Under construction but trending that way.
Need a couple more scorers, a Great commitment, and I'd prefer an additional point guard.
Need a couple more scorers, a Great commitment, and I'd prefer an additional point guard.
Is Pope building…….
- Thread starter LXWildcat
- Start date
No, it wasn't on Cal that Goehlke was banking them in falling to the side. The guard play was perfect, there was a man in his face every shot but 1 and we were face guarding him. You cant stop that, he was in Curry mode.
I'm glad to see your excitement about Pope and his squad full of players from crap teams. Its going to be a kick in the pants for many, im afraid.
Gonna be a loonnnggg 3 years for you, brother.
Kinda like the last 5 years for the rest of us.....
hahaaa....i hope so! Lots of excitement on here right now, all from these transfers Pope is getting. Where do you think we rank preseason? I personally, see no reason they're top 25.
Teague was a hell of a player and ranked #3 in a stacked class. I’d be ecstatic to get someone of his caliber from the portal who has experience.
Barnes just had his best year ever because of taking a guy from a crappy team. That’s the way college ball is now. Not like we have much choice in the matter as we had 0 players.
You're spot on. Pope doesn't have a choice but to take transfers, thats just why i have very low expectations.
Vols got very lucky with that transfer. Once in a lifetime luck getting a transfer that turns out to be the best player they've had in 10 years.
Not really, Cam Spencer was a transfer and he helped lead UCONN to a title. Plenty of transfers helped teams get far. Look at Hunter Dickinson, Grant Nelson, Max Abmas, Baylor Schierman, there were many in great teams. Plenty are great college players especially at small schools who just don’t get the recognition. That’s why they transfer. More opportunities.
5 of those were wide open off screens and pump fakes.
This guy lost his entire roster. I'll take an NCAAT appearance as a success. Anything more, I'm setting up a Mark Pope shrine.
I know he was a big prospect out of high school but he was also like Cal’s 5th or 6th best point guard, depending on how you feel about Andrew Harrison
Culture change from the last 15-years will not happen overnight!!
UK basketball NEEDED another voice who knows what the assignment as UK's basketball coach TRULY is!!!!!
Completely barren college basketball rosters, now with the portal/ NBA draft and the NIL will take time to restore to competitiveness. Look at Calboy at Arky, they just now got their 5th scholarship player for 2024/25..............
Right now, I like the UK talent and EXPERIENCE (from supposedly crappy teams
) that Pope has committed MUCH BETTER than the squad that Arky currently has, even with their newest addition today!!!
UK basketball NEEDED another voice who knows what the assignment as UK's basketball coach TRULY is!!!!!
Completely barren college basketball rosters, now with the portal/ NBA draft and the NIL will take time to restore to competitiveness. Look at Calboy at Arky, they just now got their 5th scholarship player for 2024/25..............
Right now, I like the UK talent and EXPERIENCE (from supposedly crappy teams
) that Pope has committed MUCH BETTER than the squad that Arky currently has, even with their newest addition today!!!Tennessee transfer big man Jonas Aidoo commits to Arkansas (HawgBeatOff.com)
"Arkansas currently has five scholarship players on the 2024-25 projected roster — Kentucky transfer big man Zvonimir Ivisic and 2024 prospects Karter Knox, Boogie Fland, Billy Richmond and Jonas Aidoo."My vision is instead of clearing out for a guy to get a bucket he draws up a play to get whoever has had the hot hand that game an open shot.
I'm going to wait and see who we actually have on the roster before I start making ridiculous predictions about where we rank preseason.
Our preseason rank has meant NOTHING for several years now as it pertains to our actual season record or where we finished in the rankings.
I know, its just conversation. I wouldn't hold you to it.
Depending on who else we get... We don't even know the roster yet.
Can still see how our all roster fills out before writing the season off. I grasp it fine. It’s actually a combo of roster/coaching. No way in hell pope can assemble as much talent as cal had at his disposal last year yet results likely better because of coaching/scheme/preparation, etc.
If Pope can build a championship roster under these conditions the rest of college basketball should be absolutely terrified. Its wildly unrealistic to expect that.
Some things he'll have going for him:
- this is easily the most talented/athletic team he's probably ever had, and it will only get better from here
- he can coach and has a great staff
Going against him:
- he's had to put this together from scratch at the last minute
- his entire team hasn't played a minute of basketball with one another
- they'll have to actually learn what he wants and implement it in not a lot of time
Year one (and probably two) are just laying a foundation. This year he has to do what Cal does, without Cal's unmatched experience in cobbling a roster together on a yearly basis or the benefit of having a class of freshman he picked in advance.
Some things he'll have going for him:
- this is easily the most talented/athletic team he's probably ever had, and it will only get better from here
- he can coach and has a great staff
Going against him:
- he's had to put this together from scratch at the last minute
- his entire team hasn't played a minute of basketball with one another
- they'll have to actually learn what he wants and implement it in not a lot of time
Year one (and probably two) are just laying a foundation. This year he has to do what Cal does, without Cal's unmatched experience in cobbling a roster together on a yearly basis or the benefit of having a class of freshman he picked in advance.
Coach hasn’t ever won a tourney game and we’re talking about championships. We’re hanging recruiting banners as a fanbase? I thought we hated that?
I would ask this.... In the age of the portal, isn't it an excuse to use that saying? I mean we were in fact a 2 seed and a 3 seed in these horrible ending seasons of coach cal. Yes our roster is depleted, but we are 2 to 3 players away from having our strongest roster in 10 years
Agree. We need 2-3 more and I believe pope knows exactly which 3 they will be
For as bad as Billy G was, he left Cal with a team that had I think 4 guys that would play in the NBA down the road. That is significant.
This is a reasonable assesment of the situation. Very fair. Probably exactly what this fanbase needs. A roster which builds a foundation and sets the tone for how Pope wants to tackle the assignment. Win the games where you are favored and pick up some of the ones where you are not. Play some defense.
And after the last four years, I can't wait for season 1. And the hope of bigger and better things in season 2.
G was an abomination . But yeah no coach I have heard of ever had to come in and re build an entire roster.
If Pope did that, then his Jersey should go up with the banner. Tubby inherited a juggernaut. Pope inherited a broken culture and 1 recruit.
I wouldn’t say an excuse so much as tempering the excitement and expectations a little.
Yes we have the portal and NIL. We also have a damaged brand and a coach who is not known as of yet.
We are also changing the culture of the last 15 years.
Believe me I want nothing more than be back at the top and I’m excited for the future.
You might not. But there are a few on here who would go search out the thread and bump it to the top so they could prove a point.
No thanks. I'll keep those predictions between myself and my for sure Cat fans/friends.
Exactly. God forbid someone doesn't predict a stellar season. They must be UL fans..
With proper recruits, he should flourish. He has been doing well in the portal.
Set screens for Perry … might be part of the plan, if TP plays defense well enough to get on the floor.
I've seen some national guys predict we'd be top 20 by the time the dust settles. We'll see but we only need a couple more guards and this looks like a solid roster. Got to see how it gels and how they learn the offense but... There is reason to optimistic.
I think we’ll be a top 15 type team going into next year. It’s going to be hard to compete with teams like UCONN, Kansas and UNC with the late start Pope got with roster construction, but I’m hopeful we’ll be competitive and entertaining throughout the season.
