[16BBall Fan]

Final. A beat down we were outmanned and out talented tonight. Plus we shot terrible and our defense was back to what it looked like in January. Get rested and healed up and get ready for the NCAA Tournament next week.

[jetpilot]

We aren't going to beat a top team without Butler, period. Maybe not with him either. I love those guys but Perry, Noah and Chandler never see the floor on an elite team.

[Wildcat_blue]

I love this team and year but I’m afraid the injuries and turmoil are too much to overcome. Without butler are chances are cut by 50%, throw in Robinson and the others and we are depleted. For once and in a long time, we have something called veterans so their bodies are beat to death more lol, which is going to be something we will navigate through in the long run. I am hoping we can win the first round game and if we made it too the next weekend that would be unbelievable and awesome!! Regardless, mark pope has done a tremendous job and I think most will agree we hired the right man for now and our future is more promising than we have had in a while. Mark it down, this time next year it will be a different story! Big blue will finally get a chance to shine on the big stage. Pope will win a National Championship at the University of Kentucky! Not the story or outcome we may want this year but it doesn’t discourage me one bit!! I feel good where the program is and going. Go Big Blue

[4 Quarters]

Just ugly.

[Old School Hound]

It's very , very difficult to win a national championship. So many variables inviolved, including luck. There is no guarantee Mark will win a championship here.  In the end,  It really does come down to talent--- elite talent.   This is not a team with elite talent. As Jetpilot said, Chandler, Noah, and Perry would not see the floor on a team loaded with elite talent, like we had with Pitino and Calipari. Having said that,  I have loved watching those freshman play. You'e just not gonna win national titles with those guys getting significant minutes. I mean that  as no knock on them. They are fun to watch. Mark can win a Natty here but only if he can fill the roster with elite talent. At the end of the day, it comes down to having the most talented basketball players. We saw proof positive last night. Alabama is a much more talented basketball team.

[Spud6]

You can not win without a PG and we’ve lost Butler and Robinson. Zero shot of us being successful without a primary guy to bring the ball up. Perry and Chandler aren’t ready to be the guys for us and that’s ok. They are freshman.

[plantmanky]

Team can not put a string of wins together. The response to this loss will be huge. Has this team packed it in for the season?

[Granny Bear]

The "season" has finished.

At the beginning of the season, UK beat Florida, Gonzaga and Duke. Three "elite" teams. Now since that time, they have lost Kriisa, Robinson, and sporadic playing from Butler and Carr. ANY of those "elite" teams would be impacted from losing four of their starting five.

Instead of excuses and sob stories, Pope just goes to the next man. Pope takes accountability and is so positive in his coaching methods. There have been NO dumb ass excuses, just the best effort from what he believes are the best five available to play.

I love watching this team play. Whatever five are on the floor, they give it 100% in their effort and execution. Yes we have had set backs, but Pope's navigation throughout this season has been remarkable, IMO. And with this ragtag, beat up team, we've won more SEC tournament games than was won since 2022. And, in THOSE years, we weren't playing with kids who were injured or Freshman replacements.

I'm extremely thankful for Pope and his influence on this team. And I can't wait to see how far we go in the NCAA. I'm pretty sure we will win more than one game in that tournament, and THAT will also be a mile stone.

[4 Quarters]

Team can not put a string of wins together.  The response to this loss will be huge.  Has this team packed it in for the season?

Yes it does look like the end is approaching.

[rookie57]

You can not win without a PG and we’ve lost Butler and Robinson. Zero shot of us being successful without a primary guy to bring the ball up. Perry and Chandler aren’t ready to be the guys for us and that’s ok. They are freshman.

Love Noah’s heart and fight, but Noah, Perry and Chandler are not SEC caliber players.

[Old School Hound]

The "season" has finished.
   
At the beginning of the season, UK beat Florida, Gonzaga and Duke.  Three "elite" teams.  Now since that time, they have lost Kriisa, Robinson, and sporadic playing from Butler and Carr.  ANY of those "elite" teams would be impacted from losing four of their starting five.

Instead of excuses and sob stories, Pope just goes to the next man.  Pope takes accountability and is so positive in his coaching methods.  There have been NO dumb ass excuses, just the best effort from what he believes are the best five available to play.

I love watching this team play.  Whatever five are on the floor, they give it 100% in their effort and execution.  Yes we have had set backs, but Pope's navigation throughout this season has been remarkable, IMO.  And with this ragtag, beat up team, we've won more SEC tournament games than was won since 2022.  And, in THOSE years, we weren't playing with kids who were injured or Freshman replacements.

I'm extremely thankful for Pope and his influence on this team.  And I can't wait to see how far we go in the NCAA.  I'm pretty sure we will win more than one game in that tournament, and THAT will also be a mile stone.

AND  only two basketball teams in the history of the world have more top 15 wins than this season's UK team( Duke/70s and Indiana/90
s). ANYONE who says this UK team hasn't been successful really needs to relinquish their Big Blue fan card. It has been a highly successful and very fun season.

Hell, the two wins over Tennessee are enough to keep me positively giddy until next season. And yet, this tream has accomplished so much more. Add in wins over Duke and Florida and I don't see how any true fan couldn't be a happy camper. And all of this was done without a single elite talent on the roster. Hoping they have at least a couple more wins in them before we call it curtains on another season.

[Old School Hound]

Team can not put a string of wins together.  The response to this loss will be huge.  Has this team packed it in for the season?

Yes it does look like the end is approaching.

If, in fact, the end is appearing on the horizon , now is not the time to cast aspersions or place blame but reflect on the wondrous journey we've all been able to take with a truly remarkable band of Big Blue warriors. They have far exceeded most reasonable fans' expectations. Job well done. Let's get a few more wins!!!

[plantmanky]

You can not win without a PG and we’ve lost Butler and Robinson. Zero shot of us being successful without a primary guy to bring the ball up. Perry and Chandler aren’t ready to be the guys for us and that’s ok. They are freshman.

Love Noah’s heart and fight, but Noah, Perry and Chandler are not SEC caliber players.

Kentucky HS basketball is really really really bad compared to other states.  Your point is valid, just like it is in Football.  The more Kentucky kids you have on a UK team, the less competitive they will be.

[Old School Hound]

You can not win without a PG and we’ve lost Butler and Robinson. Zero shot of us being successful without a primary guy to bring the ball up. Perry and Chandler aren’t ready to be the guys for us and that’s ok. They are freshman.

Love Noah’s heart and fight, but Noah, Perry and Chandler are not SEC caliber players.

Kentucky HS basketball is really really really bad compared to other states.  Your point is valid, just like it is in Football.  The more Kentucky kids you have on a UK team, the less competitive they will be.

[Image: https://merriam-webster.com/assets/mw/im...9e1@1x.jpg]

[4 Quarters]

You can not win without a PG and we’ve lost Butler and Robinson. Zero shot of us being successful without a primary guy to bring the ball up. Perry and Chandler aren’t ready to be the guys for us and that’s ok. They are freshman.

Love Noah’s heart and fight, but Noah, Perry and Chandler are not SEC caliber players.

Kentucky HS basketball is really really really bad compared to other states.  Your point is valid, just like it is in Football.  The more Kentucky kids you have on a UK team, the less competitive they will be.

Just not sure I can buy inti this statement.

[Old School Hound]

You can not win without a PG and we’ve lost Butler and Robinson. Zero shot of us being successful without a primary guy to bring the ball up. Perry and Chandler aren’t ready to be the guys for us and that’s ok. They are freshman.

Love Noah’s heart and fight, but Noah, Perry and Chandler are not SEC caliber players.

Kentucky HS basketball is really really really bad compared to other states.  Your point is valid, just like it is in Football.  The more Kentucky kids you have on a UK team, the less competitive they will be.

Just not sure I can buy inti this statement.

As soon as you buy in to one of his crazy statements, he's ready to sell you another looney bill of goods that'll make your head explode. Ask him for proof that KY HS basketball is "really, really, really bad compared to other states."  He makes stuff up out of his deep state head.

[4 Quarters]

You can not win without a PG and we’ve lost Butler and Robinson. Zero shot of us being successful without a primary guy to bring the ball up. Perry and Chandler aren’t ready to be the guys for us and that’s ok. They are freshman.

Love Noah’s heart and fight, but Noah, Perry and Chandler are not SEC caliber players.

Kentucky HS basketball is really really really bad compared to other states.  Your point is valid, just like it is in Football.  The more Kentucky kids you have on a UK team, the less competitive they will be.

Just not sure I can buy inti this statement.

As soon as you buy in to one of his crazy statements, he's ready to sell you another looney bill of goods that'll make your head explode. Ask him for proof that KY HS basketball is "really, really, really bad compared to other states."  He makes stuff up out of his deep state head.

So true.  I'm thinking he was a used car salesman in the past, or even still. LOL

[jetpilot]

Kentucky boys are bad that's why everyone wanted Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson. Really excited Pope's 2nd team next year.

[4 Quarters]

Kentucky boys are bad that's why everyone wanted Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson. Really excited Pope's 2nd team next year.

Talen Kinney is being recruited 2026 heavy by numerous major schools.

---

Kentucky boys are bad that's why everyone wanted Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson. Really excited Pope's 2nd team next year.

E. J. Walker to S. Carolina.

[-STAT-]

Listen, you play with who you have, unfortunately at this point we ain't got much. No disrespect to Perry, Chandler, and Noah but they were in the water with sharks in this game, even tho they have come a long way this season due to the injuries, but it was a different world Friday night. You could tell Pope was visibly frustrated, especially with the team's effort in the 2nd half, they basically mailed it in pretty early and it got out of hand. Officiating was very bad in the first half, didn't determine the outcome of the game, but they were still bad.