Mark Pope learned not to panic if a team was not making shots from NBA Hall of Fame coach George Karl. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky coach Mark Pope wants his team to shoot 3-pointers. He also wants the players to make 3-point shots but if they do not, he’s not going to panic and have any player quit taking open 3-pointers.
He learned the importance of patience with 3-point shooters from former NBA coach George Karl, a Hall of Famer who won more than 1,000 NBA games.
“One of the best basketball minds, or one of the people in basketball that I look up to and admire and learned so much from, was George Karl,” said Pope. “I got to play for Coach two different times, two different teams.
“I think, technically, he fired me twice, but Coach had this incredible ability to not be a scoreboard watcher.”
Karl never hit the panic button if his team was not making shots early.
“You could go into the second media timeout and it could be 26-11, and everybody’s really fretting, but he’s like, ‘No, no, we’re fine, guys. The energy in this gym is right. We’re actually playing right. Like, everything we’re doing is right. We’re executing. We’re seeing the game. It’s just some things haven’t gone our way, but if we kind of stay on this path we’re on it’ll be good,’” Pope said.
The best thing about Karl is that he did not change if his team was hitting shots.
“He’d be like, ‘All right, listen, guys, we’re not right. Don’t get tricked by this scoreboard. We just made some ridiculous shots And this is not quite right,’” Pope recalled.
“ I thought he was brilliant at not being a scoreboard watcher, but being an energy reader, and I actually think the game asks us for that. The game is asking us to, don’t be distracted.”
4 Responses
Live n Die by the 3 ball. This team is scrappy. Not going to be just about the 3, but if left open the balls gonna fly.
Go Cats!!!
Yes. The 3 is a deadly weapon but also keeps the defense scrambling which opens lanes and inside shots.
UK has balance – both as a TEAM…
AND each player is balanced with inside & outside shooting skills, passing skills, and relentless energetic D
This team is still coming together despite their early season accomplishments. They will get even better. By tourney time, NOBODY will want to play us, NOBODY. Barring a major injury, this is a Final 4 team. NOBODY has the depth that we have 1-12. That depth will be a difference maker in our big games, just as it was against Duke. Basketball is a joy to watch again. Thank you Mark Pope and your unselfish team. Go CATS!!!
I have been a uk fan my entire life. I grew up bleeding blue. I remember going to my grandma’s to watch the UK game and she was the most invested one. That said,…it’s finally nice to see a UK team that out works their opponent in every aspect. Lamont is the truth and oweh is a bucket!!! I was skeptical about the pope hire even tho I was his biggest fan at byu. I always watched their games same as I do every other player who now coaches. Who would have known that Mark Pope would be our answer to our problem at U.K!!?? Go cats. Pope will get better every year with better players. But I would take Lamont butler over any point guard we have ever had. Defense, defense, defense!!! Duke looked lost when we stepped up our game. Who seen Garrison coming? Be honest?? Big plays!!
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