3 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

I am not sure if Popes game plan going into games stink, does a bad job getting guys ready to play or what.

His game plays reminds me of Zac Taylor's preseason plan. lol

25 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

Honestly, I just don't see much improvement down the road.  It's looking like the name, Kentucky, does not attract solid recruits anymore, nor does the name Pope.  A program will not win big time going to the portal every year.

It’s honestly been that way a long time. The Kentucky name will always get recruits to listen, but the Kentucky name alone isn’t going to get players to come. We saw that will Tubby and Billy G too. that's why Calipari was so needed, when you have a coach who can recruit to go along with the Kentucky name, you get the great teams we had with Cal for the majority of his time. 
 

The saddest part about this is, UK has shown it has top money to get players and yet Pope hasn’t been able to close on many of them. 
 

The one good thing good for Pope is history seems to repeat itself. Pope is that nice good guy coach, who is following a legend much like Coach Hall and Coach Smith. They both found ways to win a title, so hopefully Pope does the same at some point. 

2 minutes ago, 16thBBall Fan said:

His game plays reminds me of Zac Taylor's preseason plan. lol

Right lol. It’s just amazing how bad they been both years in getting down double digits. To his credit he does a good job I believe with in game adjustments to help in their comebacks. But man what are they doing leading up to games? Something clearly isn’t working in that regard. 

7 minutes ago, futurecoach said:

It’s honestly been that way a long time. The Kentucky name will always get recruits to listen, but the Kentucky name alone isn’t going to get players to come. We saw that will Tubby and Billy G too. that's why Calipari was so needed, when you have a coach who can recruit to go along with the Kentucky name, you get the great teams we had with Cal for the majority of his time. 
 

The saddest part about this is, UK has shown it has top money to get players and yet Pope hasn’t been able to close on many of them. 
 

The one good thing good for Pope is history seems to repeat itself. Pope is that nice good guy coach, who is following a legend much like Coach Hall and Coach Smith. They both found ways to win a title, so hopefully Pope does the same at some point. 

Tubby is a good guy, good coach, but by and large, he won with what was left.  And ironically, that title was won with a team that fell behind constantly in the NCAA Tournament.  8.5% of the points scored on the season for Kentucky came from guys Tubby did not inherit, and they scored cumulatively 31 total points in the NCAA Tournament.  I'll always laud Tubby for his ability to coach them up to win that title, but his "found ways to win a title" is not duplicable for Pope.  He'll have to hope for the Hall route.

I do fear that the rest of the Tubby Smith experience will very much be duplicable for Pope.  Likeable, good Xs and Os, and great, great difficulty recruiting blue chip players, capping his ceiling.  Tubby had some atrocious luck in 2003 (and I suppose 2004), losing out on the chance for a title that no one could call anyone else's, but the reality is he never went to a Final Four with his guys.  Pope is going to have to show something different to take away fears that he'll be that, or really, much worse.

2 hours ago, 4 Quarters said:

 It's looking like the name, Kentucky, does not attract solid recruits anymore, nor does the name Pope.  A program will not win big time going to the portal every year.

Your first two points I agree with. 

The last one I don't. I think literally every high major program that wins titles over the next several years will have most if not all of their production from transfers. 

8 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Your first two points I agree with. 

The last one I don't. I think literally every high major program that wins titles over the next several years will have most if not all of their production from transfers. 

 

9 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Your first two points I agree with. 

The last one I don't. I think literally every high major program that wins titles over the next several years will have most if not all of their production from transfers. 

It doesn't seem to be that way currently.

5 minutes ago, 4 Quarters said:

 

It doesn't seem to be that way currently.

Florida had about 55 points per game last year from dudes who did not start their careers at UF. 

9 minutes ago, TheDeuce said:

Florida had about 55 points per game last year from dudes who did not start their careers at UF. 

What are you thinking with this group?

3 hours ago, DragonFire said:

Tubby is a good guy, good coach, but by and large, he won with what was left.  And ironically, that title was won with a team that fell behind constantly in the NCAA Tournament.  8.5% of the points scored on the season for Kentucky came from guys Tubby did not inherit, and they scored cumulatively 31 total points in the NCAA Tournament.  I'll always laud Tubby for his ability to coach them up to win that title, but his "found ways to win a title" is not duplicable for Pope.  He'll have to hope for the Hall route.

I do fear that the rest of the Tubby Smith experience will very much be duplicable for Pope.  Likeable, good Xs and Os, and great, great difficulty recruiting blue chip players, capping his ceiling.  Tubby had some atrocious luck in 2003 (and I suppose 2004), losing out on the chance for a title that no one could call anyone else's, but the reality is he never went to a Final Four with his guys.  Pope is going to have to show something different to take away fears that he'll be that, or really, much worse.

I completely get what you are saying, as yes it wasn’t his guys he brought in. However, for me Tubby completely gets the credit for it still. As it is not easy coming in and taking over guys who aren’t yours. Also up until the elite 8, that UK team was destroying teams in the first three rounds of the tournament, before becoming the comeback Cats starting in the elite 8. 
 

The biggest thing for me, and what many people seem to forget. That 98 team wasn’t like the 96 and 97 teams who were the most talented teams in the country. The 98 team wasn’t the most talented team in the country that year, as Duke and North Carolina were loaded, and basically the same Arizona team that beat UK for the title the year before was back. So many people automatically assume UK wins it all in 98 with Pitino, but I honestly don’t think they win it all in 98 with Pitino. That 98 team and the players that were still there, was a great fit for the system Tubby ran. 
 

I know I am in the minority, but I always hate when people minimize Tubby’s title by saying it was Pitino’s team. 

17 hours ago, futurecoach said:

I completely get what you are saying, as yes it wasn’t his guys he brought in. However, for me Tubby completely gets the credit for it still. As it is not easy coming in and taking over guys who aren’t yours. Also up until the elite 8, that UK team was destroying teams in the first three rounds of the tournament, before becoming the comeback Cats starting in the elite 8. 
 

The biggest thing for me, and what many people seem to forget. That 98 team wasn’t like the 96 and 97 teams who were the most talented teams in the country. The 98 team wasn’t the most talented team in the country that year, as Duke and North Carolina were loaded, and basically the same Arizona team that beat UK for the title the year before was back. So many people automatically assume UK wins it all in 98 with Pitino, but I honestly don’t think they win it all in 98 with Pitino. That 98 team and the players that were still there, was a great fit for the system Tubby ran. 
 

I know I am in the minority, but I always hate when people minimize Tubby’s title by saying it was Pitino’s team. 

100% agree.  Tubby's coaching style helped that team not only win blowout games but close ones that allowed for comebacks.  Pitino was not infallible.  He got caught up in the moment in the '95 UNC game and did not reign in the bad 3 point shots when the Cats could not hit the broad side of a barn.  

23 hours ago, futurecoach said:

It’s honestly been that way a long time. The Kentucky name will always get recruits to listen, but the Kentucky name alone isn’t going to get players to come. We saw that will Tubby and Billy G too. that's why Calipari was so needed, when you have a coach who can recruit to go along with the Kentucky name, you get the great teams we had with Cal for the majority of his time. 
 

The saddest part about this is, UK has shown it has top money to get players and yet Pope hasn’t been able to close on many of them. 
 

The one good thing good for Pope is history seems to repeat itself. Pope is that nice good guy coach, who is following a legend much like Coach Hall and Coach Smith. They both found ways to win a title, so hopefully Pope does the same at some point. 

If this is the history pattern, let's cut our losses fire Pope, hire Huggins for a year then by the 28' season we will be ready to roll again.

9 hours ago, okie1 said:

If this is the history pattern, let's cut our losses fire Pope, hire Huggins for a year then by the 28' season we will be ready to roll again.

I like your thinking! I’m in for that!