Welp, any thoughts about UK finishing 8th in conference did not even make it to December.

What a performance by the best team NIL money could buy in the off season.

Sure Duke replaced a lot and had a couple key players hurt down the stretch but UK appears to have fixed their biggest issue in that they have a Coach who actually knows how to Coach to go along with raw and experienced talent.

I know it's early but this should be a wake up call to the conference.

No this was a wake up call Tobias. I bet everyone else stopped practice today to talk about Kentucky.

Duke was 4-23 from three, but outscored UK 46-26 in the paint

Pope is an excellent coach.

We saw the difference in the early season between a bunch of 4th and 5th year guys(even if they were on different teams last year) from UK and a team playing a bunch of 5 star freshmen. The freshmen were great until they turned the ball over multiple times in the last minute and lost the game for Duke.

I'd like to beat UK. JMO.

TexanJeff said:

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Welp, any thoughts about UK finishing 8th in conference did not even make it to December.

What a performance by the best team NIL money could buy in the off season.

Sure Duke replaced a lot and had a couple key players hurt down the stretch but UK appears to have fixed their biggest issue in that they have a Coach who actually knows how to Coach to go along with raw and experienced talent.

I know it's early but this should be a wake up call to the conference.

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I really doubt the upper tier of Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, etc. are now terrified of Kentucky .

They are probably an NCAA tournament team and maybe even a top-4-ish team in the SEC. We'll see. That said, I wouldn't be jumping on a bandwagon with such few data points predicting they are going to win the SEC instead of Bama or Auburn for example. Not after just a single good second half - 20 minutes of basketball - against Duke (Duke generally outplayed them in the first half of that game).

Pumpkinhead said:

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TexanJeff said:

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Welp, any thoughts about UK finishing 8th in conference did not even make it to December.

What a performance by the best team NIL money could buy in the off season.

Sure Duke replaced a lot and had a couple key players hurt down the stretch but UK appears to have fixed their biggest issue in that they have a Coach who actually knows how to Coach to go along with raw and experienced talent.

I know it's early but this should be a wake up call to the conference.

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I really doubt the upper tier of Alabama, Auburn, Arkansas, Tennessee, Texas A&M, etc. are now terrified of Kentucky .

They are probably an NCAA tournament team and maybe even a top-4-ish team in the SEC. We'll see. That said, I wouldn't be jumping on a bandwagon with such few data points predicting they are going to win the SEC instead of Bama or Auburn for example. Not after just a single good second half - 20 minutes of basketball - against Duke (Duke generally outplayed them in the first half of that game).

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If they are a top 4 team that means two of the 5 you list will not be top 4. Which is where UK usually is. Not top 8.

Yeah, but what is the 'wake up call'? I don't think anyone expected Kentucky ever to 'suck'. It has always been assumed they are going to be NCAA tournament team.

Now just making the NCAA tournament isn't going to make fans happy at Kentucky. Cal was simply doing that which pissed them off. They want Final Fours at minimum or bust. Loooooonnng way to go whether Pope gets them to that level.

OlRock said:

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Duke was 4-23 from three, but outscored UK 46-26 in the paint

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Last night at Champions Classic, teams used a Spalding basketball that teams don’t normally play with

Kansas shot 29% from 3
Duke shot 17% from 3
Michigan St shot 12% from 3

Kentucky shot 40% from 3…and Pope said afterwards the team practiced with the Spalding ball all week

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 13, 2024