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Author
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Topic: Recruits/Portal Players Negative towards Kentucky
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Trey Ball
Administrator
Member # 332
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posted 04-13-2026 02:34 PM
Obviously Kentucky and Pope are doing something wrong as it seems no one is interested in coming to Kentucky or even staying at Kentucky.
I mean Mike Malone is hired at UNC and kids are flocking their immediately. Two of the players that UK had interest in have chosen PROVIDENCE of all places over Kentucky.
Brandon Garrison is going to Alabama
Colin Chandler to BYU
Sounds like Diabate may be going to St. Johns.
Denzel (if eligible) back to Florida.
So even UK's transfers are going to schools who will be competing for a National Title next year. I thought maybe they would all be lucky to end up at mid-tier power 5 schools.
Louisville has already landed two of the top 5 players in the portal and yet UK sits here at zero and it doesn't really seem like any of the better recruits are really even interested.
I feel like they mention UK to just drive up the price for where they really want to go.
I am beginning to believe that Pope is as bad as people say about building relationships. Sometimes that is very hard for very intellectual individuals.
Just weird.
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Wife's Mad. Told me we never talk anymore. And just last nite while watching super bowl told her 2 or 3 times to get me a coke and popcorn. Also told her not to forget to take out trash in the morning. Ain't that something. Also told me I was too indecisive. Can't figure out what to do about that. One nice thing I guess. She called me a pro crastinator. Don't know what a crastinator is but I guess I'm a good one for her to call me a pro. Gonna wait til tomorrow to look that up though. I love her but somrtimes can't help but thinking I should have told uncle Junior to keep his coon hound pup and stevens double barrel and also his youngest daughter.
redbone
Posts: 11989 | From: IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Bigcatdaddy
Player
Member # 21
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posted 04-13-2026 05:42 PM
The silence is deafening.
My tinnitus is making up for it though.
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It's me, the cat.
Posts: 10798 | From: Macy, Ind. | Registered: Aug 1999
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Trey Ball
Administrator
Member # 332
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posted 04-13-2026 11:43 PM
Nothing from the guys that visited today. It is looking more and more like UK will end up with guys from San Francisco, Hofstra, etc vs players from other Power 5 schools.
It is looking like a Mid-Major roster at best with Potter/Hawthorne/Noah/Kam Williams/the freshmen Williams leading the way. Next year may be really ugly.
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Wife's Mad. Told me we never talk anymore. And just last nite while watching super bowl told her 2 or 3 times to get me a coke and popcorn. Also told her not to forget to take out trash in the morning. Ain't that something. Also told me I was too indecisive. Can't figure out what to do about that. One nice thing I guess. She called me a pro crastinator. Don't know what a crastinator is but I guess I'm a good one for her to call me a pro. Gonna wait til tomorrow to look that up though. I love her but somrtimes can't help but thinking I should have told uncle Junior to keep his coon hound pup and stevens double barrel and also his youngest daughter.
redbone
Posts: 11989 | From: IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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PaulCat
Player
Member # 513
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posted 04-14-2026 08:57 AM
Not sure if I can believe there's a problem with Pope. Now that college basketball is professional basketball, I don't think the coach matters to 99% of kids in the portal.
Posts: 10463 | From: Erlanger, Ky. USA | Registered: Mar 2000
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Tiptree
Administrator
Member # 844
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posted 04-14-2026 07:11 PM
The problem may not be ALL Pope, but he is the CEO of Kentucky Basketball, Inc.
Whether it is the JMI contract causing issues, or Pope unable to build relationships, or his truly unimpressive assistant coaches, or NIL money, or simply Kentucky's recent irrelevance on the national scene, there is SOMETHING WRONG.
Think about it. The kids coming out of high school grew up without Kentucky really being much of a factor. Why would they want to come here? Heck, even a true-blue Kentucky boy fled from UK to a rival SEC school.
Pope has to change something, or as Trey says, next year will be U-G-L-Y. There is an outside chance that UK could have a lineup of:
Moreno -- if he doesn't go pro.
Quaintance -- if he doesn't go pro.
Murauskas (from St. Marys)
Oweh -- if they adopt the "5 in 5 rule"
Tryon Stokes -- if he gets how much he wants and if we want him (locker-room toxicity possible).
But... not likely.
[ 04-14-2026, 08:29 PM: Message edited by: Tiptree ]
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Tiptree
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be.” Thomas Jefferson
Posts: 13759 | From: Terre Haute, IN | Registered: Sep 2000
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blue hoot
Player
Member # 398
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posted 04-15-2026 02:43 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Trey Ball:
Obviously Kentucky and Pope are doing something wrong as it seems no one is interested in coming to Kentucky or even staying at Kentucky.
Trey Ball,
I am not an expert, however, I heard it explained that JMI has a contractual agreement with UK that allows them a say in players NIL deals.
It's hurting recruiting with players as it restricts players income potential as opposed to non-restrictions at other teams and recruits are walking away from UK.
What it does to a recruit is that if they sign with one of the 200+ affiliates with UK and JMI they get guaranteed money but they can’t sign any deals outside of UK‘s affiliates for extra money. They can sign with other deals and still come to UK but they don’t get the guaranteed money that JMI would give them. I think all of this is hurting the recruiting. I mean, we are struggling signing low mid major players.
[ 04-15-2026, 02:44 PM: Message edited by: blue hoot ]
Posts: 1512 | From: Wimauma, FL | Registered: Feb 2000
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Trey Ball
Administrator
Member # 332
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posted 04-15-2026 03:30 PM
Rob Wright staying at BYU. This pretty much confirms what I said earlier from the article where it says he loved playing in Provo and for Kevin Young…..
“but his camp wanted to test the waters to see if they could get a bigger NIL payday.”
He used Kentucky to get more from BYU.
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Wife's Mad. Told me we never talk anymore. And just last nite while watching super bowl told her 2 or 3 times to get me a coke and popcorn. Also told her not to forget to take out trash in the morning. Ain't that something. Also told me I was too indecisive. Can't figure out what to do about that. One nice thing I guess. She called me a pro crastinator. Don't know what a crastinator is but I guess I'm a good one for her to call me a pro. Gonna wait til tomorrow to look that up though. I love her but somrtimes can't help but thinking I should have told uncle Junior to keep his coon hound pup and stevens double barrel and also his youngest daughter.
redbone
Posts: 11989 | From: IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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Trey Ball
Administrator
Member # 332
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posted 04-15-2026 05:04 PM
blue hoot,
It is interesting on the JMI front. I have heard both sides of it. Matt Jones is perpetuating that it is hurting UK.
However, other schools are quickly moving to a JMI type of model and saying Kentucky was far ahead in the movement. I just read an article on it last week. I will see if I can find it and post here.
So, who knows. The truth lies somewhere in between.
I still say it comes down to the Coach. Recruits want to play for coaches and obviously Pope is not connecting with players.
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Wife's Mad. Told me we never talk anymore. And just last nite while watching super bowl told her 2 or 3 times to get me a coke and popcorn. Also told her not to forget to take out trash in the morning. Ain't that something. Also told me I was too indecisive. Can't figure out what to do about that. One nice thing I guess. She called me a pro crastinator. Don't know what a crastinator is but I guess I'm a good one for her to call me a pro. Gonna wait til tomorrow to look that up though. I love her but somrtimes can't help but thinking I should have told uncle Junior to keep his coon hound pup and stevens double barrel and also his youngest daughter.
redbone
Posts: 11989 | From: IN, USA | Registered: Dec 1999
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handycat
Player
Member # 2323
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posted 04-15-2026 08:02 PM
If 80 and have followed UK as long as I can remember. I’ve never been as concerned about an upcoming season. I have no idea who or what the problem is. Without walk ons, I don’t believe we have a starting lineup to put on the floor. Time is running out.
I may end up being a Duke fan.
Posts: 5638 | From: decatur ill. | Registered: Feb 2005
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FairfieldCat
Player
Member # 2897
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posted 04-15-2026 08:23 PM
Does anyone really care anymore
Posts: 328 | From: Cincinnati | Registered: Nov 2007
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handycat
Player
Member # 2323
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posted 04-15-2026 09:37 PM
I don’t suppose this is possible but I saw on another site where someone suggested we move all NIL basketball money to the football program. I would be ok with that.
Posts: 5638 | From: decatur ill. | Registered: Feb 2005
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Bama Cat
Player
Member # 153
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posted 04-19-2026 06:20 PM
With the addition of Diallo and Wilkins Pope is headed to a good team again. I haven't checked their proneness to injuries yet.
Posts: 14510 | From: berea, ky, usa | Registered: Sep 1999
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