Mark Pope isn’t satisfied with simply coaching Kentucky basketball. Now, he wants the Wildcats’ media members to lace up their sneakers and prove themselves on the court.
Pope recently announced the first-ever Media Madness, a basketball event scheduled for September 17 following Kentucky’s practice. The challenge has already attracted several media members, but some notable names initially wanted no part of it.
That apparently didn’t sit well with Pope.
The Kentucky head coach called into KSR’s radio show Monday morning with one goal: convince the entire KSR crew to participate.
“Matt, I heard there was some hesitation on your part,” Pope told Matt Jones. “We’ve got to get you over the edge. It’s five and a half weeks of training.”
Pope believes the KSR crew could actually put together a competitive team.
“Think about this team, you think about roster construction right now,” Pope said. “Yes, you’ve got Matt, Ryan, Mario, Drew. Drew’s gonna bring the thunder. Shannon. Tyler probably will be the ringer. This is a squad. This KSR squad, I just think this could be epic.”
The competitive angle may have been enough to change some minds.
Pope revealed that JMI Sports is also expected to have a team, giving KSR another reason to take the event seriously. He also offered some flexibility with the format, allowing players to substitute themselves in and out rather than committing to traditional five-on-five basketball.
And if KSR needs some extra help? Pope is apparently fine with bringing in ringers.
That opens the door for some former Kentucky players to potentially join the fun.
Pope also encouraged the media members to embrace the possibility of embarrassing themselves.
“So that’s the thing about the meme, turning it into a meme,” Pope said. “If you don’t get turned into a meme three or four times in your lifetime, what’s the point of living?”
Pope wants the KSR crew to provide weekly updates on its training leading up to Media Madness. KSR is even planning a Team KSR Combine, giving fans an opportunity to compete for spots on the squad.
The plan is to select one man, one woman and one child to join Team KSR.
With a few potential Kentucky basketball ringers added to the mix, KSR could have a surprisingly interesting roster.
And the trash talk has already started.
Alan Cutler has challenged Ryan Lemond to a one-on-one matchup, despite admitting that his physical condition might make the contest particularly challenging.
Cutler reportedly said he was supposed to have knee replacement surgery 25 months ago but canceled it. He still struggles with stairs, yet he remains completely confident that he can beat Lemond.
His proposed rules are simple: because he’s older, he gets the ball first. The first player to five points wins — or, in Cutler’s words, whoever reaches six fouls first loses.
He also demanded a “REAL Ref.”
The matchup alone could be worth the price of admission.
With 38 days remaining until Media Madness, what started as a fun challenge from Pope is quickly turning into a full-blown competition.
And if the trash talk continues at this pace, the actual games might be even more entertaining than anyone expected.
