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CBS: With Cal to the Sweet 16, pressure is now on Mark Pope to get UK there as well

Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:15 pm
Posted by Contra
Member since Oct 2016
8712 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:15 pm
https://www.cbssports.com/college-basketball/news/with-john-calipari-leading-arkansas-to-sweet-16-pressures-now-on-mark-pope-to-get-kentucky-there-as-well/

quote:

With No. 12 Kentucky sitting at 15-5 (4-3 SEC) and coming off a win at No. 8 Tennessee as the calendar flipped to February, there was no doubt. Kentucky had won the breakup with John Calipari, and it wasn't particularly close.

Now, after No. 10 seed Arkansas upset No. 7 seed St. John's 75-66 in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday, it's not so clear. With Calipari securing his first Sweet 16 trip since 2019, the matter is officially back up for debate.

And If No. 3 seed Kentucky fails to beat No. 6 seed Illinois on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Calipari and Arkansas will officially be the winner in his messy divorce with the Wildcats.


quote:

Such an outcome seemed inconceivable less than two months ago. But the math began changing in a big way on Feb. 1.


quote:

That's when Calipari's Razorbacks marched into Rupp Arena and dominated the Wildcats for an 89-79 win on a night that was supposed to be a celebration for Big Blue Nation.

The Wildcats had freed themselves from the diminishing returns of the Calipari era and reignited their program with a beloved former player in Mark Pope as coach. Calipari appeared destined to miss the NCAA Tournament with the Razorbacks, who were off to a 1-6 start in SEC play. All the while, Kentucky was riding high.

But when Calipari marched out of Lexington with a win, it changed everything. The outcome underscored the challenges Kentucky would face in navigating injuries and foreshadowed the potential in Arkansas that came to fruition on the national stage this weekend.
Posted by momentoftruth87
Your mom
Member since Oct 2013
84089 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:16 pm to
Go Illini
Posted by beaverfever
Little Rock
Member since Jan 2008
34210 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:18 pm to
Kentucky fans will say bullshite but they’re one ugly loss away from the first “we made a huge mistake” thread sightings.

In all fairness Kentucky looked good against Troy and I think they’ll be just fine.
Posted by Serraneaux
South of 30a
Member since Mar 2014
21537 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:22 pm to
Mark Poop
Posted by Foy
Member since Nov 2009
3857 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:26 pm to
quote:

Kentucky fans will say bullshite but they’re one ugly loss away from the first “we made a huge mistake” thread sightings.

In all fairness Kentucky looked good against Troy and I think they’ll be just fine.


Hate Arkansas and Kentucky but I don't really see as though Kentucky had much of a choice. Cal was completely done there and refused to change any of the things that kept getting them bounced in the first round by high seeds.
Posted by beaverfever
Little Rock
Member since Jan 2008
34210 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:37 pm to
My point wasn’t that they’d be right. My point was that Kentucky fans will say it because they’re lunatics.

They are orders of magnitude more demanding and delusional than Alabama football fans.
This post was edited on 3/22/25 at 10:39 pm
Posted by UKWildcats
Lexington, KY
Member since Mar 2015
18100 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:37 pm to
This is Kentucky. Making the Sweet 16 is a basic expectation of every coach, every season.
Posted by beaverfever
Little Rock
Member since Jan 2008
34210 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:44 pm to
A loss tomorrow would make it six years since your last S16. Not that anyone’s counting.
Posted by UKWildcats
Lexington, KY
Member since Mar 2015
18100 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:45 pm to
Exactly. Which is why we got rid of that bum and now he's your problem.
Posted by beaverfever
Little Rock
Member since Jan 2008
34210 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:46 pm to
Maybe Kentucky just ain’t what it was. It was great for sure but every great thing comes to an end,
Posted by bigDgator
Dallas, TX
Member since Oct 2008
45914 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:51 pm to
Isn't that writer a Tennessee grad?
Posted by BamaBravesPackers
Member since Nov 2021
4921 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:03 pm to
quote:

A loss tomorrow would make it six years since your last S16. Not that anyone’s counting



quote:

Exactly. Which is why we got rid of that bum and now he's your problem.


You kind of walked right into that one. I’ll admit I am surprised to see Cal back in the S16, but he sucked at KY as the favorite every year in the tourney.
Posted by Ham Solo
Member since Apr 2015
8052 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:07 pm to
I just want to go on record, I have Illinois bouncing Kentucky, but I also had St. Johns bouncing us.
Posted by Arkapigdiesel
Faulkner County
Member since Jun 2009
14649 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:13 pm to
quote:

Which is why we got rid of that bum and now he's your problem.
Posted by ForeverGator
Elite 8 - 2020 Worst SECRant Poster
Member since Nov 2012
13528 posts
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:14 pm to
Posted by Rzrbackguy
Apalachicola, FL
Member since Jul 2014
2356 posts
Posted on 3/23/25 at 4:50 am to
There’s only the N in Kentucky….no I or L.
.
That won’t last much longer as the N will fade with time.
Posted by kywildcatfanone
Wildcat Country!
Member since Oct 2012
129971 posts
Posted on 3/23/25 at 5:22 am to
Click bait article. No pressure at all. As has already been discussed with multiple insecure fan threads
This post was edited on 3/23/25 at 5:46 am
Posted by kywildcatfanone
Wildcat Country!
Member since Oct 2012
129971 posts
Posted on 3/23/25 at 6:40 am to
quote:

Not that anyone’s counting.


We know how important this is to your entire fanbase. You have lots of threads about it.



As a Kentucky fan, of course, I want to keep winning, but we have already achieved more than expected since April. Anyone who doesn't appreciate what Pope has done, is either jealous or stupid. Win or lose today or next week, very happy with who leads our program
Posted by PorkSammich
North FL
Member since Sep 2013
15526 posts
Posted on 3/23/25 at 6:48 am to
Could be a very tasty melt from the jelly cats around 8pm eastern.

Posted by 850SaintsGator
Pensacola
Member since Sep 2021
2354 posts
Posted on 3/23/25 at 8:59 am to
quote:

In all fairness Kentucky looked good against Troy and I think they’ll be just fine.


I thought they looked horrible and made me regret having them in the elite 8…Troy was awful and if they could have executed on sloppy gifts that UK gave them, it would have a been a better game

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