Honest Expectations for 2025-2026 Season

[UKWildcats1987]

Just need progress. EE is expectation and see what happens. Final 8 on is such a crap shoot for most part...mostly always has been but moreso now than ever.

The above stated, we have the depth, talent and experience to make a serious run at #9.

Fair points. Florida could have lost 4 of their games n the ncaa tournament. It's so random and so much luck.

 

[ImTheVillageIdiot]

I went with Elite Eight. I’ve always believed all bets are off once you get that far and I’d be shocked if we aren’t an elite team by year’s end.

 

[jedcat]

I expect to not be looking up at Auburn, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee in the SEC. I want us to return to being the best in the conference.

 

[bucsrule8872]

Championship ceiling.

Sweet Sixteen floor, unless something goes terribly wrong (major injuries, chemistry issues, giant meteor hits the earth).

 

[darkshadesofblue]

Championship ceiling.

Sweet Sixteen floor, unless something goes terribly wrong (major injuries, chemistry issues, giant meteor hits the earth).

Covid-25

 

[bucsrule8872]

Covid-25

No. Please, for the love of humanity, no!

 

[KA4Prez_rivals78700]

Expect a national title.

Realize a lot needs to happen for it to occur.

 

[Panthur]

Some of those were just wearing the teams out by the end of the game, which again is good coaching.

Yes! And man if we thought we were wearing teams out last year, ......

 

[Lightbringer12]

I expect to not be looking up at Auburn, Alabama, Florida, and Tennessee in the SEC. I want us to return to being the best in the conference.

Exactly this! Bama punked us all 3 times and then Auburn buried us at home as well. I’m hoping right back to premier in SEC and at least elite 8 but let’s dream of #9!

 

[ukfan041]

With the talent, Final 4 is my expectation! Obviously the games aren’t played on paper, but we have everything needed to do something special AND a coach who will prioritize winning over draft stock!

 

[Dead Cat Bounce]

The momentum is building.

 

[ArtLaibsGhost_rivals]

We seem to be as good as anyone else preseason. I have to see us play before I can hope for a title. Personalities, injuries,luck,even officiating have caused some very talented UK teams to come up short in the past. You do need some luck to win the title. God knows we are due some.

 

[Haggin_Hall_1983]

Pope will need to be the coach that pushes a team to be absolutely merciless to it's opponents- one that absolutely dominates it's opponents in every phase of the game and crushes their soul in the first 5 minutes of each half and never lets up on the throttle after that. That is what we were in the 90's.

 

[kywildcat1021979]

I expect in year 2 with the talent and depth that Pope has assembled to be no less than a final 4. I really expect a Championship with a team that has actually 14 players that could start and play on any team but I'll go with final 4 and anything could happen if you get that far.

 

[wildcatknh]

On paper, we are a contender. However, to be honest, we have too many new pieces to know how this will work out until we see them play together a bit. 1 starter returning, 1 role player and 2 freshman who played sparingly most of the year returning, with 6 transfers (1 coming off an acl surgery) and 4 freshman (including the euro player as a frehsman) is a lot of unknowns. And it will likely take a bit for them to fully click.

Almost every major contender has just as many new pieces as we do. This is simply how rosters change from year to year now for everyone.

 

[Ryan Lemonds Hair]

If Quaintance is back to 100% by January and we have avoid the major injury bug to anyone then I see a Final Four and anything can happen there. If he isn't able to come back or we have several significant injuries like this season then I could also see a Sweet 16 or maybe Elite 8 depending on who the injuries are with.

At some point we have to get some luck on our side and not have significant injuries. I mean why can't we be like Duke? Cooper Flagg suffered a near death experience when he broke his foot clean off from his leg and yet he played the next week. It was the most horrific injury a barely 18 year old had ever suffered. Why don't we have that kind of luck?

 

[FanofUK]

Easy to have high expectations, portal pieces do not always work out so I am trying to pump the breaks.
IF and this is a big IF, Pope turns up the defensive intensity (I know his offense works) we could be REALLY GOOD. If we struggle on D it will be up and down again.
You can sometimes get by on shaky offense but you will rarely get by with subpar defense.
But I do believe Pope is the man to get both sides figured out and get us on the big stage.

 

[Slowwalker]

I went with final four. I think Pope will have this group hungry and confident. Anything less and I think this group underachieves.

 

[UKWildcats1987]

I expect in year 2 with the talent and depth that Pope has assembled to be no less than a final 4. I really expect a Championship with a team that has actually 14 players that could start and play on any team but I'll go with final 4 and anything could happen if you get that far.

We don't have 14 players that could start on any team. Let's slow down the hyperbole a bit.

 

[bbnkat02]

Final Four or Bust. Period.

Once you get there anything can happen (matchups depending). So get that far and it’s pretty successful.

 

[CrimsonCats_rivals]

Before even seeing us play, I’m going with expectations to contend for an SEC title and get to the Elite Eight. We have a lot of depth and a coach I believe in, so I acknowledge that the ceiling could be higher, but we do also have some question marks and I tend not to assume the absolute best case outcome for every player when trying to make preseason predictions.

 

[BMR1987]

Elite Eight floor, National Championship ceiling.

Coach Pope has assembled the level of talent necessary in order to win it all, now it becomes about chemistry, injuries, officiating, match-ups, and luck as to whether we end up closer to our floor or our ceiling. I will predict right now that this will be the greatest defensive team Mark Pope has ever coached and if we stay healthy then the way this team will wear teams out using our depth will be beautiful to watch.

 

[Kats23]

Considering we were a Final Four contender before the injuries last season, no reason to think anything other than this year with arguably more talent and depth.

 

[Farsight]

I had a dream last night. Not sure why, but I haven't thought about UK Basketball since the creation of this thread.

We were top 2 seed, we lost 7 games in the season and lost to Florida in the SECT Semi's by 12. We did make the final 4 with this starting 5 line up...

Aberdeen
Oweh
Williams
Dioubate
Quantance

There were a lot of flashback scenes in the dream. I know we beat the number 1 overall seed by 26 in the elite 8 Purdue.

The final 4 was..

#2 Kentucky vs #5 Uconn

#1 Michigan vs #3 BYU

We beat UConn by 3 in triple OT (finally owe those bastards a loss in the tourney)

BYU upsets Michigan on a last second shot.

In my dream I never got to "watch" the championship game" because I woke up and had to poop lmao

 

[Broker]

Final 4 is very realistic with a shot once we get there. I think we will be among the 6-8 teams with a realistic chance at one, we may not end up the favorite, but we will be capable of winning it all.

Besides us, who are the other three final four teams?

 

[Aike]

I’ll be disappointed if we don’t make the Final Four. I realize it’s difficult to do.

But in my lifetime we’ve spent about half the time at Elie Eight or better. Every single time we lost in the Elite Eight I was disappointed.

 

[Rembrandt90]

On paper we look to be really good. Really good.
But the games are played on the basketball court and not paper. Last season was nice to watch. I have no doubt in Coach Pope doing what it takes for UK to be a top contender again.
Last season was just that, last year; this is a new season, new players and all we can do is hope they gel like last year, work together, play hard and stay injury free. If that happens, UK will be there at the end and that is all we can hope for.

This is where you just have to understand and appreciate the intangible skills of Pope and his coaching staff. They were the major reason last year's team gelled.

 

[bucsrule8872]

This is where you just have to understand and appreciate the intangible skills of Pope and his coaching staff. They were the major reason last year's team gelled.

I’m not too worried about chemistry. Sure Pope could have misjudged some of these guys, but the way Pope approaches every aspect of the game, not much is left to chance. I am sure he thoroughly did his homework and knows whether these guys are the type of guys he wants in his program.

So far, the only transfers out have been Perry and Kriisa and they weren’t cancers by any stretch. Every other player has been a great fit for the program.

 

[Anon1679859502]

A lot of great players pulled out of the draft and have transferred to other schools so it’s not like Kentucky is the only loaded team. Elite eight will be just as tough since talent is staying in school

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Besides us, who are the other three final four teams?

I’d say Florida, BYU, Houston, St. John’s, and Purdue all have a great shot. It’s obviously way too early to tell but Arkansas, Duke, UConn, Texas Tech could be contenders at some point in the year along with Michigan.

 

[Randy Bob]

I think Ky will be a very good team, I think final 4 is very possible.

 

[Blueisbest]

Barring catastrophic injuries, anything less than a Final Four would be mild let down. I know anything can happen in the NCAA tournament, and it often does, we have, I feel, one of the four best teams going into the season.

 

[ORCAT]

Now want to be final for bound. Then, anything can happen. I voted national championship because I feel we truly can contend for it this year so why not say that's my expectation and not just my hope. Crazy, I know.

 

[Runt#1969]

I had a dream last night. Not sure why, but I haven't thought about UK Basketball since the creation of this thread.

We were top 2 seed, we lost 7 games in the season and lost to Florida in the SECT Semi's by 12. We did make the final 4 with this starting 5 line up...

Aberdeen
Oweh
Williams
Dioubate
Quantance

There were a lot of flashback scenes in the dream. I know we beat the number 1 overall seed by 26 in the elite 8 Purdue.

The final 4 was..

#2 Kentucky vs #5 Uconn

#1 Michigan vs #3 BYU

We beat UConn by 3 in triple OT (finally owe those bastards a loss in the tourney)

BYU upsets Michigan on a last second shot.

In my dream I never got to "watch" the championship game" because I woke up and had to poop lmao

I've had 3 premonition dreams come 100% true in real life in the past month. No kentucky related basketball dreams of which to speak. I do believe in such things, I've had premonition dreams all my life.

That said, if we get to the Final Four and go to triple OT against UConn ....

I'll not be surviving that game !

Here I come, Elizabeth !

 

[Runt#1969]

OH.

I forgot the thread was about expectations for the upcoming season, and I am very happy to see that over half would agree at making the final four can be a reality, and even further, that I am not the only one that feels this optimistic. Usually I am somewhat overly optimistic every year.

That said, I beleive with the a lil' luck we will bring in #9 in 2026. I'll go right now iwth a final four and exit, but after I see the total schedule, and once wee get going, I don't doubt I'll be thinking we have the best shot at the title - better than anyone else.

We shall see.