Back from the game and boy

Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,033
4,220
108
Are you acting like I’ve never been there? Thanks for the advice that I didn’t need. My daughter lives there and we love it. And you do know there are more areas other than Broadway, right? Geez, didn’t know Nashville could trigger someone so much.
Nah just saying you can have all of it you want but others that don’t go a lot need to be careful. City sucks, and tradition is gone. It’s actually sad, Nashville in the 90’s and was incredible. Now half the population is out of state transplants and foreigners. Dangerous too, my friends girlfriend was assaulted there (not on broadway👍) from someone not from the area then my sister had her car stolen outside of TDB. Believe it’s #1 for car thefts now, can’t park anywhere. Nashville has a bad problem with assaults in different forms.

Glad y’all like it, haven’t met many that do anymore. Good spots outside of it but then you have to drive in a lot. And driving in Nashville is worse than Atlanta. It’s moving into the top 10 most dangerous cities in America now too. The fall of Nashville was really unfortunate. When it was just Tennesseans / southern Kentuckians without the influx of out of staters and people from all over it was an incredible place. But if you like it that’s great. Glad she likes it there.
 
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Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,033
4,220
108
Mark got exactly what he wanted. $5MM/ year- for 6 years now (thanks to the stupid Sweet 16 auto extension). I don't feel sorry for him at all. Guarantee he begged for this job . Also- didn't he get something like a $3.5MM raise lol?
Well you know what happens when a coach calls and begs Mitch….

God forbid Jimmy Sexton is the agent, then you’re really getting it.
 

Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,033
4,220
108
The whole team isn't playing.

Sucks to lose to UNC, though.
I do think this matters however you still get fired if it doesn’t turn around quickly. I’m worried about it because injuries can derail a coach and ruin his career. I wouldn’t recruit a guy like JQ anymore who won’t even be ready until mid-end of the season. That’s not helping.

I’m hoping this turns around quickly
 
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ORCAT

Heisman
Jan 6, 2003
24,587
11,763
113
I’ve got tickets for Nashville, can’t say I’m looking forward to going now. I need to check if it’s too late to cancel my hotel lol, could have been such a fun wkend but going to watch the zags bigs dominate us im not looking forward to.
I just canceled our hotel in Nashville this morning after thinking on it overnight. Put my tickets up for sale hoping some Zags might want them. Just couldn't justify driving all that way and spending money on the hotel and other bills to see exactly what you just said about their BBigs killing us all game. Staying home and going to the volleyball tournament instead, UK volleyball is much more exciting than our basketball team. And, I've been a huge UK basketball fan for many years, just feel sick about this team after being so excited to start the season.
 
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Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,033
4,220
108
Man, I want to believe this, but Calipari was here a few years past when he should have been gone, and if he hadn't flirted with Arkansas, he would have still been here at least last year.

Well, Mitch’s as already taking back control over Calipari. Calipari had free rein with his program and Mitch doesn’t interfere with that ever. He was at that time, so the even though Calipari was going to be retained, it would have had to be a quick turnaround or he would have been fired the next year. He was not going to stay based on that contract.

it’s important to remember how much the university loses if they don’t produce. Apathy will kill your cash cow. It’s worse than spaying a contract like that. That’s why programs don’t do it and make a move. Too much pressure and too much money in the line.
 

UKAlum84

All-Conference
Aug 4, 2022
1,439
1,068
66
The glaring issue from the start, you got injured players who are important.

How do you expect us to do well, when lowe is out?

You think Oweh has the same ability as Lowe?

The times I saw this team play with Lowe out there we were fine, now we are not.

Oh and the game was closer than we all thought, so its not like UNC whooped us good.....they barely won.
 

Yardeth

Heisman
Jan 2, 2007
13,169
17,165
67
I’ve got tickets for Nashville, can’t say I’m looking forward to going now. I need to check if it’s too late to cancel my hotel lol, could have been such a fun wkend but going to watch the zags bigs dominate us im not looking forward to.
It’s going to happen, and it’s on National TV, so another embarrassing loss is coming along with more excuses.
 
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Yardeth

Heisman
Jan 2, 2007
13,169
17,165
67
I was pretty mad when they hired him but I got behind him almost immediately. He deserved the chance once he got here. I think this is on Mitch as well. He should have never put Pope in a position to fail like this. Man I hope Pope can fix this trainwreck but I don’t think he can.
Seems like when Pope got the resources from UK, he just went crazy paying for role players and not a single Stud that could lead the team. He needs to promise to let the Studs shoot it. We might not get either top recruit in the 2026 class. He can also get rid of a good number of players from the team before next year, why bring back scrubs!
 
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travisbickle

Senior
Jan 4, 2022
183
574
93
He won’t be fired this year and this isn’t over. I don’t know what’s going on, and he’s going to be given a fair opportunity, but this happens into next season and recruiting isn’t showing up, I don’t think he’d make it to year 4.
This is the timeline IMO. Just hope he doesn’t burn through the goodwill entirely before the end of this season.
 

Kentucky15

All-Conference
Mar 29, 2013
2,033
4,220
108
It’s amazing to me that Mitch Barnhart is still allowed to have his office. Unbelievable. It’s even harder to think he had the support of about 30% or so until recently. Just don’t get it the guy has been absolutely trash his entire tenure here. Gotta consider he was given UK of the 90’s and this is where we are. He was given the program at the top and wanted to retain Tubby when he even knew it was over, hired Gillispie (and this was by himself no committee), the Calipari contracts and didn’t want to hire him anyway, stoops contract, Joker, football scandals, smaller program scandals, and now our basketball program just just have fully recovered from his tenure. He must really do the bidding of certain people is all I can say. There isn’t another major blue blood or football program who would have retained him. Im at a loss with it, 23 years is too long for one guy. And this is Barnhart we’re talking about. Insanity doesn’t begin to describe it.

were an SEC school and he’s proven over and over he’s not about winning big. He’s about a low expectations, settle, and collect money. I guess that’s why he’s lasted, must think he’s good for status quos and keeping the money rolling. It’s not about winning.
 

Yardeth

Heisman
Jan 2, 2007
13,169
17,165
67
no AD is going to fire a coach in his second year after making the NCAA tournament, Pope would have to tank tremendously, like closer to Kenny Payne levels to get fired after this year.
Last year the players were a team, out to prove they belonged and played team ball. For the $$$ they are really bad and we are going to drop Gonzaga, Indiana, St. John’s. At least we have NC Central on the 9th to provide false hope.
I could see this being a NIT year with a 22 million dollar roster. He has to go if this happens.
 

Goingfor9

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
15,688
2,329
113
no AD is going to fire a coach in his second year after making the NCAA tournament, Pope would have to tank tremendously, like closer to Kenny Payne levels to get fired after this year.
You haven’t been around Kentucky basketball very long. Not only does pope have to go you have to bring in the right guys to coax a nate Oates to come. Good ads fire coaches as soon as it’s obvious it’s not going to work out not. They don’t keep them around an extra year. Pope is easy to deal with because he has a reasonable contract. We are in a phase where we have to get basketball right in the next 2 years or it may be lost. Too many seasons of unbelievable failures. Gonna lose a lot of fans especially genz who want to pull for winners
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,797
65,696
113
It’s amazing to me that Mitch Barnhart is still allowed to have his office. Unbelievable. It’s even harder to think he had the support of about 30% or so until recently. Just don’t get it the guy has been absolutely trash his entire tenure here. Gotta consider he was given UK of the 90’s and this is where we are. He was given the program at the top and wanted to retain Tubby when he even knew it was over, hired Gillispie (and this was by himself no committee), the Calipari contracts and didn’t want to hire him anyway, stoops contract, Joker, football scandals, smaller program scandals, and now our basketball program just just have fully recovered from his tenure. He must really do the bidding of certain people is all I can say. There isn’t another major blue blood or football program who would have retained him. Im at a loss with it, 23 years is too long for one guy. And this is Barnhart we’re talking about. Insanity doesn’t begin to describe it.

were an SEC school and he’s proven over and over he’s not about winning big. He’s about a low expectations, settle, and collect money. I guess that’s why he’s lasted, must think he’s good for status quos and keeping the money rolling. It’s not about winning.
Kyra Elzy, BCG, Joker, retaining Stoops after 2022. Holding onto Tubby too long, Mark Pope, swim team scandal, football probation. It really is unreal.
 

Anon1764301234

Redshirt
Nov 27, 2025
24
34
13
Wilson and the transfer UNC got from Arizona are better than any player they had on their team last year. They also have a really good young guard and when Trimble gets back, they’ll be better.

But let’s also be clear, if the Heels are playing any other team in the top 15 last night on the road they lose the game. No other team is going to go 13 minutes and not score. Kentucky was absolutely begging Carolina to take that game and finally the Heels decided to oblige them. It was a bad loss.
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,797
65,696
113
You haven’t been around Kentucky basketball very long. Not only does pope have to go you have to bring in the right guys to coax a nate Oates to come. Good ads fire coaches as soon as it’s obvious it’s not going to work out not. They don’t keep them around an extra year. Pope is easy to deal with because he has a reasonable contract. We are in a phase where we have to get basketball right in the next 2 years or it may be lost. Too many seasons of unbelievable failures. Gonna lose a lot of fans especially genz who want to pull for winners
You don't have to worry about gen Z. Most grew up with early-mid Cal squads. Alpha doesn't care either way...
 

RunninRichie

Heisman
Sep 5, 2019
27,797
65,696
113
that’s the problem. They are used to winning. They aren’t like us thick and thin. I’m watching it with my 22 year old kid.
Idk man, those 2010-2017 cal teams weren't slouches. Hell, even 2019 was solid. It's only been since covid, that UK has been trash.
 

meteordealer

All-Conference
Nov 20, 2004
11,495
2,153
113
The glaring issue from the start, you got injured players who are important.

How do you expect us to do well, when lowe is out?

You think Oweh has the same ability as Lowe?

The times I saw this team play with Lowe out there we were fine, now we are not.

Oh and the game was closer than we all thought, so its not like UNC whooped us good.....they barely won.
That's where i'm at. Pope made the Sweet 16 last year with a roster he assembled in about a month. He has yet to coach a full roster this season. We have practically had at least 2 starters out every game so far due to injuries.

I think he overestimated the quality of our depth. So these injuries are having a much bigger impact than we initially thought.
 
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ukfan042

Senior
Jul 14, 2025
197
554
93
I gave my lower level tickets away. Too late during the week for me since I am still working. I am going to the Gonzaga game in Nashville- so I'll be taking my punishment soon lol.
I’ll be there too unfortunately! We’re gonna get smacked! I did cancel my hotel in Atlanta for St. John’s, just now have to unload the ticket. Not spending $700 to see us get our teeth kicked in..
 
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Jan 30, 2004
104,827
10,877
78
no AD is going to fire a coach in his second year after making the NCAA tournament, Pope would have to tank tremendously, like closer to Kenny Payne levels to get fired after this year.
That is literally going to happen, this will be worse than 2021. It's December, we are going to be getting embarrassed on national TV for the next 4 months. No coach here is surviving that, nor should they.
 
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KYSouthpaw

Junior
Sep 10, 2025
123
233
43
I know we’re all pissed. But calling into the morning radio shows blaming the team doctors for holding our players out makes us look really really stupid.
Wait, what? Someone blamed the doctors for our injured players sitting out? Hahahahahaha! What a maroon!
 

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,035
68,139
113
Wait, what? Someone blamed the doctors for our injured players sitting out? Hahahahahaha! What a maroon!

yeo. It was a caller in the KSR pre-show this morning. Said someone ought to look into these “doctors”.

I turned it off and didn’t even listen to KSR like I normally do.

Be pissed at Pope. Be mad at players who aren’t giving effort. But suggesting our injured dudes are faking is moronic and it makes us all look stupid.
 
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AllBall

All-Conference
May 5, 2015
3,822
4,617
93
It's a different game if you got JQ and Diubate out there with Lowe.

💯.



Anybody saying anything else is just hyperbole and overreaction.


If They suck when they got all three of those guys out there then I will buy into this team sucks.
What if that never happens? That an excuse to have zero credible wins this yr?
We play with who's available and make contingencies for unfortunate circumstances l. That's what leaders and winners do. Shareholders expect dividends and BBN wants wins. There are anomalies but this is past that. Win or goodbye 👋
 

Vek96

All-Conference
Jul 4, 2025
1,634
3,367
113
UK will lose the All Time Wins lead to a semi bad Kansas team this season, when they should have pulled away a little!

But remember, this team WILL NOT FAIL. They have only failed up to this point… Until this Friday, when they fail again… But only up to that point!😆
Keep the faith. Stranger things have happened. Not sure what, but, has to be something stranger.
 

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
23,522
7,313
97
I would have gone, but I didn't want to waste $3,000 just to watch us embarrass ourselves again.
I feel you. I didn’t even waste 2 hours watching for free on tv. I’ve got to where I don’t watch any game against a team with a pulse. If we win then I’ll watch a replay.

No use making myself mad for 2 hours+.
 

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
23,522
7,313
97
This has been said and shown repeatedly. You cannot stay at Kentucky or any SEC program and suck. It’s never going to happen and it will never happen. They will absolutely can him and very fast if he is not producing. You will never see a coach at UK allowed to stay if he is no good. It’s something you don’t have to worry about. I’m not guessing here either, trust me they will pull it and they will do it for very specific reasons. That buyout for Stoops isn’t even an issue.

You cannot just tank football or it will hurt You in basketball and it will hurt your brand. This isn’t 1990, you can’t do it. Keeping Stoops isn’t something feasible it’s not that it should have happened it’s that it had to change.

This university and their boosters are mega wealthy. That buyout for stoops isn’t as bad as many think it is. It’s actually not bad at all, 30 million isn’t a stone in the pond to this university or its boosters especially over time. They stand to lose much, much more if they retain bad coaches. You can’t have an apathetic fanbase. And many of those guys care deeply about this program. Just as much as you and I.

If Mark Pope cannot win here he will be replaced and you will see more money poured over this program and that will happen over and over until it’s fixed. You will not see Kentucky allow bad coaches to remain in their seats because of a contract. I really don’t know how many people have to think this before it’s shown over and over for them to realize. No contract will keep a coach at UK if he is not producing. Won’t happen at any SEC program in football and sure won’t happen here in basketball. They said it for Calipari - nope. They said it for Stoops - nope. They can say it now after stoops, the answer will be no.
To be fair, we would still have Cal had he not messed up. He gave uk the ability to get out of the buyout.

Matt Jones said the boosters told Mitch they weren’t paying for stoops buyout so I guess the AD is taking out a loan from the school to pay for it.

Thankfully Popes buyout won’t be much. Even less if Barney is gone. Kinda pisses me off we had to pay $6 million just to buy pope out of his byu deal.
 
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rivercatinfl

All-Conference
Nov 21, 2012
1,686
1,591
97
I’ll be there too and we’re gonna get dog walked by Gonzaga! This team is a far cry from a tournament team
I've watched Gonzaga 3 x this season and they are good The thing that stands out is their size and strength down low plus they have lethal shooters. This will be a rough one.
 
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CRZ4UK

All-American
Jun 6, 2008
4,537
9,190
103
I’ve got tickets for Nashville, can’t say I’m looking forward to going now. I need to check if it’s too late to cancel my hotel lol, could have been such a fun wkend but going to watch the zags bigs dominate us im not looking forward to.
Glad they were sold out by the time I got online
 

Ash Williams

Heisman
Aug 3, 2022
7,756
25,559
113
Yeah except probably ponying up to fire Stoops and hire a coordinator will probably ensure that we are stuck with Pope no matter how bad this goes. Boosters aren’t gonna just keep dropping millions upon millions right after they paid big for NIL in two sports and then had assist in a buyou (which thankfully isn’t having to be paid upfront) and now put together NIL money to make FB a success. I bet you we are stuck no matter what now with Pope and this is exactly why I literally begged anyone that would listen to please just wait until we at least know what we have in Pope. Now we are stuck.
This kind of thing should absolutely be the end of Mitch's career. But no, UK gets all that USAID money so they just don't care what the fans think.
 

jrm693

All-Conference
Jan 14, 2007
12,216
3,960
68
Yeah except probably ponying up to fire Stoops and hire a coordinator will probably ensure that we are stuck with Pope no matter how bad this goes. Boosters aren’t gonna just keep dropping millions upon millions right after they paid big for NIL in two sports and then had assist in a buyou (which thankfully isn’t having to be paid upfront) and now put together NIL money to make FB a success. I bet you we are stuck no matter what now with Pope and this is exactly why I literally begged anyone that would listen to please just wait until we at least know what we have in Pope. Now we are stuck.
I may be wrong but I believe if Kentucky continues on this path Mark Pope will stay one more season and leave of his own accord because he does know what basketball means to the state of Kentucky and he will not want to be a part of a epic collapse. Like Jedwar mentioned earlier something has happened to this team since season began, we all know the rumors and that would definitely be a game changer.This team still has time to right the ship this season if JQ and Lowereturn and Mo gets to where he could play and they could resolve their differences it not too late we will see.

n
 
Jul 30, 2024
4,406
7,865
113
I may be wrong but I believe if Kentucky continues on this path Mark Pope will stay one more season and leave of his own accord because he does know what basketball means to the state of Kentucky and he will not want to be a part of a epic collapse. Like Jedwar mentioned earlier something has happened to this team since season began, we all know the rumors and that would definitely be a game changer.This team still has time to right the ship this season if JQ and Lowereturn and Mo gets to where he could play and they could resolve their differences it not too late we will see.

n
Consider me of the camp that doesn’t expect any coach, no matter how nice, to just walk away and give up millions.
 

Supafuzz75

Senior
Nov 30, 2014
258
432
63
I don't see it happening, in 3 weeks I'm assuming we'll have Lowe and JQ on the court and I'm hoping Garrison is selling popcorn at the end of the bench. I don't think this team will have a miracle run but I think he'll have a team that gets a bye in the SEC tournament and wins its first game of the NCAA tournament.

You don't get fired for that and Pope isn't walking away. He'll have a mea culpa with the fans at the end of the season, change his recruiting style and go all in on fewer players hoping to retain 2-3 core from this team.

That's my prediction anyways

I also think everyone is underestimating how well liked Mark is by the old guard. I think he has some rope, especially if Lowe and JQ come in and make a difference.
Next year its at minimum a final 4 or fired if he comes back.. Next part.. Recruiting is one thing that has a lot of us worried about.. He can't recruit,, as of now,, and on top of that can't buy top 3-4 players at their positions for whatever reason..