[Westside]

I like Mark Pope.  I prefer him over Cal any day.  Having stated that, ALMOST every successful coach I have ever met had a huge ego and had a bit of a mean streak.  I have never met the man, but Mark Pope doesn't seem to possess those two characteristics.  Do you think he is too down to earth and too nice to win a national championship?

[-STAT-]

I think we've all grown accustomed to most coaches having those type of ego, holier than thou attitudes. Obviously don't see Pope having that kind of mentality, but I do agree about showing more of a mean streak or an aggressive side, especially when it comes to poor officiating, but who am I to judge?

I think at this point tho his players and everyone else would be surprised to see him act like that, maybe even get popped with a T. He used an interesting strategy in regard to the officiating, saying that him and his staff are studying the officiating, which calls are being made and how effective those calls are. I did love what he said tho that the whistles are not going to win and lose games, just like the UGA game last night despite how poor they were, it was also just poor play that lost.

As for Pope's demeanor, in some ways it may be a good thing for him to stay like he is, as he can focus more on the task at hand, especially during a game, but at the same time I'd love to see him show a little more fire if something doesn't go their way in regard to the refs.

[Granny Bear]

I cannot believe how much restraint Pope and a couple of the players, showed during that game.

You know, I coached over 30 years in some capacity or another, and I never got a technical foul. I deserved some, but I never received one.

By the time the Georgia game was over, I was very angry. Would not have wanted to take my BP at the time.

I don't like dirty players, i.e. the flopping crap, but I think we could be more aggressive. And I think we need to get that sooner rather than later.

[-STAT-]

I cannot believe how much restraint Pope and a couple of the players, showed during that game.

You know, I coached over 30 years in some capacity or another, and I never got a technical foul.  I deserved some, but I never received one.

By the time the Georgia game was over, I was very angry.  Would not have wanted to take my BP at the time.

I don't like dirty players, i.e. the flopping crap, but I think we could be more aggressive.  And I think we need to get that sooner rather than later.

One thing I've always paid attention to is how much a team plays to the identity of their coach, mainly high school & college level. 

Pope does show a ton of restraint as do the players, but we all know Pope's style of coaching, up-tempo pace, spreading the floor, running zoom sets with pin-down screens and high ball screens, which is all great but we've seen the lack of urgency or toughness when it comes down to it. Have to think if Pope showed a little emotion on a questionable call, maybe that would ignite the team to start playing with more physicality, idk what it would take, maybe Pope getting a technical just as a motivating factor? I've seen that work more times than not.

[plantmanky]

I dont think it matters who the Kentucky coach is, under the current environment, Kentucky will never win a basketball championship.

[King Kong]

I like Popes cool, calm,  laid back attitude.  Believe it translates over to the team well.  I believe it helps to have a calm attitude like that in the coaching profession.  With all they deal with on a 24/7 basis.  Especially at the pinnacle of college basketball UK.  Pope knows the expectations of Kentucky basketball.  He's been there and done that,  lived the part as a player.  I believe he knows what it takes to meet those expectations as a coach. 

I do like to see a coach get onto the refs a little.  I'm sure he is working the refs just in a calm way.  It wouldn't hurt for him to get a technical every now and then.  That sometimes gets the team fired up and they go on a run.  As I think OSH mentioned,  just as long as Pope doesn't go full blown Bob Knight and hurl chair's across the court lol

[Old School Hound]

I like Mark Pope.  I prefer him over Cal any day.  Having stated that, ALMOST every successful coach I have ever met had a huge ego and had a bit of a mean streak.  I have never met the man, but Mark Pope doesn't seem to possess those two characteristics.  Do you think he is too down to earth and too nice to win a national championship?

I was gonna post the same thing. The answer is likely YES , YES, YES!!!! Nice guys finish... well, not first. We might win the title for the softest, sweetest bunch of guys in the country. We might win the MTCI(Mormon Tabernacle Choir Invitational).But, we aren't winning a title as long as Pope remains a gentle giant on the sideline. Pope is a sweet family man stalking the sidelines. Todd Golden is a sexual predator stalking young college girls.. For once, I'd like to see Pope lose his flippin' mind on some of his softies,  like Jaxon Robinson, and others. I also would have liked him to get sideways with  those horrible officials at Georgia. 

I just don't know if a sweet guy can be nasty when he needs to be. Pope needs to harden his heart if he's gonna compete with sexual predators like Todd Golden and general ass wipes like Dan Hurley.  Our softness and sweetness, unfortunately, shows up on the court. I want a couple of guys who are just an illegal screen or a drop step from committing a felony. We need tough, physical guys to compete in this league. I don't know that you can teach that. Either you are tough, and a little nasty, or you're not. We're not.

[jetpilot]

Just for the record, there is zero evidence that Todd Golden is a sexual predator or a sexual anything else. Decent people, like they always do, are waiting for the facts to come out.

PS Our team is way too soft.

[Old School Hound]

Just for the record, there is zero evidence that Todd Golden is a sexual predator or a sexual anything else. Decent people, like they always do, are waiting for the facts to come out.

PS Our team is way too soft.

Definitely spot on with your PS.   But can that be changed?  Can truly nice guys become nasty when they need to be?
You are I are truly nice guys. I'm sure everyone would agree by how genteel we are in our political posting. lol. It would likely be impossible for us to be mean and nasty. I'm not sure our Mormon coach has the nastiness he needs to win national titles. Hurley clearly has it. Cal is a nice guy but I think he can get down and dirty. Same was true for Coach K, Dean Smith, Jimmy V, RMK. Bill Self seems like a nice enough fella but I bet he has some slime in his DNA. Mick Cronin  has some mean. The alcoholic out in Spokane is an excellent coach with some bad behavior capability. 
 
I'm not saying I want my coach to stalk young college girls like Golden, but I don't want my coach to be a goody two shoes. A team is a reflection of their coach. Our guys and our coach are soft, goody two shoes.

[Cactus Jack]

I find it odd that no one has read about or heard Pope himself talk about how he changed his coaching style from a more intense, in your face attitude like he'd seen in his playing days to what he is now.

Don't know that Pope is so much soft as much as it is that he seems more polite and charitable than mean and unforgiving.

Will say that he seems to have much more of a pro coaching style than most college coaches.

Not saying there isn't a place for different coaching styles at all levels, but I couldn't see a Jim Calhoun type coach being as successful in the pros because you just can't coach them like that.

There are plenty of coaches who yell in player's faces and berate officials that do really well, but plenty of others do the same and fail.

Same for coaches who are calm, cool, collected, and generally just more positive and pleasant overall. There's a John Wooden, Roy Williams, or Phil Jackson for every Bobby Knight or Dan Hurley.


Think Pope is going to be more finesse than physical for at least a bit longer, and sometimes really skilled, finesse teams are great but still appear soft (like some of the best Golden State teams).

I think he eventually gets a better blend of skill and physicality, but it's going to take some time.

At any rate, I wouldn't call Oweh, Butler, or Williams "soft"-- maybe just soft-spoken at times. Garrison doesn't seem to mind getting into the middle of scrums either.

[King Kong]

I find it odd that no one has read about or heard Pope himself talk about how he changed his coaching style from a more intense, in your face attitude like he'd seen in his playing days to what he is now.

Don't know that Pope is so much soft as much as it is that he seems more polite and charitable than mean and unforgiving.

Will say that he seems to have much more of a pro coaching style than most college coaches.

Not saying there isn't a place for different coaching styles at all levels, but I couldn't see a Jim Calhoun type coach being as successful in the pros because you just can't coach them like that.

There are plenty of coaches who yell in player's faces and berate officials that do really well, but plenty of others do the same and fail.

Same for coaches who are calm, cool, collected, and generally just more positive and pleasant overall. There's a John Wooden, Roy Williams, or Phil Jackson for every Bobby Knight or Dan Hurley.


Think Pope is going to be more finesse than physical for at least a bit longer, and sometimes really skilled, finesse teams are great but still appear soft (like some of the best Golden State teams).

I think he eventually gets a better blend of skill and physicality, but it's going to take some time.

At any rate, I wouldn't call Oweh, Butler, or Williams "soft"-- maybe just soft-spoken at times. Garrison doesn't seem to mind getting into the middle of scrums either.

Good point CJ about Golden St.  That's the blue print of finesse basketball.  They got like what,  4 championships playing that style.  It sometimes works.

[jetpilot]

I find it odd that no one has read about or heard Pope himself talk about how he changed his coaching style from a more intense, in your face attitude like he'd seen in his playing days to what he is now.

Don't know that Pope is so much soft as much as it is that he seems more polite and charitable than mean and unforgiving.

Will say that he seems to have much more of a pro coaching style than most college coaches.

Not saying there isn't a place for different coaching styles at all levels, but I couldn't see a Jim Calhoun type coach being as successful in the pros because you just can't coach them like that.

There are plenty of coaches who yell in player's faces and berate officials that do really well, but plenty of others do the same and fail.

Same for coaches who are calm, cool, collected, and generally just more positive and pleasant overall. There's a John Wooden, Roy Williams, or Phil Jackson for every Bobby Knight or Dan Hurley.


Think Pope is going to be more finesse than physical for at least a bit longer, and sometimes really skilled, finesse teams are great but still appear soft (like some of the best Golden State teams).

I think he eventually gets a better blend of skill and physicality, but it's going to take some time.

At any rate, I wouldn't call Oweh, Butler, or Williams "soft"-- maybe just soft-spoken at times. Garrison doesn't seem to mind getting into the middle of scrums either.

Don't think Pope is soft or the players but when they get manhandled on the boards repeatedly they are playing too soft.
NBA is a totally different game and is comparing apples to oranges. Plus I hate GS but they are plenty tough enough to not get manhandled. Plus officiating in the NBA is 100x better than the SEC and you rarely have to get mad at officials in the NBA. But in the SEC you have to get furious with the officials in the GA game when the home team is playing much more physical and aggressive yet there is a 30-8 FT advantage as one poster said. I think everyone agrees a technical foul can be beneficial in the right circumstance. So yeah, let the officials have it when they deserve it Coach Pope. And also if we keep getting manhandled we aren't going anywhere so get after it harder guys...

I love Pope and this team but they are going to have to ratchet up the toughness a notch or two.

[UKisN1]

Let's see...wins over Gonzaga, Duke, Florida, and Mississippi State. Nah, Pope can't win a championship. Oscar Meyer bologna

[Old School Hound]

Let's see...wins over Gonzaga, Duke, Florida, and Mississippi State. Nah, Pope can't win a championship. Oscar Meyer bologna

No one said he couldn't win  championship, just that his players are too soft. They have been pushed around, at times, by more physical teams. I'm still waiting for Mark to blow a gasket. It will be fun to see.

[UKisN1]

Planterman did

[Old School Hound]

Planterman did

Plantman also thinks everything is tied to Deep State. He is not of sound mind. Deep State had nothing to do with the hiring of Pope and will have nothing to do with who wins the national championship. Plant guy thinks so, though.

[4 Quarters]

Pope is like several other coaches, if he has some talent and the stars line up, he will win a championship.

[Old School Hound]

Pope is like several other coaches, if he has some talent and the stars line up, he will win a championship.

 I think he knows his craft well enough to win a title. It comes down to talent. I do wish he would exhibit some Billy Hicks-like volatility, though. Billy was a great guy, too, but he could flat get in an official's(or opposing coach's ) face when he needed to.