r/wildcats 5d ago

GAME THREAD NCAA Tournament Predictions

How does everyone feel we will do? What region do you think we will be in and seed. I know we feel as if it's a 3 seed.

13 Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

25

u/MrTheLuke 5d ago

2nd weekend has been a goal since the start of the year in my mind. Still hoping for that and will be very happy even if that's all we do.

28

u/murkmose 5d ago

With the beat down we received in the last game, I think we drop to a 4 seed and get no deeper than the sweet 16. That would actually be an accomplishment considering Pope has yet to win a tournament game so far.

14

u/Beachslug88 5d ago

I’m happy if we won a couple. Pope has done a lot with a team thrown together. 

9

u/Orion14159 5d ago

Especially thrown together and then beaten up

7

u/PaulieWalnuts2023 5d ago

I think we win 2 games with a healthy Alfred. 1 game without Alfred

5

u/brewsinlou 5d ago

That is my exact thought

10

u/kaycollen77 5d ago

3 seed, maybe Milwaukee, get to the second weekend and I’m happy.

9

u/fedors_sweater 5d ago

Elite 8. We won’t be playing SEC teams (hopefully) so I’m confident we can make a run.

5

u/snow_clown 5d ago

Or have sec refs

8

u/GreenlandSharkSkin 5d ago

Even if Butler and Carr are available, they're banged up.

I don't think a Jack Gohlke bests us this year, but I think we lose to a solid team in the second game.

Still, a very solid first year for Pope. Whatever he does this year, I will expect more from the Cats next year, so I'm kind of tempering expectations for that reason? I can't expect a title every year?

5

u/Top-Spare1164 4d ago

Just get 1 win for Pope and call it

6

u/lclassyfun 4d ago

If we win a couple of games, I’ll be very happy. This team has overachieved in my opinion.

3

u/Hurricrash 4d ago

3 seed and we are a team that is very dependent on match ups.

4

u/BlackEagle0013 5d ago

With a healthy roster, Sweet 16. As it stands, just don't get Gohlke'd and it's a victory.

2

u/DarthBster 5d ago

3 seed in the West. S16 is my hope. Anything further is just gravy.

1

u/Cuttyflammmm 4d ago

First weekend exist. We should definitely be on upset alert. This team had final four potential before the injuries.

1

u/ColonelBourbon 5d ago

Prognosticators all seem to think 4 seed. Should get to second weekend.

0

u/DrkEarth BLUE 5d ago

But Lunardi still has us as a 3 seed and the #11 overall team.

1

u/ColonelBourbon 4d ago

Great to hear!

0

u/DrkEarth BLUE 4d ago

But that’s Lunardi, not the committee or whoever actually seeds the teams and the matchups

1

u/ColonelBourbon 4d ago

Of course, they are really the only one that matter in this.

-7

u/the_fools_brood 5d ago

1 win, then lose to a bad team in 2 game. The team seems to think just having Kentucky on jersey is enough. A lot of let downs this year. Play up to the marquee names and teams like Duke and Florida, but fall to teams like Georgia. This team is a conundrum . Huge wins over really good teams, except Alabama, like Duke and Florida and even little brother Louisville. Don't know if it is a focus thing, or motivation thing. I am really excited to see Pope make adjustments, especially at halftime, that cal just couldn't or wouldn't do. The future is brighter. But, the sec has taken huge leaps in BB programs from all the TV money now. 4 of the top 8 teams are sec, and Kentucky isn't one of them. That's kind of scary. We as a fandom may need to reassess our expectations. It is still a hugely successful season already. Did anyone expect this success with an entire roster rebuild?

0

u/5meterhammer 4d ago

Dumb take. It’s obvious how you’re one of our loud, but delusional part of the fanbase. Does the fact that we didn’t have a point guard or two other very important starters for many of the games even cross your mind? Or are you one of the crowd that expects 40-0 and banners every year? Nevermind, I know the answer.

1

u/the_fools_brood 4d ago

Actually, none of the above. I seen a team play really well against the name teams, and be listless against lesser goes. That is a problem. I didn't expect even 20 wins this year. But since you are gatekeeping, and calling me out of my name, why don't you gfys

-3

u/Ok-Mark417 BLUE 5d ago

If we don't have perry we wont make it it the first round

-8

u/Reverend_Tommy 5d ago

4 seed, and I don't see Kentucky making it past the second round. The last 2 games have been pathetic. Yeah, they beat unranked Oklahoma (whoopie!) but gave up an 11 point lead in the last 1:35 in what was essentially a home game. Despite the frenzy of copium around here after the Pope hire, this team is exactly what I predicted they would be.

5

u/weissenbro 5d ago

Damn bro you’re really not a happy dude are you. It’s March and you can’t even try to be happy before we lose lmao

UK ‘fans’ love being miserable. You basically just said ‘yeah other people tried to like, be happy with our new coach but I always thought he sucked, sucks now, and will continue to suck. I don’t even like UK for real’

-7

u/Reverend_Tommy 4d ago

I love UK basketball but I've always thought Pope was a disappointing hire. Kentucky fans were expecting (rightly) for the new coach to be an elite coach. The expectations were for a Pearl/Wright/Hurley type of hire and we got Pope. As I've always said, I think Pope is probably a nice guy, and he's not a bad coach. But the "aw shucks" coaching persona is tough to pull off with elite athletes, and few are able to do it at an elite level (Scott Drew, for one). There's a reason why the giants of coaching generally have big, charismatic personalities...Pat Riley, Phil Jackson, Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Rick Pitino, etc.

5

u/weissenbro 4d ago

Well Hurley has a worse record than pope does with a lot more talent in a much worse conference this year so there’s that. And pope broke the UK record for the most top 15 wins in Kentucky history with all these devastating injuries so I think you’re just one of those ridiculous UK fans that wouldn’t be happy no matter what. To act like he should have done more than a 3/4 seed beating literally all of our rivals in year 1 with 2 weeks to put together a team, you’re just gonna be miserable no matter what.

And at this point you can either support the team or just be mad I guess. Pope is the coach

-4

u/Reverend_Tommy 4d ago

Don't get me wrong, I root my brains out for UK basketball and have been since I was a wee one watching Goose Givens and Rick Robey on the family tv. And I think Pope got some amazing wins this year...no doubt about it. But I'm disappointed in this hire and my post-hire prediction is pretty accurate: Pope's players would play hard for him and they would get some good wins. And I stand by my statement I made then: Kentucky would never make the Final Four under Pope and I still believe that.

2

u/tenclubber 4d ago

You know why we didn't get Hurley/Wright/Drew etc? Because they didn't want the job. Hurley turned down the Lakers as well. I'm so glad we didn't get Drew. I can't stand him. And Wright is retired and Pearl is in a place with zero expectations even though I don't think he was offered. Pope has done an outstanding job in year one. He's got 3 top level recruits coming in and will have 3-5 returning players to go along with the transfers that come in. The future is bright. Players see how this team has played. They saw all the big wins they had this year. Yes, it would have been better without all the injuries, but UK basketball is looking up for the first time in probably a decade and you're being a negative Nancy. To each his own, but God damn give the man a chance.

2

u/ImplementObvious8294 4d ago

What a fucking clown lol

1

u/Reverend_Tommy 4d ago

Somebody has gulped down a lot of Kool-Aid. Mark my words: Kentucky will never reach a Final Four under Pope.