Pope has been in Lexington for a while now and has put to rest almost every negative narrative about him as a coach early into his tenure. Coach Pope has recruited at a high level and won big games. All there is left to do is have success in the NCAA Tournament.

Mark Pope hit the ground running building Kentucky's 2025 recruiting class. How does the incoming haul compare with the rest of the nation's best?

The Kentucky Wildcats were able to take down the Louisville Cardinals in the first matchup of the Mark Pope vs. Pat Kelsey era. Despite nearly leading wire-to-wire, Kentucky had to battle for 40 minutes to pull out the victory,