GYERO

[krlambert6]

There has NEVER been a Kentucky team lay down like this in my lifetime. Start paying these guys to leave the team and reset. Pope can take his *** back to Utah.

I'll say it again, the front running absolute bullsh*t too small celebrations and running walk ons off effing screens up 40 for threes is EXACTLY how this team plays. That is 1000% on Mark Pope. Loser behavior.

 

[Simple Man]

This team has lots of issues

 

[BradyJames]

After sitting on it a few days, I think you all are being bitches re: Pope.

1. Took a completely new team to the Sweet 16 last year, something Cal hadn't done since 2019.
2. Built that team primarily with 5th year seniors, meaning we really only had Oweh, Chandler, Garrison and Noah able to return.
3. Two of the key incoming players have been hurt.
4. While we looked shaky against Louisville and Mich St, we win that UNC game 8.5 out of 10 times. Not making a basket for like 8 minutes wasn't because of lockdown Carolina D. It was because we missed a lot of open shots. An outlier, in my opinion.
5. In a macro sense, college basketball teams are going to have a lot more variation going forward given the transfer portal. There will be very little "building of programs", and more building of single year teams. Miss on a few guys, suffer some injuries, and you're cooked.

STFU, dummy.

 

[Hank Camacho]

Fire Mitch Barnhart.

 

[Btoddisabish]

We are getting clowned all over the internet

 

[Hank Camacho]

We are getting clowned all over the internet

As we should. I cannot disagree with anything said here.

 

[TCPUKChamps]

Not sure what's worse

A coach who sacrifices his teams success for individual players like Cal did his last few years

Or the vast feeling of hopelessness cause there is no fix to this current roster.

What's maddening about Cal was the fans knew that the team had better options that he wasn't utilizing when they played bad

With this team, it's just apathy because there's nothing to get frustrated about at this point. It's not a good team, there's been nothing shown that they can improve. It's just over. First week of December.

 

[SWFLwildcat06]

What really adds to the bizarreness and frustration of it all is that Purdue game. Yea it was an exhibition, and sure I guess they didn’t prepare much for it or whatever but they’re still the #1 team in CBB and we absolutely rolled them. It’s really the only time this year where they looked like they actually gave a sht and played with full effort as a team. Something has happened since then and Pope doesn’t know how to fix it.

 

[Hank Camacho]

With this team, it's just apathy because there's nothing to get frustrated about at this point. It's not a good team, there's been nothing shown that they can improve. It's just over. First week of December.

They sure as hell can improve their effort, attitude, and hustle. Even if the roster construction sucks for the style Pope wants to play, there is more than enough talent on this squad to be a Top 25 team. It would require changing styles, rotation, and a serious knot being jerked in a lot of young millionaire's asses, but it should be certainly doable.

This is the most WTF thing I've seen. Pope aced last year in nearly every single way -- including making smart adaptions on the fly to injuries and keeping a winning culture. I never in a million years would have dreamed that a team led by Otega Effin' Oweh and coached by Mark Pope would just be flat dogging it in the effort department.

It is embarasing and sad. BBN was so excited to be great again and these guys just openly don't GAF about even the basics of fundamental basketball or work ethic. If Mike Leach was alive, he'd start talking about fat little girlfriends and whatnot. Pitino would run this team until Zach Tow or Walker Horn quit. They wouldn't touch a basketball this week.

And here we are. I thought I believed in Mark Pope, and I still think I do, but it feels weird to think that maybe he doesn't actually have what it takes.

Also, throw whatever expensive *** shooting system we have in the trash because I've never seen more airballed threes from supposedly decent shooters in my life. It isn't just Aberdeen anymore.

 

[TCPUKChamps]

Agree with that. I mean from a fans standpoint. It's almost like everyone on that team knows it's not working and they've all just turtled.

Louisville was alarming
Michigan State was a shock
UNC was annoying
Gonzaga was reality.

 

[cricket3]

What was that again *****?

 

[Dr. Hoops]

This fella right here is the root of our problem. We saw it versus Louisville. Kind of wanted to blame the toe. Then got worse versus MSU, then it appeared to be better versus UNC, but UNC is trash. Now the Zags put nail in coffin. 00 is the problem with effort, desire, care and it’s bleeding out. Just takes one player to call him out or take a swing? Who is it going to be?

Dudes are getting paid, boos are deserved but first meeting back as group, you splice every single non-effort play together and say, our fans see it, commentators see it, you don’t think people in the Association see it. Not only are you screwing us but you are screwing yourself. True DNA is coming out.

 

[UCL]

Something happened behind the scenes. I’m convinced of it. And Oweh was equally bumass against Purdue - it just went unnoticed. They deserved every boo they got last night. Getting your *** kicked is one thing, not giving a **** from the opening tip is another.

 

[Gatton]

Mitch got a lifeline when pope won the press conference and he still can obviously turn this around BUT not enough heat the way he dfingered that entire process. From the Cal TV hit to getting punked by his brother in christ Drew. It was a fireable disaster no big time program should tolerate. If we get mitch 2.0 protege without a national search we should revolt.

Id at least try Lowe, Johnson, Oweh, Williams and Jelavic for long runs. They would suck on defense but at least you have scoring threats on the perimeter and except for oweh the best looking shooting forms on the floor together. Take your lumps with Johnson and see if he can figure it out. If the shooting is there spread the floor then oweh can get back to driving. Thats all I got at this point. We are effed.

 

[The Disco Strangler]

I really hate that I feel embarrassed to wear UK gear right now. Before Cal's first round flame outs, I had never been ashamed of my team. I've already thought twice about wearing UK attire out in public a couple of times this year.

 

[Krazykats1]

We are getting clowned all over the internet

After last nights game who cares!

Not sure what's worse

A coach who sacrifices his teams success for individual players like Cal did his last few years

Or the vast feeling of hopelessness cause there is no fix to this current roster.

There is a fix it just requires the coach to change what we do. As much as it will suck we have to become a team that slows it down and plays a physical brand of defense. Our depth will allow for foul trouble, and our guard play should be over aggressive in the passing lanes to turn over our opponents especially when JQ is back.

On offense we simply need to play ball control and use as much of the clock as possible to keep the game low scoring because we absolutely can not win a game in a shoot out because you know, we can’t shoot!

Thats it though that’s how this team wins and its obvious if you watch and then listen to everyone that knows ball talks about it.

We are limited and we have to play to our strengths and hope we get good enough to win games that way.

 

[legalbeagle123]

Oweh needs to be suspended and the NIL needs a refund. Dude is MIA.

 

[Kooky Kats]

Hope the puss was worth it.

 

[UKwizard]

Oweh has been MIA all year. It just stands out in big games. This is worse than Keith Bogans junior year level. Can we get the FBI to investigate him?

Johnson comes in and AAUs it up. Gets punked on D, turns it over and turbo jacks. I bet he was tickled pink he hit a 3.

Moreno God help him he is trying but he isn't there. Ike beat him worse than he beat Tina Turner.

Is Mo Diabetes actually hurt? Or is he just collecting a check to sit on the bench with a thumb up his butt? Sweet gig if you can find one like it.

I could go down the whole roster but man... eff it and them. The staff has been a huge let down as well.

The lack of effort, rebounding and general giving two *****, is disgusting. Losing because of a bad shooting night or the other team is just better is one thing. This is on a whole other level. I don't recall Kentucky's mission being to get *** blasted by any decent team.

A team turmoil in year 2 is a horrible look.

 

[k_s_t_a]

Oweh is never going to be an NBA player, effort or not.

Johnson plays the most selfish brand of basketball I can remember seeing. Pretty strong indictment on the staff that he gets away with it, IMO.

Moreno for the first time looked pretty outmatched and was generally just lost. Lots of people are going to look that way against that front court, and he's a freshman, so whatever. Wouldn't be a big deal if Garrison (why did we spend NIL money on him again?) wasn't useless.

Jelavic was a 30% 3 point shooter on 3 attempts per game in his international career. Last night wasn't really a fluke.

Our defensive scheme really makes no sense from game to game. Our guards love to execute these late, ineffectual doubles on bigs and leave shooters wide open. You can almost see them thinking.. "oh, I'm supposed to double this guy, doesn't matter that I'm too late and out of position to do anything, I'd better go double so it doesn't get brought up in tape session later" while the big makes the simplest inside out pass for an open 3. We don't really have any instinctual players on either side of the ball.

Effort, competitiveness, chemistry, all abysmal. Really a despicable product. BYU would smoke us as badly as Gonzaga did, btw.

 

[Johnnie Africa]

At this point, if I’m Mark Pope, I need to really figure out what I want. I gave up being a doctor, I left being the coach of the school that represents my religion, and I’m at my dream school. This is it, this is my chance. Either I blow my chance and think about it with regret for the rest of my life, or I say I’m not letting a stupid ******* kid ruin my life dream and I’m either benching people or laying into them and requiring change. Absolutely none of the fans would even complain at this point if Walker Horn was starting, we would at least understand that he’s trying to send a message and correct the culture. But just ******* DO SOMETHING. You’re blowing it Pope, this is your chance, DO SOMETHING.

 

[ukalum01]

This team just isn't very skilled... at all.

Little shooting, weak handles by almost everyone, and not only unwilling passers... really poor passers.

Combine all of that with a lack of effort on both ends of the court and we're getting exactly what we should get.

 

[Catman100]

Really shocked and amazed at what I saw last night. Trying to figure out worse UK teams in my lifetime.
Sutton 88-89?
Billy Clyde 08-09?
Cal 20-21?

Problem is this, unless Quantinance is the next Shaq, there is no dramatic change that is going to happen. You don't learn how to shoot during a season. Not gonna happen. This team was poorly constructed, and Pope doesn't know what to do with what he has. And it really doesn't look like a lot of these players give a crap. It is one thing to lose, but it is absolutely something else to get handled and to look like you are not putting up an effort. BBN wants to win, of course, and we don't mind losses when we see our boys trying their asses off, but it is the 1st week of December, and this team already looks like they have quit. Handled by 35 pretty much in a home gym? No, that is not acceptable under any circumstances.

Gonna tell you this, if IU comes to Rupp and wins, or even worse, stomps the crap out of us, I am not sure we have a 500 season. And in my opinion, that puts Pope officially on the hot seat. This AD fired a more proven coach after 2 years and he didn't even have a losing record.

 

[legalbeagle123]

Really shocked and amazed at what I saw last night. Trying to figure out worse UK teams in my lifetime.
Sutton 88-89?
Billy Clyde 08-09?
Cal 20-21?

Problem is this, unless Quantinance is the next Shaq, there is no dramatic change that is going to happen. You don't learn how to shoot during a season. Not gonna happen. This team was poorly constructed, and Pope doesn't know what to do with what he has. And it really doesn't look like a lot of these players give a crap. It is one thing to lose, but it is absolutely something else to get handled and to look like you are not putting up an effort. BBN wants to win, of course, and we don't mind losses when we see our boys trying their asses off, but it is the 1st week of December, and this team already looks like they have quit. Handled by 35 pretty much in a home gym? No, that is not acceptable under any circumstances.

Gonna tell you this, if IU comes to Rupp and wins, or even worse, stomps the crap out of us, I am not sure we have a 500 season. And in my opinion, that puts Pope officially on the hot seat. This AD fired a more proven coach after 2 years and he didn't even have a losing record.

Agree with everything you said, but Pope's seat is already plenty hot. An IU loss only moves the temperature up from surface of sun to the inner core.

 

[HymanKaplan]

Completely forgot there even WAS a game last night. I guess that is where "I'm" at now.

 

[jjhamlady4]

AND we get to watch Duke enjoy a national player of the year and likely Final Four run. Isn't that nice?

Think I am out on college basketball this year. I will give Quantaince a game or two, but this is so depressing. I for real thought Pope had something here.

 

[B Rax]

If I’m Quantinace there is ZERO chance I’m suiting up for this tire fire.

oweh gives me point-shaving vibes. I think maybe he knows he doesn’t have a future in the nba and figures having a side hustle with the mafia is what he needs to get a jump on his career as the owner of a cannabis shop in Tulsa

 

[Krazykats1]

UK fans are honestly sadly fickle. Being unhappy and frustrated is fine but last year was far from a failure despite major injuries and this year is starting bad but likely will still produce a NC2A bid.

If we somehow pull off wins on IU/SJU and things start to turn around in SEC play all these overreacting gafs are going to look awfully childish.

 

[HymanKaplan]

What, based on the results so far, would lead anyone to believe that that scenario is even remotely possible?

 

[Catman100]

It is one thing to say Nerlens Noel's injury affected a season.
Something else to say Lowe, Dioubate, and Quantance did.
Those 3 are either not difference makers at UK, or have yet to show they are difference makers at UK. And all 3 are not going to become Koby Brea overnight.
And I would say this goes a lot deeper than injuries. This team really doesn't seem to like each other, or really give a crap.
And Pope really doesn't seem to know what to do about it.

 

[Catsfan2025]

NOT A DAMN THING. I answered it for him before he could ramble on with 623 words of Ifs and Buts. All this team is concerned with is the checks cashing.

 

[Dexterdru71]

UK fans are honestly sadly fickle. Being unhappy and frustrated is fine but last year was far from a failure despite major injuries and this year is starting bad but likely will still produce a NC2A bid.

If we somehow pull off wins on IU/SJU and things start to turn around in SEC play all these overreacting gafs are going to look awfully

I will say one thing about you, you are the most optimistic poster on here, which I can appreciate. Sadly though, this team hasn’t shown that it can compete with a team with a pulse. We’re likely to get ran by IU and SJU and I don’t see many, if any road wins in the SEC. I’m not sure that this team finishes .500, let alone gets a NCAAT bid. We have 0 quality wins and have been blown out in two of the four games that have mattered.

That players have seemingly quit and aren’t giving effort is a double red flag that something has gone awry in the locker room. If a coach has to coach effort, you are screwed ! It is inexcusable that players are playing basketball at UK, while being paid handsomely, but yet absolutely show no fight or pride in their performance.

It’s usually said that players don’t need to listen to the outside noise of the media and what people are saying about them. This team, on the other hand, needs to subscribe to every sports publication out there, and see what everyone is saying about them, because it’s all true. At some point, maybe pride and their competitive spirit will awaken in them. Maybe embarrassment can be the teacher.

I was hoping that Pope would be the guy and last year fueled that hope. I will never bad mouth him, because he’s a good dude, loves UK and cares about the fans with every fiber of his being. Because of Cal’s last few years here, capped off with those two embarrassing NCAAT losses, he just doesn’t have the runway for seasons like this out of the gate. If we lose to both IU and SJ, his seat is red hot and his leash won’t be very long I don’t think.

If the worse case scenario happens and we have to move on, we have to go scorched earth and shoot for the best. I don’t want to hear that Bruce Pearl is too shady to coach here either. I’m hoping this isn’t the scenario, but just saying.

 

[Simple Man]

Speaking of Bruce Pearl

 

[Kooky Kats]

Welcome home, my sweaty Semite.

 

[B Rax]

yes, I fully believe JQ would have gone for FORTY against Gonzaga and Kentucky would’ve won easily.

 

[HymanKaplan]

I still say/maintain that JQ will not play for Kentucky this year. He's already got both feet in the NBA draft prep cycle. And honestly, who can blame him?

 

[legalbeagle123]

I still say/maintain that JQ will not play for Kentucky this year. He's already got both feet in the NBA draft prep cycle. And honestly, who can blame him?

He was dressed in uniform last night and participated in some light pregame warmup exercises. Have no idea if that means anything, just an observation.

 

[Btoddisabish]

Someone roll that gaedon sharp highlight reel

 

[august-west]

He was dressed in uniform last night and participated in some light pregame warmup exercises. Have no idea if that means anything, just an observation.

Shaedon Sharpe also dressed out, ran really fast up and down the court and dunked the round ball. So there is precedent

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

Are NIL contracts linked in anyway to playing? Can a player just decide to not play and continue to cash the checks?