Or else he’s not lasting at UK more than 4 years.
Pope needs a Defensive Coordinator
- Thread starter IowaCityLit
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I agree. I said last year the way the team did not play defense, I said Pope's shelf live at UK was 5 years.
Maybe should have hired a UK caliber coach ??
Crazy, he is a Pitino boy and defense is his weakness? I just don't get it. Like call Pitino and get some advice, play some triangle and 3 idk
He’s too passive on defense he has athletes to force turnovers if he doubles the ball screens
It’s why he brought them in and yet they play downhill all night due to no gap team defensive scheme
It’s why he brought them in and yet they play downhill all night due to no gap team defensive scheme
Thankfully, if healthy, he does happen to have one of the best defensive players in college basketball on the roster.
“When Quaintance was off the court this season, Arizona State held a 119.5 defensive rating, which would have ranked 358th of 364 teams in Division I. With Quaintance on the court, that number improves to 102.5. That might just be tied for 95th in the nation, but the 17.1-point swing Quaintance provides ranked in the 99th percentile, an absurd feat for a 17-year-old, and enough to hold him in the 95th percentile in overall on-off impact despite improving Arizona State’s offense by just 0.6 points.”
“When Quaintance was off the court this season, Arizona State held a 119.5 defensive rating, which would have ranked 358th of 364 teams in Division I. With Quaintance on the court, that number improves to 102.5. That might just be tied for 95th in the nation, but the 17.1-point swing Quaintance provides ranked in the 99th percentile, an absurd feat for a 17-year-old, and enough to hold him in the 95th percentile in overall on-off impact despite improving Arizona State’s offense by just 0.6 points.”
Quiantance can not guard good guards, he is center
We will be beaten by good guards constantly
Though I think we may win against Georgetown if Lowe and Aberdeen were healthy
If we can't stop speedy guards this season then we most likely get beat by Cal and Arkansas again this season. If that happens the fan base is going to be 100 times more vocal than tonight.
He has shown the ability to switch onto guards effectively as he’s such a gifted athlete. And you also remember from the Cal era how much better having a huge defensive presence at the rim improves the defensive play from the guards. They played different knowing there’s an eraser back there. Offenses also attack us differently as there’s a fear of the shot blocking. Cal used to talk about it all the time. It changes everything. Some of those Conwell and Brown drives look different tonight if there’s a Willie Cauley Stein like player back there.
Now whether he's that same guy for us this season as he’s getting back from such a serious injury? Very fair question.
But Garrison is a defensive zero. Swapping him for one of the better defensive prospects of the last decade shouldn’t be dismissed.
Yes we all assume that JQ will be 100% or even make progress after him returning
But it is also possible he will be pretty rusty all this season (which is natural), and play bad
See Harry Giles in Duke...
Let’s pray he doesn’t turn into Harry.
Torn ACL, MCL, meniscus early HS
torn ACL other knee late HS
Arthroscopic surgery early at Duke on 1st knee
Ironically if you’re comparing for JQ, Giles actually came back and was a beast after that first knee blow up in HS. It was after he did it to his second that he never was quite the same. Have to wonder how much was mental and how much was physical too. Blowing out both knees and having to do the recovery before 19 has to be a lot.
Please take it slow JQ and Pope. Do not try to rush to help the team.
The same could be said of football coaches too. They not only have OC and DC, they also have QB coach, Backs coach, Receivers coach, OL coach, DL coach, DBs/Safety's coach.
The head coach's main job is motivation, setting the tone, making in-game adjustments. The OC and DC would be helping players learn in practice now to perform those skills at a high level during games.
We played G-town without 1/3 of the guys expected to be in our top 9, including 2 from the same position
Yes, I have said I think we win against Georgetown if Lowe and Aberdeen play...
Football has 100 players on the roster. Basketball has 15. I get a hc might need help on one side but you can't need help everywhere.
What is concerning if you go back and watch, when we started to press a bit or trap the ball handler. The 2 guys that trapped (I think once was Oweh and Chandler) when the guy passed out of it they made no effort to get back and help. They just sorta walked back, if we are going to cut nets down this CANNOT continue. Pope - HAS to fix this, either play D with intensity or SIT. That is all.
Yeah, and Calipari needed an offensive coordinator! Between Pope and his staff, if there’s still a need for a “coordinator” at this level, then Mitch settled on the wrong guy… again!
No, like any other MCBB head coach, Pope just needs UK level Jimmy’s and Joe’s, and the rest will take care of itself.
With a $22 million War Chest, you can’t whiff on all of your top prospects, and expect it not to show on the court!
Just imagine this team with a Brown, Peterson, Peat, Wilson, or Dybantsa type! Again, $22 million and none of these guys? And the staff recruited every single one of them!
No, like any other MCBB head coach, Pope just needs UK level Jimmy’s and Joe’s, and the rest will take care of itself.
With a $22 million War Chest, you can’t whiff on all of your top prospects, and expect it not to show on the court!
Just imagine this team with a Brown, Peterson, Peat, Wilson, or Dybantsa type! Again, $22 million and none of these guys? And the staff recruited every single one of them!
To the idiot above saying we should have hired a better coach, didn't say the same when we beat duke, Florida,etc last year. Most dogging pope after an away loss to a good Louisville team are cal fans. They wanted cal after 800 first round losses.
Good shooting tends to beat defenses, regardless how good the defense is.
Especailly with the 3 point shot. Offenses have more control over that then defenses.
Now that doesn't excuse the constant drives that brown had in this game but maybe when we get our full roster playing that changes a bit.
Especailly with the 3 point shot. Offenses have more control over that then defenses.
Now that doesn't excuse the constant drives that brown had in this game but maybe when we get our full roster playing that changes a bit.
As far as protecting the interior and paint, that would be all we need in that aspect.
3s become a little bit harder when your not open and instead forced to take them because you can't drive.
We allowed Louisville to shoot at will. Our defense was embarrassing. I wasn't overly impressed with Louisville because if they were a good team they would have blew us out instead of letting us hang around.
Defense is definitely something that needs to be improved.
Pope isn't a drunk so I assume he will win a title here. History says so.
Pope isn't a drunk so I assume he will win a title here. History says so.
I think he got away with running nice offense and playing poor defense at BYU, the expectations weren't as high.
I’m a blue tinted as they come but I don’t think they beat them. They didn’t have a fire that game and watch the other team out work them exactly like last night. Even with all our starters you’re never gonna win if you don’t want it more.
I agree, he should hire someone known for defense that gets fired from head coaching/top assistant. Someone who can teach it well though.
Find some Buzz Williams protege or somehow who is an analytically driven defensive guy. And get us a free throw rebounding coach for the giggles too
Pry Kelvin Sampson away from Houston lol.
Arkansas will dunk on us all night and cuss us while doing it like last season. Cal will have his team hyped up. Pope will not.
May as well shoot for the stars LOLA man can dream lol
I think it is Mark Pope problem, he just does not know how to teach defense
Aberdeen was at Florida, Florida was good D team last season. And suddenly his d also degrades after coming to Kentucky
Mo D was good d player at Bama, but he can not defend at all against Louisville
Pope needs to fire Mark Fox (what did Fox do for us). This position will be given to a defensive minded assistant coach. With Kentucky resources, we should be able to grab other assistant coaches from other good defensive teams. Pope needs to get rid of nepotism.
We needs to be more aggressive in pressing. If we do not press, we can not guard anybody even with five Caliapri type of athletics. We are just standing still to wait for actions from opponents. It can not work! We also need to switch more, players in all positions should be more aggressive in body contact
Aberdeen was at Florida, Florida was good D team last season. And suddenly his d also degrades after coming to Kentucky
Mo D was good d player at Bama, but he can not defend at all against Louisville
Pope needs to fire Mark Fox (what did Fox do for us). This position will be given to a defensive minded assistant coach. With Kentucky resources, we should be able to grab other assistant coaches from other good defensive teams. Pope needs to get rid of nepotism.
We needs to be more aggressive in pressing. If we do not press, we can not guard anybody even with five Caliapri type of athletics. We are just standing still to wait for actions from opponents. It can not work! We also need to switch more, players in all positions should be more aggressive in body contact
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I was thinking throughout the game how our guards "playing small" and getting bullied by the opposition guards (regardless of actual listed size) was VERY reminiscent of the downward trend years under Cal. We're the ones having to hand the ball off around the perimeter and the other team is cruising past us to the hoop.