Three takeaways from a stellar first game for Mark Pope as Kentucky basketball coach
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Game day: No. 23 Kentucky 103, Wright State 62
Click below for more of the Herald-Leader and Kentucky.com’s coverage of Monday night’s men’s basketball game between Kentucky and Wright State in Rupp Arena.
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Three takeaways from Kentucky basketball’s 103-62 victory against Wright State on Monday night at Rupp Arena.
1. Forget the offense, what about UK’s defense
So much of the anticipation about Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team centered on offense. Fast-break offense. Three-point shooting offense. Modern offense. Exciting offense.
On the occasion of Pope’s official debut as the Cats’ head coach, so much of the appropriate 41-point win — Pope wore No. 41 during his days as a Cat — centered on what Kentucky did on the defensive end.
“I was very impressed with their physicality defensively,” Wright State coach Clint Sargent said afterward.
Known as a potent offensive team, the visiting Raiders shot 35.3% from the floor. They were a mere 5-of-27 from 3-point land for 18.5%. Brandon Noel, the preseason Horizon League Player of the Year, scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds. But Noel made just eight of 21 shots. He was 1-of-8 on 3-point attempts.
The Cats also had 11 steals, led by Lamont Butler and Otega Oweh with three each.
“Our defense turned into a bunch of offense tonight,” Pope said.
Fast-break points: Kentucky 36, Wright State 5.
2. Forget the defense, what about UK’s passing
Kentucky took 65 shots on the night, and made 39 for 60% from the floor. Here’s the thing: The Cats were credited with 30 assists on those 39 buckets.
It wasn’t just one guy, either. Butler, Kerr Kriisa and Brandon Garrison each had five assists. Butler and Kriisa are guards. You expect high assists totals from them. Garrison is a 6-foot-10, 250-pound sophomore from Oklahoma City. You don’t expect that sort of skill from guys that big.
Nor do you expect the kind of ball-handling skills shown by fellow center Amari Williams, who grabbed 13 rebounds and contributed three assists. Well, if you are Williams himself you absolutely expect that.
“If you asked him, he’d say he has incredible handles,” Pope said.
So we did ask him.
“It’s something I take pride in,” the 7-footer from Nottingham, England, said.
Obviously, passing will be a source of pride for this team. That’s saying something for a team — as we reference for the zillionth time — consisting of players who had never played together before this summer.
“I like it,” Pope said. “There’s still some times where we got a little enamored, a little overanxious with some home run stuff.”
Picky, picky.
3. Forget all that, what about Mark Pope’s first win?
Though not every seat was taken at Rupp, there were very few empties. And that hasn’t always been the case the past few years, at least not for games in which the Cats faced less than marquee opponents. Big games, yes. Less than big games, no.
And you could make the case this was a big game. Pope’s first game. A new era, and all that. When Pope was congratulated in the post-game press conference for his first win, he said he was sure he and wife Lee Anne would one night sit down and enjoy a soda and reflect. That night won’t come any time soon. There’s just too much to do.
Pope afterward: “We haven’t even begun to touch where we can be as a rim-protection team.”
Pope again: “We’ll be really blessed if we can keep those 10 healthy.”
Pope, one more time: “Still, there’s room for us to grow.”
After a 41-point opening night victory, that’s music to BBN’s ears.
This story was originally published November 4, 2024 at 10:26 PM.
