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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 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.
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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.
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Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:16 pm to Contra
Go Illini 
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:18 pm to Contra
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.
In all fairness Kentucky looked good against Troy and I think they’ll be just fine.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:22 pm to Contra
Mark Poop
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:26 pm to beaverfever
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 on 3/22/25 at 10:37 pm to Foy
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.
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 on 3/22/25 at 10:37 pm to Contra
This is Kentucky. Making the Sweet 16 is a basic expectation of every coach, every season.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:44 pm to UKWildcats
A loss tomorrow would make it six years since your last S16. Not that anyone’s counting.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:45 pm to beaverfever
Exactly. Which is why we got rid of that bum and now he's your problem.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:46 pm to UKWildcats
Maybe Kentucky just ain’t what it was. It was great for sure but every great thing comes to an end,
Posted on 3/22/25 at 10:51 pm to Contra
Isn't that writer a Tennessee grad?
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:03 pm to beaverfever
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 on 3/22/25 at 11:07 pm to Contra
I just want to go on record, I have Illinois bouncing Kentucky, but I also had St. Johns bouncing us.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:13 pm to UKWildcats
quote:
Which is why we got rid of that bum and now he's your problem.
Posted on 3/22/25 at 11:14 pm to Contra
Posted on 3/23/25 at 4:50 am to ForeverGator
There’s only the N in Kentucky….no I or L.
.
That won’t last much longer as the N will fade with time.
.
That won’t last much longer as the N will fade with time.
Posted on 3/23/25 at 5:22 am to Contra
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 on 3/23/25 at 6:40 am to beaverfever
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 on 3/23/25 at 6:48 am to UKWildcats
Could be a very tasty melt from the jelly cats around 8pm eastern.
Posted on 3/23/25 at 8:59 am to beaverfever
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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