Kentucky fans had been waiting to see it — and on Friday night, Mark Pope finally solved the problem that had been holding his team back. Against Valparaiso, one critical adjustment turned the Wildcats into a well-oiled machine, and the results were impossible to ignore. Let’s break down exactly what Pope fixed and why it matters for the season ahead.
Kentucky looked like a different team on Friday night — and it all came down to one correction Mark Pope made in his game plan.
After a sluggish first matchup of the season, the Wildcats had shown signs of struggling with offensive flow and spacing, especially in their half-court sets. Against Valparaiso, Pope addressed that issue directly, getting his players to move the ball faster, attack the gaps in the defense, and create more open looks for shooters.
The results were immediate. Kentucky rolled to a 107-59 victory, shooting 54% from the field and knocking down 11-of-28 from three. Players like Malachi Moreno dominated inside, while guards orchestrated plays with renewed efficiency. Every possession looked sharper, faster, and more purposeful — the kind of offense that can carry a team deep into March.
> “We just needed to get our flow back and be more decisive with the ball,” Pope said after the game. “Once we made that adjustment, everything opened up. The team executed, moved the ball, and played the way I know they’re capable of. It was a great effort.”
One of the biggest beneficiaries of this fix was Malachi Moreno, whose inside presence became unstoppable. By having guards like Jaland Lowe and Collin Chandler more aggressive in transition and in the half-court, Moreno found himself in the right spots at the right time, finishing plays and grabbing rebounds that kept Kentucky in total control.
Defensively, the Wildcats continued their dominance, holding Valparaiso to just 28% shooting overall and 8-of-34 from three, but it was the offensive correction that made the blowout feel complete. Pope solved a problem that had limited Kentucky in their first game, and now the team looks balanced, confident, and dangerous on both ends of the floor.
With a road matchup against Louisville coming up on Tuesday, the Wildcats’ newly tuned offense will be put to the test. If Friday was any indication, Mark Pope’s adjustment might just be the key to keeping Kentucky at the top of its game all season long.
