In other news, Kenny Brooks made it on the women's side. That was a killer hire!
Coach of the year list (does not include Pope)
- Thread starter WildcatUKx
- Start date
You didn't have an issue with Painter, Hardaway, Kelsey, or Richard Pitino making the list ahead of Pope?
Seriously?
What's weird to me is that you never launched critique against Calipari while he was here, and now you do it all the time with Pope.
What's up with that?
And Pope is 2-0 against those guys so far, and he's 4-0 against Scheyer, Buzz, Golden, and Kelsey. Tell me again how I'm supposed to follow that logic, especially since Pope put together this entire team in six weeks and is presently preserving a top 17 ranking while without his two best players?
That’s absolutely the reason. If he’d been hired at Memphis or South Carolina or whatever, had to throw a full team together as quick as he did, and had the results he’s had, he would 100% be one of the front runners.
I don't know to me it's always weird at how we judge this stuff.
IMO coaching is about doing a lot with a little. How much more can you get out of a team based on the talent that team has.
But it's never judged that way.
Those other SEC coaches mentioned.........Pearl, Oats, Golden etc. They have had really good years. They've also have very talented rosters.
Pope given the injuries we have and we are still competing for a very good seed that says something to me. The fact we can lose guys, key guys and still not only be competitive but win games against top competition should mean something.
I don't think anyone here would be all that upset if Pope didn't win the award, but to not even be mentioned is a bit silly IMO.
This is like when during baseball season (Mets fan here) and Lindor didn't make the All-Star team. It really calls into question who on earth makes these decisions lol.
IMO coaching is about doing a lot with a little. How much more can you get out of a team based on the talent that team has.
But it's never judged that way.
Those other SEC coaches mentioned.........Pearl, Oats, Golden etc. They have had really good years. They've also have very talented rosters.
Pope given the injuries we have and we are still competing for a very good seed that says something to me. The fact we can lose guys, key guys and still not only be competitive but win games against top competition should mean something.
I don't think anyone here would be all that upset if Pope didn't win the award, but to not even be mentioned is a bit silly IMO.
This is like when during baseball season (Mets fan here) and Lindor didn't make the All-Star team. It really calls into question who on earth makes these decisions lol.
I’m just saying that these votes often go to guys who have achieved the most based on expectations vs reality. If a coach is picked to finish 8th in the conference and finishes 8th in the conference, he’s not going to win the award. Agree or disagree, that’s the logic behind it.
Looking at it that way I could at least see the reasoning but I think it's faulty logic.
He shouldn't be docked because we are in a good conference with other good teams. Maybe we were picked to finish 8th. Maybe we do finish 8th.
But we opened the season with a Kenpom ranking of 43rd. We are currently 17th. We had a massive jump this despite playing a portion of the season with multiple guys dealing with injury.
Fair or not, I highly doubt these selectors are digging into KenPom numbers and such. That’s giving them way too much credit imo.
How is saying Pope has done a good job but I don’t think he’s a top 10 COY criticizing him?
Weird
All these coaches ain’t dealing with free pizza, 10,000 free T-shirts, and everything else every time out either. Alabama, who is ranked above us in rankings and seed lines, is having a T-shirt night for us. You can’t make this **** up. That’s why Pope has done such a tremendous job.
I hate these awards... Because there is so much more to coaching than wins and losses.. Fact he built a team out of lower tier transfer guys... None of them except Robinson knew the system.. None had played together... And has done what he has done... It's stupid his not listed...
Bad losses are Evansville or Gardner Webb. Every team we lost to is good enough to win at least one tournament game in a normal year.
I don’t consider any of those bad, although there’s at least a couple that we should have won.
Right now, I think I’d give it to Gates at Missouri. Last in SEC last year, did they even win a game in SEC? Not projected to be good, but are 1 game back of Florida and Bama, in what has shown to be the best conference EVER.
Scheyer, he has Duke 3rd. Weren’t they picked by most before the season to be top 3? Ok, so they’ve held-suit, but to me the best coaches have their teams over-achieve (like Gates), overcome obstacles (like Pope).
Scheyer, he has Duke 3rd. Weren’t they picked by most before the season to be top 3? Ok, so they’ve held-suit, but to me the best coaches have their teams over-achieve (like Gates), overcome obstacles (like Pope).
There are very few coaches on that list that have not had injuryissues to deal with. Bruce lost Broome for a few games, TN has lost kids this year, actully beat FL with 7 scholarship kids. We should not cry about injuries because I don't hear other teams and fans crying about what ifs. What if we had better players, what if we had taller players, what if we had defensive minded players? The fact is we are what we are and we have exceed expectations with what we have as a roster, healthy or injured. Be happy and stop crying about what ifs. Nxt year we may not have a single kid that has as much as a hang nail.
Don't believe I was crying about what ifs at all, not sure how you got that idea. I was saying what a remarkable job Pope has done. Tell me what other coach in the running had to get an entire new roster and staff just months before the season started and then had 3 of his top 6 or 7 best players out with injuries for an extended time and accomplished as much as Pope has. That was my point and I don't believe the examples you gave came close to matching that situation.
He will win big. Was the best hire of the year in any conference. I hope he retires here.
I think Pope has done a great job but I don't see him as a contender for coach of the year. I'd say Pearl, Gates, Golden, Sampson, and Pitino are the top candidates.