My Goodness, let the Man have his year 3.
- Thread starter @Rockhill2025
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I have 2 daughters and 2 grand daughters and I coached U8 girls soccer for a couple years.
I had to join a biker gang in LA to get my edge back.
If Pitino and Cal were the perfect coaches they would still be here. They both were perfect for a while: Pitino’s constant flirtation with the NBA during his later years here , Cal’s emphasis on player’s draft status over championships, both had giant egos and thought they were bigger than Kentucky kinda hurt. Neither are an option and Pope is here for next year so we might as well accept that. Us older fans can remember this, Joe Hall had a decent year his first year (even though Adolph Rupp was critical of it, thought they should have been better) but his second year was a disaster (13-13). They were calling for his head. His next year they were NCAA runners up( got “Woodened” in that game). Maybe Pope can turn it around.
I mean I was leading a lynch mob this weekend until I read the OP. He convinced me to calm down and give him his third year.
Unfortunately man there is just a lot of vile people out there. And social media gives them a microphone they can hide behind. It makes our fan base look really bad but they are too narcissistic to see it or admit it. And for the record before I'm attacked, I'd be fine with Pope being replaced right now if we had a guaranteed better replacement. But the hatred I won't be a part of.
Jeff I got a lot of respect for you, but calling him the Dope isn't hate, it's just being real.
He somehow gets a rep for being smart but does not do things a smart person would do. In ANY facet of his job.
When he brings in UK level players, and when he upholds the standards expected of a UK coach, let me know.
I don't think that time will ever come.
He somehow gets a rep for being smart but does not do things a smart person would do. In ANY facet of his job.
When he brings in UK level players, and when he upholds the standards expected of a UK coach, let me know.
I don't think that time will ever come.
Next season is make or break for Pope. Another 10+ loss season, not making the weekend at the SECT and not getting to the 2nd week of the NCAAT. He'll be done.
I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Mitch didn’t wait until now to reveal his leaving for that very thing. He thinks it ensure Mark gets year 3 since there’s no new AD in place to fire Pope and make a new hire.
Reasonable post.
The point on recruiting misses is probably the biggest reason we are where we are at this time. I don't know the true reasons and doubt anyone on here does either unless there is someone really close to the program that posts or reads this board.
I'm in the camp that the three players that were limited with injuries did in fact have a really negative affect on this team.
With the roster construction as it was, (yes the buck does stop with CP on that) things had to work out perfectly to have the team that CP invisioned.
I think the loss of Lowe really impacted the whole team more than most realize. I believe CP thought he could count on him to be the "straw that stirs the drink" for this. Not to be a leader by scoring. This would have allowed Aberdeen to play the majority of his minutes at the 2 where he belonged and spelled Lowe as needed. Which in turn would have allowed Chandler to be the sixth man and split time backing up Aberdeen and Oweh.
Kam needed to translate that 40% 3pt shooting at this level while backing up Oweh as well as playing some 4 spot in certain situations. He was just coming around when he broke his foot.
The SJ game showed us what CP was hoping to get out of JQ. Unfortunately the gamble on his health was one that didn't pay off. That's on CP, but maybe there were no other options and he paid the price.
Can't prove it, but the domino that first fell in the Blue/White game with Lowe getting that serious of an injury doomed this team right there as it led to multiple players playing minutes at positions they shouldn't have been. This may account for some of the substitution patterns used by Pope even if I didn't agree with them. Yes I think he made mistakes there.
As far as your issue with the "pressers", I understand where you're coming from there. I think as the season progressed and dealing with the loss of key players and the losses took a toll on Pope.
It's one thing to know about the pressure of sitting in that seat and another when one actually feels it and has to deal with it.
One last thing, and I truly am not saying this as an excuse for Pope, but just like this season took a toll on Pope, I believe the last four years of what we got under Cal contributes to some of the frustrations that a lot of fans are expressing. I was definitely depressed as a fan and was glad to see Cal leave. I was turned off by the atmosphere created with sending players to the NBA as his top priority, not winning.
Even if one questioned Pope's hire based on merits, a lot of us were happy to have someone back at the helm who professed to put the University and it's basketball tradition first. Yes he still has to perform, but if asked at the beginning, "how long does he get to show his merits here", I think most would have said at least three years. Regardless of whether any of us thinks things will improve next year or not, that is where we are at.
Too bad some of our fans are so hostel. If you do not know what that word is just look it up.
So you feel complaining as an anonymous message board poster , that you are accomplishing something ??
When Pope complimented his boss, several turned the switch lol .
Yeah, I'm in the same place you are. If he was fired tomorrow, I wouldn't hate it, but if the happens, the next hire needs to be a home run.
Calling the guy a dope, most certainly is hate. You don't call someone a dope unless you hate that person.
Pope has his faults and he made plenty of mistakes, but he’s not a dope.
Hey woke brigade, when has this telling others to stop being negative ever worked ever? When things are this bleak, people are going to speak their mind, vent, and its going to be negative because the topic, UK BASKETBALL STINKS lately.
Why are you continuing to support the coach who is crashing the program?
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Things that won’t happen for 500
Me and the Pope fans gonna be dancing after we win the SEC next season
Yeah, by Louisville fans, I don't recall seeing UK fans do that and besides that, it's not even close to the insult thst "dope" is.
Do you guys feel better about yourselves when you post that crap? Pope is still one of our own. .
Has reading comprehension always been a problem for you?
How many times do we need to say "Pope is probably not the right guy for this job" and "Pope didn’t have the resume and shouldn't have been hired".
Are you serious? Cal was called every name in the book by UK fans those last seasons and still being called out now.
Pope doesn’t hear any of these statements we make online. And if he does, he should get back to work, he should always be busy and not wasting time “ego-searching” (as the kids say) online.
Pope isn’t offended. You being offended for him. You want everyone to shut up and stop offending you. If that’s how you feel, you’re free to disconnect from the internet. Watching paint dry won’t offend you.
Like what, Begok?
Let me know when you find one as insulting as dope.
Also, Cal never played at UK, Pope did.
Either way, neither one of them is a "dope".
You do realize nobody can "hear" text, right?
And it doesn’t matter if he sees these comments, UK fans shouldn't say that about one of our own when he's only doing what he knows to do. Mitch is the dope, not Pope.
Don’t be a prescriptivist a**. Using “hear” for statements that are read online has been used by people for years.
But Pope is a public figure. He willingly took the job for a public institution that has dozens of nationally televised games. He is fair game.
So because he willingly took the job and had 1 bad year, he's a dope?
Injuries matter, he made mistakes, but no coach is winning when they lose three of their most important players.
In fact, Lowe at pg, was probably thee most important player.
Do you see any sweet 16 teams missing their starting pg? I don't.
Are you really this stupid? Where did I say anything about supporting him? I didn't. Learn to read before you post.
Yeah, by the likes of immature folks like you. I despised Cal and couldn't wait to move on from him, but I wasn't on here calling him names and acting like a 10 year old.
No one is offended. We are just calling out childish behavior. I'd say you are more offended because the truth that you don't have emotional maturity hurts.
This sounds like projection. Stop being offended for other people’s sake who give zero f*cks about you. Pope has no clue who you are. You look like a drone defending a multi-millionaire.
I think part of it is it’d be hard not to look like thugs hiring a favorite son and then axing him two years in. I can actually agree with that angle somewhat. It’s just ridiculous we have an AD who put us in this position. Not only that he put us in this position—but that this is what he decided to do with his magic GET OUT OF JAIL FREE card that Cal handed him by Arkanasasing his way out of his thirty million dollar buyout.
I look at it this way.
A lot of people have been measuring Pope's time here with our former coach.
So, with Calipari as the standard: Last season both teams went to the sweet 16 and lost. Pope had better talent last year than this year.
Last year, Calipari had players he brought from UK and added a few 5 star pieces. Arkansas beat UK at Rupp. Same finish for each in the tournament.
This year, Pope had far less talent available while some were saying the talent at Arkansas was among the best in the country. UK beat Arkansas at Arkansas. Pope did slightly worse in the tournament by one game, than he did last year with better talent, while Calipari did no better than he did last year with a roster LOADED with talent.
So, at the moment (if you are measuring the two against each other), it's pretty much a wash.
If Cal gets much more talent, Arkansas may not make it out of the first round next year.
