If he loves this program as much as he claims, the only logical answer is to resign now!!
What can Pope do to fix this?
- Thread starter chattanogawildcat
- Start date
Should hold press conference tommoeow and resign
Glad you answered your question already because that’s the only answer.
Nothing. There are way too many fundamental issues, he built this team wrong both with playing style and personalities. They don’t get along (oweh and Aberdeen especially hate each other) and they roll their eyes at pope’s motivational bs way of talking
last year was alright cause we had experienced guys that bought into pope’s cringe. But this team is an absolute abject failure and it’s way too far behind to turn it around.
last year was alright cause we had experienced guys that bought into pope’s cringe. But this team is an absolute abject failure and it’s way too far behind to turn it around.
He can stick a spicy corn dog up Mitch’s ace, then resign.
Will always love him as a player but right now, looking worse than BCG. Not only have we been worse than last year, we have completely cratered.
Nothing because he isn’t capable. Never was. So now things are worse than when he took over because he simply isn’t a good coach, recruiter, or leader.
As a number of posters have claimed, Pope is like Stoops, he isn’t going to turn away from the millions of dollars he’ll be making if he resigns instead of waiting to be bought out. If he’s that despicable of a person for a man who claims to love this program, he’s no longer worth defending as a Kentucky Wildcat. Leave, take your money with you, and never show your face in Lexington again. It sounds extreme but he should show that love he’a got for the program, not taking our program hostage for money.
There's just too many red flags.
1. If these were all his main targets, then he's a terrible team constructor and talent evaluator.
2. If he whiffed on all his main targets, then he is a terrible recruiter.
3. If this team really has FF talent like many of the talking heads thought, then he's a terrible coach who can't get his players to do what they're capable of doing.
1. If these were all his main targets, then he's a terrible team constructor and talent evaluator.
2. If he whiffed on all his main targets, then he is a terrible recruiter.
3. If this team really has FF talent like many of the talking heads thought, then he's a terrible coach who can't get his players to do what they're capable of doing.
Yes. That's the scary thing. Any way you slice it, it's bad. There is no silver lining.
Resign and then what? this is not about Xs and Os .. It's about recruiting/roster building. There's no man and basically no shooters. Lowe was horrible down the stretch. It is what it is.
The starting 5 tonight didn't have a single shooter on the floor. There is NO fix to not having shooters
The starting 5 tonight didn't have a single shooter on the floor. There is NO fix to not having shooters
The players don't fit his scheme... there isn't anything that can be done this year.
Pope doesn't seem to know how to fix a team that can't shoot and honestly it is a tough task.
Pope doesn't seem to know how to fix a team that can't shoot and honestly it is a tough task.
Honestly it's the only way to save his career. If he resigns, nothing will change. The players will still have no heart and no fight. Everyone will see it wan't his fault (other than it's his players).
Pope should pull a Cal and quit. Cal left, and the program is no better other than the Sweet 16 appearance. And Cal is at a program now that don't expect championships. They are just happy to win 20 games a season.
Who could Kentucky get to replace Pope? No big name coach will come here, we've already tried. So we'll end up with someone that won't be any better.
Pope should pull a Cal and quit. Cal left, and the program is no better other than the Sweet 16 appearance. And Cal is at a program now that don't expect championships. They are just happy to win 20 games a season.
Who could Kentucky get to replace Pope? No big name coach will come here, we've already tried. So we'll end up with someone that won't be any better.
Pope could have Cameron Mills come in and give them a motivational speech. Mills had a part in him getting hired likely so bring all those turds in and let them all wear the scarlet A for what they did to our program.
That's what got me off the Pope bandwagon. His comments about this team pre-season was that UK was gonna be elite.
We aren't even mediocre in my mind. This team was supposed to be full of good shooters and playmakers. We have neither.
I'd be damn tempted to do as others have suggested and play the bench. May be a few guys will respond. It can't get much worse.
Play Moreno, Johnson, Jelly, Noah and Hawthorne. Those guys might be back next year. Let them see what it feels like to be in the bright lights!
Nothing else seems to be working. WTH.
I’m under the impression that there are A LOT of problems within the team, not necessarily a basketball problem. Seems like it keeps coming up everywhere. That, in itself will destroy a team. Doesn’t matter how good of players you have. Just last night, the team went into the locker room for the 5-10 minute prep before playing after halftime, Oweh stayed out there by himself shooting for an extra 2-3 minutes instead of running to the locker room with the team. I know once in a while, a player does this, but I think this is what we are right now.
I think Pope needs a new slate of players to add to the CORRECT pieces we already have. I’d say it would probably make all the difference. This is what’s gonna become a growing problem with many teams I think when this much $$$$ is involved.
I think Pope needs a new slate of players to add to the CORRECT pieces we already have. I’d say it would probably make all the difference. This is what’s gonna become a growing problem with many teams I think when this much $$$$ is involved.
Unfortunately, I don’t think he’s fixing this team. I believe he will get a third year. Not saying I support that. If he wants to fix this for next year, he needs a GM. He needs to tell the GM the type of player he needs to succeed and let the GM work. I have zero confidence that Pope can convince high end players to play for him without a GM. Even with a GM, it might not work. Seems like players just don't buy what he’s selling.
The irony of the fact that we have two redshirts stocked for next year — we are not even sure the coach will be back next year, much less the redshirts.
Nothing....start working backchannels for portal guys and work on Williams and Moreno to stick around. I don't think any of the others will or are not core pieces. I would give JJ all of Aberdeen's minutes and see what happens, doesn't deserve it but no one really does.
JJ does need all of Aberdeen‘s minutes. I’m about finished with Aberdeen. His name pops up everywhere as part of our chemistry problem. Probably others as well but I’m pretty sure he’s one of the problems. Give Johnson his minutes. He deserves to get a chance and roll with it. It is what it is. It may pay dividends later. His ceiling is much higher than Aberdeen‘s.
To be fair… I think you could resurrect Adolph Rupp and put him on the sideline, and there isn’t much that could be done to “fix” this team. Just dysfunctional in so many ways.
Part of that certainly falls on Pope and the staff. But there were other players they certainly wanted and didn’t get. Whether that was their shortcoming, or a problem with the JMI/NIL situation, I don’t know. Regardless, the roster isn’t exactly what they aimed for, but it’s what they got.
I think Pope talked himself into believing this roster would be a contender. And in some ways, it’s fair to think it should have been. But there were expectations that Oweh would have improved and been an sure fire alpha in college basketball this year, and Lowe would be healthy and a somewhat better shooter, and Johnson would be able to contribute, and Mo D wouldn’t be so dysfunctional on the court, and Aberdeen would bring a winning pedigree from Florida, and Williams would be a lethal shooter and defender, and Chandler would have progressed into a consistent and reliable piece, and Garrison would have developed into more of a threat in the post, and on and on.
And none of that happened. Not just Pope, but everyone anticipated this roster to be way more competitive.
I don’t know if Pope will survive this season. Even if he does, things have to dramatically change on building the roster for next year, but right now it doesn’t look promising.
Part of that certainly falls on Pope and the staff. But there were other players they certainly wanted and didn’t get. Whether that was their shortcoming, or a problem with the JMI/NIL situation, I don’t know. Regardless, the roster isn’t exactly what they aimed for, but it’s what they got.
I think Pope talked himself into believing this roster would be a contender. And in some ways, it’s fair to think it should have been. But there were expectations that Oweh would have improved and been an sure fire alpha in college basketball this year, and Lowe would be healthy and a somewhat better shooter, and Johnson would be able to contribute, and Mo D wouldn’t be so dysfunctional on the court, and Aberdeen would bring a winning pedigree from Florida, and Williams would be a lethal shooter and defender, and Chandler would have progressed into a consistent and reliable piece, and Garrison would have developed into more of a threat in the post, and on and on.
And none of that happened. Not just Pope, but everyone anticipated this roster to be way more competitive.
I don’t know if Pope will survive this season. Even if he does, things have to dramatically change on building the roster for next year, but right now it doesn’t look promising.
too bad the coach thinks Jesus is the spirit brother of the devil.
Ever buy something and get it home and then it doesn’t work right or it doesn’t suit you? It looked good in the store, you heard good things about it, but in the end, it did not fit your needs or it was junk altogether. I think that’s what happened with this group of players. Thought we were getting great players and talent only to figure out later that we got some bad products. I don’t think this would happen again.
Pope is not fixing this. He is completely unable to fix it.
He caused the problems. The signs were there last season and the players covered the flaws. To an extent.
There are no fundamentals being taught so the players have nothing to fall back on.
There’s no defense being taught to get easy buckets to make up for no offensive scheme.
We don’t prepare or game plan for anyone.
This is a top down problem.
He caused the problems. The signs were there last season and the players covered the flaws. To an extent.
There are no fundamentals being taught so the players have nothing to fall back on.
There’s no defense being taught to get easy buckets to make up for no offensive scheme.
We don’t prepare or game plan for anyone.
This is a top down problem.
We got the product we wanted then broke it.
The only bad product is the coaching staff.
You should probably just give up then. Accept defeat. You know. All the stuff losers do.
Has anyone considered that we may be looking at the Calipari era, but only in reverse?
Maybe Pope underachieves his first 4-5 seasons, and by season 5-6, his recruiting picks up, and by year 7-8, UK is back in the FF, winning Championships, and getting players drafted left and right!
If we don’t let this play out, we may never know for sure… And worse, what if he ends up at UCLA after Cronin leaves, and goes on a Wooden-esque type run, and makes us all look bad?
Just saying, anything can happen. Be careful
Maybe Pope underachieves his first 4-5 seasons, and by season 5-6, his recruiting picks up, and by year 7-8, UK is back in the FF, winning Championships, and getting players drafted left and right!
If we don’t let this play out, we may never know for sure… And worse, what if he ends up at UCLA after Cronin leaves, and goes on a Wooden-esque type run, and makes us all look bad?
Just saying, anything can happen. Be careful