Do you believe getting Stokes at this point will cause UK to win #9 next year? If Pope makes it to the Sweet 16 I doubt he would be fired. Many people on here, including myself, would like to see a different coach. We don't know what next years final roster will be. So I'm asking if you get Stokes what would be considered a good season? Also would that want you to continue to have Pope as the coach?
Why Do You Wants Stokes?
- Thread starter Coach777
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I will never root against the team because I want the coach fired. Thats never going to happen. I hope we get Stokes and Momcilovic and a couple of depth pieces and we go to the Final Four. With the roster where it is, we likely don't make the tourney. So yes I hope we get Stokes...plus some
I like watching good basketball players in Kentucky jerseys. Or at least I think I do. Haven’t seen much of it lately so I can’t remember.
For the same reason I would have kept the fallen and failed John Calipari if I knew phony virtue circus clown Mitch Barnhart was going to downgrade.
At least Cal kept us in the national spotlight.
I'd have rather kept Cal, landed Acuff, Smith Jr., and maybe even AJ and Stokes than had this irrelevant clown show that is currently going on.
Give me another trio of future all-stars, and let Cal ride out into the sunset with exciting players that at least give you a chance in the tournament. Then when he retired, UK could have hired him to be our ambassador.
Instead, we downgraded significantly. We can't even recruit high-level players now.
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Next season Kansas will probably have two McDonald's All-Americans that are from the state of Kentucky on their roster as they pass us for all-time wins...that is a salt block in the wound.
Kentucky is not winning number 9 next year regardless. Getting Stokes may keep us out of the NIT though. That's why I want Stokes.
Because I will never for any circumstances root for UK to lose. I wanted to see UK win every game they played the last 4 to 5 years of Cal and still would be rooting for Cal to turn it around if he did not leave here. I was not overly excited with the Coach Pope hiring but as Coach I want him to win every game he coaches. If he does not, I expect there will be a coaching change at the end of next season. Until then I want UK to win and I want Coach Pope to be successful.
I was excited about Stokes. I'm not now. We won't have a roster around him even if he did commit here. I didn't think Pope was a good recruiter but I assumed he would do decent in the portal then add Stokes. I honestly don't care who he gets. I'm over Pope and the whole Stokes thing now after months of pumping Stokes.
We are just wasting time until Pope leaves. But sure if Stokes commits I reckon that's good
We are just wasting time until Pope leaves. But sure if Stokes commits I reckon that's good
What kind of attitude will this young man have if he by chance picks UK? Pretty obvious the Cheathawks is his preferred choice. He'd only really be coming to UK because of the Nike component. I'm just afraid he'd pull a Sharpe with any little ache or pain and shut it down.
At this point I’d pay the bank to Tounde Yessoufou and Momcilivic and let Stokes go. Can’t afford a miss with him, I believe he makes a decision this week though finally.
Personally, I don’t want a losing season. We currently have a losing season roster.
Give me 2 proven players over Stokes.
Stokes is really good but not elite imo. This last freshman class had 10-15 players better.
Duke backed off, which is a giant red flag. So given that and Pope's inability to manage elite talent, even if we land him might as well expect a Patterson or at best a mikel Brown situation.
The only reason the staff is pushing so hard is to change perception. That's important for sure, but that's probably all he'd change.
This ^^^.
To me it is not-being-a-fan of a team to ever root for them to lose.
Am I skeptical, do I have my doubts, that Pope will be successful at UK? Yes!
I actually consider the past 2 weeks + recruiting the past year to be a bigger concern than the past 2 seasons. Pope's first season, given the injuries and inheriting a roster of 0 players, I think most fans 1 year ago was giving him a B or B+. This past year, with a similar level of injuries, and essentially 1 less win (2nd round game), and most of us give him a D or D+ or at best C- (none of which are acceptable). You can't be reasonable and not consider the record amount of injuries, with about 115 games missed over 2 years by rotational players (that doesn't include JQ missing Nov & Dec because that was expected).
But I think Pope has to get us to an E8 next season to continue.
I'd maybe consider a S16 IF it was a successful season to that point AND he had us a stacked (say 3 top 15-20) roster of recruits coming in, but we know that level of recruiting won't happen.
Stokes is the final nail in popes coffin as head coach regardless. Get him and we still underperform next year losing minimally 12-14 games next year. Watching Pope try and coach Stokes next year would be fairly entertaining in of itself. Lose Stokes and we are probably a .500 club at best. Next season will not be back to KY basketball either way. It’s just not going to happen under pope regardless of roster.
would have to agree with other posters on here that I’d rather have 2 proven players over Stokes. If we had a complimentary roster and he was the last piece, then by all means push even harder, but that’s just not the case. This freshman class quite frankly stinks, a lot of high level athletes, but not a lot of high level basketball players like this past class. Take the Stokes money, drive straight to Tounde and Milan’s house and dump it on their doorsteps and force them to say no and go into the season with a more proven roster.
"I'm rooting for Kentucky not to win, so that we can change coaches."
OK, then I draw the line firmly on that from my perspective.
Fans = always root for their team to win, regardless. That's always number one goal for a fan.
This should be obvious and a non-negotiable. ^
OK, then I draw the line firmly on that from my perspective.
Fans = always root for their team to win, regardless. That's always number one goal for a fan.
This should be obvious and a non-negotiable. ^
I don't want him or anyone else at this point. I want off this ride. And the fastest way is for next season to be a total dumpster fire. We need Mitch, Eli and Pope gone asap.. and having a mediocre season doesn't help that.
Sadly, that's where my head is at. I'd rather have no team next year than have a dark horse Sweet16 team.
Sadly, that's where my head is at. I'd rather have no team next year than have a dark horse Sweet16 team.
It's a casual fan take, one that cant see the forest through the trees. Keeping the same coaching/management staff is going to do nothing but keep Kentucky wallowing in mediocrity. I'd rather take just one year to really suck, so it will force change. Because if done right, it could mean Kentucky has more wins over the next 5 years with a new regime, than if we just stick with what we are doing.
A good example was when the Jets won a meaningless game back in 2021. Some Jets fans were SO happy, simply because on that day, they got to see a win, and it also meant that the Jets weren't in last place in the NFL, just 2nd to last place. What did it cost them? Well, the Jags got Trevor Lawrence and the Jets got Zach White. I don't think it's out of left field to say that this single draft outcome was probably worth about 30 wins over the next 5 years. But hey, The Jets won that 4th game of the season back in December of 2021! We got that going for us.
Sorry but I just don't see it that way.
Picture in your mind, Kentucky is playing Louisville. You got two dudes on a coach --- one is a Louisville fan. The other is a Kentucky fan. And yet they are both cheering for Louisville to win? Give me a break. Not fan behavior.
Fans want Stokes because they want their team to have the best possible players, that put them in the best position possible to win!
Im not even sure anymore that Stokes actually wants to go to Kansas either! Maybe it’s been Oregon from the beginning, but Stokes just wanted maximum brand exposure, so he kept KU around, and him and his agent have been employing the now infamous, “Rope-a-Pope” negotiation tactic to get the maximum $$$ from Oregon/ Nike!
Im not even sure anymore that Stokes actually wants to go to Kansas either! Maybe it’s been Oregon from the beginning, but Stokes just wanted maximum brand exposure, so he kept KU around, and him and his agent have been employing the now infamous, “Rope-a-Pope” negotiation tactic to get the maximum $$$ from Oregon/ Nike!
Ehh, I don't see it as "The Kentucky fan is cheering for Louisville". I more see it as not caring about the outcome, and also seeing it as win/win where Kentucky losing just forces the change, opponent being indifferent. Ideally, we beat all of our rivals, sure.
Now, if you could *promise* me that anything less than a Final4 means Pope/Mitch/Eli being gone and drastic changes being implemented to fix our broke basketball program? I'll take that. But you can't really promise that.. and we don't know if a S16 and 12-loss season wouldn;t be enough to save Pope and save these big changes from happening. So for that reason, the bandaid needs to be ripped off. Let's get out on the coaching front sooner than later.
I personally do not at this point. Kentucky should never have to beg someone to play for them. At this point, this has gone beyond begging and become borderline pathetic. Pope should have cut bait weeks ago. He refused to acknowledge the reality of the situation, and now he’s desperate for a miracle.
Because I don't want to lose 15 games next year and because Kentucky produces Top notch NBA players.
I don't know how you're not using the MVP of the damn League to help you get players.
Well you put guys into the league last year in your first year. I don't know man this guy just sucks
I don't know how you're not using the MVP of the damn League to help you get players.
Well you put guys into the league last year in your first year. I don't know man this guy just sucks
Why do I want Stokes, let me count the ways:
-I want UK to win and he likely improves the chances;
-I want UK to win & Pope to succeed or be gone. Getting the #1 player forces that scenario. Lose with Stokes it’s on Pope. Lose w/o Stokes some will still believe it’s mainly JMI;
-I want UK to win and to do that the UK coach is going to have to show he can put players in the league;
-I want UK to win and to do that they have to get the best players and be viewed as a cool destination. Stokes helps there.
Basically I think landing Stokes brings the whole situation to a head. With him Pope has zero excuses. Win or leave.
-I want UK to win and he likely improves the chances;
-I want UK to win & Pope to succeed or be gone. Getting the #1 player forces that scenario. Lose with Stokes it’s on Pope. Lose w/o Stokes some will still believe it’s mainly JMI;
-I want UK to win and to do that the UK coach is going to have to show he can put players in the league;
-I want UK to win and to do that they have to get the best players and be viewed as a cool destination. Stokes helps there.
Basically I think landing Stokes brings the whole situation to a head. With him Pope has zero excuses. Win or leave.
So where do they have to finish in the league and tourney to be a successful season and keep Pope?
We going to miss out on him and pope is going to go 9-22, and say, there it is. That number 9 again. It just keeps coming up. 9.
I'm with you. Even one of those guys beats having Stokes muck everything up with a fake injury because he isn't playing well.
It would be one or the other, not both just like Freeman or Rancik. UK fans love to stack players when projecting lineups. In addition to money, players want guarantees of starting and miniutes.
Getting Stokes is about sending a message that Pope can land a top high school player.
Find it hard to care at all right now. I’ll root for UK to win every game, but I think we are going to suck *** next season with or without Stokes.
There is no magical record but needs to finish the regular season avoiding double digit losses. Pope will either have UK basketball winning, beating teams handily that they should, competing with the best, playing hard, avoiding blowout losses and landing recruits because UK is fun to play for again or he won’t and should be fired. I would expect that would lead to a top 3 SEC finish (Florida looks too strong) and a minimum sweet 16 with a strong class of 3 solid recruits.
I don’t see that happening. I expect the new AD will be looking for a coach. Hopefully the new AD is not an incestuous good ole boy hire. When somebody says we need an AD that is “one of us” or “gets UK” I cringe. I want an AD and a coach who gets winning and beating the heck out of others. That’s not specific to UK.
its about filling out the needed pieces at this point
I will never get invested in a single player as some people are with Stokes , especially in a drama filled bidding war.
I will never get invested in a single player as some people are with Stokes , especially in a drama filled bidding war.
I don’t want Stokes.
I know we need Stokes. Pope needs Stokes.
10X rather have a couple of players such as Momcilivic, Murinnen, Yessoufou
I know we need Stokes. Pope needs Stokes.
10X rather have a couple of players such as Momcilivic, Murinnen, Yessoufou
That’s actually a good point. I believe Pope needs stokes more than the team needs Stokes at this point. Pope needs a recruiting win at the highschool level to gain momentum, but the team as currently constructed wouldn’t see a huge upwards swing with Stokes on the roster without more pieces around him.