When you had shooters who could get hot like we did, yes. Last years team couldn’t guard anyone
Pope Pumpers
- Thread starter W1LDCAT22
- Start date
Why would any top coach want to leave another good basketball school for a school that if you don't make a FF or win the title in your first year, the fans will be calling for you to be fired?
Wait I thought it was MARCH that mattered to you sunshiners. I can't keep your talking points straight.
Let em have it boys and gals... I took a beating on this forum for saying Pope wasn't the guy to lead UK! Let them live with it. This is what they wanted and this what they got!
I rooted for UK to lose in the NIT against Notre Dame when Gillespie was coach because I didn't want UK to win the NIT so he would return the next season with Landon Slone as the starting two guard.
Kentucky basketball is not just entertainment. It is a source of tradition and pride for families generation after generation. It means enough for many to be buried in caskets that represent those colors. It means enough to evoke memories of family members who’d not miss a game, even when suffering through life’s harshest realities. If it’s simply entertainment to you, then it should be easy to not insult others’ opinions about that entertainment. For some of us, Kentucky basketball is as important as most other things in our lives. You can say we shouldn’t hold that view, but we do.
Well, lucky for Pope that the SEC is down this year compared to last year. We will win the next two games at home because Missouri and Mississippi State are bad teams this season. If he does lose to one of those teams at home next week, he should be fired on the spot.
If Pope had a decent resume, then I think people would be more likely to say "this is just a bad season". Pope has to prove he deserves this job. Having a bad season, after such high expectations, in year two is nothing short of a disaster for him. That's just the reality of his situation.
I don't disagree. But he is not getting fired THIS season. So, I am going to pull for him and the team.
I don't think he will get fired this year either. I wouldn't be surprised to see a few big wins along the way. I'll be happy as anyone during those wins. I just have MAJOR concerns about the direction of this program. Was hoping to at least see clear evidence that Pope could handle this job, but I'm still waiting at this point.
March is all that matters, but you see the way a message board works is someone post an ignorant statement and then another person responds to that ignorant statement. You chicken littles kill me.
Not many wanted Pope, but unlike you crybabies that didn't get what you wanted, some of us decided to give the guy a chance. His 2nd year is bad, if he has a bad 3rd year, time to move on.
Pope has another bizarre interview with Leach after the game. Sounded monotone and almost like someone severely depressed. Certainly did not answer Tom's questions and give any hope to the BBN that he has answers to turn this season around.
Caught the tail end of that presser on the radio.. Sounded like a dog with a tail between his legs!
But we're bad fans. Hell, some in our own fanbase tell us so.
It's wild that even some of the old heads are going "Well, it's all good..."
This is why you NEVER EVER hire family. EVER. Because if they start effing up and you have to uphold policy/standards all of a sudden people's spines and gonads start disappearing..
Pope is completely out of his league. He ain't got a ******* clue. Should have hired Pearl
9-5 and unranked heading into the second game of SEC play doesnt move the needle.. THINK!
This is NIL college sports. When you have the biggest payroll in college basketball you should never be out of the equation for a national championship. So far, he has been a lousy recruiter and an average coach. Indiana football is the number one team in the country. No excuses to not be relevant and get there immediately with the right coach and resources..
Yes to poor season and even seasons. But I've been just everywhere to watch UK play over the last 50 years, Maui, Alaska, the Bahamas, Canada, Puerto Rico, London, etc. and I've never heard a UK team boo'ed or people walking out unless it was a blowout win for us. This is more than about losing.
Pearl was the guy 100 percent.
If pope had not played here he would
Have never gotten a call. BYU immediately got better once he left.
but hey. He sure did win that press conference
Have never gotten a call. BYU immediately got better once he left.
but hey. He sure did win that press conference
If we miss the tourney, I think its fair to call for a change...after the season. I can't get behind firing a guy for one bad year, but if others do, thats fine. But no one knows what this season holds. This club may have good health the rest of the way, make the tourney and win a couple of games. It doesn't look like it today, but I have seen worse teams have bigger turnarounds. And if they do, then all this whining is a big waste of time
You have to be top 25 on offense and defense in KenPom efficiency to be a truly elite team. Has Pope demonstrated that he can coach elite defense? If so, I’m all ears to hear you explain what Pope is doing correctly on that side of the ball.
Not giving a coach even a full 2 years before wanting him fired is harsh. THINK!
And again, that is why UK missed on every single big name they went after. Those coaches knew the expectations were full retard.
Funny. Cal came after we fired BCG after 2 years.
If expectations were bad, Nick Saban would've run away from the Bama job. He took it instead.
Joe B. Hall went 20-8 his 1st season and 13-13 his second season. UK sticking with him worked out pretty good.
He misevaluated some kids and has a team that doesn't fit together. A lot of kids he thought would be knock down shooters have shot like ***. IMO, if he had ONE dead eye shooter, this team might look completely different. The team does have a chance though, and that part is on him to pull off. I think he MUST shorten his rotation to 8 players and 8 only barring injuries or foul trouble. And he needs to start the best 5 and ride them more
None of that had anything to do with telling me what Pope has done or is doing to show he can coach defense. If he can’t coach defense, he can’t coach here. You can’t win a title without it.
If we miss the tourney this season, his resume is two seasons with 10+ losses and a sweet sixteen appearance where he got spanked by a team we beat twice in the regular season.
I think he gets next year unless this season turns into a complete disaster. Like we don’t even get the NIT invite level bad.
I think it’s fair to be pretty skeptical at this point.