Goose Givens, Kyle Macy and Rick Robey 'love' Mark Pope's start at Kentucky, experienced roster

Goose Givens, Kyle Macy and Rick Robey know a thing or two about Kentucky basketball and what it takes to win a national championship. They came together in 1978 to do just that — and they’ve got a limited edition bottle of bourbon to honor that special run, releasing the 78 Legends blend of 5-year and 50-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Only 1978 bottles have been produced and are on sale now, each dipped in Kentucky blue wax and signed by the legendary trio.

With KSR at J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery in Frankfort on Tuesday, Givens, Macy and Robey stopped by to talk about their limited edition bourbon while also discussing Mark Pope’s impressive start as the head coach at Kentucky.

Belief in Mark Pope

The consensus? Optimism is high the 1996 national championship will get things rolling in Lexington, starting with a fun team in year one.

“I love what Mark has done not just with the team and the players, but with the coaching staff especially. He’s got some good guys in those positions,” Givens told KSR. “I can’t wait to get started, I didn’t get to practice yesterday so I’m hoping to go either later today or tomorrow to get a look at them. It’s gonna be a fun season, I’m very excited about what he’s done. Mark is a great coach — I mean, a really, really good coach. It’s gonna be interesting.”

“He reached out to me about five days ago by text, said, ‘Here’s my cell number if you need anything. Come back and see us, get back involved.’ I’m looking forward to getting down there and meeting him,” Robey added.

“Rick sent a text back and said, ‘Yeah, I could use a size 16,'” Macy joked. “Nah, I text back and forth with him. I was doing what Jack (Givens) is doing now back when Mark was playing, so I’ve known him for a little while. He’s a really good guy who is gonna do things the right way. I’m excited for him. I hope it turns into a really good year and I think the fanbase, obviously, is very excited, as well.”

Expectations in year one

There is clear excitement, but what should the expectations be from year one? Givens says fans should be patient and trust the process, no matter how much Pope continues to embrace championship demands in Lexington. It’s easier now more than ever to compete quickly with the transfer portal, but don’t bring out the torches and pitchforks if there is an adjustment period.

Be hopeful, but not unrealistic, he says.

“I think that’s where the fans need to be. I know everybody’s really excited about the possibilities and that’s great, but I think people also understand that it might take a little time,” Givens said. “Maybe not as hard as it used to be — I mean, just think about the transfer portal, man. Having to put together an entire new team, that would be tough. I think Mark has gone out and picked the players he wanted, players who can play with experience.

“I tell people if you think about the teams Kentucky has lost to whether you’re talking about the NCAA Tournament or in SEC basketball over the last five years, if you look at the teams Kentucky has lost to, they are exactly the team that Mark has put together for next year. Experience, guys who have been there and done that, been in every situation.

“They’ve knocked on the door for championships, All-Defensive players in their conferences, all the things that those teams had who have beaten Kentucky the last few years, we have that now. That should lead to some wins for us.”

Experience will be the difference

Robey agrees — experience will help Kentucky compete quickly, maybe raising the floor a bit to make the adjustment period not so overwhelming.

“It looks good to me. It’s gonna be more fun to watch these older kids play, I think they’ll become more like our team where they learn each other’s weaknesses and strengths,” he added. “I’m looking forward to getting back involved and watching.”

How about Macy, who played in the NBA from 1980-87 before coaching at Morehead State from 1997-2006? He’s seen the best of the best in college and the pros while also leading his own D1 program, a run that included a conference regular-season title in 2003. The game has changed dramatically both on and off the floor since he left it, a challenge Pope has welcomed — easier said than done, the ’78 champion admits.

“I don’t know how coaches are doing it nowadays because not only are you recruiting new players every year, but you also have to recruit your own players and try to get them to stay. It’s crazy,” Macy said. “The game has changed so much from when we played. If you look now at the kid from Purdue, Zach Edey, he’d have been by far the No. 1 pick in the 80s. No doubt. Now they’re talking maybe 15 to 20 in the draft because it’s played out more on the perimeter and the big men have been able to step out and play on the floor.

“Before if you had a big man — Hakeem Olajuwon, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, if you had that seven-footer in the post, guards come down and throw it in the post. It’s a different game, now the bigs want to be guards.”

Balancing shooting and defense

In a wide-open game that prioritizes spacing and scoring, does Kentucky have the shooting to compete atop the SEC standings?

“Hopefully there are because that’s the game,” Macy added. “You’ve got to be able to put the ball in the basket.”

Givens believes the Wildcats do have the shooting and scoring pieces, but his bigger focus is on the other end of the floor. With Kentucky coming off a historically poor defensive season, he’s excited Pope addressed that by bringing in some of the best perimeter defenders and rim protectors in the transfer portal.

“He does have some shooters, he does have some guys who can fill it up. It’s gonna be a good blend,” Givens said. “The thing that I’m most excited about is the improvement that this team can make on the defensive end of the floor. You have two or three guys who were conference Defensive Players of the Year, guys who have that experience, who know the difference between guarding and really guarding versus making it look like you’re guarding.

“I’m looking forward to what this team might be able to do defensively.”

The 1978 national champions believe in this group.