Mark Pope is setting a different standard for his team this season. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Kentucky set a single-season record for made 3-pointers with 341 in Mark Pope’s first season as head coach and fulfilled his promise that he would have a high scoring offense.
Kentucky had six players average in double figures, the first time that had happened in UK basketball history, and averaged 84.4 points per game, the nation’s seventh best total. The 3,040 points the Cats scored ranks as the seventh-best single season mark in school history and the 607 assists ranked ninth.
However, Pope believes not only should UK have done more but that he also should have done a better coaching job.
During an appearance on the “Eye on College Basketball Podcast” with CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, said he would give himself a B or B- for his coaching job in his first year at Kentucky.
“Our job was to go win it. We didn’t get that done,” Pope told Norlander. “I felt like we did a lot of things really, really well that I’m very proud of. I felt like as a head coach, I failed our team a little bit in terms of picking and choosing the places where we’re going to have a relentless standard where anything less than that is going to be successful.
“One of our big keys going into this season is that we’re going to have a standard that we will refuse to accept anything less in some facets of the game that are controllable. I think we are going to do a much better job with that.”
3 Responses
All in all, Coach Pope did as good a job with his first Kentucky team as could be done given all of the injuries that occurred…better than most thought he would do. Going into year 2, there are 4 things Pope needs to adjust.
1. Stop being everybody's best friend and start being their coach. He needs to start demanding more from his players instead of trying to coax it from them. He wanted 35 three point shots a game…which never happened. He wanted better defense and rebounding that never really emerged. Demand those things and play the kids who step up and deliver on the floor.
2. He has 14 players who could be starters at almost any other school. Don't make promises about playing time that he won't be able to honor, short of another string of injuries. Tell the team that every role is up for who wants it the most. The 5 who rise to the top will start. 3 or 4 others will see decent playing time as backups. The rest will have to wait and be ready if someone gets hurt or get better for the 2026/27 season, or transfer out if it is really all about them.
3. Play faster. Switch defenses more, rebound and run! An uptempo game will allow for more 3 point shots as well as layups. He has 9 to 10 kids he can rotate in and out by design to keep fresh legs on the floor. This will foster more effort from being rested and also by knowing there is another guy who is just as good as he is busting his butt on the floor, so he had better do the same.
4. Make a cast in concrete statement about winning a SEC season title, a SEC tourney title, and a NCAA national title vs. playing to be a lottery pick in the NBA draft. If someone balks at that notion, he has plenty of depth to replace him and never miss a beat. Make no exceptions to this rule of Team before Self.
This team has been built to win championships if it stays focused on that goal. Let's have no tail wagging the dog. Go out and get the job done in 2026 by bring home No. 9 to Lexington! Go CATS!!!
We may have the talent and dept to win it all this upcoming season, but it takes luck and how the ball bounces your way. Not only that the way how officials call the game as well.
It takes a lot of luck Cats79