Tag: mark pope

Date set for John Calipari’s return to Lexington to face Kentucky

John Calipari will return to face the Kentucky Wildcats on February 1 with the Arkansas Razorbacks in SEC play.

The SEC basketball schedule was released on Tuesday, giving fans a first look at when and where each conference game will take place in the 2024-25 college basketball season.

Without a doubt the most exciting matchup is Arkansas at Kentucky – the return of longtime Wildcats coach John Calipari to Lexington.

The game, which will take place on February 1, not only brings Cal back to the program he coached for 15 years and brought a national championship in 2012, it also marks the return of former Kentucky players DJ Wagner, Adou Thiero, and Zvonimir Ivisic who followed Calipari to Fayetteville in the transfer portal.

Calipari also snatched three recruits who were previously committed to Kentucky: Boogie Fland, Karter Knox, and Billy Richmond, giving BBN plenty of familiar faces to cheer against.

Calipari bolted for Arkansas this offseason after previous Hogs coach Eric Musselman took the open position at USC, replacing Andy Enfield. The ‘Cats brought in BYU coach Mark Pope to replace him.

Pope is an alumni who was team captain when Kentucky won the title under Rick Pitino in 1996, and he no doubt wants to secure a win here to prove to the fanbase he’s the right man for this job despite limited NCAA Tournament success prior to his hiring.

Mark Pope era at Kentucky one of ESPN’s top storylines for 2024-25

ESPN ranks Kentucky and the start of the Mark Pope era as its third-best storyline ahead of the 2024-25 season.

The arrival of the Mark Pope coaching era in Lexington was always going to be one of the most anticipated storylines of the 2024-25 college basketball season — the same as any other time Kentucky has introduced a new head coach.

With approximately 100 days remaining before Kentucky opens its season Nov. 4 against Wright State at Rupp Arena, ESPN’s Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf recently named their 10 best storylines ahead of the season. Kentucky and the start of the Pope era was ranked No. 3.

UConn’s attempt at becoming the NCAA’s first three-peat champion since John Wooden’s UCLA teams won seven straight titles from 1967-73 was the No. 1 overall storyline. John Calipari’s first season in Fayetteville as Arkansas’ new coach was named the second-best storyline.

Per ESPN’s Medcalf:

“After whiffing on big-name candidates for its successor to John Calipari, the blueblood school ultimately landed on the former BYU coach and once-team captain on the 1995-96 Wildcats squad that won a national championship. It hasn’t mattered to Pope that he wasn’t the first choice, though, as he’s quickly turned early skepticism into optimism. Thousands of fans attended his introductory press conference at Rupp Arena. He has a top-25 team full of elite transfers. More importantly, he understands that, while he’s replacing John Calipari, the standard has not changed: he knows it’s always championship or bust in Lexington.”

Pope played two seasons in Lexington and was a captain on the Wildcats’ 1996 national championship team. He was named head coach on April 12 after Calipari left for Arkansas following his second first-round NCAA Tournament exit in three seasons.

In five seasons at BYU, Pope posted a 110-52 overall record and led the Cougars to two NCAA Tournament appearances. BYU lost to Duquesne in the first round of the tournament last March.

Kentucky is ranked No. 23 in ESPN’s preseason college basketball Top 25. Dick Vitale recently had the Wildcats in his way-too-early 2024-25 Sweet 16 projection.

Where Kentucky ranks in way-too-early ESPN college basketball Top 25

The Wildcats rank No. 23 in Jeff Borzello’s way-too-early Top 25 list.

ESPN released its updated way-too-early men’s college basketball Top 25 rankings this week with four months still remaining until Kentucky’s first scheduled game of the 2024-25 season.

Kansas topped the list at No. 1, hardly a surprise to anyone who follows college hoops.

As for Kentucky? Well, here’s something that once seemed practically unheard of: the Wildcats rank as only the ninth best SEC team on ESPN’s list, checking in at No. 23 overall in veteran college basketball analyst Jeff Borzello’s Top 25.

Of course, SEC basketball has changed a lot over the past 10 or even five years. The conference has shed its reputation as a “football-only” league with programs like Alabama, Auburn and South Carolina all reaching the Final Four since 2017.

Tennessee made a run to the Elite Eight last season, and Florida and Arkansas have also made deep NCAA Tournament runs since 2017. The Razorbacks — not that anyone has forgotten — are now led by former Kentucky coach John Calipari, who took a handful of former ‘Cats and Kentucky pledges with him to Fayetteville.

All but one of the aforementioned schools are ahead of Kentucky in Borzello’s rankings, with Alabama as the top-ranked SEC team at No. 2 nationally after the program’s first trip to the Final Four a season ago. Behind the Crimson Tide are Auburn (No. 11), Texas A&M (No. 12), Tennessee (No. 13), Arkansas (No. 14), Ole Miss (No. 20), Florida (No. 21) and SEC newcomer Texas (No. 22).

Regardless of those schools, the Wildcats will look a lot different when they take the floor for the first time this season. As Borzello explains:

“Mark Pope’s first roster in Lexington will look drastically different from most of his predecessor’s teams. Out are the five-star freshmen, in are a slew of prolific 3-point shooters to stretch defenses. Jaxson Robinson ultimately followed his former coach from BYU and he’s the best addition, playing himself onto NBA draft boards despite coming off the bench. Robinson is joined by Koby Brea (Dayton), Otega Oweh (Oklahoma), Kerr Kriisa (West Virginia) and Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) as high-level shooters, while Lamont Butler (San Diego State) and Amari Williams (Drexel) bring defensive prowess.”

Kentucky’s first scheduled game is its November 12 matchup against Duke in Atlanta. After that, the Wildcats’ next scheduled game is at Clemson in the annual ACC-SEC Challenge on December 3. The Tigers reached the Elite Eight last season for the first time since 1980.

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Kentucky football has a new booster and it’s… Rick Pitino?

We’re guessing Kentucky fans didn’t have this one on their bingo cards entering 2024.

Here’s something no one had on their bingo cards back at the beginning of 2024: former Kentucky basketball coach Rick Pitino is now a Kentucky football booster.

No, really.

Once beloved by Big Blue Nation and then reviled after accepting the head coaching job at Louisville in 2001 and eventually leading the Cardinals to the national championship 12 years later, Pitino revealed the news Thursday during a sit-down with Kentucky Sports Radio’s Pardon My Take podcast.

Pitino cited his friendship with coach Mark Stoops for why he donated to the football program. He added that he would also be willing to donate to the basketball program after making similar remarks months earlier when Mark Pope was announced as Kentucky’s coach following John Calipari’s exit.

Pope is a former player of Pitino’s and was a member of the school’s 1996 national championship team.

“Well, I actually cut a check to the football program because I’m a casual friend of Mark Stoops and Eddie Gran,” Pitino said. “I cut a check to the football program, but I would definitely cut a check if Mark needs me for anything, no matter what — except for my firstborn Michael — he could have it.“

Added Pitino: “I absolutely love Mark and would do anything for his program. I always called the University of Kentucky ‘Camelot’ for me. Never had a bad year, never had a bad day. They treated me like a king.“

Pitino left Kentucky to coach the Boston Celtics in 1997. He returned to the college ranks in 2001 after Hall of Fame coach Denny Crum retired and spent the next 16 seasons with Louisville. Pitino left Louisville amid a cloud of controversy in 2017 that involved allegations of “pay for play” recruiting violations.

Pitino returned to the coaching ranks in 2020 when he accepted the head coaching job at Iona. He is currently the head coach at St. John’s, a program with its own unique tradition and history in college basketball.

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Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope gives update on final scholarship

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope speaks about the final available Wildcats scholarship.

Kentucky basketball’s 2024 roster is almost complete, with Jaxson Robinson claiming the 12th scholarship. That leaves the Wildcats with just one open spot available at this point in time.

On Tuesday, coach Mark Pope gave a press conference, and spoke to the media about that 13th scholarship.

No, it’s still the same. I think we had a pretty good feel of where we were a couple weeks ago and it’s just been confirmed for us more than anything else. We’re going to find it. There could be 100 different reasons why a 13th scholarship would fit.

Among the options for the final spot are an international player, or possibly a player who reclassifies to 2024. Whatever the case, it’s not likely to happen until later in the summer.

Kentucky fans are excited to see how the 2024-25 roster comes together and performs. They’ll have to wait a bit to see the final player, and hopefully, it will be the final piece of the puzzle for a championship caliber team.

Jason Hart and Mark Fox joining Mark Pope’s Kentucky coaching staff

Jason Hart and Mark Fox are being added to Mark Pope’s coaching staff with Kentucky basketball.

Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach Mark Pope continues to build his coaching staff. He is adding two more members in Jason Hart and Mark Fox.

Hart is a former Syracuse Orange guard (1996–2000) who spent 10 years playing in the NBA. He then became the head coach of Taft High School in California (2011-12).

The following year (2012-13), Hart became an assistant coach at Pepperdine, and then became an assistant for USC (2013-21) before becoming the head coach for the NBA G League Ignite. That’s where he’s been since.

Jason Hart is a hire who could enable Pope to thrive at Kentucky and counter the critical and negative reaction to his arrival in Lexington. His recruiting chops and energy could put Pope in a position to succeed.

Mark Fox has head coaching experience, and in the SEC. Pope was an assistant for Fox for one season, and now Fox will be an assistant under Pope.

Hart is expected to be a big part of the recruiting ream for Pope, while Fox will be in a non-recruiting position.

Former USC assistant Jason Hart hired by Mark Pope at Kentucky

Jason Hart is a really good hire by Mark Pope. USC fans respected Hart for the work he did.

Former USC basketball assistant coaches are getting hired. This next hire could lead to a college head coaching job in the near future. Jason Hart, who went from USC to the G League and is viewed as a coach with a lot of potential, has been hired as an assistant coach at Kentucky by new Wildcat head coach Mark Pope. The former Andy Enfield assistant is back in the college game, hoping to make a significant impact and elevate his own profile.

Jason Hart is a hire who could enable Pope to thrive at Kentucky and counter the critical and negative reaction to Pope’s arrival in Lexington. His recruiting chops and energy could put Pope in a position to succeed.

When Andy Enfield left for SMU, Jason Hart wasn’t at the forefront of anyone’s list, but his name did come up occasionally. USC fans remember the positive influence he had when Enfield was coaching the Trojans. Pope made what a lot of industry experts will regard as an astute hire.

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Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope adds former BYU assistant to his staff

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope has added Cody Fueger to his staff.

Everyone knows that new Kentucky Wildcats basketball coach Mark Pope needs to build the roster. However, he is also working to build a staff in Lexington. On Wednesday, he added Cody Fueger as an assistant.

Fueger was also on Pope’s staff at BYU, and was an important member of it. He’s considered an analytics expert and, along with Pope, is terrific at designing an offense. BYU had one of the nation’s most efficient offenses last year.

Pope and Fueger has a very good relationship that dates back several years, and a united front will be key for putting together a roster and an offense. They are on the same page in terms of how to win college basketball games.

Fueger’s coaching career began in 2002 as a student assistant at Utah. He then had several stops as Director of Basketball Operations before becoming an assistant coach under Pope.

Wildcats fans are cautiously excited for the coming season. If history is any indications, the combination of Pope and Fueger will put an entertaining product on the floor.

BYU may have beat Oregon, but Mark Pope is still afraid of Ducks

Watch BYU head basketball coach Mark Pope reveal how terrified he was of the ducks in Portland. Not Oregon’s basketball team, mind you, but the actual ducks.

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The Oregon Ducks’ third game of the men’s basketball season was an ugly 81-49 beatdown at the hands of the BYU Cougars in Portland, one of many poor performances that are now thoroughly in the rearview mirror for Dana Altman’s squad.

For BYU however, it was a huge win that continues to pay dividends in their NET and KenPom ratings, two significant keys for them to secure an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament assuming they do not defeat Gonzaga.

BYU coach Mark Pope is aware of the game’s significance, heaping praise on Altman’s team for their recent performance as they sit on a tidy eight-game winning streak.

“This Oregon game, that should be like a quad zero,” Pope told assembled media on Wednesday. “They’re so good. They said it was a neutral but I mean it was in Portland. I don’t know how much less neutral you can get, I mean you walk around Portland and there’s Ducks everywhere”.

At this point, it is pretty clear Pope is talking about Ducks as in University of Oregon fans and alumni.

But then, well, things got a little strange:

Pope’s team sure didn’t have much trouble with the Ducks back in November, at least not the ones on the court, but it sounds like he’ll look to schedule their next matchup somewhere other than Portland – as the pervasive fear of rabid wild ducks clearly still haunts him to this day.

Pope didn’t say where (or why) he apparently saw multiple wild ducks while in the city of Portland, but they are not animals he has seen much of throughout his lengthy career in the game of basketball – which began as a player at the University of Washington.

They must have a “no ducks allowed” policy up in Seattle. And honestly, who can blame them?

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