This Isn’t a Knee-jerk Reaction

[revcort]

I've been thinking about this since November and this 0-2 start for my Cats in the SEC has only confirmed it. Now that everyone is healthy and available, I'd say it's safe to say this is who this team is.

This Kentucky team is filled with role players. They're all 4th and 5th options on a good team. We've got 6th man guys in spades. What this team is missing are the #1, #2, and #3 options on the offensive end. You know- the guys you must figure out how to stop or theyll beat you. We've got ZERO of those guys. I think the team could be decent on the defensive end, but they're offensively challenged.

Think of last season's team and compare...
1. Where is the Koby Brea on this team? The guy who you have to chase around all over the floor because he would make shots if you didnt.

2. Where is the Jaxson Robinson on this team? The guy who could score from the outside or slash and drive to the lane and pull up for a short jumper or finish at the rim.

3. Where is our Lamont Butler? The guy who had the quickness to drive around most guys and finish at the rim or find the open man.

4. Where is our Amari Williams? The big man who could catch the ball out top and hit guys with dimes on backcuts and also push people around inside, finish, and rebound.

5. Where is our Andrew Carr? The stretch 4 who kept defenses honest by making threes but also could post up and score.

6. Where is our Ansley Almonor? The guy who could come off the bench and make a huge three with ice in his veins when the pressure is high.

This current UK team is missing those top players. There are no option 1, option 2, or even option 3 guys on the offensive end.

Otega Oweh is your top option, but he's not that guy. He was option 4 last season, sometimes option 3 in 2nd halves, and that fits him well. He's the #1 option on this team.

Jaland Lowe has some similarities to Lamont Butler, but he's not as good.

Quaintance has some ability, but he isn't a playmaker and he can't finish with his back to the basket very well. There's no stretch 4. There are no elite shooters on this team. There are no NBA type elite scorers on this team.

Every single SEC team has better players than this UK team. If the game was about the number of good role players, this UK team would win it all. But to win games against good opponents, you've got to have at least a couple elite players. We don't. We don't work together, either. When we get open shots, we miss. This is a bad team. There's nothing this team can do to fix this issue. They need to get rid of at least 3 players and replace them with stars. That's the only fix I see. This is an NIT team. Worst since Gillispie's final season.

This is a late Tubby Team or a Gillispie team- filled with good, not great, players. Always a step behind in talent. No NBA prospects. No great shooters. No alphas. Against good teams, they will lose. They don't have the ability to beat those teams.

 

[Anon1759768907]

I've been thinking about this since November and this 0-2 start for my Cat in the SEC has only confirmed it. Now that everyone is healthy and available, I'd say it's safe to say this is who this team is.

This Kentucky team is filled with role players. They're all 4th and 5th options on a good team. We've got 6th man guys in spades. What this team is missing are the #1, #2, and #3 options on the offensive end. You know- the guys you must figure out how to stop or theyll beat you. We've got ZERO of those guys. I think the team could be decent on the defensive end, but they're offensively challenged.

Think of last season's team and compare...
1. Where is the Koby Brea on this team? The guy who you have to chase around all over the floor because he would make shots if you didnt.

2. Where is the Jaxson Robinson on this team? The guy who could score from the outside or slash and drive to the lane and pull up for a short jumper or finish at the rim.

3. Where is our Lamont Butler? The guy who had the quickness to drive around most guys and finish at the rim or find the open man.

4. Where is our Amari Williams? The big man who could catch the ball out top and hit guys with dimes on backcuts and also push people around inside, finish, and rebound.

5. Where is our Andrew Carr? The stretch 4 who kept defenses honest by making threes but also could post up and score.

6. Where is our Ansley Almonor? The guy who could come off the bench and make a huge three with ice in his veins when the pressure is high.

This current UK team is missing those top players. There are no option 1, option 2, or even option 3 guys on the offensive end.

Otega Oweh is your top option, but he's not that guy. He was option 4 last season, sometimes option 3 in 2nd halves, and that fits him well. He's the #1 option on this team.

Jaland Lowe has some similarities to Lamont Butler, but he's not as good.

Quaintance has some ability, but he isn't a playmaker and he can't finish with his back to the basket very well. There's no stretch 4. There are no elite shooters on this team. There are no NBA type elite scorers on this team.

Every single SEC team has better players than this UK team. If the game was about the number of good role players, this UK team would win it all. But to win games against good opponents, you've got to have at least a couple elite players. We don't. We don't work together, either. When we get open shots, we miss. This is a bad team. There's nothing this team can do to fix this issue. They need to get rid of at least 3 players and replace them with stars. That's the only fix I see. This is an NIT team. Worst since Gillispie's final season.

This is a late Tubby Team or a Gillispie team- filled with good, not great, players. Always a step behind in talent. No NBA prospects. No great shooters. No alphas. Against good teams, they will lose. They don't have the ability to beat those teams.

ur last paragraph is why losing under pope does absolutely nothing to me

 

[kyjeff1]

Also, there are no recruits coming in next year and what good portal players will want to come here to play for Pope?

Just need to rip the band aid off. This is going to be really painful to watch though.

 

[Anon1759768907]

Also, there are no recruits coming in next year and what good portal players will want to come here to play for Pope?

Just need to rip the band aid off. This is going to be really painful to watch though.

the sad part is if he does get a third year and limps into the tourney again and wins a game or two then he will be here for a while

 

[kyjeff1]

the sad part is if he does get a third year and limps into the tourney again and wins a game or two then he will be here for a while

If you're the AD, you have to prepare yourself for that. The deal needs to be, "Mark, if you get a 3rd year, you need to be top 3 in the SEC and get at least to the sweet 16, if not, it's over".
Pope will, of course agree and swear he will hit those marks, but we all know how it's going to end.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

If you're the AD, you have to prepare yourself for that. The deal needs to be, "Mark, if you get a 3rd year, you need to be top 3 in the SEC and get at least to the sweet 16, if not, it's over".
Pope will, of course agree and swear he will hit those marks, but we all know how it's going to end.

Elite Eight imo.

S16 is only an average year.

 

[FriendlyCardinal]

Pope needs to fix whatever the problem in the locker room. It's obvious that there are issues in there, going all the way back to the pregame "issue" before the Louisville game.

Of course, everyone is acting like there isn't a problem which is just the worst thing you can do. Why cover for the kids? They're getting paid? Kick off whoever needs to be kicked and then MAYBE you all can start to become a team again that actually plays together.

It's so freaking stupid that they act like there isnt a problem.. basically gaslighting everyone.

Pope needs to put it all out there, do what needs to be done, or else he's gone. He's backed into a corner now, the problem is a lot of the times it seems like he doesnt care, which is weird as hell.

 

[Dward13]

I just don’t think Pope is a very good teacher of the game. None of the other stuff…talent, chemistry, will matter if at the end of the day hes still not very good at teaching the game.

More and more i think he was carried by having 7 seniors last year. Many of which were highly coveted and already very good before they got here.

 

[kyjeff1]

Elite Eight imo.

S16 is only an average year.

After this year and the last 4 Cal teams, a sweet 16 is fair.
Doesn't matter, he's not getting to a sweet 16. The odds of him catching lightning in a bottle again, are very slim, especially as bad as he looks right now and it's going to get worse.

 

[TommyMansky]

Ansley Almonor. Miss that guy. He cared about playing here.

 

[kyjeff1]

Pope needs to fix whatever the problem in the locker room. It's obvious that there are issues in there, going all the way back to the pregame "issue" before the Louisville game.

Of course, everyone is acting like there isn't a problem which is just the worst thing you can do. Why cover for the kids? They're getting paid? Kick off whoever needs to be kicked and then MAYBE you all can start to become a team again that actually plays together.

It's so freaking stupid that they act like there isnt a problem.. basically gaslighting everyone.

Pope needs to put it all out there, do what needs to be done, or else he's gone. He's backed into a corner now, the problem is a lot of the times it seems like he doesnt care, which is weird as hell.

We're beyond that now. This has been an issue for too long now. If it hasn't gotten fixed after this much time, it's just not getting fixed, especially when your coach is charmine soft.

Too much damage has been done and the OP is right, all our best players are 6th men and nobody can shoot. The pieces aren't there for this to get fixed.

Buckle up, this is going to be a rough ride to the end.

 

[FriendlyCardinal]

We're beyond that now. This has been an issue for too long now. If it hasn't gotten fixed after this much time, it's just not getting fixed, especially when your coach is charmine soft.

Too much damage has been done and the OP is right, all our best players are 6th men and nobody can shoot. The pieces aren't there for this to get fixed.

Buckle up, this is going to be a rough ride to the end.

There are some real issues between Oweh and Aberdeen.. this much is obvious, plenty of people have pointed it out.

Get rid of Aberdeen and see what happens

What other option is there at this point?

 

[UKBB4Ever]

I've been thinking about this since November and this 0-2 start for my Cats in the SEC has only confirmed it. Now that everyone is healthy and available, I'd say it's safe to say this is who this team is.

This Kentucky team is filled with role players. They're all 4th and 5th options on a good team. We've got 6th man guys in spades. What this team is missing are the #1, #2, and #3 options on the offensive end. You know- the guys you must figure out how to stop or theyll beat you. We've got ZERO of those guys. I think the team could be decent on the defensive end, but they're offensively challenged.

Think of last season's team and compare...
1. Where is the Koby Brea on this team? The guy who you have to chase around all over the floor because he would make shots if you didnt.

2. Where is the Jaxson Robinson on this team? The guy who could score from the outside or slash and drive to the lane and pull up for a short jumper or finish at the rim.

3. Where is our Lamont Butler? The guy who had the quickness to drive around most guys and finish at the rim or find the open man.

4. Where is our Amari Williams? The big man who could catch the ball out top and hit guys with dimes on backcuts and also push people around inside, finish, and rebound.

5. Where is our Andrew Carr? The stretch 4 who kept defenses honest by making threes but also could post up and score.

6. Where is our Ansley Almonor? The guy who could come off the bench and make a huge three with ice in his veins when the pressure is high.

This current UK team is missing those top players. There are no option 1, option 2, or even option 3 guys on the offensive end.

Otega Oweh is your top option, but he's not that guy. He was option 4 last season, sometimes option 3 in 2nd halves, and that fits him well. He's the #1 option on this team.

Jaland Lowe has some similarities to Lamont Butler, but he's not as good.

Quaintance has some ability, but he isn't a playmaker and he can't finish with his back to the basket very well. There's no stretch 4. There are no elite shooters on this team. There are no NBA type elite scorers on this team.

Every single SEC team has better players than this UK team. If the game was about the number of good role players, this UK team would win it all. But to win games against good opponents, you've got to have at least a couple elite players. We don't. We don't work together, either. When we get open shots, we miss. This is a bad team. There's nothing this team can do to fix this issue. They need to get rid of at least 3 players and replace them with stars. That's the only fix I see. This is an NIT team. Worst since Gillispie's final season.

This is a late Tubby Team or a Gillispie team- filled with good, not great, players. Always a step behind in talent. No NBA prospects. No great shooters. No alphas. Against good teams, they will lose. They don't have the ability to beat those teams.

You left out the worst part. They don’t play hard.

 

[KyKevin]

Elite Eight imo.

S16 is only an average year.

Sad to say, but I will be happy if we even make the tournament this year.

 

[kyjeff1]

There are some real issues between Oweh and Aberdeen.. this much is obvious, plenty of people have pointed it out.

Get rid of Aberdeen and see what happens

What other option is there at this point?

It looked to me like Oweh extended an olive branch to DA, gave him some nice passes that set him up for wide open shots. They appeared to be getting along well enough, but here's the issue, getting rid of DA creates even more problems. Without him, you only have Lowe that can run the offense. You have to keep him.

It also looks like Mo D is a problem. If Pope wants to make a splash, he can shoot a hostage, Mo D would be the best candidate for that.

Pope really screwed up when he built this roster. The fact that he thought he had a Porsche, tells us he has no idea how to recognize talent, that's snother big problem.

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

Sad to say, but I will be happy if we even make the tournament this year.

I understand that, but I hold the view that if a Kentucky coach can’t get to an Elite Eight in three years, they aren’t good enough to be the Kentucky coach. It’d be one thing if he had been to Final Fours or something prior to being coach —- at that point, you could consider some context and say to wait it out a little longer. I’m worried he’s going to go to a Sweet 16 one of these years and we really will be stuck. If he can’t coach a top defense, I see no reason to continue. What would be waiting on?

 

[kyjeff1]

Sad to say, but I will be happy if we even make the tournament this year.

We were talking about next year, this year is toast.

 

[NociHTTP]

Pope needs to fix whatever the problem in the locker room. It's obvious that there are issues in there, going all the way back to the pregame "issue" before the Louisville game.

Of course, everyone is acting like there isn't a problem which is just the worst thing you can do. Why cover for the kids? They're getting paid? Kick off whoever needs to be kicked and then MAYBE you all can start to become a team again that actually plays together.

It's so freaking stupid that they act like there isnt a problem.. basically gaslighting everyone.

Pope needs to put it all out there, do what needs to be done, or else he's gone. He's backed into a corner now, the problem is a lot of the times it seems like he doesnt care, which is weird as hell.

 

[Damage_inc]

Lowe gives me them wheeler vibes real bad.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

I've been thinking about this since November and this 0-2 start for my Cats in the SEC has only confirmed it. Now that everyone is healthy and available, I'd say it's safe to say this is who this team is.

This Kentucky team is filled with role players. They're all 4th and 5th options on a good team. We've got 6th man guys in spades. What this team is missing are the #1, #2, and #3 options on the offensive end. You know- the guys you must figure out how to stop or theyll beat you. We've got ZERO of those guys. I think the team could be decent on the defensive end, but they're offensively challenged.

Think of last season's team and compare...
1. Where is the Koby Brea on this team? The guy who you have to chase around all over the floor because he would make shots if you didnt.

2. Where is the Jaxson Robinson on this team? The guy who could score from the outside or slash and drive to the lane and pull up for a short jumper or finish at the rim.

3. Where is our Lamont Butler? The guy who had the quickness to drive around most guys and finish at the rim or find the open man.

4. Where is our Amari Williams? The big man who could catch the ball out top and hit guys with dimes on backcuts and also push people around inside, finish, and rebound.

5. Where is our Andrew Carr? The stretch 4 who kept defenses honest by making threes but also could post up and score.

6. Where is our Ansley Almonor? The guy who could come off the bench and make a huge three with ice in his veins when the pressure is high.

This current UK team is missing those top players. There are no option 1, option 2, or even option 3 guys on the offensive end.

Otega Oweh is your top option, but he's not that guy. He was option 4 last season, sometimes option 3 in 2nd halves, and that fits him well. He's the #1 option on this team.

Jaland Lowe has some similarities to Lamont Butler, but he's not as good.

Quaintance has some ability, but he isn't a playmaker and he can't finish with his back to the basket very well. There's no stretch 4. There are no elite shooters on this team. There are no NBA type elite scorers on this team.

Every single SEC team has better players than this UK team. If the game was about the number of good role players, this UK team would win it all. But to win games against good opponents, you've got to have at least a couple elite players. We don't. We don't work together, either. When we get open shots, we miss. This is a bad team. There's nothing this team can do to fix this issue. They need to get rid of at least 3 players and replace them with stars. That's the only fix I see. This is an NIT team. Worst since Gillispie's final season.

This is a late Tubby Team or a Gillispie team- filled with good, not great, players. Always a step behind in talent. No NBA prospects. No great shooters. No alphas. Against good teams, they will lose. They don't have the ability to beat those teams.

Oweh could be a good Robin to a legit NBA Batman. He’s better off being the third guy but this team just doesn’t fit. Too many selfish players who think they are better than they are. I agree 100%.

 

[*Fox2Monk*]

If you're the AD, you have to prepare yourself for that. The deal needs to be, "Mark, if you get a 3rd year, you need to be top 3 in the SEC and get at least to the sweet 16, if not, it's over".
Pope will, of course agree and swear he will hit those marks, but we all know how it's going to end.

Elite 8 or better and win the SEC. Prove you can do it or get out.

 

[GoAndRunIsGoneAndDone]

Oh come on....we just need the right tweak!

I don't think anybody knows how to fix this team, honestly. But, we've been here before, so it's not like we've never seen a team that just didn't fit together. Ultimately, that's on Pope but I'm not sure this is a thing that carries over into next season. If it does, I'll agree it's time to move on from Pope. Thing is, deep down, we all know he'll be here next year and we should support the team and coach until then. Yes, he's struggling but it might be that any coach in the country would struggle with this bunch.

For now, I'll cheer and hope they get it together though.

I like some of what we did against Mizzu. Aside from the epic 4:34 meltdown at the end, we changed everything up and really simplified things..and we had every chance to win that game. For now, I like that approach with this team. We can win a lot of games with a Jr High system if we rebound, play physical and play solid defense. Mizzu is huge inside but we can man handle most teams in the paint when we go big. It won't be pretty but I still think it can work...and did work for 16 minutes against Mizzu.

I'll end with this..

O God grant me...
the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change;
the Courage to change the things I can,
and the Wisdom to know the difference, Amen.