Portal

[Rondo#9]

Mitch's ego is the problem. The guy obviously has never been in sales and couldn't make it in sales, since he can't handle rejection. He gets turned down once or twice and goes into panic mode and wants to hear a yes...so he settles for a coach like Pope rather than patiently seeking out the best and right candidate for the job.

I wanted to give Pope a fair chance, and I feel like I have. I was fine with his first year... everything from the players he brought in at the last minute and the season results. He won a lot of tough games and had UK being viewed as respectable. But man...year 2 was not kind to him... and he brought an awful lot of it onto himself. One of Pope's problems is he loves to talk. And sometimes saying nothing is the best thing to do, but he can't help himself. In an effort to diffuse a small fire, often times he makes it worse by seeming to throw gasoline on it.

Anyway, Pope shouldn't have been put in this position, that's on Mitch. I don't think any of us can blame Pope for wanting to take his dream job, but we can blame Mitch for putting him in that situation in the first place.

Agree 100%

I don't blame Pope at all. He should've taken his dream job and he's doing the best he can. Can't say the same for Calipari in his last 5 years though. He lost his fire and only cared about getting a few more guys into the NBA. He couldn't have cared less about bringing another Championship to UK.

But enough of that. Can't change the spot we're in now. Getting back on topic; hopefully we see a couple commits by the end of the week. That's all I got to say about it, I'm just going to sit back and watch how it all unfolds in the next 10 days.

[Matt Dillon]

It's been this way for as long as I can remember. Any time your favorite team is trending downward you have three camps. You have those that are trying to stay positive appealing for calm, then you have those on the other end of the spectrum in full meltdown mode, and you have those like me that, since I can't do anything about it, choose to take a wait and see approach.

[Pete Hogwallop]

Well there are some pretty strong indicators of our trend to irrelevancy without needing anything from internet talking heads. A few things that we know for sure—come next March it will have been 15 years since our last title, 12 years since we made a Final 4, 8 years since even an Elite 8. And we do know at this moment who is committed to play next year.

Unless one considers having a hall of fame coach with the no. 1 recruiting class—2023–to make you stand out on the national scene there hasn’t been a lot to hang your hat on or a big reason to feel we’re about to pull out of it. Kind of feels like IU’s fall a couple decades ago.

But, sure, there’s a chance Pope signs some studs and they stay healthy and things get better soon. I am not one of those rooting against it so that he gets fired. I want very badly to be a contender again. I miss the excitement in a bad way. I feel like my kids have grown up with no understnding why UK basketball means so much to me. We’ve been just another team for a long time now.

And yes I do believe that our player buying funds are more than most programs have. I do believe that most schools invest more in football as the cash cow for athletics. It makes sense that that would be the case.

Go Cats! Go Pope!

Agree with this, but that's not what I was referring to. I was talking about all the extreme over reactions specifically to unfounded rumors being spread by talking heads who just need clicks. All the doom and gloom because someone starts saying the it looks like Player X might be considering someone else, etc. It's ridiculous.

[Cawood86]

It's been this way for as long as I can remember. Any time your favorite team is trending downward you have three camps. You have those that are trying to stay positive appealing for calm, then you have those on the other end of the spectrum in full meltdown mode, and you have those like me that, since I can't do anything about it, choose to take a wait and see approach.

Nothing else I can do otherwise. This portal creates chaos and lots of bogus rumors. No idea how things will go. Hopeful. Seems that things move slowly for some reason right now.

[WeWant9]

All I know is we have plenty of openings and PT, and more than likely a decent amount of money to spend. Since the end of the season, we lost two assistants and a lot of players. So far, we have added one new assistant and his 4* son. Other schools are signing guys left and right, while we seem to swing from positive to negative news. Who knows, maybe Pope is playing 6D chess and we will have a slew of commitments in one day.

[WeWant9]

Wright back to BYU. That one stings UKHoops01

[Pobilly]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcOfFZuNxfc

Goodman and field of 68 reported. Wright back at BYU.

[EKYCat]

Agree with this, but that's not what I was referring to. I was talking about all the extreme over reactions specifically to unfounded rumors being spread by talking heads who just need clicks. All the doom and gloom because someone starts saying the it looks like Player X might be considering someone else, etc. It's ridiculous.

The Wright rumors aren't unfounded. He's staying at BYU. A guy that was reportedly a done deal and he gets to campus and realizes pretty quickly "this ain't for me."
1 commit for 2026-2027. When is enough going to be enough with Pope for you? Serious question.

[JFCats22]

Fire Pope today!!! Enough is enough

[Pobilly]

Rob did what he wanted, got an offer from UK, BYU either matched or got closer and Rob is now happy with the money he will be getting. Good for him. Next up. Who knows.

[UKHoops01]

Rob did what he wanted, got an offer from UK, BYU either matched or got closer and Rob is now happy with the money he will be getting. Good for him. Next up. Who knows.

Not disagreeing, but "Rob" ??? You're now on a first name basis and wishing well for a kid who used UK to get his own pay raise while toying with the UK fan base? Sorry.... but I'm not feeling all that happy for him at the moment.

[Rondo#9]

Pope should go after Folguiras from Iowa (again)
Maybe Goode from Robert Morris unless he already tried & Goode threw cold water on it.

Rob did what he wanted, got an offer from UK, BYU either matched or got closer and Rob is now happy with the money he will be getting. Good for him. Next up. Who knows.

**** him.

I called it. I knew he was just using UK for a better offer from BYU.

[KentuckyWild2020]

Clean house, clean it all out. I will sacrifice the upcoming season for a brighter future come 2027.....

[TrueblueCATfan]

Karter Knox is leaving Arkansas for Loserville

[KentuckyWild2020]

If you are a true blue Kentucky fan and not concerned about all of this right now, SOMETHING IS WRONG!!!!!

What is going on, really?? Don't sugar coat it, don't try to "trust the process' bs, we are Kentucky may as well be Georgetown, Kentucky.

You get on the phone with Billy D. right now, you take all this stupid NIL money we are throwing out for scrubs and you make a deal.

You don't fire Pope, you let coach another year while Billy D. takes a break, gets re affiliated with college basketball, gets his staff in order. You start off October 27 with a bang.


If we thought this past year was bad, I don't think we seen nothing yet for the storm that is coming. EXPECTIONS MINUS 100, PULL THE PLUG, IT AINT WORKING!! If you can't keep a 3 maybe 4 star Chandler who is going to a team no better than Kentucky ( don't give me that he's from there cause it don't matter when you play college or pro ball). Also don't give me that WIFE talk either, don't these things have like 4 or 5 wives?????


Anyways, the thrill is gone.



I want to add to this post. The wife blah blah blah blah blah going back to UK to start a business with the money UK payed her husband that her husband used UK to make a name for himself and get BYU to open the bank.

We developed him, Pope gave him clock to shine and drive up his stock, he walks, so much for FRIENDS!!!!

I want to like Pope I do, he's a great person and he's a UK champion, Cut ties now before he never and I mean never wants to step foot back into Lexington again...

Seems like UK is just a news clip to drive up the stock. Same with Lanier last year and who knows else...

Almighty Kentucky can't even get a 3 star to sign up and play.

Brings me back to Travis Perry. For him to walk off and leave his state school, that should have been REG FLAG warning from the start, something aint right behind closed doors.

Is it Pope to friendly and players don't respect him???

Or, is he trying to play the Pitino hard core role and players are laughing at him??

Only a few coaches can get by with the hard core ways. Meaning certified resume coaches that have proven that it works by either wining game or having a track history of getting players to the league.. POPE IS NEITHER ONE!!!

Back to Chandler. Used UK and Pope gave him clock to raise his stock so he could get a pay day at BYU while UK's money funded more than likely his wife's business venture????

Reg flag number one. The fact that Travis Perry walked last year and Pope was in shock should have opened eyes.

Is Pope to nice, do players not respect him?

Is he too hardcore and players laugh at him?

If it's the later part, you can't be hardcore unless you have a resume and track record of winning games or getting players to the league, POPE IS NEITHER ONE!!!

I like Pope, think he's a good dude, he's a UK champion. Best get out now before he never wants to step foot in Lexington again. If you think last season was bad with the fans, he aint seen nothing yet....