Mark Pope chose the NC Central game to send a message to his Kentucky squad. First, he benched their superstars Jaland Lowe and Kam Williams. After just seven minutes, Brandon Garrison joined the bench crew after he lazily turned over the ball. Pope smashed his clipboard and commanded Garrison to sit down. He did not play again. Lowe and Williams combined played just 21 minutes. Perhaps these were the major changes Pope warned the fanbase about before the game, but fans remain unconvinced.

It’s not common that experts and fans almost give up on a team after just 10 games. Unfortunately for Mark Pope and Kentucky, the anticipation was just that high before the season began. Going into Pope’s second season after impressing in his first, some development was expected. It spiked further after Pope reportedly spent a whopping $22 million on his roster. At a program like Kentucky, after heavy investment, a 6-4 start just doesn’t cut it. Pope knows that. 

On his radio show before the NC Central game, Mark Pope didn’t hide from how broken Kentucky looks right now.“We’re having a major overhaul, reconstruction. It’s been super emotional and really taxing at times, and at times really ugly and violent…We’re reconsidering everything.” He said. Kentucky was ranked ninth in the preseason AP Top 25. After just 10 games, Kentucky is no longer in the top 25. Pope’s team is slipping, and the fans just want some wins, rather than empty statements from their coach. 

Words No Longer Pacify UK Fandom As Mark Pope Vows Change

After the NC Central win, Kentucky is now 6-4 with no quality wins, some ugly losses to top teams that included a 35-point beatdown on a neutral floor that was unofficially a home game. After each loss, there has been some exasperated reaction from Pope, and the fans are getting tired of it. “His inclination to use grandiose verbage and fluff is growing tiresome if I do say so myself.” Wrote a fan. “Mark Pope says some of the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard. Every week its just more made-up goofy shit,” commented another

Pope has already admitted that he is a sore loser. His passion for Kentucky extends beyond just coaching duties. He was an exceptional player for the program, and the relationship dates back to the 90s, where he won the national championship with the team in 1995-96. However, words without backing it up on the court lead to further frustration for the fans. And breaking bones for change at this point seems like a fruitless pursuit for some. 

The inference here is that Pope made his bed and now he has to lie in it. There is little room for change anymore. Unlike the NBA, there are no in-season transfers/trades. You can suspend players, but without proper replacements and a real reason, that doesn’t make sense. Pope will need to work within his squad and change direction solely based on a tactical U-turn, and bring out the best from his players. 

“It’s one thing to say you’ll make these changes. It’s another thing to implement them. Let’s see these improvements in action,” wrote another fan. We saw some of that against NC Central. A change in the lineup with a fired-up Mark Pope meant Kentucky cruised to a 103-67 win. It was their third game scoring 100+ points. 

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“We just have a standard we have to live up to, and we’re not, and we have to,” Pope said when asked if he was sending a message to some of his players tonight. “So, we keep fighting until we do.” Trent Noah performed well in just his second start. He pitched in with 11 points,6 rebounds, and 3 assists. Pope could rely on him as a long-term piece if this continues.   For other fans, this outrage and self-criticism are just a sign of a lack of clarity in Pope. 

“‘Considering everything’…..including a new head coach,” pitched in another fan. The lack of identity in this team is a major concern. They have multiple talented players, but do not seem to translate that into results. Coach is naturally the first one to come under the gun. However, it would be too early to move on from Pope. 

This is a squad he assembled, and a new coach will likely perform even worse or at the same level. In addition, to be fair, Pope has dealt with injuries to Lowe, Jayden Quaintance, and Mohammed Dioubate on a newly built roster. The fans need to just hope that Mark Pope finds his formula and rethink regarding a new coach if the season-wide performance is the same or worse.