Mark Pope didn’t spend his radio show selling threes and pace. He spent it selling survival.
Yes, Kentucky still wants to be a high-octane, modern offense. Yes, Pope still believes in the long-term vision. But right now? He’s leaning into something a lot more rugged.
“The game is a little more mucked up, which I don’t love aesthetically,” Pope admitted. “But I love it in a very spiritual way. It’s really physical, and intense, and combative. And I think we can exist in that type of game too.”
That’s the pivot: from spread-and-spray to “gross, beautiful basketball,” winning in the mud while this roster fights through confidence issues and injuries.