2026-2027 Roster discussion thread

[KentuckyWild2020]

Rewind!!!!!!!

What is the real and main reason why Tubby Smith was forced out by the fans??????

Was he not a nice guy?

Was he not a good X's and O's coach?

Did the players not respect him?

Was in the swimming pool drunk partying with girls half his age?

Was the NCAA investigating him?

Why would the fans turn on a guy who took Pitino's roster and won a Championship??


DUDE COULD NOT RECRUIT!!!!!!!!!!!


STAR POWER, 5 STAR TALENT, GAME CHANGERS,

If you take a pool of the top 10 incoming freshman or the top 10 ten portal free agents, there is nor reason AT ALL that the University of Kentucky should not at least have 1 of each.

Nike school, history, TV money, all of the above.....

Stop acting like this is GEORGETOWN KENTUCKY, it's Lexington Kentucky!!!!!

[Cawood86]

Just goes to show that last year's team was the best team he ever had on paper in his entire life and it was TOTAL TEAM CHAOS, HE CAN'T HANDLE IT!!!!!!!!!


Imagine actually having some REAL STAR POWER on a team and managing those ego's!!!!!!


Bush league.....

I don't get this tore up. UK has missed on recruits before. Ralph Sampson. Larry Bird. Many, many more.

Pope knows he has to do much better this year. No question. It's put up or shut up.

[WeWant9]

Another up and down time as a Cat fan.

Going into the offseason there were three guys I really wanted to retain: Moreno, K. Williams, and Chandler. We kept 2/3 (assuming Moreno doesn't stay in the draft). Not bad

I wanted to see a staff shakeup. Hart and Brooks left, and we brought in Mo Williams. I think bringing in Mo was a solid pick up, but I think it was not smart to go into portal season down an assistant. I personally would like to see Mark Fox off the staff. A mixed bag there.

The start of offseason had talks of Wright, Freeman, and Stokes. We landed none of them. Not good. I have serious concerns with Pope as a recruiter.

As of now, I do not think we have a team that enters next season in the top 25. With Stokes off the table, hopefully that frees up a chunk of change to throw at someone testing the draft waters. I do agree with others that games are won on the court, but I do not see how any could say we didn't take some hard lumps this offseason.

A lot will depend on Diallo and Wilkins. If they can gel and become floor leaders, plus pick up one guy leaving the draft, we can see what happens come November.

[Trueblujr]

Just goes to show that last year's team was the best team he ever had on paper in his entire life and it was TOTAL TEAM CHAOS, HE CAN'T HANDLE IT!!!!!!!!!


Imagine actually having some REAL STAR POWER on a team and managing those ego's!!!!!!


Bush league.....

Having a good team on paper and having one that fits the system you coach are two different things. I think Pope tried to go out and recruit a bunch of dudes that could bang with the SEC physicality. In the end, that proved to derail his system. His first roster here was probably one of the best he's ever coached as well, but it also fit his system. and that cobbled together, last minute roster made it to the Sweet 16. I'm hoping this current roster can be more like his first in terms of fitting his system.

[Bluehausen]

Great, once he is cleared by the NCAA he can arrive, Pope can make him run steps, sit him out all December, then wonder why he bolts when the season is over..

That's if the NCAA doesn't pull a Big Z on this kid and the other Euro kid they got, whose name I'm not even going to try and spell from the Italian league. I know they didn't with Jelavic but I still don't trust the NCAA after Kanter and Z.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Pope heading to Israel Wednesday. Marcio Santos, a 6-foot-8 center with Maccabi Tel Aviv, averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, one assist, and 0.6 blocks during the 2025-26

https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-w...marcio-santos/

Great, once he is cleared by the NCAA he can arrive, Pope can make him run steps, sit him out all December, then wonder why he bolts when the season is over..

[KentuckyWild2020]

Agree with this. People were pretty happy with the team he constructed last season. Just goes to show what people know.

Just goes to show that last year's team was the best team he ever had on paper in his entire life and it was TOTAL TEAM CHAOS, HE CAN'T HANDLE IT!!!!!!!!!


Imagine actually having some REAL STAR POWER on a team and managing those ego's!!!!!!


Bush league.....

[KentuckyWild2020]

My sentiments exactly Pobilly. Once they leave UK, or were never here to begin with, I don't give them another thought. If Stokes is an All-American at Ks. and an All-Pro in the NBA it won't bother me at all.

Well it was pretty stupid for Pope to come in and take down all the ex UK alumni that are playing in the current NBA. If you don't think the WOW factor doesn't help in recruiting play into top recruiting I don't know what to tell you.


Let's make it easy. Go play for a coach who's coached big time talent or go play for a coach who's never coached a star recruit??

Money??? Doesn't matter, Im getting paid here or there, its' all the same.

[KentuckyWild2020]

I disagree with above poster. We supposedly had a " Ferrari" roster last year and it didn't pan out.Pope did much better with his first team which had less talent. I want to see our final roster play together next year before rendering judgement. To give up on a team still being formed before they even play seems ridiculous to me at least.

Wasting time and you can't buy time.

Elite talent wins games, do we have that??

Are we just playing to have a so so record each and every year 1st second round out and call it a day??

How many NCAA games did MARK POPE win prior to Kentucky??

Does anyone find it odd BYU landed the number 1 recruit post Pope era?

Colin Chandler? You raise this kid pay him and let him play minutes to develop and showcase so he can move on for a pay day???

Mark Pope played at Kentucky and??? He transferred in to be a role player and coat tail to a Championship, it's not like he spent his entire career bleeding blue at Kentucky.

This ain't about giving up on the team, it's about giving up on the coach, NO HOPE IN POPE period!! You can't give the keys of the Lambo to a 15 year old child, you just can't..

He can be the best coach in the entire world but if he doesn't have influence which it's plain to see he doesn't, Kentucky is not for him or for me...

Reality, even if this put together team has a good season, IT'S NOT GOOD ENOUGH to win it all, it just isn't, no star power...

Unless we are banking on Doug Flutie to to throw a hail mary every season, it's wasting time.....

[Pobilly]

I’m not giving up. I will always root for the Cats, but I am being realistic.

Hopefully, you guys can tell me how stupid I was after the season.

Not thinking anyone is stupid. I am not burying my head in the sand. I think we have a decent 3 to 4 guys (decent meaning above average). I think past that we have many role players. Moreno ( if he is back) I think has a good chance at a really high quality jump in his game and a chance to be one of the best 5 in college basketball. Hopefully they work on his strength. Needs way more leg strength for sure. He would be way above the rim and he seems to know just how high he has to jump to dunk the ball. I think Wilkins and Diallo are both going to be some of the top at their positions. I think Kam makes a leap (not sure how big). Not sure what to think about Hawthrone. I am in wait and see mode. McBride I think will be a top 6th man being able to play the SF or PF. Like you i think we are missing pieces. I do not think these pieces have to be Stokes or a big name. Heck teams win with less all the time. If a team has 2 really good players in the right positions they can win at a high level with 3 solid pieces around them. It is all on the coaching. Pope has to get back to Pope ball. If he can do that, he can win. We need 2 shooters (be it a SG or SF). We need one mobile big (that has jumping and strength). Not sure we get that. But will wait and see. Once we have the roster, then hopefully we get to see some summer ball from the team. Then we will wait and see what happens the rest of the summer and fall to get these guys playing like a team. Buy into the style and coaching.

[Pobilly]

I’m trying to be positive here, but a 6’8 Center? From Israel? He better be the Kosher Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. LOL!

The link has a video of the guy. Looks more like an average euro player to me. Nothing special. He can hit a three. Looks like he plays under the rim mostly.

[bucsrule8872]

Pope heading to Israel Wednesday. Marcio Santos, a 6-foot-8 center with Maccabi Tel Aviv, averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, one assist, and 0.6 blocks during the 2025-26

https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-w...marcio-santos/

I’m trying to be positive here, but a 6’8 Center? From Israel? He better be the Kosher Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. LOL!

[bucsrule8872]

I’m not giving up. I will always root for the Cats, but I am being realistic.

Hopefully, you guys can tell me how stupid I was after the season.

[Pobilly]

Pope heading to Israel Wednesday. Marcio Santos, a 6-foot-8 center with Maccabi Tel Aviv, averaged 8.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, one assist, and 0.6 blocks during the 2025-26

https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-w...marcio-santos/

[TrueblueCATfan]

I disagree with above poster. We supposedly had a " Ferrari" roster last year and it didn't pan out.Pope did much better with his first team which had less talent. I want to see our final roster play together next year before rendering judgement. To give up on a team still being formed before they even play seems ridiculous to me at least.

nailed it