I figured we’d be 10-8 or 11-7 18 games in and never dreamed that we’d be able to compete with and can very well beat every single team in CBB.
What a bonus year.
What a bonus year.
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Way Way ahead of schedule IMO
- Thread starter Cold Stout Beer
- Start date
%.No doubt.
This team was assembled in just 2 months and has beaten some REALLY good teams already!!! They have some deficiencies but are capable of getting much better. Coach Pope has been very effective with his approach and his in-game adjustments. His style of play is fun and recruits will want to play in it!!!
I'm just enjoying the ride for now and looking forward to what is coming!!!! Oh, and it is coming!!!!
This team was assembled in just 2 months and has beaten some REALLY good teams already!!! They have some deficiencies but are capable of getting much better. Coach Pope has been very effective with his approach and his in-game adjustments. His style of play is fun and recruits will want to play in it!!!
I'm just enjoying the ride for now and looking forward to what is coming!!!! Oh, and it is coming!!!!
This is how I’m looking at it
Just enjoy it folks…I think we’re always going to be IN the game. We’re competitive.
Isn’t this what we all asked for?
pope had byu in the top 20 with an average roster
hes had us in the top 5 now top 10 with maybe a slightly above average roster.
imagine what he can do when hes got a loaded roster....
its coming
hes had us in the top 5 now top 10 with maybe a slightly above average roster.
imagine what he can do when hes got a loaded roster....
its coming
Disappointing loss, but good perspective.
4 teams ranked ahead of us have lost this week. i really didn’t think we would win every game but with our offense i think we can beat anybody.
Eh I disagree a bit your expectations can change based on the team you got.
I now think anything short of a sweet 16 appearance it's a disappointment.
Yes I understand in the grand scheme of things and how this year played out it's crazy to think about.
I now think anything short of a sweet 16 appearance it's a disappointment.
Yes I understand in the grand scheme of things and how this year played out it's crazy to think about.
Sure beats 0-5 in the SEC and an offense that resembles the church league attack my best friend’s father ran in high school.
We look like we're top 10, not top 5 level. Pretty damn good. We lost to a great team playing great basketball today.
Agree. Didn't expect much this year.
I never thought we would be that bad. Pope assembled one of the best NIL teams money can buy. We won 2 I wasn't projecting ooc but lost 2 I figured we would win with an experienced team not relying on freshmen. Conference play is 3 and 2 so far so about right.
At what point did you think we would be 10-8 18 games into the season, the day after Cal left? After Pope assembled the roster, 10-8 would have been a very pessimistic expectation in my opinion.
I appreciate the glass half full perspective after a tough loss, and am happy with the direction of the program, but we have a good enough team this year for expectations to be elevated. We can win against any given opponent we face this year and we should expect to win every game we play. We won’t win ‘em all but we should expect to.
We need to win two games in the NCAAs this year and see what kind of damage we can do after that. Hopefully we can get some things to go our way and play in a regional final.
I appreciate the glass half full perspective after a tough loss, and am happy with the direction of the program, but we have a good enough team this year for expectations to be elevated. We can win against any given opponent we face this year and we should expect to win every game we play. We won’t win ‘em all but we should expect to.
We need to win two games in the NCAAs this year and see what kind of damage we can do after that. Hopefully we can get some things to go our way and play in a regional final.
I just wanted to make the tournament. But we're competing at the top of the best conference in America.
But alas UK fans are largely uk fans, who obsess over any loss and put to much into a regular season loss, and don't understand why every season isn't 40 and 0. There's been 100+ uk seasons..ppl should learn. They won't
We could lay an egg in the 2nd rd or we could get the right draw and make a good run. Who knows.
But alas UK fans are largely uk fans, who obsess over any loss and put to much into a regular season loss, and don't understand why every season isn't 40 and 0. There's been 100+ uk seasons..ppl should learn. They won't
We could lay an egg in the 2nd rd or we could get the right draw and make a good run. Who knows.
I never expected much this first season under Pope. We were stripped of our entire roster and he had to gather a team and hire a coaching staff in such a short time. What we have seen is simply amazing. Just think, we could be Arkansas right now.
Losing always sucks but losing with this team and coach sucks less! I really love this team and Pope is a terrific human being and coach! Go Cats!
Thrilled with Pope. Bless his heart, our coach is so down after losses and you can just tell how much he cares. We should load up on talent going forward and pope's job should be a bit easier.
Expectations are fine but my goodness....enjoy a game guys. Yeah losing sucks....but I hope to God some of these posts demanding wanting to be in contention for the national title this year are trolls trying to stir a stink.
If it takes winning it all to make you enjoy a team or make you happy then you've been pleased about 4 times in your whole life.
If it takes winning it all to make you enjoy a team or make you happy then you've been pleased about 4 times in your whole life.
Truth
Most fans don't recall the probation years and the other few real down times. No idea at all at what has transpired in the many years we've always stayed on top...
And we still are trust in Pope and you'll be happier, new people
Great post op. Slay the newbs.
Most fans don't recall the probation years and the other few real down times. No idea at all at what has transpired in the many years we've always stayed on top...
And we still are trust in Pope and you'll be happier, new people
Great post op. Slay the newbs.
Crazy how you and I are the only ones questioning this flawed thesis. Most of our fans thought we would go 15 and 16 based on this thread. Lol
It’s the parent who yells at the coach all game to put his kid in at shortstop even though his kid couldn’t catch a cold.
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I love this team and we have defensive issues, but what frustrates me is I know they're capable of winning the title. They have just as good of a chance as anyone else in the nation.
This loss feels like the 90's again because in the 90's the SEC was a basketball powerhouse.
This loss feels like the 90's again because in the 90's the SEC was a basketball powerhouse.
Sec never was this good n the 90s. We may get 11 teams n ncaa this season. I get what you are saying based on 3 natty titles n the 90s and shots at a couple more but I just mean depth wise.
Also, UK has never made a final four or won a national title the last 50 years without at least 2 forst round picks on its roster I believe so this year's team winning it all would be a fascinating outlier.
I just said we can beat anybody. Sweet 16 will be a layup and even more icing on the cake.
In today’s era is there actually a schedule? Every year is a semi or total rebuild. I think I would say they found the right coach. You can comfortably say Pope is the right coach for UK. It really couldn’t have gone much better. Fun offense, fans believe in him, and recruiting is just fine. The program is in good hands.
This!!
We are ahead of schedule.
But with how we have played it was a disappointing loss.
Two things can be true.
Show me where I said the loss wasn't disappointing. I can't find it. Seems some here just can't stand it when others show even a tiny shred of optimism. Some even get miffed unless others don't fly off the handle.
Not our problem.
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Yeah I'm happy with where we are, and the future looks bright. I'm curious to see what type of team Pope can have after a year of basically having a "coach of the year" type of performance in year 1. We have 4 guys coming in who are ranked higher than anyone on the team (coming out of HS).. so i have to imagine all 4 of these guys would land somewhere on the top8 rotation if it was this year.
Which makes me wonder, which players on this years team, might not make a Pope roster in 1-2 years from now and beyond? Nothing against our current players, they helped usher in the new era. But I can't help but feel like guys like Chandler, Almonor, Garrison or Carr wouldn't find themselves on the bench more if Pope really got to have his pick of players.
Which makes me wonder, which players on this years team, might not make a Pope roster in 1-2 years from now and beyond? Nothing against our current players, they helped usher in the new era. But I can't help but feel like guys like Chandler, Almonor, Garrison or Carr wouldn't find themselves on the bench more if Pope really got to have his pick of players.
I’m not saying you did. I’m in agreement with you, I think.
We are way ahead of schedule. And had a disappointing loss yesterday.
And it’s disappointing because we are ahead of schedule.
If you thought I was disagreeing with you then I apologize.
I think most reasonable fans were hoping for a top 25 team that could win a first round NCAAT game. For a team starting from scratch, I think that was reasonable.
Last night we lost…as a #8 team to a #4 team playing dead even up until the last 3 minutes. Not sure why so many are that upset? UK has shown they can play with anyone. We just aren’t going to win every game. Neither is anyone else. Yes Auburn will take a few losses in SEC!
Last night we lost…as a #8 team to a #4 team playing dead even up until the last 3 minutes. Not sure why so many are that upset? UK has shown they can play with anyone. We just aren’t going to win every game. Neither is anyone else. Yes Auburn will take a few losses in SEC!
Agreed
I think we go on a run similar to Coach Pitino in the 90s
I think of this vs Pitinos first team and also see we're ahead of where we could have been
Pope is going to win championships at Kentucky - im enjoying this team like a revisit to the early Brassow / Dent / Martinez teams of Pitino
You can see they're quite good
But progress and overall program trajectory means we'll see even better teams -
Enjoying this season more than ANY of the last 5-6
This year reminds me of the 1991 season, where Pitino took a bunch of unathletic shooters and gritty guys and paired them with a freshman Jamal Mashburn to achieve the best record in the SEC. Performed far above their natural talent level and it was a sign that a juggernaut was coming. That’s how I feel about this year with Pope. This year is a warning. I expect two years from now we will become the giant we expect to be (like the ‘93 squad) but fans have to be patient today because the vision is there.
If anyone told me back in the summer we would be ranked in the top 10 at this point in the season with wins over Duke and Gonzaga, I would have jumped for joy. I figured we would be fighting to stay in the top 25 all year and I was okay with that in Year One. We are ahead of schedule, IMHO.