What can Pope do to fix this?

[UKBB4Ever]

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

Ain’t happening. UK buys more players for Pope now than Sam Gilbert ever bought for Wooden.

The best season Pope will ever have as a head coach was last season.

And it was a fluke.

 

[MarvinHagler89]

too bad the coach thinks Jesus is the spirit brother of the devil.

Lol

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

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

No. I watched Pope’s actual coaching. Calipari was a much better COACH, during the games, than fans gave him credit for. I’ll be accused of being condescending but I have to speak my truth. Matt Jones knows NOTHING about basketball and he convinced a lot of fans that Cal has no idea what he’s doing tactically. That was always goofy. Anyone who studies the game of basketball knows better. The “Goooo” and “ruuuuuuun” meme-worthy summations of Calipari were always goofy, simplistic and wrong. Pope is a far worse X’s and O’s coach than Calipari. It’s not getting better.

 

[CatManFromCa]

Pope is not walking away from $25M…nobody would. He might extend the payments like Stoops. He is coaching a 3rd year and he will “buy” a new team.

 

[wildcatsincebirth]

No. I watched Pope’s actual coaching. Calipari was a much better COACH, during the games, than fans gave him credit for. I’ll be accused of being condescending but I have to speak my truth. Matt Jones knows NOTHING about basketball and he convinced a lot of fans that Cal has no idea what he’s doing tactically. That was always goofy. Anyone who studies the game of basketball knows better. The “Goooo” and “ruuuuuuun” meme-worthy summations of Calipari were always goofy, simplistic and wrong. Pope is a far worse X’s and O’s coach than Calipari. It’s not getting better.

What was your favorite play calipari would draw up from his extensive x’ & o’s knowledge he has?

 

[I’m The Village Idiot]

What was your favorite play calipari would draw up from his extensive x’ & o’s knowledge he has?

I know you think you asked a gotcha question but I’ll bite. I loved how Calipari would often run Floppy to get his three point shooters some looks. Many coaches have moved from it, but I still believe in the effectiveness of Floppy sets. I can tell by you asking that you think Cal just said Go and Run which is KSR propaganda and lies to the fullest. Calipari also ran a lot of horns

 

[pattyice270]

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.

Agree. This team just doesnt have a player who can get you buckets. Last year's team you had multiple guys who could score variety ways. Koby, jaxson, Andrew carr those guys did well in half court offense including lamont butler.

I understand what mark pope was trying to do with this roster, but like you said the players just dont fit his scheme, or players under performing. Kam Williams shooting 33% from 3pt this season. Not sure where he was at this point with tulane last season.

 

[rivercatinfl]

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.

He needs a guy like Antiqua. Maybe Antigua would come back!

 

[JonathanW2]

There’s no fixing this. Zero shooters.

There have been quite successful teams without shooters. Sure shooters help though. Although I think you can still call Chandler and Noah shooters, although they have shown that they MUST BE OPEN. Chandler was not a 45-50% 3pt shooter, he is a 35-40% 3pt shooter, and the past month he has simply "regressed back to the mean". Those 2 should play mostly when someone who can penetrate and then kick back out to them in also on the court.
For example, Final 4 teams NC St in 24 only made 34.5% of their 3's; the year San Diego St made 34.8%.

What we don't need the wrong guys shooting them! Dioubate 14%, Garrison 25%, Jelavic 22%, Lowe 21%, those guys combine for 15-73 (20.5%). Whereas Oweh, Aberdeen, Chandler, Williams, Noah, Johnson combine for 36.6%, which is not great but decent enough. Lowe (21%) is putting one up every 6.8min, Jelavic one every 6.0min. The better shooters, Noah & Johnson & Chandler & Williams one about every 5min, and Aberdeen one every 7min, and Oweh one every 9min. So 2 of our bad shooters attempt them more than 2 better shooters. At least Dioubate and Garrison don't try one too often (every 16min & 29min respectively)

My NON-expert suggestions:
- Lowe you are not a 3pt shooter, so unless you are WIDE OPEN and in "your spot" (wherever you shoot it best from), don't shoot a 3
- get it deep to Moreno, Quaintance, Dioubate, Jelavic, & Garrison, and as we saw last night was a problem big guys do NOT put it on the floor!
- RUN every chance we get!!!
- Oweh can drive it, can he drive and then kick out for an open corner or wing 3?
- Quaintance shoot from FTs on your own. Seriously, 4-13?!! But first get some advice from the coaches on the form, rather than sticking with what ain't working. Because otherwise you aren't playable late in games when we have a slight lead.
- I think we may need 1 of Chandler-Williams-Johnson-Noah on the court at all times, to be a threat from 3. Although the 2 big together rotation may also be the way we need to go.

 

[Damage_inc]

Hire a GM. NOW!!!! Hire a good one too. All of this and I mean all of it can be fixed with talent.

 

[Ky_Bred_Cat]

Wave a magic wand and turn Oweh, Aberdeen and Mo D into capable, willing passers. This is THE major problem with this team. The other pieces are there.

Somehow do this and this team is rolling.

 

[sefus12]

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.

The odd thing is how GOOD this team looked at times early. I still think something happened around that UL game that fractured the locker room. This team just has no chemistry and doesn’t seem to make each other better. That isn’t happening on accident, in my very uninformed opinion.

 

[SPOOK 67]

Resign

 

[UKBB4Ever]

No. I watched Pope’s actual coaching. Calipari was a much better COACH, during the games, than fans gave him credit for. I’ll be accused of being condescending but I have to speak my truth. Matt Jones knows NOTHING about basketball and he convinced a lot of fans that Cal has no idea what he’s doing tactically. That was always goofy. Anyone who studies the game of basketball knows better. The “Goooo” and “ruuuuuuun” meme-worthy summations of Calipari were always goofy, simplistic and wrong. Pope is a far worse X’s and O’s coach than Calipari. It’s not getting better.

Preaching to the choir now

 

[peterpiper09]

The odd thing is how GOOD this team looked at times early. I still think something happened around that UL game that fractured the locker room. This team just has no chemistry and doesn’t seem to make each other better. That isn’t happening on accident, in my very uninformed opinion.

There is dissension and bad chemistry issues with some of these guys. I’m not gonna act like I know who because I don’t, but it sure seems like it’s somewhere between Oweh, Aberdeen, and Dioubate. Watch last night’s game at the 19:43?? mark in the second half then a play or two later at prolly the 18:25-18:35 mark. Oweh completely disregards Aberdeen being WIDE open from 3 then WIDE OPEN going to the basket. That’s potentially 5 points in a minute.

 

[wkycatfan7]

Pope will be given another year. I suspect he will get more of his type of players (shooters) for next season. We will see how that plays out. I haven't given up on Pope long term, but this year can't be fixed IMO.