The Kentucky Wildcats secured the much-expected 103-67 win over the North Carolina Central Eagles in their latest matchup. However, what caught everyone’s attention wasn’t just about the scoreboard; it was the non-negotiable standard head coach Mark Pope expects from his players as he fires up on junior forward Brandon Garrison.

Garrison put up five points on 1-of-2 shooting, made all three of his free throws, and added two assists and a steal. But what made him face the wrath of coach Pope was his two turnovers, one of which came in the first half of the game when he lost the ball and jogged back on defense, looking like a player who didn’t care enough. This resulted in Pope calling a timeout and sending Garrison to the bench for the remainder of the game, emphasizing that effort and urgency are mandatory.

In the post-game interview, Mark Pope didn’t hold back when discussing what he expects from his players in terms of effort. “We just have a standard that we have to live up to, and we’re not,” he said. “We don’t really know what it means to compete yet, which is terrifying, but we will learn. …It hasn’t translated yet, but it will. It will. We’re going to be so proud of this team. We’re not yet, but we will be. And that competitive spirit, man, I’ve done a poor job. We’re gonna find it, but we’re gonna die trying, and so it’s there. We just gotta get it, and we gotta find a way to do it, and we gotta get guys outside of themselves. We gotta get guys living and dying for this team and this gym with this fan base and in a competitive game.”

Despite the blowout win, the head coach made it clear that Kentucky’s growth won’t be measured by margins of victory but by how consistently his players compete on every possession. And that is something that wins championships!

More to follow…