futurecoach

1 hour ago, theguru said:

I think I agree with that fc but mostly I quoted your post to say wow on the new avatar, I love it! 🙂

I fixed it and went back to the first one lol. 

I don't understand why they do the format this way for the play in games. I believe it should be the 7 seed vs the 10 seed, and 8 vs. the 9 seed. All the 7 and 8 seed have to do is win one game, while the 9 and 10 seed would have to be them twice. Take the Pelican's for example, they were the 7 seed and finished 2 games above the Lakers. The regular season should mean more than having to do a one game playoff against the 8 seed to see who gets to actually be the 7 seed, when they were two games above them. To me if a team earns the 7 seed, they should have to lose two games to the 10 seed to lose their spot. Then same for the 8 seed, should have to lose two games to the 9 seed to lose their spot as the 8 seed. 

25 minutes ago, nikeman49 said:

Talking about his personal experience, not about how he is going to make everyone that plays for him an NBA player.

You said he didn’t mention the NBA one time, which was false and hence the replies you got. The over exaggeration you all have sometimes is what gets the replies. Yet even with that he did mention still getting some guys who will be one and done to the NBA. So he talked about that too. 

3 hours ago, Oldercoach said:

Guess I was wrong about Z not liking how Cal utilized him.

I definitely think he would have fit better on Pope’s offense compared to Cal’s. However, Cal fighting for him last year and that relationship they formed definitely was the deciding factor. 

10 hours ago, Jumper_Dad said:

As expected DJ Wagner has entered the portal and Cal recruit Boogie Flan has asked for his NLI release. 

Arkansas, likely landing spot for both.

Big Z just announced he is going to Arkansas. 

Big Z announced he is going to Arkansas. 

Just now, nikeman49 said:

So if you are the head coach at Ky why wouldn’t you demand to know more about the situation before letting a guy join the team with a bunch of unanswered questions and just having the fan base on edge about why he wasn’t playing? Another one of Cal’s many screw ups while at Ky.

When he first enrolled at UK he was not even suppose to be eligible for the NBA draft that year. So there wasn’t nothing to find out. Then his handlers were able to find a loop hole in regards to the draft as long as his graduation date was changed to a certain date. Which remember it was contested about if he really graduated when he did. So UK and just every school going for him, no one thought he was eligible for that years draft. So it’s not like other schools opted out, other schools went for him as well. Him and his handlers found a loop hole, and then continued to lie saying it didn’t matter, he was going to be at UK still that next year. 
 

At the end of the day it didn’t take someone’s spot, didn’t use some other players resources. It was a player and his handlers just completely going against what they had told everyone. 

3 hours ago, All State Baseball said:

I hope he has some things up his sleeve because recruits are dropping like flies. 

I mean that was expected in regards to many of the current players and recruits Cal had coming in. Like it or not, unless it is a kid that grows up in Ky. Most players are committing to the coach not the program for basically all schools. The name Kentucky gets people to answer their phones and open their doors. It is the coach in most cases though that players are committing to and going to that school for. When that coach leaves, most players will follow. Especially in todays world where there is no year of having to sit out when you transfer. 

1 hour ago, nikeman49 said:

Didn’t hear Pope say NBA one single time yesterday, very refreshing to not hear that, let’s play for Ky basketball for a change, he did say the jersey was a proud thing to wear, haven’t heard that statement in a long time also.

I guess we didn’t listen to the same press conference if you didn’t hear him talk about the NBA. He even had a whole section of him talking about NBA players and what they talked about. Then even mentioned how we will will get a mix of some burger boys who are one and done, to go along with players who will be here and stay and develop. 
 

Completely agree on the jersey thing though. 

1 hour ago, Jumper_Dad said:

I'm not sure he got NIL at all, he came late and left early the first year of NIL. UK was notoriously behind on rolling out basketball NIL.

The resources that he used didn't take away from anyone else, so it didn't really matter that he was there or wasn't there.

Sharpe's "handlers" are the ones to blame for the entire situation. 

Exactly! I guarantee Cal was just upset and probably even more than us fans about the whole situation and how he basically got lied to and played by Sharpe’s handlers. 

1 hour ago, Oldercoach said:

All the press at that time quoted Cal as saying he promised his father he would not play Sharpe until he thought he was ready to successfully play at the SEC level.  Toward tournament time when the Cats were injury heavy, Cal never said he wasn’t ready, he just repeated his promise to his father.  Message received by BBN was NBA readiness took priority over team.

Once again even during all that time Sharpe was promising to still be back for the next season. The whole reason why he enrolled in January was suppose to be only to get ready for the next college season, not to play that season. That is the whole reason why he was even allowed to enroll early and join the team. Sharpe and his people were promising he would be around for the next year. If Cal knew he wouldn’t stay, I guarantee he would have never been allowed to join the team. Cal is not going to come out in the public and put down the player  and his people for lying to him. However, zero chance Cal allows him to join the team if he thought Sharpe wouldn’t be around the next year. 

1 hour ago, okie1 said:

Cal allowed him to stay on the bench and use up NIL money and UK resources.

Remember his camp also kept telling Cal that he was not going to the NBA and only enrolled early in January so he could get use to college, and would be getting ready for the next season to help the Cats. I guarantee you that Cal wouldn’t have ever brought him in, if he knew Sharpe and his camp was basically going to use him and UK like that. 

1 hour ago, Oldercoach said:

BBN spoke pretty loudly yesterday at the Presser turned Pep Rally welcoming Mark Pope back to lead the Cats.  Very easy to conclude the NBA farm team objective had run past its’ sell-buy date.  I personally had two things that broke my support:  1).  Not playing S. Sharpe 2 years ago when he was desperately needed because it might hurt his draft stock, and 2). This team is “built for March”.

Cal is not the one that decided for Sharpe not to play. Sharpe is the one who chose not to play. 

I don’t think Wagner has mentioned the portal or anything yet. If Pope could get Wagner, Thiero, Burks, and big Z to stay that would be a great start. Then if somehow Sheppard came back, that would be amazing. Fill in the rest with a freshman or two and transfers.

Out of the recruits that were committed. The biggest one I hope Pope can get to stay is Somto Cyril. Have someone like him to rotate in with big Z would be huge IMO. 

That was awesome! So far he is doing and saying everything right. However, now just comes down to getting it done on the court. Which is really the only question in regards to the hire. Other than that it is a home run so day. 

1 hour ago, Randy Parker said:

I agree on Cal needing to be gone because next year would likely show no improvement from this year.  I am just not sold on Pope. 

That’s what makes this hiring so hard to know how to feel. Just no way of knowing how it would work out. When Calipari was hired, I think everyone knew things were going to get better in a hurry. Just no way of knowing on this. The one thing we do know, is he should bring a style that in terms of how they play similar to what it was like when Pitino was here. Which is a style everyone said they loved. Offensively they should be fun to watch, defensively should be aggressive some pressing, zone, and man. So the play style should be a style people like, since similar to what Pitino did while here. Now the question is can he produce the results. 

2 hours ago, DragonFire said:

I 100% cannot see what Sheppard can do to improve his draft stock more than it is right now.  I don't think I've seen him projected below 7th in any mock, and currently as high as 3rd.  This is a very weak class - he could have a great year next year at Kentucky and slide backward.

By far one of the things I respected most about Cal is that he put the player's future above everything else.  Yes, it was frustrating at times.  But he knew that most likely they'd harm themselves to pass on the opportunity, and he forced them to make the right choice.  Sheppard needs to go (even though frankly, he isn't NBA ready).

If Sheppard does choose to go to the NBA this year. Should we blame Calipari for recruiting a kid that cared more about going to the NBA than the name Kentucky across his jersey? If Sheppard cares more about the name across the jersey, then he will be back. At least that is what people like to say. 
 

Which btw I 100% hope he is back, but I wouldn’t blame him one bit for leaving with him looking to be a lottery pick. 

45 minutes ago, nikeman49 said:

This is just pure class by Ricky P, love it!!

Agreed it was! Definitely a far way from when he was flipping off UK fans when he was the UL coach. 

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. 

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. 

2 minutes ago, MaddenCurse44 said:

I would love to see Pope add Sheppard to the coaching staff.

I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he did add a former wildcat to his staff. I don’t it would be Sheppard though, I could see Scott Padgett who has been coaching. I also hope he can keep Tyler Ullis. I think Ullis is a very good up and coming coach. Then fill out the rest of the staff with people good at recruiting, and or good at whatever he views his weakness is as a coach. 

53 minutes ago, FrankNicodemus said:

Another thing on Pope, the dude has basketball in his blood.  The guy super smart was going to Med School to be a Doctor!!!  After a few years at Med School, said you no what I miss basketball too much and want to get into coaching!  This guy is going to put every ounce into this program.

Plus in my mind I just (it's a feeling I get) think he is going to care more about hanging Final Four/Championship banners in Rupp then recruiting 1st round NBA draft picks.  I just feel like he is going to build a team that is built to WIN in college for his beloved UK Wildcats.  I realize I am bias b/c I can't stand NBA and could care less that Cal has 50+ UK players playing or played in the NBA, what I care about is the fact that he had all that NBA talent and we hung 1 Championship banner in Rupp in 15 years!

I can't compare what he has done at Utah Valley and BYU and think its going to hinder his ability to succeed at UK.  It's like The Field of Dreams, if he builds it, People will Come!!!  When People show up, so will their $$$$.  I love the fact that he will have all those Old School Mid 1990s players around the program when BBN was created!!!! 

Kool - Aid has been drunk baby!!!!

Agreed with mostly everything in this post. Only thing I disagree with and this is just not you, but everyone that acts like Cal didn’t care about winning championships. Way to many people took what Cal to serious when he talked about getting players to the NBA and draft night. He is a salesman, and knew saying that is what players and parents wanted to hear. How he is going to do what is best for them to be successful in life and achieve their dreams.
 

Cal has a huge ego and so I guarantee there is nothing more he wanted than to have had gone 40 and 0 and hung as many banners as possible and be ahead of UCLA. Which he believe the best way to do that was getting the best talent, and to do that was to say things like he did about the NBA. Which that philosophy worked great his first 9 years. Just unfortunately that all changed when covid came and the game got older very quickly. 

I’ll give my prediction after I see what type of roster he puts together.  I do think he will get at least 20 wins though. 

It is time for us all to jump on the Pope bandwagon. No reason to be mad at him, if this doesn’t work out it is all on Mitch. Pope deserves our full support and hopefully Mitch found the next coaching legend. 

A few years ago there were many people saying they would want Kenny Payne to be the next coach, even though Payne had never been a head coach before. So if people back then were fine with Payne getting it with no head coaching experience back then. Then those same people should be happy about this, because Pope has least been a head coach and been sort of successful at places that not the easiest to be successful at. So I am glad Pope has head coach experience, even though this will be a very big jump for him.