Jasper Johnson and other UK players worked camp together earlier this summer. (UK Athletics Photo)
Every coach wants his or her team to have great team chemistry but it is easier said than done, especially for a basketball coach during the summer months when there is limited time for coaches and players to be together.
Kentucky coach Mark Pope has four returning players — which is for more than his first team had — and he thinks the chemistry building has been “great” this summer.
“They’ve spent an enormous amount of time together in all different facets. They’re spending a ton of time on the court. Of course, we have our NCAA limitations on court time with the staff, and they’re spending a lot of time on the court outside of practice, doing individual work, getting groups together to come get group shooting workouts, or whatever it is,” Pope said.
“It feels like there are guys in the gym all day long. The (Wildcat) Lodge is such a gift to us that those guys can all have the same living space and that they just bump into each other. And the goal in these eight weeks is for all of them to get to the point where they really annoy each other and they want to kill each other because somebody’s left their stuff out or somebody’s not emptying their trash, or somebody’s playing their music too loud.
“Or all those things where you really get to know each other I think are happening. I think the Lodge is a real gift to us that way.”
Pope’s players have also put in a lot of community service hours together this summer. The coach said three weekends were completely devoted to serving in the community.
“We’ve had an event every week where the guys have been super willing and dedicated and passionate to serve, and the fact that again, to do that together, I think there’s a magical currency there where guys grow to know each other better when they’re serving,” Pope said.
“I’m proud of where the guys are right now. We still have a long way to go. We still got to put a lot of capital in the bank to prepare for the stresses in the rest of the season, but we’re heading in the right direction.”
