When Mark Pope dedicates over 30 straight minutes of summer practice to a single offensive action, you know it’s more than just a rep — it’s a potential blueprint for how Kentucky wants to play this season.
That’s exactly what happened today during a closed scrimmage session in Lexington, where Pope and his staff laser-focused on a high-post split action that had the Wildcats working in pairs, reading the defense, and moving with a rhythm that looked… deliberate.
> “They ran that same set from five different alignments,” said one staff member watching courtside. “It wasn’t just a drill — it looked like Pope’s installing something core.”
The play involved Amari Williams catching the ball at the elbow, while Trent Travis and Lamont Butler circled off each other on the wings, with Jayden Quaintance diving hard to the rim. The ball movement was crisp, and the emphasis was clear: read-and-react decision-making with purpose.
The play generated:
Open backdoor layups
Kick-out threes to shooters in rhythm
Lob threats off slips from Quaintance
Post-seals if the defense switched
It’s the kind of action that blends Princeton-style principles with modern spacing, and Pope’s background in motion-heavy systems makes it a natural fit.
> “He doesn’t want guys standing still,” said one observer. “This set gets everyone moving, reading, and thinking — it forces chemistry.”
But what really stood out? The repetition. Pope didn’t move on quickly. Instead, he had the team run it over, and over, and over again. Minor tweaks. Mid-possession corrections. Even film review on the sideline before restarting.
That kind of attention suggests this action could become a staple in Kentucky’s offensive playbook.
> “It’s built for speed, IQ, and options,” one assistant said. “If they master this now, it’s going to be deadly by conference play.”
Fans hoping to see the Wildcats play more freely but with structure may have just gotten their first preview of how this team will function — not just as individuals, but as a connected five-man unit.
It’s early. But today’s emphasis made one thing clear:
Kentucky isn’t just running plays — they’re installing identity.
