Mark Pope Articles - Page 2

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope praised senior forward Andrew Carr for his performance in the win over Vanderbilt. The No. 17 Wildcats dominated what was supposed to be a close affair at home against their SEC rival. Carr, who was one of the best players on the team earlier this season, looked like himself […]

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope is opening up about some of the things that went wrong for his team Saturday against Texas. The Wildcats dropped a close game, 82-78, to the Longhorns. Pope says his team just didn’t get the job done when it really counted. Kentucky had a late lead, but lost it in […]

Coaches and now announcers are falling victim to a viral joke about the SEC being .500 in basketball conference play. It’s the best conference in basketball this year, and when some people heard that stat, they failed to realize that it is quite literally impossible for a conference to not be .500 in conference play. […]

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope is undefeated against Tennessee, per Kentucky Insider. Pope is now 8-0 against the Volunteers, after his team defeated Tennessee Tuesday 75-64. Pope is now 2-0 against Tennessee as a coach, and 6-0 against them as a player. That’s a pretty remarkable run for the Wildcats coach, who is in his […]

After the Kentucky basketball lost their second straight against the Ole Miss Rebels, 98-84, head coach Mark Pope would speak about his team’s performance. Coming off the loss where Arkansas Razorbacks’ John Calipari returned to face Kentucky basketball, the game against Ole Miss is significant as it proves to be a reality check for the […]

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope did not hold back after his team’s 98-84 loss at No. 25 Ole Miss. The Wildcats’ second straight defeat comes after an emotional home loss to unranked Arkansas. The No. 14 team in the country is now 15-7 overall and a disappointing 4-5 in SEC play. Losing four out […]

Kentucky basketball got a mixed bag of injury updates ahead of Saturday’s clash with Arkansas. Former Wildcats’ head coach John Calipari is returning to Rupp Arena in one of the season’s most anticipated games. The Razorbacks desperately need a signature win to get back in the hunt for an NCAA Tournament bid. On the other […]

The Kentucky basketball team got a massive win over No. 8 Tennessee, 78-73, on Tuesday in Knoxville. It was a tough road atmosphere, but the Wildcats managed to survive with another statement win and their 15th victory of the season.  First-year Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope has gotten off to a strong start in Lexington, […]

Kentucky basketball has looked like one of the best teams in college basketball at times this season, but just about nobody is immune to the absolute gauntlet that is SEC basketball this season. Mark Pope and company came into a huge matchup with No. 8 Tennessee on Tuesday night at just 3-3 in conference play […]

The honeymoon period is officially over for Mark Pope at his alma mater, the University of Kentucky. The 1996 NCAA champion got off to a hot start to begin his coaching tenure at Kentucky, storming out to a 12-2 start which included wins over Duke, Gonzaga, Louisville and Florida, but since, the Wildcats have dropped […]

One of the best games of the college basketball season took place on Saturday as Nate Oats and No. 4 Alabama went on the road to Rupp Arena to take on Mark Pope and No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington. The two teams battled back and forth in a high-scoring affair before Alabama eventually made a […]

The Kentucky basketball team put out another impressive performance on Tuesday night as they easily took care of business at home against Texas A&M. The Aggies played well in the first half and they had a seven-point lead at one point, but the Wildcats closed the half strong and controlled the second half to earn […]

One of the best rivalries in college basketball is between Kentucky and Louisville. It’s been a little lopsided in recent seasons though as Kentucky has taken 12 of the last 15 meetings between the two teams as Louisville has hit a recent down period. The latest installment of the rivalry occurred on Saturday with Lamont […]

The Kentucky basketball team hosted Colgate on Wednesday night and it was expected to be an easy win for the Wildcats. When Kentucky got out to a 17-0 lead in front of their home crowd, it really looked like it was going to be an easy win. However, Colgate fought back and made it close, […]

Kentucky basketball was hit with some tough injury news after its epic win over No. 7 Gonzaga. Head coach Mark Pope picked up another signature victory to start his first year in Lexington. The No. 4 Wildcats rallied from a 50-34 halftime deficit to win the “Battle in Seattle” in a 90-89 overtime classic. Pope’s […]

It’s been five years since the Kentucky Wildcats reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and while for many programs that may not seem like too long of a drought, in Lexington, this is an eternity. In fact, since the Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, this is the longest stretch Kentucky has […]

Kentucky basketball suffered its first loss of the season on Tuesday, a 70-66 upset at Clemson. Following the shocking defeat, Wildcats head coach Mark Pope gave his players a reality check about the hostile environments they’ll face the rest of this season. “Well, it’s Kentucky, you know? It’s everyone’s Super Bowl,” Pope told reporters. “So […]

The Champions Classic did not disappoint on Tuesday night as we got to take in two great matchups between four storied programs. First, #1 Kansas took down Michigan State in a close battle, and then we watched the Kentucky basketball team go to battle against Duke. This was the game that most people were excited […]

The Kentucky basketball program picked up a huge 77-72 win over Duke in the Champions Classic on Tuesday, and Otega Oweh made a key stop on Cooper Flagg to force a turnover that ultimately sealed the comeback win for the Wildcats. Oweh spoke about what he saw on the play and how he came up […]

In his first top-10 win as the Kentucky basketball head coach, Mark Pope remained humble when talking about the win. “This is actually not about me at all … it’s about these boys, it’s about BBN (big blue nation) … that’s what makes it special,” Pope said via the SEC Network. Kentucky hired Pope to […]

Kentucky basketball got a huge win to jump start its season on Tuesday night. Mark Pope and the new-look Wildcats knocked off Cooper Flagg and Duke 77-72 at the State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta to improve to 3-0 on the season. With the win, Kentucky snapped a nine-year drought without beating the Blue Devils. […]

The Kentucky Wildcats have undergone major changes with Mark Pope as new head coach being first and foremost. With the departure of former head coach John Calipari to Arkansas, Pope is tasked with bringing the Wildcats back to national basketball prominence. Pope took a big step towards that goal on Saturday with the commitment of […]

With high expectations for the Kentucky basketball team, they started off with a bang as they bulldozed past Kentucky Wesleyan in an exhibition game, 123-52, Wednesday at Rupp Arena. As Mark Pope takes over for John Calipari, his era starts on a very high note, though he interestingly received an apology from Kentucky Wesleyan head […]

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope made his coaching debut on Wednesday night as the Wildcats hosted Kentucky Wesleyan for an exhibition matchup. Pope played college basketball at Kentucky back in the day, and he was hired to be the head coach of the team after John Calipari left last offseason. Like always, expectations are […]

New Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope coached his first game Wednesday night as the Wildcats took on Kentucky Wesleyan in an exhibition matchup. Kentucky easily took care of business as they cruised to a 123-52 win. The competition wasn’t very difficult, but the Wildcats played how you would expect them to. One player that Mark […]

The Kentucky basketball team has a new head coach this season as Mark Pope has come over from BYU to lead the Wildcats. Former head coach John Calipari is still in the SEC as he is the head coach at Arkansas now. Pope is a former Kentucky basketball player, so he has formed a good […]

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope is looking for a few good players to join his team. Pope and the Wildcats are holding an open tryout to find players, per ESPN. Pope says he’s looking for walk-ons. The Wildcats are hosting the tryout on August 30. Kentucky is asking players to submit their information about height, […]

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope spoke to the media Tuesday to talk about not just the state of the team as it heads into the summer, but also about his predecessor in John Calipari. Pope would speak highly of the former Wildcats head coach during his press conference expressing that he “gave his heart […]

Although the folks in Lexington would want you to believe otherwise, the Kentucky basketball program hasn’t always sat atop the college basketball world. In the midst of countless high points over the last 80 or so years, the school has also had their lulls in success, including most recently, the four year window prior to […]

It’s a new chapter for Kentucky basketball, who are preparing for their first season following the departure of John Calipari. The team will be coached by Mark Pope, and it seems like the school is already bringing in new names to help him out. On Monday, Pope announced two new additions to the team staff. […]

Trey McKenney, a five-star recruit who is the top-ranked player in the state of Michigan, knows exactly what it is he wants out of the school he’ll eventually commit to at some point during his senior season at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep in Flint. The question for those in Lexington is, do the Kentucky […]

Mark Pope and the Kentucky basketball program are revamping their roster for the 2024-25 season. The departure of John Calipari and the 2024 NBA Draft have seen several players make migrate to and from the team. However, Pope and the Wildcats received huge news from former BYU basketball guard Jaxson Robinson on Thursday. Jaxson Robinson […]

It’s been nearly two months since John Calipari, the long-time head coach of the University of Kentucky basketball team, shockingly announced he’d be leaving the Wildcats to take on the head coaching job at SEC rival Arkansas. And even with as much time that has passed, it still feels a bit surreal that Coach Cal, […]

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope is very excited about his team’s latest addition. Pope is dropping rave reviews about the Wildcats’ latest transfer, Ansley Almonor. Almonor previously played for Fairleigh Dickinson before committing to Kentucky basketball from the transfer portal. “Ansley is one of the best shooting mid-major bigs out there and he is a […]

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope has big shoes to fill in the wake of John Calipari’s departure to Arkansas. However, Pope and Calipari have a strong relationship, which will undoubtedly help Pope navigate the waters with the Wildcats. Pope sounded off on his gratitude towards Calipari, via the College Hoops Today podcast. “Yeah, I […]

Kentucky basketball doesn’t seem to be lagging any money since the departure of John Calipari. The Wildcats have close to $700,000 in new recurring NIL contributions from fans since Mark Pope took over the program, per The Athletic. That number seems to be increasing day-to-day, based on program estimates, and doesn’t include the $5 million […]

Mark Pope, the new Kentucky basketball head coach, is in a tough position following John Calipari. While the end of the Calipari era likely left many Wildcats fans with a bitter taste in their mouths, Calipari’s ability to recruit can make expectations possibly too high for Pope to reach. But it looks like Pope has […]

Perhaps the most shocking coaching change of the offseason has taken place with the Kentucky basketball team. Head coach John Calipari left the Wildcats to go be the new head coach at Arkansas, and it left Kentucky search for a new head coach. The Wildcats missed on some of their top candidates, and they ended […]

Mark Pope is the new head coach of the Kentucky basketball team after John Calipari left the Wildcats to go coach at Arkansas. Pope recently came close to landing some big transfer portal commits, but he missed on a couple early on. Wednesday has been a big day for him as he has landed commits […]