We used to blame it on the 18/19yr old freshman...

HoldMyBeer

All-Conference
Feb 22, 2017
2,508
3,512
0
One of the best things I looked forward to under Pope/ no more OAD freshman was not having to see young players getting physically dominated on the court by grown men.

Well we got older "mature " guys now getting PUNKED in front of their fiancé's. We got 4 bigs, each one soft as church music.

Oh well, 37-3.
 

UKWildcats1987

Heisman
Sep 9, 2021
18,851
32,115
113
I can't wait until this board realizes a lot of the issues we had with Cal are issues almost every team has.

Cal was past his expiration date here. This isn't a 15 year job.

If people think we are gonna dominate an annual strong sec and make 4 final fours in 5 seasons...it isn't happening. Same with percentage of sec regular season and tournament titles. The rest of the sec takes basketball more serious now.
 

ukcatz12

Heisman
Mar 27, 2009
5,199
12,325
0
Cal was past his expiration date here. This isn't a 15 year job.

If people think we are gonna dominate an annual strong sec and make 4 final fours in 5 seasons...it isn't happening. Same with percentage of sec regular season and tournament titles. The rest of the sec takes basketball more serious now.
I'm not really disagreeing with any of that. But so much of what people complained about with Cal are things every team and coach does. We just noticed it with Cal because he watch every minute of our games and listen to his press conferences. Some of these things are just things that happen with a basketball team, after 15 years patience just ran out with Cal.

If Pope is hear 15 years people will be just as sick with his "coach speak" during press conferences after a loss as they were with Cal.
 
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KyCPA2000

Senior
Nov 24, 2007
922
991
93
I can't wait until this board realizes a lot of the issues we had with Cal are issues almost every team has.
I disagree. Cal would not have beaten Gonzaga or Duke with this team or any of his recent teams. But when it comes to playing SEC road games we are in agreement. Always going to be home cooking and only 5 or 6 teams in the country can overcome it.
 

Anon1658882690

All-American
Jan 4, 2015
5,468
7,338
0
One of the best things I looked forward to under Pope/ no more OAD freshman was not having to see young players getting physically dominated on the court by grown men.

Well we got older "mature " guys now getting PUNKED in front of their fiancé's. We got 4 bigs, each one soft as church music.

Oh well, 37-3.
That's all on you for expecting more from a bunch of players that was thrown together in a couple of weeks.. I don't really see any player this year that would be on this team in any other year here.. So far for what Pope has,, they've really overachieved in beating 3 top 10 teams.. If we play more teams that play like Ga,, expect similar results this year.. Teams that play a faster "paste",, we'll do good against..
 

ukcatz12

Heisman
Mar 27, 2009
5,199
12,325
0
I disagree. Cal would not have beaten Gonzaga or Duke with this team or any of his recent teams. But when it comes to playing SEC road games we are in agreement. Always going to be home cooking and only 5 or 6 teams in the country can overcome it.
I said nothing about the Gonzaga or Duke games. Saying "a lot of Cal's issues are issues every team has" doesn't mean I'm saying Cal had no issues or that every issue he had is experienced by other teams.
 

TTTblue24

All-Conference
Feb 1, 2004
3,654
2,179
113


If we don’t match this mentality on the road, then expect this type of rock fight every time & give teams confidence from the tip.
 
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Cats192

Heisman
Apr 22, 2011
14,653
17,111
93
I said nothing about the Gonzaga or Duke games. Saying "a lot of Cal's issues are issues every team has" doesn't mean I'm saying Cal had no issues or that every issue he had is experienced by other teams.
Well, let's lock in an argument here.

Are you saying: All teams have issues? Cuz yup. You're right. I don't think anyone really ever argued other teams don't have issues. But if this is YOUR argument, I agree, and we can stop.

Are you saying: "Cal wasn't the problem/switching to Pope hasn't made us better?" Because that's where the Duke and Gonzaga games come into the discussion. I don't know the last time I saw Calipari make halftime adjustments. I've seen Pope do it multiple times this year and come back to win vs top 10 times.

So if you're saying getting rid of Calpari wasn't the answer--I'd respectfully ask--are you watching the same games I am?
 

TNCatfanforever

Heisman
Apr 3, 2003
21,914
13,568
62
That's all on you for expecting more from a bunch of players that was thrown together in a couple of weeks.. I don't really see any player this year that would be on this team in any other year here.. So far for what Pope has,, they've really overachieved in beating 3 top 10 teams.. If we play more teams that play like Ga,, expect similar results this year.. Teams that play a faster "paste",, we'll do good against..
If this team makes the tournament it will exceed most of the experts expectations. Cal totally trashed the program by taking all recruits and players or forcing kids like Shepherd to the draft. Pope had 3 weeks to find the best players he could to field a team. I want to win every game but he gets a pass this season.
 

megablue

Heisman
Oct 2, 2012
14,434
14,333
113
I'm not really disagreeing with any of that. But so much of what people complained about with Cal are things every team and coach does. We just noticed it with Cal because he watch every minute of our games and listen to his press conferences. Some of these things are just things that happen with a basketball team, after 15 years patience just ran out with Cal.

If Pope is hear 15 years people will be just as sick with his "coach speak" during press conferences after a loss as they were with Cal.
100% this ^^^ … just stating the facts
 

champs-r-us

Sophomore
Mar 26, 2009
85
145
0
That's all on you for expecting more from a bunch of players that was thrown together in a couple of weeks.. I don't really see any player this year that would be on this team in any other year here.. So far for what Pope has,, they've really overachieved in beating 3 top 10 teams.. If we play more teams that play like Ga,, expect similar results this year.. Teams that play a faster "paste",, we'll do good against..
Making excuses! Even bad Ky teams shouldn't lose by double digits to 2 football schools. And get outplayed and out hustled by the other
 

Anon1658882690

All-American
Jan 4, 2015
5,468
7,338
0
If this team makes the tournament it will exceed most of the experts expectations. Cal totally trashed the program by taking all recruits and players or forcing kids like Shepherd to the draft. Pope had 3 weeks to find the best players he could to field a team. I want to win every game but he gets a pass this season.
I have zero expectations far as regular season record goes.. Really only one I have is make the tournament and win 1 game.. That's it this year.. Think its just a huge transition for most of the team going from a school where maybe 20 people know you to here where 100s of thousands know you and expect what we the fans expect as a blue blood.. May be a tad too much on them right now.. Where they came from they could be in a slump and hardly anyone would care.. Here they're under a pretty big microscope,, so to say lol..

Far as Reed,, I don't blame him at all.. If he'd came back and got drafted 10th,, he'd lose near 20 million just on that.. Don't see any other world where he gets drafted top 3 except for 2024.. He's has a 45+ million 4 year contract now..
 

champs-r-us

Sophomore
Mar 26, 2009
85
145
0
Boy,, you are dumb ain't ya 😂.. Can now go follow your daddy at Arkansas.. Not making excuses,, I said this when season started.. Call a spade a spade..
If we have overachieved by beating 3 top ten teams. Have we underachieved by losing to 3 schools that don't give a crap about basketball, it's just the offseason between football seasons for them. Asking for a friend?
 

ukcatz12

Heisman
Mar 27, 2009
5,199
12,325
0
Well, let's lock in an argument here.

Are you saying: All teams have issues? Cuz yup. You're right. I don't think anyone really ever argued other teams don't have issues. But if this is YOUR argument, I agree, and we can stop.

Are you saying: "Cal wasn't the problem/switching to Pope hasn't made us better?" Because that's where the Duke and Gonzaga games come into the discussion. I don't know the last time I saw Calipari make halftime adjustments. I've seen Pope do it multiple times this year and come back to win vs top 10 times.

So if you're saying getting rid of Calpari wasn't the answer--I'd respectfully ask--are you watching the same games I am?
The first one. Cal had unique issues of his own, but this board often acted like every issue he had was just a Cal issue. We'll see, and are already seeing, similar things with Pope because that's just the nature of basketball. And that's fine.
 

Anon1658882690

All-American
Jan 4, 2015
5,468
7,338
0
If we have overachieved by beating 3 top ten teams. Have we underachieved by losing to 3 schools that don't give a crap about basketball, it's just the offseason between football seasons for them. Asking for a friend?
Youd better contact those schools and remind them they are supposed to suck.. They've not gotten that memo yet as they're a combined 38-11.. Go tell your friend he's a restard..
 

champs-r-us

Sophomore
Mar 26, 2009
85
145
0
Youd better contact those schools and remind them they are supposed to suck.. They've not gotten that memo yet as they're a combined 38-11.. Go tell your friend he's a restard..
Not sure what a restard is.....but anyway it is clear you have very little understanding of the context behind the post which tells me you are most likely a fan just in the last 10 years or so.
 

bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
This is a weak statement.

Did we blame 18/19 year olds when a team lost in the second round led by six Seniors including the reigning NPOY in 2023?

Or last year when we had two fifth year Seniors in the starting five.

Experience was never the issue with Cal, IMHO.

He just lost his passion to win. His view of winning was getting guys to the pros.

And he ran the same vanilla offense and defense every year and became predictable.

Cal had waaaay more talent the last five years than Pope has this year, yet Pope has coached circles around him,

Give Cal this team and he’s sub .500.

Just my opinion.
 

bucsrule8872

Heisman
May 30, 2005
24,397
29,352
0
One of the best things I looked forward to under Pope/ no more OAD freshman was not having to see young players getting physically dominated on the court by grown men.

Well we got older "mature " guys now getting PUNKED in front of their fiancé's. We got 4 bigs, each one soft as church music.

Oh well, 37-3.
Soft has nothing to do with experience.

Cal had some pretty soft 5th year Seniors as well.

Remember Tre Mitchell last season?
 

ArtLaibsGhost_rivals

All-American
Dec 6, 2020
4,710
8,736
0
I'm not really disagreeing with any of that. But so much of what people complained about with Cal are things every team and coach does. We just noticed it with Cal because he watch every minute of our games and listen to his press conferences. Some of these things are just things that happen with a basketball team, after 15 years patience just ran out with Cal.

If Pope is hear 15 years people will be just as sick with his "coach speak" during press conferences after a loss as they were with Cal.
Whet was Cals record against top 10 teams the last 4 years. Pope has already had more success in half a season in big games than Cal did his last 4 years here
 

Dr.LutherSan

All-American
Sep 6, 2019
3,645
6,803
113
If this team makes the tournament it will exceed most of the experts expectations. Cal totally trashed the program by taking all recruits and players or forcing kids like Shepherd to the draft. Pope had 3 weeks to find the best players he could to field a team. I want to win every game but he gets a pass this season.
How did Calipari force Reed to the draft? Reed declared for the draft AFTER Mark Pope was hired.