Peter Mark In a chat with Jon Rothstein, he talks about plans, goals, and more, saying, “It’s going to be a bloodbath.”

UK basketball coach Mark Pope talked about the season so far and what it’s like to coach his old team on a recent episode of College Hoops Today with Jon Rothstein. Pope, who had already played in 11 games, was thankful for the chance to lead the Wildcats. He said, “I’m blessed.” “We need to get a lot done.” I’m lucky to coach good young guys who want to do better.

A Group with Heart

Pope couldn’t help but praise how well his team worked together. He said, “The guys blow me away every day” when asked about how the team has worked together. Everyone wants to be here and has the same goal. He said that the team’s early success was due to their spirit and hard work. “We have good guys on our team.” We’re not perfect, and we need to grow a lot… “There are guys who come every day,” he said. He is able to mix praise and work, which is very interesting to watch.

Trouble and Progress

Pope said that he was determined to help the team shoot better, especially from beyond the line. “I’m really frustrated we aren’t shooting more threes,” he said as he thought about their wins over Duke and Gonzaga despite having bad shooting nights. You talk about that with Duke, but Gonzaga wins. We need to shoot the ball more. We’re working on it and will get there. Even though things were hard, he praised his players’ toughness, saying, “It tells us two things: we have guys who can take a lot of anger and turn it into fight.” There are guys who are in it for each other.

Strange Events at Kentucky

Pope loves being the head coach of Kentucky. Every day is like a dream for him. “Being the head coach at the University of Kentucky is crazy every day.” Jon, I’m not kidding—this job is only open to one person in the whole world. Pope talked about the Kentucky Legends Project when he talked about the team’s past. You can read more about this project here.

Going Back to Madison Square Garden

Pope couldn’t hide his excitement as Kentucky got ready for a big game against Ohio State at Madison Square Garden. “As a kid who grew up in New York, I ask you: Is there a better place to play basketball anywhere in the world?” He told a funny story about what he wore to the game: “Lee Ann, my wife and the boss of everything here, made a deal.” She told me that you can wear a quarter zip when we go to Seattle. You can wear a quarter zip when we play Duke in Atlanta. You’re not going to walk into Madison Square Garden in a quarter zip, though.

Getting into fights and remembering the past

Pope also gave hints that a series with Rick Pitino’s St. John’s team was in the works. “We are doing everything we can…” It’s still being worked on. The most important thing for me is to get Coach into Rupp next year… A lot of people love him and think of him as a hero. He needs to go back to the gym. It sounds like they are still trying to figure it out.

SEC Power and Plans for the Future

Pope said, “It’s going to be a bloodbath” when he thought about what was to come because 13 of the top 16 teams in the NET rankings are in the top 30. But Pope seems to want that task, “All right, man. Pope said, “That’s so cool.” “Right now, this league is crazy.” You’d be sad if you played in a different league, both as a player and as a boss. This is what you wish for.

Pope thinks that Kentucky’s cap will depend on some important changes. It will be our moving off the ball, along with why, how, and the reads we make when we’re not carrying the ball, that will decide our season, he said. The team needs to get better at “ball screen defense” and “switching 1 through 5” on defense.

Mark Pope’s thoughts on things like thanks and growth show the difficulties and thrills of being the head coach of Kentucky basketball. People in Big Blue Nation are just beginning their trip.