Kentucky basketball sharpshooter drops 'life-changer' Mark Pope admission
03/29/2025 10:32 AM
In just one year at the helm, Mark Pope has already made a lasting impact on the Kentucky basketball program. While the Wildcats’ season still ended in the third round of the NCAA Tournament, Pope’s impact was felt by every member of the team. He had a particularly resounding influence on one of his first transfer portal recruits, Koby Brea.
Following Kentucky’s season-ending loss to Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen, nearly the entire team expressed reflective emotion in the aftermath. Brea, in particular, seemed notably upset that his collegiate career was over but simultaneously grateful for everything Pope did in his final season.
“I think the University of Kentucky is in great hands,” Brea said in his post-game presser. “I mean, just to see what [Mark Pope has] done this year in his first year. Not only that, but he’s a life-changer. I feel like he’s helped us grow so much off the court and on the court. It’s going to be really special to see what he continues to do for this team and this university.”
"He's a life changer"
– Lamont Butler, Koby Brea and Andrew Carr shared their thoughts on @CoachMarkPope. pic.twitter.com/aDtOFZaryf— UK Sports Network (@UKSportsNetwork) March 29, 2025
Brea was not the only departing senior to voice his approval of Pope. Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr and Amari Williams all also seconded Brea’s sentiment either at the presser or in the locker room.
Pope’s first year ends with a 24-12 record and the Wildcats’ first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 2019. Despite the basketball program’s notoriously prestigious reputation, Kentucky struggled in the NCAA Tournament at the end of John Calipari’s run with three consecutive early exits.
Kentucky basketball program outlook with Mark Pope
Initially, Pope’s hiring upset a large portion of the Kentucky basketball fan base, who felt the program could do better than the former BYU coach. Yet, in his first year, Pope’s 24-win season is already more than Calipari managed in his final two years in Lexington.
Pope immediately surprised doubtful fans with his impact in the transfer portal, an area in which Calipari struggled to recruit. As soon as he arrived in Kentucky, Pope landed major commitments from Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Amari Williams and Otega Oweh. The moves made up for the losses of D.J. Wagner, Zvonimir Ivisic and Adou Thiero, who followed Calipari to Arkansas.
Despite Kentucky’s up-and-down record in conference play, it still managed to end the year higher in the league standings than Calipari and Arkansas. While Pope never won fewer than 19 games at BYU, some doubted his effectiveness in a conference such as the SEC. His inaugural showing proves that he is more than capable of maintaining the high standards at Kentucky basketball moving forward.
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