@SaLtYdOgZ @wackassKYfan44 @KySportsRadio I was frustrated too with those losses. You know in the middle of coach k's duke tenure they lost to mercer and Lehigh right?
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Michael Stearns
748 posts
@wackassKYfan44 @StearnsHoops @KySportsRadio And lost to Oakland and St. Peters in the opening round.
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Kentucky waited a long time to try and get Stokes…passed on giving money on some targets in order to grab him
It didn’t work out and he went way it looked like he would for some time. Kentucky needs to find a replacement that is very talented and the options aren’t plentiful
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@wackassKYfan44 @KySportsRadio Got to 4 final fours as well. Doesn't guarantee a title. Does guarantee more times than not to be a contender. Look at all the final four teams from this yr. All of them at 1 elite lottery level frosh.
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@StearnsHoops @KySportsRadio Top guys won one champ in 14 years
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@KyleTuckerCBB I mean yeah when you hire a coach based on only the fact he went here and not actually his coaching resume that's kinda what you get. Kentucky fans initial reaction is turning out to be right. I for one was outraged by the decision to hire pope and mitch limititing the search.
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And just to bottom-line it: Kentucky is not comporting itself as a top program in college basketball under Pope.
It just isn’t. Zero lottery pick-level high school recruits signed, one top-15 transfer (with a torn ACL) signed in three cycles.
Kyle Tucker@KyleTuckerCBB
Losing to Bill Self on the guy Self wanted most is not really a knock on Mark Pope. Putting your entire Class of 2026 recruiting focus on trying to get the guy Self wanted and everyone told you he would probably get … is a mind-boggling mistake.
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@KySportsRadio With that being said I don't think you need 3 or 4 of them players and don't believe you can win with that today. I do believe you need a bonafide NBA level star and pope has yet to get one.
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@KySportsRadio It really was Cal university and people in this fanbase scoffed at the idea. It truly was. UK never got top guys before Cal. It's trending to be true after him as well. Cal just signed the #1 class at Arkansas.
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@KySportsRadio If I'm being honest next season will probably go similar to this season. Be ok and maybe win a game in the tourney. Nothing great nothing really disastrous either. Just meh. Then the new ad has a decision to make. It's hard for me to see them making a change if new ad is in house
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Pitino stealing Freeman from Pope would be diabolical move…but in the portal there is no loyalty
For UK, getting neither Freeman or Rancik would be a huge fumble. Maybe they salvage it in another direction but the goal was to leave the weekend with one guaranteed
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@KySportsRadio Hopefully that Nike advantage comes through.
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Tyran Stokes is currently live on Instagram shooting in Rupp Arena
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@GoodmanHoops @KySportsRadio It doesn't really matter what he is off the court. Pope has to show that he can recruit top guys. The fact is he hasn't got a top recruit.
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@KySportsRadio Mark Pope and Tyran Stokes together would be a reality show.
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If Mark Pope wants to get Kentucky fans back unanimously “all in”, getting the #1 recruit in America to commit would be the way to make it happen
Throw in a good portal class and BBN will be back cookin with grease
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@KySportsRadio It's hard to replace a guy that shot 41% from 3 and is that type of athlete. Pope has a lot of work ahead of him and I have little faith he will get it done.
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Losing Chandler is a tough blow for Mark Pope in a lot of ways
I think he is replaceable on the Basketball court but from a perception standpoint it hurts…especially after 10 days ago, it was assumed by everyone at UK he was returning
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@JimmyCorley1 @CBSSportsCBB @CWalkerSports Yeah I was wrong on Richmond. Depending on which mock you look at Thomas is end of 1st early 2nd. Pretty sure bleacher report had him at 25.
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"Think about the talent [Calipari] had at Kentucky? He had about 2-3 Acuffs."
@CWalkerSports says Arkansas is a good team, but the talent level was just not enough to get to the Final Four.
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@RealJayWilliams Well in 20 or 30 yrs and you want to come back to a place and be celebrated then they can go elsewhere. Get tf out of here with that bs.
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The new alumni base is transactional now TH. Loyalty isn’t to the school anymore… it’s to the coach who changed your life.
Tyrese Haliburton@Hali
Went to text the guys who played at Kentucky about this game and forgot they think they Arkansas alum now🤣
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@KySportsRadio That's why his recruiting philosophy won't work and he is done here. Does he realize how old these kids he is recruiting were the last time UK was dominant? Like that pitch isn't working on anybody.
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I think the focus needs to be on getting the best players and teaching them what Kentucky is when they get here
Wyatt Huff@Wildcat_wave
Mark Pope: “I think our focus is finding guys that want to be at Kentucky because of what Kentucky is. …We’ll find the guys, there's no play like place like this”
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@MattNorlander That's way too generous. It's a C at best.
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Too much spent on a team that wasn't a Sweet 16 threat is an issue in that town, of course.
But: made S16 as a 3 last year. Also got Friday's all-timer juxtaposed against today's loss vs. a much better team. Wasn't expected to win. I think I'd go B overall for Pope two years in.
Eye On College Basketball Podcast@EyeOnCBBPodcast
Kentucky fans, what's Mark Pope's grade through two seasons with Big Blue?
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@KySportsRadio Iowa St coach is who we should've went after not pope. Popes program has a lot of soul searching in the off-season or this thing is over.
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This second half is a pretty embarrassing way to end this season
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@ByPatForde You still think UK gets a favorable whistle? I mean it's easy when the fouls aren't even or when a dude doesn't get a tech for kicking the ball. I mean they are grabbing and hold on every play. UK does it and gets called for 4 fouls in 11 sec.
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@RobDauster They aren't calling it evenly. So you are telling me the Iowa St isn't grabbing and holding ball handlers? Then not calling a tech on the guy that kicked the ball is ludicrous.
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Eight fouls in four minutes to open the second half. Free throw contest incoming.
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@jeffborzello A lot of bs calls. I love how Iowa St is just throwing their bodies into defenders and getting every call. Also how can a dude kick a ball after it went out of bounds intentionally and not get called for a tech?
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Iowa State shoots 29% from the field, 19% from 3 and misses five free throws ... but still close on an 8-0 run to take a one-point lead on Kentucky at the half.
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@KySportsRadio It's a mo and garrison game. They are just stronger with the ball. It's a game you have to be strong with it and jelly and Moreno are not strong with it.
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Kentucky’s bigs just cannot handle this Iowa State pressure. They panic as soon as the double team comes
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@RowlandRIVALS Yeah because when a guy's just throwing his body into people and they call a foul I mean what are you going to do about that? Like lipsey got a foul call when he was falling down before any contact was made.
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ISU is 0/8 from three-point range but the Cyclones have shot 11 free throws (none for UK).
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