Every week on his call-in show, Mark Pope talks about faith, Louisville, and other things: Inside are highlights and the whole show.

Fans had a lot to think about on this week’s Mark Pope Show, from how to lead players to how faith can help you get through hard times. The episode showed how good Pope is at sharing stories and how much he loves connecting with his players and the community.

Pope praised Kerr Kriisa, who was out with a Jones fracture, for giving his first-ever pre-game speech. It was one of the most memorable moments. Pope said it stood out “as much as any pre-game speech” he had heard at Kentucky or BYU. He added with a laugh, “I hope nothing that was said ever gets out.” Pope made Kriisa the new pre-game voice while he’s healing because it worked so well.

Pope talked about his coaching theory and stressed how important it is to know each player as an individual. “I don’t coach players.” When he can, he likes to work one-on-one with each player. He also said the same thing about a team vs. teaching teams. Pope and his staff build a link with his team that helps them do better by trying to understand what they see and feel on the court.

When asked if there should be a balance between individual scores and a system that focuses on teams, Pope said that there should be both. “Player X should be put in a certain spot and left to his own devices sometimes.” He also said, “We have some really great players.”

Pope also told a story from his time at BYU. During a break, he remembered a time when Houston blocked his carefully planned play, but they made a mistake that gave them a second chance. He told his point guard TJ Haws, “Dribble as fast as you can and go score” with only six seconds left. As expected, Haws scored the game-winning touchdown by pulling up at the elbow.

Faith, which was very important to Pope, was another important subject. He said that his faith was like a “cheat sheet” for life and sports, especially when things were tough. He shared a line from a song by Tauren Wells: “If it’s not good, then He’s not done, no He’s not done with it yet.” In the morning there will be happiness. This point of view gives Pope hope and strength when things go wrong.

Kentucky is getting ready to play Colgate on Wednesday and Louisville on Saturday. Pope talked about the history of the Kentucky-Louisville rivalry and even told a story about Rick Pitino and the late “Mr. Wildcat” Bill Keightley at about the 37-minute mark. Pope sees every game and every moment as a new part of a story full of love, faith, and experiences that will last a lifetime.