According to Pete Nakos, Rick Pitino and the Red Storm now have the momentum. As was said on another thread, Pitino is going to cause Pope to get fired due to taking a good player Pope desperately needs...the irony of it all...
Donnie Freeman...latest
- Thread starter WildcatWally-77
- Start date
Pope is gonna get himself fired. Pitino is not responsible for any of this other than maybe convincing people Pope was capable of this job to begin with.
That’s ***. Pitino has a job to do just like the rest of them. Pope could have signed a freshman PF, developed Jela better, been quicker to move on more top portal PF, he didn’t exactly cast a wide net. This is on the head man and now we have to overpay to get a player that isn’t a star.
Pope is going to get himself fired. Don’t blame competing coaches. Mark has screwed this up a million ways on his own.
Yep. Pope backed himself into a corner for the second consecutive year. Nobody to blame but himself, although Mitch is a good ol’ boy parasite who has now ruined our program twice with terrible hires.
Someone actually said that to ME one time on here!!!
We had fans that were rooting for St. John’s and Pitino in that game, while simultaneously screaming, “No coach is above the program”
This is a silly narrative being pushed today.
Pitino is just doing his job the way it’s supposed to be done. Backing off a recruit out of charity to an ex player would be doing it the wrong way.
Funny and sad. There's zero doubt that some here were cheering for St. Johns. I could rattle off 20 just off of the top of my head, but won't.Someone actually said that to ME one time on here!!!
We had fans that were rooting for St. John’s and Pitino in that game, while simultaneously screaming, “No coach is above the program”
Pope got absolutely owned here. Just outsmarted, out negotiated, outdone, and outplayed. He’s not getting Freeman and there’s no backup plan. He let his backup plan go to FSU.
it’s a big risk taking a player that’s been injury prone and throwing a lot of money to him. It will be interesting to see how this recruitment plays out. I’d be a terrible recruiter because I would have given him his best offer and told him to take it or leave it and I would have moved on already if that didn’t work.
Cheering for Pitino or thought Pitino would win. There is a difference. Honestly, that is one I give Pope credit for winning that I did not think he would win.
Yeah & the most frustrating part to me is that PF had a deep pool of impact players & several of them fit his system better than Freeman, anyway. There are still a few good options. But, the list is dwindling by the day. And, he has apparently done the same thing going ALL in with Stokes. But, it’s his job, not mine.
would you rather:
- make $4MM/year playing for Rick Pitino at St. John's
- make $3MM/year playing for Mark Pope at Kentucky
I don't mind not getting Freeman, not having any comparable backup in sight is the part that bothers me.
Even if he does, it does not change the fact that he got 100% outmaneuvered here and made to look a fool.
Hope we can get a few more threads started for n the exact same subject. 
Mark Pope ain’t doing nothing other than dragging us further into irrelevancy. For those who keep thinking he’s gonna turn this around..it’s not gonna happen. It’s a ship that will never come in.
No halfway sensible player who’s serious about winning is coming to this dumpster fire. Now, they might get paid a lot but won’t be serious about winning.
No halfway sensible player who’s serious about winning is coming to this dumpster fire. Now, they might get paid a lot but won’t be serious about winning.
Yep, Camelot is being ruled by a jester. Cannot wait until we get a proper King back on the throne. Too bad we have to be held hostage another season though.
Little Ricky isn't very good. Given the choice...I might prefer him over Pope. And I just threw up in my mouth a little typing that.
Can I take $2M/year and play for Chris Beard at Kentucky?
Maybe Freeman has been a diversion all along to drive teams away from the PF Pope really wants! Marky Mark playing 4D chess! Or maybe I'm just hardcore coping...
Supposedly the money difference is not near that wide.
To me the question is " does DF's agent work for him or does he work for his agent?
If Donnie wanted to play for UK then the hell with his agent trying to squeeze a few hundred thousand out of another school.
I'll have to admit I thought it was a red flag when Hurley told Freemen "if you want to win a championship, you'll be in Stores next year"
He had a chance to join the probable #1 team for 26-27 and didn't even visit.
Next up the all time winningest program in CBB history and he's like "I'll think about it"
Tells me he's ONLY in it for the money and could care less who the high bidder is.
Yeah I'll still take Donnie but I honestly already don't like Donnie .
So if the BOOM comes great, now shut up and do what you're paid to do.
Can't blame Freeman's agent, he's doing what I'd want my agent (if I had one) to do. Find me a great opportunity for the most money.
I still believe Pope needs a top tier GM, but it's probably too late. Someone who knows these college agents, knows what the market value is for players and knows how to negotiate and close a deal. Maybe that's part of Brown's job as Director of Roster Management??
I still believe Pope needs a top tier GM, but it's probably too late. Someone who knows these college agents, knows what the market value is for players and knows how to negotiate and close a deal. Maybe that's part of Brown's job as Director of Roster Management??
He needed a GM a month before the train wreck of a season ended, to prepare for this. But of course, he didn’t do that, also didn’t replace one assistant coach, and now we have this giant flaming cluster eff.
I was going to ask - If we had it to do over again , Would we prefer Rich Pitino over Pope.
Pitino would have brought JT Toppin , Mashburn Jr & Dent with him.
Pope brought Robinson & Chandler.
We had better players than those three.
Mash Jr??
Soph Dent over 5th yr sr Butler? Nah
Toppin vs JRob, Brea, and Oweh?
Pope's first team >>> anything Lil Ricky could have put together.
I'm never for short term gain and I do have hindsight clouding the decision. But heck, I think I'd rather have had little Ricky. It's painful to say. This is coming from someone that just laughs anytime someone suggest Rick too. I loved him. Was my favorite. But I had my fill of his grandpa Rick routine last offseason.