2026-2027 Roster discussion thread

[bucsrule8872]

But typically when a parent shuts it down they shut it down. You may be right, I maybe be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic were looking for!

No doubt.

They probably thought we might enjoy some madness for a while.

[Pobilly]

Yes.

But money talks and Pope is desperate if he misses on Momcilovic.

But typically when a parent shuts it down they shut it down. You may be right, I maybe be crazy, but it just may be a lunatic were looking for!

[bucsrule8872]

Thought Hampton shut down reclass a week or two ago. His parents and him all said he is staying in 2027.

Yes.

But money talks and Pope is desperate if he misses on Momcilovic.

[UKHoops01]

I blame a lot of Cal's decline on Mitch and giving him that bogus contract. That, and it was obvious he and Mitch despised one another and so maybe Cal laid down on him a little bit. He did some things that were asinine. But he did a lot of good things for the state and the people in the state, as well. His tenure was almost two tenures rolled into one. He had a really great several years and then he had a really average several years.

I agree. Barnhardt isn't very good at handing out contracts, that's for sure. I agree with pretty much everything you said, except saying Cal had several average seasons towards the end. A losing record and embarrassing first round exits to Oakland and St Peter's almost knocks a few iof them nto the below average range.

[Pobilly]

Sounds like Ryan Hampton is visiting later this week. Class of 2027 wing. Possible reclass.

Not a good sign for us with Momcilovic.

If we get Hampton to reclassify:

G Diallo/Morton/M. Williams
G Wilkins/Hampton/Z. Hawthorne
F K. Williams/B. Hawthorne/Noah
F McBride/N’Diaye
C Moreno/Kepnang/Potter

Projected Rotation:

G Diallo(25)/Morton(15)
G Wilkins(25)/Hampton(15)
F K. Williams(25)/B. Hawthorne(10)/Hampton(5)
F McBride(25)/N’Diaye(15)
C Moreno(25)/Kepnang(15)

Hampton might sneak into the starting five. He is ranked 6th in his class, so he’s pretty talented.

Might be Diallo/Wilkins/Hampton/McBride/Moreno as starters.

Hope we get Momcilovic, but if we don’t, there’s a lot of money left to entice this kid to reclassify.

Thought Hampton shut down reclass a week or two ago. His parents and him all said he is staying in 2027.

[Pobilly]

This team, I think is probably not good enough to get to a final 4 but you never can tell how a season will break out.i do think they are talented enough to win 30 or so games.

Hampton re-classifying may help but I've never put a.lot of stock in young freshman especially at tourney time.

I thought Hampton already shut down reclass and said he is staying it 2027.

[South jones]

This team, I think is probably not good enough to get to a final 4 but you never can tell how a season will break out.i do think they are talented enough to win 30 or so games.

Hampton re-classifying may help but I've never put a.lot of stock in young freshman especially at tourney time.

[bucsrule8872]

Sounds like Ryan Hampton is visiting later this week. Class of 2027 wing. Possible reclass.

Not a good sign for us with Momcilovic.

If we get Hampton to reclassify:

G Diallo/Morton/M. Williams
G Wilkins/Hampton/Z. Hawthorne
F K. Williams/B. Hawthorne/Noah
F McBride/N’Diaye
C Moreno/Kepnang/Potter

Projected Rotation:

G Diallo(25)/Morton(15)
G Wilkins(25)/Hampton(15)
F K. Williams(25)/B. Hawthorne(10)/Hampton(5)
F McBride(25)/N’Diaye(15)
C Moreno(25)/Kepnang(15)

Hampton might sneak into the starting five. He is ranked 6th in his class, so he’s pretty talented.

Might be Diallo/Wilkins/Hampton/McBride/Moreno as starters.

Hope we get Momcilovic, but if we don’t, there’s a lot of money left to entice this kid to reclassify.

[EKYCat]

Here's the irony. I wanted Cal in the 90s. Every year, there was talk about Pitino leaving for the NBA... and Cal's last year at UMASS I told everyone that if Pitino ever leaves, Cal was the guy I wanted. Cal left for the pros a year before Pitino did...so we ended up with Tubby.

Fast forward 10 years and Tubby leaves, and once again I wanted Cal....when everybody else wanted Donovan (the irony there is now I'm the guy wanting Donovan). Barnhardt hires Billy Clyde, and two years later it's deja vu all over again. Again, I wanted Cal and this time we got him! And I was very happy with that choice.

But then the 2015 loss to Wisconsin happened. And the next 3 or 4 years felt a little like a slow decline. Then, around the time I'm willing to turn the page from the Calipari era ole Mitch gives him the lifetime contract. So we suffered through the last 5 years until finally we got some reprieve. And it was from 2015 until 2024 that it was a slow burn with Cal....my dislike of the guy growing more and more with each passing year. I think after he took the knee for BLM I was officially out of the closet and unafraid and very vocal to let any and everyone know that I wanted him gone.

So....it turns out that you were right about the guy all along...it's just that I had to find out over a period of time. But hey, at least we got a national championship for our troubles.....

I blame a lot of Cal's decline on Mitch and giving him that bogus contract. That, and it was obvious he and Mitch despised one another and so maybe Cal laid down on him a little bit. He did some things that were asinine. But he did a lot of good things for the state and the people in the state, as well. His tenure was almost two tenures rolled into one. He had a really great several years and then he had a really average several years.

[UKHoops01]

When Billy Donovan finally retires from coaching, I hope someone asks him very directly if he would have ever come to UK to be the head coach. If he answers truthfully and in detail, it would be very interesting no matter which way the answer went.

We may know the answer to that in less than a year. Word has it that Donovan plans to take a year off and then return to coaching. If Pope has a repeat of last year there may be an opening at UK.

So we may know the answer to that sooner rather than later.

[UKHoops01]

Not my intention to say or make you think he did not do good here.

I was against him ever being here. He was a used car salesman back then an he still is now. I just do not like the guy. Never have, never will. That is just a personal thing.

Here's the irony. I wanted Cal in the 90s. Every year, there was talk about Pitino leaving for the NBA... and Cal's last year at UMASS I told everyone that if Pitino ever leaves, Cal was the guy I wanted. Cal left for the pros a year before Pitino did...so we ended up with Tubby.

Fast forward 10 years and Tubby leaves, and once again I wanted Cal....when everybody else wanted Donovan (the irony there is now I'm the guy wanting Donovan). Barnhardt hires Billy Clyde, and two years later it's deja vu all over again. Again, I wanted Cal and this time we got him! And I was very happy with that choice.

But then the 2015 loss to Wisconsin happened. And the next 3 or 4 years felt a little like a slow decline. Then, around the time I'm willing to turn the page from the Calipari era ole Mitch gives him the lifetime contract. So we suffered through the last 5 years until finally we got some reprieve. And it was from 2015 until 2024 that it was a slow burn with Cal....my dislike of the guy growing more and more with each passing year. I think after he took the knee for BLM I was officially out of the closet and unafraid and very vocal to let any and everyone know that I wanted him gone.

So....it turns out that you were right about the guy all along...it's just that I had to find out over a period of time. But hey, at least we got a national championship for our troubles.....

[Pete Hogwallop]

When Billy Donovan finally retires from coaching, I hope someone asks him very directly if he would have ever come to UK to be the head coach. If he answers truthfully and in detail, it would be very interesting no matter which way the answer went.

[Bluehausen]

Does a coach coming from the Pro's back to college have a harder time? I am guessing staff would be a major part of the recruiting. It just seems that UK takes longer to do what they need to do to get back on top. Cal almost, Cal had good but how many years did it take for him? Took 3 years and a solid couple of guys back with a great high school class. Then how many times after that did he do it again, 0. He had good years, one almost great year but failed. He did less with more as well going to the last 5 years.

Can Billy D, get back in the college game and turn it around quick enough. That is yet to be seen. Hope this is all moot and UK wins this year. But good conversation for sure.

I don't think a coach coming back to college from the Pro's would necessarily make it harder for them. I think if the UK Job were to open (just to use as an example) and Billy D decided to take it, I think having the NBA Credit to his name would only help him in the recruiting arena because kids still want to get there and he would know how to make that happen more so than he did while at Florida. Also with the college game being more like Pro in the aspect of money being involved now, I think a Pro coach could possibly navigate that a little bit better as well even though it seems to me a lot of coaches don't have nearly the say on the NBA level about team/roster building as they would on the college level. I think Billy D would fair just fine if he came back to the college ranks.

[Pobilly]

Cal went 35-3 his first year and lost in the Elite 8. His first three years included an Elite 8, a Final Four, and a title along with a combined 102-14 record with 2 SEC titles. People need to quit acting like he wasn't successful here. He was. He had the talent to win more championships and I'll readily admit he probably should have won 2 or maybe 3 more. But to act like Cal wasn't the right coach here at the right time just isn't fair to him. And, I wanted him to be gone as well at the end. But by any measure of success, he was successful. If we're basing success on national titles and the ability to quickly turn a program around, then we have to grade Pope as a failure, right?

Not my intention to say or make you think he did not do good here.

I was against him ever being here. He was a used car salesman back then an he still is now. I just do not like the guy. Never have, never will. That is just a personal thing.

[EKYCat]

Does a coach coming from the Pro's back to college have a harder time? I am guessing staff would be a major part of the recruiting. It just seems that UK takes longer to do what they need to do to get back on top. Cal almost, Cal had good but how many years did it take for him? Took 3 years and a solid couple of guys back with a great high school class. Then how many times after that did he do it again, 0. He had good years, one almost great year but failed. He did less with more as well going to the last 5 years.

Can Billy D, get back in the college game and turn it around quick enough. That is yet to be seen. Hope this is all moot and UK wins this year. But good conversation for sure.

Cal went 35-3 his first year and lost in the Elite 8. His first three years included an Elite 8, a Final Four, and a title along with a combined 102-14 record with 2 SEC titles. People need to quit acting like he wasn't successful here. He was. He had the talent to win more championships and I'll readily admit he probably should have won 2 or maybe 3 more. But to act like Cal wasn't the right coach here at the right time just isn't fair to him. And, I wanted him to be gone as well at the end. But by any measure of success, he was successful. If we're basing success on national titles and the ability to quickly turn a program around, then we have to grade Pope as a failure, right?