Seriously? Have we not learned that we need to get OLDER and not stuck in the 5* mentality that got us in the mess we are in. Can he recruit the PORTAL?!?!! Can he manage NIL?!?!?! The guy is brilliant and I trust him to figure this out.
At what point do we STOP it with...can he recruit the best.
- Thread starter Dr. H Lecter
- Start date
Absolutely true Sir
People already missing the Klutch 5 stars they've complained about for a few years. People are just upset they didn't get the shiny object they wanted.
100% done with caring how many 5-star, 17-year-old kids UK can land each year. That was something I grew to despise w/ Cal, and I'm going to avoid being a hypocrite.
Just field a roster of talented basketball players who play hard for the jersey they're wearing and care about winning games more than their draft stock, and that's a hell of a start.
Just field a roster of talented basketball players who play hard for the jersey they're wearing and care about winning games more than their draft stock, and that's a hell of a start.
Exactly, we've seen what #1 recruiting get us. We have a good bench coach now, a developer of players. Just get talented guys who wanna be here, we have some nice NIL money coming back. We are gonna be just fine
Everyone wanted Cal gone and Pope is the anti Cal in every way.
Everyone wanted Cal gone and Pope is the anti Cal in every way.
Yes. Lets get guys that are here for 2+ years. I want to learn their name and know them when the next season rolls around. I do not give a rip about the NBA.
The truth brother, number 1 classes get you 2 first round exits and a losing season.
We HAD the best recruiter, but everyone complained about Xs and Os, out-of-bounds, scouting, modern offense, etc
Now we have, by all accounts, Xs and Os, out-of-bounds, scouting, modern offense, etc.
He hasn't had a single minute to recruit, develop, or win games yet - let's just calm down, let this play out, and throw our full support at him in the process
I don't need him to recruit THE best, but I need him to recruit better than BYU level players.
Any chance we can make you a 5 star so you jump to another team. I cannot imagine going through each day with a negative attitude.
Haul you're cal loving *** to the Arkansas board. You think he might have had a few restrictions against him in recruiting at BYU YOU
BYU is Mormon and there were many restrictions.
I also want better than Utah Valley St level players haha
Pitino crushed it with Pope, Anderson, Delk, Mashburn, McCarty, Mohammad, Walker, Turner, and Sheppard. Were they top recruits coming out of school?
Pope is everything that we complained Cal wasn't. People should be happy. We got what we have been wanting, and now people are already complaining about recruiting. It's hopeless with some people.
And that's exactly who's been beating the ish outta Cow for a while. Especially the coaches that can insert multiple defensive setups, and the 1-3-1 zone. Cal is helpless against a zone because he never practices it.
I'd like to see how well Cal could recruit kids to BYU while making them sign a pledge to not have sex, consume caffeine, or touch alcohol.
I knew there was a reason I turned down my offer from BYU.
Dan Hurley's record at UCONN.
UConn Huskies (American Athletic Conference) (2018–2020)
2018–19 UConn 16–17 6–12 T–9th
2019–20 UConn 19–12 10–8 5th
UConn Huskies (Big East Conference) (2020–present)
2020–21 UConn 15–8 11–6 3rd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2021–22 UConn 23–10 13–6 3rd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2022–23 UConn 31–8 13–7 T–4th NCAA Division I Champion
2023–24 UConn 37–3 18–2 1st NCAA Division I Champion
Honest question... Would he have survived here to win those 2 titles? We can write the narrative lots of ways. He is the 2-time defending champion... or He has never been past the round of 32 (at Rhode Island) without Donovan Clingan.
When we hired Pitino he went 14-14 in year 1 and 22-6 in year 2. Of course Pitino had an impressive track record. Mark Pope is our coach. Don't take the anger at Cal or Mitch out on Mark Pope. It's easy being a good fan when we are winning titles. Give him a fair chance now and see where we go.
UConn Huskies (American Athletic Conference) (2018–2020)
2018–19 UConn 16–17 6–12 T–9th
2019–20 UConn 19–12 10–8 5th
UConn Huskies (Big East Conference) (2020–present)
2020–21 UConn 15–8 11–6 3rd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2021–22 UConn 23–10 13–6 3rd NCAA Division I Round of 64
2022–23 UConn 31–8 13–7 T–4th NCAA Division I Champion
2023–24 UConn 37–3 18–2 1st NCAA Division I Champion
Honest question... Would he have survived here to win those 2 titles? We can write the narrative lots of ways. He is the 2-time defending champion... or He has never been past the round of 32 (at Rhode Island) without Donovan Clingan.
When we hired Pitino he went 14-14 in year 1 and 22-6 in year 2. Of course Pitino had an impressive track record. Mark Pope is our coach. Don't take the anger at Cal or Mitch out on Mark Pope. It's easy being a good fan when we are winning titles. Give him a fair chance now and see where we go.
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Preach on. Straight talk is easy understood.
This is a very good point. Pope won’t recruit like Cal, but the thing is that we shouldn’t want him to. It’ll hopefully be a good change to actually have a coach getting players that fit a particular vision and system rather than just chasing star ratings.
I've said this exact thing in multiple threads today. And Hurley's NCAA record before UConn hired him was 2-2. And it was 2-4 before he won a championship.
I don't want 5 stars that want to be 1 and done. Maybe 1 or 2 a year. I can't go back to having 5,6, 7 guys that only care about the NBA.
Give me a team full of Sophomores, Juniors, seniors and portal transfers that WANT to be where they are.
I think with the Kentucky NIL bag, and the talent available in the portal--Pope can get good players this year. He plays a fun style that will appeal to college players.
Give me a team full of Sophomores, Juniors, seniors and portal transfers that WANT to be where they are.
I think with the Kentucky NIL bag, and the talent available in the portal--Pope can get good players this year. He plays a fun style that will appeal to college players.
Glad someone said it. Cal has us brainwashed about recruiting high school players being the way.
Where has it gotten us the last 6 or 7 years? Absolutely nowhere but learning new names every 9 months.
Let’s try a new way.
Where has it gotten us the last 6 or 7 years? Absolutely nowhere but learning new names every 9 months.
Let’s try a new way.
Looking at the championship game rosters this season, that’s a good indication that you don’t have to have 5 stars to be successful in college basketball. Finding the right players in recruiting high school and the portal that fit your system is way more important.
How many 5 stars did Oakland or Saint peters have when they beat us? Lol Cal has to many fans obsessed with recruiting here.
Let Caliponzi take his McDonalds all Americans, we will take Burger King boys and kick that hog calling ***.
They were highly recruited. Maybe not the top 5 but most were coveted by many. Having said that, look at Purdue. They are not loaded with NBA talent and got to the Final Four. Pope doesn’t need the top recruiting class to be successful but he will need to recruit very well. System players can definitely lead to a lot of success.
A reporter who covers BYU said Pope was allowed only to recruit players of the Mormon faith, then he was allowed to get 2-3 players from the portal, if they signed a contract to abide by all the Mormon rules like no premarital sex.
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This is the crowd that is never going to be happy........
There will be crying on here if UK doesn't land the top notch talent..........they are always looking out from the shadows waiting to be offended so they can complain........to many one and done players.......now it is, "Pope has to get better players than he had at BYU"............jeesh.......at least give the guy some time to get going before you set him up for failure.........
Not worried about recruiting. Worried about the ability to win games in March. Not saying it can't happen, but there were sure way more proven options for that left on the table.
He will be expected to recruit better than 1 & 2 star talent to UK and I don't think he'll have a problem doing that. They'll still get good players but UK will no longer have the #1 or 2 classes every year because they'll be going after guys who will stay longer. We'll be fine.
I don't want the best... The days of competing with 22-23 year olds with teams full of 18 year olds is over.
I want the guys who are great ball players and that love the game of basketball that DON'T dream of playing in the NBA.
I want the guys who are great ball players and that love the game of basketball that DON'T dream of playing in the NBA.
The environment has change. Cal could have adjusted and killed it here and chose not to bc he prefers winning the offseason and draft night.
The new “who can get the most 5 stars” is “can you get 1-2 highly ranked and Kari it with a lot of sophomore/Jr transfer portal kids that will be in the program 2+ years.
You counter the transfer happy era by getting the underclass transfers w multiple years left and then only going after top 10 freshmen that fit your existing team needs. Get a few more 25-50 ranked Fr that know they are at minimum 1 year from seeing the floor and are trying to break through as sophomores. And then an elite grad transfer when it’s a big immediate need like a scorer or big physical big man that’s a 22 year old capable of dominating any 18yo stick big man w high “potential”
The new “who can get the most 5 stars” is “can you get 1-2 highly ranked and Kari it with a lot of sophomore/Jr transfer portal kids that will be in the program 2+ years.
You counter the transfer happy era by getting the underclass transfers w multiple years left and then only going after top 10 freshmen that fit your existing team needs. Get a few more 25-50 ranked Fr that know they are at minimum 1 year from seeing the floor and are trying to break through as sophomores. And then an elite grad transfer when it’s a big immediate need like a scorer or big physical big man that’s a 22 year old capable of dominating any 18yo stick big man w high “potential”