Would Mark Pope or John Stockton ever coach their alma maters? - Deseret News
Shout out to our Tom Larimer. when he said, “Pope is the biggest get for BYU coaching in history” hahaha, or something to that effect. I loved Pope as a choice but I did not realize that just how rare a man Pope really is:
1 Be so dang infectious, self deprecating, makes everyone feel like it is the best dang day ever!
2 Mad skills recruiter. Elite at this point. Who are our best players this year? 4 transfers, think about that for a sec…Coach Few does that every year and that is why he keeps the Zags in the Blue Blood conversation…it is here at BYU and it is real.
3 These recruits are not LDS. Chow on that for a minute. Sure, they are Christian or maybe not, but they all buy into the Honor Code and Pope does not hide it, he sells it.
4 Either Pope goes to Kentucky or Burgess will be a Head Coach very soon. Two guys that live in rare air of Coaching that are game changers.
5 Pope keeps everyone happy, He ain’t losing players to low playing time, Best dang locker room in America. Believe it. Case in Point. A year ago, I said, “Our starting Center is perhaps our third best big man”. Today-Lees minutes are down to 8 a game. Haarms and Harward are clearly more effective. No fault of Lee’s. I love his game but he can’t pic and rol so it bogs down a Pope offense.
6 be very happy for BYU sport today. Pope and Sitake are both in sucky conference, making the best of a lousy situation and keeping BYU on bright on the national scene. Tom Holmoe should get a ton of credit here.
I see the sportscasters have nothing to talk about. That’s why they bring up garbage about Pope coaching elsewhere. There’s more to people than money. Maybe Pope would rather stay at BYU for other reasons than money.
I have been saying this the entire season… I think Lee is a great guy, but he is a lot like Worthington in the fact that he isn’t a D-1 player, at least not the caliber that BYU should be recruiting. Yes, he was Idaho player of the year or something but that means very little. He would be better off at UVU or SUU or College of Southern Idaho JC. I am really not sure why you said “I love his game” because I don’t see any justification for a statement like that. I love the fact that he is willing to play 8 minutes to give the better players a breather. I love that he is a team guy and willing to do those things. Anyhow, don’t want to belabor the point, just trying to help your very good analysis and comments to become great.
You just answered your own question. Lee is a team player. He has a good 3. He finishes at the rim. He can dunk. His big frame keeps bigs off the boards. And if BYU did not have haarms or Harward. BYU’s record would be close to what it is now.
Back to pope. He can now attract elite players. He and burgess will be getting a lot of offers. I hope he stays and we create a dynasty
Knock on wood… and I will give it to you for saying I answered my own question. It didn’t really clarify why you “love his game” necessarily because with 8 minutes p/t it is really hard to argue that he even has a “game” but good enough, your point is acknowledged. He is a good dude I’m sure.
