No question, Mark Pope, Kentucky men’s basketball coach would win national coach of the year for non-conference play.
That is, if an organization actually sponsored such an award.
It’s a sentiment fairly widely acknowledged by the media and coaches alike due to the Wildcats’ surprising start. Louisville coach Pat Kelsey was among those who said it this month before the rivals play.
Pope stands out from potential competition as Bruce Pearl of Auburn And Rick Barnes of Tennesseewho have propelled their respective teams into a stratosphere they rarely find themselves in as teams currently ranked in the top two in the polls.
Dana Altman of Oregon took the Ducks from receiving just 16 votes in the preseason coaches poll to becoming a top 10 team. It is also worth mentioning.
But no other coach comes close to matching the short, quick ride Pope made at UK, inheriting a program without a single player remaining on last season’s roster all the way to the top 10.
And he did it by having to fill the considerable void left after John Calipari’s 15-year reign ended when he flew to Arkansas. Say what you will about Calipari’s final years, when he took over and got things going, from 2011 to 2015 — with four Final Fours, the 2012 national title, flirting with an undefeated season in 2015 while putting featuring an abundance of must-sees. -see the talents – was one of the best sequences in the history of the program.
Pope’s early successes were due to a completely different approach.
He selected the players who best fit his system, not necessarily the highest-ranked talent he could find.
He also knows his way around in-game coaching, as evidenced by his prescient conversation in the huddle during the final seconds of the Cats’ victory against Duke. He predicted Cooper Flagg was spinning and telling his players that someone should come away with a steal.
His adjustment to a 1-3-1 zone helped UK rebounds by 16 points at halftime against Gonzaga win in overtime.
Those two wins alone helped Pope dispel doubts, even those coming from British fans, about whether he was the right signing.
All this praise is really just kudos to Pope, because if the Wildcats don’t continue to win at the same rate for SECOND play, his good start will quickly be forgotten.
Here’s what needs to happen to keep Pope in this conversation.
1) Find an answer from the backup leader.
The fallout from ankle injury to goalkeeper Kerr Kriisa is larger than at first glance. Kriisa kept the offense going when starter Lamont Butler needed a break.
Now there is a slight drop when Jaxson Robinson must play the point. And the opponents pointed the finger Freshman Travis Perry to defensively exploit the moments when he also came into play in relief.
2) Create more turnover.
Guard Otega Oweh lamented Saturday’s loss to Ohio State that when shots aren’t falling, UK needs to step up its defense to generate turnovers and easy baskets.
The Cats’ 13.6 defensive turnover percentage ranks 343rd nationally, according to KenPom.com. Only Syracuse, Creighton and Butler are worse among major conference teams.
3) Learn to play at a slow tempo.
Both of Kentucky’s losses came when possessions dried up. Clemson’s adjusted tempo ranked 288th and Ohio State played at a pace ranked 199th nationally, according to KenPom.com.
UK plays at the 35th fastest pace in the country. When the championship begins, only Alabama (6) and Vanderbilt (32) are faster. More often than not, the Cats will find themselves caught up in SEC games at a much slower pace, as about half the league ranks in the bottom half of pace: Ole Miss (203), Texas (210), Texas A&M (230), Georgia (238), South Carolina (254) and Tennessee (268).
The Cats’ schedule is particularly difficult in the league, with 11 games against the nine SEC teams currently ranked – including at home and on the road against Alabama and Tennessee.
The Pope has so far exceeded UK expectations; If he continues to play in conference, more than just coaching accolades await him and the Cats. He could coach in games where they wave banners to win.
Contact sports columnist CL Brown at [email protected]follow him on @CLBrownHoops and subscribe to his newsletter on profile.courier-journal.com/newsletters/cl-browns-latest to be sure to never miss one of his columnss.
This article was originally published in the Louisville Courier Journal: Kentucky Basketball: SEC Schedule Key for Mark Pope COY Bid
