Just as Mark Pope predicted, Ansley Almonor helped Kentucky win another game

Before the 2024-25 season even began, Kentucky’s new head coach made a prediction to his first team in Lexington: Ansley Almonor, the oft-forgotten Fairleigh Dickinson transfer, was going to win the Wildcats a couple of games.

Almonor proved Mark Pope right for the second time on Tuesday night in Knoxville. Kentucky upset No. 8 Tennessee 78-73 in large part due to his all-around performance.

The 6-foot-7 senior finished with 12 points on 4-7 shooting from deep. With Andrew Carr still fighting his nagging back injury, Almonor was inserted into the starting lineup for the second straight game. Kentucky was also down Lamont Butler, putting even more pressure on Almonor to step up. He dished out a season-high three assists after coming into the game with just four on the entire season.

“I love talking about Ansley Almonor. Wins us games,” Pope said after the Tennessee win. “Dude is 4-7 from the three-point line tonight, guys. Like, come on.”

Ansley Almonor pic.twitter.com/Mzbb07RV1o

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Did Pope truly, deep down believe that Almonor was going to win Kentucky games this season when he called his shot back in the summer? Almonor was a late add to the roster and the least-heralded of Pope’s transfers. Or was it a coaching tactic (one that’s paid off, if that’s the case) to instill some extra confidence in a guy who was expected to mostly come off the bench?

Pope was playing the long game with his words. He knew that, at some point during a long, stressful season, a bench piece was going to have to step into a larger role. Almonor has been that guy.

“Coach Pope’s been saying all season, even before the season started, Ansley Almonor is going to win us a couple of games this year,” Fifth-year guard Jaxson Robinson said. “And I think one of those games is today.”

Almonor was just as huge a few weeks ago for Kentucky. He scored 11 points on 3-6 shooting from deep in the Wildcats’ 95-90 bounceback win over a ranked Mississippi State team. That was the first time this season Almonor won his team a game. He’s now scored in double-digits in three straight games and four of the previous five. Over his last six contests, he’s shooting 15-25 (60 percent) from deep.

“It’s Ansley Almonor that makes a team special,” Pope added. “Everybody kind of has the headline, headline guy. And very few teams have the guy that’s really, really, really good that’s gonna win you games, that is like ‘I’m gonna do whatever the team needs.’ Especially a fifth-year senior that’s like I’ll do whatever the team needs. If you play me tonight, great. Then I’m gonna go play great. And if you don’t play me, then I’m just gonna love these guys. Those are the guys that go on to do insanely amazing things in life. He’s really special.”

Don’t be surprised if Almonor wins Kentucky a few more games the rest of the way.

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