Tell me you know nothing about basketball without saying you know nothing about basketball...
Last year's team fought as hard as they could with the hand they were dealt.
I'm still a believer in Pope...
- Thread starter Mdnerd
- Start date
Last year's team fought as hard as they could with the hand they were dealt.
Time will tell about JQ paying off or not. Was it a gamble? Yes.
ACL surgeries have matured to the point most come out with excellent results. Mine was in '98. I was told the repaired knee would be stronger that the other one. They were right.
JQ is an elite talent and will be a difference maker changing the whole complexion of the team. If only Lowe can stay healthy.
It’s also “ridiculous” to not see them quit in games last season and this season.
Be willfully blind all you want.
No, I don't think you have a clue what you're talking about. Did we quit down double digits to Duke? To Gonazga? No. That team got beat but didn't quit. This team competed against UL, UNC, and MSU, but did mail it in against Gonzaga.
It’s almost like people forgot that the players quit against Alabama in the SEC quarterfinals or against Tennessee in the Sweet 16. Both games were blowouts. It’s amazing how delusional some fans are in thinking that Pope did well enough last year to excuse the disaster that this season is becoming.
For as much as Kentucky fans are labeled unrealistic or our expectations are too high, we have way too many fans who have this sort of weird, parasocial relationship towards our coaches. If it wasn’t Tubby, it was BCG or Cal and now it’s Pope who in the eyes of some fans can do no wrong.
How can you not see that Pope has had difficulties getting his players to play with effort in games and it didn’t just start this year. Even in games we won last year, most of them involved us coming back from 10+ point deficits. We rarely beat teams from the moment we played to the final buzzer. EFFORT-HAS-ALWAYS-BEEN-A-QUESTION-UNDER-POPE.
I have realized one thing. Pope gets a ton of support for doing literally nothing as a coach. How many time has Mitch failed this fan base and yet we are supposed to blindly follow and trust Pope just because Mitch said so. I liked Pope as a player. I also liked Walter McCarty, Travis Ford, and John Pelphrey. It doesn’t mean I think they should be coach at UK. Pope didn’t have the pedigree to be hired and his team is already crapping the bed. 1-8 in last 9, I will no longer just say, everything will be fine. Even last year that some consider a good year, we got ran out of the gym in several games.
Exactly this. Even last season, which some swear was some huge success, there was a clear lack of effort in multiple games. It’s not just specific to this season. The same red flags that are there now were there last season.
Pope has issues getting his teams ready to play. That much is clear and it shouldn’t be that controversial. The evidence is right in front of your face.
And lol at anyone saying that they were competitive against UL. They were getting boat raced until they made a run near the end.
Pope is not the man for the job, and they should cut bait sooner rather than later. But most likely he’s here for a 3rd year.
I agree. I still think, if we had remained healthy, last year was a potent final Four team.
Speaking strictly on being the head coach of UK’s MCBB team, Pope has proven beyond any reasonable doubt that he can not recruit, either HS or Portal, and he simply can not remain as UK’s HC on that single point alone!
For example, 0-26 on HS 5*’s alone, and there’s probably more Portal whiffs than that, that are too many to name!
Now, consider how his team is losing (and have lost), and the money spent doing so, and he’s a dead man walking on the sideline!
Another year is just going to cripple UK further than it already has, and a major change needs to take place, and quickly!
The college game is professional lite now, and just like the pros, coaches can, and should be, fired any time during the season, and replaced accordingly!
UK is dangerously close to becoming the next IU, funny considering, IU comes into Rupp on Saturday, and if Pope drops that one, even remotely close to the Gonzaga train wreck, he has to be pressured to resign… Or else…
For example, 0-26 on HS 5*’s alone, and there’s probably more Portal whiffs than that, that are too many to name!
Now, consider how his team is losing (and have lost), and the money spent doing so, and he’s a dead man walking on the sideline!
Another year is just going to cripple UK further than it already has, and a major change needs to take place, and quickly!
The college game is professional lite now, and just like the pros, coaches can, and should be, fired any time during the season, and replaced accordingly!
UK is dangerously close to becoming the next IU, funny considering, IU comes into Rupp on Saturday, and if Pope drops that one, even remotely close to the Gonzaga train wreck, he has to be pressured to resign… Or else…
Unrealistic and unfair fans are one thing. Making crap up as you go is pathetic and should be ban worthy. You are right, Pope got everything he could have from last years club. Saying they quit is a low basketball IQ joke
It's funny how posts like this comes out just a few hours before we play a cupcake.
I’ll support him while he’s here. But if he doesn’t turn this around asap, I won’t fight to keep him.
Right the ship? This season was final 4 or bust. We used to give cal **** every year for early losses because he downplayed them. Well we know how much the numbers favor higher seeds as to making deep runs. We can 100% kiss a 1 or 2 seed good bye. So yeah there not much hope
Hell we sold out rupp for his introduction. 24k idiots. I hated the hire from day 1
Pope is not the answer for this program, this is not BYU, I would be happy if this is his last year, He is not a motivator, if his name wasn't on the resume, and you looked at it, it would have went in the no thank you pile
Pretty much everything you post is low class. I'm just going to put you on ignore now.
Seems exactly like the same results we are getting. He is what his record says he is.
It was the coaching staff’s job to keep players and recruits happy. They failed to do that and Lewis moved along.
He never even got here. He apparently wasn't willing to be here unless he was the only PG on the team and thus guaranteed starter minutes. He bailed when Lowe came on board. That put us behind the eight ball in regards to who was still available at that point.
Its very weird that we look so flat against the 4 great teams we played, yet are absolutely blowing out our cupcakes (and thats despite the slow starts). You really dont see that often as its one or the other.
So it does sort of make me wonder if this team was just very much behind this off season.. maybe not the best chemistry to start.. maybe a little over confident. Because if we can beat our last one by 50 and basically beat this opponent 90 to 50 over the final 3 quarters of the game... then we should be able to win somr against our top25 competition.
Idk, thats the hope at least
So it does sort of make me wonder if this team was just very much behind this off season.. maybe not the best chemistry to start.. maybe a little over confident. Because if we can beat our last one by 50 and basically beat this opponent 90 to 50 over the final 3 quarters of the game... then we should be able to win somr against our top25 competition.
Idk, thats the hope at least
I have hope but its dependent on JQ and Lowe being healthy. Not worried about Mo D simply because once his high ankle sprain is healed he'll be good to go. Huge question mark on the first two.
Rip the bandaid off as soon as the seasons over IMO. Can’t afford a third year of this crap. He’s a sweet guy but not built to lead UK
I will eat crow right now!
I was at the game not far from the bench and could hear Pope ripping the hell out of these guys. Coaching like his life depended on it.
I apologize and wanna take back everything I said about Pope. I know it was not a high caliber team but I promise you I can see a little light at the end of this pit. I have been very critical of this team and Pope but he made some bold statements tonight that gave me hope.
I was at the game not far from the bench and could hear Pope ripping the hell out of these guys. Coaching like his life depended on it.
I apologize and wanna take back everything I said about Pope. I know it was not a high caliber team but I promise you I can see a little light at the end of this pit. I have been very critical of this team and Pope but he made some bold statements tonight that gave me hope.
Man, I hope Pope and the team turn this season around and make some people eat some crow. Yes, the early part of the season hasn’t went as expected, but it’s still very EARLY! Hell, we just played our tenth game.
I’m super pissed about how the season has went went so far. However, I also realize that this team hasn’t been putting forth a great effort to win these games. Not nearly as much as they should. I’m willing to give them a chance to turn it around.
I’m super pissed about how the season has went went so far. However, I also realize that this team hasn’t been putting forth a great effort to win these games. Not nearly as much as they should. I’m willing to give them a chance to turn it around.