futurecoach

I would love to see a close game, but I think Covcath wins by 15 or more.

Well since Mitch isn’t retiring as AD until June 30th. I don’t see a new AD making a coaching change so late. If a change were to happen, it would be Mitch letting Pope go sometime this month and hiring a new coach before he retires. Which doubt most coaches would want to come here, knowing the guy hiring them is gone in two months. So yeah I think with the AD change, Pope is even more safe for a third year.

Agree with everything you said. Which with Mitch retiring, you know Pope definitely gets a year 3. So hopefully he can improve in those areas and put together a good roster. As I want to see him be successful, I’m just not sure that he is the guy. He has to get it done next year, or else whoever the new AD will for sure make a change to get his own guy in.

As for this tournament I think Florida easily comes out from the top of the bracket. The bottom is a little tougher to know. Bama would be the favorite from the bottom, but Arkansas has the best player in the SEC and we know Calipari’s team do well when he has a stud pg. A dark horse from the bottom of the bracket is Texas A&M imo.

So far the Mark Pope experience has given us a 6 seed and a 9 seed in the SEC tournament. The only saving grace for Pope so far is he made it past the first weekend in the NCAA tournament last year. This simply put has not been a fun experience with coach Pope and there is nothing that he has done as a coach in his career to show he can get UK fixed to be what is expected here.

Double digit Pope (DDP) with another game that has been all so familiar since he became the UK coach. Getting down double digits early and then having to try to pull off some crazy comeback at the end. While those games are fun when you do come all the way back to win, it is just not sustainable and you will lose a lot more than you win. We are simply not on the level as Florida. As Florida could have won by 30, but basically went on cruise control most of the second half. Florida is what we use to be and want to get back to. This UK team simple isn’t fun to watch.

I am not sure if the Anness thing actually helps support that it’s better to leave to go there. As has Anness gotten anymore offers or anything more by being at Ryle last year, that he wouldn’t have gotten at Ludlow? Quite honestly imo there really isn’t anywhere in NKY that truly helps kids college kids chances more than another school in nky. It’s a great selling tool for bigger schools to use, but doesn’t increase players chances even more. Now players that transfer to Cincinnati area, that has been proven to increase a players looks and chances.

Once again the original post said basically every year they dominate all of nky. Didn’t say most of, said all of. Then not only that said they destroy everyone too. So yes I would say, you would think a team that dominates and destroys everyone in nky would be winning that nky region then most years. Much less not even making the finals three years in a row. No one disagrees that they are the most consistent top team year after year. How the first post was written is the only reason it has got the responses it has.

Sonny Styles gives me Isaiah Simmons vibes. Absolutely great athlete, but possibly may not fit well in regards to NFL play. So I am not as big on him, as others may be.

Looking at how it played out, yes the Calipari contract ended up being a bad contract. With that said at that moment when they gave Calipari the contract, it was what needed to happen to keep him. UCLA was going after Calipari hard and offered over 10 million a year to go there. If Mitch didn't offer the type of deal he did and Calipari left, people would have went nuts for not making sure they kept Cal here. Things at that time were not bad and still doing really well under Calipari, and had a great group the next year that possibly could have won it all if the tournament didn't get cancelled. Now obviously though everything changed from that moment the tournament was cancelled and Calipari never got UK going again to the same level he was doing before Covid. However, at that time when UK offered him that contract, you had to do that if you were Mitch. You couldn't let Cal leave at that time, because at that time UK and Calipari were still doing big things. With that said and even Calipari acknowledged it, he should have left for the UCLA job that year.

Once again the initial post was CovCath dominates and destroys every NKY team every year. If that was true, there is zero reason why CovCath hasn't even made the 9th region finals the last 3 years. That isn't dominating or destroying NKY teams if you can't even make the finals 3 years in a row against said NKY team. It has also been brought up by another post how CovCath against Cooper up until this year was pretty consistently losing to Cooper over the last few years, and doing so when it mattered most to in the 9th region tournament. If the post was about CovCath being the best and most consistent team in NKY on a year to year basis, then yes you all would absolutely be correct, and no one would argue that.

I completely agree with you. I was just saying it would be even worse if everyone was healthy. As he is more worried about trying to keep players happy it seems, when things are much better when he goes with a shorter bench. Yet he just seems like he doesn't ever want to do that much, even with injuries.

Which has to do with what, in regards to your initial post? You claimed that CovCath is pretty much dominant over NKY almost every year. Which they haven't even been to the 9th region finals in the last 3 years, so that is definitely not being dominant and destroying teams. Also the state title you are talking about was 8 years ago. Which even in their two state title years, they have lost to a NKY team and also had a few close games. Which this year they truly are dominate, because there is no other team that has the talent to match up or even keep it close. Have they had the most overall success in NKY? Absolutely! I don't think anyone would argue that, but that is not how you started out this thread. You said they basically dominate NKY teams and destroy them every year. Which besides for this year, that has not been the case. As the current seniors haven't even been to a 9th region finals yet.

It will be interesting to see who they hire as the next AD. They obviously have some internal hires they could make. However, I would like to see them go outside with someone that may have previous ties to the program, but also now has actual AD experience too. Here are three guys I like that was listed in the article below. Martin Newton- Athletic Director at Samford. He is the son of former A.D. CM Newton. He has made some good hires at Samford that has seen programs have success. He was also here under Barnhardt for a few years. He is also the one who hired Texas A&M current coach straight out of coaching high school. He led Samford to the NCAA tournament before getting the Texas A&M job this year. DeWayne Peevy- Athletic Director at Depaul. He was here under Barnhardt as well, and also worked closely with the basketball program during his time here. Rob Mullens- Athletic Director at Oregon. He worked here under Barnhardt, and obviously has had a lot of success with the Oregon sport programs. With that said probably small chance he leaves Oregon and that Nike money, unless he is tired of living out West. https://www.on3.com/teams/kentucky-wildcats/news/kentucky-athletics-director-hot-board-mitch-barnhart-candidates/

Correct. Cooper last year, and Newport the two years before that. The 9th Region finals the last three years has been: 2025- Cooper vs Lloyd (Cooper) 2024- Cooper vs Newport (Newport) 2023- Cooper vs Newport (Newport)

Dominant and destroy everyone, every year? If they were dominant every year, they would be winning the region every year. They haven't won it or even been in the 9th region finals in the last 3 years. Which means CovCath senior's this year have never even played for a 9th region championship. Now this year though with the talent level being down in the 9th, and CovCath being really good, they are for sure dominating everyone this year. I would be surprised if anyone keeps it to within single digits in the 9th region tournament. With that said they are obviously always going to be one of the better 9th region teams every year and for many of the reasons FatNate said above.

I know, I am the one who posted about his knee issues about 5 post above. Which is why I am more weary on possibly taking him now.

I am confused by this. Are you suggesting that some players should leave their current schools to go to Ryle in order to get their names out there?

The fact that the Bengals lost one of the best pass rushing defensive ends in football for absolutely nothing is extremely frustrating. He should have been traded last off season before the draft, or at least during the season.

With this being senior day it should be a great atmosphere. With that said, Florida is just on a complete different level than us. As I think Florida and Uconn are the two best teams in the country and one of them will win the title.

I know a lot of fans don’t like it. However, UK has always been at its best when it has a coach who has that bigger than life personality. A personality that quite possibly thinks they are equal to or even bigger than the UK name. Rupp, Pitino, and Calipari were all that. You have to have that larger than life personality to be able to do this job at the high level that is expected. Which to me there are only a few of those coaches out there right now. Dan Hurley, Nate Oats, and Bruce Pearl. Todd Golden probably too, as he has shown he can win and seems to have that personality too, as I loved his comment on Bama getting that G league player and he said it doesn’t matter they will beat them anyways.

Just imagine how much he would be substituting if it weren’t for the injuries. The injuries actually forced his hand to not try to play 11 guys, and allowed things to at least get a little better. However, you are right he still substitutes way too much. It is like he wants to be deep and use many players like the 96 team he was on, without realizing that team was just that loaded and is why Pitino was able to use so many guys.

Which I will say I really like how Texas A&M coach coaches. It’s his first year there but they play a fun style. I know a few years ago I mentioned Todd Golden as a coach that may be one of the best coaches soon. This guy is another one that I think is on his way to being one of the best.

With Florida playing like a team that has a legit chance to win back to back titles again. Saturday will most likely be a loss too. Which means there is a chance we fall all the way to a ten seed for the SEC tournament.

I will fully take the blame for this. I got home late from a workout, and when I turned the game on UK was up 12. Then the Texas A&M run happened. I will do my part and not watch it in the second half, and instead will watch Mickey Mouse with my daughter. Hopefully that will help turn the game back around. Go Cats!