National takes on Kentucky's win over Gonzaga

It was an all-time performance for the Kentucky Wildcats, putting together the biggest halftime comeback victory in program history to defeat No. 7 Gonzaga 90-89 in overtime.

As you can probably imagine, the top-10 matchup had plenty of eyes watching closely, including all of the heavy hitters in the national media. Many of them were probably forced to scrap their prewritten columns calling this team a fraud in favor of Mark Pope love letters, but hey, we’ll take it.

What’d they have to say about our beloved Cats? There was plenty of praise to go around.

Myron Medcalf, ESPN

“No matter the outcome, I think people will see Kentucky as a serious contender after this one. Not many teams would have responded this way in the second half. And it also puts Mark Pope’s stamp on the program after real adversity.”

Fran Fraschilla, ESPN

“Hated to see [BYU] lose [Mark Pope](they’ve got a good one in Kevin Young) but we saw this outstanding coaching last year in the [Big 12]. Every [Kentucky] fan should send a thank you note to Andy Enfield for leaving [USC].”

Jon Rothstein, CBS Sports

“Kentucky’s resolve is simply incredible. No Lamont Butler. Then no Kerr Kriisa. It didn’t matter. Just like the Duke game, the Wildcats’ grit resonates regardless of the circumstances. This team has ‘it.'”

John Fanta, The Field of 68

“Through 5 weeks, Kentucky is 8-1 with wins over Duke and Gonzaga… If you’re a UK fan, my message is this: crack open a bottle of whatever you have. Because Mark Pope’s team is RESULTS. Not talk. And they are VERY real”

“Through 5 weeks, Kentucky is 8-1 with wins over Duke and Gonzaga… If you’re a UK fan, my message is this: crack open a bottle of whatever you have. Because Mark Pope’s team is RESULTS. Not talk. And they are VERY real” – @John_Fanta

After Dark LIVE ⬇️https://t.co/eecgSFSzNT pic.twitter.com/XZ2RVU9a4p

— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) December 8, 2024

“Kentucky just came back from 18 down on a Gonzaga team that returned 81% of its scoring. In Seattle. Down two guards. That’s as impressive a win as any in college hoops this year. … Kentucky made adjustments at the half. Big ones. Mark Pope knew if he stayed with the same thing, it was going to be a long night. This is a DIFFERENT Kentucky.”

Jeff Goodman, The Field of 68

“A win like this puts Kentucky in a different category for me. They’ve moved up a tier. This was just a monster comeback”

Evan Miyakawa, EvanMiya.com

“It’s hard to fathom what this Kentucky team is doing. So much chemistry and mental toughness for a group of guys who didn’t know each other at all 6 months ago. They already have wins over Duke and Gonzaga and it’s only early December.”

Seth Davis, Hoops HQ

“I’m old enough to remember when Kentucky Twitter was pissed about the Mark Pope hire.”

Matt Norlander, CBS Sports

“That’s a [seed-line bump] win for Kentucky in Seattle tonight. Down 18 to beat the Zags? Mark Pope has officially converted any possible remain skeptics in Lexington (if even one still existed). What a game. UK didn’t have Lamont Butler and still managed to snap Gonzaga’s streak of 175 straight Ws when leading by 10+ at half. This scenario was essentially unthinkable the last 3-5 years under Calipari, and that’s gotta be reason No. 1 why UK fans are most elated w/ this. Nighty night.”