The Mark Pope Show presented by UK HealthCare, March 16th 2026

The Voice of the Wildcats, Tom Leach talks with head coach Mark Pope

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
There is no.

Speaker 2 (00:05):
Love.

Speaker 3 (00:08):
Let's apply, yes, man, come on, stay, let's go.

Speaker 4 (00:12):
Let's go on.

Speaker 5 (00:15):
Oh provision, Let's street ball, right, Chuck?

Speaker 6 (00:29):
What makes us different than everybody else?

Speaker 7 (00:32):
Is you?

Speaker 8 (00:34):
From the UK s Sports Network. This is the Mark
Folk Show presented by UK Healthcare. Send your questions to
Coach Pope on that Clark's Puffin' Jump text line at
eight five nine two zero three one two three four.
You can also post your questions on x at UK

(00:55):
Sports Network. Are on the UK Sports Network Facebook page.

Speaker 9 (01:00):
Guys, as Simon, it's will win banners, win national champions
That's our job.

Speaker 8 (01:08):
The Mark Pope Show, presented my UK Healthcare begins now
alongside the coach, here's the voice son the Cats, Tom Leach.

Speaker 3 (01:19):
Goud and evening, everybody, and welcome into our show. The
Tournament NCAA tournament edition of The Mark Pope Show, and
we have Coach Pope here to take your questions about
Kentucky and the matchup with the Broncos of Santa Clara
in the first round out in Saint Louis. The game
will tip at twelve Eastern time on Friday and it'll

(01:42):
be on CBS and we'll have the call on the
UK Radio Network as the Wildcats and Santa Clara will
play for just the second time ever. Last matchup came
way back in the two thousand and seven season. If
you have questions for Coach Pope, send them in on
the Clark's Pump and Shop text line eight five nine
two three one two three four. You can post your

(02:03):
questions on x as well at UK Sports Network. And
you are listening to The Mark Pope Show presented by
UK Healthcare, and we will be right back on the
UK Sports Network.

Speaker 8 (02:18):
You're listening to the Mark Pope Show presented by UK
Healthcare on the UK Sports Network. The Mark Pope Show
is brought to you by Coca Cola, Appalachian Regional Healthcare.

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Little Caesars and by UK Healthcare.

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Fight every single day, for every single one.

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The Mark Pope Colin Show is brought to you locally
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Speaker 3 (05:24):
All right, we are back and Kentucky. Santa Clara is
presented by UK Healthcare, the official healthcare partner of the BBN,
and Kentucky will take on Santa Clara on Friday. There
will be an open practice, as is the case with
the NCAA Tournament first round games, and so Kentucky's I
believe it's at eleven forty five Central Time on Thursday.

(05:46):
If you're going out early, I would imagine there will
be a strong contingent of the Big Blue Nation there
since it is a relatively easy drive, especially the further
west in Kentucky that you live. Coach Mark Pope alongside,
So what did you think? Think about?

Speaker 14 (06:01):
Who?

Speaker 3 (06:02):
How the show unfolded and when they pull this name
back and it was Santa Clara against Kentucky.

Speaker 7 (06:08):
Three hundred and thirty eight miles? Is that what you have?

Speaker 14 (06:11):
That sounds right? About six hours change?

Speaker 7 (06:13):
Oh, you could do that like four.

Speaker 14 (06:17):
It depends on where you're starting.

Speaker 7 (06:18):
That's right, It's gonna be fun. Now.

Speaker 9 (06:21):
We couldn't be more excited it's a I think that
this this entire field is so quality, and it's everybody's
playing great games the whole time, and uh and and
we just can't wait to get to it.

Speaker 14 (06:39):
What about your guys, Uh what what have you any
feedback you've gotten for them? Or what are you seeing
in in your practice today?

Speaker 7 (06:47):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (06:47):
Practice is good. Guys are excited. This is what every
team works for all season long. And uh so there's
a special energy in the gym. There's a special energy
with our with our team yesterday as we sat and
you know, watch the bracket reveal with everybody else, and

(07:07):
it just is this is the best part. And so
now we're all kind of in the grind, staff working hard,
the players working hard to to prep for for Friday
and and and hopefully Sunday and and then we'll move
on and keep rolling.

Speaker 7 (07:22):
So it's the best time.

Speaker 9 (07:24):
I'm actually not making a lot of sense of what
I'm saying right now because I'm still in full evaluation
mode Scott going.

Speaker 14 (07:32):
Through breaking down plays as you're talking.

Speaker 9 (07:34):
Believe it or not, this is this is This is
low on my list of priorities right now.

Speaker 7 (07:41):
Although I do love this radio show.

Speaker 14 (07:43):
I understand.

Speaker 3 (07:45):
You have an opponent that is twenty six and eight,
comes out of a strong league like Gonzaga tough three times,
beat Saint Mary's twice, which is also a seventh seed.
Coach that you're familiar with, who's the bab he is
also familiar with. Tell us what you can about the
Santa Clair team.

Speaker 9 (08:04):
Well, first, the great Herb Scendic is he's been there
maybe for twenty years?

Speaker 7 (08:10):
Is that possible?

Speaker 9 (08:10):
I don't think it's quite a long time. Uh he's
he is, he is a he is an icon in
the coaching world. Uh he clearly has. He's got such
a tremendous history here with coach Patino. He was the
first assistant to reach out to me uh here when
Kentucky started recruiting me.

Speaker 7 (08:31):
He he had.

Speaker 9 (08:34):
An interesting path to coachings. As people know, he was
a prestigious of I think a summa cum laude graduate
at Carnegie Mellon and somehow lost his mind and decided
to coach. And uh man, he's had an incredible career
and he's one of the best people you'll ever meet
in your life. And BBN knows that because he was

(08:55):
here for I think he was with coach p at
Providence in't here for maybe five years, you know, until
maybe ninety three or ninety four, and and you know,
was such a major piece and in coach restoring Kentucky
basketball to what it was supposed to be.

Speaker 7 (09:11):
And and it's gone.

Speaker 9 (09:14):
I think with Miami of Ohio, and and was at
North Carolina State and missing Aarazona State, Arizona State.

Speaker 14 (09:21):
And then by Mike count here, I'm looking at Ken
Pond looks like ten years.

Speaker 7 (09:24):
Tenure, sorry, coach twenty.

Speaker 9 (09:26):
It seems like it seems like he's been there a
lot of time, but he's had terrific successes had had.
You know, this is their first time back in the
NLAA tournament since Steve Nash played there, I guess some
thirty odd years ago. So it's an incredible accomplishment for them.
And he's just such a terrific coach. And he's a
good friend, and you know, I've known him forever and
and and love him so much, and I have a
ton of respect for him. Their team is a great team.

(09:48):
They have a tremendous length, They're shooting the ball at
a tremendous clip. They'll put five guys on the floor
that all really shoot it. Their backcourt is leaf from two,
they play a lot of Barkley basketball. They're starting three
is six seven, really physical is that you know, almost
sixty percent from two and shooting a good percentage from

(10:10):
three and just big. He's just size wise. Their front
line three, four and five is so big and uh,
their guards are really effective to get downhill and scoring
from eight feed just as well as from the three
point line. They're a good team. They've earned their way
to swa tournament. Every team that you play here is
going to be really, really good, and so it's going
to be a great challenge for us.

Speaker 7 (10:30):
We can't wait wait to get to it.

Speaker 14 (10:31):
Twenty third in the country. An offensive rebound percentage.

Speaker 9 (10:34):
Yep, you know they're they're they're just under a one
in points per possession on Synergy, But when you add
in their offensive rebounding, it changes the outlook of their
efficiency offensively, and so they're good.

Speaker 3 (10:45):
Yeah, that's one of those stats that you were mentioning.
I think to one of the TV guys and we
may have talked about it last week, Centergy versus ken
Pom and one of how they track how they factor
in offensive rebound percentage affects the overall rating because I
think their top twenty.

Speaker 9 (10:58):
Five ken Pom and Herb does an unbelievable job developing
his players.

Speaker 7 (11:03):
You know, he's one. They do a great job at
finding guys. Uh.

Speaker 9 (11:10):
You know, they have a couple players on their team
right now that you know, are getting a ton of
NBA attention that are playing at an elite, elite level
that just a year ago, we're not even really in
a recruiting picture. They kind of he's he's he's gone
and recruited some gems. They've done a nice job.

Speaker 3 (11:29):
Graves one of those guys six. Looking at his numbers
here six nine, two hundred twenty five pound freshman and
he's freshman.

Speaker 7 (11:37):
It was not he's not highly recruited.

Speaker 9 (11:39):
But you know now, you know, at some point here
in the next year two is gonna be projected as
a lottery pick and shoot forty one percent of the
three point line and has just tremendous numbers. He's really mobile,
he's a good player. So they have it. Like I said,
they're they're good.

Speaker 3 (11:54):
More with Coach Pope when we come back about Santa Clair,
and we'll get to some of your questions coming up
as well. Send those in on the Clark's Puppetshop text
nine eight five nine two oh three one two three four,
or you can post on x at UK Sports Network.
We'll be right back on the UK Sports Network.

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Speaker 3 (15:11):
Wow Watch BBN Game Day presented by Chi saying Joseph
health all season long. The show airs on Saturday mornings
at nine on wl EX here in Lexington. Check ukathletics
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(15:34):
times in your area. If you are outside the state,
you can watch on ukathletics dot com, Slash videos or
on the Kentucky Wildcats Facebook page. Kentucky and Santa Clara
twelve fifteen Eastern Time on Friday afternoon from Saint Louis,
and we'll have the coverage on the UK Radio Network.

(15:56):
A couple more questions about the Broncos. They forced fourteen
and over game. So what do they do defensively that
leads to them?

Speaker 9 (16:03):
Yeah, so they're they're they'll press all game long, just
a man a man kind of jam five press, sometimes
take away a point guard. But that's not really where
they're getting most of their steals. They're they're getting most
of them. They're a really heavy gap team, So even
though they extend the floor on penetration, they'll really really

(16:23):
gap you up and so they get a you know
a significant portion of their steals from gap steals. Uh,
they'll get them, you know, we'll try and work a
second side of the floor. You bring a lift guy
in their fives are really really good at shooting the gap,
try and plate may's, try and make plays taking away
lift possessions. So they're they're aggressive and they're really handsy.

(16:46):
They'll be just as physical as every team that we
play against an NCC that they fit in exactly that way.
They're gonna grab a hold of, scratch and claw the
entire game, try and stop cutters, kind of wrap you
up and so so they force turnovers that way too.
But they're the best in in in the league, and
I think they're seventeenth in the country in terms of
force and turnovers.

Speaker 3 (17:06):
Way they play on either end of the court or both,
does it remind you of anybody you see during the season.
I have seen during the.

Speaker 9 (17:12):
Season slices of so many teams. You know, of course,
we have so many teams in this league that are
great offensive rebound teams.

Speaker 7 (17:19):
They fit there. We have teams in this league that
are terrific stills teams.

Speaker 9 (17:22):
We have teams that are kind of picking up full
man demand, and so there's a lot of slice of
the teams in the league.

Speaker 3 (17:28):
Let's get to some of the questions you can send
them in on the Clark's Pump and Shop text line
at eight five nine two oh three one two three four,
or you can post your questions on x at UK
Sports Network. First question is about the full court pressure,
but not Santa Claire's. The lister wants to know if
they can expect fans can expect to see more Kentucky
full court pressure in the tournament.

Speaker 9 (17:49):
Uh, we'll We'll continue to be selective and when we do,
but it's I think it has a chance to be
really effective as.

Speaker 7 (17:58):
We go through the tournament.

Speaker 9 (18:00):
There's no doubt that it's been a very, very useful
effective tool for us. I think we've chosen when to
extend our defense the right moments in the game and
the right stretches that we've had a ton of success
doing that. So I think we'll continue to but we're
not ready to commit to forty straight minutes of it.

Speaker 3 (18:22):
Here's one asking about your bigs, Brandon and Malachi. Why
not allow them to shoot wide open jump shots from
the free throw area. Melvin Turpin made a living shooting
those shots when he rolled open to the free throw lines.

Speaker 9 (18:35):
Yeah, so it's a good question, and there's a lot
to the answer. So you know, you're always chasing the
most efficient opportunities you have, and there are sometimes when
an open jump shot at fifteen feet to seventeen feet
is the best, most efficient option you have in a possession,

(18:58):
although it is everybody knows it works itself out over
time in volume to be one of the least effective
ways to score. So it's again, it's like everything in basketball.
It's kind of choosing the right times and the right
spaces and the right percentage of time to use something
like that. You know, we have some guys that have

(19:21):
been really effective. We've actually been Our zone offensive numbers
are great, and most of our zone offense comes from
getting catches are actually interesting. We're just talking about Goose
against Duke.

Speaker 7 (19:32):
In the NAST championship game.

Speaker 9 (19:34):
But most of our offensive possessions, if they're not used
from high post catches, either quicks or floaters there or
penetrations to the rim, and we're getting shots out of
that spacing. So there are times when it's really really
effective and sometimes when you can get better.

Speaker 3 (19:51):
Mo is a guy that if you've run into a
two to three, is in that middle spot. He's been
effective of late, even though he's not a shooter in
the way that was in the middle of that zone.
How what has he done to become more effective and
efficient offensively?

Speaker 9 (20:05):
Well, he's, uh, he's been great in that space attacking
the rim, and he's he's a pretty good bulleyball guy.

Speaker 7 (20:12):
Man.

Speaker 9 (20:12):
He'll he can go get to two feet create space
and then he's a he's a terrific passer from there,
and he's also a terrific finisher. AJ's had some good
success playing out of the high post. He's done it
as a passer, has made some shots from there, and
he's been he's been you know, not quite as effective
as a mo off the bounce, but it has had
effective plays.

Speaker 7 (20:31):
So we have a bunch of options to go to
work there.

Speaker 3 (20:34):
There are numerous questions that have come in on the
text line and have been forward a few of them
about Jayden and would it be correct to assume that
you go into this tournament with the same group of
players to use that you went into the last turn.

Speaker 7 (20:49):
Yeah, that's the expectation.

Speaker 9 (20:50):
Uh, you know, Jq's making progress, but I don't think
he's going to be able to cross the cross the
line before this weekend. Although you know, you never know
for sure, but that would remind expectation.

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Speaker 14 (23:38):
Welcome back into the show.

Speaker 3 (23:39):
Make sure you join us for Countdown to Tipoff presented
by Jack Burford Chevrolet, with Dave, and Andrew and Cameron
coming up on Friday from Saint Louis.

Speaker 14 (23:47):
It'll get going.

Speaker 3 (23:48):
At ten thirty am Eastern with a twelve to fifteen
tipoff for Kentucky and Santa Clair. If you have a
question for Coach Pope, you can send it in on
the Clark's Pump and Chop text line eight two O
three one two three four. You can also send it
in via X at UK Sports Network on x Quincy

(24:08):
since when in at UK Sports Network. How is it
different preparing for an NCAA tournament game than a regular
season game and how does the energy and the mindset change?

Speaker 9 (24:18):
Well, the preparation is no different in this case. We have,
you know, maybe a day or two more than we
normally do as we go through league, but you know,
we prepare for every game to maximum capacity the best
we can. We we we sell out on every game,
and so it's very familiar. The preparation gamed will be familiar.

(24:38):
We don't we don't change anything. You know, when you
go one hundred percent, there's nowhere else to go, and
so we we You know that one of the nice
things about this weekend format is that the way we
divide up the staff even is very similar in terms
of their scout assignments, because you have the potential to

(24:59):
play three opponents in the span of forty eight hours,
and so it kind of divvys up very nicely on
the staff. And and so it's business as usual in
terms of the intensity of the game and the anxiety
and stress and excitement. We try and keep that as
normal as possible. But just we try, and you know,
every day throughout the course of the season, we're trying

(25:21):
to work towards a more in depth laser focus, but
otherwise we keep everything insane.

Speaker 3 (25:27):
There's one question about your thoughts on the toughest bracket.
There's also one about your potential second round opponent, and
I'm guessing you're not looking at any of that, but
there is somebody on the staff that looks to the
next spot in hopes that you advance.

Speaker 23 (25:42):
Right.

Speaker 9 (25:42):
Yeah, So as soon as as soon as the brackets
were released, you know, we were all you know, we
had the whole team and staff and families over over
my house yesterday to watch the bracket reveal. And as
soon as the bracket had been fully revealed, we met
with the team for five minutes, kind of talked to
talk to them about some details, and then met with

(26:03):
a staff for fifteen minutes and just divvied up assignments,
and our assignments cover the whole weekend. Uh, and then
you know, we'll we'll make it through the weekend and
then we'll regroup and reassign as goes. But that's that's
kind of how we've done this. So you always have
to have some guys that are that are working forward
on the potential next games, and so those assignments are out.

(26:25):
In terms of my time, my time will be devoted
strictly to Santa Clara right now until until we get.

Speaker 7 (26:30):
That job done.

Speaker 3 (26:31):
Without you're getting into specifics of any particular opponent, how
does the game plan come together with you and the staff?

Speaker 9 (26:38):
Yeah, so we have a we have a group that's
you know, working the offensive side of the ball, doing
the this essentially doing a very very in depth scout
on how teams guard. We have a group that's doing
a defensive scout, that's that's doing an in depth scout
on personnel tendencies and then actions and the ways they

(27:01):
like to score. And then we have a group that's
doing the analytics of the game that's actually coming up
from not a not a video perspective, but just coming
strictly from a number's perspective. And then you kind of
meld all those things together and try and implement it.
Today we just worked on themes. We actually had a
three on three day. It was a fun day where
we were working on concepts, very specific concepts that are

(27:24):
unique to the way that Santa Clara guards and and
some of.

Speaker 7 (27:27):
The ways that we want to attack them.

Speaker 9 (27:30):
We finished practice with a with two extensive segments five
on five, and then tomorrow will do a full install
on the scout so our guys will have every detail.

Speaker 7 (27:40):
Tomorrow will be more of it.

Speaker 9 (27:41):
Today was a very very very physical practice. Tomorrow will
be more of a mental install practice. Wednesday will really
get after it. Thursday will be late Friday, we'll we'll,
we'll tip it off and get to work.

Speaker 14 (27:53):
I remember when coach Patina.

Speaker 9 (27:54):
Oh, it is that specifics? I mean, nobody shares that information.

Speaker 3 (27:58):
I remember, we're coach Patito here, bralph hackers do the
games with with Sam and Kyle before that, and they
would talk about it.

Speaker 14 (28:05):
Was just legendary the depth of the scouting reports. You
saw them, how thick Obie's scouting reports were. Jim O'Brien
has it.

Speaker 3 (28:14):
You have so much more roster turnover now and probably
even younger players as a team. Has it changed in
terms of the level of info on an opponent that
you give your your player.

Speaker 9 (28:24):
It actually changes through the course of a season, not
because it doesn't change because of the effort that the
staff puts in in preparation. You always end up with
the whole volume of a scout. What changes is how
because the trick is not how much information your staff
can take in. It's how much information you can put

(28:46):
into your guys where they can actually execute it successfully
on the court and still play the game of basketball,
you know what exactly. And so what's nice is as
one of the ways that teams develop is through the
course of the season, you can actually download more information
to them because you know, things becoming ingrained in them.

(29:07):
So we actually are capable, of doubt, of installing a
lot more with our guys, sharing a lot more information
with our guys. We don't have to distill quite as
much because so many pieces are familiar. They've done it
over and over and over again, and now it makes sense.
So it's it's a you know, a lot of parts
of install might be a one reference to a former

(29:29):
game that immediately our guys click and they know exactly
what to do and it's familiar to them. We don't
have to introduce a new concept. So that's one thing
that changes through the course of the season is actually
the information we give our guys becomes way more in
depth because they're able to take it in and so
that part gets fun, Like as you get to the
end of season, it gets really fun because you get

(29:49):
to start having real conversations with your guys that that
have some nuance to them about the game of basketball
and hopefully we can perform on it.

Speaker 3 (29:56):
You know, speaking of conversations with your guys, you talked
after the game Friday down in Nashville about the you
were specific about Otega and how he was leading. Yeah,
I don't know if you just made the whole week
or in that particular game, but what was it you
were seeing that particularly pleased you.

Speaker 9 (30:13):
Yeah, you know, listen, it was not Otega's best game
for sure, and it didn't start out very well. But
but that happens. It happens to everybody, It happens to
the greatest players in the world. That happens at times,
and sometimes, you know, the only thing you can control
is your response and the ability to kind of stay
locked in and stay focused. So while you wish that

(30:35):
you were making better plays, the only thing you can
do about is kind of stay focused on the next
play and help your teammates do it. And I thought
his emotion in the huddles was was very tempered, and
he was really making an unbelievable effort to stay focused
on what we're trying to do, to bring his team
along with him through all the frustration. And you know,

(30:55):
ultimately it led us to to we really didn't play
a We actually played a game and still had a
chance to.

Speaker 7 (31:02):
Win it in the end. And and you know, when you're.

Speaker 9 (31:06):
Not playing your best, that's the best you can hope
for is is that you hang in there long enough
to give yourself a chance and you know, you know,
make us out here and and you know, maybe avoid
a mistake there and we have a chance to actually
come out of the game on top without playing our
best basketball.

Speaker 3 (31:22):
We're gonna head to the break and as we do,
we'll give you our Alumni Hall Fan question of the week.
Here's what we want to know from fans. What's your
favorite NCAA tournament memory? Coach Pope reference goose earlier he
had his forty one point game in the championship against
Duke in Saint Louis in the arena that's no longer there,
the old checker dome.

Speaker 14 (31:41):
Maybe it's that.

Speaker 3 (31:42):
Maybe it's I'm guessing coach Popes comes from nineteen ninety six.
But maybe you were stufs too. So give your answers
or post your answers at Alumni Hall UK on X
and you can respond and have a chance to win
a gift card courtesy of Alumni Hall. It's the Mark
Pope Show, presented by UK Healthcare right here on the
UK Sports Network.

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Speaker 14 (35:12):
Wile cat fans.

Speaker 3 (35:13):
You can score a big savings at Kroger with Kroger
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Clara coming up on Friday afternoon, twelve fifteen Eastern. Our

(35:34):
pregame coverage will get started at ten thirty from Saint
Louis and the game will be televised on CBS. Tune
in on one of our great affiliates on the UK
Sports Network and listen to the radio broadcast and you
can go to UCA Athletics dot com see how to
sync up the broadcast. If you don't have access to
one of our affiliates out in another part of the country,

(35:55):
you can listen via the Varsity app that does part
of the Westwood one broadcast deal that they have with
the NCAA for the tournament. Back to more of your questions,
which you can send in at eight five nine, two
oh three one two three four in the Clark's Pumping
Shop text line, I'm assuming someone asking, somewhat humorously, will
Brandon and Mo lead the three point shooting drills this week?

Speaker 9 (36:18):
Well, interesting enough, we got we got great shooting from
both of those guys, uh at really important times.

Speaker 7 (36:26):
You know, BG.

Speaker 9 (36:28):
Was massive, massive shooting the ball made a couple of
threes that were really timely for us that they gave
us a little breathing room, and then Moe got us
back in the game.

Speaker 7 (36:40):
We had a you know, we started off so poorly.
We we turned the ball over five of our first.

Speaker 9 (36:45):
Ten possessions, essentially against Florida, and what kind of bailed
us out by banging a couple of threes to get
us back to twenty twenty. So both those guys, uh,
you know, stepped up and made some shots and and
chose the right time.

Speaker 14 (37:00):
To do it.

Speaker 9 (37:00):
That's really important with both those players that it's it's
the right timing and and I don't know if if
they're gonna, you know, be full time three point shot makers,
but it certainly helps us when they can step up
and bag one.

Speaker 3 (37:13):
Your team, for much of the season led the SEC
at three point percentage, a bit of a downturn lately.
So what are you seeing and are you liking the shots?
And it's just a matter of getting more up in practice.

Speaker 7 (37:24):
I do.

Speaker 9 (37:24):
I like them, and you know, it's uh, you know,
like I said, shooting is is just what it is.

Speaker 7 (37:30):
It comes and goes. We're a good three point shooting team,
h you know.

Speaker 9 (37:33):
We were number one, I think probably in three or
four five something now in the top half of the league,
and I think we're I think we'll make shots in
the n A tournament. We you know, we we haven't.
We haven't had the opportunity to be the team that
we originally planned to be, where we were distributing the
ball and playing with the pace that we we had
planned to last summer just because of you know, the

(37:56):
diminishing roster. With that said, we still have guys that
are shooting an elite clip and and it still makes
us really dangerous.

Speaker 3 (38:05):
Question off the social media feed at UK Sports Network
on x with you having played for coach Patino her
being from the Patino coaching tree, does that make scouting
Santa Clara easier?

Speaker 9 (38:19):
Well, just the familiarity, yes, And also you know, I've
played Santa Clara a bunch and so you know I'm familiar.
I'm familiar with coach reviewing there with And then again,
coach is playing different, like he's playing different, you know,
like the full court pressure is new for him. You know,
his his personnel is way different than it was a

(38:43):
few years ago when he was playing. So there's a
little bit of familiarity. Most importantly, you just know he's
an elite level coach. He's a big time game playing guy.
He's gonna really have his guys ready to go. And
and then you learn everything you need to from the
film and the numbers.

Speaker 3 (39:00):
You look at the numbers, it's balance scoring a bunch
of guys as you said, shoot the three point shot.
Is there one guy that is the toughest guard or
one guy that really makes them go.

Speaker 9 (39:10):
It's interesting because they could choose their moments, and so
you have a bunch of guys and they're really capable.
You know, their isolation numbers aren't aren't huge. They don't
jump out off the page at you as much as
it does when you watch them play. You know, you
know they're starting two and three, have a really incredible

(39:32):
ability of going and making shots from in that space.
You know, a caller or a question earlier about kind
of that mid rating shot. They really have an unbelievable
and knack at making those shots that are usually not
very efficient from eight feet eight feet to fourteen feet
and they make tough shots that way. You know, their
bigs are are very very adaptive at barkley possessions where

(39:56):
they might get a catch at fifteen feet or even
the three point line and penetrating kind of turn it
into a post possession. And so they they you know,
they do it off ballscreens too, where they come off
a ball screen not necessarily clean, but just enough to
get downhill to go make it a second or third
or fourth move in the lane, and so you know,
all all those things are make them a difficult guard.

Speaker 14 (40:19):
From Connect Blue on X.

Speaker 3 (40:20):
What's the team doing this week to stay focused and
also to stay loose to prepare for the tournament?

Speaker 7 (40:25):
Well, I've told so.

Speaker 9 (40:27):
I don't know if how people are gonna feel about this,
but what I did was just for this week. None
of my guys are going to class. I said, we
are done with school this week. It's only basketball. It's
actually spring break. So that was convenient. I would never
actually do that in real life. I cared desperately about academics.
It's important for our guys. So please don't take that

(40:49):
the wrong way. Somebody's gonna just just put out the
first part of that comment and say, ah, you know,
but such as life.

Speaker 14 (40:59):
One more of afore we get to the next break.

Speaker 7 (41:00):
You but leave it. Listen.

Speaker 9 (41:03):
Can I tell you I'm so grateful to President Capaluto
in the entire administration for making sure that spring break
is the first week of because that's exactly when it
should be. We're only we're only a four hour drive
if you go with Tom, only three and a half
hours away from the venue. Nobody has class. We should
all be there and celebrate together. In fact, I think

(41:25):
Leanne has a couple of spare tickets. Hit her up.
She'll take care of you. We're all gonna go get
this done together.

Speaker 7 (41:30):
Yeah.

Speaker 14 (41:31):
They should have spring break for businesses too.

Speaker 7 (41:33):
Yep, yeah it should be.

Speaker 3 (41:34):
Yes, we're gonna get to a break, a commercial break,
and then we'll be right back. You're listening to the
Bar Pope Show, presented a BYuT UK Healthcare. Here are
the UK Sports Network.

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Speaker 3 (43:58):
Stick around when we're done for Clark's Pumping Shop. BBN
Radio that'll get going at the top of the next
hour on many of these same stations with Darren Hendrick
and he's going to have a reaction from UK Women's
basketball on selection Sunday. The UK women will play on
Saturday afternoon up in Morgantown, West Virginia. They are the
five seed. They will take on the twelve seed Dukes

(44:20):
of James Madison and Darren will have a lot of
info on JMU for you coming up at the top
of the hour. That'll be followed by the Nick Minion
Show starting at seven thirty Eastern time. And he might
just be the hottest coach on camp. And I just
opened SEC play by sweeping Alabama.

Speaker 7 (44:36):
How great was that?

Speaker 9 (44:37):
And so you know, we were we were preparing for
selection Sunday and in my house there was this an.

Speaker 7 (44:45):
Incredible wind storm.

Speaker 9 (44:47):
Oh yes, And so we heard some reports about the
baseball game that five balls became a real adventure, like
just completely changing direction. But the boys swept it and
it's awesome, which is as good as they come. And
it's fun to see those guys winning. Huge, it's awesome.
A huge baseball fan went to.

Speaker 14 (45:05):
A minor league game ahead of a Kentucky game in
Florida a few years ago and it was like a
storm moved in. Anything that went up went out.

Speaker 7 (45:12):
Yeah, it's incredible.

Speaker 3 (45:15):
You were talking about watching the bracket reveal. There's several
questions in various forms, So I'll just kind of put
them all together in one. Why did you handle it
the way that you did with making it more private
and not talking after the back it was revealed, or
having your players talk.

Speaker 9 (45:33):
Well, just just with everything this year, with this, you know,
you're always trying to read your team and kind of
see where they are. It's it's like a team is
a really organic thing and it's a it's a very
artistic thing, and it was just a you know, everything.

Speaker 7 (45:51):
That our guys have done all season long, from the
very beginning.

Speaker 9 (45:55):
We've opened up to everybody and there's there's really been
no filters with our whole and just this one moment,
I just felt like it was really important that it
was just our team, just the people in our locker room.
It just was It's actually the only moment we've had
the entire season where it has just been us, and

(46:15):
it just gave us an evening, a short evening actually,
to kind of have some very personal, private conversations and
to take in the moment of what these guys have,
what these guys have accomplished so far this year, what
they've endured so far this year, and what their hopes
and aspirations and goals are for this coming INSLA Tournament.
I thought it was really important that we just did

(46:37):
this with just us. We don't do anything that way,
but just this one time, I thought it was a
big deal. We actually had a great night. It was
a very meaningful night for our guys. I think it
set the tone for us to give ourselves the best
possible chance to make a magical run here. That's what
our goal is, and we're gonna see.

Speaker 7 (46:53):
If we can do it.

Speaker 3 (46:54):
Time for our BBN United question. And actually we've got
to do two of these because we didn't answer the
one last week about your favorite movie for you and
the ooh fa, I got it.

Speaker 14 (47:03):
I know what it is, Okay, Well.

Speaker 3 (47:05):
The first one here, this comes from Kyla tonight. And
I don't know if you haven't thought on this or now,
but Kyla wants to know. Is there a place or
a building on campus that was there when you were
here in the mid nineties that's no longer there that
you're a little sad to learn was gone when you
came back.

Speaker 7 (47:18):
Well, the blue courts are gone. Yeah, so the blue
courts were legendary.

Speaker 9 (47:22):
I mean you sneak out to the Blue courts for
one time and just pick up a little pickup game.

Speaker 14 (47:26):
With some students, right, and so the legendary summer games.

Speaker 7 (47:30):
It was fun at night.

Speaker 9 (47:32):
So I don't know, that's not really a building, but no,
I mean it's the Blue courts a little bit.

Speaker 14 (47:38):
You know.

Speaker 9 (47:38):
I actually have not been in Alumni gym, but I
know it's been retooled and redone. I think it's a
fitness center now. But I you know, you talk about
Memorial had no airic this year. It was hot, but
but Alumni was just like death. And when I first
got here my first summer our, Shep and I were

(48:01):
rooman together and we were just getting our introducing to
Kentucky and I think they were resurfacing the floor in
Memorial and so we were in Alumni and that was
the first time I was playing pick up with the team.
Mash was there, like we talked about last week. H
Kenny was there, Rex was there, and like, I have

(48:24):
great memories from that alumni gym, the old gym, about
just getting work in there and so uh, I got
a lot of places on campus that are really nostalgia
for me.

Speaker 14 (48:34):
That's there.

Speaker 3 (48:34):
Our BBN United question bb in United is the official
fan membership program of UK Athletics, supporting student athletes, giving
fans exclusive benefits, premium content, and unforgettable experiences. Check it
out at bbnunited dot com. Okay, the movie from last
week that was yeah so yes. In fact, I think
we had a conversation with the Pope girls on the
way home. I love a movie it's called a beautiful life.

Speaker 7 (48:57):
It is one. It is, it is. It is one
of the most.

Speaker 9 (49:00):
Depressing but incredibly hope filled heroic the greatest heroic fictional
character in my uh that I've been exposed to.

Speaker 7 (49:13):
I love that movie so much, so we haven't seeing it.
Check it out. Man.

Speaker 9 (49:16):
It's but but you know, it's got to be on
a on a night when you really want to sit
and think and take it in.

Speaker 3 (49:23):
We'll head to a break here with just a post
from Steve about our alumni Hall question for favorite tournament memory.

Speaker 14 (49:29):
I'm thinking you'll like this one.

Speaker 3 (49:31):
His is when he skipped school to welcome Coach Pope
and the ninety six championship team home and when they
stepped off the bus with the trophy. He says, that
is the memory of his lifetime. It's a pretty good
one for you.

Speaker 7 (49:45):
Tube good moments. You know, it's fun.

Speaker 9 (49:47):
So one of the things that we did in this
you know, it wasn't hugely choreographed, was this.

Speaker 7 (49:52):
Just last night, I guess was slash Sunday.

Speaker 9 (49:55):
But one of the things we did was I had
all the guys, UH, send me just because I want
to think about it, send me their greatest memory not participating,
but their greatest memory watching as a kid, uh the
NAA tournament. And it was really awesome to see the
wide variety of responses that I got back. But all

(50:16):
of us can tie moments of our life to some
some great play, some incredible moment, some last second shot,
some huge upset, some incredible run to the n w
A tournament and and remember you know those those those memories, tire,
So it's pretty cool. What about you, There's a lot,

(50:36):
uh you know, of course I was. I was sitting
in my I was sitting in my family room in
Seattle with no real uh connection at the time, uh
to Kentucky, like in a real set. And you know

(51:00):
it was before I had decided this is where I
was going to transfer. When Christian Latner hit that shot,
I'll I can remember it like I can remember it
clear as day. I can remember Sean Woods shot right before.
I can remember literally my reaction as he went to
take this fifteen foot runner.

Speaker 14 (51:18):
I was like no, and then I.

Speaker 7 (51:20):
Was like, yes, is it went it off the glass?
And uh, it's so I remember that.

Speaker 9 (51:26):
Of course, you know, I remember that the epic play
Bryce Drew in the Valpo game.

Speaker 7 (51:31):
Was pretty pretty amazing.

Speaker 9 (51:34):
There's so many there's so many great moments that of
course the things that we got to experience in the
in the Nash Chapiship game were really special.

Speaker 14 (51:40):
As we had the break.

Speaker 3 (51:41):
We'll remind you to subscribe to the Kentucky Basketball Podcast
present about UK Federal credit you do. You can get
it from Apple podcast, Spotify, iHeartRadio with the official UK
Athletics app.

Speaker 14 (51:50):
This is the UK Sports Network.

Speaker 6 (51:52):
Unlocked exclusive coverage of UK Athletics with uk sn all
accents from behind the scenes content to game day covered.

Speaker 7 (52:00):
It's all in one place.

Speaker 6 (52:02):
Find it on the UK Athletics app or uksnallaccess dot com.

Speaker 7 (52:08):
Hey BBN coach Pope.

Speaker 9 (52:09):
Here in Kentucky, big blue determination is in our blood.
It means we rise together, we fight together, and we
win together, whether we're making our run for a banner
or taking on our state's biggest healthcare challenges. Big blue determination.
It's why UK Healthcare is the official healthcare partner of

(52:32):
UK Athletics.

Speaker 24 (52:37):
Did you know that Kartown, Kia has one of the
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To upgrade your ride.

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Visit Kartown Shop anytime at cartown KYUSA dot com.

Speaker 7 (53:06):
It was full Kentucky Running took the bucket.

Speaker 23 (53:08):
Life over it, Hi, this is all take it away
from Kentucky Basketball. I like to thank our official cornerstone partners,
Central Bank, the official bank of New CA Athletics, Kentucky
Farm Bureau Insurance, Big on Commitment, and UK Healthcare, the
official healthcare partner, A big blue nation.

Speaker 14 (53:24):
Makes the catch in traffic, goes up fours and a.

Speaker 23 (53:26):
Foul one more time. A big thank you to our
official cornerstone partners. Our success on the court starts with
their support of you CA Athletics.

Speaker 19 (53:35):
Oh right, all right, it's a beautiful day for football
here at the stadium and we're just about ready for kickoff.

Speaker 16 (53:41):
Score zero zero and suddenly I'm in the mood for
a coke zero sugar, real coke taste zero sugar. No,
that's a winning.

Speaker 20 (53:50):
Combo Yeah Chris, refreshing that hits the spot when it
comes to great taste.

Speaker 16 (53:59):
Coke zero Shit is always on the scoreboard. Coke zero
Sugar Real Coke Taste zero Sugar.

Speaker 2 (54:05):
Hey Wildcat Fans, Little Caesars, the home of Hot and
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(54:27):
also a proud partner of UK Athletics and an enthusiastic
member of Big Blue Nation.

Speaker 13 (54:33):
So Go Cat Pizza Pizza.

Speaker 6 (54:35):
Stay connected to the Cats with the Big Blue Brew,
the official newsletter of You Cathletics.

Speaker 9 (54:40):
It's free, it's daily, and it's all things can suck.

Speaker 6 (54:43):
Sign up now at Ukathletics dot com.

Speaker 14 (54:45):
Backslash Big Blue Brew.

Speaker 6 (54:47):
That's Ucathletics dot com backslash Big Blue Brew.

Speaker 3 (54:52):
Wow Watch BBN Tonight presented about UK healthcare every weeknight
at seven thirty on wi Ex and Lexington outside the state.

Speaker 14 (55:08):
Or elsewhere anywhere. Really, you can watch archive shows and
content at BBN Tonight dot com. Bank for a.

Speaker 3 (55:14):
Few more minutes with coach Hope, this one listener question.
When a player's made two or three shots in a
row and you're making a substitution, do you consider not
substituting at that point? Yes, absolutely, that's what goes into
your thought process at that moment.

Speaker 9 (55:29):
Well, I mean, if guys are getting it going, you like,
you like to have them stay in there. You know,
we've been dealing with some foul issues, especially recently in
games where you're.

Speaker 7 (55:40):
Trying to monitor that.

Speaker 9 (55:41):
Sometimes you're trying to make a substitution right before the
media because they're gonna come sit down in thirty seconds anyway,
but maybe you can extend that rest for them a
little bit longer.

Speaker 7 (55:53):
So all those things that you know, you're always.

Speaker 9 (55:56):
Trying to balance all those things together.

Speaker 7 (55:58):
The best you can.

Speaker 3 (56:00):
Question about Cam Williams played in all three games.

Speaker 7 (56:04):
Yeah, he was. He was pretty sore by the end.

Speaker 9 (56:07):
Uh, you know, I wasn't sure he was going to
actually make the tip for the Florida game, but he did.
We we kept his minutes limited, but he was He
felt much better by today and had good work today,
And I.

Speaker 3 (56:20):
Would think it's helpful, assuming things go well, that you'd
have a gap a day between games.

Speaker 7 (56:25):
Yes, yeah, very much.

Speaker 14 (56:26):
So.

Speaker 3 (56:26):
Yes, what were your takeaways from the SEC tournament as it?

Speaker 14 (56:32):
Things you saw that can help you in the next tournament.

Speaker 7 (56:35):
I was proud of our guys.

Speaker 9 (56:36):
I thought, you know, every single game in the SEC
has hard fought like we saw, you know, I mean
Old miss hadn't won a game and it's felt like
two months and they nearly ran the table. Every single
game in the SEC is so competitive, and so I
thought the way our guys performed and fought against L.
S U, I was really proud of him in a

(56:58):
really really incredibly fit a goal match up against a
good Missouri team.

Speaker 7 (57:02):
I like this Missouri team.

Speaker 9 (57:03):
This Missouri teams beat the best teams in our league.

Speaker 14 (57:07):
Have a great go to guy.

Speaker 9 (57:08):
Yeah, I mean, Mitchell is just a handful and they
have so much size and their cards are explosive, and
I thought it was a I thought it was a
great game, and I thought our guys, you know, going
back to back nights, were really really good. I was
proud of that, and clearly we wanted a much different
outcome with Florida, but I thought everything worked out the

(57:29):
way it was supposed to to set us up for
a great run in the SWA Tournament.

Speaker 14 (57:32):
Thank you much, good luck, Thanks Bud, Kentucky and Santa Clara.

Speaker 3 (57:36):
Coming up on Friday twelve fifteen, Eastern Open practice around
eleven forty five Central time out in Saint Louis. If
you're headed out there on Thursday.

Speaker 14 (57:45):
We'll see you next week. On the UK Sports Network.

Speaker 8 (57:48):
This has been The Mark Pope Show, presented by UK
Healthcare on the UK Sports Network. The Mark Pope Show
What's brought to you by Coca Cola, APPA watchin Regional Healthcare,
Little Caesars and by UK Healthcare. We are here to
win Banners Kentucky Basketball is a presentation of the UK

(58:11):
Sports Network Let's Go CASS powered by JMI Sports.