Kentucky plays for the name on the front of the jersey in comeback win vs. Duke

About an hour and a half before tipoff, the Kentucky Basketball Twitter account shared a photo by team photographer Chet White of a Kentucky jersey in the shadow of a net with the caption, “The name on the front.” Turns out it was much more than just a heartwarming tagline (and potential jab at the last administration); it’s one of the central themes of the Mark Pope era, which is off to a roaring start with the 77-72 win over No. 6 Duke.

After the game, multiple Wildcats talked about the importance of the name on the front of the jersey in describing how the team came together to claw back from a nine-point halftime deficit. Sophomore Brandon Garrison played an integral part in the comeback, scoring six straight points in the second half to pull Kentucky within two with 6:49 to go. The former McDonald’s All-American would finish with eight points, a season-high. Although he played his freshman season at Oklahoma State, he told Goose Givens that playing for Kentucky on a stage like this was a dream come true.

“I couldn’t imagine myself here. It’s just amazing to be here. You know, it’s a big, big thing on all of our shoulders, all my teammates, and I’ve just got to play for the letters across my chest.”

While Garrison was talking to Goose, his teammate Otega Oweh was saying something very similar in the postgame press conference. After stealing the ball from Cooper Flagg, Oweh drove to the basket, drew a foul, and hit two free throws to put Kentucky up by two with 10 seconds to go, 74-72. When Lamont Butler went to the foul line and missed his second shot, Oweh grabbed the rebound with 0.5 seconds left, drew a foul, and iced the victory with two more free throws. The former Oklahoma Sooner said wearing the Kentucky jersey inspires him to play even harder for the fanbase and his teammates.

“I would just say, wearing Kentucky on your chest, you just have to carry yourself a certain way. You know that you’re not just playing for yourself; you’re playing for a whole nation. You’re playing for your brothers. It’s a dream to play for Kentucky and the fact that I’m here and the fact that [Andrew Carr] is here, it just makes everyone want to play harder. I would just say that. Just wearing the Kentucky jersey definitely makes me want to go out there and play.”

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Andrew Carr, who led Kentucky in scoring with 17 points and also had some huge plays down the stretch, agreed with Oweh, telling reporters that this team’s bond is a major reason they didn’t throw in the towel when the Blue Devils were surging.

“Something that we always talked about as a team, our run, or whatever it is, we’re looking for that Jenga block to fall. We’re just going to keep coming at you guys, we’re going to keep coming at you guys throughout the game over and over again until we go on that run or come back and are able to make an impact on the game.”

“That’s what makes our team super special, so when you’re able to surround yourself with a team that Otega talked about that means that much with amazing people and super talented basketball players, you really trust your teammates and it becomes really special.”

It was at that point that Mark Pope looked around the media room, soaking in the moment.

“Who gets to coach guys like this? Come on, man. It’s awesome.”

So much of that deference for the Kentucky jersey is because of Pope, the former team captain who brought his own No. 41 jersey to his introductory press conference in April to use in place of the commemorative one because it was proof of the blood, sweat, and tears he shed for the program. When he called the KSR Postgame Show from a victorious bus ride, Pope told Matt Jones that he showed the team a video with highlights from the 1978, 1992, and 1998 Kentucky vs. Duke games because he wanted them to know the history of the rivalry and what it means to the Big Blue Nation. That message clearly resonated.

“We trust in the work that we do every single day but we also know the history behind this rivalry so we obviously want to put on and do well for Big Blue Nation but we really just wanted to go out there and do the things that we know we can do,” Oweh said. “Just stay solid, stick to our principles and if we do that, we’re going to get a win, which was the outcome, so obviously, the rivalry was huge but we didn’t look at it as just let’s just do stuff we don’t usually do. Let’s just be calm and composed and play the way we know we how to.”

"This is actually not about me at all … it's about these boys, it's about BBN … that's what makes it special."

Mark Pope after beating Duke 😤 @KentuckyMBB pic.twitter.com/Q37vEdTK7z

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 13, 2024

Immediately after the game, ESPN’s Jess Sims asked Pope what this game, his first statement win as Kentucky’s coach, meant to him. He shared a lesson he’s learned over the years that helps him put it all into perspective.

“This is actually not about me at all. If it’s about me, it’s too much and it’s too big. It’s about these boys. It’s about BBN. It’s about these guys coming and competing. These guys dreaming of wearing a Kentucky jersey one day, never thinking they would…That’s what makes this special. I just get to observe and watch. And that’s pretty great.”

Pope went deeper in the postgame press conference, arguing that the fact that a win like this — and Kentucky Basketball in general — means so much to so many people helps ease the burden on everyone.

“I think one of the things that’s great about our team is this is not actually about us. It’s not about me. If this gets about me, then it gets too big. If it gets about Andrew Carr, it gets too big. We’re a pretty faithful group and we get to learn that this isn’t really about us.

“I think the best part about all of us being able to acknowledge our fans in the stands is that it’s just an extension of that. This is about us. It’s not about me. If Andrew has to carry around the burden of this being about him, it’s too big. If Otega has to carry around the burden of this being about him, it’s too big and it’s not actually very rewarding. But when it can be about us? That’s when it’s magic, right?”

Yes, it certainly is.