At this point I would be shocked if half our starters weren't injured or disabled by mid season. That is actually typical for UK basketball for quite a few years now.
Morton injured
- Thread starter loublue22_rivals308424
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Look, it is never good to lose anyone, but it isn't Zoom or Wilkins that is injured. I don't think this will affect our ability to win games as much as others might think.
Didn't Vanderbilt have the same issue when our trainer was with them?
Same here. The last few years with Cal just wore me down and I needed a coach to make me care again. I got cautiously optimistic at the beginning with Pope, but it seems he is about as good as we expected initially. And that just isn’t going to reinvigorate my interest.
Since just after Cal's 3rd season, in which we had pretty much no major injuries, UK has been probably the most impacted by injuries. I can't think of a team that's close. It's beyond comical at this point.
I think Lex could end up being the better PG, but I think Zoom is a pure PG and Wilkins better for the combo role. Losing Morton is a big hit. Regarding Mason, everyone seems high on him and this program has relied upon freshmen in key roles for years.
Deshun Ruffin just got another year of eligibility and played under Mo Williams last year. I've been hoping we would get him since April to be a backup, however he'd probably cut into Mason Williams PT.
So I've been watching all of this along with everyone else, but quietly so. Everyone knows I'm a positive person and optimistic (to a fault, and that's not a bad thing when you keep things, life, in proper perspective...)
But I have got to say this....
Sometimes when things happen, they happen for reasons that you could never account for. And sometimes the weight of "things" happening over and over again become more than a sign of bad luck or coincidence.
When you look at "Kentucky Basketball" .... there is a standard of historical excellence practically unmatched in sports. Say that and it conjures images of the big blue mist descending and the incredible fan support worldwide, and of course, great basketball, and a real show.
And why?
Because the basketball program is, and always has been, the biggest draw in college basketball because of the excellent level Kentucky historically plays at.
But
You reach a point in running a program, the look, the feel, and expectations are set as a maybe top 15 - 20 team this year.... and you start yet another season with injured players and you struck out so much on higher profile and , ahem, yes, better players to add to the roster....
This looks and feels bad. You hope for the best. But we're prepared for the worst. So much so, you got those in BBN wanting the worst to go ahead and actually happen, so you can get a meaningful vibe shift and true program change of direction. Fire the coach blow it up, restart again.
Pope can't lose ten (or more) games this year with all the time money and resources he's had in the off-season this past year. Now we've got more freak injury issues and you have struck out on so many numerous high profile player opportunties ... it's discouraging.
Bottom line :
Pope has to overacheive with this group this year. Period. Hovering as a 15 - 20th ranked team all year, God forbid they start poorly and drop entirely out of the rankings .... bow out in the first weekend of the tournament .... I wouldn't know what else to say other than
That's it.
Coach Pope, you got yourself into a position you & the young men you're coaching need to overacheive this year to continue the tradition of excellence here. Maybe time to massively overacheive and shock us at how well you have got a handle on this program. Right now, it's shaky. The sharks are circling.
Go out there and do it. Some of us are always going to be here, as we have for 50+ years now, just like those that came before us. But we have to face everything in proper perspective and get this job done this year.
Just go get it done. No excuses.
Sincerely,
The Runt (rant #12,378 ... finished?)
But I have got to say this....
Sometimes when things happen, they happen for reasons that you could never account for. And sometimes the weight of "things" happening over and over again become more than a sign of bad luck or coincidence.
When you look at "Kentucky Basketball" .... there is a standard of historical excellence practically unmatched in sports. Say that and it conjures images of the big blue mist descending and the incredible fan support worldwide, and of course, great basketball, and a real show.
And why?
Because the basketball program is, and always has been, the biggest draw in college basketball because of the excellent level Kentucky historically plays at.
But
You reach a point in running a program, the look, the feel, and expectations are set as a maybe top 15 - 20 team this year.... and you start yet another season with injured players and you struck out so much on higher profile and , ahem, yes, better players to add to the roster....
This looks and feels bad. You hope for the best. But we're prepared for the worst. So much so, you got those in BBN wanting the worst to go ahead and actually happen, so you can get a meaningful vibe shift and true program change of direction. Fire the coach blow it up, restart again.
Pope can't lose ten (or more) games this year with all the time money and resources he's had in the off-season this past year. Now we've got more freak injury issues and you have struck out on so many numerous high profile player opportunties ... it's discouraging.
Bottom line :
Pope has to overacheive with this group this year. Period. Hovering as a 15 - 20th ranked team all year, God forbid they start poorly and drop entirely out of the rankings .... bow out in the first weekend of the tournament .... I wouldn't know what else to say other than
That's it.
Coach Pope, you got yourself into a position you & the young men you're coaching need to overacheive this year to continue the tradition of excellence here. Maybe time to massively overacheive and shock us at how well you have got a handle on this program. Right now, it's shaky. The sharks are circling.
Go out there and do it. Some of us are always going to be here, as we have for 50+ years now, just like those that came before us. But we have to face everything in proper perspective and get this job done this year.
Just go get it done. No excuses.
Sincerely,
The Runt (rant #12,378 ... finished?)
Pope has a good source here. The spot for UK is backup and is unlikely to become starter absent injury. Interesting to watch.
One is a 4 star true frosh
One is a DEI scholly
One is a hurt bit piece from Wazzu
Literally.
You think Hawthorne was given a spot for any other reason than to keep his older brother?Piece ofpost
I understand why you are attempting to pivot from your ignorant asinine post. Don’t think you get credit for seeing your stupidity and trying to walk it back.
Assuming money is comparable, do you think Ruffin would come to UK as a likely backup at PG? I assume there are some places where he could go and have a clearer path to a starting spot, but that's a guess.
If he lays an egg again this year I dont see how he stays. The fans and donors will rightfully revolt.
I hope he crushes it this year because I hate to see one of our guys fall on his face. On the flipside last year was just awful.
No doubt NIL has leveled the field but we shouldn't have a problem stacking our basketball team each year with talent. To me the most embarrassing thing is the fact that it appears that we have to beg or overpay guys to come here. That would be like Alabama begging guys to come play football. It just can't be allowed to happen.
If the new coach at Alabama could no longer recruit top football talent to their school he would be gone yesterday. The standard for the university of ky basketball program should reflect the same expectation.
DeBoer has actually been struggling to recruit, at least to their standards.
Without a doubt he would get the boot. If they lose 3 games again this year I think he's toast as well.
Thats the crazy part. Pope is indeed exactly what most expected. I think most of the fan base had the same feeling when we heard the news. He's not better or worse. He's literally exactly who we hired.
And UK ought be ashamed of doing something like that. In the new era of modern day sports when you can literally pay players.....we present to you Marrrrrrrk Poooooopppppeeee.... drum roll..crickets.
Ought be ashamed
Huh? I’m legitimately confused.I understand why you are attempting to pivot from your ignorant asinine post. Don’t think you get credit for seeing your stupidity and trying to walk it back.
He’s exactly what I expected him to be and what he’s been his entire career. Mid.
Oh yea I almost forgot how he wants you to walk everything back and then when you don't he'll end up acting like you switched up or something when you literally stand on what you said.
It's easy to go back and forth with him because when you simply say your opinions and don't come here to troll you can't really get yours words mixed up. But buddy he will swear up and down he made you back off how you felt and act like you went back on your words or something. He almost ends up proving himself wrong every time. Thats why I gotta love em tho.
It was a DEI scholarship. Any normal person would agree.
The years where they got embarrassed as a 2 and 3 seed in the first round of the tournament?… Oh yeah, those were great.
God, I will never forget that time period. There were rumblings of Billy Donovan and Dan Hurley and then the news comes out that he’s going to offer Mark Pope. Rafters was livid like I have never seen in 25 years of being in this forum.
Boo hoo, they leg an egg one game out of the year who cares
popes teams lay eggs every other game
It simply didn't make sense then and it doesn't make sense now.
Oh, so you feigned confusion in your last post. That would be consistent with the lack of character you display on this site. You’re not funny when you take slaps at UK players.
Slap or not, it's fact and everyone realizes that. Well, almost everyone.
It is what I posted, and what I meant. We all know why he's on the team. I mistakenly thought everyone would understand an attempt at humor. Comedy is hard. I'll try better next time, just for you.
Remember this is a coach whose philosophy of basketball doesn't have much conditioning, instead replacing it with analytics. This transitions into Pope's horrid substitution patterns.
Yes, but how good is he actually? Take him being a native and set it aside so it doesn't effect opinion. Would any other top program take him and/or would he get significant playing time like he would here? Or he is getting more hype because he's a native and/or its all we could get?
I’ve read that he’s good on defense, and he has been lauded as the best Summer practice player.
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