Kentucky players sadly walked off the court after being "eviscerated" at Vanderbilt. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Mark Pope is making the wrong kind of history.
Pope’s team has now lost games by 25 or more points in consecutive seasons — 29 points to Alabama in the 2025 SEC Tournament 25 points at Vanderbilt on Tuesday. That’s something that had only happened twice in program history (1988-90 and 1926-28).
Pope, John Calipari and Eddie Sutton are the only UK coaches since legendary coach Adolph Rupp’s fist season with three career losses by 25 or more points. Pope has reached that lowly spot in only 57 games.
The Vanderbilt loss continued a disturbing trend for Pope. His teams have trailed by 17 or more points in seven of eight games not in Rupp Arena this season and have tailed by 15 or more points in almost one fourth of UK’s power conference games in his time as UK’s head coach.
Kentucky’s up and down season has been so perplexing that SEC Network host Paul Finebaum called it a “legitimate question” to contemplate Pope’s future at Kentucky.
“I’ve been a big supporter of Mark Pope, but, at some point you have to take a pause and go, ‘Why is this program continually getting blown out?’” Finebaum said during his show Wednesday. “They’ve won some big games, and there have been a couple of times where Kentucky has pulled one off. I think one was against Tennessee recently, they were way down and came back.
“But from what I can tell they’ve been ineffective in the first half too often and they dig themselves holes.”
Ineffective is a kind word. Kentucky has been terrible in the first half of most games and that trend certainly was on full display at Vanderbilt. Remember Kentucky was touted as a Final Four team this season. Sure Kentucky has three players out with injuries but even in that scenario it’s hard to understand how UK has been so bad in so many games this season.
“I think the way things are going in his second season, Pope has a lot to answer for. “He still has supporters and a lot of people that are behind him, but every time he goes on the road and gets eviscerated, it makes him more difficult to defend,” Finebaum said.
My guess is that most UK fans would 100 percent agree with that analysis.
7 Responses
This is what happens when you have a group of highly talented basketball players but you don't have a team. And the problem with this is, each player pays no price for selfishness. The NCAA has shown that it will let a player go into the NBA and then go back into college sports at will. So why should any player on the UK club feel threatened by the future? The players will play as long as they are getting paid and when that doesn't work they go to another team – to get paid. In the end, they will ride someone else's coat tails into the NBA. Everyone on seems surprised at the lack of performance; I'm not. KY does not have a team.
It’s not the NCAA, it’s the players suing the NCAA and the coaches letting them come back to college.
I can honestly say I like Pope and would love to see him bring the CATS back but it's has to fall on him as he put this team together with what was said over 20 million dollars. IMO the players don't care about Kentucky but only the money they received! No chemistry what so ever with this group. Sorry to say I just can't watch another game.
you are not alone David
I believe the $20 million figure was a figment of some sports
writers imagination. Didn't happen.
I, also, don't know if I can bear to watch the game Saturday against the 'hogs' AKA 'pigs' in addition to their coach. I 'may' watch a few minutes, just may, and if it looks like most all of our games this season, off goes the TV and I'll do something productive, like staring at the ceiling. We are unbelievably bad. GO CATS!
You could mount your tv on the ceiling and watch the
game while doing something productive at the same time.
I may try that myself. Thanks..
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