I loved Nate. Talked to him many times when he played and such a great guy who totally loved playing for UK.
Yeah but keep in mind Nate played for a coach who knew how to run a program and did the max for all his players pro prospects. Ellis isn't going to get that same situation.
I don't know where to start with your question/comment.
And ankles. And fingers. And wrists. And pretty much anything else that Pope's "strength and condition" team can flub up?
You think Lowe would come back as a backup? I doubt it.
On average, how many shots a day will a guy like Chandler launch during the summer break? Seems like he could make a huge jump with a good PG to get it to him in the right places.
Scouting Report: Quinn Ellis
We have that in Lowe. You won't find a better pg at getting to the basket. Or faster
That Coach Nate played for ran the program into the ground. With the amount of talent that passed thru this program in Cal's years, yet he only won 1 National Title. That is criminal. Coach Pope has 1 more year to turn the program into a winner because the 2025/26 season was a major disappointment, but it was better than Cal's last 4 years. 2020 thru 2024 teams were talented but plain bad. His last two games as UK Coach Vanderbilt in the SEC tournament and Oakland in the NCAA tournament were terrible. Guards would just get beat one on one to the basket and no rim protection. Starting 2 players that Wagner and Edwards over Sheppard and Dillingham was the dumbest coaching I have ever seen. So, revisionist history does not do. The only great Coach this program has had since Rupp was Rick Pitino and he only stayed 9 years. Those 9 years were exciting basketball, well coached, and well played. If a player did not perform, they would sit. I have not seen that since 1997. Cal's first 5 years were fun, but they were not well coached. His first team with Wall, Cousins, etc... should have never lost. They did because Cal was clueless on the sidelines. I will give him credit for the run in 2011 with Brandon Knight. The win over Ohio State followed up by beating Carolina in the Elite 8 was Cal at his best. 2012 AD was just too good to lose. Let's not forget 2013 and the NIT. 1 of 2 NIT season brought to us by Cal. 2014 was also very lack luster in the regular season followed by a great tournament run. Again, the Wichita State, Louisville, Michigan, Wisconsin run was amazing. 2015 was the best talent ever assembled on 1 roster and Cal found a way to lose to Wisconsin. His teams were very mediocre 2016 until 2020 then really bad. I have watched UK all of my life and I agree this past season was not to UK standards and we will see what next years holds. But we have not seen UK basketball to the UK standard in over a decade, and Pope can only be blamed for 2 years.
Well believe it or not , all conference in the acc will be held higher in coaches minds than most of our idiot fan base that judge him off a hurt 2 games. Not calling you an idiot but we have plenty that fit
Saying Cal's first five years were not well coached is delusional, you don't have to like the guy but lets stay on planet earth
Good lord. Stokes is the same style player yaxel is and you think he's a 2g!!! He's closer to a 4 than a 2
Nate was a solid stretch 4 that sat behind a guy Cal allowed to shoot 18 footers all the time.
Shooting is the last thing Chandler needs to focus on. He needs to go to ball handling camps all summer long. It's bad. He's scared to touch the ball in half court and that is one of the main problems we had against iowa st. Oweh and Aberdeen were forced to do it all
Notice I never said anything about well coached. I'm willing to concede that Cal is not a great XO coach. He's probably not even a good coach in the modern game. What can't be denied is his results. Final 4s at three programs, 2 of them being UMASS and MEMPHIS. Literally UMass and Memphis. 9 figures of player net worth. To everyone who says "why can't Pope leverage $100B of NBA talent that came through UK", that was ALL Cal.
Lowe, yes. Don't know enough about Ellis. Honestly can do worse than a pro "grown-man" PG. Hooefully Ellis is in the Butler mold. Again, don't know enough.
You can't get a guy for 3 million averaging 8 points a game in a Euro league in college. I would rather spend that on a portal PG that has actually shown something against they talent he's coming into.
Agree -- Ellis has to come at the right price. Can't overpay like this year's train wreck. We are on the same page.
I don't care if you asked. You post something and I'll comment. We had a pg this year . Spot up is the only thing Chandler can do. Back to 15 mins per game next year . You cant fix his level of ball handling woes in 5 months.
I mean if you want to introduce common sense I have a lot of questions for Pope. The point of the conversation was Lowe only came to be the man. So does that mean he’s out.
If he doesn’t overpay, then guys won’t come. That’s the Pope tax for kids having to deal with his delusional a**.
this is why we lose recruits. you want to play guys how you want them to play vs how they see themselves playing. this isnt complicated.
Unfortunately, I think you have a point about Chandler. What he brings in the half-court offense is basically spot up shooting. He has hops for sure, but to me he doesn't appear very fluid in regard to movement. So, he's athletic in one sense, but not as much in others. I think improving his handle will make Chandler a better straight line driver, but its hard to be shifty with his athleticism profile. And I think UK desperately needs to bring in "shifty" after losing Oweh and Aberdeen.
Right.
Exactly right. He kind of mimics a 2 ft jumper. Those guys aren't the best at driving the ball and creating because they have to stop and gather themselves. Jodie Meeks was this way. If he could created his own shot he would have been an NBA as superstar
Agree, speed and quickness are needed to create open shots
Not that I saw
He is a perfect example of the player that Pope will recruit. Decent player but not ga e changer
