Pope lost control of this team

[AJG-15]

The signs were after the UL game. Pope teased about explaining it but never gave a full logical explanation about what truly happened.

after the Alabama game, people involved with team become vocal about it :

-Mo Diabate complaining about lack of preparation of the game:
- JQ father complained about his son playing time and offense style.

Pope reaction was to try a group therapy , which was explained via a pathetic words salad that now is obvious that didn’t have the impact that he was hoping….

During the Missouri game was clear that the has team chemistry issues: certain players would not pass to each other the ball or if they did the passes were either late or thrown to generate turnovers, Mo Diabate and assistant coach were screaming at each other….body language of coaching staff and bench players was horrible…

after the Missouri game , Pope pretty much blamed the players for the offense execution, lack of speed in half court offense, that he tried to simplify things but the players are not believing / buying into the offensive scheme….


Unfortunately, Pope lost the control over this team. I suspect that he actually he never fully had it. It probably started with overpayment on players salary and allowing them to stay outside traditional basketball facilities. I suspect another issue is the jealousy between players and staff too over the money…..


Pope needs a miracle now to turn the ship around….. I hope he can …for his own sake and for our wildcats program.

 

[wildcatsincebirth]

Oweh and Aberdeen hate each other and won’t pass the ball to each other and if that’s the case Aberdeen should just sit cause he’s fcking trash anyway

watch when one of them shoots free throws the other never comes to give the shooter a high five even though the rest of the team does. They don’t speak on the court. Aberdeen had oweh for a wide open fast break lob and couldn’t make a pass a high schooler could make.

unbelievable how much pope has completely failed with this team it’s really remarkable

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

What did JQs dad have to say tonight? I can’t even say Pope is wrong for having him on the bench.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

The signs were after the UL game. Pope teased about explaining it but never gave a full logical explanation about what truly happened.

after the Alabama game, people involved with team become vocal about it :

-Mo Diabate complaining about lack of preparation of the game:
- JQ father complained about his son playing time and offense style.

Pope reaction was to try a group therapy , which was explained via a pathetic words salad that now is obvious that didn’t have the impact that he was hoping….

During the Missouri game was clear that the has team chemistry issues: certain players would not pass to each other the ball or if they did the passes were either late or thrown to generate turnovers, Mo Diabate and assistant coach were screaming at each other….body language of coaching staff and bench players was horrible…

after the Missouri game , Pope pretty much blamed the players for the offense execution, lack of speed in half court offense, that he tried to simplify things but the players are not believing / buying into the offensive scheme….


Unfortunately, Pope lost the control over this team. I suspect that he actually he never fully had it. It probably started with overpayment on players salary and allowing them to stay outside traditional basketball facilities. I suspect another issue is the jealousy between players and staff too over the money…..


Pope needs a miracle now to turn the ship around….. I hope he can …for his own sake and for our wildcats program.

As an assistant coach how do you coach a 18 year old that makes more money than you. Ik it’s possible but gotta be hard. Other coaches do it tho.

 

[AJG-15]

Oweh and Aberdeen hate each other and won’t pass the ball to each other and if that’s the case Aberdeen should just sit cause he’s fcking trash anyway

watch when one of them shoots free throws the other never comes to give the shooter a high five even though the rest of the team does. They don’t speak on the court. Aberdeen had oweh for a wide open fast break lob and couldn’t make a pass a high schooler could make.

unbelievable how much pope has completely failed with this team it’s really remarkable

Very sad indeed.

 

[fisherscatfan]

What did JQs dad have to say tonight? I can’t even say Pope is wrong for having him on the bench.

JQ was supposed to be a post presence surrounded by 3 point shooters. Instead the lane is just clogged with Popes rotations and horrific shooters. I am surprised he is as raw as he is offensively though.

 

[AJG-15]

As an assistant coach how do you coach a 18 year old that makes more money than you. Ik it’s possible but gotta be hard. Other coaches do it tho.

at Pros that’s a common problem but the contracts of professional players have obligations clauses so coaches have some leverage. At college level you have less tools as a coach but you are still the leader and can sit the player .

 

[lookinfor8]

Oweh and Aberdeen hate each other and won’t pass the ball to each other and if that’s the case Aberdeen should just sit cause he’s fcking trash anyway

watch when one of them shoots free throws the other never comes to give the shooter a high five even though the rest of the team does. They don’t speak on the court. Aberdeen had oweh for a wide open fast break lob and couldn’t make a pass a high schooler could make.

unbelievable how much pope has completely failed with this team it’s really remarkable

Aberdean is a cancer to this team yet Pope can't see it.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Aberdean is a cancer to this team yet Pope can't see it.

He knows. Just to soft to handle it.

 

[wildcatsincebirth]

Aberdean is a cancer to this team yet Pope can't see it.

It’s clear as day to me him and diaboute have terrible body language and just give off bad vibes

not to mention both of them suck at basketball. Mo played one of the worst games I can remember in a long time

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

JQ was supposed to be a post presence surrounded by 3 point shooters. Instead the lane is just clogged with Popes rotations and horrific shooters. I am surprised he is as raw as he is offensively though.

He tries to do to much dribbling when he’s at the top of the key. Just calm down and do the simple hand off. Amari made it look easy I suppose.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

It’s clear as day to me him and diaboute have terrible body language and just give off bad vibes

not to mention both of them suck at basketball. Mo played one of the worst games I can remember in a long time

Mo seemed to have an extra bad mouthy attitude tonight. Anybody at the game that can verify that. I can only catch what they show me on tv.

 

[Goingfor9]

The way pope talks, the bags under his eyes, I’m concerned about the man. I think he takes everything hard unlike cal who doesn’t give a crap. I’m concerned he could end up in butterfly territory.

 

[fisherscatfan]

He tries to do to much dribbling when he’s at the top of the key. Just calm down and do the simple hand off. Amari made it look easy I suppose.

Agree but the wings do not go hard to the handoff. Pope picked some of the most uncoachable horrific portal guys.

 

[Cowtown Cat]

Mo seemed to have an extra bad mouthy attitude tonight. Anybody at the game that can verify that. I can only catch what they show me on tv.

Idk but he did and he SUCKED! My goodness, he’s been downright AWFUL the last few games! Unplayable!

EDIT: he’s gotta be the most clumsy player at UK in my lifetime! Constantly bobbling passes, fumbling his dribble, tripping over his feet, etc. One game he hit the floor a dozen times easily! Can’t remember which game it was.

 

[fisherscatfan]

Aberdean is a cancer to this team yet Pope can't see it.

Curious to why people say this. Truly curious. He was wide open several times and numerous guys would not pass him the ball.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Curious to why people say this. Truly curious. He was wide open several times and numerous guys would not pass him the ball.

They probably all made a agreement at half time because Aberdeen won’t pass the damn ball

 

[SkyPrince]

Our entire portal class is trash.
Wouldn't have any of them back next year.

 

[Catfan in Tn.]

Noticed times Lowe refused to pass to a wide open Owen.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Think this team may have some clicks. Seems BG and Oweh have a bond from last season. Mo low and Aberdeen seem to have an issue with not being the star or something. Seen several players obviously not pass to each other. This isn’t some kind or crazy theory the fans came up with it’s clearly something going on.



Would people support me if I became the new age Jerry Tipton? I will move to Lexington and become a reporter just to ask UK coaches the simple hard questions.


Example: Coach you have several players obviously not passing to each other when they are wide open. Could you give us some real insight to that or is that not a issue to you?

 

[MoneyMuntz]

The way pope talks, the bags under his eyes, I’m concerned about the man. I think he takes everything hard unlike cal who doesn’t give a crap. I’m concerned he could end up in butterfly territory.

This goes along with being in a job you aren’t qualified for, only in this case he has to hear it from the fanbase he loves and cares about. It would be hard for imposter syndrome not to take over.

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

Oweh and Aberdeen hate each other and won’t pass the ball to each other and if that’s the case Aberdeen should just sit cause he’s fcking trash anyway

watch when one of them shoots free throws the other never comes to give the shooter a high five even though the rest of the team does. They don’t speak on the court. Aberdeen had oweh for a wide open fast break lob and couldn’t make a pass a high schooler could make.

unbelievable how much pope has completely failed with this team it’s really remarkable

So did Oweh bang his chick or did Aberdeen bang his chick?

 

[#1 cat fan]

JQ was supposed to be a post presence surrounded by 3 point shooters. Instead the lane is just clogged with Popes rotations and horrific shooters. I am surprised he is as raw as he is offensively though.

He isn't that raw. He's got a great handle and never has an opportunity to show what kind of game he has. Go back and watch one drive against St Johns. Cross over drive and score
We've never had a big man that can make that play the way he did

 

[BlueBlood96Cat]

This goes along with being in a job you aren’t qualified for, only in this case he has to hear it from the fanbase he loves and cares about. It would be hard for imposter syndrome not to take over.

That’s what I hate right now. I’m giving Pope hell all at the same time torn between caring about him as a human and wanting him to just win a few games in a roll to catch a breather. I feel like he’s down on himself and doesn’t have the confidence he will make this right. Then I’m like you know what we can’t have that sissy stuff in charge of UK. Then I’m like well you know it’s just sports and I feel sorry for the man. Then I’m like no f that

 

[NociHTTP]

JQ was supposed to be a post presence surrounded by 3 point shooters. Instead the lane is just clogged with Popes rotations and horrific shooters. I am surprised he is as raw as he is offensively though.

JQ has high IQ, saw it yesterday, but his posture and footwork are terrible. He doesn't come close to utilizing his size. He also begs for the ball when he's in traffic instead of doing things to get better positioning.

 

[Vek96]

Outside of Oweh, who by the way, misses more layups than Jared Prickett, we don’t have a single player that you can consistently count on.

This team does NOTHING particularly well.

Not a good shooting team.
Not a good passing team.
Not a good rebounding team.
Not a good defensive team.

Last season, despite many flaws, we still had Brea to count on making big shots.

We had Williams, who, despite some weaknesses, was a really good passer, and, who late in the season, became a good defender, rebounder, and would score from time to time.

Butler, who unfortunately was never quite healthy, was a tremendous defender, and a really good point guard.

And don’t forget about Andrew Carr. He was a really solid player that teams had to respect from the perimeter, and as a guy that could post up and score inside. He‘s a player that would be our best inside player on this team.

So far, JQ looks like an offensive liability. That’s putting it mildly.

Aberdeen, who has a lot of talent, plays selfishly most of the time.

Diaboute plays his *** off, and would be a lot more effective if had some help inside.

Just absolutely frustrating that we’re Going to miss the tournament for the 3rd time in the last 12 season’s in which there’s been a tournament.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

The signs were after the UL game. Pope teased about explaining it but never gave a full logical explanation about what truly happened.

after the Alabama game, people involved with team become vocal about it :

-Mo Diabate complaining about lack of preparation of the game:
- JQ father complained about his son playing time and offense style.

Pope reaction was to try a group therapy , which was explained via a pathetic words salad that now is obvious that didn’t have the impact that he was hoping….

During the Missouri game was clear that the has team chemistry issues: certain players would not pass to each other the ball or if they did the passes were either late or thrown to generate turnovers, Mo Diabate and assistant coach were screaming at each other….body language of coaching staff and bench players was horrible…

after the Missouri game , Pope pretty much blamed the players for the offense execution, lack of speed in half court offense, that he tried to simplify things but the players are not believing / buying into the offensive scheme….


Unfortunately, Pope lost the control over this team. I suspect that he actually he never fully had it. It probably started with overpayment on players salary and allowing them to stay outside traditional basketball facilities. I suspect another issue is the jealousy between players and staff too over the money…..


Pope needs a miracle now to turn the ship around….. I hope he can …for his own sake and for our wildcats program.

This team is cooked, bunch of overpaid babies who can’t work together to save their lives. Most over rated bunch I’ve ever seen. They are worse than the 9-16 team which I have never seen before or thought I would ever see.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Idk but he did and he SUCKED! My goodness, he’s been downright AWFUL the last few games! Unplayable!

EDIT: he’s gotta be the most clumsy player at UK in my lifetime! Constantly bobbling passes, fumbling his dribble, tripping over his feet, etc. One game he hit the floor a dozen times easily! Can’t remember which game it was.

Every player we recruited it was obvious why they were on the bench, but they were put into roles they could succeed in. Aberdeen has to play hard because he had legit guards that could make him never play. Mo D defended and rim ran on a running team that could shoot. They aren’t starting make plays happen players. They staff made terrible choices.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

Curious to why people say this. Truly curious. He was wide open several times and numerous guys would not pass him the ball.

Probably because they hate him. He never passes the ball, that leads to others not passing you the ball. I’ve never seen anything like it at the D1 level.

 

[Crazy4Blue]

Signing Mo and Aberdeen as your top portal players was a stupid thing. Both were backups and now we see why they were back ups. Aberdeen is the most frustrating UK player that I have seen in a long time. What exactly does he bring to the team? Mo is running his mouth publicly about the coaching and getting into arguments with the coaches in the huddles. I would throw his but off the team today! I forgot the play last night but he made a turnover and threw his hands up at a teammate like nothing was his fault. Don't need that. Done with him.

 

[dckala2_]

Aberdeen f’n sucks. 7th or 8th man at best.

 

[wkycatfan7]

It's not uncommon for players who seek greener pastures to be malcontents.

 

[Yardeth]

The signs were after the UL game. Pope teased about explaining it but never gave a full logical explanation about what truly happened.

after the Alabama game, people involved with team become vocal about it :

-Mo Diabate complaining about lack of preparation of the game:
- JQ father complained about his son playing time and offense style.

Pope reaction was to try a group therapy , which was explained via a pathetic words salad that now is obvious that didn’t have the impact that he was hoping….

During the Missouri game was clear that the has team chemistry issues: certain players would not pass to each other the ball or if they did the passes were either late or thrown to generate turnovers, Mo Diabate and assistant coach were screaming at each other….body language of coaching staff and bench players was horrible…

after the Missouri game , Pope pretty much blamed the players for the offense execution, lack of speed in half court offense, that he tried to simplify things but the players are not believing / buying into the offensive scheme….


Unfortunately, Pope lost the control over this team. I suspect that he actually he never fully had it. It probably started with overpayment on players salary and allowing them to stay outside traditional basketball facilities. I suspect another issue is the jealousy between players and staff too over the money…..


Pope needs a miracle now to turn the ship around….. I hope he can …for his own sake and for our wildcats program.

I’m waiting on the mystery injury report from the team that one of the players is hurt and that will be the excuse for the loses. Lowe’s shoulder, JQ’s knee, Mo’s ankle - dumb it down, they look good against the managers in practice and I think they don’t try to go full speed in practice and they play the same way in the game. We are paying over 1 million dollars for a win.

 

[Yardeth]

What did JQs dad have to say tonight? I can’t even say Pope is wrong for having him on the bench.

Lottery pick with 1 point and 4 rebounds in 18 minutes.

 

[Doc4UK!]

The essence of all of this is whether he now has the trust of the donors to come up with another 20 million to pay for the next bunch of players for next year. Unfortunately that has become such a big part of things now. From what I am hearing that is a huge problem and may result in having an even more trying season next year. Have to really wonder who he can keep from the current team much less who he can afford to bring in. Rumor has it that Jasper is talking to North Carolina already and I suspect others are as well. Things might get pretty ugly in the next three to four months.

 

[TFCat11]

We just need to be patient. Everyone, let’s start concentrating on season number 4! Thanks for your support and understanding.

 

[Doc4UK!]

What did JQs dad have to say tonight? I can’t even say Pope is wrong for having him on the bench.

His free throws are worse than horrible so how can he be on the court at the end of any close game. Hack a Shaq!

 

[Kyhoward1]

CMP’s comment after Missouri game:
“We are working hard to really just simplify everything — just so, so simple,” he said. “It’s a work in progress and it is frustratingly slow. It is just so frustratingly slow. Getting our group to believe in what we do and actually execute what we do and then execute when the lights are on has been incredibly challenging so far. We got to keep going.”

A. Simplify - translation - these players have low basketball IQ. This team cannot run the read and react Zoom offense run by last year’s team.
B. “Work in progress” - translation - time is running out as the season is half over. If the players you are putting on the floor cannot execute, startJJ, Jelly, Trent, Hawthorne, and Potter if he is available to play. Sub Zach and Moreno. Let them play the entire next game. Drastic times call for drastic measures.
C. “Getting our group to believe” - What!!!!
Emulate your mentor Coach Pitino and light a fire under their butt. No more Mr Nice Guy. Most will be selling themselves to the highest bidder next season anyway and Oweh will be playing in Serbia and never heard from again.

Where is Lamont, Jaxon, Andrew, Amari, Kobe , Ainsley? These guys loved playing, CMP, the fans and were great ambassadors for the program. Cried after their loss to UT in the tournament and did not want to take off their jerseys. Mentioned that the one year they were together made them friends for life. They would whip these mercenaries if they played! A true team that showed that heart, hustle, and team play can overcome a deficit in talent.

CMP should take these wimps to the volleyball court and let Eva, Brooklyn, Lizzie, Asia etc smash a few balls against their heads. Also talk to Coach Skinner to learn his secrets for moulding a true team that plays for each other.

 

[Artlaibesghost]

Pope can " simplify " his offense till the cows come home but it will not make any of these guys better shooters. Once again all the myriad problems we have start with the fact we are running a : shooting" offense with guys that can't shoot. This is the worst shooting team I have ever seen at Kentucky and I have been watching since 1966. I don't think Pope really knows how to run any other type of offense so basically EVERY game we play the rest of the season becomes a struggle. We are in deep dodo for rest of the year. Next year if he's here he darn well better pick some guys that fit his style if anybody that's worth a hoot will come that is. I suppose if the money is there we will get some guys, the right ones? Who knows.

 

[Snarks]

As an assistant coach how do you coach a 18 year old that makes more money than you. Ik it’s possible but gotta be hard. Other coaches do it tho.

Not an excuse, other schools figure it out. Duke is pretty good and has a high payroll