Do we miss Calipari yet?
- Thread starter BleedBlue_22
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In two of those three years we earned a 2 seed and a 3 seed.
I don't call that a trainwreck at all. I call that very good seasons that we just happened to lose in the 1st round of the tournament in.
But you keep getting 2s and 3s (as opposed to I dunno 7s)........you have a way better chance at advancing far.
Yeah. He's had more talent than anyone in college basketball with ONE title to show for it.
Once again, you all act like 15 years wasn't a fair shake for him, or that we have no clue what we are missing. Just bizarre.
Oh, and for you Arkansas fans coming over here to troll. I can't imagine going to a Memphis fan site and talking bs everytime he won a game here. It's just pathetically childish and tells everyone Kentucky lives rent free in your pork-addled cranium.
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Actually we both went to sweet 16 last year. And beat Arkansas this year, as bad as we are. Guess all that talent didn't want to compete that day.
Once again. Pope and Cal are not the only options. Secondly, he WAS NOT WINNING HERE at all his last 5 years. He got lazy and was trying to ride it out to retirement doing the least coaching possible. Cal needed to go, and so does Pope.
Takes a shot at Pope and UK in the postgame saying it’s always about the names on the back of the jersey.
Why don't you trolls, just go kiss Cal's fat a$$ and leave this site. I don't miss him, glad he is gone.
"Lighting in a bottle" Ha! Wasn't fired.
A Kentucky fan should know that.
Cal would have never gotten Acuff at UK, because Cal pissed off all the money donors, so Cal would not have been able to pay him.
Quite the strawman you concocted. I wanted Cal gone. I want Pope gone.
We’re in agreement then. That’s what I want
I was more talking about people against Cal, but defending Pope in that post. Not everybody anti Cal
It for sure don't make Pope a bad coach, when you beat two Hall of Fame coach's, you probably should get more respect as a coach, then Pope does. So you could also use that logic, to give him time to succeed. Hard for me to believe people that don't like Pope, have turned on Kentucky basketball, and actually hope we get beat, to insure he don't succeed.
Wonder why? Maybe Mitch and boosters holding back NIL money was encouragement for him to leave? Could have at least let the man try out a $22 million roster before he left.
I am glad he is gone his ******** and talking down to the fans plus horrendous results will not be missed.
Vitale is not the one that stated that quote Rick Pitino is the one that said it when asked about letting Tubby go.
Remember that first round loss to Oakland, when we had 2 lottery picks on our roster?
You don’t remember the last few seasons of Cal do you? All of these things can be true…………..No matter what success Cal has going forward, his days at UK were over. Whether Pope was the right hire or not, Cal’s time at UK was over.
You can sit and daydream about how great your ex wife was, as your disappointment with your new wife mounts, but the truth is, your ex is your ex for a reason.
You can sit and daydream about how great your ex wife was, as your disappointment with your new wife mounts, but the truth is, your ex is your ex for a reason.
Nope.still so happy he breached his contract and left. The last 4 years of him was all we would have gotten had he stayed. Refused to adapt, hated the fan base and made the number of drafted players his only priority. Guess what,they would have been drafted regardless of who their coach was. Good riddance. I will never want him back.
Kentucky had been destroyed before Mark Pope got here. Cal wasn't even trying to coach at Kentucky; he was just taking his ridiculous paycheck and doing nothing. The day he violated his contract and got himself fired from Kentucky was one of the best days ever! And yes, Cal WAS fired. Mitch just allowed him to handle it by leaving before they had to publicly fire him.
I don't understand just because the clown won the SEC Championship with Arkansas do people forget his last 5 year stats here. He needed to go in 2019 when UCLA offered. Pope on the other hand isn't the answer either.
No. He won 1 tournament game his last 4 seasons here.
Then, his arrogance bit him in the *** when he voided his contract by talking to Arkansas without getting permission from UK.
Screw him.
Then, his arrogance bit him in the *** when he voided his contract by talking to Arkansas without getting permission from UK.
Screw him.
Arkansas BARELY beat Oklahoma. Oklahoma did not make the NCAA tournament.
Arkansas BARELY beat Ole Miss. Ole Miss did not make the NCAA tournament.
Arkansas had a strong win vs Vanderbilt.
Why were they able to squeak out wins vs Oklahoma and Ole Miss and win in convincing fashion vs Vandy? Because he FINALLY has the best player in the nation again.
Would he have Acuff if he were here? I don't think so. He was reportedly getting smoked out by the boosters and donors via NIL shortages. Arkansas is giving him plenty of Chicken and Wal-mart money.
Don't forget. Arkansas was close to missing the NCAA tournament last year. They were a 10 seed. If Calipari had struggled to make the tournament in 2025--after all of his failed last years at UK--we certainly were going to want him gone after 2025.
I'm still not sure they're some dangerous team. Squeaking out wins vs Oklahoma and Miss doesn't scream deep run. They smoked Vanderbilt because they had a couple of guys besides Acuff get hot from 3. But if those 3's aren't falling, they're going to have a hard time with Wisconsin.
Arkansas BARELY beat Ole Miss. Ole Miss did not make the NCAA tournament.
Arkansas had a strong win vs Vanderbilt.
Why were they able to squeak out wins vs Oklahoma and Ole Miss and win in convincing fashion vs Vandy? Because he FINALLY has the best player in the nation again.
Would he have Acuff if he were here? I don't think so. He was reportedly getting smoked out by the boosters and donors via NIL shortages. Arkansas is giving him plenty of Chicken and Wal-mart money.
Don't forget. Arkansas was close to missing the NCAA tournament last year. They were a 10 seed. If Calipari had struggled to make the tournament in 2025--after all of his failed last years at UK--we certainly were going to want him gone after 2025.
I'm still not sure they're some dangerous team. Squeaking out wins vs Oklahoma and Miss doesn't scream deep run. They smoked Vanderbilt because they had a couple of guys besides Acuff get hot from 3. But if those 3's aren't falling, they're going to have a hard time with Wisconsin.
The majority, like a giant majority, was ready for him to go. I would not ever take the guy back. He's won an SEC championship, good for him as i thought the path was as easy as could be. He was not winning anything here so we are in the same exact spot we would be with him. IF Pope doesnt work out which is likely we move on to the next guy.
Agree. By most standards, the last 3 seasons would be considered good. I mentioned this in another Thread the other day, the lack of post-season wins and the drama behind the scenes drove a wedge between the fanbase and Cal. In some ways, Cal had set the bar so high from 2009-2015 it was hard to keep up with those benchmarks.
I remember when Pitino left there was talk of leaving on a high note—who could ever match his 17-1 SEC Tournament record? + Final Fours became an expected norm—and that he wanted to be remembered that way rather than going downhill from the highs. It’s unfortunate that the last few years of Cal’s tenure had multiple early tournament departures, which will always be an unacceptable dagger for the fanbase.
I think most agree it was time to part ways, but it does cause me to ponder the “It’s all about March” philosophy, how losing the final game can mar what would otherwise be a banner season (eg, I can’t think of 2014-15 without getting sad about losing to Wisconsin, when that season had so many incredible highs and happy memories that are sadly overshadowed. It is what it is…but the price to pay for it “being all about March”).
But here you are after complaining about insulting posting
Seeing Cal rejuvenated does have me questioning if the correct move was made. Would NIL have gotten the old Cal back had he not left? I know the last several years were rough but I think my concerns would be minimal had we gotten the hire correct and not sitting at more 10+ loss seasons and nowhere close to a FF.
Read what I replied to. I’m all for kindness but if someone is going to insult the people that have a different opinion i.e. saying that anyone who supports the coach is hurting the program and supporting losses etc, yeah that deserves a Patrick Star emoji. I didn’t call him names or say he’s an idiot. I teased with a counterpunch, chill out man.
The reasons he resigned are up to him. I just don’t like inaccurate information in posts. Cal and Tubby were not fired, yet some of the simplest members of BBN constantly repeat those lies.
Both guys quit to take other jobs and it was revealed both guys were negotiating behind the scenes with other schools during their last seasons as UK coach. If you have one foot out the door, I don’t want you here anyway.
I am starting to understand from your posts that Calipari is your main frame of reference for UK basketball. (It’s the constant Cal defending and pining.)
Cal was not going to do anything of note here again. We all know it. Even with the last two years at Arkansas, would BBN be happy with a 10 seed and losing SEC record in 2025 to follow Oakland in year 16?
They don’t defense well. They handled Vandy because they had an unreal shooting game. 15-24 from 3 is not something a Cal coached team has ever done. But to be fair this may be his best offensive team he’s ever had thanks in large part to Acuff.
But Trevon Brazille, 34% on the season, went 4 for 5. DJ Wagner, 34% on the season, went 3-3, and Billy Richmond, 22% on the season went 2-4.
DJ and Brazille are at least respectable at 34%. But those 3 combining to go 9-12 from 3 is likely never going to get close to happening again. Such a bad beat for Vandy. Vandy didn’t play bad at all. They just caught the hogs on the wrong day.
Imagine what Cal would do with a $22M roster. But Pope did say he was chasing #9, we just didn't know it was the 9th seed in the SEC tournament
It’s not though. Cal is a top 5 coach. And he’s not in Lexington.
Cal needed to go because of the players first stuff. Not coaching. UK needs a great coach that puts the program first.
That doesn’t mean just hire a cheerleader that used to play. Which is what we did.
Mitch made no attempt to hire a qualified coach after Pope left.
The problem is completely on Mitch. Pope didn’t hire himself. I’m not qualified to coach at UK but if Mitch offered the job to me I’m taking it.
He’s not Mr Smith goes to Washington. But he is Coach Pope goes to UK. Equally lost.
It looks more everyday like this is Pope’s last season at UK. I wouldn’t bet that way yet. But I wouldn’t bet on him returning either.