ark. Vandy - we should win those, we need to. We have to.

Overall impression : The schedule, while difficult, is favorable. We absolutely need to win ALL of our games at home this year. Get to the second weekend of the NCAAT. Then let the chips fall where they may.

Florida, Texas, UT, UK - if you look at those schedules, they have pretty favorable schedules too. The top 7 teams (adding Bama, Ark, Vandy) may very well be in the top 20 all season long. Arkansas appears to me to have the most difficult SEC scedule of all these teams.

The SEC regular season champ this season may end up with only 4 or 5 in conference losses and end up as a #1 seed. It should. The SEC may be as good at the top as it was 2 years ago and end up with 2 #1 seeds. I think the conference will end up with a 1 seed, a 2 seed (possibly 2), if not 2 #2 seeds, then at least 1 #2 seed & 2 #3 seeds. 4 SEC teams within the top 12 by the end of the season looks very possible. That places 4 SEC teams within the top 3 seeds nationally. We should be one of them.

We really should have much better results this year. I can't accept a ten loss season looking at our schedule. Pope needs to, at the very least, lose less than 10 game & get back to a sweet sixteen, anything less, it's time to move on.

Yet, if Coach Pope gets there to lose once again, it will mean ... another contract extension?? That's lowering the bar for his first three seasons with no real expectation that he will do any better in a 4th season. That's falling short. We cannot accept that here.

Adding Mitchell places us at making the elite eight level, there really should be no excuses for anything less.

Let's go out there and do it.

Go Big Blue !

 

[UKBB4Ever]

Pope will win 63% of the games. Even worse in the SEC where he’s 20-16.

 

[chroix]

That’s as good of a schedule as you could ask for. No excuses.

 

[Dr.LutherSan]

I'd feel a lot better if we got Mitchell. Our biggest weakness is that 4 spot and a backup center.

 

[true-blue1]

Non conference 11-3. Conference play 11-7. Overall 22-10

 

[BBNinSCar]

In all seriousness, anywhere from 6 - 8 losses I can deem as realistic and probably expected, considering the difficulty of the teams we are playing.

5 losses or less is expecting too much. The staff and players need to see that as a challenge to reach, not 6 - 8 losses as a baseline for everything being OK. Reaching for a 5 loss or less season this year, and we're solidly a #1 seed. They should have that as a goal heading into the NCAAT.

As mentioned, @VA. @ UF @ Texas @ UT and @Vandy look to be the toughest away games. Most probable losses to have to suffer thru.

The home game slate : Louisville, Vols, Bama', Ark. Vandy - we should win those, we need to. We have to.

Overall impression : The schedule, while difficult, is favorable. We absolutely need to win ALL of our games at home this year. Get to the second weekend of the NCAAT. Then let the chips fall where they may.

Florida, Texas, UT, UK - if you look at those schedules, they have pretty favorable schedules too. The top 7 teams (adding Bama, Ark, Vandy) may very well be in the top 20 all season long. Arkansas appears to me to have the most difficult SEC scedule of all these teams.

The SEC regular season champ this season may end up with only 4 or 5 in conference losses and end up as a #1 seed. It should. The SEC may be as good at the top as it was 2 years ago and end up with 2 #1 seeds. I think the conference will end up with a 1 seed, a 2 seed (possibly 2), if not 2 #2 seeds, then at least 1 #2 seed & 2 #3 seeds. 4 SEC teams within the top 12 by the end of the season looks very possible. That places 4 SEC teams within the top 3 seeds nationally. We should be one of them.

We really should have much better results this year. I can't accept a ten loss season looking at our schedule. Pope needs to, at the very least, lose less than 10 game & get back to a sweet sixteen, anything less, it's time to move on.

Yet, if Coach Pope gets there to lose once again, it will mean ... another contract extension?? That's lowering the bar for his first three seasons with no real expectation that he will do any better in a 4th season. That's falling short. We cannot accept that here.

Adding Mitchell places us at making the elite eight level, there really should be no excuses for anything less.

Let's go out there and do it.

Go Big Blue !

The days of several P4 schools with less than 10 losses entering the tournament is over. Single digits in the loss column will gain a top 2 seed.
6-8 losses for us will be a #1 seed. I don’t expect more than one or two schools will have 5 losses or less and predict there will be none by tournament time.

 

[theBlues]

Our conference schedule is super tough but I like our pre-season schedule. We all want to show Stokes and the Jayhawks something. UL and UNCheat are revenge games and it's always fun beating IU.

 

[rivercatinfl]

I think we lose at least 8-10 games.
4th in the Sec and win 2 games in the sec tourney. 4 or. 5 seed in the tourney make it to s16.

 

[mhs1964]

The days of several P4 schools with less than 10 losses entering the tournament is over. Single digits in the loss column will gain a top 2 seed.
6-8 losses for us will be a #1 seed. I don’t expect more than one or two schools will have 5 losses or less and predict there will be none by tournament time.

A voice of sanity. A favorable schedule died when the SEC decided to get serious about basketball. You know, those days when everyone complained the teams didn’t prepare you for the tournament but we kept getting to a final four.

 

[loublue22_rivals308424]

The days of several P4 schools with less than 10 losses entering the tournament is over. Single digits in the loss column will gain a top 2 seed.
6-8 losses for us will be a #1 seed. I don’t expect more than one or two schools will have 5 losses or less and predict there will be none by tournament time.

You are correct, but we need to be one of those teams. It's definitely not ok to lose 12 games and get a 6 seed every year.

 

[HorseyMcBonerBalls]

I think we lose at least 8-10 games.
4th in the Sec and win 2 games in the sec tourney. 4 or. 5 seed in the tourney make it to s16.

That's probably our ceiling. Like a realistic best-case scenario.

 

[megablue]

I think we lose at least 8-10 games.
4th in the Sec and win 2 games in the sec tourney. 4 or. 5 seed in the tourney make it to s16.

Based on what I've read so far, without seeing any real game action, I tend to agree with this prediction ... except maybe 5 or 6 seed.
OT: The Home non-conference schedule is pretty weak, except for Wichita State and Louisville ... kinda sad for the price paid for tickets.

 

[UKBB4Ever]

28 game regular season schedule.

18-10 entering the SEC. Play on Wednesday again. Win 1 lose the next.

Enter the NCAA at 19-11. Win one game and lose in the round of 32.

20-12 final record

Hopefully that is Pope’s last season and we get better immediately.

It could be far worse than this? But no way it’s better.

 

[Runt#1969]

Hopefully Coach Pope can do better than what most of us realistically think he will end up with this year. The SEC spent years trying to truly be competitive with us year in, year out. They succeeded.

It's time for us to raise our game and reassert our program. Long past time, way overdue.

Get it done, coach! We are hanging tough with you.

 

[Doc4UK!]

If we get Mitchell no more than 6 losses. Without Mitchell 9 losses.

 

[NociHTTP]

Based on what I've read so far, without seeing any real game action, I tend to agree with this prediction ... except maybe 5 or 6 seed.
OT: The Home non-conference schedule is pretty weak, except for Wichita State and Louisville ... kinda sad for the price paid for tickets.

 

[kyjeff1]

Once I saw the name "HorseyMcBonerBalls" I realized, anything I said, wouldn’t really matter.

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

28 game regular season schedule.

18-10 entering the SEC. Play on Wednesday again. Win 1 lose the next.

Enter the NCAA at 19-11. Win one game and lose in the round of 32.

20-12 final record

Hopefully that is Pope’s last season and we get better immediately.

It could be far worse than this? But no way it’s better.

You are one extremely miserable individual. I find it hard to imagine you actually believe most of the crap you post.

 

[ThreeDogNight2]

28 game regular season schedule.

18-10 entering the SEC. Play on Wednesday again. Win 1 lose the next.

Enter the NCAA at 19-11. Win one game and lose in the round of 32.

20-12 final record

Hopefully that is Pope’s last season and we get better immediately.

It could be far worse than this? But no way it’s better.

for all the village idiots and other posters crying and complaining about being bullied over posting anti pope opinions this is why ^ half the anti pope people are trolls who say some stupid and rude stuff

 

[bigblue2088]

28 game regular season schedule.

18-10 entering the SEC. Play on Wednesday again. Win 1 lose the next.

Enter the NCAA at 19-11. Win one game and lose in the round of 32.

20-12 final record

Hopefully that is Pope’s last season and we get better immediately.

It could be far worse than this? But no way it’s better.

Im very confused im not very good at nath bad edgemucatin
SEC Games 18
NoN Conference 14
Total = 28

 

[ThreeDogNight2]

Im very confused im not very good at nath bad edgemucatin
SEC Games 18
NoN Conference 14
Total = 28

Good ole kentucky math there boy

 

[PastorofMuppets82]

for all the village idiots and other posters crying and complaining about being bullied over posting anti pope opinions this is why ^ half the anti pope people are trolls who say some stupid and rude stuff

But he claims he's a "Booster who knows all the big Boosters". And he doesn't even know how many regular season games there are. I imagine during the middle of his long days of posting and pounding his fists in defiance of Pope it unfolds something like this.

 

[Bill_the_cat]

The overall OOC portion is very weak. The regular conference schedule is normally tough.

Still concerned about guard play.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

for all the village idiots and other posters crying and complaining about being bullied over posting anti pope opinions this is why ^ half the anti pope people are trolls who say some stupid and rude stuff

Stupid stuff and some flat out stuff that are just lies and/or a fabrication. It’s ridiculous.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

The schedule is fine. It’s almost undoubtedly gonna be a top 10 national schedule. I heard a wild stat yesterday about our said schedule. We play the most top 5 and top 10 games, the most quad 1 games and a couple other crazy stats. I’ll see if I can find it.

 

[DelkBowl]

Frustrating the state we are in. Without expounding on the issues I would like better as of yesterday. I am hopeful with a wait and see approach. This seems to be his best team now lets see if he pulls it together to compete. Hoping I'm pleasantly surprised.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I think we lose at least 8-10 games.
4th in the Sec and win 2 games in the sec tourney. 4 or. 5 seed in the tourney make it to s16.

If that happens should Pope get a year 4?

Just curious on the boards stance.

 

[FitchandMurray29]

If that happens should Pope get a year 4?

Just curious on the boards stance.

As dumb as it sounds, using true seed list as a barometer of season success, there’s a big difference in my mind from 13th and 20th(top 4 vs bottom 5). Not that that’s up to Kentucky standards but they can feel pretty different.

I think without Mitchell and assuming we wouldn’t spend big for someone else, that the scenario would definitely get Pope a 4th year.

With Mitchell and maybe the most expensive roster in college basketball(again?), don’t think you can underperform that much again, injuries notwithstanding.

 

[CUJO_1970]

22-9. I would be very surprised with 23-8. Better than that is most likely off the table. So another 10 loss season is the most probable result when all is said and done.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

If that happens should Pope get a year 4?

Just curious on the boards stance.

If they have 6 losses heading into the post season. Which is what the scenario implies. They win 2 games in the SEC tourney. They’re likely a 2 seed. Not getting fired.

Here’s the fine line imo. If they head into the SEC with 8 losses and head into the tourney as a 4/5 seed and stumble, then I think those that feared he’ll “do just enough” will be justified.

 

[Wildcat_in_DC]

with mark mitchell we should be 19-1 or 18-2 going into the game at home against tenn

 

[rivercatinfl]

As dumb as it sounds, using true seed list as a barometer of season success, there’s a big difference in my mind from 13th and 20th(top 4 vs bottom 5). Not that that’s up to Kentucky standards but they can feel pretty different.

I think without Mitchell and assuming we wouldn’t spend big for someone else, that the scenario would definitely get Pope a 4th year.

With Mitchell and maybe the most expensive roster in college basketball(again?), don’t think you can underperform that much again, injuries notwithstanding.

Your comment on UK standards hit me as I read this.
im supporting Pope this year and will always support UK no matter what. However I will say, Pope needs to get better talent as we move along in his tenure.
I remember well the days where we got top billing and just about anyone we wanted as a recruit. Not just during JC’s time but all the time. That’s the challenge. Find a way!

I do think we will be a tough out this year with or without Mitchell. But I’d rather have him.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

If they have 6 losses heading into the post season. Which is what the scenario implies. They win 2 games in the SEC tourney. They’re likely a 2 seed. Not getting fired.

Here’s the fine line imo. If they head into the SEC with 8 losses and head into the tourney as a 4/5 seed and stumble, then I think those that feared he’ll “do just enough” will be justified.

Think that makes sense all around.

It would mean getting to sec tourney finals at lesst regardless.

And if we lose a close sweet 16 game im sure it nets a year 4.

I dont think pope can afford to lose a 3rd straight season n the ncaa by double digits.

 

[rivercatinfl]

This is what ESPN is projecting for us this year

Ceiling
Total wins: 30
SEC finish: Second
Postseason finish: Elite Eight

FLOOR
Total wins: 20
SEC finish: Eighth
Postseason finish: NCAA tournament round of 64