Roster construction

[Ridinwithpope]

First time posting on here and have to say I love the information I have learned at times and also disagreed with at times. BBN is the best and no other fanbase comes close.

I would love to start by saying how much fight our team played with against Florida. We went toe to toe with a 2 seed in their place and had a chance to win. With a couple of more made layups, a couple less turnovers, and a few more calls by the horrendous officiating.. we have a chance. Florida shot out of their minds from deep and we only lost by a couple of points… 9 points exactly only because we fouled down the stretch. With that kind of effort on a consistent basis we have a shot to make it to a sweet 16 and heck maybe even an elite 8.

My main reason for posting is to defend Pope. I think he is a really good in game coach. He has had the worst luck with injuries that had been absolutely crazy to witness. Unfortunately, some of our fanbase loves to put him down, ridicule his roster construction, and has said that he has dropped the standard of Kentucky basketball. Let's actually have a legitimate conversation and think about what he has done…

Last year he came in with absolutely no players and had a pretty prolific offense.. one of the best in the nation and got that team together in a couple of weeks. That team made the sweet 16 with a beat up Butler and without Jaxon Robinson and was forced to play a Tennessee team for the third time in a year. Our good buddy Cal could not get to a sweet 16 even with a bunch of nba guys in his last 5 years. I could argue that this years team he was inches away from having Caleb Wilson, acaden lewis, jaaland Lowe/donovan dent (either or), Lamar Wilkerson, otega oweh, Moreno, kam, and chandler. If we get Caleb Wilson, I really think acaden stays and Lamar is a cat. Why Caleb didnt come.. I don’t really know but it wasn’t a lack of pope trying. But because he didn’t, he had to pivot and this team was constructed because he was forced to do so. He got Mo because his 4 man last year couldn’t rebound and was terrible at defense.. something you need in the sec. He went and got Aberdeen because he lost acaden and Lamar and figured I need a guy who can play the 1 and 2… might as well get a champ for experience too. He then got JQ as a gamble to make us fans happy since we lost acaden, Lamar, and Caleb. Us fans always want a lottery pick and he fed us a bone thinking I have bg and Moreno that can tide us over until jq comes back in late December/early January. There are other examples from this team but it all comes to him having to pivot. He gets a lot of crap for the 22 million roster(if even that’s the real number) and I say thank God he did because no way in heck are we 9 points away from beating a 2 seed if he didn’t. Probably 8 or 9 million are sitting on the bench due to injury and redshirting. Take off haigh, chineylu, and lee and see how good they are. They would be a joke!!! People are so worried about next year because of no recruits… we actually do have one in Hawthorne and he was compared to tayshaun.

All in all us fans need to slow down and actually think from time to time. Is pope perfect at recruiting.. no he isn’t. He needs a GM, but so did Duke and they have one. Let’s allow this man to cook because he has us in a double bye position with 6 games left to go and I like our chances in all of them.
Go cats!!!

 

[Monday Nitro]

First time posting on here and have to say I love the information I have learned at times and also disagreed with at times. BBN is the best and no other fanbase comes close.

I would love to start by saying how much fight our team played with against Florida. We went toe to toe with a 2 seed in their place and had a chance to win. With a couple of more made layups, a couple less turnovers, and a few more calls by the horrendous officiating.. we have a chance. Florida shot out of their minds from deep and we only lost by a couple of points… 9 points exactly only because we fouled down the stretch. With that kind of effort on a consistent basis we have a shot to make it to a sweet 16 and heck maybe even an elite 8.

My main reason for posting is to defend Pope. I think he is a really good in game coach. He has had the worst luck with injuries that had been absolutely crazy to witness. Unfortunately, some of our fanbase loves to put him down, ridicule his roster construction, and has said that he has dropped the standard of Kentucky basketball. Let's actually have a legitimate conversation and think about what he has done…

Last year he came in with absolutely no players and had a pretty prolific offense.. one of the best in the nation and got that team together in a couple of weeks. That team made the sweet 16 with a beat up Butler and without Jaxon Robinson and was forced to play a Tennessee team for the third time in a year. Our good buddy Cal could not get to a sweet 16 even with a bunch of nba guys in his last 5 years. I could argue that this years team he was inches away from having Caleb Wilson, acaden lewis, jaaland Lowe/donovan dent (either or), Lamar Wilkerson, otega oweh, Moreno, kam, and chandler. If we get Caleb Wilson, I really think acaden stays and Lamar is a cat. Why Caleb didnt come.. I don’t really know but it wasn’t a lack of pope trying. But because he didn’t, he had to pivot and this team was constructed because he was forced to do so. He got Mo because his 4 man last year couldn’t rebound and was terrible at defense.. something you need in the sec. He went and got Aberdeen because he lost acaden and Lamar and figured I need a guy who can play the 1 and 2… might as well get a champ for experience too. He then got JQ as a gamble to make us fans happy since we lost acaden, Lamar, and Caleb. Us fans always want a lottery pick and he fed us a bone thinking I have bg and Moreno that can tide us over until jq comes back in late December/early January. There are other examples from this team but it all comes to him having to pivot. He gets a lot of crap for the 22 million roster(if even that’s the real number) and I say thank God he did because no way in heck are we 9 points away from beating a 2 seed if he didn’t. Probably 8 or 9 million are sitting on the bench due to injury and redshirting. Take off haigh, chineylu, and lee and see how good they are. They would be a joke!!! People are so worried about next year because of no recruits… we actually do have one in Hawthorne and he was compared to tayshaun.

All in all us fans need to slow down and actually think from time to time. Is pope perfect at recruiting.. no he isn’t. He needs a GM, but so did Duke and they have one. Let’s allow this man to cook because he has us in a double bye position with 6 games left to go and I like our chances in all of them.
Go cats!!!

He said 2 months ago that he had to simplify his system for the current team. He’ll get the right guys and they won’t be one and done’s that are auditioning for the NBA.

 

[Tri-Countycat]

If anyone isn’t alarmed that Pope is missing on almost every big target that comes for a visit has their head in the sand. I have no doubt the man is smart and can make in game adjustments better than his predecessor. That’s only part of the job. We are the only basketball school that doesn’t have a recruit for next year. Not one and dones, even 4 star developmental players. Living solely from the portal is a high risk strategy because you have no idea who is even going to be available. Even Dennis Gates at Missouri has two 5 stars coming in. There are teams that are winning from the portal like Florida but Golden has absolutely killed it in terms of roster construction. I do agree that Pope has had some terrible luck with injuries, but he also needs to shift and prioritize guards, apparently ours are all made of glass.

 

[Monday Nitro]

If anyone isn’t alarmed that Pope is missing on almost every big target that comes for a visit has their head in the sand. I have no doubt the man is smart and can make in game adjustments better than his predecessor. That’s only part of the job. We are the only basketball school that doesn’t have a recruit for next year. Not one and dones, even 4 star developmental players. Living solely from the portal is a high risk strategy because you have no idea who is even going to be available. Even Dennis Gates at Missouri has two 5 stars coming in. There are teams that are winning from the portal like Florida but Golden has absolutely killed it in terms of roster construction. I do agree that Pope has had some terrible luck with injuries, but he also needs to shift and prioritize guards, apparently ours are all made of glass.

He 1000% needs guards that are high IQ and skilled. Pope will flourish or fail based on that. If it looks like nothing is coming in for year four, year three may be the end. But he’ll get it done.

 

[kyjeff1]

If anyone isn’t alarmed that Pope is missing on almost every big target that comes for a visit has their head in the sand. I have no doubt the man is smart and can make in game adjustments better than his predecessor. That’s only part of the job. We are the only basketball school that doesn’t have a recruit for next year. Not one and dones, even 4 star developmental players. Living solely from the portal is a high risk strategy because you have no idea who is even going to be available. Even Dennis Gates at Missouri has two 5 stars coming in. There are teams that are winning from the portal like Florida but Golden has absolutely killed it in terms of roster construction. I do agree that Pope has had some terrible luck with injuries, but he also needs to shift and prioritize guards, apparently ours are all made of glass.

We have up to 9 guys returning next year (not counting Garrison, because I hope he goes elsewhere) .

-Chandler
-Noah
-Moreno
-Kam
-Lowe
-Jelavic
-Johnson
-2 redshirt guys

So, given that, how many guys do we want to have on the roster?
Would you take a PJ Haggerty, that averages 23ppg, or would you rather roll the dice on a freshman?
I don't know what high school centers there are, haven't heard of any, but we're going to need a guy behind Moreno. I would rather get that guy from the portal.
Probably need another Mo D, you don't usually find those guys in high school.
So, yeah, if Pope can grab Stokes, that would be awesome, but to me, it doesn't look like we will need very many pieces.

 

[Anony Moose]

We have up to 9 guys returning next year (not counting Garrison, because I hope he goes elsewhere) .

-Chandler
-Noah
-Moreno
-Kam
-Lowe
-Jelavic
-Johnson
-2 redshirt guys

So, given that, how many guys do we want to have on the roster?
Would you take a PJ Haggerty, that averages 23ppg, or would you rather roll the dice on a freshman?
I don't know what high school centers there are, haven't heard of any, but we're going to need a guy behind Moreno. I would rather get that guy from the portal.
Probably need another Mo D, you don't usually find those guys in high school.
So, yeah, if Pope can grab Stokes, that would be awesome, but to me, it doesn't look like we will need very many pieces.

If we run with that team and whatever clunkers Pope pulls from the portal, we are going to get absolutely humiliated....again!

 

[Ridinwithpope]

He said 2 months ago that he had to simplify his system for the current team. He’ll get the right guys and they won’t be one and done’s that are auditioning for the NBA.

I think it was the first Tennessee game where they did the journey video and at the end of it pope says at the end of the video… I know my team and I know who we are. I think that has been true since then.

 

[Ridinwithpope]

If anyone isn’t alarmed that Pope is missing on almost every big target that comes for a visit has their head in the sand. I have no doubt the man is smart and can make in game adjustments better than his predecessor. That’s only part of the job. We are the only basketball school that doesn’t have a recruit for next year. Not one and dones, even 4 star developmental players. Living solely from the portal is a high risk strategy because you have no idea who is even going to be available. Even Dennis Gates at Missouri has two 5 stars coming in. There are teams that are winning from the portal like Florida but Golden has absolutely killed it in terms of roster construction. I do agree that Pope has had some terrible luck with injuries, but he also needs to shift and prioritize guards, apparently ours are all made of glass.

Why doesnt anyone ever think of Hawthorne? He was supposed to graduate at the end of this year and the plan was always to redshirt him. He should be considered a 2026 recruit who has been practicing everyday with college athletes instead of high school athletes. That should count for something.

 

[K_TIME]

We have up to 9 guys returning next year (not counting Garrison, because I hope he goes elsewhere) .

-Chandler
-Noah
-Moreno
-Kam
-Lowe
-Jelavic
-Johnson
-2 redshirt guys

So, given that, how many guys do we want to have on the roster?
Would you take a PJ Haggerty, that averages 23ppg, or would you rather roll the dice on a freshman?
I don't know what high school centers there are, haven't heard of any, but we're going to need a guy behind Moreno. I would rather get that guy from the portal.
Probably need another Mo D, you don't usually find those guys in high school.
So, yeah, if Pope can grab Stokes, that would be awesome, but to me, it doesn't look like we will need very many pieces.

So lets' run with your list..and add on to the original post on Pope has just had bad luck

PG - Lowe, maybe backup portal kid...or maybe Jasper splits it up here
SG - Chandlder, Jasper
SF- Kam, Noah...even though I think Kam is better at stretch 4....who knows was Hawthorne looks like
PF -Diaboute and Jelly
C - Moreno...we better hope he doesn't go pro and a portal kid...don't forget Garrison has another year if he comes back

So if you add Haggerty...he's a SG...not a PG from what I've seen. So if you bring him on...sure push Chandler to SF and Kam to stretch PF...but you have an amazing hole at PG.

In the end, Pope in his 2nd year (first year was fine given how late he got here)....and forecasting ahead to 3rd year...he's not going be a dominate team...his ceiling is a sneaky team that may get hot at the end but who knows how mnay clunkers we'll throw up. Alot like TUbby and even Cal at the end....that ain't what the program needs to settle for.

 

[NociHTTP]

 

[Cats_2010]

We have up to 9 guys returning next year (not counting Garrison, because I hope he goes elsewhere) .

-Chandler
-Noah
-Moreno
-Kam
-Lowe
-Jelavic
-Johnson
-2 redshirt guys

So, given that, how many guys do we want to have on the roster?
Would you take a PJ Haggerty, that averages 23ppg, or would you rather roll the dice on a freshman?
I don't know what high school centers there are, haven't heard of any, but we're going to need a guy behind Moreno. I would rather get that guy from the portal.
Probably need another Mo D, you don't usually find those guys in high school.
So, yeah, if Pope can grab Stokes, that would be awesome, but to me, it doesn't look like we will need very many pieces.

Even the fans that wear the bluest of shades would have a hard time convincing themselves this lineup above would amount to anything. Good grief!!! Please tell me you don’t think that lineup has championship potential?

 

[JimboBBN]

Success next year will come if Pope can meet in the middle of our 25 and 26 rosters. 25 had elite scoring but not enough defense or athleticism. 26 has good defense and athleticism but lacks shooters. Find a nice middle ground and I think next year will be better than the first two. Pope should know exactly what he needs at this point to be successful in the SEC

 

[megablue]

I think we can all agree, regardless of who they are, where they come from and how we get them, we need much better players to be a top-tier, championship-level team. We need more talent and ability.
To my view, that is the biggest and ultimate challenge for Pope and his staff.

 

[Tri-Countycat]

We have up to 9 guys returning next year (not counting Garrison, because I hope he goes elsewhere) .

-Chandler
-Noah
-Moreno
-Kam
-Lowe
-Jelavic
-Johnson
-2 redshirt guys

So, given that, how many guys do we want to have on the roster?
Would you take a PJ Haggerty, that averages 23ppg, or would you rather roll the dice on a freshman?
I don't know what high school centers there are, haven't heard of any, but we're going to need a guy behind Moreno. I would rather get that guy from the portal.
Probably need another Mo D, you don't usually find those guys in high school.
So, yeah, if Pope can grab Stokes, that would be awesome, but to me, it doesn't look like we will need very many pieces.

That looks like a solid roster if you want to have 8-11 losses and finish mid pack SEC.

 

[Padsfs07]

So lets' run with your list..and add on to the original post on Pope has just had bad luck

PG - Lowe, maybe backup portal kid...or maybe Jasper splits it up here
SG - Chandlder, Jasper
SF- Kam, Noah...even though I think Kam is better at stretch 4....who knows was Hawthorne looks like
PF -Diaboute and Jelly
C - Moreno...we better hope he doesn't go pro and a portal kid...don't forget Garrison has another year if he comes back

So if you add Haggerty...he's a SG...not a PG from what I've seen. So if you bring him on...sure push Chandler to SF and Kam to stretch PF...but you have an amazing hole at PG.

In the end, Pope in his 2nd year (first year was fine given how late he got here)....and forecasting ahead to 3rd year...he's not going be a dominate team...his ceiling is a sneaky team that may get hot at the end but who knows how mnay clunkers we'll throw up. Alot like TUbby and even Cal at the end....that ain't what the program needs to settle for.

Haggerty went to Kansas St to specifically play PG. They've ended up using Johnson there and Castillo some too, but the situation has clearly not worked.

I don't mind a PG that can shoot and score, but they need to be a PG first - Someone in the Gillespie/Rob Wright mold. We can't miss on that kind of player.

Add in a guy like Dink Pate and we are looking really good for 26/27.

 

[CRZ4UK]

First time posting on here and have to say I love the information I have learned at times and also disagreed with at times. BBN is the best and no other fanbase comes close.

I would love to start by saying how much fight our team played with against Florida. We went toe to toe with a 2 seed in their place and had a chance to win. With a couple of more made layups, a couple less turnovers, and a few more calls by the horrendous officiating.. we have a chance. Florida shot out of their minds from deep and we only lost by a couple of points… 9 points exactly only because we fouled down the stretch. With that kind of effort on a consistent basis we have a shot to make it to a sweet 16 and heck maybe even an elite 8.

My main reason for posting is to defend Pope. I think he is a really good in game coach. He has had the worst luck with injuries that had been absolutely crazy to witness. Unfortunately, some of our fanbase loves to put him down, ridicule his roster construction, and has said that he has dropped the standard of Kentucky basketball. Let's actually have a legitimate conversation and think about what he has done…

Last year he came in with absolutely no players and had a pretty prolific offense.. one of the best in the nation and got that team together in a couple of weeks. That team made the sweet 16 with a beat up Butler and without Jaxon Robinson and was forced to play a Tennessee team for the third time in a year. Our good buddy Cal could not get to a sweet 16 even with a bunch of nba guys in his last 5 years. I could argue that this years team he was inches away from having Caleb Wilson, acaden lewis, jaaland Lowe/donovan dent (either or), Lamar Wilkerson, otega oweh, Moreno, kam, and chandler. If we get Caleb Wilson, I really think acaden stays and Lamar is a cat. Why Caleb didnt come.. I don’t really know but it wasn’t a lack of pope trying. But because he didn’t, he had to pivot and this team was constructed because he was forced to do so. He got Mo because his 4 man last year couldn’t rebound and was terrible at defense.. something you need in the sec. He went and got Aberdeen because he lost acaden and Lamar and figured I need a guy who can play the 1 and 2… might as well get a champ for experience too. He then got JQ as a gamble to make us fans happy since we lost acaden, Lamar, and Caleb. Us fans always want a lottery pick and he fed us a bone thinking I have bg and Moreno that can tide us over until jq comes back in late December/early January. There are other examples from this team but it all comes to him having to pivot. He gets a lot of crap for the 22 million roster(if even that’s the real number) and I say thank God he did because no way in heck are we 9 points away from beating a 2 seed if he didn’t. Probably 8 or 9 million are sitting on the bench due to injury and redshirting. Take off haigh, chineylu, and lee and see how good they are. They would be a joke!!! People are so worried about next year because of no recruits… we actually do have one in Hawthorne and he was compared to tayshaun.

All in all us fans need to slow down and actually think from time to time. Is pope perfect at recruiting.. no he isn’t. He needs a GM, but so did Duke and they have one. Let’s allow this man to cook because he has us in a double bye position with 6 games left to go and I like our chances in all of them.
Go cats!!!

One thing you will learn posting here is your facts and reasoning won’t matter. Most people have made up their minds and facts won’t sway them. Since the merger, it’s infinitely worse. We have 15 Anons that just log on to troll and argue.
With that said I agree with you Pope is a good coach. He didn’t want this roster. Why we have it is up for debate. Something was going on at the start of the season as well. That problem is also an unknown to us fans.
Pope may be playing the long game after missing all his targets last year. He has said multiple times the key to a title is roster retention. That stat doesn’t lie. You can’t recruit a bunch of one and dones and have roster retention. I really hope he is selective on who he brings back. I would like Lowe, Garrison and Mo gone. We need a physical point guard who finishes at the rim. Garrison is awful. Mo plays D and rebounds but can’t finish inside and turns the ball over way too much.
I like coach Pope. He needs Barnhart to retire. We won’t be successful under this AD. He’s had 21 years and has driven our blue blood program into the ground. His leadership stinks, His contracts and deals suck. His outdated since of following rules that don’t exist has killed us. He is more concerned with making money than winning. IMO. Hurley, Oats, Pitino or Pope it would not matter who. None would or could challenge for a championship under his reign.

 

[kyjeff1]

If we run with that team and whatever clunkers Pope pulls from the portal, we are going to get absolutely humiliated....again!

Well, who do you drop besides Garrison?
JJ is going to be special, maybe not in 26/27, but eventually he is going to be great.
Do you drop Chandler? Moreno? Kam? Lowe? Jelevic?
I know most will say Lowe, but if you add another strong pg, you make Lowe compete for that spot.
Honestly, besides Lowe, the rest would be a really good core, but we need more star power than just Moreno.

 

[kyjeff1]

So lets' run with your list..and add on to the original post on Pope has just had bad luck

PG - Lowe, maybe backup portal kid...or maybe Jasper splits it up here
SG - Chandlder, Jasper
SF- Kam, Noah...even though I think Kam is better at stretch 4....who knows was Hawthorne looks like
PF -Diaboute and Jelly
C - Moreno...we better hope he doesn't go pro and a portal kid...don't forget Garrison has another year if he comes back

So if you add Haggerty...he's a SG...not a PG from what I've seen. So if you bring him on...sure push Chandler to SF and Kam to stretch PF...but you have an amazing hole at PG.

In the end, Pope in his 2nd year (first year was fine given how late he got here)....and forecasting ahead to 3rd year...he's not going be a dominate team...his ceiling is a sneaky team that may get hot at the end but who knows how mnay clunkers we'll throw up. Alot like TUbby and even Cal at the end....that ain't what the program needs to settle for.

Kam has to be the 4 and if it were me, I would make Lowe earn that pg spot. I would bring in another good pg. If Lowe leaves, so be it, go get another one and JJ can be a 3rd pg option.

You definitely need stars, but we can't roll with 14 guys again, so what do you do?

Moreno is a star next year. Chandler could be a Brea guy, but not really a star. Haggerty would be a star, but, in my opinion, we need a star at the pg spot. Get a star pg, get a star sg (Haggerty) and I think that's a team, when combined with Pope's offense, could be a title threat, but we can't have lockeroom issues again.

I didn't have Mo D on my original list, do we get him back? I would if possible. But that gives us 10 returners. That's a lot. I think this explains why Pope isn’t bringing in a lot of freshmen.

 

[kyjeff1]

Even the fans that wear the bluest of shades would have a hard time convincing themselves this lineup above would amount to anything. Good grief!!! Please tell me you don’t think that lineup has championship potential?

I simply listed the guys in line to return. Not sure if you realize this, but I don't get to make the decisions on who stays and goes

 

[Monday Nitro]

One thing you will learn posting here is your facts and reasoning won’t matter. Most people have made up their minds and facts won’t sway them. Since the merger, it’s infinitely worse. We have 15 Anons that just log on to troll and argue.
With that said I agree with you Pope is a good coach. He didn’t want this roster. Why we have it is up for debate. Something was going on at the start of the season as well. That problem is also an unknown to us fans.
Pope may be playing the long game after missing all his targets last year. He has said multiple times the key to a title is roster retention. That stat doesn’t lie. You can’t recruit a bunch of one and dones and have roster retention. I really hope he is selective on who he brings back. I would like Lowe, Garrison and Mo gone. We need a physical point guard who finishes at the rim. Garrison is awful. Mo plays D and rebounds but can’t finish inside and turns the ball over way too much.
I like coach Pope. He needs Barnhart to retire. We won’t be successful under this AD. He’s had 21 years and has driven our blue blood program into the ground. His leadership stinks, His contracts and deals suck. His outdated since of following rules that don’t exist has killed us. He is more concerned with making money than winning. IMO. Hurley, Oats, Pitino or Pope will never challenge for a championship under his reign.

Pretty spot on post. Several regulars that have Pope Derangement Syndrome as well that can't say anything other than "Pope needs to go!!". The same people would have fired Hurley after year 2, by their very own definition.....but they don't play by the rules they set (similar to a toddler).

 

[kyjeff1]

That looks like a solid roster if you want to have 8-11 losses and finish mid pack SEC.

I like having player retention, but you can't bring BG back. I'm up in the air on Lowe. If Pope develops him into an assist-first pg, cool, but he can’t be the only legit pg.
That roster needs more star power, so a guy like Haggerty is a must, but Pope can’t stop there. He needs another good 5 and another star pg.
That means some of these guys have to go. Who do you drop?

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

I simply listed the guys in line to return. Not sure if you realize this, but I don't get to make the decisions on who stays and goes

You can barely even discuss basketball on this board.

 

[davtay]

Kam has to be the 4 and if it were me, I would make Lowe earn that pg spot. I would bring in another good pg. If Lowe leaves, so be it, go get another one and JJ can be a 3rd pg option.

You definitely need stars, but we can't roll with 14 guys again, so what do you do?

Moreno is a star next year. Chandler could be a Brea guy, but not really a star. Haggerty would be a star, but, in my opinion, we need a star at the pg spot. Get a star pg, get a star sg (Haggerty) and I think that's a team, when combined with Pope's offense, could be a title threat, but we can't have lockeroom issues again.

I didn't have Mo D on my original list, do we get him back? I would if possible. But that gives us 10 returners. That's a lot. I think this explains why Pope isn’t bringing in a lot of freshmen.

Anymore I am almost amazed when someone uses reasoning when they post here. Pope has said multiple times that player retention was his focus, thus should be only a few openings available for next year. But the FARR Pope crowd...Pope cain't cruit... sheesh.

Man, all most of us have said was let it play out. I believe he has a plan, give the man time to implement it.

Nope, we are called pumpers and the reason the program is Indiana.....makes no sense.

 

[Monday Nitro]

Anymore I am almost amazed when someone uses reasoning when they post here. Pope has said multiple times that player retention was his focus, thus should be only a few openings available for next year. But the FARR Pope crowd...Pope cain't cruit... sheesh.

Man, all most of us have said was let it play out. I believe he has a plan, give the man time to implement it.

Nope, we are called pumpers and the reason the program is Indiana.....makes no sense.

They are here to get likes from each other/throw daisy's at each other and some are miserable UK-haters that are damaged goods for whatever reason. Never seen adults act like this. It's beyond sad.

 

[kyjeff1]

You can barely even discuss basketball on this board.

No doubt, everyone is ready to pounce on everytning they don't agree with.

 

[CRZ4UK]

Pretty spot on post. Several regulars that have Pope Derangement Syndrome as well that can't say anything other than "Pope needs to go!!". The same people would have fired Hurley after year 2, by their very own definition.....but they don't play by the rules they set (similar to a toddler).

My favorite are the ones that call him poop. Then try to defend it when they are called childish. You just can’t get thru to people who will defend 3rd grade behavior.

 

[kyjeff1]

Anymore I am almost amazed when someone uses reasoning when they post here. Pope has said multiple times that player retention was his focus, thus should be only a few openings available for next year. But the FARR Pope crowd...Pope cain't cruit... sheesh.

Man, all most of us have said was let it play out. I believe he has a plan, give the man time to implement it.

Nope, we are called pumpers and the reason the program is Indiana.....makes no sense.

Yeah and honestly, the guys I listed, would be a very good core. Most would make a big jump and after seeing the coaching staff develop DA, Chandler, MM and Kam, I believe they can turn Lowe, JJ and even Mo D into damn good players. Getting guys back for a 2nd and 3rd year, is mire important than getting unproven hs kids.

And here's another thing, the guys getting upset at the list I posted, would come unglued if Noah is the one voted off the island, because he's their guy, but if we're being honest, he’s the least talented of the group. But, since it's Trent Noah, it's okay to keep him, but "that derned Jaland Lowe needs to go".

 

[megablue]

You can barely even discuss basketball on this board.

I sense that, too. There often is a sense of fan tribalism, which is off-putting, contentious and does not breed what should be a kindred community of loyal and caring KY fans with different views on how our program can be successful.

 

[davtay]

Yeah and honestly, the guys I listed, would be a very good core. Most would make a big jump and after seeing the coaching staff develop DA, Chandler, MM and Kam, I believe they can turn Lowe, JJ and even Mo D into damn good players. Getting guys back for a 2nd and 3rd year, is mire important than getting unproven hs kids.

And here's another thing, the guys getting upset at the list I posted, would come unglued if Noah is the one voted off the island, because he's their guy, but if we're being honest, he’s the least talented of the group. But, since it's Trent Noah, it's okay to keep him, but "that derned Jaland Lowe needs to go".

I agree. And when you point out that nearly all of the last NCAA champions and most FF teams have been built this way, nope don't want to hear it. You have to build it with a base of core returning players, and because of how late he was hired, Pope built his first team with mostly 5th year seniors.

So, to get a core base that can/will return, it won't be built with top talent that will be headed to NBA. Once the returning core base is there, then hopefully add through either hs/portal the more elite talent. It takes a little time to establish this when starting with 0 players. Just a little patience.

 

[TotheMoon88]

Yeah and honestly, the guys I listed, would be a very good core. Most would make a big jump and after seeing the coaching staff develop DA, Chandler, MM and Kam, I believe they can turn Lowe, JJ and even Mo D into damn good players. Getting guys back for a 2nd and 3rd year, is mire important than getting unproven hs kids.

And here's another thing, the guys getting upset at the list I posted, would come unglued if Noah is the one voted off the island, because he's their guy, but if we're being honest, he’s the least talented of the group. But, since it's Trent Noah, it's okay to keep him, but "that derned Jaland Lowe needs to go".

I think noah should only be a break glass in case of emergency guy, recruit over him and if he decides to leave so be it. We need a star pg and a star 3 or 4 and I think the team would be good with the rest back. I’ve been very critical of pope, I hope he can do it but we’ll see

 

[UKGrad24]

Anymore I am almost amazed when someone uses reasoning when they post here. Pope has said multiple times that player retention was his focus, thus should be only a few openings available for next year. But the FARR Pope crowd...Pope cain't cruit... sheesh.

Man, all most of us have said was let it play out. I believe he has a plan, give the man time to implement it.

Nope, we are called pumpers and the reason the program is Indiana.....makes no sense.

I actually agree with roster retention. Kentucky is a special place, we don’t need to turn into a transactional program. I don’t want anything to do with that. The OAD was one thing, they left for the pros and didn’t wear another uniform. The one thing that will hurt this program long term is having players in and out that wear 3/4 uniforms. We won’t have the same family and history if we do that. I want our kids to understand and love the players and the university the way we had it.

Having said that, if you’re going with the types of lineups we have, I don’t see how you can do it. Pope needs some big fish to go along with a B- / C+ portal options. Guys like Lowe, they are what they are. If you want player retention, do that in the 4* freshman ranks. Portal options need to be 2 year guys and come from the top 20 portal players.

If not, we’ll never compete to elite levels. And before player retention even, we need to get back to elite basketball. I’d prefer both. But I’m not sure Pope can do that.

 

[UKGrad24]

We have up to 9 guys returning next year (not counting Garrison, because I hope he goes elsewhere) .

-Chandler
-Noah
-Moreno
-Kam
-Lowe
-Jelavic
-Johnson
-2 redshirt guys

So, given that, how many guys do we want to have on the roster?
Would you take a PJ Haggerty, that averages 23ppg, or would you rather roll the dice on a freshman?
I don't know what high school centers there are, haven't heard of any, but we're going to need a guy behind Moreno. I would rather get that guy from the portal.
Probably need another Mo D, you don't usually find those guys in high school.
So, yeah, if Pope can grab Stokes, that would be awesome, but to me, it doesn't look like we will need very many pieces.

Jeff what is your assessment of the season if that’s what we roll with? Say Stokes doesn’t come, and that’s essentially our roster. Give or take a few. But say we add no elite portal or freshman to it.

How many wins / losses, SEC final rank, tournament wins / losses?

 

[CRZ4UK]

Yeah and honestly, the guys I listed, would be a very good core. Most would make a big jump and after seeing the coaching staff develop DA, Chandler, MM and Kam, I believe they can turn Lowe, JJ and even Mo D into damn good players. Getting guys back for a 2nd and 3rd year, is mire important than getting unproven hs kids.

And here's another thing, the guys getting upset at the list I posted, would come unglued if Noah is the one voted off the island, because he's their guy, but if we're being honest, he’s the least talented of the group. But, since it's Trent Noah, it's okay to keep him, but "that derned Jaland Lowe needs to go".

I’m not defending the unreasonable crowd but you compared our projected starting PG to our 4th guy off the bench.
I think Noah would be a loss if he left because he is an experienced role guy. Those are valuable, keep them if you can but you don’t pay them like starters.
I don’t want Lowe back as a starter. He is injured. He didn’t shoot the 3 well. He didn’t finish at the rim well and doesn’t create his own shot. Florida won the title because of Clayton Jr. Without him no title. PG is the most important position. I don’t know who we could bring in with that potential. I do know Lowe doesn’t have it. He couldn’t carry a team. Butler was closer than Lowe. JMO.

 

[davtay]

I actually agree with roster retention. Kentucky is a special place, we don’t need to turn into a transactional program. I don’t want anything to do with that. The OAD was one thing, they left for the pros and didn’t wear another uniform. The one thing that will hurt this program long term is having players in and out that wear 3/4 uniforms. We won’t have the same family and history if we do that. I want our kids to understand and love the players and the university the way we had it.

Having said that, if you’re going with the types of lineups we have, I don’t see how you can do it. Pope needs to big fish to go along with a B- / C+ portal options. Guys like Lowe, they are what they are. If you want player retention, do that in the 4* freshman ranks. Portal options need to be 2 year guys and come from the top 20 portal players.

If not, we’ll never compete to elite levels.

The 4* freshman ranks are the B-/C+ portal options. The core base of players possibly returning next year is exactly what we need. Hopefully we fill in the gaps with talented portal transfers,(which I believe has always been Pope's plan). Yes he has recruited the top 5 high school talent, and hasn't hit yet, but the focus has been this. He will gladly take a top 5 talent, but isn't throwing all his eggs in that basket.

One thing I will give you credit for Morg, you did say when Cal left he would burn the program to the ground. He did. But why anyone expects it to be back straight to the top in 2 years is baffling. Year 1 under Pope with what he started with and overcame was a great job. But, having to start over with 10 new players this year, didn't work as well, internal problems, injuries, coaching mistakes/feeling out roster, hasn't worked as well as we or Pope thought. Season isn't over. Team is improving and isn't trash, no matter what some "fans" may say.

 

[davtay]

I’m not defending the unreasonable crowd but you compared our projected starting PG to our 4th guy off the bench.
I think Noah would be a loss if he left because he is an experienced role guy. Those are valuable, keep them if you can but you don’t pay them like starters.
I don’t want Lowe back as a starter. He is injured. He didn’t shoot the 3 well. He didn’t finish at the rim well and doesn’t create his own shot. Florida won the title because of Clayton Jr. Without him no title. PG is the most important position. I don’t know who we could bring in with that potential. I do know Lowe doesn’t have it. He couldn’t carry a team. Butler was closer than Lowe. JMO.

I agree you want to keep Noah but not a a starter price. I think keeping Lowe if he is willing to compete with whoever else is brought in. We have never gotten to see a healthy Lowe, but there needs to be another PG regardless. Hopefully a bigger, stronger PG.

Butler was perfect for last years team, and would have been for this years team. A warrior who played hurt. And was not considered a shooter who improved in that area very well. I would take a Lamont Butler on any UK team.

 

[kyjeff1]

I think noah should only be a break glass in case of emergency guy, recruit over him and if he decides to leave so be it. We need a star pg and a star 3 or 4 and I think the team would be good with the rest back. I’ve been very critical of pope, I hope he can do it but we’ll see

I agree.

Btw, love the "break glass in case of emergency" analogy.

 

[kyjeff1]

Jeff what is your assessment of the season if that’s what we roll with? Say Stokes doesn’t come, and that’s essentially our roster. Give or take a few. But say we add no elite portal or freshman to it.

How many wins / losses, SEC final rank, tournament wins / losses?

My take?
Recruit over Noah
Get another big butt athletic 5
Add a PJ Haggerty type player at the 2
Add another pg (upper shelf that can shoot)
Add another shooter
Get Mo D, MM, JJ, CC, KW, JL and AJ.

Everyone keeps focusing on the blowout losses, but I think we should focus more on what this current team has shown they can do and build off that. If you can win at Arkansas and Tennessee and push Florida the way we did, why would we not want to bring the best guys back off this roster, continue to develop them and add a few upper shelf pieces at the 1, 2, 3 and 5.

You need Mo D for toughnness, you need Kam and Jelevic for the stretch 4 spot, you never get rid of a Collin Chandler type shooter, Jaland Lowe is skilled, just needs to focus on assists, you hang on to Moreno for dear life and you definitely don't let JJ leave. I'm telling you now, JJ is going to be a star.

 

[davtay]

My take?
Recruit over Noah
Get another big butt athletic 5
Add a PJ Haggerty type player at the 2
Add another pg (upper shelf that can shoot)
Add another shooter
Get Mo D, MM, JJ, CC, KW, JL and AJ.

Everyone keeps focusing on the blowout losses, but I think we should focus more on what this current team has shown they can do and build off that. If you can win at Arkansas and Tennessee and push Florida the way we did, why would we not want to bring the best guys back off this roster, continue to develop them and add a few upper shelf pieces at the 1, 2, 3 and 5.

You need Mo D for toughnness, you need Kam and Jelevic for the stretch 4 spot, you never get rid of a Collin Chandler type shooter, Jaland Lowe is skilled, just needs to focus on assists, you hang on to Moreno for dear life and you definitely don't let JJ leave. I'm telling you now, JJ is going to be a star.

Do you think there is any truth to the Dinka Pate rumors? I would prefer someone like him to HS recruit.

 

[kyjeff1]

I’m not defending the unreasonable crowd but you compared our projected starting PG to our 4th guy off the bench.
I think Noah would be a loss if he left because he is an experienced role guy. Those are valuable, keep them if you can but you don’t pay them like starters.
I don’t want Lowe back as a starter. He is injured. He didn’t shoot the 3 well. He didn’t finish at the rim well and doesn’t create his own shot. Florida won the title because of Clayton Jr. Without him no title. PG is the most important position. I don’t know who we could bring in with that potential. I do know Lowe doesn’t have it. He couldn’t carry a team. Butler was closer than Lowe. JMO.

Where did I compare Lowe to the 4th guy off the bench? I didn't compare him to anybody.

We need more than 1 pg and what's not fair here, is Lowe never got the chance to develop, he was injured the whole time. Just look at DA, he was terrible until mid January, look at him now. Shouldn't Lowe get that same respect? Lowe is getting surgery, he'll be fine next year, but he can’t be our only pg.

And just because Florida won it with Clayton at the 1, doesn't mean that's the only way. We won a title with Marquise Teague running the point and went to 2 final 4's with Andrew Harrison. You need shooters but they don't HAVE to point guards.

I don't get the love affair with Trent Noah. He’s a glorified walk on and going into next year, if Pope is serious about winning, he can't bring Garrison and Noah back and he can’t try to spread the wealth between 15 guys and since it looks like 9 guys are returning, you have to either get rid of Noah, or make him a very limited spot player. He’s not good enough to be a regular rotation piece.

If the consensus is that Lowe is not good enough, fine, I have no problem with that, send him down the road. Doesn't matter to me, but whoever Pope brings in, won't be a plug-and-play guy. At least Lowe has been a part of the system and knows what we do.

 

[kyjeff1]

I agree you want to keep Noah but not a a starter price. I think keeping Lowe if he is willing to compete with whoever else is brought in. We have never gotten to see a healthy Lowe, but there needs to be another PG regardless. Hopefully a bigger, stronger PG.

Butler was perfect for last years team, and would have been for this years team. A warrior who played hurt. And was not considered a shooter who improved in that area very well. I would take a Lamont Butler on any UK team.

Exactly and if Lowe doesn’t want to compete for the pg spot, send him packing and find 2 dawgs that do.

I wouldn’t mind getting Dink Pate. Having a backcourt of Pate, Lowe, Chandler, JJ and Haggerty would be pretty damn impressive.