Mark Pope is on the cusp of a perfect first season as the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats. With a 17-7 overall record and 6-5 in SEC play, Pope has exceeded expectations in his inaugural season.
The Wildcats have five wins over top-ten teams and seven total wins over teams ranked in the top 15. Pope’s ability to assemble a talented roster through the transfer portal has been impressive.
However, there is one box left for Pope to check off: winning an NCAA Tournament game. Despite appearing in the tournament twice as the head coach at BYU, Pope is 0-2 in those games.
This season, the Wildcats are likely to be a three or four-seed in the NCAA Tournament. If they can make a deep run, it will be the perfect first season for Pope.
With a talented roster and momentum on their side, the Wildcats are poised to make a statement in the tournament. Can Pope finally get his first NCAA Tournament win and lead the Wildcats to a championship run?
