Mark Pope's instant reaction to Kentucky's wild OT win over Gonzaga
12/08/2024 12:01 PM
It’s been five years since the Kentucky Wildcats reached the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament, and while for many programs that may not seem like too long of a drought, in Lexington, this is an eternity. In fact, since the Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985, this is the longest stretch Kentucky has ever gone without making at least the Sweet Sixteen. However, under new head coach Mark Pope, this year’s version of the Wildcats might be ready to put an end to that streak.
On Saturday night in Seattle, Kentucky played a de facto road game against Gonzaga and managed to overcome a 16-point halftime deficit to stun the 7th-ranked Bulldogs in overtime. After the 90-89 win, Pope and Jaxson Robinson spoke with Andy Katz about scoring a victory in what Pope called “a Final Four type game,” and how Robinson, who he coached for two years at BYU, led the way for the short-handed Wildcats.
That was something special. Postgame here in Seattle with @KentuckyMBB coach Mark Pope and Jaxson Robinson after the 90-89 OT win over @ZagMBB for @MarchMadnessMBB: pic.twitter.com/RluWctsQxw
— Andy Katz (@TheAndyKatz) December 8, 2024
Robinson scored 18 points and dished out team-high 5 assists in 36 minutes of action. He made the final basket of the night for Kentucky, a jumper with 14 seconds remaining to give the Wildcats a 90-86 lead. The fifth-year senior was one of five Kentucky players in double figures scoring, along with Andrew Carr (19 points), Otega Oweh (13), Amari Williams (12), and Brandon Garrison (10).
This team full of transfers appears to be well-positioned to make a deep run in March, but before they can get there, they need to survive the gauntlet that is SEC play. Following a dominant showing in the ACC-SEC Challenge, it’s clear that the Southeastern Conference is the best in college basketball this year. And the AP Poll shows that.
Kentucky — ranked no. 4 in the country — is one of eight teams in the top 25 along, joining Auburn (#2), Tennessee (#3), Alabama (#10), Florida (#13), Oklahoma (#21), Texas A&M (#22), and Ole Miss (#23). The Wildcats open SEC play on January 4th when they host the currently unbeaten Florida Gators. Before then, Kentucky has matchups with Colgate, Louisville, Ohio State and Brown on the schedule.
The post Mark Pope’s instant reaction to Kentucky’s wild OT win over Gonzaga appeared first on ClutchPoints.
