Kentucky staying loose with breakfast debates ahead of Sweet 16 matchup vs. Tennessee

Kentucky fans may have been nervous wrecks during the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament, but the Cats were loose, especially ahead of the second-round game vs. Illinois. I’m happy to report that the mood continues in Indianapolis.

Mark Pope and the players seemed to be having a ball during today’s media opportunities and the 15 minutes of practice the media got to watch (during which Pope crashed one of Brandon Garrison and Lamont Butler’s TikToks). When asked, Pope said he doesn’t have to do anything special to keep his guys in a good mental state; that’s just how they are. As an example, he shared a heated debate they had over breakfast this morning.

“We got in late last night. We’re up early for practice today. The one great thing about our team, it’s fun listening to them at breakfast. I’m not going to tell you what the whole team was debating about. There was a serious debate about which concerts were appropriate to attend and which weren’t as a team. It was delightful.”

I’ve thought a lot about this over the last few hours. I’m assuming staff is included in these concert plans since it makes the debate better. Kentucky’s coaching staff is pretty young, but that still means a wide span of ages and a variety of musical tastes. What concert could Brandon Garrison, Trent Noah, and Mark Fox all enjoy? We know Pope would pick Taylor Swift, but I’m going with Bruno Mars. Either way, Pope said they’re having fun arguing about it.

“With this group, we don’t have to do a lot of exotic things for these guys to really enjoy the moment and love each other. They’ve made that great. It feels like you’re in a room with 12 brothers that are constantly — they never stop talking. It’s wonderful.”

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Pope did say that the team is hoping to get out of the hotel a little this afternoon to explore, but mandatory fun isn’t necessary with this group because “these guys are pretty fresh all the time.” Pope even dropped some medical school terms we haven’t heard in a while while talking about the importance of living in the moment, even in a win-or-go-home setting like the NCAA Tournament.

“It can be mentally and emotionally taxing and exhausting, and the pressure can be immense,” Pope said. “But finding the joy in it, I think, actually helps us perform better. It helps us be more focused. I think it helps us be looser. It enables us to be better decision-makers. It takes us from our limbic system to our frontal cortex literally, in a real sense, and helps us be decision makers, which is such a crucial part of what we do on the court.”

Whether it’s tomorrow or when they’re cutting down the nets for good in San Antonio a week from Monday, this squad only has so much time together left, which is another reason Pope is thrilled they’re enjoying themselves.

“What’s the point of all this if you’re not building relationships that are going to last forever and if you’re not enjoying every moment? If you can’t be here in this city, in the Sweet 16, with this group of guys, if you can’t enjoy that, then you need to find another thing to do.

“I love that the guys are enjoying it. And I love that they’re taking in every single moment. They came here for a reason. They’re very focused on that reason. But their love for each other is showing through and is actually a strength for us.”

“I’d say definitely this team, we really care about each other a lot,” Andrew Carr said when he was at the podium. “We like to have a lot of fun together, and so it’s a lot of fun to be around these guys. And definitely how talented our team is and how close we are, definitely brings you a little bit at ease at times. It really allows us to enjoy the moment and take our time. It really allows us to be a little laid back but always having a great time with each other, for sure.”

Pope recalls bus ride around the Colosseum in Rome

Pope was also asked how Rick Pitino kept his Kentucky team loose during Pope’s playing days, drawing an “oof” from Pope and laughter from the rest of the room.

“My memory might be a little bit skewed, but I remember we toured Italy. We did a foreign tour with Coach Pitino. And I remember just an insane amount of time in the gym.

“I do remember at one point, we finished practice, he threw us in a bus — and we were so exhausted. I think most of us fell asleep. But at one point, I do recall we were driving around the Colosseum on our way back to the gym to work out again.”

Indianapolis doesn’t exactly have an equivalent of the Colosseum, but hopefully, the Cats can have some fun in the city this week.