Mark Pope says final scholarship up for grabs, ‘massively important piece’ for Kentucky
Mark Pope knew the job at hand when he took over the Kentucky basketball program just over two months ago. But, what he didn’t expect was having to rebuild an entirely new roster … from scratch.
It’s been well documented the roster, or lackthereof, when Pope took over. With zero players coming back or coming in, it was a true starting over process.
But, he knew exactly what he wanted.
“You have to go find guys where the front of this jersey means something,” Pope said last week on BBN Tonight. “You can do that in different ways. On one hand it can be with a young man who has been born and raised in
Kentucky. Super skilled and talented and they just breathe this in every second of their life.
“But, the beautiful thing about kentucky is it can resonate with guys who have never lived in this state and don’t know this state.”
By ensuring that four-star point player Travis Perry from Lyon County, Kentucky, stayed with UK, he accomplished precisely that. After deciding to attend Kentucky under John Calipari, Perry didn’t take long to reassure Mark Pope and Kentucky supporters that he would be staying in Lexington.
Subsequently, Pope reversed the commitment of four-star wing Trent Noah, a quality player from Harlan County, Kentucky.
However, you can’t limit yourself to gamers who live in the state or who have always enjoyed the game. For the purpose of fostering camaraderie throughout the club, Pope required veterans on the roster. Some of the most seasoned players in the transfer portal were placed by him in a variety of places.
“The second thing was winning,” Pope added. “And we had to start with a couple of guys whose DNA is winning. At the highest level, in the biggest ways. Just veteran players. The construction of this roster was super fun and an incredible project.”
Six players have played at least four years of college basketball.
Kentucky has 12 players on the roster — 14 if you include two walk-ons. But, there is still one scholarship available if Pope and his staff want to use it. WIll they?
“We have one scholarship floating out there and we’ll see,” Pope said. “Whatever happens is going to be a little bit creative and it’s going to fit really, really well.”
Pope previously discussed his roster when he had three scholarships available and was open to what he was looking for when adding the final few pieces.
He’s the same way with the final spot — one that looks to be filled come the season. But, Pope isn’t going to fill it just to fill it, stressing the importance of every spot on the team.
“It’s going to be a massively important piece,” he said of the final scholarship.
Whether you’re from Kentucky, out on the west coast, in the northeast or overseas — Mark Pope is going to add talent that fits. He is also going to add players over talent … players that have the same mindset and goal in mind that the other 12 players and the entire staff have.
“If you’re not here to come win a banner,” Pope said profoundly. “Than this is not the right place for you.”
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How Will Two New Coaches Shake Up The UofL Cardinals Vs. UK Wildcats Rivalry?
Louisville will travel down to Lexington in the heart of winter for the classic showdown
The rivalry continues between two of the most exciting teams in the NCAA here in Kentucky. With both programs undergoing major transformations over the off-season, the two are set to meet once again later this winter on Saturday, December 14 in Lexington as Kentucky hosts rival Louisville.
However, this isn’t just another run-of-the-mill game between the two programs. Louisville has had a turbulent few seasons without an appearance in the NCAA tournament. In Lexington, Kentucky has had its fair share of off-season drama, with head coach John Calipari leaving the program for Arkansas after 15 seasons with the program.
With new head coaching faces at both programs, how will they fare against one another in December?
So far, Pat Kelsey has made headlines with his rapid recruitment and transfer of talent to the program. In less than 100 days, Kelsey retooled the entire program, snagging players from across the country to build a team that could possibly contend in year one, while simultaneously scouting future talent all the way into 2026’s class.
UK head coach Mark Pope has also made waves since returning to his alma mater, retaining some talent from last year’s squad (13-5), which made it to the NCAA tournament, but was upset in the first round by the 14th seeded Oakland.
Pope has emphasized for the Wildcast during the summer the potential of his most recent batch of assets, noting that many observers are not seeing what he sees coming into the 2024–25 regular season.
“I’m simply thankful that we’re here and that we can get started on that in earnest right now. He told Kentucky Sports News, “I think this team has way more potential than maybe people think.”
Nonetheless, Louisville is ranked #1 in its portal class in the summer according to On3.com, which rates collegiate schools based on an index of players joining and leaving the institution. This is seen by many as a sign of hope for the Cardinals to climb back in the win column in the intense rivalry with
In total, UK and Louisville have met 55 times heading into the 2024-25 regular season. Of those matchups, UK has dominated the all-time series, leading 39 games to Louisville’s 17. Kentucky’s largest margin of victory was in 1948, when it routed Louisville by 34 points. In 1988, 22 points was Louisville’s largest blowout against Kentucky.
Louisville and Kentucky are set to meet once again on Saturday, December 14, in a rivalry that Basketball Hall of Famer Dick Vitale calls the third best in all of college sports.
