Pope and Cal records at their new schools
- Thread starter akaukswoosh
- Start date
one school trending up, the other trending to the toilet
Both suck. Yet the Popes Dopes crowd think this is somehow a good thing.
well, that settles it. Mitch, give 'em the usual.
Two major differences. We are Kentucky, by standard and tradition we should be significantly better than Arkansas not the same. Difference two is the way we lost several of our games by huge margins when traditional that doesn’t happen to Kentucky. Same record doesn’t equal the same success.
I know you know things so do you think Pope will be back next year? Are there talks behind the scenes that people aren't happy with the results so far?
LMAO. Goal Posts moving all over the place
No...we think it shows the double standard by spoiled brat "fans"
Difference 3 would be the talent and recruiting separation. Im not a Cal guy either. Grateful for his first 10 and not so much for his last 5.
Putting emotion to the side he has better players than us especially in the backcourt and they are going in a more positive direction. Personally I think there are a number of better coaches currently. The most notable difference to me is
they are Arkansas and we are Kentucky.
We should not even be having this discussion. I feel like the Alabama football fans. They expect better in football like we do with basketball.
On our current trend next year will probably even be worse.
u have to be a troll theres no way
im asking u man to man
ARE U SATISFIED WITH THE CURRENT STATE OF THIS PROGRAM
It seems your entire persona is making fun of fans who don't pretend to be positive all the time like you. Pretending to be positive doesn't make you a better fan. In fact, it's probably the quickest way to ruin an elite program. Most of the top teams in any sport have very demanding fans.
Most of the people bashing Pope wanted Cal gone when he was here. I hope the tweet wasn’t trying to send a message to Pope critics .
This is such a dumb take. who gives a **** what Arkansas recrod is? Is that our standard now? So dumb.
He is a troll. Only a moron would think Pope is doing a good job.
Cal needed to go way before he did as well.
Both can be true.
Bullcrap. Read through the crap people call me for just being someone who supports Pope. And you cry victim? Comical but par for the course
Nope. But why cry like a little baby every game instead of support our team
But WHAT. 38-19 sucks, I don’t care how the guy down the road is doing relative to us. Irrelevant.
bc im not going to just sit here and act like im okay with it, theres nothing i can do
and its not just "sit there watch and enjoy it" because i domt enjoy it
Yeah I know it’s “what the thread is about.” It’s also completely irrelevant. What did you mean exactly with the but, but, but? Maybe can talk about that.
I absolutely wanted Cal gone and I’m glad he is. The fact that he’s doing as poorly at Arkansas as Pope is doing at Kentucky means what exactly?
also, he’s probably going to kick our *** tomorrow.
He will be back for a third year, I don’t see a way he isn’t. I’m not an insider, just well connected in the industry. I do know some big boosters and have a couple buddies on the staff. I hope they give TJ an interview when the job does open up, he’s a good friend of mine. I’d like him, Josh Schertz, Fred Hoiberg, Ryan Odom or Jerrod Calhoun. That’d be my list as I don’t see us getting any of the bigger name guys away from their current positions.
You don’t need the big name, you need the leadership ability and a solid staff of recruiters to succeed in the NIL era. I think next year will be Popes last unless he reworks his entire staff. Pope like the leadership necessary to succeed to a level acceptable at Kentucky IMO.
I assume you mean TJ Otzelberger which yes I would be stoked for. Not sure about his recruiting as I don't keep up with Iowa State too much, but who cares if he wins regardless.
What do you think caused the downfall this year? I'm pretty shocked that Pope is falling this hard. He doesn't even seem close to the same guy as last year. Maybe it's easier to relax when we all thought last year would be a throw away year anyway. My guess is it's something stupid simple like egos that went unchecked for too long and now Pope has lost the players respect and it's shook him to his core. I don't know just a guess.
I have spent a small amount of time around our team this season and my opinion is it is the team chemistry and overall lack of expectations and accountability from the staff. It doesn’t help that the pieces pope assembled aren’t living up to the expectations talent wise, but to top it off they just aren’t mentally tough. They lack the high level mindset and to me it’s clear the coaching staff didn’t set the expectations and standards they should have back in the summer. Once you lose that you can’t get it back with out major repercussions.
I notice the difference between how our team responds to the coaching staff and how the other teams I work for do. There’s a noticeable difference and it stems from a lack of leadership. That’s from my perspective and the limited time I’ve been around them plus what I hear from people who are around them daily.
Spoiled? This is Kentucky my guy. We haven’t had a title since 2012. We haven’t been to the final four since 2015. We are the premier program in the sport, we have the most wins, we have more elite 8s then other schools in the sec have tournament wins. We aren’t spoiled. We are Kentucky, the most winningest program in the sport. We dominate the sec, and we dominate the tournament. It’s what we do, and recently our performance has been unacceptable. Cal had to go, now unless pope makes some miraculous turnaround, he needs to go.
It’s the kind of stat that makes you squint at the box score like it’s lying to you: John Calipari flees the wreckage, Mark Pope rides in on a white horse, and the universe calmly stamps 38–19 on both foreheads after 67 games. All that noise, all that mythology, and the math comes out dead even — like destiny rolling a cigarette and laughing at the fanbases. Somewhere between the hardwood and the headlines, the numbers shrug and say: same road, different songs, identical miles. (AI per Hunter Thompson)
It’s funny how the story writes itself while the truth just sits there smiling: John Calipari walks out one door, Mark Pope walks in another, and somehow the numbers hum the same tune — 38–19, 67 games, no chorus change. Everyone’s arguing about past and future while the present keeps tapping its foot, saying results are results. You can change the face, the voice, the dream, but the song still lands on the same chord. (AI per John Lennon)
There’s something quietly cosmic about it: John Calipari moves on, Mark Pope steps in, and the record settles gently at 38–19, as if it was always meant to be that way. Different paths, same lesson — the work keeps circling back no matter who’s holding the guitar. You think you’re changing the tune, but the game has its own rhythm and it plays on regardless. (AI per George Harrison)
It’s one of those things where it makes perfect sense once you realize it doesn’t — John Calipari leaves, Mark Pope shows up, and somehow they both end up 38–19 after 67 games. Everybody argued, everybody predicted, and then the record says the same thing twice. It’s déjà vu all over again. (AI per Yogi Berra)
AI is pretty amazing, if not actually scary, stuff.
It’s funny how the story writes itself while the truth just sits there smiling: John Calipari walks out one door, Mark Pope walks in another, and somehow the numbers hum the same tune — 38–19, 67 games, no chorus change. Everyone’s arguing about past and future while the present keeps tapping its foot, saying results are results. You can change the face, the voice, the dream, but the song still lands on the same chord. (AI per John Lennon)
There’s something quietly cosmic about it: John Calipari moves on, Mark Pope steps in, and the record settles gently at 38–19, as if it was always meant to be that way. Different paths, same lesson — the work keeps circling back no matter who’s holding the guitar. You think you’re changing the tune, but the game has its own rhythm and it plays on regardless. (AI per George Harrison)
It’s one of those things where it makes perfect sense once you realize it doesn’t — John Calipari leaves, Mark Pope shows up, and somehow they both end up 38–19 after 67 games. Everybody argued, everybody predicted, and then the record says the same thing twice. It’s déjà vu all over again. (AI per Yogi Berra)
AI is pretty amazing, if not actually scary, stuff.
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In my 1.5 years or so of being here, this is the best post I’ve seen. Well-thought, well-said!
Calipari has limited expectations at Arkansas. They’ve been a dead team for 30 years. Mark is the head coach at UK, where there are major expectations not just that, but we bled out in Cals last 5, and he was brought in to win immediately.
Neither coach is UK material. None. If you were going to keep 1. Probably Calipari, if nothing more than his legacy stays in tact here and recruiting wouldn’t be as big of an issue. Also, Barnhart would still not be involved in basketball affairs. With Pope, Barnhart is in full control. But I like mark as a person’s far more. But this isn’t the choice, there were 50 others we could have looked at at. lol.
Neither coach should be at UK, neither coach is top shelf. I really don’t care what any of this is saying, nothing against OP, but it just misses the mark. Interesting stat, obviously Calipari isn’t that great either. Which is why he’s gone.
Mark has completely embarrassed UK and the boosters are moving away due to various reasons. He cannot stay and hasn’t earned that right anyway. Should I list the blowouts? We are not Tennessee and Vanderbilt. You can’t do this here.
Neither coach is UK material. None. If you were going to keep 1. Probably Calipari, if nothing more than his legacy stays in tact here and recruiting wouldn’t be as big of an issue. Also, Barnhart would still not be involved in basketball affairs. With Pope, Barnhart is in full control. But I like mark as a person’s far more. But this isn’t the choice, there were 50 others we could have looked at at. lol.
Neither coach should be at UK, neither coach is top shelf. I really don’t care what any of this is saying, nothing against OP, but it just misses the mark. Interesting stat, obviously Calipari isn’t that great either. Which is why he’s gone.
Mark has completely embarrassed UK and the boosters are moving away due to various reasons. He cannot stay and hasn’t earned that right anyway. Should I list the blowouts? We are not Tennessee and Vanderbilt. You can’t do this here.
As if keeping over the hill Cal or a guy with a crappy resume were the onlu 2 choices. How can anyone today be happy Pope is our coach? U got the good drugs mh friend.