Can Kentucky make the FINAL FOUR in Mark Pope's first season?!? | 'The Wildcats have the guys!'

[@ryansuter4424]

NIL has allowed teams that can afford it to build a talented Veteran team in one year! You need a coach that can get players to play together though. Coach Pope is doing that!

[@hamerac]

Tubby Smith did it his 1st year with a different style and tougher defense and a deep bench..Popes team reminds me of it some. Even though some of the guy's for Tubby had been there 3 years! Pope loves his guys like Tubby did as well!

[@DogFather69]

This group has absolutely ZERO similarities with that ‘98 team. Aside from having veteran players, the talent level is night and day. Also, ‘98 dominated the interior defensively and on the boards, those are the biggest issues this team faces. Not to mention, most of the ‘98 ‘Cats were playing in their 3rd straight national championship game. That kind of experience matters greatly.

[@hamerac]

@@DogFather69 I did say that already. Especially about the defense. But we are improving! But scoring wise there are similarities. They had a lot of balance and players coming off the bench with toughness and could get 8-12 points out of..Heshimu Evans was a transfer. Cameron Mills was a Walk on that shot well. Padgett was like Carr in some ways just smaller. I was just saying there are similarities especially the slow starts and then the comebacks. I love this team and they are very talented and well coached just like Tubby well coached his team. ✌️

[@DeborahAnderson-d4v]

Love Coach Pope and our team. Yes they could make the Final Four if they play their best!!!

[@austinkeith2198]

I think we could get there, however, I would be much more shocked if we did than if we didn’t. I definitely think we are good enough to have a chance, though.

[@DogFather69]

We play like that most games, but their lack of rebounding and non-existent interior D are going to be a problem for them. Pope has to get that shored up, if he does however, the banner is a real possibility.

[@hamerac]

@@DogFather69 do you think he can?? Where are you with his coaching abilities so far?? I am impressed. And they have tightened up on d at times and it made a huge difference

[@leaannerobison1589]

I was "he's the guy" before he was hired! Love him!

[@ChadHargis]

I was too. I was appalled that Barnhart was going after Drew before Pope. I was for Pope or Billy Donovan.

[@GoatedAtNFS]

if we make the sweet 16 it’s a successful year

[@NickCummins-tf8ix]

They are playing and winning very tough ball games. 3-0 against AP/NET top 10 teams

[@courtvision10]

3 losses vs unranked

[@tonywhite7083]

Kentucky is back..just ask Duke Gonzaga Florida😊

[@JohnCarter-nl5fm]

they can ask georgia today anytime after 9

[@danielcundiff290]

We beat Florida all the time anyways

[@Nonameforcelord44]

Florida is really good this year

[@danielcundiff290]

@@Nonameforcelord44 indeed. We were fortunate Brea was hott.

[@tonywhite7083]

@Nonameforcelord44 i agree think they be top 5 to 10 all year...them guards

[@freedomforall5071]

ANOTHER GUARANTEED WIN FOR WILDCATS😺

[@Bleedsblue]

There was alot more going on with cal than just losing in the first rd. A whole lot more ..

[@krusty9570]

Massively overachieving right now! With Vets catching a very young Duke team early with an unlikely comeback with a just as unlikely collapse by Duke. They got Florida at home. But they’re overachieving early with some vets. But their ceiling is not any higher. They’re closer to double digit losses and an early exit than they are a Final Four team.

[@Baloothepibble]

Depends on the bracket but YES! Absolutely! But one bad night behind the arc could spell doom for this 3 shooting style of a team.

[@ngarcia103]

CAN we? Absolutely! WILL we? 1 game at a time.

[@eugenehovekamp6038]

I'm Kentucky til i die but they'll need a good draw to get there. Their ceiling is not as high due to lack of athleticism. But they won't choke like Cal's last 3 teams.

[@UKWildcats32]

Genuine question: When you say lack of athleticism, what do you mean? And who are you referring to? I hear people say this but don’t qualify it.

[@eugenehovekamp6038]

@UKWildcats32 Specifically at the 3 and 4 and when we go to the bench. Athletically I just don't think we stack up with most of the SEC, including the team we play tonight. They're very good basketball players. But some of our guys can't guard a fence post. But I'll add that I saw a less athletically gifted Ky team take one of the best teams of all time down to the wire in '92. They can get to the Final 4 and with a little more luck win it all. But it will be nothing like the '96, '12 or even the '98 teams.

[@UKWildcats32]

Gotchya, yeah I see what you mean. Andrew Carr for sure ain’t Adou Thiero.

[@user-ug5fm4ct9y]

I agree

[@mabdman2140]

Defense and rebounding is our main issue, and it's troublesome. A bad shooting night and poor defense will be our demise.

[@DogFather69]

Yep, rebounding and interior D is going to cost them if Pope doesn’t get that worked out. Plus a mid-level seed might hurt us after the brutal SEC schedule.

[@SteveM-y6k]

CATS may have a chance. There defense has to get much better, especially on the glass. 2nd chance points have been killing them and getting out rebounded. If they improve that plus show more consistency on FTs, they can play with almost anyone. Can they become more physical?

[@859BDuB]

the defensive stuff is getting blown out of proportion a bit to me. they have only given up more than 72 4 times. Louisville shot above normal % in a rivalry game. Gonzaga was a OT game and Florida just made a bunch of shots while getting 35 FT attempts. UK also went on a 16-0 run and 2 10-0 runs; which you cant doo if you're not getting stops. they may not be some overall extreme elite D like Tennessee is being billed as, but they're def capable of getting timely stops. but on the flip side having 6 guys avg double figures and getting 25 assists to 6 TOs like they just did is incredibly difficult for any other team to have to guard against.

[@wildcatrewind]

Facts! Your the first person that has also noticed this. They are playing good D most of the time and they will only get better #BIGBLUENATION

[@859BDuB]

@@wildcatrewind Butler ended the first half with 2 steals, against Duke we ended the game with 2 stops. we held Gonzaga to only like 3 3s in regulation. we're not a juggernaut on Defense but we're definitely not as bad as people are suggesting recently rebounding is more of an overall issue to me, but when teams like Louisville and Florida are taking so many 3s, long rebounds are awkward cause you can be boxing out and it kick over you. and outside of those 2 guards we really held FL to 78 on FGs, they had 22 FTs made smh

[@TylerBraden12]

So we’ve given up 70+ 4x and we’ve only played 4 tournament teams.

[@ethanjones4375]

I think Florida is legit too I think they’ll beat Tennessee

[@NickCummins-tf8ix]

We have a very capable defense which is all you need when you're top 5 ppg. We forced FL to shoot a lot of tough shots, the just hit. UL shot better than they have all year. I really like where we're at in early Jan....better than expected honestly

[@freedomforall5071]

#9 Coming🏀🏆⛹️

[@wilsonmatt24]

Please don’t say “built for march” lol

[@UKWildcats32]

Not disagreeing with the point, but Brandon Garrison was a McDonalds All American

[@TheMarcopix]

Could they? Sure...there are a lot of teams that 'could' make the final four. Any team in the tournament could have a Cinderella run and make it.

[@johnburris5927]

No they can’t ask the bulldogs !!! Nope !! Not a chance!!!

[@mickcarter3613]

Uk is more than 1 coach specially 1 who's EGO is bigger than UK & BBN we fan's care about wins & losses and mark pope knows what it means too BBN cause the name on front of the jersey should means something too any coach who comes here cause we R Uk we R BBN

[@Greasemonkeypk1]

Can’t beat an unranked team

[@christianfernandez3068]

They have a chance. But let’s be real, they SHOULDN’T have beaten Duke and Gonzaga. They had to put massive comebacks to beat those teams. You CAN’T continue to have slow starts, you WILL lose early if you do that. They’re LUCKY to have those wins, good for them, but they’re massively overachieving this season

[@UKWildcats32]

…yeah, but Kentucky did win these games. Fortunately there are no hypotheticals on the scoresheet. I grant your point about going down early, and it’s a good one. Letting yourself go down early will catch up with you (look no further than last years Kentucky team). Kentucky did [somewhat] course correct in the Florida game. Down 11 at the 12 minute mark and closed out the first half ahead. They saw the problem, and addressed it. They then led for the whole second half. But let’s not dismiss these achievements by entertaining hypotheticals or chalking it up to all caps “LUCK.” Good teams find ways to win basketball games. Period. They have a long ways to go, but it’s hard to look the only team with three AP top ten wins in college basketball in the eyes and say its “LUCK.” They’ve won because of their experienced, good players, great coaching, and teamwork. No doubt they have overachieved! Sure, Duke should have closed the game out. But they didn’t. Why? Because an experienced Kentucky team (experienced as individual players, that is) fought to stay in it in the whole game and struck when the iron was hot. The Zags? It was a tale of two teams and two halves. An instant classic. The Zags were the better team in the first, Kentucky in the second. Kentucky then won it in OT.