Georgia at UK game thread

[TrueblueCATfan]

If they accept an NIT bid then it is he end of UK. No major teams are accepting bids like that any longer. Just need to get through 6 more games and end the season. Lose another 3 or 4 regular season games, lose game 1 in SEC tourney and close up shop. Then start looking at everything. Coaches, players, managers, AD, President of UK.

I AGREE.. UK doesn't do the NIT

[bucsrule8872]

Hate to say it, but I am ready for this season to end.

Quite the change from this time last year, when I was looking forward to us making a bit of a run despite all the injuries. I knew it wasn’t going to end well, but it was Year One with Pope, and I felt optimistic.

Now, I just want it to end and move on and hope something changes next season. Hoping we can be healthy and Pope learns from his mistakes.

Wishful thinking, I know, but I just refuse to be totally doom and gloom.

But this season, barring the near miraculous run, will end badly, so I am ready to move on.

[WeWant9]

If they accept an NIT bid then it is he end of UK. No major teams are accepting bids like that any longer. Just need to get through 6 more games and end the season. Lose another 3 or 4 regular season games, lose game 1 in SEC tourney and close up shop. Then start looking at everything. Coaches, players, managers, AD, President of UK.

I think they’ll limp into the NCAAT, but will be such a low seed it won’t matter much.

[Pete Hogwallop]

If they accept an NIT bid then it is he end of UK. No major teams are accepting bids like that any longer. Just need to get through 6 more games and end the season. Lose another 3 or 4 regular season games, lose game 1 in SEC tourney and close up shop. Then start looking at everything. Coaches, players, managers, AD, President of UK.

This isn't exactly a counterpoint to what you are saying here, but it really bothers me that teams don't accept the NIT bid anymore (or opt out of football bowl games, etc.). It's just more examples of people/society lowering standards.

It would bother me a lot if UK didn't make the tournament. It would bother me additionally if we turned down the NIT. I'd lose some respect for the program.

[EKYCat]

Can we all acknowledge that Pope isn't going to work here? He's Billy Clyde with morals.

[Catsrock]

I AGREE.. UK doesn't do the NIT

Except the last time they were invited?

[WeWant9]

Can we all acknowledge that Pope isn't going to work here? He's Billy Clyde with morals.

I think the job is too big for him and UK doesn't have the time to let him try and figure it out. I do think we have to sit through another year though.

[Pete Hogwallop]

Can we all acknowledge that Pope isn't going to work here? He's Billy Clyde with morals.

I still think it's too early to say that. He had a pretty good year last year. He's having a not so good year this year. So effectively one off year means we should all acknowledge he isn't going to work here? I can't get on board with that.

[WeWant9]

I still think it's too early to say that. He had a pretty good year last year. He's having a not so good year this year. So effectively one off year means we should all acknowledge he isn't going to work here? I can't get on board with that.

Not even done with this season, but Pope already has 21 losses as the UK coach. 57% of those losses have been by double digits. He is coaching like his resume- a 67% career winner with zero league titles, zero conference tournament titles, and zero FFs. Is there something that makes you feel good about him, or are you just holding onto some type of hope he figures it out?

[Matt Dillon]

I still think it's too early to say that. He had a pretty good year last year. He's having a not so good year this year. So effectively one off year means we should all acknowledge he isn't going to work here? I can't get on board with that.

Not that my opinion means anything, but I agree. If next season is anything like this one, though, then it's see ya time.

[bthaunert]

I still think it's too early to say that. He had a pretty good year last year. He's having a not so good year this year. So effectively one off year means we should all acknowledge he isn't going to work here? I can't get on board with that.

I don't think it's going to work. But I agree that he gets one more year. The question is, what needs to happen next year that he gets year 4 and beyond. It cannot be another Sweet 16.

[JFCats22]

Fire Pope today

[TrueblueCATfan]

Except the last time they were invited?

Wasn't that when we lost to Robert Morris ?

[EKYCat]

Not even done with this season, but Pope already has 21 losses as the UK coach. 57% of those losses have been by double digits. He is coaching like his resume- a 67% career winner with zero league titles, zero conference tournament titles, and zero FFs. Is there something that makes you feel good about him, or are you just holding onto some type of hope he figures it out?

Spot on. Kentucky has trailed by double digits in 13 of 19 games against power conference teams. He's had some good wins (Duke, Tennessee several times, Florida) but some absolutely baffling losses. Ohio State last year by 20. That's a team that finished 17-15 and 9-11 in league play. SEC tournament loss to Alabama by 29. Michigan State throttled us this year. Gonzaga was an absolute disaster. Vanderbilt ran us out of the gym. Last night against a team that had lost 5 of 6. Injury bug is what it is but to get manhandled like we have is ridiculous. I want him to work out because I think he's a good human and he's one of our own guys but so far, he's not cutting it. And that's just the in season stuff. It's deeply concerning that we have no commitments for next year. Meanwhile, Duke, Michigan State, Kansas, Michigan, and Arkansas are all sitting on multiple 4 and 5 star commitments and we're being left in the dust. If you ask me (and for the record nobody has), we're just delaying the inevitable.

[Pete Hogwallop]

Not even done with this season, but Pope already has 21 losses as the UK coach. 57% of those losses have been by double digits. He is coaching like his resume- a 67% career winner with zero league titles, zero conference tournament titles, and zero FFs. Is there something that makes you feel good about him, or are you just holding onto some type of hope he figures it out?

But how long is enough sample size? That's the question. Let's say he'd started 0-2 last year. Would you say since his winning % is 0 that he should be fired or wasn't going to work out?

I'm not defending his record. I'm saying it's not quite long enough to be certain he can't make it at UK at a rate acceptable to our standards.

And I don't think we can downplay the fact that 3 very significant players essentially haven't played or barely played this year. Pope should get a little bit of a pass due to that...unless we feel that a large percentage of the players in the game these days are basically going to be out for the season. Are other teams having this much of an injury issue?