Mark Pope revealed the team's Thanksgiving plans (but you can't join them)

Like you and me, Mark Pope cannot wait for Thanksgiving. He has big dinner plans set up with his team and their families, which Pope revealed in his postgame comments in front of the crowd at Rupp Arena.

However, before the team meal, the Wildcats have a long day of work ahead. He explained that Wednesday will be dedicated to more basketball, beginning with an “autopsy film session” to break down Tuesday night’s win over Western Kentucky, followed by practice and a new install for Friday night’s game.

Then, on Thanksgiving, the team has a service activity planned early in the morning, presumably serving Thanksgiving meals in Lexington, but Pope wants to keep that event private. The Wildcats will then practice again on Thanksgiving before a feast at the Pope family home.

“We’re having the whole crew to my house,” he said. “It’s going to be a festival rarely seen before on Thanksgiving. I hope everybody has a Thanksgiving. If you don’t have somewhere to go, I would invite you over, but we just can’t fit any more people. I’m so sorry. Next year, maybe.”

The Popes invited any moms of the players to pitch in on the Thanksgiving cooking, too. He told Tom Leach, “We have a bunch of moms that will come in and hopefully bring their greatest hits of Thanksgiving food in, as well as a bunch of stuff that we’ll have. But it’ll be a really fun night.”

Pope’s Thanksgiving message to the fans

There are no more invites to the Pope family Thanksgiving this year, but he left fans with a parting Thanksgiving message.

Pope said, “We have so much to be thankful for. I talk about this all the time. I can’t get out of my mind. But, you know, I’m preaching gratitude to everybody who will listen, but I’m telling you, your circumstances probably matter less than your ability to find things that you’re grateful for.

“It’s the old church song, count your many blessings, see what God has done, right? I hope all of us can take just a minute and write them down or say them to our loved ones or whatever. Because we all have so much to be grateful for, and high on the list in the Pope family and in the Kentucky Basketball locker room is all of you here in BBN. We are so grateful for you guys. We’re grateful that we get to share this journey together. We’re grateful that you guys are in this with us because it makes it really special, so thank you so much. Hope you all have a Happy Thanksgiving.”