Kentucky basketball: What SEC coaches said about Mark Pope

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — With a roster that has experienced 100% turnover since last season ended, growing pains are to be expected for Kentucky basketball. Twelve scholarship players left UK after the 2023-24 campaign concluded. Some by choice (for the NBA draft or NCAA transfer portal). Some had no say (because they had exhausted their college eligibility).

That's not even including the departure of longtime coach John Calipari. After 15 seasons at UK, Calipari pulled up stakes for the same position at Arkansas.

While the cupboard was bare when new coach Mark Pope arrived from BYU, the Kentucky alum turned to the transfer portal to replenish the ranks. Of the 12 scholarship players on the Wildcats' 2024-25 roster, 75% (nine) are transfers. That transfer contingent is joined by a trio of signees in Collin Chandler, Trent Noah and Travis Perry.

Everyone is new to everyone. Not a single member of the team has played together.

But that's not reason for concern in Pope's eyes.

"I have a group of players that are incredibly curious," Pope said Tuesday at the SEC Tipoff event. "They're veteran, veteran guys. They've won a ton of games, and they've all done it different ways. But I have a locker room that's incredibly curious.

"It comes from humility. It's in this place of humility and curiosity — and it's how when you're blessed with those two character traits and you embrace them — you have a chance to grow really, really fast."

Rapidly enough to contend in the SEC, and nationally, in Year 1?

That remains to be seen.

Long term, however, Pope's coaching colleagues around the conference believe Kentucky has found the perfect person to lead the program to glory in the future.

Here's what other SEC coaches had to say about Pope and what he brings to the Wildcats:

John Calipari made sure there wasn't an iota of gray area: Pope has his unequivocal support.

"I think they hired a perfect guy for that job, and part of it is he played there, graduated there, has a heart for the place and has an idea what that is," said Calipari, settling in at Arkansas in his first non-UK coaching job since his final season at Memphis in 2008-09. "When I walked in, I had (former Kentucky) coach (Joe B.) Hall. I had (former Kentucky) coach (Tubby) Smith, too. ... It's a different place if you're just walking in. He's been there and understands it."

Calipari is "rooting" for Pope to excel.

"I want Kentucky — come on, man, 15 years, I gave my heart and soul (to the program)," Calipari said. "I want them to do well. ... He's a good man, terrific basketball coach. They hired the right guy, they really did."

Calipari will return to Rupp Arena at 9 p.m. Feb. 1 in the only regular-season showdown between Kentucky and Arkansas.

Prior to taking over at Florida ahead of the 2022-23 campaign, Todd Golden spent three seasons guiding San Francisco, where he compiled a record of 57-36 (.613). During that time, the Dons faced the Cougars seven times. Golden won the first matchup before Pope took four straight meetings. But Golden rallied to win the last two games.

Still, Pope joins the SEC holding a 4-3 advantage over Golden.

"Mark was always great to compete against," Golden said. "I've always thought that Mark is a really, really good coach, from his style of communicating with his players to how they play and how they execute offensively. BYU got a lot better when he got there. … And I think he's going to do an incredible job at Kentucky.

"To be honest, to get back to his alma mater, obviously (he) has a lot of pride being back there and has great confidence in understanding what makes Kentucky a really good spot. And I just think he's a great basketball coach. I think he's going to have a lot of great success there."

UK hosts Florida in the only regular-season contest between the schools this season. That game will start at 11 a.m. Jan. 4 in Lexington.

Bruce Pearl doesn't think things could have worked out any better for Kentucky, Arkansas and the conference when the dominoes fell leading Calipari to the Razorbacks and Pope back to the Bluegrass State.

"I can tell you from watching his BYU teams, he's got a brilliant offensive mind," said Pearl, in his 11th season at Auburn. "That doesn't mean he's not a good defensive coach, but he is next-step European — the latest and the greatest offensive schemes that are out there right now.

"Obviously was a great player, loved Kentucky, and from what I have experienced so far and what I've known about him, he's a really quality person — like the foundation of who he is and who he wants to be and how he wants to lead. I think Kentucky got themselves a great coach, a great person, and somebody that understands the history and the responsibility of leading that program."

Kentucky and Auburn will tussle once this season: March 1 in Lexington, with tipoff at either 1 or 4 p.m.

Chris Jans has more history with Pope than most.

Jans led New Mexico State's program for five seasons (2017-18 through 2021-22) before becoming Mississippi State's coach. During the 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons at NMSU, Jans clashed with Pope, whose Utah Valley club also resided in the Western Athletic Conference.

"I had a ton of respect for him then and certainly still do now. He's an excellent coach and even a better person," Jans said. "I was always impressed with how hard he worked at his craft. I would see him on the road recruiting, and he was pretty relentless when it came to that. And I know he's gone home, if you will, and back to where his playing days were. … I look forward to competing against him as the year unfolds."

The former WAC coaching rivals have just one meeting this season: Kentucky travels to Starkville, Mississippi, to take on MSU at 8:30 p.m. Jan. 11.

Oklahoma coach Porter Moser only has battled Pope one time.

In a Big 12 Conference contest last season, Moser's men ended on the right side of the scoreboard, earning an 82-66 home victory over Pope's BYU squad.

"He's such a good coach," Moser said. "He teaches great spacing. Offensively he had such — the way the ball moved, the way he could do things. And everybody that knows Mark (knows) he's just an unbelievable guy.

"The fact that he played at Kentucky, he is an ambassador for them. It's been fun to watch as I studied him in his first months on the job. He's put together a great roster."

The lone meeting between UK and OU this season will be Feb. 26 in Norman, Oklahoma. Game time is set for 9 p.m.

Rodney Terry admits he "can't speak" for Pope. But Terry, heading into his second full season as Texas' coach after taking over on an interim basis in December 2022, said he's "living his dream job."

Terry believes Pope feels the same way about Kentucky.

"He's a former player, won a national championship there," Terry said. "There's a lot of pride in walking into the office every day when you feel like you're living a dream."

Pope owns a 1-0 record against Terry, as BYU beat Texas, 84-72, in a Big 12 game last season in Provo, Utah.

"I think that his teams play with a great spirit about themselves," Terry said. "They're very unselfish. They share the basketball. Very good offensively. So you have to prepare in terms of really trying to have a good defensive mindset, because they're a team that can really score the basketball in my short time competing against his team in the Big 12."

Texas welcomes Kentucky to town Feb. 15 for the only regular-season meeting between the clubs. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m.

Buzz Williams doesn't know Pope. Hasn't had to match wits against him on an opposing sideline, either. That doesn't mean Williams is at a loss for words when it comes to the SEC coaching newcomer, though.

"I've read and listened to everything since he got the job, and it seems like Big Blue Nation is really excited that he's back," Williams said, "and it looks like he's done a really good job assembling this year's team. And they're doing a great job in recruiting."

Williams continued.

"Seems like he's incredibly intelligent — maybe too smart to be a coach — but has a lot of energy," Williams said. "I thought what they did this past weekend with (former UK) coach (Rick) Pitino only kind of gives context to all of that — all of the former players on the bus for the press conference. Like that's hard to find in 2024 at any level where there's that type of crowd: 19,000 people at a press conference and you're driving a bus … into the arena."

UK and Texas A&M play one time this season: 7 p.m. Jan. 14 in Lexington.

To Rick Barnes, Pope's background is an asset that can't be overstated.

"You've got someone that knows what he's into at Kentucky — what it's about, being there, being a former player," said Barnes, Tennessee's longtime coach. "I've been around Mark on the road, and I can just tell you, wonderful person. … I think he's very comfortable in who he is."

Comfortable enough to already begin making the program his own.

"You look at his teams, he won where he had been, and I think that he quickly has put his mark on the program in terms of just walking into the facilities and changing what was there," Barnes said. "You can send messages like that (about) what you want it to be."

Kentucky and Tennessee once again will have a home-and-home series. The first matchup is 7 p.m. Jan 28 in Knoxville, Tennessee. Game 2 is 7 p.m. Feb. 11 in Lexington.

Entering his third season at LSU, Matt McMahon has never faced Pope in any capacity. He knows UK's new coach on reputation alone.

"Just familiar with the way they played at BYU — the pace of play, the spacing, the importance of the 3-point shot," McMahon said. "I thought they did a great job going out in the spring and through the transfer portal adding experienced players that have proven themselves at the highest level.

"I expect them to be really good."

Kentucky and LSU only square off once this season: March 4 in Lexington, with a tipoff time still to be announced.

Mike White isn't worried about how Pope will fare at his alma mater.

"I'm sure he'll do a wonderful job," said White, who is entering his third season at Georgia. "It's a big-time program, obviously, a proud program. I always enjoy our trips to Rupp Arena. He was a heck of a player. He's a heck of a coach."

Above all, White admits he's apprehensive.

"As coaches, we coach this game, and there's a business side of it," he said. "It's our career, obviously, but I think — at least speaking for myself, and I'm assuming in this league — we're all still fans of the game, as well. ... I'm anxious to watch these first few games (of) coach Pope at Kentucky."

UK and Georgia tangle only one time this season: They'll meet in Athens, Georgia, for a 7 p.m. tipoff Jan. 7.

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at [email protected] and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.