Kentucky Hires Mark Pope

[TribeTime]

His BYU team shot more 3’s than 2’s last season. Hopefully if he can recruit at a Kentucky level, his offense will thrive. 

[MJAlltheWay24]

I wouldn't mind his best player from last year, Jaxson Robinson to follow him.

[16thBBall Fan]

It’s a 5 year deal at 5.5 million per year according to CBS Sports. This was all announced last night. Not a bad starting salary that would have made him the 6th highest paid coach for this past season in college basketball. 

[okie1]

This is going to be a great hire!  He will give UK fans everything they have been clamoring for the past 5 years.  

[futurecoach]

He is going to have a fun style of play to watch. He is a Ky guy, so people will know that he cares (even though Cal did too). He is going to mix things up on defense including zone, which we know people wanted. So as far as things people wanted, Pope brings that. Now just comes down to can he win at the level that people expect from a UK coach. Which is what makes this hire so hard to know how to feel. With Cal I think we all knew he was going to knock it out of the park. Mark Pope might as well, but just know way of truly knowing until he goes out and does it. 

[FrankNicodemus]

I think another dose of reality with the Pope hire we have to deal with some grace this first year or maybe even 2.  Let him get his feet wet utilizing the UK Brand on his chest, he didn't get a chance to go recruit this upcoming Freshmen class with the UK emblem on his shirts.  This upcoming season will be a bunch of kids that will have fire but maybe not have the "skill" on paper or the amount of "Stars" on their resume that will come in the next few years.  I just hope people can temper their expectations out of the gate.  Let the process happen, not going to have a Top 10 or possibly Top 20 team out of the gate.....  I am young, Pope is young, let's see where this goes, I can have patients.

[bugatti]

3 hours ago, FrankNicodemus said:

I think another dose of reality with the Pope hire we have to deal with some grace this first year or maybe even 2.  Let him get his feet wet utilizing the UK Brand on his chest, he didn't get a chance to go recruit this upcoming Freshmen class with the UK emblem on his shirts.  This upcoming season will be a bunch of kids that will have fire but maybe not have the "skill" on paper or the amount of "Stars" on their resume that will come in the next few years.  I just hope people can temper their expectations out of the gate.  Let the process happen, not going to have a Top 10 or possibly Top 20 team out of the gate.....  I am young, Pope is young, let's see where this goes, I can have patients.

I do not doubt if Pope goes 42-29 over the next two seasons BBN will be nothing but incredibly supportive and upbeat about things.

[16thBBall Fan]

Matt Jones will have Mitch Barnhart on KSR at 11 am today. 

[bugatti]

I've mentioned this before, but coaching college basketball is a diminishing proposition and not attractive; hence why you see all programs dice rolling these days. It is 2024, not 1994, and college basketball may not exist in 5-10 years.

[futurecoach]

54 minutes ago, FrankNicodemus said:

I think another dose of reality with the Pope hire we have to deal with some grace this first year or maybe even 2.  Let him get his feet wet utilizing the UK Brand on his chest, he didn't get a chance to go recruit this upcoming Freshmen class with the UK emblem on his shirts.  This upcoming season will be a bunch of kids that will have fire but maybe not have the "skill" on paper or the amount of "Stars" on their resume that will come in the next few years.  I just hope people can temper their expectations out of the gate.  Let the process happen, not going to have a Top 10 or possibly Top 20 team out of the gate.....  I am young, Pope is young, let's see where this goes, I can have patients.

I would assume most of the roster will end up being transfers, and a few players that maybe decide to stay. Which is the one good thing about how things are today. He can still build a very good roster, since you don’t have to rely on recruiting high schoolers anymore. 

[Randy Parker]

I like the guy a lot and will be rooting for the Cats no matter what.  But I don't think it's a good hire at all.  Will love to be wrong.

[MJAlltheWay24]

12 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

I would assume most of the roster will end up being transfers, and a few players that maybe decide to stay. Which is the one good thing about how things are today. He can still build a very good roster, since you don’t have to rely on recruiting high schoolers anymore. 

On KSR, during the Barnhart interview, he mentioned two recruits who wouldn't go to BYU, who have reached back out to Mark Pope. FWIW.

[FrankNicodemus]

Also, it was stated that the "presser" will be at Rupp Arena on Sunday....more details to come.

Should be open to the public to attend....Let's fill it up BBN! If I wasn't too busy being a dad, I would be there for sure.

[MJAlltheWay24]

Barnhart also confirmed that $4 million has been pledged to Basketball NIL and plenty more is coming.

Probably having a Press Conference on Sunday in Rupp Arena, open to the public.

[MJAlltheWay24]

2 minutes ago, FrankNicodemus said:

Also, it was stated that the "presser" will be at Rupp Arena on Sunday....more details to come.

Should be open to the public to attend....Let's fill it up BBN! If I wasn't too busy being a dad, I would be there for sure.

I kinda wanna go too Frank.