That's just not true at all. Many of us were worried about missing out on so many top targets and the Lowe decision was very weak to me.
Cupcake City
- Thread starter I’m The Village Idiot
- Start date
Yep. And no one was complaining about Pope’s demeanor in the off-season either. You see those things and it helps separate truth from anger.
Yeah but the general consensus was that we were a top team. Then we go beat another top team in Purdue in the exhibition and look good doing so and some were crowning us champions lol.
I'm going to take a wait and see approach here. Is our roster a title contending roster? I dunno. But I still think it's a good roster that could have a good season still.
Yes.
I was never sold on Lowe as being a quality PG. He was score first at Pitt.
Feel like Johnson and Moreno needed time to acclimate.
Impressed with Moreno so far.
There is a difference in the cupcake approach. Schedule teams (historically) that finish in the top third/quarter of their small conference.
Those teams are good enough to challenge for a half, but weak enough they are expected wins.
Those teams are good enough to challenge for a half, but weak enough they are expected wins.
Just don't schedule 300th ranked teams.
Schedule I dunno 200s and 100s lol.
Schedule I dunno 200s and 100s lol.
Let's say Kentucky continues to not win, and continues not to land elite talent. What solution would you propose to such a situation?
Can you imagine the fan reaction if Pope scheduled all tomato cans prior to conference play. I can hear it now" Pope's a coward" They would scream " We are UK we should take on all comers" " Hes destroying our traditions". The list would be long.
I like playing some tough non conference opponents early, but I don't freak out about losing a few of them.
I like playing some tough non conference opponents early, but I don't freak out about losing a few of them.
You’re gonna get me in trouble asking this lol. I wouldn’t go get a coach that wants OAD or top recruiting classes. I’d go get a coach that has proven to be excellent in SCOUTING, developing and coaching on both sides of the ball.
I hope it isn’t needed and Pope figures this out.
Fans would freak out but not completely drop out like they have now.
If fans thought more like you, I don’t mind playing the tough schedule. I worry we become too negative insomuch that it actually can affect the product on the floor.
I'm sorry but they're getting paid MILLIONS now. Sure, that doesn't mean dogpile or go overboard, but if literal millions isnt enough to motivate you to play, get off the floor.
I understand that point, but if it affects the teams performance I’m going to prioritize that first. When I watched Kam Williams’s father on the BBN Fan Show the other day, it was eye opening. We might be putting big money on our horse and then beating it
Or if that team is in the 300s it better be a special relationship or something and dont make it your third cousin's ball boy relationship or silly stuff like that either.
Like if John Wall started coaching a HBCU or something, yeah, that's worth playing because there's a bond there.
Or tied to something conference related like I know we had that deal with the SWAC which was an awful deal but it is what it is I guess haha.
Yeah not buying that. They were getting all kinds of hype from media and fans before the Louisville game and still came in playing like crap.
I spoke for myself on that. I don’t tell fans how to directly behave. I’d watch that and see if you think it matters. If it’s “I don’t care, they make money. So they can just deal with it” I’m going to respect your space. For me, this was eye opening.
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If playing a harder OOC schedule pays off in March than I'm all for it.
Lots of question marks with this team and I don't think the schedule has a bit to do with it.
Lots of question marks with this team and I don't think the schedule has a bit to do with it.
I wouldn’t expect it to change anytime soon. UK is locked into a lot of these big games for the coming seasons. Off the top of my head: ul, iu, zaga, champions classic, cbs classic, and sec/acc challenge.
You made my point. You think that changing coaches is any solution out of this. Keep the coach, but give him Duke money and see if we start landing players. And I'm sorry you're never going to convince me that things have changed so much in college basketball that going after the elite portal players and recruits isn't the recipe for success. Because not doing that is absolutely not going to work when others we compete against are.
Ok. Then I’m not trying to convince you. You are free to make up your own mind. I’ve shown zero teams in the last ten years won the title with a top portal class or top 5 recruiting class, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
You can’t be a big time college or pro athlete and give ONE SINGLE **** what fans think of you. If you do, you’re worried about the wrong stuff.
The thing is, I agree with you. But if it is affecting the players, I’m just trying to do what Mr. Williams asked. I don’t think it SHOULD affect the players, but clearly it is. I want them to be at their best. See this thing out. I’ve told no one they have to listen, I just explained myself.
Yes, your famous argument that qualifies success as simply winning a title or making a final four after being called out for that, as if Kentucky is anywhere close to competing for either recruiting the way we are.
Brother, with respect, I don’t see the point of debating with you. If you notice, I’m always very willing to debate…I genuinely love debates…BUT if someone tells me “there’s nothing you can do to change my mind”, I literally see zero point in debating with you. Debating is something I do to match wits with fellow fans, but not something I do with those who view me as an enemy. Also, you can’t really debate circular reasoning to begin with: “Top high school talent wins because I think top high school talent wins” isn’t worthy of debating. The way I see it, I’m not super familiar with your posts, but I have no reason to believe you’re anything but true blue, so in your case I’ll focus on what we have in common and say “Go Cats!”
If it is, the Cats are effed anyway. You can’t be that weak mentally and win big. Unless, of course, you have far superior talent. That aint the case.
Pitino developed them. Tubby coached them. Cal recruited them. Honestly not sure where Pope lands.
We will have to see, man. Kids are just different than they used to be and not every school
Is a fishbowl like we are. When you have parents feeling the need to beg BBN to chill, you’re looking at something that can hurt us bad in recruiting in the future. All fans have good and bad, but parents reaching out like this concerns me. To me, it would help if Pope actively took the “blame” to protect the players some. Honestly, who knows. I’m just doing my part to not make it worse myself.
Many people were concerned the talent on the team didn't add up to the mainstream perception. Did you see Yaxel tonight? That's an NBA level talent. We whiffed on him and several other top targets.
If you are outspending the entire sport, you better have a title contending roster. Else, what are you even doing?
Unless there are multiple year deals and we are loaded up for 2027. None of us know that.
What I do know is:
24-12
23-10
21-9
Recognize those records?
Those are the records of 2024 Florida, 2022 UConn and 2021 Kansas. All of those teams had less than stellar seasons, brought back the bulk of their rosters the next year and won it all. That is what I hope for.
The Yankees consistently outspend most MLB teams and haven't won a World Series in over 15 years.
Having money helps but it doesn't garantee anything.
Plus......we are a whole SIX GAMES into this season all of which without a complete roster. Who knows what will happen here.
Been saying for years, theres really nothing to gain trying to take on the hardest schedule, or even a top25 SOS. You dont need to play 5 or 6 power5 ranked teams before conference play. Ideally, sprinkle in a few more teams in the 100 range in Kenpom: quality opponents that can test the team, but at the same time, teams we likely wont lose to.
No, you’re just looking at soft assed parents and kids. Pope has trouble recruiting because he’s a nerdy big goofy white dorky Morman. It’s that simple. Cal said it best, it’s not for everyone.
At this same rate and this might not be what the consensus wants but ..........
I'd rather schedule a gauntlet knowing we'll probably lose quite a bit more than to schedule 300s ranked teams.
I mean don't get me wrong, I'll watch any UK game on the screen but as I get older I'm finding that I am just less and less interested in those.
I'd rather schedule a gauntlet knowing we'll probably lose quite a bit more than to schedule 300s ranked teams.
I mean don't get me wrong, I'll watch any UK game on the screen but as I get older I'm finding that I am just less and less interested in those.
I like you, Eagle. But I don’t like this post. It’s kind of ridiculous, man.
Like is anyone sitting here now thinking "oh man I really cannot wait till tomorrow night when we take on 321st Tenn Tech" lol.
I dont love this analogy because baseball is really the one major sport that salary means the least. Every year some team with 50% of the salary is making a run in the playoffs. But for basketball and football, money means everything. If a team has even 10% more money to spend, they are gonna win more games. Almost a given.
$22mil should get you rosters like Cals early rosters, but even better. The problem is that we dont seem to know how best to spend it and/or, there is something keeping me lucky from getting elite talent.
/
I mean, you can’t not like it all you want. It’s the thing nobody wants to talk about. I honestly think that has a TON to do with it. If I’m wrong, it wouldn’t be the first time.
Its not gonna be a fun watch lol.
But.. I think for THIS team and how flat they've looked.. give me 300 kenpom teams until they can show me otherwise. Give me the win even if our SOS takes a hit. In contrary to my above point, im not sure this team can safely take down kenpom100 teams in a safe clip.
Football - yes
Basketball - no
Someone compared Ohio St the other day to CBB . I’m sorry those are not even close to the same. In football, the better team wins a lot more often because the sport is a lot more physical.
The Dodgers have won the last two World Series. I think it matters quite a bit lol. You got some really well ran organiziations like Tampa Bay or the Moneyball As but in general the top payroll teams are usually the ones that end up in the playoffs in the end lol.
Plus I question this 22 million. And I don't know how much other teams are spending on their teams either. And without that information, it's really hard for me to say for certain what we should have.