***** GAME CHAT: UK vs. UNC *****

20MRoster

Senior
Nov 16, 2018
324
556
88
Tough loss. Kids played hard. I think UNC had a few kids who played really well tonight. The team is limited right now. I think if we can get everyone healthy, get back the three kids we are missing and cut minutes out from Kam, BG and JJ, we will be a solid team
Exhibit A of the left side of the bell curve. "Slow learner", if you will.
 

20MRoster

Senior
Nov 16, 2018
324
556
88
I dont think this is the sort of coaching hire you stick around with, though. This isnt Cal. Pope has shown he is wildly in over his head, so much so that I think last year was really just great players.
I've argued this as well. Last year's core were fringe NBA w/ several elite skills between them. Honestly an underrated group. Duke game wasn't a fluke.
 
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UKCowboys

All-Conference
Oct 14, 2019
1,299
2,216
113
Bro those dudes aren’t playing. I wouldn’t be shocked if JQ is thinking about sitting for his future at this point.
Thats speculation by you and thats it. Coach Pope hasn't lied yet to my knowledge, and he said the kid is getting closer to coming back, so I am going to take him at his word.
JQ is a massive upgrade over Garrison. Lowe is night and day better than JJ. Dioubate is a lot better than Kam. Those three, and Noah, along with CC, DA, OO, Jelly and MM should be our nine man rotation and the only nice that see the court. Thats a good basketball team. The current squad is playing hard, just not quite good enough right now
 
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TheBlueMist

All-Conference
Feb 5, 2004
1,847
4,420
113
And to add insult to injury, I won't sleep well (because of the time I'm going to bed, not anger), and I will go to work tired and resentful.

I hate 9:30 start times, and I "hate" myself for staying up and watching this trainwreck.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
42,809
76,021
113
Thats speculation by you and thats it. Coach Pope hasn't lied yet to my knowledge, and he said the kid is getting closer to coming back, so I am going to take him at his word.
JQ is a massive upgrade over Garrison. Lowe is night and day better than JJ. Dioubate is a lot better than Kam. Those three, and Noah, along with CC, DA, OO, Jelly and MM should be our nine man rotation and the only nice that see the court. Thats a good basketball team. The current squad is playing hard, just not quite good enough right now
Well duh! Obviously I have no clue what he’s thinking but it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to say his health was more important than helping an NIT team be an NIT team.
 

*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
42,809
76,021
113
When Pope first got the job, I was very confused, thought it was a terrible hire.
Then, I watched his introduction, then watched him build a decent roster and pull out some big wins.
Turns out, my first thoughts were correct and I hate that.
He made me a believer and then made me say nope all in a single year.
 

LineSkiCat14

Heisman
Aug 5, 2015
38,300
59,919
113
He knew what he was signing up for.

I honestly dont know if he did.

Im trying to get a read on him. But between that corny *** video, the odd press conferences, failing to land an elite recruit, and just the overall coaching malfeasance... I think hes maybe too much of a quirky backwoods boy for this type of job.
 
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Drogon

All-Conference
Mar 14, 2017
740
1,023
93
I still believe, but pinning your hopes on a guy coming back from an ACL injury and knowing from personal experience how aggravating and possibly tricky a bad shoulder can be its going to take a hell of a lot of hope.
 

katwest

Heisman
Feb 16, 2003
39,466
13,118
113
This team is a good example of what NIL will do to the game of college basketball. We paid the most and are the biggest losers so far. Something bad is wrong here, I’ve never seen a Kentucky team go 9 plus minutes without making a shot. After the two blowouts in football, now we lose to three rivals in basketball and one of them in Rupp that’s not that good. This is not alright and it’s not going to go away.
 

bbnkat02

Heisman
Nov 14, 2017
46,033
68,130
113
I honestly dont know if he did.

Im trying to get a read on him. But between that corny *** video, the odd press conferences, failing to land an elite recruit, and just the overall coaching malfeasance... I think hes maybe too much of a quirky backwoods boy for this type of job.

Theres no way he didn’t. He played for Pitino.
 

UKCowboys

All-Conference
Oct 14, 2019
1,299
2,216
113
Well duh! Obviously I have no clue what he’s thinking but it wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibility to say his health was more important than helping an NIT team be an NIT team.
Ill bet you anything you want to bet we aren't an NIT team lol. Put up or shut up
 

FilsonCat

All-Conference
Apr 5, 2007
3,084
3,503
113
Nothing our players did tonight impressed me. They ran no offense. Pope's setups and actions have been figured out. Refs allowed Carolina to hold the cutters and shove their arms out and push everything out of rhythm.

It's not sour grapes talking, but that officiating crew was stealing points and possessions all night long. You better be hitting your shots with that type of a crew assigned to your game.

Carolina definitely watched tape of the GU exhibition and the MSU game. They played us the same way, by holding us on offense, and then icing the ball handler into a corner trap up high. Our players usually haven't seen the court well enough to swing the ball to the opposite corner for a wide open shot.

But hell, even when we had open shots we were not even hitting rim. College ball players at Kentucky Air balling open shots. What else can you say?

This team is in serious trouble. It has serious flaws and even worse body language. This is just another "team turmoil" waiting to boil over.

We are dead in the water and Pope has really let all of us down.
 
Last edited:
Jun 30, 2025
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But hell, even when we had open shots we were not even hitting rim. College ball players at Kentucky Air balling open shots. What else can you say?
Yeah. Those two wide open 3's in transition we missed were killers.

I think we would have pushed the lead to above 6 if either went in.

We made 1 three all game and it came from Garrison.
 

One2Three

All-Conference
Nov 15, 2025
785
1,841
93
This honestly felt like a tenure-ending game. Obviously Pope gets the rest of the year to figure this out, but he had every opportunity in to win this game and p*ssed it away. If he can’t fix this team this is the game you cite when firing him.
 

FilsonCat

All-Conference
Apr 5, 2007
3,084
3,503
113
This honestly felt like a tenure-ending game. Obviously Pope gets the rest of the year to figure this out, but he had every opportunity in to win this game and p*ssed it away. If he can’t fix this team this is the game you cite when firing him.
Pope built this roster, and now he has to live with it. Man I miss last season's squad about right now.
 

AJBlue

Junior
Dec 16, 2015
123
255
43
Same, I really wanted him to be the guy. The people worried were right. He’s not the guy.
It does look rough for him right not and not just that we're losing but that he cant even get this team to run his offense or he doesnt demand it. It was a positive that they finally showed they wanted to play some defense last night. But all that said, how much better would this team look and Pope look with Lowe and Quaintence healthy and starting? We cant forget we're missing at least two presumed best players.

But even with that this team does not have an identity or togetherness at all.
 
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*Fox2Monk*

Heisman
Jun 10, 2009
42,809
76,021
113
It does look rough for him right not and not just that we're losing but that he cant even get this team to run his offense or he doesnt demand it. It was a positive that they finally showed they wanted to play some defense last night. But all that said, how much better would this team look and Pope look with Lowe and Quaintence healthy and starting? We cant forget we're missing at least two presumed best players.

But even with that this team does not have an identity or togetherness at all.
How often are his best players going to be hurt though? It’s been both years now. I doubt Lowe ever plays and who knows how JQ will respond when he does play. This is a piss poor roster honestly. Everyone was over rated or the pieces just don’t fit. As other said the shooters have no other skills or can’t shoot, the drivers and rebounders sure can’t shoot. His offense can’t be ran.
 
May 7, 2009
1,900
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How often are his best players going to be hurt though? It’s been both years now. I doubt Lowe ever plays and who knows how JQ will respond when he does play. This is a piss poor roster honestly. Everyone was over rated or the pieces just don’t fit. As other said the shooters have no other skills or can’t shoot, the drivers and rebounders sure can’t shoot. His offense can’t be ran.
he was running an offense? ;) it is depressing.
I am optimistic about the return of Lowe and JQ.
those are 2 NBA caliber players... and may in fact turn out to be the best 2 on the roster.
It was hard to watch after seeing syracuse tear down tenn....
we looked like a bunch of guys playing for a contract.
 
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