Cats Fan in the Ville

There will be a lot of side takes this next season when the Hogs and Cats square off. It will be fun. We know Cal will bring a loaded team with NBA talent to Lexington.

It's such a weird hire- any Kentucky fan would respect and appreciate Mark Pope the player and captain of the 1996 NC team. It gets a little slippery when you insert that same person to lead the program. Time will tell if this experiment is successful. But the one thing that is not in doubt is that you have a guy who cares about all the same things that fans do. With the early tepid response to the hire, I thought there may be a light turnout Sunday. Keeping in mind it was a beautiful day in Lexington, Keeneland was running and the Masters on tv. And the fans just exceeded expectations. Which was such a cool thing to see. Again, it's a wait and see as it pertains to results on the court, but fan support, NIL support and administrative support are all there for this guy to make it happen.

Well you can say that Kentucky has not been a great program for the past 5 years... But in the last 15, Kentucky has won a national title and been to 4 final fours. Congrats on beating Kentucky on the road last year. Checking in to see how TN's history matches up with that??

For Arkansas fans: You're going to get a Cal with a fresh start. If he's learned anything in the last 5-6 years and uses that knowledge on how to build a better roster, it will pay dividends. For every McDonalds All American, you get one year. In Lexington, he was in a never ending cycle of replacing talented youngsters with other talented youngsters. I would not be surprised at all to see Cal take the Hogs to the next level. He brings excitement and star power where he goes. He just has to be humble enough to understand where he needs to change- and this could be what he needed to get it done.

It's taken a moment to get there for me too... But one of the things that I'm not sure has been mentioned is that I think if you're going to go with a former player, getting somebody from that era was going to be important. Cal made Kentucky a "cool" program with lots of Instagram and star power, but that hype was all about individuals. There was a time under Rick and Tubby where the program was most important. And I get every sense when reading about this hire that that is where this coach's head is at. That will go a long way towards mending fences and getting things in the right direction. I won't miss Drake appearance and LaBron showing up at practice. But I 100% expect Pope to forge relationships with Cal's former players. Cal didn't have good relationships (or any relationships) with former players and that never sat very well with me...

Yes, this was an underwhelming hire... But for those who will say "we replaced a HOF coach in Cal with this?" let's think about where the program was when Cal left. Like with any breakup, a lot of the dirty laundry has made it's way to the public. Cal's relationship with every aspect of Kentucky was broken. Reports of fighting within the team, boosters with closed checkbooks, a non-existent relationship with the university, and a tepid at best relationship with fans put the program in a no win place moving forward. It's also hard to gauge Mark Pope's potential coming from BYU or Utah whatever college- if his basketball IQ is anywhere near what his former coaches and teammates claim it to be, this situation will give him every opportunity to succeed at Kentucky. We already found out that playing extremely talented freshmen through March didn't work. The shocking stat that there were no 5* players on a final four roster will tell you that college basketball is still about developing talent. Because the blue chip burger boys are leaving college ball before their full potential is ever close to realization compared to what we see on college basketball courts. As a fan, I'm ok to internalize the fact that Kentucky was snubbed by every top name they approached. If the AD sees potential in a kid who he knows bleeds as blue as any fan, then let's roll with that. If I see improvement on effort- especially on defense and rebounding next year, I'm good with that. The boosters have already begun flooding the NIL funds, so Kentucky will be able to sign a decent class of HS and transfers to make this work. Cal is gone- let's move on and give Mark Pope a full chance to get this program back on track.

Boogie's comments are something he's earned the right to opine. But his time at Kentucky was during the glory days. I know he's loyal to Cal, but even a loyal former player would understand that with the salary and booster commitments come expectations to win. And no person is able to successfully navigate that conversation as it pertains to the last four years to justify Kentucky's performance.

Now that this official, I hope BBN is ready to recognize Cal for what he’s done and move forward in embracing the next head basketball coach. His recent post, as well as his wife’s post were heartfelt, genuine and should resonate with any fan who loves the Kentucky program. I agree that it’s time for a new voice and regime to lead the program, and I’m gratefull that it transpired as it did. Cal gave fans hope and delivered a lot of wins and success including numerous final fours and a national championship. I wish him well at Arkansas and believe that the next chapter for BBN will be just as fulfilling and memorable. Thanks Cal and good luck!

South Carolina has a team full of talent. They hit shots all over the court and played tough defense. Fun game to watch, but SC was just too much and too deep to lose to a singular phenom who didn't have her best game...

Totally understand that point. And Billy D would be welcomed with open arms in Lexington. For a guy that turned the job down twice already, he somehow managed to not burn the bridges leading into Lexington... Classy guy and admired by college basketball fans.

True- but this was an inevitable parting of ways... Cal just decided to be preemptive with this move. And it is a good move for him. But what poster said is true- no relationship with the local media, boosters, etc... Anyone that dared to question any part of Cal's strategy/coaching/recruiting was shunned. I hope he's humble enough to bring a fresh outlook to Fayetteville. And Kentucky can now use that buyout money they saved to bring in somebody who is more focused on the program than just touting how many Wildcats are on NBA rosters. The thing is that is not a mutually exclusive goal, but Cal was having an ever more difficult time understanding that.

Well said- I agree with all of this.

Definitely agree on your perspective on Cal. But to be fair to normal fans, the relationship soured on both sides. There's always going to be the crazy fans that are never happy, but Cal's early success kind of made him think he was bigger than the program and when you're not seeing that same success, it becomes tough to hear John Calipari continuously talk down to the fan base. Not to mention the relationship with boosters and the athletic department. Everything was fractured/broken and it was going to be really tough for him to continue and have any real fan support. But now that "fans" have gotten what they've been asking for, it will be interesting to see what's next and who's running the ship...

@cats64, I don't think it's crybabies getting what they want- it's a simple fact that Cal has worked himself into a corner and the program has languished in mediocrity for a number of years now. Cal will generate a bunch of excitement for Arkansas and a fresh start will serve him well. Will he beat Kentucky? I'm sure that's a possibility- but Arkansas (among other teams) have been pretty successful AGAINST Cal at Kentucky, so nothing really new there either.

This is a good move for Cal. The NCAA fail again this season brought Cal ever so close to being fired. And Cal likes to be in charge- so preemptively taking the Arky job makes sense. And Arkansas has a nice solid basketball history, so I think this gives him the chance to reinvent himself where he would continue to battle the one and done model in Lexington. Now we will see what Barnhardt can do to replace him in Lexington. I have been one of the fans that's said it's time to go in another direction- but now that the time is here, there's some nervousness about the next hire and what that means. With all the name being tossed around, I'm not willing to bet on any of them. This may sound a little crazy and/or desperate, but I think brining Pitino back to steady the ship for the next 4-5 years would be a good move and close the circle with Rick retiring where he kind of got his start in big time basketball...

Congrats to Bama on a very nice season! I thought they had a better roster last year- which speaks even more to the coaching job by Oats.

She's talented and has God given physical assets. Her key to success will be to figure out how to be marketable to the casual fan. The fact that she chose that picture pointing to her finger is exactly the reason that she's had difficulty. Not that she's competitive, but she can be a distraction and truly unlikable. Clark may be just as much of a talker on the court, but she has figured out how to present herself in interviews and within public perception. Fair or unfair, that's where endorsements of any meaning will come from.

I'm not defending Cal- BUT, to say that he doesn't develop players doesn't really tell the whole picture. I think he develops his freshmen- at least the ones he believes in. The problem with his development, is that we see a lot of kids leave after one year and you're only seeing a glimpse of who they may become. They continue to develop in the NBA. Player development has to go along with roster management. I do think it's true that he often fails a highly recruited kid that may not be seeing full potential after his freshman season. That kid sees who Cal recruits for the next year and doesn't see a path for playing time the next season. We get one of the top recruiting classes every year, but playing all of those freshmen squeezes out minutes for other kids to continue to develop and then you see kids transfer to a program where they can get more minutes and develop on the court. It's a never ending cycle of churn.

I'll tell you how it feels. I'm a UK grad. All of my friends are either UK grads (or even if they went somewhere else for college, they bleed blue). As most fans understand in the southeastern part of the United States, college sports are king. I don't hate that TN and Bama were in the Elite Eight and that Bama is going to the Final Four. In fact, maybe I'm an SEC homer, but when we play Bama and TN (not to mention Arky, Florida, TAMU and Auburn) next year, you're going to see some hype and there will be some good games. Older fans will remember that there were occasionally good squads in the SEC- LSU, Arkansas, Florida, etc... But conference play was boring. You could snooze between Midnight Madness and March and not miss much. Kentucky would likely have won an SEC title and/or the Conf Tournament. That's not been the case lately. That makes college basketball fun. It's never going to be like football where you have a major event every Saturday for a couple months out of the year. But fun, quality basketball can take you through a lot of cold and rainy Tuesday nights in January and February. Now on to Cal's return.... Few fans are happy with that. The magical alternative was let's negotiate a buyout and bring in Jay Wright. Or Billy D. Or some other plug and play successful coach. But the reality once you really think about it is you're going to have to build success around that- and it's not likely to be immediate. And that what Kentucky fans want in basketball. They're fine with Stoops and hoping for a .500 SEC win rate in football. But not basketball. And I tend to fall in that same thought process. Not realistic, but that's what winning championships will cause. Reference blue blood football programs- they're not accepting of playing in the Liberty Bowl. It's all about perception and the history of a school. What I will say is this was the first time Cal was extremely close to being fired. That should shake his ego to the point of making meaningful changes within the program- from recruiting to executing within a game. The runway has gotten extremely short with Cal. He better bring a revamped version of his passion he arrived with in 2010 or 2011. Go Cats...

The shooting was an awesome display of talent- but the way she distributes the basketball and sees the whole court is what puts Clark on a completely different level than any other player in the game. When you can pair that level of talent with unselfishness, you're truly seeing a generational player on a solid but average supporting cast.

Nate Oats is a really good coach. I hope the fans in Tuscaloosa appreciate what they have and support the program. Understanding the SEC is a football dominated league- the conference will need to keep pace in basketball to remain (in my opinion) ahead of the Big10.

Lots of story lines here... I guess what's most disheartening is the fact that young people need better role models. Did you notice that the commercials during the game had Clark and not Reese? And that's going to point to opportunities moving forward. Angel Reese is a good basketball player. Caitlin Clark is a good basketball player. But if you're a brand or a WNBA team, who do you feel better aligning with? That's my point. Mulkey should be doing a better job of making her young athletes marketable. But as many posters have already pointed out, that's the beauty of living in this country vs somewhere else. But as we all learn, actions all have repercussions. Both of those young ladies are competitive athletes. What Clark does better than Reese is to know when to put her head down and what to say in front of a microphone. Knowing those subtleties comes form parents, coaches, etc... Either way, I love the focus we've seen in the last decade towards women's sports.

The Vols ran into a team with a pretty good 7'+ guy in the middle. He's hard to guard- period. He cut down the nets with no ladder. It's crazy. But I don't get all of the angst- TN was playing while 12 other SEC schools were watching from home. I thought Barnes did a really nice job this season and were pretty darn close to a Final Four. At this point, I'm all for any team that's playing Purdue. And I think UConn will be the eventual matchup and I'd like to see them give Edey some lessons in being humble...

Cal's early years were some of the best in college basketball- and thus his selection into the HOF. Something happened when Cal started to believe he was bigger than the game and bigger than the name on the front of the jersey. His teams used to play tough defense. They used to execute. But somewhere along the way, La Familia and NBA all star rosters made up of former Wildcats became a warped measurement of success. If (and this is a really big 'if') Cal can actually sit down and reflect upon where he needs to take this program and change what that looks like with a complete overhaul, there's a chance he can figure this out. For the first time in his college coaching career, Cal was teetering on being fired. Let that sink in. None of his elite "peers" have ever come close. Not Coach K, not Bill Self, not Roy Williams- none of those coaches have come close to being replaced. That in and of itself should motivate Cal like nothing else has been able to do. If that means sitting up with Ellen and a posey board drawing up out of bound plays the night before they play some out of conference cup cake, then so be it. To stop taking success for granted. There are a whole stable of excellent coaches in Cal's own conference that have been hungrier and more successful with what they've had to work with- Oats, Musselman, Barnes, Paris, Golden and Pearl to name a few... Gone are the days when a team just knows they can't beat the Cats... Time to get back to 2011 and pick up the pieces the way that Cal did upon Billy G's firing. Except this time, it's his own mess for which he needs to sweep up.

Congrats to both the Vols and Bama. Nate Oats continues to figure out how to get wins after I think most people kind of counted them out. Tennessee under Barnes took a nice step forward in this tournament and proved they can win games in the post season. It takes a lot to make it to the Final Four. You need some degree of luck and toughness. After a rocky start for the SEC, it was nice to see a couple of teams playing through the Elite Eight. Good luck to Bama next weekend!

There is no defense and no words to begin a reasonable discussion about what happened and what's next. What I won't do is put 1% of the blame on the players. If you want to bring in young kids with loads of talent then you are responsible as a coach for making sure they have a definitive game plan and are ready for the big stage. Otherwise, when all order breaks down, you're going to be left with those same young kids trying to use their individual talents to win in the only way they have known in their young careers. And we have seen that happen so many times. I'm not going to blame Rob Dillingham for taking bad shots in traffic. What's he supposed to do? He's not being coached to run a set. Reed Sheppard has been great all season. Who's fault is it this kid wasn't given some set plays to get some looks in rhythm? This is squarely on the egotistical head coach. He's given the keys to the kingdom with facilities, boosters, talent and this is where we sit. To do so little with so much is what fans will not accept. This is not about a bunch of crybabies who feel like a move through the first weekend is a given right just because it's Kentucky. Or holding their coach to some unachievable standard. This has become the new normal. Kentucky isn't coming off of a probation. They have an embarrassment of riches in all things basketball. But yet, here we are. Just bring in somebody who has an actual plan on roster management, the ability to call up plays and will get his kids to play defense. Because what I saw last night was a bunch of kids who played their heart out with no direction. The will to win was obvious when you saw the heartbreak and tears. They deserved better.

From all the comments by Cat fans, I think there is a consensus that he's worn out his welcome with his condescending "basketball benny" comments, poor game execution and failure to adapt. It's hard to reason beyond the fact that he's had SO MUCH TALENT and one national championship. I understand football and basketball are different sports, but imagine Bama, Georgia or Ohio State continuously putting guys in the NFL but failing to make a bowl game. Or at least a NY6 game. An analogy comes to mind with LSU's last squad under Coach O- they had a lot of talent- a lot of guys that were drafted, but an abysmal season that year. And that was two years removed from a natty I think? Yeah, Cal has under performed for 6-7 years now. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks with one of the most talented rosters he's put together.

Either scenario is plausible and I agree...

Duke losing in the first round will unite the posters on this site... Bring it on!

Auburn didn't deserve a 4 Seed. And certainly not in the hardest region (at least in my opinion). But if memory serves me correctly, when they beat Kentucky in the elite eight in 2019, they had a pretty stiff draw and managed to get it done.