Biggest duds KY starting 5

[KentuckyWild2020]

And this is where Mark Pope will excel. I don't know if it's because Pope played at a higher level (both in college and the pros) than Cal did.... and as a result has played for the top coaches and both with and against the top players in the world...or if he just has a God given gift and understanding about what constitutes a good roster.....but I do believe he is better at recognizing how individual players will work together than Cal. Modern day Cal seems to rely strictly on talent without realizing how the individual parts need to mesh and/or the importance of coaching them up.

There it is,drop the mic

🎤🔊📢

It's almost like Cal totally forgot about the basic fundamentals of basketball 🏀

[UKWildcats1987]

Can we consider Michael Porter and Mark Coury a bust, though?

Who expected big things from either of those dudes?

coach G was the only one lol.

[EKYCat]

Bottomline, if you can't see that Michigan's front line wasn't the difference in that game then I don't know what to tell you...

Plus I don't remember Mashburn playing PF at Kentucky or Walker playing SF..

Michigan’s whole starting 5 was the difference. They were loaded at every position. They probably win the whole deal if Webber doesn’t go brain dead down the stretch in the title game. UK was 30-3 going into the Final Four. So the statement that they didn’t get rolling until he got Mercer and Walker doesn’t hold water. They’d been to an Elite 8 and a Final Four before those guys got there. Not arguing what position each guy played. I’m just saying UK was in pretty good shape from 1992 forward. I think Mashburn was the single most important player in the Pitino era. He took them from good to great. They don’t get to the game against Duke in ‘92 or the Final Four the following year without him.

[Joneslab]

And this is where Mark Pope will excel. I don't know if it's because Pope played at a higher level (both in college and the pros) than Cal did.... and as a result has played for the top coaches and both with and against the top players in the world...or if he just has a God given gift and understanding about what constitutes a good roster.....but I do believe he is better at recognizing how individual players will work together than Cal. Modern day Cal seems to rely strictly on talent without realizing how the individual parts need to mesh and/or the importance of coaching them up.

Pope is a true system coach...but he's shown that he recognizes elite individual talent and has scoured for it since he came here. Which you should at a place like UK.

However as you say, Pope doesn't look like a guy who'd ever sacrifice the Kentucky brand for pushing individual players toward success. That's where the thing just really broke down for Cal, when the front and the back of the jerseys got real murky. Pope simply isn't going to do that.

[Fox2Monk]

Since there’s a thread for a favorites starting 5+1, how about least favorites starting 5+1. I imagine this roster will be easier since most players over the years have endeared themselves to fans in one way or another. Doesn’t have to be the worst at the position, could be the ones you liked the least.

Goodwin
Carruth
Sharpe
Skal
Carter

6th: Porter

Goodwin is unfairly treated, it’s not uis fault Cal didn’t recruit anyone else but one guard who could create on the entire team
He did his best on a bad offensive team and played 1000% every game.

[George]

Goodwin is unfairly treated, it’s not uis fault Cal didn’t recruit anyone else but one guard who could create on the entire team
He did his best on a bad offensive team and played 1000% every game.

He tried to get Shabazz Muhammad, who was, iirc, Cal’s first big miss at Kentucky. I think I gasped when he chose UCLA. Up to that point he’d landed pretty much everyone he wanted.

[DA#23]

Goodwin is unfairly treated, it’s not uis fault Cal didn’t recruit anyone else but one guard who could create on the entire team
He did his best on a bad offensive team and played 1000% every game.

Agreed.

I was miffed that we had an entire year of Harrow “preparing to be next” and they didn’t succeed in bringing in another guard.

It was tough to complain at that time coming off of #8.

[EKYCat]

Agreed.

I was miffed that we had an entire year of Harrow “preparing to be next” and they didn’t succeed in bringing in another guard.

It was tough to complain at that time coming off of #8.

Nerlens injury played a huge part in that season. I don't think they do any damage in the tournament if he stays healthy, but I think they'd have at least made it instead of the NIT.

[George]

Agreed.

I was miffed that we had an entire year of Harrow “preparing to be next” and they didn’t succeed in bringing in another guard.

It was tough to complain at that time coming off of #8.

In theory it was a great move, but you’d think Cal in the interim would’ve seen some kind of red flags with Harrow and pivoted while he still had time.

[DA#23]

Nerlens injury played a huge part in that season. I don't think they do any damage in the tournament if he stays healthy, but I think they'd have at least made it instead of the NIT.

I think so too, but with a pg maybe the team could have been quite a bit better.

I feel bad for Harrow, it’s not like I have ill wishes for him or anything crazy like that. But I was really disappointed in him.

[DA#23]

In theory it was a great move, but you’d think Cal in the interim would’ve seen some kind of red flags with Harrow and pivoted while he still had time.

Exactly.

[EKYCat]

I think so too, but with a pg maybe the team could have been quite a bit better.

I feel bad for Harrow, it’s not like I have ill wishes for him or anything crazy like that. But I was really disappointed in him.

He was possibly the biggest disappointment in the Cal era.

[DA#23]

He was possibly the biggest disappointment in the Cal era.

It might be easy to point to Skal, but we were Point Guard U and Harrow was literally the first PG Cal had to be a dud…so I think I agree you on this .

[EKYCat]

Could we put Marcus Lee up here as well? Poythress never really lived up to the hype either. Somebody might have said these names but we're on page 8 and I ain't sifting through 🤣

[George]

Could we put Marcus Lee up here as well? Poythress never really lived up to the hype either. Somebody might have said these names but we're on page 8 and I ain't sifting through 🤣

Meh. I don’t know that anyone ever expected Lee to be a rock star.