Pope bashers

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

The point was, in this era, it doesn't take 3 yrs to build your program or roster. Dusty May is an obvious "extreme" example, but it also shows it CAN be done. Which is and was the point. I've always been cool with the third year. If nothing else, I think it will prove what we all probably know. Pope is "okay", but okay isn't good enough here.

My only agenda is the Cats being nationally relevant and at or near the top of the SEC. The results in Pope's first two years aren't that.

It's not an era thing. Pitino went 22-6 and won the SEC while on probation in year 2. Cal went 35-3 here right out of the gate and made a Final Four year two. I'm sure there are other rare examples that could be come up with as well. It means little to nothing. These are rare examples with results that are not a given just by changing coaches.

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

Just short? It was the 2nd worst NCAAT loss (by margin of defeat) in UK history.

And needed a half court prayer in the first round. But, you know, injuries and stuff.

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

It's not an era thing. Pitino went 22-6 and won the SEC while on probation in year 2. Cal went 35-3 here right out of the gate and made a Final Four year two. I'm sure there are other rare examples that could be come up with as well. It means little to nothing. These are rare examples with results that are not a given just by changing coaches.

It's a completely different landscape. How you navigate it matters. Spending as much or more than anyone AND having the UK brand to boost you, while also not building elite rosters has been, IMHO, his biggest issue. I think we all can say that when Pope was hired he was a reach at best given his history. The hope (man, that word) was that the UK brand would give him the boost he needed. So far, that just hasn't been the case. I honestly think if he has a breakout year, that might happen. But man, he's got to have the breakthrough. It can't be another S16 and middle of the pack conference finish. He's got to have a team that is at or near the top all year long, and it's really hard for me to envision this team being that type of a team.

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

It's a completely different landscape. How you navigate it matters. Spending as much or more than anyone AND having the UK brand to boost you, while also not building elite rosters has been, IMHO, his biggest issue. I think we all can say that when Pope was hired he was a reach at best given his history. The hope (man, that word) was that the UK brand would give him the boost he needed. So far, that just hasn't been the case. I honestly think if he has a breakout year, that might happen. But man, he's got to have the breakthrough. It can't be another S16 and middle of the pack conference finish. He's got to have a team that is at or near the top all year long, and it's really hard for me to envision this team being that type of a team.

The book is very much still out whether NIL and the portal have made it easier or harder to stock enough talent at UK to overcome the extraordinary level of injuries Pope has dealt with.

Do you think Pitino pulls off what he did year two with Mashburn and Woods injured pretty much all season along with other key players missing time? What about if Cal lost Wall and Cousins most the year and then lost Bledsoe as well or if Patterson was hobbled a large chunk of the season with a bad back? All this against a much tougher schedule than they actually played against? How many key contributors missed significant time for Michigan last season? Didn't their entire starting lineup play all 40 games?

2025-26 Michigan Wolverines Men's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 2025-26 Michigan Wolverines Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

The book is very much still out whether NIL and the portal have made it easier or harder to stock enough talent at UK to overcome the extraordinary level of injuries Pope has dealt with.

Do you think Pitino pulls off what he did year two with Mashburn and Woods injured pretty much all season along with other key players missing time? What about if Cal lost Wall and Cousins most the year and then lost Bledsoe as well or if Patterson was hobbled a large chunk of the season with a bad back? All this against a much tougher schedule than they actually played against? How many key contributors missed significant time for Michigan last season? Didn't their entire starting lineup play all 40 games?

2025-26 Michigan Wolverines Men's Roster and Stats | College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

Check out the detailed 2025-26 Michigan Wolverines Roster and Stats for College Basketball at Sports-Reference.com

www.sports-reference.com

Agree completely with statement one.

It's a results driven business. Cal and Pitino had the equity and everyone knew they were an elite coach. The same can't be said of Pope. We still don't know on Pope, and we might never know if the "injuries" happen again. Cal and Pitino would've gotten a pass. Why? We already knew they were big time winning coaches. Pope has to do it, injuries be damned, or his time is short.

 

[PastorofMuppets82]

Agree completely with statement one.

It's a results driven business. Cal and Pitino had the equity and everyone knew they were an elite coach. The same can't be said of Pope. We still don't know on Pope, and we might never know if the "injuries" happen again. Cal and Pitino would've gotten a pass. Why? We already knew they were big time winning coaches. Pope has to do it, injuries be damned, or his time is short.

100% - Cal had just won the NC in 2012 and followed it up in 2013 with a first round loss in the NIT to Robert Morris. The pass (Noel going down in Feb against Florida I think it was and finishing at .500 for the rest of the season). They missed the NCAA tournament and got beat in the NIT. One significant injury that MUST have been the reason we had a bad season. But it was early February and we were 17-7, and 8-3 in the SEC. We had already gotten blown out by unranked Notre Dame, lost to unranked Baylor in Rupp, lost to Duke, lost to LVL, and gotten blown out by unranked Texas A&M in Rupp already that year with a healthy roster.

The first game after Noel's injury we got our doors blown off by unranked Tennessee by 30 points. Vanderbilt beat us in the first round of the SEC tournament by almost 20 points. Cal got a pass, that entire team got a pass, for one injury. And history doesn't remember how bad that team was BEFORE Noel got hurt. Cal obviously rebounded and brought in great recruiting classes after that. Pope doesn't have that luxury. He doesn't have the credentials to sustain a "bad luck" year. Cal did.

 

[Catastic5]

Again, the two best players Pope built the entire team around out.

Making it that far was a pretty decent coaching job by Pope. It wasn’t a very talented squad. It got to the tournament due in large part to coaching.

People who use Quaintence, an already injured player, in an argument for why Pope failed is not arguing in good faith. Pope took a risk, and it blew up in his face.

 

[KyCPA2000]

Obviously our goal is always to win titles but lets not pretend like this is equal to the vast majority of our history. You can't equally weigh 3rd place in a 10-12 team conference of comparatively weak teams to a very strong 16 team conference. To finish 3rd in the SEC this year requires finishing ahead of the 8th ranked team in the country in the preseason rankings. It's an admirable goal but acting like anything less is garbage and automatically demands a firing is ridiculous.

In any three given years, not on probation, UK should be in the top 10 at least one. So no, it is not as ridiculous as some think.

 

[Resignmarkpope]

In any three given years, not on probation, UK should be in the top 10 at least one. So no, it is not as ridiculous as some think.

Mark pope doesn’t know what top 10 is

 

[PastorofMuppets82]

Year 1 the Wildcats were ranked in the top 10 for ten consecutive weeks after beating Duke and rising to #4 in AP poll and held that spot for over 2 months. But yeah, feelings over facts, cause trolls gotta troll.

 

[wildcat111]

Can we get them to all come to this thread, round them all up here and we can see all the negative people at once. I lose track of who is who in the other threads.

Somebody tell me what is wrong for wanting and expecting to finish higher than 9th in the SEC?? Does that make me a Pope basher??

 

[Resignmarkpope]

Year 1 the Wildcats were ranked in the top 10 for ten consecutive weeks after beating Duke and rising to #4 in AP poll and held that spot for over 2 months. But yeah, feelings over facts, cause trolls gotta troll.

Year 1 the Wildcats were ranked in the top 10 for ten consecutive weeks after beating Duke and rising to #4 in AP poll and held that spot for over 2 months. But yeah, feelings over facts, cause trolls gotta troll.

Sounds like something Indiana fans would say. Fake juice! December rankings meaningless. Ranked in February is what counts. Pope fans are reaching. Ranked in December

 

[Lameguy]

Somebody tell me what is wrong for wanting and expecting to finish higher than 9th in the SEC?? Does that make me a Pope basher??

Not a thing, but it was getting to the point that it was nothing but toxic. How many times do we have to hear “Pope Whiffs“, “Pope is goofing”, “Pope can’t coach”, “Pope can’t recruit”. Are you a Pope basher, did you repeatedly make any of those comments, if so maybe you are a Pope basher.

 

[UKGrad24]

Imagine that someone actually watched it, watched pope, and that’s what they came away with. Imagine they can also secure data without actually performing it themselves, making it lazy proof.

and that’s what they come away with. Confirmation bias and cognitive dissonance are very real things.

 

[UKGrad24]

People who use Quaintence, an already injured player, in an argument for why Pope failed is not arguing in good faith. Pope took a risk, and it blew up in his face.

If someone cannot fully comprehend that Q cannot be used in an injury excuse then their ability to understand logic is so flawed they need to just watch for fun and stop with opinions. The internet has ruined truth, some think everything is an opinion and there is no truth. It’s a big issue everywhere. But no, Q is factually not factored in due to validity, you cannot use him and be correct.

Q only ended up at Kentucky because Mark cannot land NBA talent and he wanted a splash on the recruiting trail. Nobody else was going to pay him that. As you see Mark DOES NOT get Q types when they have health and lots of suitors. If you can’t get that then quit putting us through your mental state. And he was NEVER a guarantee to play here much, if at ALL. There were NO guarantees. Stop using him in the excuses.

fact is, our statistical advantage went UP with our injury at the guard spot. They don’t want to discuss that either.

 

[RunninRichie]

If someone cannot fully comprehend that Q cannot be used in an injury excuse then their ability to understand logic is so flawed they need to just watch for fun and stop with opinions. The internet has ruined truth, some think everything is an opinion and there is no truth. It’s a big issue everywhere. But no, Q is factually not factored in due to validity, you cannot use him and be correct.

Q only ended up at Kentucky because Mark cannot land NBA talent and he wanted a splash on the recruiting trail. Nobody else was going to pay him that. As you see Mark DOES NOT get Q types when they have health and lots of suitors. If you can’t get that then quit putting us through your mental state. And he was NEVER a guarantee to play here much, if at ALL. There were NO guarantees. Stop using him in the excuses.

fact is, our statistical advantage went UP with our injury at the guard spot. They don’t want to discuss that either.

We just have to sit through one more year. It was like this with Stoops. Before his last season, his fanboys said we had to give him another year, because he's the best UK coach of all time. It sucks, but this is what has to happen, some people have to sit through disaster after disaster to finally realize, "Maybe the coach is the problem".

 

[Ukdaddy98]

Went to school with Mark at UK and knew him. Love the guy. Want him to win big here.

With that said, UK can’t stay mired in the mediocrity we have experienced since Covid. He needs a big time year. He’s not Batt’s hire, so there is zero loyalty there. The associate AD was also a big homer for Mark. He is long gone.

I think Pope has to win at least 27-28 games, be top 3-4 in SEC, advance to at least a Sweet 16… or this thing ends in April.

I hope he can pull it off, but my confidence is shaken.

 

[Catastic5]

Somebody tell me what is wrong for wanting and expecting to finish higher than 9th in the SEC?? Does that make me a Pope basher??

“Because that’s unrealistic. We’re not special anymore. The SEC is too hard. Please ignore the amount of money we’re spending or why the Dukes and UConns are still elite while we can’t even convince 5 star recruits in our own state to come here. And please ignore that Calipari went 3rd in the SEC last season and won the SEC tournament. Also our fanbase is awful and no one would dare coach here.”

 

[paulcalhoun_rivals397471]

Somebody tell me what is wrong for wanting and expecting to finish higher than 9th in the SEC?? Does that make me a Pope basher??

Lying about the fact that we finished tied for 7th not 9th kind of makes you a troll in addition to being a Pope basher. As I have pointed out many times it would have very likely been a tie for fourth if not for an obviously egregious call at Auburn.

 

[UKGrad24]

We just have to sit through one more year. It was like this with Stoops. Before his last season, his fanboys said we had to give him another year, because he's the best UK coach of all time. It sucks, but this is what has to happen, some people have to sit through disaster after disaster to finally realize, "Maybe the coach is the problem".

Those guys never realize it. They just move on the same channel with consistency until someone a lot smarter than them pulls the plug and they see a real coach step in. Suddenly understanding in fact that yes, just because he was coaching here doesn’t mean he’s good and backing unqualified coaches is not required to be a fan of Kentucky.

The next coach steps in and wins, really sucking them deep. Makes it impossible for them to think if he slows, they’ll defend him with passion while winning 9 games years later. When he’s finally replaced their brain skips a few spots on the CD and they don’t even remember backing him. They just start getting horny over the next one. It never ends, it’s their life cycle.

 

[RunninRichie]

Those guys never realize it. They just move on the same channel with consistency until someone a lot smarter than them pulls the plug and they see a real coach step in. Suddenly understanding in fact that yes, just because he was coaching here doesn’t mean he’s good and backing unqualified coaches is not required to be a fan of Kentucky.

The next coach steps in and wins, really sucking them deep. Makes it impossible for them to think if he slows, they’ll defend him with passion while winning 9 games years later. When he’s finally replaced their brain skips a few spots on the CD and they don’t even remember backing him. They just start getting horny over the next one. It never ends, it’s their life cycle.

Reminds me of my BPD ex girlfriend...

 

[Buckwheat Otay Is Dead]

Pope sucks. Look what Stein is doing to UK football when we’ve never been a powerhouse. Now look at Pope and what he’s done to the program when we literally have the greatest history out of everyone.

He’s corny and big time players don’t want to play for him. It is what it is. I don’t fault Pope, I would have taken the job in a heartbeat too. But it was an awful hire and the program will be mid until he is gone.

Quit being an idiot. It’s embarrassing

 

[PooPooPeePeePoo]

Quit being an idiot. It’s embarrassing

Care to explain how I’m wrong?

 

[Feral Manatee]

Lying about the fact that we finished tied for 7th not 9th kind of makes you a troll in addition to being a Pope basher. As I have pointed out many times it would have very likely been a tie for fourth if not for an obviously egregious call at Auburn.

You hear that guys, we finished tied for 7th. In the SEC. Refute that.

 

[Bluesbrother]

I thought he was a great hire. Then he showed that he wasn’t. His teams don’t even compete. His teams just quit on many occasions.

How any UK fan can excuse that is just beyond belief to me.

And it’s not just last season. I saw it in MSG and Bridgestone his first season.

I thought the first year it was just the players thrown together at the last minute. Then season 2 was worse.

The next great day in UK basketball will be the day Pope is no longer the coach.

He has embarrassed the brand.

This is TRUE ^^^. If you truly care about the PROGRAM, you want Pope gone. Our rivals love him and recruits shy away from his oddities. The best UK years were Pitino and Calipari. Think about those PERSONALITIES paired with the PROGRAM. Pope (bless his heart) is a jar of mayonnaise. If we want UK to succeed again, we have to do better than Mark Pope.

 

[RunninRichie]

This is TRUE ^^^. If you truly care about the PROGRAM, you want Pope gone. Our rivals love him and recruits shy away from his oddities. The best UK years were Pitino and Calipari. Think about those PERSONALITIES paired with the PROGRAM. Pope (bless his heart) is a jar of mayonnaise. If we want UK to succeed again, we have to do better than Mark Pope.

Jai Lucas or Nate Oats, all day.

 

[Eagles_Ball_69]

Jai Lucas or Nate Oats, all day.

Gotta have an alpha here, not whatever Pope is. I can’t even begin to classify it.

 

[KyCPA2000]

Year 1 the Wildcats were ranked in the top 10 for ten consecutive weeks after beating Duke and rising to #4 in AP poll and held that spot for over 2 months. But yeah, feelings over facts, cause trolls gotta troll.

I think UK has to finish in the top 10 at least every few years. If not this program is no longer relevant.

 

[Ash Williams]

The word "negative" is used a lot, but nowhere near as much as "Pope pumpers".
A lot of us are being called pumpers when we say we are taking a wait and see approach in the hope that he wins big in year 3.
I'm assuming he's going to end up with over 10 losses this year and most likely not be top 3 in the SEC and I don't see this as a FF team, so hopefully he proves my assumptions wrong, because if he doesn't, I'm out.

Your denial is a form of virtue signaling. It's really okay to recognize the patterns and admit that he's not the guy. You seem to have an irrational doggedness to your refusal to let go of Pope. Are you related to him? I'm asking sincerely.

 

[Ash Williams]

Remember when Cal was here and the during the post covid years everyone was yelling for a change? I'm not criticizing those people either as I was also frustrated. But we would ask the question "who are you gonna replace him with?" The most common answer on this board was always "anybody". Well, this is what anybody looks like. Pope is our anybody.

I don't blame pope either. All he did was say yes to his dream job. He had never won anything prior to coming here. He didn't recruit well prior to coming here. It was never fair to expect him to magically succeed now that he's in Lexington. He is what he is. I know he cares and I know he's trying hard. But he was never the right guy for the job.

Go cats and may he make me eat my words. That's my hope.

Don't put the hiring of Pope on us fans. We didn't pick him. BARNEY did. That loser, liar, thief, corrupt d-bag picked Pope.

 

[Catastic5]

Don't put the hiring of Pope on us fans. We didn't pick him. BARNEY did. That loser, liar, thief, corrupt d-bag picked Pope.

If I knew that Mitch wasn’t even going to bother with a coaching search and hire either Drew or Pope, I wouldn’t have wanted Cal to leave.

 

[Pygmy Sasquatch]

Bashing my Pope the only way I know how. that 's just a little bit more than the mods will allow

 

[Snarks]

We just have to sit through one more year. It was like this with Stoops. Before his last season, his fanboys said we had to give him another year, because he's the best UK coach of all time. It sucks, but this is what has to happen, some people have to sit through disaster after disaster to finally realize, "Maybe the coach is the problem".

Love how fast the stoops fanboys have changed their narrative. Quite a few said we could never get a better coach. Same people saying the same thing about Pope.

 

[blackcat714]

Mark pope doesn’t know what top 10 is

It would be nice to be in top 10 of rankings instead of to 10 10 of nil spent on players

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Do people who like Pope and want him to succeed yet think he hasn’t done a good enough job count? Trying to figure out if I’m a Pope basher?

Yes you are. Unless you never criticize him, you bash!!!

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

After Ky lost to Ala in FB people said Stein was no different than Stoops just goes to show, Pope has had his problems but this is a new team give him a chance.

There is a difference to be out talented by a team, but even the first half of that Bama game showed what kind of coach Stein could be. Pope showed some stuff his first year, ever since Lamont hurt his shoulder his tenure has crashed. He keeps looking like the same coach his entire career. We already know what we are getting with him. 22-10, couple huge wins. 6-7th in conference by a game or two that we should have won. Round of 32 finish. It’s not good enough here.

 

[BBNinSCar]

I mean it’s pretty simple. Recruit. Win the league. Final Four.

I’d say less than 7% chance on that.

Oats has to be the call, and it’s our typical type move. Hire the nice dude that can’t do the job, sell soul and get back. We’ve been doing it for a while.

The crown jewel in the next off season will be Josh Shertz. If Pope can’t get it done, I hope they make a move quickly.
I hope our admin doesn’t chase the same old tired names; Oats, Donovan, Pearl, etc.
Shertz will get a top job soon and he will have incredible success anywhere he goes. I’ve been ringing this bell for a long time. It’s time to bring Josh Shertz to Lexington.

Jai Lucas or Nate Oats, all day.

I hope we don’t go after either of those guys. We’ll get Shertz if our admin has any sense

 

[kyjeff1]

Your denial is a form of virtue signaling. It's really okay to recognize the patterns and admit that he's not the guy. You seem to have an irrational doggedness to your refusal to let go of Pope. Are you related to him? I'm asking sincerely.

Are you high? Go back and read the post you quoted. I literally said Pope is most likely not the guy and us "pumpers" are just hoping he fixes his issues and does things nobody expects him to do.
Why do you guys ignore the "he's probably not the guy" portion of our posts? We're all saying we don't think he's the right guy for the job. We just choose to not throw temper tantrums, because we see Pope has done some very good things and we are focusing on that.

 

[kyjeff1]

Don't put the hiring of Pope on us fans. We didn't pick him. BARNEY did. That loser, liar, thief, corrupt d-bag picked Pope.

None of us wanted Mark Pope. He wasn't even a guy that was on anyone's top 20 wish list.
Barnhart, again, took the lazy way out. All Pope did, was bet on himself by taking the opportunity that a moron gave him.
Barnhart should have never been allowed to make another basketball hire after the bcg debacle and he proved that point with the Pope hire and our first clue that he was going to make a bad hire, was when he tried to get Scott Drew.

Pope is getting roasted for Barnhart's laziness.

 

[UKSanders]

I'm another with mixed emotions about Pope. I hate his personality but love his coaching style.

All my statements in this post are lies.

So, how do we know how you really feel?

On the one hand, your last statement would seem to indicate that you don’t have mixed emotions, you love his personality, and hate his coaching style.

However, on the other hand, your last statement of “All my statements in this post are lies.” is also a statement. So, if it’s a lie as well, does that mean your first statements were actually true?

So, now what do we do?