After everything that happened in your own athletic programs, I wouldn't be casting stones.
Imagine Bruce Pearl at UK with 22 mil
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Well yeah, because he was coaching at Auburn and he never had that kind of a budget to work with, heck, up until his last year, any budget he had, would have been hush money.
He did get 5* guys, but he also turned those 3's and 4's into legit stars.
His teams play hard, no matter what level of talent he has. That's the most important thing.
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Their history wasn't all that great, Pearl took them to their first ever elite 8, since then, they've been one of the best teams in the SEC, before Pearl, they sucked for a long time.
Takes a lot more energy to drag that sled at a place like Auburn. He had to constantly create the atmosphere and sell Auburn basketball. He wouldn't need to do that here, the BBN already does all that work and BP knows that.
You think 34th is good?
Where were they ranked before Pearl took over? Bet they weren’t 34th.
I bet its irrelevant and was never my argument but you keep focusing on it for some reason.
Nobody can prove what we spent. Nobody. Until someone shows me a credible source of what each guy makes, I will continue to shake my head every time I see $22 million thrown around.We would have Stokes, Holt, and likely a All Sec Player too
That's why they are the losers they are and the programs in the mess it's in. I bet if that money dries up they aren't going to have a choice on that next hire they're going to have to do what the $$$$ people tell them to this time!
But it's not irrelevant. You said BP didn’t put UT basketball on the map. They might rank 34th now, but they sure as hell weren’t 34th prior to BP taking the job.
They had some good years under Ray Mears with Earnie and Bernie, but that's about it.
He is the obvious hire, in terms of style of play, past success, and temperament.
Sampson is a great coach and I chuckle every time I think about Indiana firing him for too many texts to recruits, given what they've been through since then. But two points on that:
1) Even Sampson took four seasons to make his first NCAA tournament at Houston, and seven seasons to make a final four. The wind-up at UK is probably shorter than for Houston, and he probably even makes the tournament in his first year here. But what if it takes him four seasons to make a final four. Does he last that long? And four seasons in he's 71. Almost by definition he's on retirement watch every year at that point. That's a precarious position for a program to be in. If you could guarantee a coach you hire at age 67 will make a final four in his fourth season, you probably sign up for that, but of course you can't guarantee that.
2) Sampson is a darling of CBB because he's having the best run of his career at the end of his career. He's the exception that proves the rule; if every coach's career arc looked like his we wouldn't care as much. For examples of coaches who have less success in the final years of their career I can point to... pretty much every other coach in the sport. This is probably the most high-pressure job in CBB, I just don't think it's prudent to hire someone who is absolutely already thinking about their retirement. And Pearl already retired once!
What? Starting after the canceled Covid tournament, Cal coached for four more seasons at UK and had 1 tournament win. In that time Oats had 8 wins, including a final four in 23-24, and won the SEC twice (at Alabama!). If Cal had his record during that stretch he would still be our coach.
Matt Norlander, who I think is the most connected reporter in CBB, has specifically rejected the $22m number. Which makes it all the more annoying when Gary Parrish (the co-host on their podcast) continues to cite that number every time they talk about UK, lol.
doesn't matter anymore. it's out there, it's been out there, and teams are using it as chalkboard material, just ask vandy
Oh yeah no doubt. Whether accurate or not, it seems almost like the UK staff didn't mind that number being out there. I'm guessing it's something to do with Pope's line about how at UK we want to be the best at everything, including NIL. But it always seemed like a lose-lose to me. Either we're great, and everyone says well, of course they are, they spent $22m on their roster. Or we underachieve and the narrative becomes what it has become--the most underachieving team in the sport.
Cal’s last 5 years at UK that y’all always talk about, the famous talking point that Matt Jones gave yall, Bruce Pearl has 2 NCAA Tournament wins wins. I’m not sure where you get Nate Oats from in a Bruce Pearl thread.
^^^^ I entered this thread…..read a few lines…..and THIS - was the clear winner. Didn’t even have to read anymore.
Pearl wanted to come here. He would’ve ridden a bicycle to Lexington….Our pathetic AD thought he was “too damaged“
Go back and read my comment you responded to, I was replying to someone who said UK should hire Oats. If you read my other posts in this thread I am unequivocally against hiring Pearl.
I believe I read earlier in the season that Pearl commented publicly that Pope and UK had “paid starter money for bench players” or something to that effect. He’s turned out to be absolutely correct. We all thought “oh thank goodness“ when we “convinced“ our two returning “starters” - Garrison and Oweh - to return. Oweh has, without a doubt, been a terrible teammate, and has had terrible energy and a basic “don’t give an ish” attitude all year. Garrison - well, I’m not even going to waste typing anything about Garrison
He’d taken Auburn as far as he could and, yes, he’d set up his son. Pearl would make them check him outta of an old age home if he got the chance to coach at UK. He’s always “understood“ what UK is and, I think, would come coach here in a heartbeat
you're 100% right. i think it probably is an inflated number but i think the staff was absolutely ok with it leaking. huge HUGE miscalculation on their part.
I wholeheartedly agree with ALL of this. This is not a great “team”, but all of the issues are on Pope. It starts and ends with a lack of discipline and a lack of motivation - that’s all on Pope. Swing three games this season and we’re sitting at 17-4 and ranked between 12-15th instead of 14-7 and plunging back towards being a bubble team. There’s literally dozens of current coaches (and one recently retired ) that would/could have this roster at 17-4.
That was not the point of my original post, you need to go back further and I stand on Bruce Pearl did not put UT on the map. If you think that way on you are only looking at one small period, he rejuvenated them, yes, absolutely - of course they were down, that is why they fired their coach and needed a new one.... but they were on the college basketball map. We can agree to disagree, because you clearly disagree with me and I will not be swayed in my opinion on this - so we can move on with our lives
I agree with everything except for the Oweh part. To me he seems like one of like 3 that care at all. I’m sure he’s frustrated be the pieces that are around him as most fans are as well.
Did you see him walk out bounds with the ball down 25?
Did you see him in the post game conference?
No way that dude cares one way or the other.
Should he be happy in the post game? I would hope he is annoyed and pissed at the season