Vicky Graff Photo
It’s easy to question some things about the Kentucky basketball team after Saturday’s 85-65 loss to Ohio State in New York.
However, one thing you cannot question is that coach Mark Pope cares about winning and understands why losing frustrates fans and his players. He also has an unwavering confidence in his players.
After the loss, Pope was asked how he thought UK would respond with a 10-day break before its next game and a two-week break before SEC play starts.
“I know exactly how these guys will respond. Like, they’re going to really, really try as hard as they can to not let this destroy their couple days off. Their job is to get really fresh right now and when we get back together on the 26th, and I know these guys, they’ll come in and it’s not going to be just empty emotion,” Pope said.
“It’s going to be ‘We’re going to get better.’ And these guys will get better. We’ve just got to keep trusting what we do. We had some defensive struggles tonight and then we just fell to pieces offensively. We just went to our default and our default is not right yet. Our default is still bad habits.”
To me, what he said next is important to remember.
“It’s not bad habits coming out of a bad place in guys’ hearts. It’s coming from a great place. It’s coming from a desperation to help their team,” Pope said. “But we don’t do that by ourselves. We do it disciplined and we do it the way we do it. And we do it by making plays for each other, and that’s still not our default. That’s just a trust building process.
“And sometimes when things go wrong, it can build your trust because you get to see, ‘Hey, this doesn’t work’ when we try to do this this way. But these guys will respond beautifully because they’re incredible young men and they’ll come back and they’ll work like crazy.
“I know who they represent and how much it means. It’s incredibly painful to lose this game. But they’ll respond.”
7 Responses
Jeez ! Tell ya one thing – Coach CAN communicate !!! Much unlike previous unintelligible jabber.
Pope can talk the talk. We will see if he can walk the walk when Florida comes to town.
Ok, the honeymoon is over. It’s time for Pope to start demanding things from this team. Bucknell was the last time they played Pope ball. Since Duke, they have been playing to impress NBA scouts and they are not good enough individually to beat the better teams on our schedule.
What happened to the motion offense? I know that constant motion and screening will tire players out, especially on the defensive end, but that is what the bench is for. I guess they don’t like the idea of playing in 4 or 5 minute bursts. It looks like they would rather pace themselves so they can play most of the game? That is not Pope ball! That is I am playing for my NBA future or Calipari ball.
Coach Pope, you are the COACH. If the starting 5 doesn’t want to play Pope ball, bench them even if you have to get some kids out of the Seton Center gym to fill out the substitute rotation. When the kids come back from the Christmas break, you need to lay down the law on what you expect and what you won’t tolerate. The motion offense has to come back and taking 35 three point shots is a must. If the other team is crowding the 3 point line, then there is more opportunity to run pick and rolls with Williams or Garrison which should produce 5 to 6 dunks each game if not more. Expect to see more Kami Kazi defense which means we need to get our free throw shooting percentage up to at least 85%.
You will need to play more zone. A 1-3-1 and a 2-3 with a little man to man mixed in. Challenge Brea, Perry, and Almonor to stay in front of their man on defense or you can’t play them. Give Chandler and Noah more PT if those 3 won’t play defense. They should be getting some PT anyway if the motion offense is being run. Kids will need a breather after 4 or 5 minutes. Use Darbyshire, Walker, and Tow if you have to, but make them understand that they are going to play Pope ball or not play at all even if that results in some leaving the team.
I would rather see some kids quit and lose the rest of our games if that is what it takes to get those who are left to play Pope ball. Pope ball is the key to Kentucky winning championships again and if kids don’t want to play Pope ball then they should go to another school. Pope needs to be preaching this in his recruiting so he won’t have to deal with selfish play once they put on a Kentucky uniform. 5 star players will not want to play Pope ball. Go after the 3 and some 4 star players who will!
Ah yes, I’m sure the players are not playing “Pope ball” simply because they don’t want to. It definitely has nothing to do with how teams are guarding them. Geez, how has Pope not hired you on as an assistant yet!
I like our team and glad to have Pope as the coach. I do think he can pull a couple of rabbits out of his hat during the season.
Part of the problem seems to be that these guys are not used to being the team with the target on their back every game. These guys have all been on teams trying to take the target down, not defending it. That takes getting used to, preparing for, and a completely different mindset. No amount of coaching or lecturing can prepare a player for those types of games every time you step on the floor. It takes going through it as a player and a team. Now the question becomes, can they physically and mentally accept the challenge of being the target?
The target on the back perspective is profound – I agree that they are now in a reverse role & that complicates things for some of the players. That is also more reason for them to listen AND execute the way experienced Coach Pope instructs them. It just seems some reverted to their “before UK” days
I Always will be UK faithful win or lose. Life to short to cry over an L and I’m sure there will be more. Pope and the team will be fine. Go cats!!