Kentucky set to hire Mark Pope as Men’s Basketball Head Coach | Rapid Reaction

Kentucky is likely to hire Mark Pope as the schools next Men’s Head Basketball Coach and KSR is Rapidly Reacting to that news.

when the day started we thought today
was the day Kentucky was going to get
aead basketball coach we thought it was
going to be somebody with a national
championship on their
resume we didn’t think it was going to
be a national championship winner at the
University of
Kentucky all the reports are out Mark
Pope is going to be the next Kentucky
head basketball
coach it’s a stunner we’re shocked we
started the day thinking Scott drew
might be the guy we tracked the planes
all day we were breaking down Family
Feud episodes It’s been a wild 24 hours
and now a former wild cat is coming home
back to
Lexington and yeah we’re going to try to
find the words for it all I know there’s
some shocked people here we’re going to
help you get through it all um I I just
I I love that before we got on the air
the candid conversations we were
having it’s we’re we’re just going to
bring it right here because Tyler I know
that you were having trouble putting
words into the caliper decision on
Sunday night here we are again um do we
have more words
tonight there are a lot of words um I I
think shock is I was shocked on Sunday
I’m shocked right now um it’s been a
wild day you know we came in like you
said thinking Drew was the guy he passed
God told him no and then we went to Dan
Hurley he was offered the moon and said
no and so we’re like okay well we’re in
a holding pattern right you know it’s
Billy Donovan if if he wants to do it
we’re gonna have to wait maybe a week to
find out because of his situation and
Kentucky was going to put out feelers
with their second tier candidates and
all of a sudden Here Comes This report
that Mark Pope is a candidate and we all
love Mark Pope let’s let let’s get that
very clear you know won a national
championship with Kentucky was a team
captain at Kentucky has unbridled energy
and passion for this school so much that
he ripped his BYU CL like you know
coaching gear off to reveal his Kentucky
Jersey in a video that played at rep
Arena um I just think it’s I think I am
one of many people in BBN that as much
as I love him it feels very very soon
for this um I think fans will hopefully
get on board with this hire but it’s a
hire you want to get to after a little
bit you know you want to hear you know
Billy Donovan said no um we’re gonna
talk to Bruce Pearl we’re gonna talk to
Chris beard we’re gonna talk to all
these people and they’re gonna say no
and then it’s just well our third call
was was Mark Pope and not only that you
know he they it I don’t know when they
started interviewing him but it sounded
sooner than we all thought um it’s just
a lot and I kind of hate it for Mark
Pope because he knows this fan base
better than anyone he knows how crazy
everybody is and he’s probably hopefully
not checking his phone and seeing the
initial fan backlash but it just we
couldn’t have waited a few more days
like if it’s Mark Pope could we have
just C you could
I was talking with somebody tonight it’s
like you could have hired Mark Pope the
day before Big Blue Madness and he would
have come crawling right so it’s like
the the hiring somebody who hasn’t won
an NCAA Tournament
game when the other guys you talk to one
of them had won 12 straight one of them
had won a national championship that
that’s tough that’s tough Zach but
it this is just tough because we we we I
think all of us here is were selfish
like well after Scott drew like we’re
just going to be in this for at least
another week right it’s going to be a
process selfishly I was wanting to get
this thing wrapped up put a bow on it
did not
expect I none of us did um expect that
something would happen I actually texted
a friend today my thoughts on just even
offering him because there were
four I I thought really there’s there’s
there’s there’s four reasons why you
float out Mark Pope’s in name one it’s a
trial balloon you want to see the
reaction reaction wasn’t great two you
just buy some more time like here’s some
options while you look for other guys
and there’s another reason too you throw
the guy a bone right he’s a former cat
he’s done a great job this is a way to
raise his pedigree look at Dal Loggins I
think owes Kentucky some gratitude for
him getting the South Carolina offensive
coordinator job because he got mentioned
late in the Kentucky job like that
happens quite a bit in these coaches
andc
and then last but not least there’s a
chance that you put this out there
because you were just going after
National Championship winners and you’re
about to enter the second tier if you
have a guy who is like all right he’s
he’s a former player but he hasn’t won
any NCAA tournament games here is we
we’re going to lower the bar a little
bit reset reset
expectations and then go from there uh
it was not a reset at all that was the
the it was a legit legate floater
and the reaction from fans did not deter
anybody I’ll tell you one person who’s
happy it’s Rick patino because he he
called it he told us it was gonna happen
unbelievable High yeah I think just for
that 96 team like this is a big deal for
all those guys have one of their dudes
coaching but Mark Pope is not Billy
Gillespie but if you were to pull up the
resumés I mean it’s pretty much the same
thing that kenty’s hiring except glesby
had two more NCA tournament wins so
we’ve seen Mitch Barnhart make three
hires one was a no doubter the other one
was a huge question mark that Mitch
wanted to roll the dice on this one fits
the ladder so I I think there’s fair to
be have some skepticism in that and not
saying he’s he obviously gets Kentucky
and understands what it is and all of
that but just from a career estab or
accomplishment standpoint he’s in that
bucket of a hire like that
and so to me it’s the the process of the
search we don’t know everything about
the search we don’t know everyone they
interviewed some some was uncovered some
wasn’t this or that we know who the top
two guys were that was it
but but it’s a big leap if you’re saying
University of Kentucky the mark Pope who
is our is our next our best tier two
candidate that seems like a big leap to
me um and I don’t think that’s being
harsh or un or anything that just seems
like a like a big leap especially if you
remove the
UK aspect if you just take that out
right you know you can’t take it out
fully because he he understands the
place but if you just take that out if
you play it North
Carolina I don’t think they’re hiring
him or you know you could be skeptical
of that so that that is the one wor to
me it’s a very risky risky I think move
here when maybe it didn’t you didn’t
have to be this risky I think there
could have been other candidates you
could have pulled that would have been
safer bets than Mark Pope I think Mark
Pope you could you can make a case for
him in a few different areas oh seeing
National media go to B go to bat for him
a little bit tonight um and we’re going
to learn more about him as the weeks and
months uh progress but in the moment now
it just feels like an odd move for
Kentucky Jack I see a little bit more
5:00 shadow on your face probably the
most I’ve ever seen you’re the most
clean shaven guy I think I’ve ever been
around uh you’ve been sweating the
midnight oil with your sources you’ve
been talking to people all the time were
you as shocked as the rest of
us yeah I it it became apparent to me
that the mark Pope thing wasn’t just a
like Hey we’re going to float this idea
like when it f the name first came out
it was it was just kind of thought that
that was going to be the Baseline that
this was a hey we we tried on Dan Hurley
we tried on Scott Drew those are the top
of the top now here’s going to be the
Baseline absolute bare minimum just for
PR from a PR standpoint of okay fans
this is the lowest of the tiers it ain’t
gonna get any lower than this and I
think fans kind of thought okay well
it’s not gonna be Mark Pope but we can
meet in the middle somewhere of Shaka
smart let’s try for Billy Donovan how
about you know the crisp beards of the
world you go just go through that middle
tier of you know some of these other
guys that have you know have
accomplished more with more NCA
tournament success some of the things
that you look for and what they were
hoping for when you wanted John caliper
and some of the late frustrations of the
last four years without the NCA
tournament success you that thought it
was kind of the the working assumption
that that’s what they were going for and
then to find somebody that doesn’t have
any of those things you go okay well
what is the thinking here like what is
the the thought process in talking to
people tonight after the decision has
been made and it went final um they kind
of saw the Hubert Davis they saw the
John Shire they saw the okay we have the
foundation set we
know you know we know that with our
Resources with our
backing a lot of guys can come in here
and be successful how much more will it
elevate the floor by having a guy that
knows what it means to win a National
Championship knows what it means to play
for the front to be able to you know
looking at some of the early upcoming
recruiting guys Jasper Johnson Maliki
Mareno the instate guys a nice little
pool of talent of instate Talent what if
we can kind of use our resources a guy
that’s not known for his recruiting what
if he has our Resources with stepping
into the Big 12 doing what he was able
to do immediately a BYU A ranked team
for most of the year you know there’s a
lot to like from an analytical
standpoint without the actual tangible
postseason success and it’s my
understanding on Mitch barnhard side
side that he saw that and said we’ll
clear that Gap you have kind of the
working in the foundation with
everything at the basketball mind
standpoint and the tradition of Kentucky
basketball will take care of the rest on
our side so just talking from a Kentucky
standpoint that’s the thought process
and how we land on uh Mark Pope but I do
think that it is u a little out of touch
with uh the timing and and just not
getting a real read of the room when we
are 12 hours removed from you know
almost I mean Scott drew turned it down
12 hours ago and now we have a higher it
just it was not a great read of the room
for a fan base that is as hungry and
passionate and frustrated as any in
recent memory I mean you had 72 hours
essentially of yeah really fans foaming
at the mouth thinking about getting
Hurley or Scott drew here um Hurley the
two titles maybe the be the best guy in
college basketball right now Scott drew
could have a ready made roster just boom
you’re probably top 15 top 10 team like
that and now you’re saying so you know
we we did that but now we’re doing now
we’re doing this and it’s just like
that’s really the fallof like that’s
that’s a b and c here that’s what I
think is just like tough about situation
it’s a tough pill to swallow but um Zach
would it make it even any easier and
we’re not saying that this is the case
this is just us dot connecting because
we are just reacting it’s rap reaction
right I know where you’re going are you
going are we is it is an easier pill to
swallow if Reed Shepard is the guy
leading the charge for Mark Pope next
year I mean yes I think the easy answer
is yes I don’t think it I don’t think we
want to know that that is like a caveat
that came with like you know that oh
you’re gonna get Reed Shepard if he
comes like because I I feel like we
should be focusing more on the future
because even if Reed sheer does come
back do he really think that he’s going
to do a third year a fourth year so you
know to if if that was part of the deal
is like all right you get like Reed
Shepard will come if you come too that’s
like just kind of a one-year deal there
which maybe might help brid bridge the
gap a little bit easier because I I
think that Mark Pope’s probably a guy
that you would have to give a year
buffer at a place like this uh
especially just with the ability to get
the recruits and whatnot might be a
little bit more difficult for a guy
who’s just only had one year in the Big
12 now and has just been a BYU um so but
you know immediately I started looking
at some of the stats and you know their
team last year they made 11 threes a
game that was in the country they shot
him at a 35% clip you know off screen we
were kind of talking about some of the
uh some of his older teams like you know
his 220 team before the the pandemic uh
they were you know probably going to be
a three or four seed in that tournament
you know Kentucky was going to win that
tournament anyway so by Yu could have
for all we know at that point they were
going to be the same seat anyways um so
I think that you know there’s a lot of
stuff that you can you can try and talk
yourself into with Mark but like it’s if
you can get Reed Shepard then like I
said that that might just help help
bridge the gap because I I think that
that first year if he doesn’t have like
someone like a reed Shepard could be
kind of tough um just with the ability
to bring everybody in but you know I
can’t imagine that Mark Pope is going to
be making $10 million a year at Kentucky
you know he’s probably what what would
we guess three four five somewhere in
that range maybe even if some somewhere
around there uh so maybe yeah you use
that the extra money for nil I mean
maybe you can can use it that way uh so
you can have more to to maybe entice
someone like re to come back so uh you I
can try and talk myself into it but you
know I think someone mentioned maybe on
mass Twitter space that you know
barnhard said he was going to bring in
someone that was proven um you know like
they said that a bunch of or whenever
and then if if it was true that they
were talking to him three days ago you
know it just feels like the messaging
was kind of off of of how they were
going to go about it and that’s probably
how you’re going to piss off fans more
maybe in the moment or or maybe you know
doing the slow tease is is worse than
just kind of having it all hit you at
one moment so I don’t know but um yeah I
can I can still kind of talk myself into
it if Reed sheeper comes back people
will get happy they will be excited they
will be a little bit more inclined to to
buy into the pope experience I mean they
did chant one more year at yeah Reed
tonight 10 more years one of the fans
said 10 more years I don’t even know
what that looked like I guess he I mean
if you’re if you’re looking for yeah
like the way to to save this and to
salvage it from a fan standpoint Reed
and Mark Pope were College REM Ates I
there’s a connection there I’m not
saying that you know Reed is going to be
pressured to come back to Kentucky in
any way because no one wants that if he
wants to go pro he’s going to be a top
10 pink Go Pro but if he came back I
would want him by my side at the press
conference very true just just grabbing
him around the shoulder doing the whole
uh whole buddy up thing you mentioned
the messaging Zach too like it what did
you enjoy Mitch barnhart’s message after
Cal left why don’t you tell us how you
feel about his
messages hey not doing a press
conference seems odd after a coach
leaves and we didn’t hear from him I
thought that found that odd but we’ll
get to hear from him here in a couple
days I love
to we’re all in a point to of now like
we don’t want to be too hot taky
everybody’s trying to like pump The Brak
slightly because like you don’t want to
say something stupid like I did 3 hours
ago like this would be unbelievable if
they hired him and you know what 3 hours
later they hired him so um you know that
I know you’re not happy that Mitch
didn’t do a press conference afterwards
and but here’s the other thing too I’m
just Zach you mentioned it and we all
kind of have that just the timing the
timing of everything hasn’t been great
but we’ve all had opportunities to talk
ourselves into various candidates so I’m
I’m willing to talk myself into Mark pop
because of the three-point shooting that
we got used to in the last year um
because wasn’t
great see that’s I mean I had to taught
myself into Scot’s defense
and the defense at be whyu in great but
here here’s the thing too to I think you
can agree with
this aside from a very like you have to
be kind of an idiot to not let this Kaki
job ele you I think Mark Pope is a smart
guy he’s a little bit of a goober a big
goofy guy that I can very much relate to
yeah he is almost cornier than you are
exactly you all could have like a corny
punt off like we are we are kindred
spirits but he’s also he’s cornier and
he’s smarter yeah and we need to
understand that the Kentucky job
elevates you I’m a little worried that
he was all on the west coast for his
entire coaching career and he even
transferred from Washington but
I mean making BYU good at basketball in
the Big 12 and going to Kansas and win
that is a difficult transition to to be
able to successfully navigate that even
though you lost in the sil tournament to
be good enough over the body season like
okay yeah that that guy knows his stuff
and if he can get the right players
where you can recruit a lot better at a
place that serves caffeine in their
cafeterias I mean I’m just I’m I’m
saying you toss so weird
um so I think there a couple things no
one is GNA have more energy and passion
for this job than Mark Pope he is going
to work harder and be more into it than
probably anybody um and I’m excited for
that that said uh it’ll be interesting
with the recruiting like you said he had
a a deck stacked against him at BYU what
could he do with the resources of
Kentucky what can he do with the name of
Kentucky it’s going to be really
interesting to see what recruits
reactions are in the next few days um
I’m rooting for him I I hate the timing
of this I wish this had all gone down a
little better just
because I’m just looking at my Twitter
timeline on my other monitor and it it’s
just it’s tough you know like I think
fans are going through the initial what
the heck is happening and now some are
trying to talk themselves into it and I
we’ll we’ll digest that over the next 24
hours
um I just Mark Pope’s a great guy he’s a
great coach I really hope it works I
just hope that the way this all went
down didn’t just backfire
and keep this Insanity rolling for
another however long and I I want to add
that’s putting Mark in a bad position
absolutely that Mitch Mitch rushing to
this leak to the na again kind of
showing how out of touch with the fan
base that he is leaking to the National
media clearly not understanding the the
pulse of the fan base as of right now
you are now putting Mark Pope in a
position to be Enemy Number One had this
been a next Thursday hire I mean with
within reason Monday hire Whatever
Whatever It Takes where you make it
clear hey we talked to 10 guys and I’m
telling you I just liked what this guy
was selling that the something about his
pitch just spoke to us and and I think
he’s the guy if it comes across that
this was a calculated effort then I
think there’s a better buy in I think
fans can go you know what I can you know
I I can buy into this guy this guy knows
what it means to be a champion he like
he has all that but when you are 12
hours removed from being turned down by
Scott drew it looks like a Rush decision
it looks like you went oh shoot I I I
got to make some something happen
because we got to transfer portal we got
to start recruiting we got to get you
know on on the ground running and it
just makes you look like you panicked
and that leads to a panicked reaction
from the fan base and I think that puts
Mark in a bad spot that is not fair to
him none of this is Mark’s fault even if
he agree totally qualified for the job I
mean when did that Matt norlander tweet
come out or I guess it was John rosstein
that he was like a serious can six
o’clock six yeah exactly it’s been 4
hours maybe five like could you not have
slept on it read the room little know
what sleeping on it and praying on it
does for coaching searches I mean Jesus
oh man no pun intended yeah no pun
definitely intended yeah one thing I
will say is
MoneyWise we don’t know what Mark Mark
Pope makes because BYU’s private school
but I can’t imagine like you would have
to pay over three and 3 three
3.5 so if you’re ranking that SEC that’s
middle pack I would say paywise so what
does that do from a money standpoint one
one question I have was that n nil
package that they were reportedly
offering to Scott drew Dan Hurley is
that still there is that still it better
be it better be if you you’re only
paying him if you’re only gonna pay Mark
Pope well fraction of what you would
have paid Dan Hurley then that money
better be there well that’s what I’m
wondering was was those kind of arm
in-arm negotiations with financial power
Brokers of the University of Kentucky
see and as zire broke those arms and
it’s just hey Mark go let’s go get some
money from the 1996 team like that’s
that’s my worry you know because Mark
pope from a recruiting
stpoint there’s just not nothing there
from I mean Kentucky and BYU might as
well be on different planets where how
they’re operating and how they’re going
to get in Talent accumulation and his
only other experience was for one year
at Georgia in the sports staff role and
he was an assistant at Wake Forest so
there’s not much there and I think
that’s a fair concern and if he doesn’t
have the nil coffers filled
up well and that that goes to what you
said that goes exactly to what
Jack what the sources are saying Jack
about how
Mitch just kind
of he did this right it went from it
went from having the boosters and this
was going to be a team effort and Mitch
was just like Mark Pope’s the guy am I
am I off base there a lot of people
around the program after Hurley that the
decision was Final with Hurley the
next X number of hours beyond that it
was just silence it was just all right
now we’re getting into decision mode now
we’re getting into the next and people
thought that was going to that it was
going to end up being okay well that’s
going to lead to three finalists that’s
going to lead to okay well let’s nail
down four guys that we’re going to
interview and kind of vet over the
course of the next several days and say
all right let’s sleep on it for the
weekend let’s make a final decision by
Monday Monday so we can hit the ground
running and move if you are just hell B
on not Billy Donovan and it’s my
understanding that Kentucky did just
make it clear to Billy Donovan that hey
what would would you be interested in
this and it was all I’m not even going
to touch that until the end of the
season don’t talk to me did it wasn’t a
lot of mutual there it was talk to me at
the after the season and I heard from
people close to Billy Donovan who was
the same way he’s just hyperfocused on
getting this bad Bulls team to the
playoffs as big of a waste of time that
ended up being so uh he kind of operated
on an island on that one and said all
right I trust this hire I think Mark
Pope’s the guy let’s move forward with
it so he has made this bed he’s clearly
passionate about it he is all in on Mark
Pope he’s got to own it like he can’t he
can’t use this backlash knowing that
knowing that the backlash was going to
come he can’t now turn this and go oh
shoot uh I’m spook that the fans are
gonna like that that’s on you bro like
you should have seen this coming if if
you trust that Mark Pope is the future
of Kentucky basketball and that’s you
know it’s it’s not out of the realm of
possibility that this works but if
you’re going to make this call you got
to own it and be there to take questions
field questions and explain what the
process was how you got here and why you
were willing to pick Mark Pope over
Shaka smart go down the list Chris beard
all all of the second tier guys just
explain why Mark’s the guy well then
Mitch barnhart’s Legacy it’s Mitch
barnhart’s Legacy hire
like get might be this might be his last
coaching hire
and this is it it should be either way
Tyler right like yeah like good for good
or bad Right For Better or For Worse I
mean he’s made some great hires John
caliper home run hire Mark stops wi
heest coach in Kentucky football history
he’s made some bad hires Matthew
Mitchell absolutely he’s made some bad
hires too um this is going to be the one
that like it or not I think fans will
remember him by because if he does
retire sooner rather than later because
it’s sounds like he’s wanting to kind of
wrap up his own professional career and
move
on I I hope it works out like I really
really do hope it works out I didn’t
realize he was such a Gambling Man I
really didn’t because this is quite a
gamble uh at the swan song of his career
because it either works or it doesn’t
and he’s out like it it’s there’s no
other option I’m curious Zach what’s
your favorite Mark Pope memory from his
time with the University of
Kentucky like playing
basketball he was he was with Kentucky
he played we get to be old now guys this
is great okay well actually I was going
to ask that question to uh Jack you
obviously can’t answer this either shout
out uh what was Mark Pope like as a
player what was he what was his what was
his thing did he have a thing he was a
white guy I was one years old bald white
guy I can relate you know well there was
probably a lot of them I imagine back
then he was a signature moment he wore
the ICI shorts um big icicle guy I I
can’t really Dawn them anywhere else
besides my dome but um yeah he he he can
get up he could slam he could shoot some
stretch threes he can get with it and
I’m ready to get with it I’m are you
sure about that are you
just I’m I’m sold on Mark Pope baby give
me the
pop burn the the ashes we’re getting the
white smoke coming up we’re going to
shoot threes we’re going to let it rip
Mark Pope is bringing the cats back I’m
I’m all in I’m sold and listen here’s
here’s the
thing Mark Pope has not been a good
defensive basketball coach the kenpom
tells me that I don’t have to know that
but I
also I know that he’s a smart guy and I
cannot like I right now we’re at a spot
where I hate to do the Colin Cal her
relationship analogies and all that bull
crap but like there there’s part of it
where you do the break up and you have
the uncertainty afterwards because you
get so comfortable in that relationship
that you’re so afraid to move on but you
all I cannot understand Kentucky has not
guarded a ball screen in eight years all
right I mean the the the defense is bad
but if the defense is bad under Mark
Pope it’s not going to be a lack of
effort of schematic try of want to we’re
not going to just wash our hands because
it’s too hard to try to teach the
players to play ball screen defense
right and I don’t mean this to try to
kick John caliper because he’s gone in
Arkansas and he’s trying to not call the
Hogs and look like an idiot doing it but
seriously he really just said I’m not
going to try to coach these guys and
make them run plays because it’s too
hard for them because they’re 19 years
old all at the same time while preparing
them for the NBA where they have to know
they’re playing 82 games and they’re
having NBA scouting reports every night
that’s the most counterintuitive bull
crap I’ve ever heard in my life all
right like that’s the dumbest [ __ ] I’ve
ever heard you can’t handle ball screen
defense but we’re going to prepare you
for the NBA it’s just stupid all right
so as like we have to remember that yes
this is we’re going out and limb here
but this is a smart guy who’s had
success in unusual places to have
success a road scholar like what
uh I think
my I always like we would throw out Mark
Pope as like because there’s been quite
a few patino coaching tree guys that
have been out there that have had some
success that you thought could
eventually get there this is happening
sooner than any of us expected and we’re
all there I’m ready to get behind him
I’m going to talk myself into it quicker
than most I think all of you eventually
will except for one
thing I I’m throwing horns down if Tex
is at rep Arina about God Mark and you
cannot stop me you cannot stop me the
horns are down the L’s are down you
cannot stop us Mark Pope you can’t you
can’t do
it he’s he’s gota he’s got to learn how
to eat some of that stuff like again
we’re talking about reading the room
something I think Kentucky missed with
this with this the timing of this read
the room with this fan base and know
what kind of gets them ticking and why
you know embrace the passion don’t try
to minimize it and kind of Pat him Pat
him on the head that’s something that I
think missed missed the mark there no
pun intended there BYU that’s something
he’s gonna need to work on it’s it’s a
it’s a big Fishbowl he played in it now
he’s gonna have to know what it feels
like to be on the other side of the
criticism and those things so um we’ll
we’ll see we’ll see how that part
unfolds
well we do El’s down here Mark know that
wasn’t a thing when you played but that
do not do not get rid of that that’s one
of the best things
this this athletic department has going
and if and if you do that that there
might be a mob outside your house full
of uh middle-aged white men doing L’s
down so just let’s keep the let’s keep
doing the L’s down can we can we bring
the denim back with the use the prove of
that
Zach uh no no what I thought about it
for a second but now that’s that’s fine
no
out it’s so not
coolm don’t don’t people wear denim
jackets you were watching Mark Pope back
in the day you would Isn’t that cool
right denim jackets oh we just got cold
old we’re the olds oh the ick Jack
actually wasn’t alive for Mark Pope if
you want to go at
him shut up shut
up just don’t don’t even bring that up
oh let’s keep bringing it up I’m just
kidding um so quickly uh do we have any
best
actually no I don’t want to do that
we’re going to get ourselves into
trouble I mean couldn’t you all see this
video he did ripping off the shirt and
tie is that not Nick Roush I I think
like Nick is the perfect person to lead
us into the mar era we got to do a do we
have to do a mock of that maybe at the
first game where Rous can just do that I
mean it it’s one of those things where
like I I do I mean people also think of
me as an idiot I was like valid
dictorian didn’t get a B until it was
calculus my senior year and I totally
mailed it in um I I do have book smarts
um I did I apply myself not obviously
not as well as Mark pop but there is
some very uh there’s some similar energy
there um
I St John’s on the schedule next year
huh all of that stuff embrace all of all
of that Z Zack hated on the denim
all of it if we’re going to have a
nostalgic hire go all in on Nostalgia
every single game make it a different
retro uniform Jamal match Jr just oh oh
okay okay there we go Reed Shepard Jamal
mashern Jr um now you talked about the
nostalgic hires though Jack What’s the
statute of limitations on this because
Kenny pay went South quicker than
anybody thought and and it’s different
because he’s one somewhere else Patrick
in didn’t I mean he was an NBA assistant
like Kenny like this this is different
he he has been solid but what’s what’s
What’s the statute we’re talking about
here like three years at
worse
games yeah it can’t be worse than canny
P yeah and that’s that’s kind of the the
Baseline of this is there there is a
sample size of a floor what the floor
looks like in with Legacy like this and
it ain’t pretty we also see you know
Mark Pope’s been successful with BYU and
I again the vision is if he was able to
do sustain the success in his own little
vacuum at BYU and you previous stops
then what can he do with these resources
so that’s the buyin but it it’s still a
risk it’s absolutely still a risk and
fans should understand that risk and
feel comfortable with that risk not
comfortable uncomfortable with that risk
built for March is I mean it’s going to
come down to that
still too soon man we get in here well
if we get in here and it’s a first round
exit and it’s the second round and we
look up and Mark pulp’s won and two in
the NCA
tournament barnhart’s probably gone by
then I me uh there could be a shorter
leash is all all I’m saying for him
that’s I think the the case for any
probably Kentucky Coach especially
following yeah a Hall of Famer
essentially I mean you’re he’s G to get
compared to him Cal and he’s gonna get
compared to Cal unfairly in a lot of
times the good portion of the Cal era
once we get past the first year it’s
just like tubby with patino um you just
get compared to the guy before you um
whether fair or not and he’s GNA get
compared to that and he’s gonna have
like it’s Kentucky you’re gonna have to
win big you’re gonna have to win big or
quick um there’s not this is not a p
passion or a it’s a passionate fan base
it’s not a patient fan base when it
comes to that so they’re going to expect
results especially when your a you know
your athletic director just kind of I
think hammers a table for this guy and
hires him they’re you know see fast you
did the B blast where we you know we’ve
kind of all followed from afar doing the
like he’s the UK guy that’s coaching at
BYU we’re not staying up late to watch a
big 12 game in Provo so what what are
the big flashy things that could make
people okay this could work what what
are those things that you did when you
were digging through Mark Pope’s
coaching record yeah I think just runs
modern
offense spread offense shoots threes
gets the ball inside I think that’s the
number one thing people are going to
like defensively it’s hard to know um
he’s going to have a different level of
athlete at Kentucky than he had a BYU so
how does that affect his defensive
strategy but the defensive numbers are
not good and like he hasn’t had that big
huge year either too that’s another
thing with this to me it’s not like he’s
run off and had like this 3 win season
yet either at Utah Valley or BYU he’s
had good Seasons like he got Utah Valley
to 25 wins year one year that is a good
season then his past season at BYU was
good and then his first season at BYU
was good when he inherited from a coach
that retired but the middle years
weren’t great there at BYU
so that’s that’s another thing that
would make you skeptical is you really
haven’t seen The Big Year where he’s
really hit another level yet damn it
lucky you’re supposed to make us
Confident come on we’re we’re buying the
pop come on that the higher I mean
that’s really I think if you’re looking
for the two signs is that he understands
Kentucky and he runs good offense I mean
I think those are like at the press
conference I think those are going to be
the two selling points I I I’m going to
try to sell Tower the fact that they I
mean Houston won the Big 12 so like they
don’t BYU gets no credit for joining
that conference but like man all of the
the schools their football version that
joined the Big 12 they got the their
asses chewed up and down like it was it
was very difficult to move up a level
BYU transitioned seamlessly I’m going to
try to hold my hat on that a little bit
knowing that arguably his best season as
a head coach was in the most difficult
schedule he’s faced so far yeah I mean
that’s definitely one way to look at it
um we’re all going to talk ourselves
into it over the next 24 hours as we
should as Kentucky fans um I think I
would just tell everybody don’t aim your
anger at Mark Pope and name it at Mitch
Barnhart if you want um I do think we
need to have Stephen play this video of
Mark Pope rapping Hamilton maybe to play
us off um because I mean could Billy
Donovan do that could Dan Hurley do that
I hope not I I don’t think Scott drew
could do that so we’ve got a coach that
can wap Hamilton that’ll be cool I want
to see it now right for a
minute I mean I love Hamilton
I I’m not signing up to play for a
basketball team at the University of
Kentucky speaking of cornball here you
you want to hear how I broke the news to
my dad no man cause because you know
dads aren’t online at 10 o’clock at
night I called him up and said hey uh is
the pope
Catholic and he said no he’s
Mormon the Kentucky Head basketball
coach has 13,000 followers on
Twitter not for long
yeah I oh man and I bet I bet he’s
gotten 2,000 in the last
hour oh think I follow are open too
which is don’t don’t do that I’m gonna
follow him right now I feel bad oh yeah
don’t I should should have been
following Mark Pope everyone should
follow Mark Pope does anybody have any
parting words before we
um go to the lwell Miranda rap battle
um I feel like I’m ahead of the curve
and buying in but I just I you
have it’s or Tyler he’s a Swifty oh he
got he’s got a Taylor Swift tweet on his
timeline I remember this now I remember
this yeah okay yeah it’s all clicking
It’s All Coming Back to Me Now so he’s a
Swifty with a fan base that has proved
it has more power than the swifties I
mean it’s it could be a match made in
heaven and you know what Utah we talk
trash about Utah for people that live
there it’s a beautiful place to travel
to I want to go to Utah I want to get in
one of those dune buggies there’s so
many people who are like shut up ksr you
all are talking us into this we’re mad
blah blah blah but like what else can
you do at this point it’s I’m tired of
being unhappy with Kentucky basketball
if I need to be unhappy with Kentucky
Administration for this hire so be it
I’m not going to direct my anger and
frustration at Mark Pope who hasn’t had
a chance yet and a day on the job
especially if he brings Reed she Reed
sheeper with him you
know I don’t know I was if he can wap
Hamilton and if he listens to Taylor
Swift I’m all in even more
so well
um let’s see if this helps sell you we
we’re going to have plenty more to talk
about it Jack is definitely going to be
talking about this on source of say
tomorrow um uh final do we have any
press conference that hasn’t been
Scuttle budded but I would assume hell
we thought we were gonna have a Scott
drew press conference today like that
was the rumor that was the rumor at 11
o’clock last night there was going to be
a Scott drew press conference today it
would be a very quick turnaround if they
did it tomorrow
it’ll be a kickoff of the spring game
they’re not going to do it on Saturday
they won’t do it it’s not a game though
it’ll be Monday Monday yeah the spring
practice sorry the spring drill session
I want him to have a portal player on
Monday May oh maybe it’s Reed Reed is
the portal player on Monday there you
go gosh what could that be just Reed
Shephard Mark Pope side by side he
doesn’t bring his kids to the intro
press conference just
read so the
this is my child this is this is my gift
to
you please don’t hurt put a ball put a
ball on his head Po and shepher jokes s
him up in front of the cameras Oh My go
shepher and Pope right like oh man the
puns
we’re it’s getting late folks we’re
losing our
minds it’s probably the time that we
play the video out right yeah
hey thanks
everybody oh my
gosh do I have a hidden talent just in
the hopes that Lynn Manuel that you’re
watching I’m G get a scholarship to
King’s College I probably shouldn’t brag
but dag I amaz and astonished the
problem is I got a lot of brains with no
polish I got a holler just to be heard
with every word I drop knowledge I’m a
in the rough a piece of Co everybody do
I have a hidden talent just in
good night
folks go
cats