UK basketball is back, baby. A ‘we is greater than me’ era has begun.

Kentucky basketball is once again Camelot. Prestige and prominence have returned to their rightful spot among the quintessential blue bloods. Like a sacked castle, the first thing men’s basketball head coach, Mark Pope, did was strip down the individual accolades lining the walls. A clear declaration that the “We is greater than me” era was underway.

As preseason anticipation grew for Pope, fans assumed he knew his X’s and O’s and was a skilled tactician. What people underestimated was his ability to adjust his game plan for situational basketball, and his intuitive nature to find ways to carve up competition. Some refer to it as in-game adjustments, others spout of tweaking — no matter what you call it, Kentucky now has one of the most strategic sideline generals in all of college basketball.

Fans are enamored with Pope, partly because of the stark contrast with his predecessor, but more genuinely because he is winning hard fought ballgames. How he is winning these games is what’s grabbing national attention. He does so by going back to the drawing board mid-game to find ways of disrupting his competition, upending their rhythm. He relentlessly seeks weaknesses to exploit in his opponents, the way any good commander would.

This is not a new concept, but one that hasn’t been seen in Lexington in quite some time. The fan base grew accustomed to repeatedly seeing a coach try to put a square peg in a round hole with no back up plan when it wouldn’t fit. This is what reinvigorates the Wildcat faithful and what awakened the dormant fans who checked out long ago. The bandwagon is rolling again, and seats are filling up fast.

Pope’s postgame admission that his staff was just collecting data in the first half against Duke was evidence that he is playing chess while others play checkers. In the improbable (and historic) comeback against Gonzaga, Kentucky looked like a different team in the second half due to their defensive adjustments. Pope is setting himself apart by being a better real-time evaluator than his opposing forces. He has proven that the initial game plan is not set in stone, nor should it be definitive and unmalleable.

Having multiple wins over top-10 teams within his first two months is staggering. Doing this with an assortment of players pulled from teams across the country is even more impressive. He is a skilled strategist, using modern offense and smothering defense to wear teams down.

Fans grew accustomed to seeing superb talent in Lexington, but always wondered if the product was being maximized on the court. With Pope, it is clear that he knows how to squeeze every drop from his assembled team.

Another reason people relate to Pope is his “never surrender” mentality. He was not born on third base as the saying goes. He has had to claw for every opportunity in his career, proving that his interest in basketball runs deeper than being a college champion and his short stint in the NBA. This mindset naturally lends itself to Pope wanting similar qualities in his recruits. He currently has a roster of mostly mid-major players who are hungry for an opportunity and chance to prove themselves. Pope currently has just one McDonald’s All-American in Brandon Garrison.

The lights are not too bright for Mark Pope. He stepped into the pressure cooker of a job and did not lose his smile. He appears to be doing what he loves and having considerable, and immediate success. Pope has also shown fans that you can lead a premier program with humility and appreciation. Most would consider this the honeymoon phase with our new head coach, but based on what fans have seen so far, there is hope for a long and fruitful alliance.

Jim Jackson resides in Franklin County. He can be reached by email at jackson.m.jim@gmail.com

This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 1:23 PM.