UK just not appealing anymore?

[bbnkat02]

I believe these things tend to go in cycles.

The OP is getting roasted but I think it's safe to assume we "currently" aren't the "it school? to go to.

These days it's far less about the actual school and more about how much money will I make in NIL deals.

This. No one really cares anymore. And that's in all industries. Loyalty means precisely Richard anymore. Which I hate, but also understand. I will be loyal to those who care about me, but outside of that? Pfft.

 

[Broker]

I have read too many interviews with the 2025 guys Pope is recruiting to see that Kentucky is still viewed as a blue blood and one of the very, if not the top, places to go play ball. I think once people see this new style of play, the fans feeding off it and the success it will bring then recruiting will take care of itself.

Is USC west still viewed as a blueblood in football? We must start winning to remain in consideration as a blue blood. Same goes for Duke, UNC, KU. If they don't win for 12 years they will also lose a ton of shine. The kids today in college don't remember us being a big time winner they were 7 or 8 years old in 2012. Cal turned us into a college G-Leauge. It will take a few final fours to get back to where we want to be.

 

[bbnkat02]

Some people take pride in accomplishments and consider money to be a by-product of performance. I think it’s way too simplistic to paint all college athletes as nothing but mercenaries.

Being part of and adding to a winning tradition still matter to some. No better place to play than Kentucky if you have that mindset.

Three years ago, I cared about money, but not at the forefront. Now? With the way things are? I don't blame people that put money first. Sad state of our world. When food prices keep jumping, money HAS to come first.

 

[Mike-D]

True so far but where was the blown opportunity?

Lol

 

[rivercatinfl]

Is USC west still viewed as a blueblood in football? We must start winning to remain in consideration as a blue blood. Same goes for Duke, UNC, KU. If they don't win for 12 years they will also lose a ton of shine. The kids today in college don't remember us being a big time winner they were 7 or 8 years old in 2012. Cal turned us into a college G-Leauge. It will take a few final fours to get back to where we want to be.

100%. I remember when we came off probation in the 90's. A kid named Mashburn chose U.K. and guy named Pitino started coaching. That started the roll.

I think we will see something similar from Pope's teams. I really hope we get Riley this year. He might be the first guy to start the mix of the right 5* players to blend with older guys.

 

[Blue Bigfoot]

1. Kentucky is a known commodity with shine.
2. Pope is an unknown commodity at Kentucky.
3. One successful season and recruiting will pick up.
4. Op obvious troll obvious.

 

[HeismaNole_rivals116019]

Not really difficult to understand the situation in college athletics.

1. Everything is "What have you done lately?" Kids go with what they have seen during their teen years if they have their pick.

2. How much can I get paid/play?

 

[RalphDaltonFan]

OP is trolling but you do have to wonder what the appeal and what is being sold about UK now. Cal is gone. No more Drake and constant attention. No more future NBA stars annually. What do we as a fanbase a program currently have to offer? Passionate fanbase? Yes. But that isn’t as important here days when these kids experience fame that comes along with social media. Back in the day players would go out to the mall and get asked for autographs and that would be a thrill. Now players are buying jewelry and have groupies in their DMs. Went from NbADraft camp to church camp in a couple months.

If there was ever a time to be disassociated with Cal's "good friend" Aubrey "Drake" Graham, it's now. Maybe Pope can ask Hart to work his South Central connections to book Kendrick Lamar at BBM this year.

 

[fs-ripcord65]

could it actually be that this generation doesn’t look at Kentucky as a blue blood or something? Is it the campus? I’m really starting to feel like the University is going in the sh@tter here of late. I’m good with the roster, don’t get me wrong but damn, are the boosters hurting for money?

CCC has irrevocably tarnished the reputation of U.K. basketball, in the short term. Fortunately, the world will recognize, soon enough, that any negativity associated with Kentucky basketball had its genesis in CCC's myriad failures and inadequacies ! ! !
Paraphrasing the late, great Al McGuire -- Kentucky basketball has "IT" ! And U.K. basketball had "it" before CCC, and U.K. continued to have "it" even through the abyss that was CCC's 15-year tenure, and U.K. still has "it" now that CCC has mercifully shuffled off to Fayetteville, and U.K. will still have "it" as long as Mark Pope is the head coach, and U.K. will still have "it" when Mark Pope is gone.

Just MHO, of course. Go 'Cats ! ! !

 

[Shaudylo]

And who can say what they would do if they were in the recruits shoes.

Oh trust something tells me there would be a different mindset by some if they were in the position of a player with talent .

 

[W1LDCAT22]

With being around several highschool athletes who all had D-1 scholarships this year, I can confidently say that almost every kid will make a decision that benefits themselves over everything else, including the school. Honestly, I cant blame these kids wanting to go somewhere that would help them the most over being a fan of a university. These kids have to be selfish, and it's understandable. They want to go somewhere that has their best interest at heart and trusts the staff.

Is Pope hurting his recruiting chances by constantly saying that he wants kids that puts the name on the front of the jersey over the name on the back? Some of these recruits may be getting the wrong impression. Its not necessarily selfish for a kid to have this mindset about their future, after all, picking a college is a huge decision. If coaches do right by these kids, they will play their heart out for the school. This is a two-way ticket that needs to be balanced and incorporated in our recruitment strategies.

 

[LadyCaytIL]

It's threads like this that give rival fanbases canon fodder and makes us look weak and stupid. We must collectively do better. toughen up.

Do you mean the OP or those defending UK?

 

[BigBlueManSouthCentralKY]

Is USC west still viewed as a blueblood in football? We must start winning to remain in consideration as a blue blood. Same goes for Duke, UNC, KU. If they don't win for 12 years they will also lose a ton of shine. The kids today in college don't remember us being a big time winner they were 7 or 8 years old in 2012. Cal turned us into a college G-Leauge. It will take a few final fours to get back to where we want to be.

Agree we need a purge like the Pitino years. I am just going by what several 25 recruits have been saying about us. Things like 'Kentucky is Kentucky.' 'It's still Kentucky and always will be.' 'I had a Kentucky sticker on my bed when I was a kid.' And on and on. The winning part not what it needs to be for who we are. But young kids still consider us in high regards.

 

[Aike]

Three years ago, I cared about money, but not at the forefront. Now? With the way things are? I don't blame people that put money first. Sad state of our world. When food prices keep jumping, money HAS to come first.

Money matters to a certain point, but once you are safe and secure, well fed, etc. you tend to crave different things. Psychology 101.

Part of that could be money as a reward/validation for accomplishment. Some is just a sense of belonging. All those former Cats piling off the bus at Pope’s press conference - that was about belonging, and it runs deep.

 

[Woodsmoke]

When you see a post that seems so stupid, in a provocative way, that it is outside the range of intelligent human thought, check the date the poster signed up. In this case, it was April 12 -- the exact day Pope was hired. That's not a coincidence. He clearly rushed here, started an account and began to troll.

99 percent of boards are moderated and get rid of such posters. Not Rupp's Rafters.

 

[fs-ripcord65]

Money matters to a certain point, but once you are safe and secure, well fed, etc. you tend to crave different things. Psychology 101.

Part of that could be money as a reward/validation for accomplishment. Some is just a sense of belonging. All those former Cats piling off the bus at Pope’s press conference - that was about belonging, and it runs deep.

As usual, Aike ... you've made an excellent and very important post ! I've taken the liberty of using bold type to emphasize the part of your post that really rang my bell ! Thanks for making that point !
Go 'Cats ! ! !

 

[Skyguyb27]

B$tches be trippin

 

[TigerMoving]

Dumbass thread

 

[gobigblue812_rivals29381]

THIS THREAD DID NOT AGE WELL.


THAT IS ALL

 

[Rockfly78]

Do you mean the OP or those defending UK?

OP of course

 

[crxohio]

Coach Pope is doing a very fine job with the biggest "Bluebood" program. With what he was left. Get onboard! He is not stubborn and will adapt to the evolving game. I actually think his offense schemes are gonna resemble Billy D'S and defense gonna resemble Rick PitinO's.

 

[UK2287]

could it actually be that this generation doesn’t look at Kentucky as a blue blood or something? Is it the campus? I’m really starting to feel like the University is going in the sh@tter here of late. I’m good with the roster, don’t get me wrong but damn, are the boosters hurting for money?

Nonsense. UK is and always will be the ultimate program.

 

[Elliott Tim]

Oh trust something tells me there would be a different mindset by some if they were in the position of a player with talent .

Don't know how old you are, but my brain didn't work as good (or not so good) when I was that young.
It was much better manipulated and persuaded back then.

 

[LadyCaytIL]

If you take off the blue tinted glasses, there are a few programs up here with UK but put the glasses back on because we're fans of the mother truckin best program in history of the sport !!!! CATS ALL DAY ALL LIFE BABY!!!! C.....A......T.....S... CATS CATS CATS!!!!

 

[Elliott Tim]

Money matters to a certain point, but once you are safe and secure, well fed, etc. you tend to crave different things. Psychology 101.

Part of that could be money as a reward/validation for accomplishment. Some is just a sense of belonging. All those former Cats piling off the bus at Pope’s press conference - that was about belonging, and it runs deep.

Very nice.

 

[BigRedMachineBigBlueNation]

Is USC west still viewed as a blueblood in football? We must start winning to remain in consideration as a blue blood. Same goes for Duke, UNC, KU. If they don't win for 12 years they will also lose a ton of shine. The kids today in college don't remember us being a big time winner they were 7 or 8 years old in 2012. Cal turned us into a college G-Leauge. It will take a few final fours to get back to where we want to be.

Yeah they are, but I get what you mean.

 

[March 22]

Time to get back on the short bus.

 

[TomBlue14]

OP, do you want some salt with that CROW?? Lol

 

[TFCat11]

And just like that, the OP redefined the definition of an Epic Fail

 

[CatsFan4Evr]

Well isn't this just a used tampon of a thread.

 

[StubbornPenny]

OP goes down in history as the biggest failure of a troll of all time

 

[Cleatortoises]

If this were the case, (it is not),
Why do our games still draw the highest tv audiences?
Clown much?

 

[SkyPrince1]

Lol

Name 'em.
Refusal to pay an asking price is not a miss.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

If this were the case, (it is not),
Why do our games still draw the highest tv audiences?
Clown much?

Two different things

UK will always have a large fan base and insane TV numbers. That won’t change.

But that’s different from saying that players do (or don’t) want to come here.

I think this is true of all schools tho to be honest. It’s not a UK thing or a Duke thing or a Kansas thing.

People follow coaches. Specific players want to play with specific coaches. It was more about that than school. Cal goes to Arkansas and players he recruited followed suit. They aren’t going to Arkansas because they love the school anymore than they came to UK because they love UK. Now it’s about NIL for I would assume quite a bit of players.

 

[The_Answer1313_rivals]

But you know how to be the “it” school again. Win ballgames. Once Pope shows he can do that on the big stage it might be a more attractive option

 

[MonsterMash79]

Lmao.. I’ll eat crow, no problem but don’t act like people weren’t shatting their pants before he announced

 

[MonsterMash79]

Wait.. why am I a troll? Because I had a question of how recruits might view the program these days? Far from a troll lol. Nice conspiracy theory you sound batsh*t crazy lol

 

[jeffky]

Lmao.. I’ll eat crow, no problem but don’t act like people weren’t shatting their pants before he announced

 

[Cleatortoises]

Two different things

UK will always have a large fan base and insane TV numbers. That won’t change.

But that’s different from saying that players do (or don’t) want to come here.

I think this is true of all schools tho to be honest. It’s not a UK thing or a Duke thing or a Kansas thing.

People follow coaches. Specific players want to play with specific coaches. It was more about that than school. Cal goes to Arkansas and players he recruited followed suit. They aren’t going to Arkansas because they love the school anymore than they came to UK because they love UK. Now it’s about NIL for I would assume quite a bit of players.

I think it appeals (the original premise) to players to play the big games on TV in front of the national audience.
Players follow coaches because there is generally a relationship that has been established that provides a comfort level for them.
Oh yeah, and the .
GBB

 

[bbnkat02]

But you know how to be the “it” school again. Win ballgames. Once Pope shows he can do that on the big stage it might be a more attractive option

Not just win ball games. Win ball games that matter. And don’t lose to the Evansvilles of the world.