BG AND JJ TO THE PORTAL

[Pobilly]

To Lowe: Don't go away mad... just go away!

[Jaxcat]

If an oft-injured, one-handed, limited PG is worth $3M, I'm done with CBB. And, it's real easy for a guy like Lowe to say, 'behind the scenes' as there's no fallout on him, no repercussions, no running the stairs for spilling 'locker room secrets', etc. It's pretty much a cliche now that an outgoing player alleges that there were things the fans don't know about. Well, duh. Welcome to adulthood. There's ALWAYS things in every organization that only those on the inside know about. So what? It was obvious to me, even in the limited time he was on the floor, that Lowe's ceiling was maybe 'above average' and that's about it. Way too left-oriented, didn't have a consistent outside game, small, didn't defend particularly well. He wasn't terrible, by any means. But, I didn't think he was THE key cog to make this offense purr. Yes, we had some good stretches with him at the helm. We also had good stretches with him in street clothes.

If you want to leave, leave. Just don't act like a jilted lover and say stuff on your way out. Just go.

As for Garrison - we can do better. Didn't bring much to the table and definitely didn't have the ball handling skills necessary to run the offense through him. JJ - could develop into a good player, but too early to tell. It's really all up to him. He needs to mature physically and upgrade his ball handling, defense and court awareness (too many hero ball shots taken). If you're the PG, your first priority is to create open looks for your teammates, not drive into the teeth of the defense and force an off-balance brick, which happened all too often.

[westerncat]

Was told by a friend that Lowe was problem and did not get along with others . Anyone one heard this ?

[***St.Patterson-54***]

I am thrilled that lowe left.

i had hopes that Jasper would learn how to dribble in the offseason, but so be it.

i never thought Garrison would be a starter for us, so Meh.

I do, however want Williams and Chandler and Moreno back next year! So far Pope has it right!

[KentuckyWild2020]

I wasn't as good as it thought I was so I take no accountability and blame it on everyone else...

[bthaunert]

it is going to be a long year, most likely.

Who could we get that’s any better than a second year Williams and a third year Chandler?

I think we are in for a disappointing offseason if we expect to get better players in the portal.

Just think it’s a bit delusional to think we are getting five studs out of the portal.

We will probably trade “old role players” for “new role players” and the results will be similar to last season or worse.

There will be plenty of guys out there that are better than those 2. The question is....can we get them?

If you look at the first portal class that was brough in under Pope, he added those players to zero returners. If there can be a similar class and add those guys to a returning core of Kam, CC and Moreno, that should be a decent team. Decent enough to warrant a year 4 under Pope....who knows.

[bucsrule8872]

There will be plenty of guys out there that are better than those 2. The question is....can we get them?

If you look at the first portal class that was brough in under Pope, he added those players to zero returners. If there can be a similar class and add those guys to a returning core of Kam, CC and Moreno, that should be a decent team. Decent enough to warrant a year 4 under Pope....who knows.

Two advantages we don’t have that we had in ‘24:

1. Newness- Nobody knew what to expect. Players didn’t have two seasons of Pope at UK to look at and wonder where they fit in.

2. Super Seniors- most of our signees were fifth year (COVID) Seniors. Six of the seven Seniors were Super Seniors. There are not many guys with that kind of experience out there. We aren’t going to sign six or seven fifth year Seniors. They just aren’t that many out there, obviously.

Those two things really helped us in building a team from scratch, IMHO.

[BlueBlood]

I can't imagine the pressure Pope will be under during the portal, off season and the regular season.It will age him most likely 10 years.

[Cawood86]

I can't imagine the pressure Pope will be under during the portal, off season and the regular season.It will age him most likely 10 years.

He signed up for this knowing full well what he was stepping into

[bthaunert]

Two advantages we don’t have that we had in ‘24:

1. Newness- Nobody knew what to expect. Players didn’t have two seasons of Pope at UK to look at and wonder where they fit in.

2. Super Seniors- most of our signees were fifth year (COVID) Seniors. Six of the seven Seniors were Super Seniors. There are not many guys with that kind of experience out there. We aren’t going to sign six or seven fifth year Seniors. They just aren’t that many out there, obviously.

Those two things really helped us in building a team from scratch, IMHO.

I don't disagree that those were advantages, but it's not look he knocked it out of the park in that portal season from a ranking perspective. He signed the 20th (BG), 31st (Robinson), 33rd (Oweh), 44th (Butler), 67th (Carr, 84th (Williams), 87th (Brea), 122nd (Kerr) and 316th (Almanor) guy out of the portal. It has, and will always be about fit into Pope's system. Look, I'm down on Pope, but if he can get CC, Moreno and Kam back, and add in a class that fits the system he wants to run, it can be a decent team.

[TrueblueCATfan]

I can't imagine the pressure Pope will be under during the portal, off season and the regular season.It will age him most likely 10 years.

that is what Being the Coach of Kentucky basketball is all about

[Helix]

I don't disagree that those were advantages, but it's not look he knocked it out of the park in that portal season from a ranking perspective. He signed the 20th (BG), 31st (Robinson), 33rd (Oweh), 44th (Butler), 67th (Carr, 84th (Williams), 87th (Brea), 122nd (Kerr) and 316th (Almanor) guy out of the portal. It has, and will always be about fit into Pope's system. Look, I'm down on Pope, but if he can get CC, Moreno and Kam back, and add in a class that fits the system he wants to run, it can be a decent team.

If, on very short notice, Pope could recruit mid-tier portal players to run his pace-and-space system in year one (surely a top ten team if Butler and Robinson stay healthy), how did he miss the mark *so badly* year two with time to prepare, a pleasing play style to sell and money to spend? THAT’S the question to which I’d love to know the answer.

[EKYCat]

If, on very short notice, Pope could recruit mid-tier portal players to run his pace-and-space system in year one (surely a top ten team if Butler and Robinson stay healthy), how did he miss the mark *so badly* year two with time to prepare, a pleasing play style to sell and money to spend? THAT’S the question to which I’d love to know the answer.

A couple things, in my opinion. Number 1, his first team wasn't great defensively and really struggled to rebound. He overcorrected with the roster he built for year two. The other thing is, I kind of think the word is out on him. He's a strange dude who talks a lot of gobbledygook. The pregame interview with him and Izzo before that Michigan State game was eye opening for me. You had Izzo give a succinct answer to whatever the question was and then Pope just went on some word salad rant. I saw Tracy Wolfson interview Hurley before the game Saturday and couldn't help but want a coach who actually looked like they knew what they were saying.

But, at the end of the day, when I look at the landscape and see the teams that advance past the first weekend and especially the four that make it to the last weekend, they are anything but mid-tier players. UK has to have a guy like Yaxel, Demary, Boozer. I'm not saying you have to have THE absolute best player in the country but you can't be a team full of role players. Under Pope, that's kind of what we've had.

[Helix]

A couple things, in my opinion. Number 1, his first team wasn't great defensively and really struggled to rebound. He overcorrected with the roster he built for year two. The other thing is, I kind of think the word is out on him. He's a strange dude who talks a lot of gobbledygook. The pregame interview with him and Izzo before that Michigan State game was eye opening for me. You had Izzo give a succinct answer to whatever the question was and then Pope just went on some word salad rant. I saw Tracy Wolfson interview Hurley before the game Saturday and couldn't help but want a coach who actually looked like they knew what they were saying.

But, at the end of the day, when I look at the landscape and see the teams that advance past the first weekend and especially the four that make it to the last weekend, they are anything but mid-tier players. UK has to have a guy like Yaxel, Demary, Boozer. I'm not saying you have to have THE absolute best player in the country but you can't be a team full of role players. Under Pope, that's kind of what we've had.

I do wonder about the “goober” factor with him, particularly the rumors that he didn’t present well at the closing table, I.e., put off potential signees with his personality and UK boosterism.

[Phil_the_Music]

that is what Being the Coach of Kentucky basketball is all about

And people wonder why we struggle to find someone to coach here.