4-Point Play: Snow and TikToks (with recruiting and coaching philosophies)

The weather is changing as fall slowly transitions to winter and football season switches over to basketball season. You sure can tell, too — it’s pretty darn cold out there, and we even got some snow flurries to prove it.

What’s new for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats? Not the most exciting slate of games in the BBN Invitational, but hey, that’s what the non-conference tune-ups are for. You can’t load up the entire schedule with top-25 matchups, after all. After taking down Lipscomb on Tuesday, it’s a quick turnaround with Jackson State coming to town on Friday, a chance for the 2024-25 group to move to 5-0 on the young season.

How about some easy-reading leftovers to get you to that matchup and the weekend overall? I’m good with it if you’re good with it.

Does Mark Pope like snow?

It’s the first snowy day in Lexington since Pope took the Kentucky job seven months ago. Coming from Provo, he’s certainly used to it by now, but does he actually like it? He was asked that question today at his weekly press conference previewing the Jackson State matchup.

The answer was exactly what you’d expect from a living, breathing quote machine like Mark Pope.

“Yeah, I mean, snow is part of the season, right? I love all of the fall and the cold and the winter because it makes you know it’s basketball,” he said.

Now you know.

Momentum vs. data

You know those big-picture coaching decisions like going for it on fourth down in football or fouling up three in the final seconds of a basketball game? They’ve become a battle of analytics and instincts where the data may tell you to do one thing but your gut tells you to do the opposite. Make the right decision and you’re a coaching genius, fail and you’re a moron set to take on an avalanche of criticism.

Which side does Pope favor? He’s an analytical guy at heart, obviously, but don’t underestimate his gut — because he calls upon it plenty

“I’m a big believer in the dynamic nature of the game, for sure. One of the interesting things about analytics and just numbers and data in general is that it’s getting you averages. Those averages matter,” Pope said. “But in the course of a rotation or a game or a final minute of a game, anything like that, sometimes the numbers aren’t that helpful. You would like to have some brilliant moment in that moment or in that game. You’re not looking for the averages.”

The guys on his staff crunching the numbers may not like it, but humans are capable of being human. You’ve got to factor that in, too.

“Again, my analytics team would really get upset with me about this, but I do think that we’re dealing with beautiful, emotional human beings, and hopefully we have some native insights into that,” he added. “The numbers could be negligent — not over the whole spectrum of time, but just in that specific moment, I think that’s actually probably true.”

Jamie Shaw picks Kentucky to land Caleb Wilson

It’s not all about the games being played now, but also what’s to come next year in beyond. On3’s own Jamie Shaw dropped the latest intel on some of the top uncommitted prospects in 2025 — including Kentucky’s prized target, Caleb Wilson. Can Mark Pope land his big fish in the coming weeks? That’s where things are trending, with Shaw giving the Wildcats the edge over the field, North Carolina seen as the top competitor.

“The school I am hearing the most with Wilson is still Kentucky. Every conversation I have with my sources starts with the Wildcats at this point,” Shaw wrote.

What about the likes of AJ Dybantsa, Nate Ament, Chris Cenac, Koa Peat, Brayden Burries and Mikel Brown, among other five-star prospects weighing their options? You’ll have to subscribe and read for yourself here.

Who has the better TikTok, Lamont Butler or Kerr Kriisa?

This one steers closer toward the ‘Does Mark Pope like snow?’ level of goofiness than recruiting or coaching philosophies, but it’s what the kids want. The Cats are big fans of TikTok, in case you didn’t know, and couple of new dance videos just dropped and are making their rounds in a hurry.

Up first is Lamont Butler, who is joined by his teammates dancing in a circle inside the team locker room.

@lamont.butler1 post dub 😂😂 @Ansley Almonor @Apcarr11 @brando2wavy @otegaoweh #fyp #viral #dance #trending ♬ origineel geluid – CDK COMPANY

Next? Kerr Kriisa, who goes around to his teammates and Mark Pope with a filter that bounces their heads from side to side to the beat of the music.

@kerrkriisa Comeback to the big scene! @Ansley Almonor @Koby Brea @collinfrommars @Apcarr11 ♬ original sound KerrKriisa

Which one is better? I’m siding with Kerr Kriisa in this battle.