Tennessee Game Thread

[Joneslab]

Kentucky set the all-time record for three-pointers in a season last night.

They set it by exactly one shot. They hit 341 on the season, the '92-'93 team hit 340.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Along with wanting him to be Donald Trump and/or Stone Cold Steve Austin in press conferences, another thing we'll never get with Pope is "keeping it simple" lol.

I've thought all year the guy was too long-winded during interviews with sideline reporters during games.

That's just his way. It's usually what you get when you have a Rhodes Scholar over there talking to the media.

As long as he doesn't go WWE 1980's coke and roided up, pure uncut , Macho Man Ultimate Warrior style we shall be fine lol..

It's funny you even mention wrestling. For some reason 1980'S wrestling stuff been showing up my feeds, funny watching it now. Them dudes was wild and on something lol lol lol...

[KentuckyWild2020]

Silver lining, OWEH did not do himself any favors with this future pro status after last night..

[Lighthouse]

Agreed but really it don't matter, Doug Shows sucks and it shows. If you want to argue that Doug Shows calls Kentucky game fair then you are in the very small and I mean small minority of UK fans who notice this with him.

Does it mean we would have beat Tennessee, no, they kicked our you know what up and down the street and twice on Sunday's last night.

Still, Doug Shows should never be allowed to call a UK game, especially with all the off court stuff with Kentucky fans..

Your dislike of Doug Shows is different, so enjoy it. And the majority of UK fans know a lot about this beloved game and they appreciate a man who calls what he sees and does it consistently, which Shows does. Is he perfect? NO, and neither are you. I'm a UK fan and I've met Doug off court and found him to be a very nice young man. So what is this off court stuff you mention? I've heard nothing.
Of course when Kentucky's playing bad, a well known official must be the scapegoat. Like it was with Tony Greene, and many others who called a lot of Kentucky games. And I'll say this again. When you see officials assigned to a lot of UK games, IT'S BECAUSE KENTUCKY WANTS THEM AND BECAUSE THEY TRUST THEM!

[KentuckyWild2020]

Your dislike of Doug Shows is different, so enjoy it. And the majority of UK fans know a lot about this beloved game and they appreciate a man who calls what he sees and does it consistently, which Shows does. Is he perfect? NO, and neither are you. I'm a UK fan and I've met Doug off court and found him to be a very nice young man. So what is this off court stuff you mention? I've heard nothing.
Of course when Kentucky's playing bad, a well known official must be the scapegoat. Like it was with Tony Greene, and many others who called a lot of Kentucky games. And I'll say this again. When you see officials assigned to a lot of UK games, IT'S BECAUSE KENTUCKY WANTS THEM AND BECAUSE THEY TRUST THEM!

Doug Shows isn't the reason we lost to Tennessee.

[Lighthouse]

Doug Shows isn't the reason we lost to Tennessee.

I know that and most Kentucky fans know it. So, what was your reason for bringing him up?

[justafan]

Really bummed about the weird lack of/lackluster rebounding. A number I’d like to know: Tennessee 2nd chance points.

might be telling, might not be.

if Lanier goes 1-6 from 3pt, I’d say UK wins. But…..nope.

[Joneslab]

Really bummed about the weird lack of/lackluster rebounding. A number I’d like to know: Tennessee 2nd chance points.

might be telling, might not be.

if Lanier goes 1-6 from 3pt, I’d say UK wins. But…..nope.

The rebounding was atrocious. Also interesting how they missed some shots horribly, like off-the-backboard horribly, and yet they were still there to grab them.

Lanier played much better than he did the first two games and a major reason they won. He and Gainey both had pretty tremendous games.

The little curl play they run from the center of the court has been a staple of Rick Barnes' teams forever. It's weird because it creates a mid-range jumper, something you see very few teams even shooting. But Barnes has run that play for as long as he's been at Tennessee and they just killed us with it in the second half.

[justafan]

The rebounding was atrocious. Also interesting how they missed some shots horribly, like off-the-backboard horribly, and yet they were still there to grab them.

Lanier played much better than he did the first two games and a major reason they won. He and Gainey both had pretty tremendous games.

The little curl play they run from the center of the court has been a staple of Rick Barnes' teams forever. It's weird because it creates a mid-range jumper, something you see very few teams even shooting. But Barnes has run that play for as long as he's been at Tennessee and they just killed us with it in the second half.

Tennessees 2-pt game was clearly the winner and as you said, mid-range jumpers are rare now-a-days.

i wonder if Pope will comment after he sees film about the rebounding. It was…… weird.

[Joneslab]

Tennessees 2-pt game was clearly the winner and as you said, mid-range jumpers are rare now-a-days.

i wonder if Pope will comment after he sees film about the rebounding. It was…… weird.

Did look like we were playing in quicksand.

I think they call this "gettin' punked." Playing intimidated makes it so that you always look about four steps behind.

[Mr.Nezzer]

I like Mark Pope, don't get me wrong. I am hopeful this season was a learning experience. Just like the week of the ARKANSAS game at RUPP, he talked about how great CALIPARI was, this week he talked about how great RICK BARNES is, players buy into all that as well, our players.

I understand being respectful but and can appreciate someone being nice but at the same time, the players need a firm figure, not a teammate and cheer leader on the sidelines.

This is Pope's "media face". I can't say for sure but given the antidotal evidence ( bloody hand, mouthing BS a few times to calls, etc) his players see a different Mark Pope than we do. How about we give the man more than a season. Don't like Pope's "nice guy" demeanor...fine...he just brought a whole lot of excitement back to BBN. His main focus is getting banners hung in Rupp....as long as thats his goal each season thats all that matters in my book

[KentuckyWild2020]

This is Pope's "media face". I can't say for sure but given the antidotal evidence ( bloody hand, mouthing BS a few times to calls, etc) his players see a different Mark Pope than we do. How about we give the man more than a season. Don't like Pope's "nice guy" demeanor...fine...he just brought a whole lot of excitement back to BBN. His main focus is getting banners hung in Rupp....as long as thats his goal each season thats all that matters in my book

Give him one more season?

I don't recall saying anything about getting the pitch forks out and running him out of town 🙄 It’s not like he's Billy G running around Lexington trying to smash every thing that walked.


I would assume Pope is here 10 years or more unless he flat out fails or just can't recruit the star talent that gets us over the top, then it's a problem. At the end of the day, excitement won't cut it. With NIL no excuse not to win now he knows that.

As I mentioned earlier, Pope admits he's a bad sport sore loser,hates to lose. Uses a psychologist to help.

Let Pope lose to a coach a few times and watch how his demeanor changes in regards to that coach. I bet you want hear any rah rah towards Nate Oates next season.

Furthermore,I like Pope, a breath of fresh air, good on and off the court.

Unlike Sutton, pulled over 200 plus times in Lexington, drunk no DUI. My late father's good friend (Captain KSP retired Frankfort post) was on his detail.

Or Pitino, off court prick.
Or Billy G, part time coach full time drunk
Or Calipari, arrogant, bigger than Kentucky in his mind.

[Joneslab]

In this day and age it's hard to get 10 years anywhere without some major success. Even low-majors won't give you 10. And probably not 5.

I'd say if Pope hasn't gone to a Final Four by Year 3 there'll be major grumbling...and possibly more than grumbling. By Year 5 there'll be a substantial swell in the fanbase to push him out. This is a crazy landscape just generally all around college sports, and UK fans are crazy just by nature. Not a good combination for patience.

[40bill]

You know guys....saying things like the team laid down just doesn't sit right.

This team when it was off wasn't a good team. And it picked some odd nights to be off. Arkansas...the 3rd Alabama game. Ohio State. Team was kind of Jekyll and Hyde as far as performance, but im awful hesitant to say laid down. Only one of these guys had been this far...and honestly that includes the head coach.
too much spotlight that night.
Good thing is that's behind now. Onward and hopefully upward.

[Joneslab]

This team when it was off wasn't a good team. And it picked some odd nights to be off.

I think it was partly the huge-ness of the moment that made us shrink. Also I think with this team, when it ran against athletic teams, it tended to struggle.

Kentucky matched up well with a lot of teams, but if you were athletic you saw us really flinch away from that. That's when the long periods of sluggish weirdness revealed itself.

We matched up well against Tennessee...when they weren't really flexing their muscle. Last night they did, and athlete vs. athlete didn't go well at all for us. They turned it into a trench game (note those brutal screens they set all over the court), and Kentucky didn't like games like that.