Hubert Davis
The potential yes is there question is can he do it against top teams in the SEC and out conference top teams we play. I hope he kills it as of right now he is the only one with the numbers.
I think he can and will. He has the explosiveness, quick release, confidence and deep bag to do it. He’s also going to be the best passer we have had as far back as I can remember as a shooting guard. Our backcourt is set to be very lethal and dynamic offensively.
Year 4 of Mark Pope is the death knell to this program.
No it isn’t. If he gets a year 4, it’s because he did what he was supposed to in year 3. Holy hyperbole
He was a 3 seed and a 7 seed. If he can be a top 5 seed again he will definitely be back. Right now the team is looking like it could potentially do that if he gets some more dudes.
No way. Pope isn't taking a year 4 for granted. I don't care what he says.
He knows the stakes. He knows hes fighting for his life this season
He knows the stakes. He knows hes fighting for his life this season
Here is the thing, and to me, its the true divide between a true fan and a fair weather fan of the program.
Should Pope have been hired? Never. Should he have been let go after year two? I think so. But he wasn't. So now what? I hope Pope signs Stokes or Momcilovic, signs Muurinen and a couple of bench pieces and we go put and win #9. If he gets extra years because of that, that will be just fine by me. But a lot of people here let their hate and desire to be "right" lead them to openly root against everything the guy does and actually root for us to suck next year just so we can fire the guy. And that, to me, is pathetic
Should Pope have been hired? Never. Should he have been let go after year two? I think so. But he wasn't. So now what? I hope Pope signs Stokes or Momcilovic, signs Muurinen and a couple of bench pieces and we go put and win #9. If he gets extra years because of that, that will be just fine by me. But a lot of people here let their hate and desire to be "right" lead them to openly root against everything the guy does and actually root for us to suck next year just so we can fire the guy. And that, to me, is pathetic
One of the first times I can recall agreeing with you. Wilkins will likely be inconsistent at times but should be really fun to watch when he does have a big game.
I just seen what he’s ranked currently. Seeing someone say he’s lottery pick potential surprised me
Why do you still want him here? How are you confident in the direction of the program with him at the helm? Serious question.
There are legit reasons for concern about Pope.
But agree that his personality, and just who he is, seems to rub some the wrong way, and there's not much he could do at this point to change their minds.
Pope has a choice basically with no athletic Director. Resign and step down or recruit and build the best team that you can. He’s choosing to do the latter. He doesn’t have any athletic director to give him a legit review to tell him that he’s sucking doesn’t have an athletic director putting any level of pressure on him. He’s got a five year contract. He knows universities is financial trouble and probably can’t afford his buyout right now. And probably the acting AD is Mark Popes, brother in things (figure that out) and they take care of each other before anything else. Hope and pray Marc hill doesn’t become AD. UK basketball is so popular. It’s such a important thing to so many people that even if the current season ticket holders, let them go let them or people don’t go next year to games.. UK’s fan base is so vast and there’s so many people who would love to go to Rupp Arena for a game well as long as Mark Popes there it’s an opportunity for people who have always wanted to, but couldn’t afford to go to Games. So Rupp will never be empty. Let’s take a couple years for fan pressure to get to the new athletic Director.
We had no players but Perry.Cal took the team to Arkansas Pope signed April 12, 2024 after 6 coaches turned UK down. The portal was already open when he came so he only had his ability to find players which he did. What you want does not exist anymore. Money buy
Year 4? Heck, some of y'all fired Pope before year 1 finished.
Your perceptions and judgements continue to miss the Mark
12-14 losses and a sweet 16? Perpetual mediocrity isn’t the standard.
Actually Pope got a 6th year for getting to the Sweet 16 in year one. Now making $5.75 million a year with 4 years left at $ 5.75 million to $6.5 million per year with 75% buyout. That puts his current buyout at $18 million & $13.5 million after year 3 unless we make it to Sweet 16 again & he gets another 1 year contract extension.
I didn’t say anything about either of those things. I know for a fact you understood what I said. Cmon man. We all have biases for surely you can understand that IF HE EARNS A 4TH YEAR, that by necessity would mean he did better than 12-14 losses and a Sweet 16. You said you weren’t a Pope hater, that you love winning. Then be that guy — if Pope earns another year BY WINNING that’s not the worst thing that ever happened. The whole point is winning — the lack of that word is why he’s on the hot seat.
I don’t think Pope is the coach for UK. And I said sweet 16, because he has an auto-extension clause, for making a sweet 16, in his contract.
that clause will mean absolutely nothing if people want him gone when I say that I believe in Mark Pope’s potential what I am saying is that I expect he will outperform basic standards and expectations. If he doesn’t, I will be just as vocal as you are about wanting him gone. Excuse any grammar or errors in this post I used voice to create it.
Recruiting is what I think is going to eventually cost him his job. I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to have that much trouble recruiting and survive at a major program. If he gets Stokes commitment, that might help with his recruiting issues possibly
Raising Hand. Just a reminder that Kevin Ollie won a national title.
I am pretty much convinced Mitch hired Pope because he knew the fanbase would rally around one of our favorite sons at least long enough to make it unlikely Pitino or Pearl would ever get to coach here and that’s all in the world Mitch cared about.
Drama QueenBetween some fans going full Minneapolis Minnesota, the corrupt administration, and the boosters putting most of their eggs into football, it doesn’t matter how many years Pope gets!
Might as well keep him until he retires. UK’s men’s basketball program is on a ventilator as we speak, and the as for mentioned parties above are going to see it to its grave.
The UK basketball I grew up on is never coming back, that much I know.
All that’s needed now is for someone to start a thread entitled, “Bump This Thread When UK Sucks!”, and we are good to go!
But but y'all would hate Pope no matter what asinine strawman I created to attack the fanbase with. Har!
Depends on the level of competition would you agree or disagree we dip to NAIA level
I mean our level of competition. Do you not think we have anyone or will land anyone capable of that? Diallo averaged 15.7 in the Big 10 as a sophomore.
Last edited:
I hope Wilkins can besides him no he has to show against better competition. I played D1 in the 90s and averaged 15 a game but I’m not ELITE what about you. I’m 52 from Jefferson county and played against Morton Central, Wheat Ballard Osborne Male, Turner, Morris,Brown from Fairdale, Pencik from prp want me to go on with the 2 bigs from western ohh and Derek Anderson from Doss there’s another. I’ve played against the BEST in Jefferson county had my ups and downs with all of them. Enjoy your day sir.
Diallo averaged 15.7 as a sophomore in the Big 10. I definitely expect Wilkins can average at least 14 ppg for us next year. I picked 14 ppg because that was the leading scorer on our 2012 championship team so if that does not qualify then they had no elite scorers accordingly. I would say they had four elite scorers who averaged between 11.9 and 14.2 ppg.
I don’t think most of the recent national championship teams had big scorers. Usually they are balanced. I’m trying to think if any in the last ten years had a 20ppg scorer and I don’t think there was any. Balance wins the day these days.