I’m so excited to see what Coach Pope brings to the program. He understands Kentucky basketball heart and soul. This is a great step for us and we can’t wait to give him our full support!!! Welcome home Mark!! GO BIG BLUE!!!!
The energy I felt in rupp gave me chills.. really felt like something special was happening, and my girlfriend actually had to talk me into going and I am glad I did. Truly a moment I'll never forget. If rupp was like this during home games there isn't another atmosphere in the country that can match it. Absolutely incredible. I think Mark pope might, just might brought back that 90s energy when UK was on the top of the game, and my gawd if he starts winning, this program will reach prestige it hasn't seen since 2009-2015.
As a UK fan I totally agree. A lot of is felt entitled, so not winning force ppl to hate Cal.. as if there arent 40 other coaches who has been with the same school with 1 or no championship at all
@@RedMissileGaming The mans only been coaching a few years, give it a rest and let someone with a brain talk. Think about the support he’s gonna get at Kentucky. It’s the Mecca of college basketball and he’s as hungry as Kentucky fans are players are to win. He will prove you wrong.
If you are not a UK fan, then why the hell are you here trolling and acting like a scorn female?? I don't go to any other schools site to give my opinion because I care nothing about them!..sorry azz's like this love making others negative & sad like like them...
For those still hung up on the Pope's resume, of the four traditonal Bluebloods in college basketball, Mark Pope has the most impressive resume of any of the four head coaches when they were hired. Hubert Davis of North Carolina had never been a head coach. Joh Scheyer of Duke had never been a head coach. Both were legacy hires like Pope. Bill Self of Kansas was the only one of the four who wasn't a legacy hire, and when he was hired, he had a slightly lower winning percentage than Pope and ten years HC experience compared to Pope's nine. Self had seven years HC experience at mid-majors and three at a P5 program before being hired, compared to Pope's eight years mid-major and one P5 (with it worth mentioning that he successfully handled BYU's transition to the P5 level). 75% of the Bluebloods currently have legacy hires, which makes sense because they have the previous success to draw talent from.
Give him a chance. He loves Kentucky and knows what it means to play for the name on the front of the jersey not the name on the back. At least he wants to win not inflate his ego like Cal did.
@@RedMissileGaming he took BYU into Phog Allen (a place Fraschilla says is worth 7pts a game minimum) and beat Kansas, Cal took the most talent he has had in at least 5 years to a neutral court and lost. You take your hall of fame retiree and I will take the guy with intensity and purpose, every single time.
I’m SO pumped! I wasn’t against Cal like many were. I respect he cares about the players first. I genuinely believe that but I hate the One and Done. With all that said, Cal is now gone, wasn’t treated well considering he deserved to be treated with respect at least. However, I’m excited to see what Pope will do! I think he’s gonna do great!
@@derekmiles9069 Idk about in the ground lol that’s not exactly how I would describe it bc after BCG it was a completely different story but I do think it’s more important for everyone to show their support and get behind this program now more than ever
Hate I couldn’t be there part of being a Kentucky fan in Alabama, but watching looked great. The next test as far as crowd is concerned is let’s see how the fan base shows up come tip off time.
@@joshbright1770 yea have to agree the program wasn’t ran in the ground lol. It was before my time though by Eddie Sutton when left the program on deaths door. The problem with Calipari is something that he honestly told us from day one he was a players first coach. He prides himself on getting kids to the next step as quickly as he can which is a lesson Arkansas fans will learn probably sooner rather than later he place’s getting kids drafted ahead of program success.
I had the pleasure of meeting him back in 1996. Super nice guy. He understands the tradition here and how crazy the fans can be at times. He will be great for the program.
This crowd got me excited about college sports again. With all the digital experiences, pump up videos and music at stadiums, nothing replaces the fans' genuine zeal and enthusiasm for their team! Despite being a Sconnie fan, can't wait to see how BBN brings this excitement back.
I believe Barnhart did a gr8 job with this pick, evntho it seemed a liotle underwhelming and let down the night I heard it. Like most of us, the excitment the next day grew to aa levl i havent felt in a long time. The more we looked into wt he has done with BYU the last few years and the type of exciting, efficient, and the difficult to guard offense he implements with the lower level of talent compared to what hell be able to bring to Kentucky is a no brainer that gr8 success will follow, and id be willing to bet, fairly quickly. The way he was makin noise in the big 12, there no doubt he would be 1 of the future up and coming names/talents in the college coaching world within the next 2 years anyway. Also, Barnhart deserves a lot of credit, not only for this hidden gem, but also for Stoops and wt hes done, will do to the football program. 2024 gonna be a big year for KY sports...Go CATS!!!
I agree with those who complain about how Barnhart went about it, but the outcome was exactly what we needed to heal and unify. All those who felt detached from the program for years are back in the fold. That's why it feels like old times again.
A lot of disgruntled UK fans who had been biting their tongues (or not in a few cases) for years, including a number of former players, are very happy with this change. Our old coach used "la Familia" as a talking point. Our new coach exemplifies what that word means!
Let’s go! I’m excited about mark pope. I wasn’t at first but now I just have a feeling he’s gunna give us that comeback story! And when he does it’s gunna be great!
I was personally very bummed out that Cal left and not excited about the Pope hire at first. But Cal was really correct about something.....sometimes you just need a different leader and a different voice. This new voice and leader has given me so much excitement for the future. I don't know if it will be better than Cal's teams. It will certainly be different. I am ready for it.
I hold no animosity toward Cal, but if he had stuck to his statements early at UK about this being a ten-year job and left in the mid 2010's, his legacy would be much better remembered.
I have watched this about 100 times. That being said, just watching this has changed my mind completely about this new era of Kentucky basketball. If you call yourself a Kentucky fan but you can’t make yourself get behind Mitch’s hire them there are one of two things wrong. #1-I believe you were never a real UK fan ride or die!!! How could you be?? He is one of our own. He was on the greatest team ever put on the court. (Mine and a lot of college basketball talking heads!!) The 96 team were stacked and they were the definition of a team along with the definition of many other words. For example: heart, resilience, grit, determination, and CHAMPIONS to name a few. The second 5 Pitino put on the floor were just as great as the starting 5. Matter of fact it has been said many times that UKs second 5 could not only beat any other team or start for any other school in the country but they could also beat the starting 5. That is one deep, talented team!! #2- well……really there isn’t a number 2. The only thing I can come up with is that if you can’t get behind one of our own then you are too young and haven’t been around long enough to remember Pope being on the court. That’s ok!! Give the man a chance!! He loves this school, state, team, and anything Kentucky as much as any of the rest of us do. He may not have the polished resume as Cal, Jay Wright, Danny Hurley, or any of the rest of the coaches that were named but I know he has one thing none of those other guys had. That is pure love for UK. That alone makes me excited about where things are going for the team. Give him time I firmly believe we are going to be just fine. GO BIG BLUE!!!!
I always saw Cal as a politician and a sellsmen! The Pope has a more genuine air, plus he's humble, grateful, understanding, enthusiastic, positive - a natural leader with charisma and education! A lot of brains and talent. He shall be successful, this I do not doubt!
Hahaha, noted. Mixing up defenses, playing for banners, leading the country in 3s made, and the best one .... this is not my team, it's OUR team! Go Cats
We gotta give him a chance. If we don't even make the NCAA Tournament next year I would be good with it. He has to build his program and it won't happen overnight. So give the man a chance. I couldn't tell you the players on our teams for the past six or seven years. I had given up on calipari and was over the one and done ten years ago. We WERE a doormat for the NBA. Not anymore. GO BIG BLUE!!!!!
😂Waylon Jenningsly: He's Gonna to Turn the Ship Around, He's Gonna make us a Champion College MBB School, He's Got Greatness in his Soul, Coach Mark Pope will Bring us Back to Gloryland!!! Chorus: Coach Mark Pope is a Winner, He knows how to Coach a Winner, UKMBB will Win #9 within 7 Yrs, He Also Loves to Sing, Coach Mark Pope, You are our Wildcat MBB Coach!!! #KSR #BBN #kyjoe
I wasn’t buying it at first. But he feels for this program like a coach should. I was pissed when I heard he was hired. Now, I think he is actually man for the job. Let’s get it pope!
He needs to view it as an opportunity. He saw the old guys getting off that bus. If he stays one more year, he'll be able to write his own ticket for the rest of his life in the state of Kentucky. Surely that's worth delaying the NBA for one year.
If you want a coach that will truly love the program/state Pope is your guy. If hanging banners in Rupp is the goal, this is not the answer. Folks, this is not 1996.
All UK sports are in a great place now. UK FOOTBALL is breaking school records and winning vs Florida, and Tennessee. UK Baseball is doing great and now UK BASKETBALL is in good hands.
Lets remember these other coaches we wanted didnt win immediately. Took years, some times double digit years before a championship was won. Im not expecting success quickly. I do feel he will have it rolling in 3 years time, but i wouldnt be upset if it took 13 years so long as we are still being true to UK and laying the foundation for long-term success. Ok with waiting a decade + if we are building a dynasty
Not trying to rain on your parade.....but, as a fan of a rival SEC team, this presser makes me smile with anticipation. This dude is, well, he's a goober lol.
Guy has no resume, talk about what you are going to do to win. This is so much false positivity. Prove me wrong. Great personality and speaker but boy does he not have the resume to coach at Kentucky.
He took a mid-major stepping up to the B12 and beat Kansas at Phog, breaking the nation's 3rd-longest homecourt winning streak (and beat them in the final standings thanks to that win as a tie-breaker). What did Cal do against Kansas on a neutral floor last year? He beat Gonzaga. What did Cal do against Gonzaga last year?
@@wtk6069 Kansas ended up having a horrible year, beating Kansas held no weight this year, they lost first round in March. The long winning streak at home, I didn’t realize that was broken, that’s an awesome accomplishment. But be real, you are trying to say bc mark pope beat two teams Kentucky lost to this year is enough proof that he has what it takes? He doesn’t have the resume to be coaching Kentucky. I really hope he proves me wrong, but at the moment looks like he’s a great speaker and family man, but why isn’t he talking about what he’s going to do to win?
Nobody noticed booed the goose, am telling you right now he is not going be able to recruit black players at this level. Crowd booing that's republican ky. Once again fans screwed him before he started. Top players talk to each other. Good luck
Yeah, considering there isn't another program in the SEC that can bring this type of energy. Other than Alabama football. UK fanbase bar none, is the greatest fan base in the country, so as a hater that you are, better hope the Pope doesn't succeed, because if he does, UK will be back to the most prestigious program in the country like it once was.
Try recruiting at a school where all the athletes have to swear off sex, alcohol, everything that kids at college do. Yet he beat Baylor, Kansas and Iowa State. Finished with the same record as Kansas
This is more than a one year project and people need to start realizing that. He has a multi-year contract and fans should evaluate him on the latter end of what happens on that contract i.e. 2-3 years from now.
All you Kentucky fans are delusional. Your program just hired not the first or the second, and probably not the third candidate they wanted for your basketball program. I got a feeling you guys will be looking for another coach in 4 years. Good luck.
First off what was your press conference attendance for your new coach? How many banners does Arkansas have in hoops? Enjoy the next 5 years will be ready.
AD Mitch Barnhart made a Great Decision in Choosing Coach Mark Pope as Our New UKMBB Coach!!! #kyjoe is a Coach Mark Pope Backer: I am Ready to See #9!!! It Sounds like a Song!!! I would like to Sing a UK Rap Song with with Coach Mark Pope!!! #KSR #BBN #kyjoe
Very interesting. Love his enthusiasm. This isn't going to be a quick fix. A whole new philosophy is needed. I believe this is the right route to take. Throwin money at someone who looks at it as just the next job is not the answer. This guy really wants to be there and that means something.
he undertood the assignment some quotes he said pretty much ensures that he knows what it takes and what to expect on both sides. i know he was the 5th choice on Mitch’s list and only was on there because he played for UK but i’ll give him a chance. i expect him to AT LEAST be a borderline tournament team year 1.
