The Time is Nigh: UA vs UK Game Thread

[buff2.0]

I still think Kentucky didn't want to look like they were caught off guard so they went and made the fast call to the guy they knew would come back.

I mean, after all, who would leave KENTUCKY!?  Pope was going to come back to his alma mater, and it's an easy sell to the fans because 1. He won a championship there as a player, and 2. It's Kentucky, anybody's gonna win there, right!?

They weren't going to risk being publicly told no by anyone else, so they already had Pope on the hook.

[Show-Me Hog]

I think Pope will do fine at Kentucky. He's going to apply a more "team focused" approach and probably be less about the one-and-done types. So there will likely be an adjustment period but at the end of the season if you be winning games then who gives a fuck about recruiting rankings and all that shit. I know his current team is a mix of his boys from BYU and other hired guns but over the long haul I think we'll see him establish what little culture a college basketball coach can possibly have from season to season.

That all being said if Pope can't get it done within 4 or 5 years I doubt he'll be there to see a 6th season. He may go down as a bridge hire while Kentucky tries to figure it's shit out. And once again we must remind ourselves that these blue collar programs don't have nearly the appeal (including us) now that you can pay guys to come to any damn place.  Somehow I figure somebody will want that job though for many years to come but if you are already winning and established why move?

Blue collar.

Blue chip?

Are we either one?