Mark and Lee Anne Pope started their family in Milwaukee, the city where UK plays Friday night. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Knowing how fan friendly Kentucky coach Mark Pope can be, maybe it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him showing UK fans around Milwaukee this weekend.
Kentucky opens NCAA Tournament play Friday night in Milwaukee against Liberty. The Cats will be a solid favorite — but they have been in some recent first-round NCAA games and not fared well.
This will also be Pope’s chance not only to get his first NCAA win at Kentucky, but his first NCAA win as a head college coach.
Pope played professionally for the Milwaukee Bucks after helping Kentucky and coach Rick Pitino win the 1996 national championship. Pope played for Hall of Fame coach George Karl in Milwaukee and he started Pope in 57 games during those two seasons.
“I have so many memories. It’s a really special place to me,” Pope told media members Sunday night after the NCAA Tournament pairings were announced. “George Karl was the only coach — sorry, George — but dumb enough to actually start me in the NBA. He started me most of his season there on a great team.
“We made an epic run all the way through the Eastern Conference Finals to a Game 7. My first daughter, Ella, was born in Milwaukee. I would drive home every day, we lived right off Blue Mound Road, and drive right by the Kopp’s Custard and on the placard they’d have what the custard of the day was, and I’d call Lee Anne and be like, ‘Are we getting it or not?’”
Apparently Kopp’s is also well known for its hamburgers and likely will have a lot of UK fans visit after this promotion by Pope.
Pope said his family still had “great friends” in Milwaukee.
Kentucky assistant coach Cody Fueger probably does, too, because he was born in Milwaukee. He has been on Pope’s coaching staff for nine years.
“He’s a die-hard Wisconsinite,” Pope said of his longtime assistant.
If Kentucky beats Troy, it would advance to a second-round game Sunday in Milwaukee.
