Pope’s defense of Garrison

[Wunky]

Proves he doesn’t get it.

I’ve tried to support coach Pope from day one. Loved the hire. Guy said all the right things. Won a lot of big games last year (tied for most in school history, in fact). Got farther in the tourney than Cal had in years.

But to come out and praise BG after the debacle this season has been thus far? To call him an analytically efficient player?

If analytics say BG is good for this team, then I’m officially done giving analytics any credibility whatsoever. They are garbage. The kid’s effort sucks, his basketball IQ sucks, his decision making sucks, and his skillset for a guy with his body is mediocre.

I understand a coach not wanting to publicly dog a player, but to heap praise on him the way Pope did today… it makes me realize all the people who pejoratively called him a “girl dad” may have sadly been right. This kid BG needs a knot jerked in his ***, not told how well-conditioned and efficient he is. Really disheartening to read Pope’s quotes today.

 

[chasingwildcat]

If Garrison is his DJ Wagner

 

[jedwar]

Apparently analytics don't have eyeballs.

 

[theBlues]

I agree. That's depressing. I'd rather have heard him suggest there would be lineup changes.

 

[cornbreadnmilk]

I thought the teacher's pet crap left with Cal but Pope is doing the same thing.

 

[chasingwildcat]

I am afraid that BG will play over Moreno even after JQ back, which will be disgraceful and disgusting

 

[Farsight Clone]

Analytics can't determine flow of the game. Momentum, or when the team is playing like a cohesive unit. Sorry, but if Pope can't see this, this is very, very concerning.

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

If Pope is going to ride with Garrison this season, he's going to ride this roster into the NIT and embarrass himself and the program.

 

[bbnkat02]

Mark Pope sll of a sudden doesn’t understand the assignment.

Very disappointing

 

[Catlogic1552]

I was aghast when he made that speech. We’re done.

 

[BlueBomb]

It could be some level of "coach speak." Just a coach trying to keep his player's confidence up.

But yeah, that analytics algorhythm must be measuring Garrison's dorm room scrimmages on his nerf goal.

 

[TFCat11]

Thanks for posting this OP! Call me a fair weathered fan, a troll, a Bennie, or a horrible UK fan, but Pope has lost me forever over this Garrison nonsense alone!

He’s destroying his credibility, and he’s doing Garrison an embarrassing disservice by saying these things!

This season has to be an episode of The Twilight Zone, and not actual reality! Pope is starting to make Calipari look like one of our own, compared to himself!

Cooked

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

If Garrison is his DJ Wagner

Mark Pope is either FOS or has an awful analytics staff.

 

[wkycatfan7]

I don't like analytics in MLB either. Put the ball in play, play good defense, good pitching. Not launch angles and exit velocity.

 

[Woodrow24]

Mitch took a big chance on Pope when he decided to hire a coach with the resume he had. I’m not sure if Pope was ready for a job like this. He may have played here, but being a coach here is two totally different things. Hopefully this gets turned around….smh

 

[Runnin'Ramel]

Mitch took a big chance on Pope when he decided to hire a coach with the resume he had. I’m not sure if Pope was ready for a job like this. He may have played here, but being a coach here is two totally different things. Hopefully this gets turned around….smh

Agreed. Not ready for this. He wasn't in my top 5 and woke up, boom, we've hired Pope. What a joke. For me, the list was:

1 - Pitino (Big Blue Madness showed he would have been welcomed back like a king, regardless of what some believe ....)
2 - Tommy Lloyd
3 - Bruce Pearl
4 - Scott Drew
5 - An NBA Asst w/ "juice" a la who BYU hired!

 

[Forkman]

I don't understand y'all sometimes. Calling for the backup when the coach is clearly signaling "This is the best we've got."

 

[OliverSimmonsTwinBrother]

Between that and the "no one leader its done by committee " sounded like a bunch of Commie Gobbledygook

 

[blackcat714]

Pope is just too nice for his own good

 

[Anon1751335390]

Garrison does have the second offensive rating on the team. It’s by and large due to his TS%. Basically, he takes very few bad shots.

Offensive rating doesn’t have anything to say about what he does in defense.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

If Garrison is his DJ Wagner

He’s never going to limit his minutes.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

What are his standing flatfooted during rebound efficiency numbers?

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Agreed. Not ready for this. He wasn't in my top 5 and woke up, boom, we've hired Pope. What a joke. For me, the list was:

1 - Pitino (Big Blue Madness showed he would have been welcomed back like a king, regardless of what some believe ....)
2 - Tommy Lloyd
3 - Bruce Pearl
4 - Scott Drew
5 - An NBA Asst w/ "juice" a la who BYU hired!

Tommy Lloyd would be a great hire IMO. Dude plays a fun style and can recruit. He will break thru eventually soon.

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

I don't understand y'all sometimes. Calling for the backup when the coach is clearly signaling "This is the best we've got."

He isn't the best they've got. Pope referenced his 1.5 points per possession. That's a stat that only measures OFFENSE and doesn't factor in the strength of the opponent. Translation...Garrison has "feasted" offensively against the three crappy teams they've played. And, btw, that doesn't mean Garrison averages 1.5 points per possession, that means the TEAM averages 1.5 points per possession while he's on the court. It's an outdated stat when measuring individual performance. Heavily skewed by his playing with starters and getting fat playing bad teams. Let alone doesn't show a thing about defense.

 

[chasingwildcat]

He’s never going to limit his minutes.

Only hope is that he can suddenly make "breakthrough" like Chandler now

Pope defended Chandler before, but finally it pay dividends

Probably Garrison still will be played a lot, this is the only way we can hope... Hope him be better...

 

[Anon1751335390]

Oweh being terrible so far is 10x a bigger deal than whatever Garrison has been doing. Oweh has been one of the worst players and he has the highest usage on the team. Garrison at least has the courtesy to be invisible lol.

 

[chasingwildcat]

Proves he doesn’t get it.

I’ve tried to support coach Pope from day one. Loved the hire. Guy said all the right things. Won a lot of big games last year (tied for most in school history, in fact). Got farther in the tourney than Cal had in years.

But to come out and praise BG after the debacle this season has been thus far? To call him an analytically efficient player?

If analytics say BG is good for this team, then I’m officially done giving analytics any credibility whatsoever. They are garbage. The kid’s effort sucks, his basketball IQ sucks, his decision making sucks, and his skillset for a guy with his body is mediocre.

I understand a coach not wanting to publicly dog a player, but to heap praise on him the way Pope did today… it makes me realize all the people who pejoratively called him a “girl dad” may have sadly been right. This kid BG needs a knot jerked in his ***, not told how well-conditioned and efficient he is. Really disheartening to read Pope’s quotes today.

I still don't understand why he sucks at defense and rebounding with his body, he seems pretty athletic, and is not a skinny boy.

A similar size and athletic guy should be a rebounding machine and typical Calipari type rim protector

 

[Possum]

I was aghast when he made that speech. We’re done.

I was "Gassed"

 

[One2Three]

Agreed. Not ready for this. He wasn't in my top 5 and woke up, boom, we've hired Pope. What a joke. For me, the list was:

1 - Pitino (Big Blue Madness showed he would have been welcomed back like a king, regardless of what some believe ....)
2 - Tommy Lloyd
3 - Bruce Pearl
4 - Scott Drew
5 - An NBA Asst w/ "juice" a la who BYU hired!

Could’ve hired Frank Vogel.

 

[FLBBNFAN]

This is 100% delusional on Pope's part. This makes me more suspicious of his analytics than before. We can all see with our own eyes the horrible decision making, poor passes and poor rebounding.

This defense of BG makes me think he hasn't quelled the lockeroom issues one iota.

 

[true-blue1]

I really don't know how a coach can defend his play. A Coach is supposed to criticize his players when they aren't playing hard and missing in game assignment's! Garrison is LAZY!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Farsight Clone]

View attachment 1015417

Mark Pope is either FOS or has an awful analytics staff.

It's sad when Oweh is SUPPOSED to be the best player but his BPM is lower than Noah's. SMH

 

[chasingwildcat]

I really don't know how a coach can defend his play. A Coach is supposed to criticize his players when they aren't playing hard and missing in game assignment's! Garrison is LAZY!!!!!!!!!!!

At least Cal is yelling when players make dumb plays

 

[chasingwildcat]

It's sad when Oweh is SUPPOSED to be the best player but his BPM is lower than Noah's. SMH

Oweh is total disaster this season

 

[true-blue1]

Welp I waisted 25 minutes watching that pregame conference! I have No clue what he's talking about!

 

[chasingwildcat]

Welp I waisted 25 minutes watching that pregame conference! I have No clue what he's talking about!

I thought Pope was articulate in interviews last season

What happened this season, he looks completely lost and makes a ton of nonsense

What happens to him? If the Kentucky stress really burns him out

 

[Eastkybball]

Someone has got to lead this team. I was hoping it would be the coach. Very disappointing.

 

[akaukswoosh]

What are his standing flatfooted during rebound efficiency numbers?

“Best damn flat-footed rebounder in the SEC.”

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

“Best damn flat footed rebounder in the SEC.”

Somewhere right now, BG is still randomly swiping at thin air

 

[Woodrow24]

Agreed. Not ready for this. He wasn't in my top 5 and woke up, boom, we've hired Pope. What a joke. For me, the list was:

1 - Pitino (Big Blue Madness showed he would have been welcomed back like a king, regardless of what some believe ....)
2 - Tommy Lloyd
3 - Bruce Pearl
4 - Scott Drew
5 - An NBA Asst w/ "juice" a la who BYU hired!

I hope he turns this all around. I think he’s a great guy. I want him to do good so bad since he was a captain of my favorite team of all time. I’d like for him to start coaching like his mentor Pitino.