- Pope should have let Garrison walk and used his NIL money elsewhere. I held off judgment to see if Pope saw something most of us didn't, but Garrison somehow may be worse than last year.
- I like Aberdeen (though he is a gun, and misses WILDLY on some shots) but getting him chased away Lewis and we have no backup point guard. Lewis at Villanova is shooting poorly from three but averaging 5.6 assists. We'd be better off with the backup point guard.
- Whether it was at the pg spot where we settled for Lowe or elsewhere, we should spent up into the 4-5 million range that was rumored for some of the big portal stars. I recall the rumors that we were more interested in getting lots of depth than spending too much money in one place. We needed a star playmaker, somewhere.
- I know Kam was supposed to be a shooter (did the Monstars get him?) but on the whole, I'm not sure how Pope saw this whole thing fitting together to be able to run his offense. Maybe he just got too deep into the analytics and thought with "good shots" all of Lowe and Oweh and Aberdeen and Dioubate etc. would shoot well. But none of these guys are guys we want to rely on to shoot threes as a big part of our offense, and none of them can do what Jaxson or Brea did to both create their own shot and hit it.
- We may not suck all year but I don't think we have the roster than can turn around to be a real contender, even IF we get fully healthy. Pope did an admirable job in putting together last year's roster but over corrected to its weaknesses. He's got one more chance to get it right.
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I think our roster is just fine. They are very good players. We might be a bit thin in some areas and have too much in others, but the lineup is good. It's execution that's not. I think people make way too much out of lineups and rosters. -
Pobilly posted something last night that I had been thinking all along in regards to the roster.
Williams- Tulane.. There is a reason why he was at Tulane in the first place.
Aberdeen? Why leave a team you just won a Championship at unless you wanted more opportunity, AKA shot attempts and scoring opportunities.
Dioubate? Why leave Alabama unless you wanted more opportunities AKA scoring attempts. Problem is, he's not a shooter, far from it.
Garrison. Expected way more. I assume he actually went on a real long vacation this summer. Last year 1 step forward this year 10 steps back. Looks like he just don't care at all unless you let him stand outside and chuck 3's..
Chandler. Explosive off the floor foot speed and 3 point range has improved but still, having to depend on him to be a leading type scorer on this team a problem itself. Should have saw this coming last year because when he was able to get some PT, he wasn't shy about getting his shots up. He has a score at will mentality it seems.
Moreno. I get it, Ky kid stayed home highly rated recruit but slow as molasses plus I don't think he will ever have outside range. If we are playing in the 80's slow it down grind the clock no 3 point line maybe but the MELVIN TURPIN days are over.
Johnson? I gave him to much respect. Maybe it's the pressure of playing at Kentucky but it's clear he wants to prove he can score every time he touches the ball it seems.
AJ. Still believe in his talent and last night it showed, he put Wilson in check. Still don't understand why we don't run plays for him on offense, he has to look to create and force a shot just to get some touches it seems, he has to be frustrated , use him.
Oweh. He's a slasher, he's the guy that came back who proved he could get it done, use him. We don't have a team full of shooters to shoot 35 3's a game so use what we have. Spread out slash and attack. Eventually what few shooters we do have will get some open looks.
Anyways, easy to be a couch coach but i think we all can see how screwed up this thing looks, it aint right at all.
To put the cherry on top, Cal will probably show up tonight and spank Louisville because that's what he does in the BIG ALL EYES ON ME type of games. He wouldn't get up for a Oakland or some no name team in the NCAA tournament but when it's a MARQUEE matchup that he has respect for, somehow he tends to show up 90's style Calipari and coach a helluva game...
I wanted Calipari prior to BCG, wanted Calipari gone the past few years as head coach at Kentucky. Don't let me lie, starting to feel a little bit of buyer's remorse to be honest. I do miss having A+ TALENT on the team. Yes one and done sucks but so does one and done maybe two years of Transfer in and gone sucks also, it's all the same really.
I hope Pope turns this around, really like him and want him to succeed but starting to feel like he's really in over his head, you can't hide at Kentucky.
Another thing I don't understand and really didn't pay much attention to it but now that I really think about it, why would you destroy all the photos and memories of players like Anthony Davis and the great NBA FRANCHISE players that came through the KENTUCKY the past 15 years?? Those players had nothing to do with Cal's way of doing things, those players helped SELL top recruits for Kentucky. I understand it's a NEW ERA but those players are still and will forever be a part of KENTUCKY basketball. SGA is playing like a all time PHENOM right now on the biggest stage. If you are not taking advantage of that and SELLING KENTUCKY, you missing the plane, it's already taken off....Comment
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I agree with most of your player analysis, but no way in hell do I have buyers remorse and want John Calipari back! Scrap that thought right now! Scott Drew, Dan Hurley, Billy Donovan, and/or a number of other coaches (including the guy I wanted Barnhardt to take a look at , consider, and interview....which he didn't...Tommy Lloyd) .....sure. Absolutely. But NO to Cal! No, no, no!Comment
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My biggest question mark was never about roster construction, but about Pope himself. I was one of the many that was disappointed when he got hired based on mediocre coaching credentials and then got sucked in quick by nostalgia. I'm just a little worried at this point that most of us were so sick of the Cal years at the end that Pope being "one of us" made us blind to his coaching history.
Utah Valley - took them to the CBI and never won the conference. He leaves, mark Madsen comes in and has won the conference in 3 of his 5 years with an NIT semifinal
BYU - Pope never won an NCAA tournament game in 2 appearances. He leaves and in his replacement, Kevin Young, takes them to the Sweet 16 immediately
It's not the best look when those 2 programs improved when Pope left. I'm hoping we turn the corner if/when Lowe and Quaintance return. I'd be lying if I told you the thought of him not being a great coach hasn't creeped into the back of my head.
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Lol lol..
I miss name brand recruits, i aint go lie.
Regardless, I'm on one today, 24 hour rage,sick at stomach over this crap.
I may be wrong but I feel like Cal and Arkansas smacks Louisville tonight.
Talk about cherry on top, people will be coming out the woodwork and losing they Kentucky minds if this happens tonight.Last edited by KentuckyWild2020; 12-03-2025, 07:42 PM.Comment
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Pope had to start recruiting some stud talent. This is UK not BYU.Comment
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Here's the silver lining for Pope this year in my opinion.
Obviously the incoming transfers do not fit his scheme which means he must reboot adjust and go with what he has even if it means temporarily changing his whole game plan for this year based on roster personal.
Simplify it,run it through Oweh, cut the rotation down , pick 5-8 and go with it.
If can make the adjustment whatever that may be, in reality he still has the chance to register the best coaching season of his career. If he chooses the Calipari way stubborn and stuck in his ways,he's going to fail miserably this year.
Calipari had merit in his stubbornness simply because he has had previous success and it worked. Pope doesn't have that luxury, he's never won anything in his coaching life, he must adapt with what he has. If he thinks playing more people with wild substitutions solves his problems, he's in for a rude awakening and setting himself up for failure in my humble opinion..Comment
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Right there with you.
When I heard that Pope was the hire, I was mystified.
My Cuz in Philly told me and I replied; "Pope will be the coach when pigs fly!" lol
Then, like you, I was caught up in the moment.
I'm gonna let it ride. If he busts that move, it'll be great.
If he doesn't start winning at Kentucky Standards by Year 4, it should be his last.
I don't want 3 to 5 One and Dones. I think those days are over (with exceptions, I"m sure). That said, he needs to get a Big Star and one that pans out. An Anthony Davis not a Skal.
Then grab some of the better transfer portal guys. It seems he is still thinking BYU type players when he should be going after Kentucky level players.
For the record, I wanted Todd Golden at Florida. Mitch never looked in that direction.
“I love people as individuals, but I hate people in groups.”
— George Carlin?Comment
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Right now Arkansas is smacking Louisville.
Elite talent still wins games. Louisville may come back and win but Cal coaches different when its a marquee match up.
We need a Billy Richmond on the team, someone ready to throw hands.
CAl still kicking Louisville's you know what.
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Not to disagree but with the transfer portal in and out yearly, it's all the same to me in my opinion.
Had i known NIL would have became official and the new norm, may have felt a little different towards Calipari in the end.
Elite talent still wins games and Cal still gets his share. It really pisses me off that we don't have a coach who can coach and get the talent, best of both worlds.
Still don't understand why 15 years of Kentucky NBA franchise players were basically canceled. North Carolina still lives off Michael Jordan 43 years ago, no reason why we are not capitalizing off our history of star players..Comment
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If Pope wants to play his style, he better have 3-4 shooters on the floor the majority of the time. I don’t think we even have 3-4 good shooters on this team. Yet we got plenty of guys jacking up crazy shots.
Is what it is, and I don’t see much helping going forward. Pope will have to really hit the recruiting trail hard, or this will be a short lived union.Comment
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