Ouch- has to be directed at some here

Jul 30, 2024
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I vehemently reject some of the notions in the article, such as Wildcat fans looking up at Hog fans —- LOL definitely don’t speak for me. Glad Cal is at Arkansas. I absolutely do think there’s an element of truth to this article, but introspection is always rejected because our thumbs don’t work, only our index fingers. Mixed bag article.
 

akaukswoosh

Hall of Famer
Jan 14, 2006
79,678
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So What Whatever GIF by CBS
 

NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
10,986
17,284
113
People are forgetting that the program is in complete rebuild. Pope was left with NOTHING in the cupboard when he came aboard. Yes, there is concern about the recruiting, but UK is being negatively recruited against. You can bet your *** that opposing coaches are telling recruits "UK is a difficult place to play for, the fans are overly-critical (I don't think we are), they have a new coach who might not make it", that sort of thing. Some of the bitching about not getting the elite recruits really is just fans pining for Calipari. Because for the longest time, all he did was recruit.
 

JonathanW2

Junior
Aug 6, 2025
152
231
43
I actually agree with the point the writer was trying to make.
Us (BBN) being petty over a former coach leaving, one that many of us WANTED TO LEAVE, and doing so in a way that did not cost UK and arm & a leg due to a bad contract from the AD. Honestly Cal leaving did us a favor.
And some of BBN being so petty over him, makes us all look bad. Like this is something you would expect UL fans to do. BBN should be ABOVE acting like this.
As for "but Cal left the cupboard bare"? That is what happens now, especially when there is a coaching change. Over half the roster almost anywhere leaves even when the coach returns, and if he leaves so do the remaining players (go look at any other school with a coaching change the past 2 years). That is what NIL and the Transfer Portal has created. Not to mention many of you didn't want Wagner, didn't want Big Z, didn't want Bradshaw , etc... to return, many of you only wanted Theiro (and some not even him because he couldn't shoot the 3 well).

So as for me, I don't pay any attention to our former coach. He's just another coach at an SEC wanna-be rival school.
 

Tim0808

Senior
Apr 4, 2013
437
831
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People are forgetting that the program is in complete rebuild. Pope was left with NOTHING in the cupboard when he came aboard. Yes, there is concern about the recruiting, but UK is being negatively recruited against. You can bet your *** that opposing coaches are telling recruits "UK is a difficult place to play for, the fans are overly-critical (I don't think we are), they have a new coach who might not make it", that sort of thing. Some of the bitching about not getting the elite recruits really is just fans pining for Calipari. Because for the longest time, all he did was recruit.
These are all excuses. Arkansas was a complete rebuild too. All schools get recruited against negatively. Even if you get a player on campus, other schools are still recruiting these kids. We need to stop blaming JMI, Mitch, injuries, the ball not having enough air, and anything else we can think of and we need to just get better.
 

Tim0808

Senior
Apr 4, 2013
437
831
93
Just a reminder to any Arkansas fans; when they joined the SEC in 1992, they were going to dominate the conference. In 34 years, the Hogs have won:

Regular SEC TWO times (1992, 1994)...ZERO in the last 31 seasons

SECT Title ONE time (2000)...that would be ZERO times in the last 25 seasons
Yes, this Article is hog garbage!
 
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NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
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To me the team did get better in this last game. Assuming they don't somehow forget how to play that suffocating defense they ran in the second half against Indiana. Garrison seems to finally be getting the idea that if you just lay your *** out there, and get after it, that good things will come. Pitino better not be assuming it will be an easy game.
 

Tim0808

Senior
Apr 4, 2013
437
831
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To me the team did get better in this last game. Assuming they don't somehow forget how to play that suffocating defense they ran in the second half against Indiana. Garrison seems to finally be getting the idea that if you just lay your *** out there, and get after it, that good things will come. Pitino better not be assuming it will be an easy game.
I will have to see that effort, rebounding, and defense against a good team before I believe it. I hate to admit it, but I have lost faith in this group. We will know more in a couple of weeks. I was not impressed with Indiana at all.
 
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Anon470511

Freshman
Nov 20, 2025
61
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I guess that was why Cal was so excited when he was introduced and they asked him to call the hogs (not) and he wouldn’t do it.

People are forgetting that the program is in complete rebuild. Pope was left with NOTHING in the cupboard when he came aboard. Yes, there is concern about the recruiting, but UK is being negatively recruited against. You can bet your *** that opposing coaches are telling recruits "UK is a difficult place to play for, the fans are overly-critical (I don't think we are), they have a new coach who might not make it", that sort of thing. Some of the bitching about not getting the elite recruits really is just fans pining for Calipari. Because for the longest time, all he did was recruit.

People are forgetting that the program is in complete rebuild. Pope was left with NOTHING in the cupboard when he came aboard. Yes, there is concern about the recruiting, but UK is being negatively recruited against. You can bet your *** that opposing coaches are telling recruits "UK is a difficult place to play for, the fans are overly-critical (I don't think we are), they have a new coach who might not make it", that sort of thing. Some of the bitching about not getting the elite recruits really is just fans pining for Calipari. Because for the longest time, all he did was recruit.
So...hows the "rebuild" going for BYU???
 
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dynastydreamuk

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2010
1,716
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not clicking to read that garbage.

That said, I'll be completely honest.

If I knew Mitch was going to do a big gamble hire on a totally unproven coach, I would have kept Calipari 2 more years untill mitch retired and let the next AD hire the right coach.

Still crossing my fingers it works with pope though.

Cal's last 5 years at UK were unacceptable it it was time for both parties to move on and it was probably good for Cal to have a rebirth of sorts with less pressure and more support.
 

JwUKFan11

Heisman
Nov 11, 2011
6,627
12,800
113
People are forgetting that the program is in complete rebuild. Pope was left with NOTHING in the cupboard when he came aboard. Yes, there is concern about the recruiting, but UK is being negatively recruited against. You can bet your *** that opposing coaches are telling recruits "UK is a difficult place to play for, the fans are overly-critical (I don't think we are), they have a new coach who might not make it", that sort of thing. Some of the bitching about not getting the elite recruits really is just fans pining for Calipari. Because for the longest time, all he did was recruit.
This isn't 2003. There aren't multi year rebuilds in college basketball.
 

Goingfor9

All-Conference
Jan 27, 2003
15,683
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Ark fans are the worst. Watch while cap has some success and we suck. They rub stuff in they are the worst. Tell them about our history and its “what about lately”? They have no respect for uk. I figured cal going there would become a highly toxic situation for their mental fanbase.
 

NociHTTP

Heisman
Mar 8, 2023
10,986
17,284
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This isn't 2003. There aren't multi year rebuilds in college basketball.
Sure there are. The portal is not going to be the same after the "covid" ordeal with players finally passes. Pope did fine pulling from the portal last season. People are doing their level best to trash the man, to set unrealistic goals because he wasn't their favorite pick and they're not getting the recruits they want. Have some patience. It's not like the garbage we had to put with Cal the past five years or so.
 
Jul 30, 2024
4,397
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Ark fans are the worst. Watch while cap has some success and we suck. They rub stuff in they are the worst. Tell them about our history and its “what about lately”? They have no respect for uk. I figured cal going there would become a highly toxic situation for their mental fanbase.
We aren’t innocent on this one, man. When Cal got hired, our fans were like rabid dogs all over everything Arkansas. They are bad but some of our crazies made us all look crazy. I never understood why our fans who wanted Cal gone (allegedly) were on every podcast, every website, every forum, every YouTube video, etc. telling Arkansas fans how irrelevant their school is and how much of a bum Cal is. I didn’t lose a wink of sleep and was happy to see Cal go —- that hasn’t changed for even one second. BUT —- I also have a completely different view of what college basketball championships require than most.
 
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Cats4321

All-Conference
Nov 18, 2025
366
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Sure there are. The portal is not going to be the same after the "covid" ordeal with players finally passes. Pope did fine pulling from the portal last season. People are doing their level best to trash the man, to set unrealistic goals because he wasn't their favorite pick and they're not getting the recruits they want. Have some patience. It's not like the garbage we had to put with Cal the past five years or so.
To be fair, people have been extremely supportive of Pope considering he really didn't have the resume for this job. It is up to him to prove he deserves that support. I hope he can, because I really like the guy.
 

KyKevin

All-Conference
Dec 28, 2021
632
1,088
93
Just a reminder to any Arkansas fans; when they joined the SEC in 1992, they were going to dominate the conference. In 34 years, the Hogs have won:

Regular SEC TWO times (1992, 1994)...ZERO in the last 31 seasons

SECT Title ONE time (2000)...that would be ZERO times in the last 25 seasons


And I hope like hell they don't EVER win another one, especially with Cal.
 
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revcort

Heisman
Feb 20, 2003
32,522
30,904
113
Well, I can only speak for myself. I followed Cal at Arkansas his first season. I make no effort to follow him now. I see Arkansas scores like I see any other SEC team's scores, but I really don't care. I actually root for Arkansas like I would other SEC teams when playing OOC games, because the strength of our conference is always important to UK.

If I'm looking at talent on this UK team and Calipari's talent at Arkansas, sure, I do miss the talented guys Calipari brought in, and I'd like to have a couple of those guys on our team. I am hoping Pope's current roster is not a sign of things to come.

But look, I'll never say I regret Calipari left. It was time. It was better for UK. It was better for Calipari, too. I don't know if the pressure got to him or not. You'd have to ask him, but there is no question he hit a wall at UK, and he needed to go.

Would I like a couple of his recruits this season? Maybe. We'll see how it all works out this season.

As for Arkansas being the flagship program of the SEC, I won't even signify that with a response.
 

BlueSince92

All-Conference
Jul 2, 2025
10,018
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That article may be the best thing since Shakespeare but in the era of AI-boosted malware I’m not opening a document sitting out on Google Share. Guess I’ll have to wait and see if that writer gets a real job.
 

Smeegs

Senior
Nov 19, 2025
215
576
93
I’m amused at how he references Arkansas as the SEC’s “other basketball school”, as if UK and Arky share co-equal status in that regard.

LOL. Dude, NOBODY outside the state of Arkansas has viewed UA that way since Nolan Richardson left town. Florida has an immeasurably better claim to being the “other” hoops school than y’all.
 

TotheMoon88

Junior
Apr 12, 2024
310
263
63
Sure there are. The portal is not going to be the same after the "covid" ordeal with players finally passes. Pope did fine pulling from the portal last season. People are doing their level best to trash the man, to set unrealistic goals because he wasn't their favorite pick and they're not getting the recruits they want. Have some patience. It's not like the garbage we had to put with Cal the past five years or so.
No, there aren’t rebuilds in today’s world. Look at BYU and even Vanderbilt. Pope is doing awful and can’t recruit.
 

ZaytovenCat

All-American
Apr 25, 2013
23,522
7,311
97
Major LOL at ‘Kentucky fans were mad that Arkansas has passed UK as the flagship school in the SEC’ and the ‘Sure, it was a little hard to leave Lexington due to all the years he’d spent there.’

1.) Arkansas has never, nor will they ever, pass UK as the flagship basketball school in the SEC.

2.) It actually wasn’t hard at all because he had no choice. He either went to Arkansas or he was getting fired for cause due to him talking to Arkansas without informing UK. Either way he was not stay in Lexington.

This moron needs to worry about his own fanbase doing the stalking. On every single post on Twitter made by Matt Jones or the UK basketball account the comments will be full of Arkansas fans. It’s been that way since CCC went there.
I actually agree with the point the writer was trying to make.
Us (BBN) being petty over a former coach leaving, one that many of us WANTED TO LEAVE, and doing so in a way that did not cost UK and arm & a leg due to a bad contract from the AD. Honestly Cal leaving did us a favor.
And some of BBN being so petty over him, makes us all look bad. Like this is something you would expect UL fans to do. BBN should be ABOVE acting like this.
As for "but Cal left the cupboard bare"? That is what happens now, especially when there is a coaching change. Over half the roster almost anywhere leaves even when the coach returns, and if he leaves so do the remaining players (go look at any other school with a coaching change the past 2 years). That is what NIL and the Transfer Portal has created. Not to mention many of you didn't want Wagner, didn't want Big Z, didn't want Bradshaw , etc... to return, many of you only wanted Theiro (and some not even him because he couldn't shoot the 3 well).

So as for me, I don't pay any attention to our former coach. He's just another coach at an SEC lokaawanna-be rival school.
Uhh what? UK fans absolutely were not mad that Cal left. They were/are mad that he was a lazy, horrible coach his last 7 years here and he massively underachieved.