'It doesn't even look like Kentucky's players CARE...

[blueheretic]

[Pete Hogwallop]

I would agree with the title. There are multiple players on the team that don't seem to care. That's completely unacceptable. And Pope should either not be playing them or should kick them off the team.

[KentuckyWild2020]

I would agree with the title. There are multiple players on the team that don't seem to care. That's completely unacceptable. And Pope should either not be playing them or should kick them off the team.

If he kicked a few off the team right now, would not hurt my feelings at all.

This may rub some the wrong way and I do hear they have PITCH FORKS on sale at Rural King but If i was Pope, I would start by kicking Aberdeen, Dioubate, and Williams off the team. Sixth men role players from Alabama Florida here for a pay day don't cut it. If you can't shoot, don't need a Tulane dude on the team either.

We know what Garrison, Oweh, Chandler, Noah is capable of for better or worse. We have to have have a PG (Lowe) C JQ, and role/starter AJ.

If Johnson is thinking Pro after this year, see you later, good riddance. Kick him off the team too. I don't want to see him trying to showcase his scoring ability every time he gets on the floor to impress the NBA scouts.

Moreno?? Thank you for your service and for filling in while JQ gets healthy, hit the gym get faster and learn how to shoot., you can start next year...

[WeWant9]

This is what is frustrating BBN. We have all seen plenty of bad basketball, we haven't seen a team act like they don't care in every big game and proceed to get stomped. Pope needs to try something different; it might not work but anything is better than the current product. I am past the point of caring about feelings, roll 5 guys for 40 if you have to.

[SportsFan]

I remember watching early summer practices and thinking "whatever mojo and chemistry they had last year is gone". It did seem like last year's group had much more chemistry. They seemed like they liked each other and got along better. Was it the fact that they had 7 seniors (I believe 5 or 6 were even 5th year seniors), was it that they were more similar personally, or was it a combination of both? Who knows...but it is painfully obvious that this seems like a dysfunctional team that was poorly constructed.

[KentuckyWild2020]

In my opinion, may be wrong, I think the addition of Aberdeen is the problem. A role playing 6th man who came here to get paid and get some more me time shots at the same time. Not sure if its true but Aberdeen seems to think he's the leader of the team and that's a problem itself, this was always Oweh's team. Everything else brought in should have been to compliment Oweh, should have been made clear from the very beginning, same for Dioubate..

Im team Oweh, to heck with Aberdeen Dioubate Williams and any other addition that doesn't like it. Like Meeks 53 Tennessee, Oweh Oklahoma carrying us on his back Sec last year earned every bit of that,to hell with Florida and Alabama. Not trying to join forces, trying to beat you down to a pulp..

[Pete Hogwallop]

In my opinion, may be wrong, I think the addition of Aberdeen is the problem. A role playing 6th man who came here to get paid and get some more me time shots at the same time. Not sure if its true but Aberdeen seems to think he's the leader of the team and that's a problem itself, this was always Oweh's team. Everything else brought in should have been to compliment Oweh, should have been made clear from the very beginning, same for Dioubate..

Im team Oweh, to heck with Aberdeen Dioubate Williams and any other addition that doesn't like it. Like Meeks 53 Tennessee, Oweh Oklahoma carrying us on his back Sec last year earned every bit of that,to hell with Florida and Alabama. Not trying to join forces, trying to beat you down to a pulp..

I still think you might be selling Dioubate short a bit. We haven't seen him now in several games, but he was the one player in the Louisville game that actually looked like he cared. I'm not saying he's a superstar or has an abundance of basketball skill, but I don't think effort is his issue and I don't think he's just out to get his own, either.

I have more of an issue with what I've seen from Oweh this year. Granted, the turf toe thing might be affecting him still.

[KentuckyWild2020]

I still think you might be selling Dioubate short a bit. We haven't seen him now in several games, but he was the one player in the Louisville game that actually looked like he cared. I'm not saying he's a superstar or has an abundance of basketball skill, but I don't think effort is his issue and I don't think he's just out to get his own, either.

I have more of an issue with what I've seen from Oweh this year. Granted, the turf toe thing might be affecting him still.

Fair point, I just hope they all come together..

[WeWant9]

I was really surprised when I looked at Dioubate's stats and saw he shot 46.2% (12-26) from 3 at Bama last season. He is currently shooting 9.1% from 3 at UK (1-11). I do agree that he seems to play with effort, but we don't need him shooting many 3s- frankly, this isn't a team built to shoot a ton of 3s anyways.

[TrueblueCATfan]

Im Tired of them losing...Pope needs to do whatever he needs to fix this
If he doesnt then it will be time for him to go

[Pete Hogwallop]

I was really surprised when I looked at Dioubate's stats and saw he shot 46.2% (12-26) from 3 at Bama last season. He is currently shooting 9.1% from 3 at UK (1-11). I do agree that he seems to play with effort, but we don't need him shooting many 3s- frankly, this isn't a team built to shoot a ton of 3s anyways.

I don't think he wants to shoot 3s. And Pope probably doesn't want him to either. I just think that with the other guys not working hard in the offense, he's been forced to shoot them at times and also he might have just been trying to make something happen since nobody else was.

[KentuckyWild2020]

This is what is frustrating BBN. We have all seen plenty of bad basketball, we haven't seen a team act like they don't care in every big game and proceed to get stomped. Pope needs to try something different; it might not work but anything is better than the current product. I am past the point of caring about feelings, roll 5 guys for 40 if you have to.

Agreed, start with 5 in my opinion and roll with it.

My 5 would be Lowe, Oweh, Chandler, AJ, JQ. Two slashers get to the rim and line, one lob rebounding shot blocker, two spot up shooters.. Garrison, Aberdeen, Dioubate, Williams off the bench as needed, same with Johnson, Moreno, Noah.

When I say needed I mean gassed need a few minutes to recharge, no mass substitutions, keep the core in place and on the floor as long as possible..

You watch most teams in America and you know who the 5 is, can't say that about Kentucky, who the hell knows??? The fans, the players, the coach, nobody knows!!!!

With all due respect to Pope in regards to "we thought we would be further along" or "we are trying to figure it out", that's bs.

Coach should have already had that figured out a long time ago. I sense he may have made promises he's trying to keep, I don't know.

Time for feelings to get hurt or booted off the team.

With Oweh, we know what we have for better or worse, he can still be that same guy from last year.

Lowe is a scorer, we need punch and pace, if healthy let him Rock like Rob did a few years ago.

Chandler, 3rd option spot up shooter. If Oweh and Lowe can drive and be effective, should open up some open looks for Chandler.

JQ, lobs rebounds and putbacks.

AJ, let him get his confidence back and let him get some open looks. To good of a shooter not to make some shots.. If he's missing shots, it aint the shooting form, it's in his head...

[KentuckyWild2020]

I remember watching early summer practices and thinking "whatever mojo and chemistry they had last year is gone". It did seem like last year's group had much more chemistry. They seemed like they liked each other and got along better. Was it the fact that they had 7 seniors (I believe 5 or 6 were even 5th year seniors), was it that they were more similar personally, or was it a combination of both? Who knows...but it is painfully obvious that this seems like a dysfunctional team that was poorly constructed.

Something to think about in regards to TEAM CHEMISTRY.

Do these guys live at the same place or do they all have their own apartment/house?

Show up practice, bon voyage, see you next game??

[KentuckyWild2020]

Probably the wrong thread but oh well, roster assembly?

Lowe is left hand, JQ is left handed.

Think of a simple pick and roll between a point guard and a center.

Can Lowe drive right or does he predominately drive left on his drives?

If he's going left then you are asking a left handed center to roll right and catch a lob with his off hand right over a defender??

That don't make sense to me unless Lowe can drive right and JQ goes down the left side of the land to catch a Alley Oop with his dominate hand.

Pope recruited it seems a team to be faster more athletic defense and rebounding, can't understand why we just don't play that way and scrap the 3 point obsession this year?

It aint working nor should it be, wrong personnel in my opinion...

Still think we can be a really good attacking the rim type of team but we need to pick our 5 and go. Hopeful JQ is back very soon and Lowe is good to go..

[WeWant9]

Agreed, start with 5 in my opinion and roll with it.

My 5 would be Lowe, Oweh, Chandler, AJ, JQ. Two slashers get to the rim and line, one lob rebounding shot blocker, two spot up shooters.. Garrison, Aberdeen, Dioubate, Williams off the bench as needed, same with Johnson, Moreno, Noah.

When I say needed I mean gassed need a few minutes to recharge, no mass substitutions, keep the core in place and on the floor as long as possible..

You watch most teams in America and you know who the 5 is, can't say that about Kentucky, who the hell knows??? The fans, the players, the coach, nobody knows!!!!

With all due respect to Pope in regards to "we thought we would be further along" or "we are trying to figure it out", that's bs.

Coach should have already had that figured out a long time ago. I sense he may have made promises he's trying to keep, I don't know.

Time for feelings to get hurt or booted off the team.

With Oweh, we know what we have for better or worse, he can still be that same guy from last year.

Lowe is a scorer, we need punch and pace, if healthy let him Rock like Rob did a few years ago.

Chandler, 3rd option spot up shooter. If Oweh and Lowe can drive and be effective, should open up some open looks for Chandler.

JQ, lobs rebounds and putbacks.

AJ, let him get his confidence back and let him get some open looks. To good of a shooter not to make some shots.. If he's missing shots, it aint the shooting form, it's in his head...

I could live with this. I'd roll with Moreno until JQ is back, and then those two take the C spot- Garrison odd man out. I am on the Jelavic train, too, but he needs a game where the lightbulb goes off. I have been disappointed with Oweh, but give him some more run and lets see what happens (if it's the same effort, to the bench he goes); just don't play Oweh and Aberdeen at the same time. Throw every piece of planning and analytics out from the summer, it was wrong and not doable for this team. Run it down hill, slash, work on pick n roll, get to the line; I will go crazy if I see 5 guys out behind the line again. Hate to say it, but right now Pope is coaching for a year 3 at UK.

For your other question- John Wall said he was surprised that hardly any guys live at the lodge. They are all off campus on their own.