No matter where the Wildcats ultimately end up in March Madness, Mark Pope’s inaugural season as Kentucky’s head coach has been as successful as even the most hard-nosed fan could’ve hoped.
A lot of folks will look back on the worst losses – take the double-digit drop to Ohio State in Madison Square Garden, for example – but those lowest lows are far from a microcosm of the season.
In fact, Kentucky set a record in Pope’s first year that their previous coach didn’t manage in his entire tenure. That is, the ‘Cats won eight games against teams ranked in the AP Top 15. They’re the first team to do so in the post 2000’s era, and one of only three teams to ever do it.
And even given their 10 losses, Kentucky managed a win in the SEC tournament for the first time in three years, as well as, at least, a win in the ongoing NCAA Tournament for the first time in two. Should fans expect more consistency, and perhaps more output, in this regard going forward? Absolutely, but you’d be lying to say it isn’t a positive to get back to notching small wins like these again.
As a result, the fanbase (best in class, at that) has shown support in a way unusual to the last half-decade or so. Big Blue Nation is always the loudest, most populated in any given building, but Pope’s first season has seen the nosebleeds of Rupp Arena overflowing into the aisles. Something feels different, from the product on the floor to the reaction off of it.
Whether or not it will continue into the future is a question unfortunately only answered by time, but if we’re following patterns, both Kentucky and Southeastern Conference coaches tend to improve dramatically after their first year (see Nate Oats at Alabama and Todd Golden at Florida), so it seems that better days are still ahead for Kentucky.
Even if he doesn’t get it this year, Pope has his sights set on a ninth championship… and (knock on hardwood) few in the field seem more suited to the task than the former team captain and champion himself.
Photo courtesy of James Crisp.
