Mark Pope's Cats give Kentucky fans at least one more week of joy

Next week could have really stunk.

A loss to Illinois would have been perfectly understandable — the Fighting Illini were favored, have first-round NBA Draft talent, and, if we’re honest, it feels like this Kentucky team has been living on borrowed time for a while; given the injuries they continue to face, no one could have been too upset if their road ended in Milwaukee. At least they would have made it past the first round, right? Add in the fact that John Calipari will be one of the main storylines for the Sweet 16 and a lot of TVs would be turning off in the Bluegrass this week had Kentucky lost to Illinois.

But they didn’t. With their backs against the wall, Mark Pope’s Cats not only won, but did so in resounding fashion, their most complete performance in recent memory. Lamont Butler was the catalyst, looking like his old self with a new shoulder brace. He scored in double figures for the first time in three weeks and hit two threes for the first time since mid-January. On defense, he was “the head of the snake,” as Koby Brea put it. His steal and dish to Brandon Garrison for a layup to put Kentucky up 12 with 4:37 to go may have been the play of the game. Afterward, Brad Underwood said Kentucky will go “as far as Lamont wants to take them.”

It wasn’t just Butler. Koby Brea went nuclear, scoring on four straight possessions in the second half to push Kentucky’s lead to 16. After battling foul trouble in the first half, Otega Oweh came out with a purpose in the second, finishing with 15 points. Amari Williams — fueled by Weetabix — asserted his will inside. Andrew Carr only had two points until there was 1:13 remaining. His and-one to push Kentucky’s lead back to eight was massive, as was Collin Chandler’s three with 12:37 to go. All nine Cats who played contributed in some way, proof of their desire to extend this run.

“It’s just the love we have for each other,” Amari Williams said afterward. “I feel like everybody just wanted to be on the court fighting for one another, and it showed tonight. We don’t worry about anything else, just the people we have in our circle. And that’s the way it’s been the whole season, and that’s what got us to this point.”

Lamont Butler widened the scope.

“Definitely echo that, but I also feel like we’ve got a lot of underdogs on this team. People who have been doubted throughout our lives. Growing up in basketball, not a lot of us were highly recruited, and nothing like that. For us to be on this stage, we wanted to seize the opportunity and just be great out there.”

“I agree with them, and I feel like God has a plan for this team,” Koby Brea added. “We’ve gone through a lot this year. We have faced a lot of triumphs. And for us to be here, a lot of people didn’t think we were going to be here. So, it’s just a testament of what God has done for us.”

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There are a lot of sweet things about Kentucky advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019. We’ll start with the one many worried about all day. Kentucky won’t be left behind while John Calipari’s redemption tour continues. Mark Pope dialed up an incredible game plan that was orchestrated to perfection to secure the Sweet 16 bid. With his first NCAA Tournament win under his belt, he and his players looked loose in warmups, which resulted in a great start. Pope gave his players the same advice that Mikhail McLean gave him before the game vs. Troy: trust the process and have fun.

“I feel like Coach Pope and the rest of the coaching staff did a great job of making sure we were in the moment,” Williams said. “And I feel like that definitely showed today, and we were ready from the jump. So just having those guys have trust in us and helping us relax, definitely it helped us go out there and get the W.”

Kentucky plays No. 2 seed Tennessee at 7:39 p.m. ET on Friday in Indianapolis. The Cats have beaten the Vols twice this season. Anxiety about that matchup will build as the week goes on, but it’s something Kentucky fans should relish. It’s been six years since we’ve been able to worry about a Sweet 16; as the Tennessee resident in the group, this game will be especially fraught for me, but if it means one more week with this team, bring on every agonizing minute. If there’s a team that can exorcise the demons in Indianapolis, it’s this one, right?

That’s the best part about tonight. Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team has defied the odds again and again this season. The fact that they banded together to give the Big Blue Nation at least one more week of joy proves hope is starting to spring eternal once again for Kentucky Basketball.