Biggest concern I have is the defense
What's your biggest concern with Pope moving forward?
- Thread starter WildcatUKx
- Start date
Hate to say it, but Pope is just “too nice”, and will never be UK successful if that approach continues!
I’m not going to go into details about that statement/ phrase, but most high IQ fans will know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.
There’s a reason there’s a term coined, Nice guys finish last
I’m not going to go into details about that statement/ phrase, but most high IQ fans will know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.
There’s a reason there’s a term coined, Nice guys finish last
I guess it would be recruiting elite players. But he deserves some grace at this point. 2026 High School recruiting will tell us a lot.
Long term? defense. Even at BYU his teams were known for being lax defensively, but making up for it with excellent offense. That just kinda seems to be his system.
Short term? The lack of a point guard. The rest of this season could get quite painful if both Butler and Kriisa are done for good.
Short term? The lack of a point guard. The rest of this season could get quite painful if both Butler and Kriisa are done for good.
I agree, the nice guy stuff only goes so far. I want to see intensity and stop treating these players like babies. Not sure if Pope can do that thoughHate to say it, but Pope is just “too nice”, and will never be UK successful if that approach continues!
I’m not going to go into details about that statement/ phrase, but most high IQ fans will know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.
There’s a reason there’s a term coined, Nice guys finish last
Not calling you out in the least, but I'd like to read up on Pope treating our players like babies.
Can you provide a link or whatever, please?
I have no concerns. I'm still thrilled he's the coach.
Huge weakness when it comes to defense
I also believe this is the reason for the lackluster defensive performances that has plagued this team, and why this team has been called soft!
Pope better learn how to balance grace and getting pissed off, and soon, or he’s going to find out that high stakes D1 CBB coaching might not be what was displayed in the brochure!
My concern is NIL and the parity of college basketball. You have to be an elite coach to rise above it. Indiana, UNC, UCLA, and other "blue bloods" (aside from Duke, who benefits from playing in a bad ACC) are struggling too.
Pope has shown potential to be elite, but we will have to give him a few years to recruit, develop, and sign his players to tell if we're on that level.
Pope has shown potential to be elite, but we will have to give him a few years to recruit, develop, and sign his players to tell if we're on that level.
Defense, it’s like our guys have no idea the basic concepts and fundamentals like if my guy is quick then I probably shouldn’t try to pressure him 30 ft from the goal. Our help side D is beyond atrocious and I don’t see any improvements on that as of now. I guess we got lucky tenn missed so many shots now looking back on it.
I am a Pope supporter and feel he will turn things around and get us where we need to be but some of you want instant gratification. Dude threw together a team in a month. Didn't have any returning players and picked from what was left in the portal.
With that said I want to see him address these things moving forward. Athletes who are good shooters and playmakers but also play defense. Then show some emotion while coaching and get in some players **** if needed like the Tennessee coach just did with Lanier. You are here getting paid so performance or ride the bench.
I believe Pope will make most of those changes/adjustments. Not sure about the show some emotion one. Just not sure that is his mentality or nature.
With that said I want to see him address these things moving forward. Athletes who are good shooters and playmakers but also play defense. Then show some emotion while coaching and get in some players **** if needed like the Tennessee coach just did with Lanier. You are here getting paid so performance or ride the bench.
I believe Pope will make most of those changes/adjustments. Not sure about the show some emotion one. Just not sure that is his mentality or nature.
We need athletes. We have a bunch of guys that can shoot on this team and few that can attack and keep the dribble alive.
Can he get elite talent? Elite talent solves a lot of problems.
Recruiting at an elite level and getting guys to stay long enough to improve defensively.
I’m going with this ^. The man played for one of the most hard nosed coaches ever (before he lost his mind) and he was a Rhodes Scholar candidate. He’s not soft or dumb by any means. He’s capable and classy which we haven’t seen forever. He inherited a sh*t show and has done a phenomenal job thus far. Reed and the whole Shepperd family can go to hell but Mark Pope should get a chance to right the ship. GBB.
Man, I want to really like Pope, but as I said when he was hired. HE HAS TO WIN. This year is just a wash. It is what it is. We have had some good wins. But I'm worried about the future.
Lack of fundamentals, and a coach apparently unwilling to enforce them, has nothing to do with a roster. This team frequently does some of the most ***-backwards stuff, and is headed by a cerebral coach.
Last edited:
he’s playing short handed in the toughest league in the world outside of the NBA and is still holding serve.
Last night was a freak game.
Cal had 3 very good players get hot all at the same time.
Give Pope a core group of guys going on two seasons playing with one another and let’s see what happens.
Last night was a freak game.
Cal had 3 very good players get hot all at the same time.
Give Pope a core group of guys going on two seasons playing with one another and let’s see what happens.
I want this to work out, but part of me thinks it won't. Let's be honest Pope would have never been hired if he didn't play here. I think it'll be like this every season, we can beat anybody but also lose to anybody. If that's the case it'll come down to March every season and we just don't know if Pope can win in March yet.
And can he recruit with duke & Kansas etc, talent cures alot and covers alot of deficiencies. Analytics are a great tool as well but not the end all be all too.
It’s recruiting and defense. Popes mindset on good players and money is very concerning and the defense has been bad all year
I totally agree with this. I believe there is a lot of overreaction happening from 1 game. Also in the coaches first year! give the man at least a little time. Of course I hate the loss as much as anyone, but I'm still happy watching this team with this coach, and not the one on the other sideline last night.
My concerns are:
Lack of a dog nature and that permeates to players
Bad sub timing and patterns
Lack of feel for flow of game
Not a proven coach
I really hope he does great here. Willing to give it 3 years but with the portal and NIL next year should tell us a lot.
Lack of a dog nature and that permeates to players
Bad sub timing and patterns
Lack of feel for flow of game
Not a proven coach
I really hope he does great here. Willing to give it 3 years but with the portal and NIL next year should tell us a lot.
Same man, we should be 18-3 right now and have 3 losses we shouldn’t but some of the core beliefs pope has are ones that you can’t have to be successful anymore
After all of the off season dust had settled, there was one game on the schedule that I considered a “non-negotiable”, in regards to pregame preparation and in game performance, and Pope and his staff failed miserably to prepare for it!
It’s almost (almost) like Pope wanted to gift Calipari and the former players/ commits a present for allowing this current situation to happen!
It’s almost (almost) like Pope wanted to gift Calipari and the former players/ commits a present for allowing this current situation to happen!
I don’t think his style of all offense, who gives a **** about defense works long term. You may get some big wins but you are going to take dumb losses and ultimately I don’t think it can work in the SEC.
You just described 99% of all college basketball teams lol. 99% of them will never sniff a Title despite the coaches best efforts. We need to give him time to put together a team that isn't thrown together in a month from portal holdovers. Most of our players are 1 trick ponies and have been there whole career. They aren't going to change and there really is no better option this year to motivate them to suddenly change. What are we going to do tell them to play defense and improve their athleticism or sit the bench? That is just what some on here want so we can start Perry, Chandler, Noah etc. And lose even more games.
The greatest UK teams have always had a combo of toughness, skill, and talent mixed in with a little bit of nastiness (not to be confused with toughness).
Afraid the nastiness ingredient may be missing with Pope....and every team reflects their coach.
The reason ALL of the greatest bball coaches in history were hated by opposing fans wasn't because they were nice choir boys.
Imo the concern is legit but the man deserves at least 3 years before any real calls of alarm go out. He deserves our support at least until then.
Afraid the nastiness ingredient may be missing with Pope....and every team reflects their coach.
The reason ALL of the greatest bball coaches in history were hated by opposing fans wasn't because they were nice choir boys.
Imo the concern is legit but the man deserves at least 3 years before any real calls of alarm go out. He deserves our support at least until then.
Yeah Jay Wright was terrible……..Hate to say it, but Pope is just “too nice”, and will never be UK successful if that approach continues!
I’m not going to go into details about that statement/ phrase, but most high IQ fans will know EXACTLY what I’m talking about.
There’s a reason there’s a term coined, Nice guys finish last
Recruiting, coaching and his clear pattern of losing games he has no business losing.
Hes yet to prove he can get a top 10 talent. He just got outcoached by Kal. If you do that then you’re just not a great coach. His little thing of letting certain opponents take as many wide open 3’s as they want has cost UK games. The lack of adjustments during games has been eye opening.
Hes yet to prove he can get a top 10 talent. He just got outcoached by Kal. If you do that then you’re just not a great coach. His little thing of letting certain opponents take as many wide open 3’s as they want has cost UK games. The lack of adjustments during games has been eye opening.
We had bumbling posters literally wanting to rest guys against UT to get ready for Arkansas because “were going to lose to UT anyway. smh
Injuries and the lunatic fringe of this fanbase eating him alive.
I'm not in the camp of wanting this or that just so Perry, Chandler or Noah can play. And I've not yet said anything about "improve your athleticism" or sit the bench. What I'm saying is that Pope needs to be more of a coach and less of a daddy. He can demand that guys help on defense. He can demand that they put their arms up when protecting the basket and when going for rebounds, with both hands. He can demand that they set screens and FINISH THE SCREEN rather than abandoning it out of fear of getting a boo-boo. He can demand that the team play zone. He's had the season up to this point to implement these things. Hardly anyone is complaining about the lack of athleticism, but there are NO EXCUSES when you refuse to execute the fundamentals or demand them. None. I do agree that the bench isn't much of a motivator because it isn't deep or loaded with someone who might take your playing time.
I have concerns about his system working in the sec. I have concerns about his ability to coach a defense. I have concerns about his ability to get a team fired up and stay that way. The biggest concern of all though? He got absolutely manhandled in the coaching department by JOHN EFFING CALIPARI.
That last one just really sticks out and is one I never thought would happen. I totally thought pope would eat cals lunch last night and the way things went down have left me wayyy more concerned than I was.
That last one just really sticks out and is one I never thought would happen. I totally thought pope would eat cals lunch last night and the way things went down have left me wayyy more concerned than I was.
Yes UK’s roster is not the most talented and was w/o 2 PGs. My issue with the loss last night was how UK lost. UK played damn near the entire game allowing Arkansas to do exactly what they wanted. Thiero and Wagner driving and Z shooting 3s.
Did we have the athletes to shut down the drives? No. Should the coaching staff have known that and planned accordingly? Yes. Would zone have helped? Maybe/maybe not. But is there years of film showing Cal’s offense struggling with zone? Yes.
It appears the strategy simply was hope Arkansas misses and when they didn’t, there was no plan B.
Sometimes I wonder about his assistant coaches. Cal got a lot of grief about his, and rightfully so. Pope’s assistant coaches were said to be elite. Have they prepped for a big win in the SEC or landed a stud recruit from outside of the state, etc?
Lunatic fringe? Losing to your former coach and a **** team has nothing to do with the lunatic fringe
I say Duke, Florida, Miss. St and Tennessee were big wins. No?