This makes me sick...

[kyjeff1]

No... that's a cop out. He's a Kentucky Player. He's now the head coach. You galvanize the fanbase and alumni. It's that simple. Cal was able to do it by reaching back (had Wayne on staff. Tayshaun and Rondo would show up among others).

I guess you must have missed Pope's introduction in Rupp. If you did see it, you missed the bus loads of ex UK players that were there.
Did Scheyer get anything like that? Nope.

Not only that, but it's not like any of us are inside the ropes on a daily basis. None of us are there to see when ex UK players visit.

Would it make you feel better if Pope hired a camera crew to snap photos of UK guys hugging?

Sorry, but Pope's introduction blows this bs away.

 

[kyjeff1]

Most of them were at the Pep Rally and that's it.

How do you know? Are you at practice every day?

 

[kyjeff1]

Better than dealing with 3, potentially even 4 or 5 years of finishing in the lower end of the SEC and getting blown out in the SEC and NCAA tournament that we’re getting currently.

Or we could have another 9-21 season that gets blamed on lack of fans, even though that very coach hated us, mocked us and called us names, all while getting embarrassed by future accountants, then celebrating all his NBA talents going pro, while not giving a sh*t about UK.

 

[kyjeff1]

It was time for Cal to go. And I say that as a Cal fan.

That has nothing to do with Pope being the wrong guy. 2 seasons were enough to see BCG was the wrong hire and 2 seasons were more than enough on Pope.

The real error here is giving him another season.

BCG didn’t get fired for on the court performance.

 

[kyjeff1]

I agree, but Duke had all the help to get there. The NCAA, Team USA, Nike, ESPN, the selection committee, the referee community. They all gave Duke the fair-haired child treatment.

We had Nike on our side too, then Cal decided to snub Phil Knight.

 

[kyjeff1]

We have 18 more losses than they do since then btw

Check strength of schedule comparisons. That matters.

 

[kyjeff1]

What a recruiting advantage. No one else out there could pull this off other than UK. Could you imagine telling a kid coming in you'll get floor time with with Tatum, Kyrie, Banchero, Flagg. This is something a UConn can't pull off. I think i saw them bring back a couple guys, but nothing of this caliber.

This is what you lose by moving off Cal. La Familia could keep up, and keep churning out the top recruits.

Sometimes you don't know what you got till it's gone. There was a lot more you were losing by pushing Cal out than just wins/losses. He built an entire empirse of UK alum that now move their allegiance to Cal, not UK. It's a bit sad.

Parts of me felt we should have rode or died with Cal.

Problem is, Cal was no longer getting the best of the best recruits, that stopped yeaes ago. Duke and KU have been punking him for almost 10 years.
If you're going to roll with freshmen in today's game, you better get a bunch of those top shelf kids, Cal isn’t doing that and he’s not even about winning anyway, he cares more about being a player agent for kids that were already going pro.
Very rarely does he actually help kids that actually beed someone to get them there.

 

[kyjeff1]

Jai Lucas would kill here like many others have stated

He has coached all of 1 season, how do you know that?
The last thing UK should be doing, is hiring another unknown.

 

[NineIsOnTheWay]

He has coached all of 1 season, how do you know that?
The last thing UK should be doing, is hiring another unknown.

Do I know for 100% na. But we know he would just like we knew what Pope would be. We'd get players anyway.

 

[kyjeff1]

Do I know for 100% na. But we know he would just like we knew what Pope would be. We'd get players anyway.

Yeah, but the pressure at Miami is nothing compated to UK.
The UK job should only go to dudes that have an impresdive resume'.

I hope Pope gets it rolling, but if he doesn't, he needs to be replaced by someone we all know is great.

 

[BookofMormon]

Problem is, Cal was no longer getting the best of the best recruits, that stopped yeaes ago. Duke and KU have been punking him for almost 10 years.
If you're going to roll with freshmen in today's game, you better get a bunch of those top shelf kids, Cal isn’t doing that and he’s not even about winning anyway, he cares more about being a player agent for kids that were already going pro.
Very rarely does he actually help kids that actually beed someone to get them there.

Not sure I buy this - Tatum was the 8th ranked kid, same class we got Monk, Bam and Fox. Tatum just popped. Next class, SGA was the 20th ranked kid and now the best player in the NBA. Zion was the 7th ranked kid, we had Maxey that year at 10.

I mean, ****, we could have the same guy of brotherhood built around Booker, KAT, SGA, Maxey, Bam. Cal's issue was that 23 class, which he had 3 of the top 5 kids, stunk. He probably would have crushed the next two loaded classes, but he was pushed out.

 

[BookofMormon]

Yeah, but the pressure at Miami is nothing compated to UK.
The UK job should only go to dudes that have an impresdive resume'.

I hope Pope gets it rolling, but if he doesn't, he needs to be replaced by someone we all know is great.

Who is that? Who are the possibilities?

Right now, I'd say the two most fitting profiles are Oats & McCasland. I can't see Otz or McCollum being interested.

 

[SenseMaker_Cats]

Who is that? Who are the possibilities?

Right now, I'd say the two most fitting profiles are Oats & McCasland. I can't see Otz or McCollum being interested.

Just to get this out of the way. I’m not saying Oats wouldn’t be better than Pope. I’m just not as sure as others on here he’s the best choice.

He may be on a downward trend and I’m not sure his team this year will reverse that. After this year, he very well could be averaging over 10 losses per year over the last four years.

Granted the first of those four years resulted in a final four but he did lose 12 games that year too.

 

[kyjeff1]

Not sure I buy this - Tatum was the 8th ranked kid, same class we got Monk, Bam and Fox. Tatum just popped. Next class, SGA was the 20th ranked kid and now the best player in the NBA. Zion was the 7th ranked kid, we had Maxey that year at 10.

I mean, ****, we could have the same guy of brotherhood built around Booker, KAT, SGA, Maxey, Bam. Cal's issue was that 23 class, which he had 3 of the top 5 kids, stunk. He probably would have crushed the next two loaded classes, but he was pushed out.

The Fox/Monk/Bam class was the last top one for Cal. That's why I said "almost 10 years".

We aren't talking about the NBA, we're talking about college. SGA was the 20th ranked kid, he just happened to be a diamond in the rough, but this is proving my point. Duke was getting Zion, Reddish and RJ Barrett. Cal was getting the 20th ranked kid (SGA), Wenyen Gabriel, Quade Green, SKJ and Ashton Hagans. There is clearly a huge difference in quality there.

 

[kyjeff1]

Who is that? Who are the possibilities?

Right now, I'd say the two most fitting profiles are Oats & McCasland. I can't see Otz or McCollum being interested.

Hopefully May when he bombs in the NBA.

 

[yoshukai]

I don’t know if we do or not. What is their payroll compared to ours?

I do know that UK won’t be outbid by anyone. Including Duke.

The year they had Flagg their payroll was “reportedly “ around 33 million. That was 2 years ago so I suspect it’s quite a bit higher now .

People that think all these elite 5 star players are going to Duke for “less” money are fooling themselves.

 

[yoshukai]

We had Nike on our side too, then Cal decided to snub Phil Knight.

Not to mention possibly the biggest loss when WWW took an interest in the nba around 2016 and stopped “influencing “ kids on their college decisions.

 

[Im The Village Idiot]

Just to get this out of the way. I’m not saying Oats wouldn’t be better than Pope. I’m just not as sure as others on here he’s the best choice.

He may be on a downward trend and I’m not sure his team this year will reverse that. After this year, he very well could be averaging over 10 losses per year over the last four years.

Granted the first of those four years resulted in a final four but he did lose 12 games that year too.

I don’t think Oats losing double digit games means he wouldn’t be great here. The SEC is too strong to regularly expect single digit losses on the overall record. Especially when you consider Kentucky plays in the Champions Classic, CBS Sports Classic, ACC-SEC Challenge, yearly rivalry games versus Indiana and Louisville, etc. Until Kentucky starts to weaken its non-con, losing double digit games is going to happen more often than not.

That said, Oats is a good recruiter and he’s going to give you a puncher’s chance at a final four most seasons and probably ends up winning at least one title with Kentucky’s resources. Do I think he’s a PERFECT fit? No, but I think he’s as good as we can probably get and only then it’s because of his prior relationship with the AD. We no longer can or will get our pick of the litter. Oats would be an A+ hire, given the circumstances.

 

[kyjeff1]

I don’t think Oats losing double digit games means he wouldn’t be great here. The SEC is too strong to regularly expect single digit losses on the overall record. Especially when you consider Kentucky plays in the Champions Classic, CBS Sports Classic, ACC-SEC Challenge, yearly rivalry games versus Indiana and Louisville, etc. Until Kentucky starts to weaken its non-con, losing double digit games is going to happen more often than not.

That said, Oats is a good recruiter and he’s going to give you a puncher’s chance at a final four most seasons and probably ends up winning at least one title with Kentucky’s resources. Do I think he’s a PERFECT fit? No, but I think he’s as good as we can probably get and only then it’s because of his prior relationship with the AD. We no longer can or will get our pick of the litter. Oats would be an A+ hire, given the circumstances.

Exactly, SOS matters. All everyone focuses on, is how many losses a coach has on his record, but jeez, UK has had the #3 and #4 SOS the last 2 years. If you come out of those schedules with less than 10 losses, you've done a hell of a job.

If we played in the ACC, Pope, most likely, wouldn’t have 10+ loss seasons.

 

[BigBlue1992]

I’m not optomistic that our next coach will be a “been there, done that and will continue that” type. Why would a coach with that description want to step into this pressure cooker and please don’t say our reputation. These coaches will already have crazy contracts, probably more money for players and less pressure. In response to the report this week that UK was near the bottom of the SEC in spending for football KSR indicated that they believe that J. Batt would close that gap as if he finds some more monies the other teams remain static. Also the hot name in the moment may be a flash in the pan as some thread on here describes Drew. It is a new era that is not friendly for UK.

Near the bottom in football but near the top in basketball. And football is likely because we’ve been stuck in the same spot for over decade now. Should we just throw in the towel as being the premier power in basketball and accept mediocre?

You’re right that all these coaches do have crazy contracts compared to normal folks but you’re fooling yourself if you think just any school will pay what UK will for a basketball coach. Cal was only second to Coach K in nearly in his entire tenure here. Probably would’ve surpassed him had he won a second title.

And yes, of course there’s always gonna be people who’ll accept where they are versus making more money and having more responsibility. Thats in every job and perfectly fine if that’s what they desire. But to act like there’s not a single top basketball coach out there who’d be willing to come here is insane.

Remember, UK produces national championship coaches and hall of famers.