Mark Pope is manifesting the number nine wherever he goes. From the “No. 9: The Assignment” banner hanging in the practice facility to Kentucky being No. 9 in the Preseason AP and Coaches Polls, it’s clear that a ninth national championship is at the top of Pope and the team’s minds as the season approaches. Pope found another nine to add to the list — even if it’s a bit of a stretch.
At his press conference on Thursday, Pope talked about how happy he was that the NCAA changed the rules to allow Division I teams to play each other in the preseason and that next year, they can add another game to the schedule to take the total to 32.