Kentucky finally got the monkey off its back with a name-brand victory vs. Indiana over the weekend — the Wildcats’ first after four straight losses to start year two under Mark Pope. Up next? The 1996 team captain taking on his former head coach in Rick Pitino and the St. John’s Red Storm.
Pope failed his first emotional head-to-head coaching battle against John Calipari last season. Can he respond with a win over Pitino in his second season? And will he unleash the beast that is Jayden Quaintance after going full-contact, full-court, 5-on-5 for the first time this week in the blue and white?