Time to say it

[Spica Orbit]

I'm torn about Pope. This team seems to be underachieving on a nightly basis and plays dumb in critical moments - that's coaching, imo. However, this roster without Q and Lowe would have NEVER been viewed as a contender preseason. No way, no how. Throw in other injuries - some that have healed, some not - and this roster is just plain not that good. We have one very good player who sometimes doesn't show up or makes critical mistakes in crunch time and a slew of role players who are hit-and-miss most games. Our inside 'presence' is zero - more times than not, Garrison/Moreno give us very little and almost no rim protection outside the occasional blocked shot. Shooting is a team-wide problem.

Fault Pope for roster building and failure in critical moments in these close games. He didn't cause the numerous injuries that have hamstringed this team from the outset.

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Other teams have injuries as well, but how you respond to that adversity is coach's responsibility. Pope has failed miserably at that.

[Jaxcat]

^You're right. But how many teams excel when 2 expected starters and one other player who would be 6th or 7th man miss almost the entire season? As I said, Pope should take a lot of blame but this current roster is no where near what we expected preseason, presuming a healthy Lowe, Q and Kam. That's reality. As is the head-scratching substitution patterns, the inability to consistently play defense, the inexplicably bad decisions and plays made in crucial situations, etc. - all those are on Pope. Plenty of blame to be shared along with unexpected bad luck.

[Jload]

As Bill Parcels says" YOU are who your record says you are." We have VERY weak bench. We have no point guard. We have a weak post game. We have only 3 players that can hit a shot with any consistency. If ANY of them has an off night we lose. With UGA it was Aberdeen last night Chandler.
I hated this roster construction from day one. He didnt bring in a single shooter in an offense predicated on shooting. I think Pope is a good coach but not sure he is the right one for UK. Right now as things stand I'm not sure there IS a right coach for us, our pro lems seem to go much deeper than just coaching. Bottom line Mitch Barnhart needs to retire AND his replacement doesn't need to be one of his handpicked guys. Pope should get one more year or we risk doing what Auburn has been doing in football for a couple of decades. All this crying about a10 loss season is fristrating but unfortunately nothing new at UK. Cal did it several times as did Tubby and BG. We simply arent on the cutting edge of basketball anymore , havent been for a decade.

[Matt Dillon]

I'm torn about Pope. This team seems to be underachieving on a nightly basis and plays dumb in critical moments - that's coaching, imo. However, this roster without Q and Lowe would have NEVER been viewed as a contender preseason. No way, no how. Throw in other injuries - some that have healed, some not - and this roster is just plain not that good. We have one very good player who sometimes doesn't show up or makes critical mistakes in crunch time and a slew of role players who are hit-and-miss most games. Our inside 'presence' is zero - more times than not, Garrison/Moreno give us very little and almost no rim protection outside the occasional blocked shot. Shooting is a team-wide problem.

Fault Pope for roster building and failure in critical moments in these close games. He didn't cause the numerous injuries that have hamstringed this team from the outset.

Another problem, compounded by the injuries that you rarely hear mentioned, is the fatigue factor. When you have to go to your bench to replace injured starters then when the replacements get tired there's not much, if any, relief on the bench for them.

[Tomcats1990]

The program has been in trouble for a while. Pope’s struggles this season are alarming spending all this money for a team of average at best players who seem to play for the paycheck first name on their back second and Kentucky last. I love Pope and think he does know the assignment but will he survive long enough to accomplish it.

[Spica Orbit]

Another problem, compounded by the injuries that you rarely hear mentioned, is the fatigue factor. When you have to go to your bench to replace injured starters then when the replacements get tired there's not much, if any, relief on the bench for them.

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Well, give them a cookie & send them to bed early. I mean, they aren't going ashore on D-Day, they're playing a game.

[bucsrule8872]

All I can say is that no one is happy with this season or the direction of the program right now, but it is what it is.

Until we can figure out how, as fans, we can get rid of the powers that be, we really have no way to retaliate except to not buy merchandise, not buy tickets, not watch games on tv/streaming and not donate to NIL. That is pretty much the only way we can “vote” anyone out at UK. If Rupp is empty, the powers that be will notice. Our ratings go down, the powers that he will notice. If NIL money decreases, the powers that be will notice. Until you get into their pocket book, no one is going to do anything.

But it’s Barnhart that needs to go first. As long as he is in charge, I fear the same mistakes will be made. Even if Pope realizes he is in over his head and steps
down, can we trust Barnhart to find the right man for the job? I have my doubts.

[Matt Dillon]

All I can say is that no one is happy with this season or the direction of the program right now, but it is what it is.

Until we can figure out how, as fans, we can get rid of the powers that be, we really have no way to retaliate except to not buy merchandise, not buy tickets, not watch games on tv/streaming and not donate to NIL. That is pretty much the only way we can “vote” anyone out at UK. If Rupp is empty, the powers that be will notice. Our ratings go down, the powers that he will notice. If NIL money decreases, the powers that be will notice. Until you get into their pocket book, no one is going to do anything.

But it’s Barnhart that needs to go first. As long as he is in charge, I fear the same mistakes will be made. Even if Pope realizes he is in over his head and steps
down, can we trust Barnhart to find the right man for the job? I have my doubts.

I agree about getting into their pocketbook. I wonder how much NIL money comes from the avg. fan as opposed to deep pocketed donors and big companies?

[Matt Dillon]

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Well, give them a cookie & send them to bed early. I mean, they aren't going ashore on D-Day, they're playing a game.

While not going ashore on any D-Day, I would imagine playing a lot of minutes in a college bb game would be very demanding.