Wildcats fans, we feel your pain! Back-to-back losses are hard to deal with, especially when you had such high hopes coming in. Vanderbilt exploited the absence of Andrew Carr, and staged a major conference upset. Mark Pope and his team is now 10th in the SEC table, reminding fans of the later years of Coach Cal. With the risk Kentucky took while hiring Pope, they were certainly expecting better results. However, after two important losses, analysts are predicting a dark time for the Wildcats.

On ‘The Field of 68: After Dark’, analysts Rob Dauster and Jeff Goodman had a lot to say about the Mark Pope-led team. “They’re not a dominant team, they’re a good team,” said Goodman, “If they make the sweet sixteen, if they make the second weekend, if you’re a Kentucky fan? You should be ecstatic.” Kentucky has to be given some credit though, as the Wildcats handed Duke one of their only two losses. They have looked brilliant at times, but the level of play differs from night to night.

Rob Dauster agreed with the sentiment, and added his own thoughts about where the Kentucky Wildcats might place realistically. “I think most Kentucky fans do realize that this Kentucky team is not the Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist Kentucky team. I think they realize, yes, they were ranked as high as like fourth or sixth… But this team is more like a top 15-ish kind of a team than a top five-ish.” 

The analyst’s predictions come as a blow to Kentucky, who beat great teams like Gonzaga and Louisville pretty easily. After the departure of John Calipari, Wildcats fans were feeling lighter than ever. The legendary coach had a great run at Kentucky, but his final few years with the team were underwhelming to say the least. That is a major reason why Mark Pope was given the kind of contract that he was.

Kentucky’s big gamble, can Pope live up to Calipari?

Coach Cal’s last few years at Kentucky were difficult, and very disappointing. The Hall-of-Fame coach could not make it past the second round in his last four years at Kentucky, even missing the post-season in the 2020-21 season. Fans were distraught, and asked for his removal. Critics said that the game has passed Calipari by, that he can’t be an effective coach in the modern-day.

Eventually, John Calipari stepped down from his position as Wildcats’ head coach, and Mark Pope was subjected to a trial by fire. Stepping into coach Cal’s shoes is a big ask of anybody, but supporters were optimistic that Pope would be able to handle it.

Not only that, Mark Pope was given a hefty chunk of money. Pope agreed to a five year deal worth $27.5 million. His initial salary starts at $5 million, and has a $250,000 escalator each year. On top of that, there are additional benefits for post-season and program performance.

Coach Pope started his stint at Kentucky with a bang, leading the Wildcats to a 12-2 record and an astonishing 7-game win streak. Even now, the team isn’t doing too badly, with plenty of time left to recover. One game to watch out for is the Kentucky vs. Arkansas matchup in early February, where Kentucky’s big gamble will be put to the test against a struggling Arkansas team. What do you think? Will Coach Pope prove his doubters wrong? How far will Kentucky go in March Madness? Only time will tell.