There’s a long-held belief around Kentucky basketball: the real job of coaching the Wildcats doesn’t begin until adversity strikes. After the week Mark Pope just lived through, that moment has officially arrived. The former UK big man and 1996 national champion spent the past seven days in the kind of pressure cooker only Kentucky basketball can create — and the question now is whether he has the resilience to withstand it.
From one Tuesday to the next, Pope endured a nightmare stretch. It began with Kentucky falling behind by 20 and ultimately losing 96–88 at Louisville. It ended with the Wildcats trailing by as many as 24 and losing 83–66 to Michigan State at Madison Square Garden. Kentucky is now 0-2 this season against AP Top-25 opponents and has dropped six of its last seven such games dating to the end of last year.
In the middle of those losses, Pope created a PR mess. After the Louisville defeat, he referenced an unusual “pregame experience” that he claimed left the team acting “out of character.” Instead of calming the speculation that erupted, Pope leaned into it on Friday after UK’s blowout win over Eastern Illinois, saying he enjoys leaving “little things that keep everybody wondering.” To many Kentucky fans, the situation was no laughing matter — and Pope’s response only deepened the confusion.
Given Pope’s intelligence and deep understanding of Big Blue Nation — likely second only to Joe B. Hall among modern UK coaches — it seemed surprising he would intentionally spark controversy around his own team, then dismiss it with humor. If the goal was to deflect attention from the Louisville loss, Kentucky’s performance against Michigan State made that impossible.
On the court, UK looked disjointed. A Michigan State team shooting just 21.7% from three entering the game made 11 of 22 attempts. Kentucky’s offense, without injured point guard Jaland Lowe, shot 35.1% from the field and only 23.3% from deep.
That’s particularly alarming because offense has always been Pope’s calling card. At BYU, his teams finished in the top 50 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency four times and cracked the top 25 three times. Last season at Kentucky, the Wildcats ranked 10th in offensive efficiency, seventh in scoring, and displayed one of the country’s most explosive five-out systems.
Which is why this season’s roster construction raised eyebrows. Instead of assembling a group built around proven skill, Kentucky appeared to focus on length, defense, and rebounding. Maybe that approach will pay dividends by March — but so far, the Cats lack the usual precision and creativity of a Pope offense. And the defense, despite the emphasis on physical tools, hasn’t been any more reliable. Michigan State outrebounded the Cats 42–28, and Kentucky’s defensive issues against high-level competition persist.
In attempting to fix last year’s flaws, Pope may have weakened what has always been his greatest strength.
All of this comes amid widespread belief that Kentucky supporters invested upwards of $22 million in NIL funding to build this season’s roster. As Mets owner Steve Cohen could attest, spending the most doesn’t guarantee success — and Kentucky’s slow start has amplified frustration.
But with the conclusion of a rough week comes a new opportunity. If Pope can mold this roster — one that currently appears mismatched — into a cohesive, productive unit, he’ll earn credibility in a major way. More importantly, he has a chance to prove he has the toughness needed to weather the relentless storms that come with the most scrutinized job in college basketball.
Right now, that fire is raging. And how Pope responds will reveal whether he’s built for Kentucky basketball’s brightest — and harshest — spotlight.
