The WVLK talk show host could not believe UK's lack of effort against Vanderbilt. (Vicky Graff Photo)
I’ve known radio personality Larry Glover for a long time and I think he’s an open-minded, unbiased person.
He formerly hosted a nightly sports talk show on 590 WVLK in Lexington and was the play-by-play voice for the Lexington Legends. He currently is host of Larry Glover Live on 590 WVLK in Lexington each weekday afternoon where he discusses current topics and often throws in some sports but also does a call-in show after each UK football and men’s basketball game.
Glover was on fire after Kentucky’s lackluster 80-55 loss to Vanderbilt. He called it a “disgusting effort” on social media and then started the call-in show with former UK All-American Kenny Walker on a rant.
“The best thing for the Kentucky program would be to lose enough to force (UK athletics director) Mitch Barnhart’s hand (on coach Mark Pope’s future). I like Mark a lot. If UK could win at a high level under him he would be the best choice for Kentucky,’” Glove said. “Tonight’s effort was not about injuries (to UK players).
“They have had enough injuries to think they won’t go to the Final Four and maybe have a second round (NCAA Tournament) exit but injuries are no reason to get run through the first half game in, game out. That is a coach not getting his team ready to go.”
Glover went on X to add that Pope is “not good enough to compete for a national championship or SEC championships for that matter.”
He pointed out that in Pope’s tenure UK had trailed by 10 or more points 18 times in a game and nine times had trailed by 20 or more.
Walker admitted Wednesday he was a bit “surprised” by Glover’s strong stance but also knew he was frustrated with UK’s play like most fans are.
“I was a little shocked and surprised but he is frustrated just like a lot of fans are. It’s very rare to see him express himself like that but watching that Vanderbilt game did that to him,” Walker said.
Walker acknowledged that Pope had to do something to get players’ attention to avoid the first-half deficits UK has continued to face.
“He has to make them understand what a great opportunity they have if they play together. When you don’t see the energy and effort, do you put the blame on coaches or players,” Walker said. “Mark is an outstanding guy and outstanding coach but he has to make some very tough decisions about playing timing, personnel, offensive and defensive philosophy. He has to do some soul searching and come up with something different.
“If this is the effort we are going to give for the rest of the season it does not look good.”
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So what do you think about Pope’s future at Kentucky?
23 Responses
Walker correctly identified that it is Pope's job to have the kids ready to play and also play the right way. That isn't happening, even in our wins. This team has too much internal friction for it to play as a team. Jealousy, selfishness, and entitlement has taken the team that beat Purdue to the team that got murdered by Gonzaga and Vandy. The Arkansas game will even be worse. Pope has lost control of this team and has demonstrated that he doesn't know how to get it back. All of the Rah Rahs will scream that you NEVER say anything bad about a Kentucky team or coach…no matter how true the criticism may be. The Calipari lovers are relishing our team's demise screaming…We told you so! Neither camp has the answer to our problems.
If the Arkansas game does turn out to be another blow out embarrassment (and it will) Pope should be relieved of his coaching duties immediately and name Mark Fox as the interim coach. Then what? Maybe we should do what BYU did…hire a proven NBA assistant to guide their program in the era of NIL and the transfer portal. College basketball is no longer made up of student athletes; it has become a grooming ground for the NBA…so why not hire a promising NBA coach? It has worked out great for BYU!
Taking such steps are drastic for sure, but we are dangerously close to becoming the next "Indiana" if that has not already happened. The game has changed; our program is in dire need of change to stay relevant in this new era of NIL and the transfer portal. Pope is a good guy, but has turned out to be mediocre coach. He should have stayed in medical school…maybe it's not too late for him to go back.
Wonder if The Goose would be interested in coaching?
Nah, probably not.
Well…other coaches get max effort . And kudos to them.. But the track record is what it is.. Ugly. I think the Gonzaga game witnessing it first hand was enough for me to get the true pulse of this team. Quitting is an ugly ugly sight.
And several things can be true at 1 time..
Mark Pope can be a great guy, and not be a very good coach for Kentucky Basketball. It doesn't have to bleed over into him as a person..It can be maybe he's just not the guy.
Still rooting for Pope, but it looks like a lost cause at this point. His Cats never seem ready to compete when the whistle blows, and he doesn’t seem to have an answer other than standing and watching (drives me crazy).
At this point, Pope is lucky he’s a former Cat and Mitch Barnhart is the athletic director, because those two things probably will give him one more year.
Unfortunately for him and Kentucky fans, he also seems to be the worst recruiter in the country (thanks JMI?), so the chances of a big turnaround next season look bleak at best.
Why delay the inevitable, get rid of him now. Next year will be more of the same. If you can’t assemble a better team with $22 million, what’s it gonna be like this offseason when the number will surely be less when donors do not give as much. I think Mark is a fine man but we need a coach that can get it done asap.
Valid points Brian
I admit I was (I think) the only one on here defending Calipari when everyone else was calling him names and saying other derogatory things about him. You Reap What You Sow! Seven E8's, Four FF's, and a Championship ran out of town. And let's make one thing clear, he is as good a person as there is anywhere. Call me a Calipari lover, that's fine. It's better than being called a Dictator lover. Cal's washed up they said. Not so fast my friend. Bad behaving fans are a killer. It made the the program sick when Cal was here and now it has killed it. It started by getting lower tier players. Elite players don't want to play for crybaby fans. Then Cal treated like trash and gone. Elite coaches don't have to coach for fans that feel entitled. And they won't. Enter Pope. Got the job because No Other Coach Wanted It. Why? (See above) Pope got lucky and pulled in 7 fifth year Seniors with starting experience in year one. Actually a good season. Then recruiting reared it's ugly head. Got guys that were not starters on their teams last year. The big second year jump of returning players was a farce. Hence you have this years debacle. You throw in the Booing in Rupp, and the future is trash. I saw a comment to get a NBA assistant coach because college basketball teams are farm teams. Wasn't that the knock on Cal? One and dones. I will admit I have no solution to the problem because it's too late. What's done is done. It Really Pisses me off that the team I have loved all these years is trash now because of entitled whiners and the internet. Buckle Up Buttercups! "The Fraud" is taking the Cats behind the wood-shed and showing what a real "Team" looks like.
Also with Pope at the helm next year, Not One Player Will Be Back!
Agree!
Agree with everything that was said. It's time for barnhart to step in and Pope to be accountable for the team that is on the floor. This is NOT kentucky basketball!
It has been rough Wildcat Mama
I go to the side of patience…with the team and Coach Pope.
I am no different than any of you. I want a winning team and a winning season and to go to the NCAA tournament and win National Championship #9…
This has been a disastrous year as far as injuries go, in my opinion worse than last year. Given this, I believe that Coach Pope needs to finish out this year and to get on board for next year in recruiting and preparing, let’s see what the end of next year brings.
Just my2¢… for what it’s worth
always appreciate your 2 cents
The little rat at Duke started off much worse. The Pope lost his three best players when
the dice throw on future NBA player came up snake eyes. He proved he can put together a team last year when we beat a couple top five teams early on.
I think his future is predicated on how he shuffles the deck for next year – eliminating players he made a mistake on – and getting two of the three top 10 players on the board.
Hey, you can’t quickly close the book on a coach has blue blood running through his veins.
I can agree Sheyer is a little rat. However he hasn't started out worse than Pope. In his first 3 yrs at Duke he has won a regular season ACC Championship, 2 ACC Tournament Championships, and went to a Final Four. In year 4 he has the Puke's sitting at 19-1. Fastest Duke coach ever to 100 wins. He can out recruit Pope in his sleep. Pope couldn't stiff those achievements in 10 yrs.
I have worked with high school and college students for over 30 years as a teacher, advisor, professor, dean, etc. When you have kids that have never been made to do things they don't want to, you are not going to change that attitude very quickly; no matter what you do. When they have that attitude, they just don't care enough about anything and aren't smart enough to see the future. Now, I am not saying this about all the players on the team, but it only takes 2 or 3 to be enough that you can't hide it with other players; especially, when they are supposed to be some of the best players on your team. Players you were counting on. Players getting paid makes it even harder to change their attitude.
Last year, Pope did an excellent job recruiting players that wanted to work and wanted to prove they could play in the SEC. He also did an excellent job coaching the team he had. I don't know the answers because if I did, I would go sit beside Pope and tell him what he needed to do. But I do know he is facing some very tough issues within this team.
Yes, it is his fault that he recruited those few that have the attitude, but I think this would be a totally different team without injuries. Having Lowe, JQ, and Williams would have allowed Pope to minimize the minutes of the ones that don't really want to give an effort because these 3 could take a lot of minutes from the ones I perceive to be a problem for the team, but I won't name names.
I think Pope deserves the benefit of a doubt and let's see what he can do next year. The world isn't going to stop spinning because UK doesn't win games. Yes, it is fun when they do, but I stopped relying on getting too much joy from kids playing games a long, long time ago.
Look at the last 6 Kentucky coaches that had at least 4 seasons in their final tenure (126 games).
Pitino 110-16 .873
Rupp 104-22 .825
Hall 92-34 .730
Smith 91-35 .722
Sutton 87-39 .690
Calipari 81-46 .635
Calipari left Kentucky because he didn't measure up and was fading fast. BBN had a reason to want him gone. He was a good guy but an arrogant ass of a coach who kept making cute comments about why he didn't care about winning anymore. He did the same thing at Arkansas and was ready to be fired, but his pet…Boogie Fland got hurt. With no pet to pimp to the NBA and hearing all of the get rid of Calipari talk in Fayetteville, Calipari decided to start being a coach again. He returned to his coaching prowess that was seen at UMass, Memphis, and the early years at Kentucky. He could have made that move before leaving Kentucky and would still be here, but his ego never allowed him to admit that he failed with the 39-1 team that lost to Wisconsin when Andrew Harrison single handedly lost the game…but he was Calipari's pet. Calipari didn't want to break Harrison's heart even if it meant costing Kentucky a national title. That is what caused BBN to be down on Calipari…that and his team's mediocre performances his last 4 years as evidenced by a puny .635 winning percentage. That was not even a blueblood standard much less a Kentucky standard. Calipari wasn't forced out HE QUIT! All he had to do was start coaching again…like he finally did at Arkansas…but he chose to focus on pimping his pets to the NBA instead of doing his job of winning games for Kentucky. The final straw was his stating that winning at Kentucky was not as important as him getting his pets in the NBA. He should have been fired as soon as he made that traitorous statement!
Pope is obviously not able to handle the NIL/transfer portal game that exists today and needs to be replaced, but that has nothing to do with the fact that Calipari QUIT on Kentucky and left on his own choosing. That is why BBN will forever remember him as THE FRAUD! All of the Calipari lovers who are still crying about his leaving need to go to Fayetteville and take that up with him. BBN is sick and tired of hearing their Calipari PMS pissing and moaning here in Kentucky. They need to move to Fayetteville and I will pay their moving expense starting with you Jimmy!
You know I'm right about Calipari Crybaby Barry. That's why you still cry when his name is mentioned. KSR has a good article about the whiney Ky fans. Go read it. Cal will whip whomever is coaching Ky's ass every year as long as he coaches. Cal left because he was tired of listening whiners like you. So he is gonna laugh at making you cry every time he beats Ky. Just like he beat up your Daddy Slick Rick at Loserville. He hasn't changed his ways Arkansas. He's still a players coach. Now watch his All Americans spank the Cats Ass and like it because it's what you "Basketball Bennies" wanted. Cry Big Boohoo Nation Cry!
Guess you missed this one tonight.
Jimmy,
Calipari was a quitter and you are just a big mouth punk!! Everybody here knows who you are and what you are. You aren't a Kentucky fan. You are just a miserable old man who still cries about Calipari being a quitter. You are right about one thing…BBN didn't want him here, but instead of changing is ways and becoming a coach who wanted to win again, he chose to QUIT! His sub standard record his last 4 years and first round tourney exits to 14 and 15 seeded teams earned him the title of THE FRAUD. All of your pissing and moaning has earned you the name of Big Mouth Jimmy. It's no accident that Calipari's record over his last 4 years set an all time low for losing. Your pissing and moaning with your 2 sets of lips won't ever change that! Get a life you punk!
Jimmy the Big Mouth is wrong AGAIN! Do you ever get tired of being WRONG Jimmy the Big Mouth? The Cats bitchslapped them Hogs and The Fraud too!
Jimmy – little rat refers to Coach K – now work the numbers. Also, notice the resemblance !
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