Kentucky's Mark Pope jokes about getting fired after advancing in NCAA Tournament
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Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope has his first March Madness win with the Wildcats. Kentucky advanced after defeating Troy on Friday, 76-57. Pope made a joke after picking up the victory.
"It means that Mitch (Barnhart) isn't going to fire me until Sunday or whenever play again,” Pope said postgame, per 247 Sports.
Pope is referring to Kentucky’s AD, Mitch Barnhart. The Kentucky head basketball coach is in his first season in Lexington, after replacing John Calipari.
Kentucky basketball moves to the Round of 32. They next play on Sunday, against Illinois. The Wildcats are a no. 3 seed, while the Illini are a no. 6 seed.
Pope recognized the importance of beating Troy. His predecessor Calipari also picked up a NCAA tournament victory over Kansas in the Round of 64.
“I’m just grateful that BG (Brandon Garrison) can’t walk around calling me the ‘Big Zero’ anymore,” Pope said, per Kentucky Sports Radio. Garrison is a player on the Kentucky basketball team.
Pope’s win over Troy is his first NCAA tournament win in his coaching tenure.
Mark Pope has it rolling at Kentucky basketball
Pope had an outstanding season with Kentucky. The Wildcats won 23 games and counting, after the victory over Troy. Pope was able to rebuild the team’s roster after several commitments decided to go to Arkansas with Calipari.
Pope previously coached at BYU. He made the NCAA tournament last season with the Cougars, but got bounced in the Round of 64. He brought several BYU players with him to Lexington this season.
Kentucky basketball saw a surge in their NIL funding once Pope got the job. Wildcats fans felt that things had gotten a bit stale under Calipari. He had not made a Final Four in several years, despite recruiting some of the best players in the country to come to Lexington.
It’s been awhile since Kentucky reached the Sweet Sixteen. The last time that happened was with Calipari as the head coach in the 2019 season. Kentucky fans are excited about the chance of getting another trip to that second weekend round.
Kentucky must get through Illinois first. The Illini are led by Brad Underwood and looked strong in a first round win over Xavier. Illinois is one of eight Big Ten Conference teams who won in the Round of 64.
Kentucky is one of 14 SEC teams who got a bid to March Madness. The SEC didn’t do well so far in the event. Only eight of the 14 teams remain standing in the Round of 32.
The Wildcats and Illini play Sunday at 5:15 ET.
The post Kentucky’s Mark Pope jokes about getting fired after advancing in NCAA Tournament appeared first on ClutchPoints.
