SEC players discuss Kentucky's transition from Coach Cal to Mark Pope

SEC Men’s Basketball Media Day is underway in Birmingham, head coaches from all 16 programs within the league taking questions at the podium while two players for each team speak in separate scrums.

Among the biggest topics in the SEC? John Calipari‘s departure from Kentucky and Mark Pope taking over as head coach to begin a new era for the winningest tradition in college basketball history. What was it like seeing the news Coach Cal was making the move to Fayetteville? And what is the perception of the Wildcats now with Pope leading the charge? Is that game circled on the calendar the same way as it was under Calipari?

KSR asked the SEC players in attendance to share their thoughts.

Nick Pringle (South Carolina)

On the transition to Mark Pope…

“It’s a big change, Coach Cal making his move and Coach Pope coming in. He’s got a nice roster over there and I feel like he’s going to make an impact. In the SEC — shoot, just look at it. Go down the line, teams are stacked. That’s the one thing that makes the SEC the best conference in the country. That’s what I’d say.

On Kentucky’s image moving forward…

“People still look at Kentucky as Kentucky. Coach Cal left a great image there, but the tradition there is never going to change. Kentucky is always going to be Kentucky. The same players who came through are going to still come through. They’re going to continue to bring talent in and I feel like Coach Pope is going to start his own legacy there.”

Silas Demary Jr. (Georgia)

On the transition to Mark Pope…

“That transition was hectic and it was crazy. A lot of people across the basketball world were shocked. Nobody expected Coach Cal to leave Kentucky, everyone thought he’d retire there. Looking at it from my perspective, I just think it’s another challenge for my team and I to go into a new arena and face a new coach coming into the SEC. We want to face it head on with confidence and I want to lead my team. It’s going to be a great year and a great matchup.”

On what he knows about Mark Pope…

“I don’t know much (about Coach Pope), but I think he played there. I know he’s a good coach coming from a good program. He brought in some good players, Brandon Garrison is from Oklahoma State. Brought some guys with him from BYU. He’s a good coach and he’ll do well his first year.”

On circling Kentucky on the calendar…

“For me, you want to look at what the team is instead of who is coaching who. You want to respect any team you’re playing on any given night. I just want to take it as an opportunity with every game, not put too much pressure on the guys or myself. I’m just focused on the game and coming out with a win.”

Cameron Matthews (Mississippi State)

On what he knows about Mark Pope…

“He played at Kentucky and he was a coach at BYU. I’m pretty sure they’re going to be a good team this year.”

On circling Kentucky on the calendar…

“Them being an SEC team, I kind of look at them the same as last year. It’s another really good team we have to beat.”

Zakai Zeigler (Tennessee)

On John Calipari leading Arkansas…

“Of course. It’s going to be a little different at first, but at the end of the day, we’re still the guys out there playing on the court. Whether he’s at Arkansas or Texas or Texas State, no matter where he’s at, we’re still the guys on the court. No matter who the coach is, no matter who the players are, we’re just out there trying to battle and trying to win.”

On hearing the news of Coach Cal’s departure…

“I thought it was fake at first, honestly. I honestly did. I thought it was fake. I forgot where I saw it, but it wasn’t on an official page. So I just let it be for a little while. Then the next day I looked back and was like, ‘Oh wait, this is real.’ It was a little bit of shock, but I’m glad he feels he’s in a better position.”

On circling Kentucky on the calendar…

“It’s definitely the same exact approach every game. You go in looking for the win and expecting to win, especially knowing all of the hard work we’ve put in. No matter who the coach is or who the players are, no matter what the team name says, we’re expecting to win as long as we take care of what we’re supposed to do.”

Jahmai Mashack (Tennessee)

On the transition from Coach Cal to Mark Pope…

“Man, it’s different. It’s going to take some getting used to, Cal not with Kentucky after growing up seeing him in blue. Seeing him in a different color is definitely going to take some getting used to. It doesn’t matter who the coach is for me, whether it’s him or somebody him. No matter what, Kentucky is still Kentucky and I’m still Tennessee. That rivalry is still there. No matter who is on that court or who is coaching that team, I’m coming with that same mindset. It’s a mindset to kill.”

Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida)

On hearing the news of Coach Cal’s departure…

“I had heard a couple of things a couple days before, so I’m thinking, ‘Man, this is all talk. John Calipari ain’t going nowhere.’ Then he ended up at Arkansas. It’s different seeing him in red, growing up and watching John Calipari at Kentucky. It’s definitely different.”

On what he knows about Mark Pope…

“I know he was with Pitino, I know him and Pitino have some ties. Kentucky is in good hands, he’ll be alright. It’s Kentucky, that’s the brand they’ve built for themselves. Everybody is circling that game.”

Alijah Martin (Florida)

On hearing the news of Coach Cal’s departure…

“I didn’t really believe it. It was kind of shocking to me, just as it was for everybody. You always thought he’d stay at Kentucky and retire at Kentucky. I’m pretty sure he’s happy with the move, everybody involved is happy with the move. It’s working good for him in his career.”

On the perception of the Kentucky program…

“It’s a rich program with a lot of success. I don’t expect anything else, you know?”

Denver Jones (Auburn)

On the transition from Coach Cal to Mark Pope…

“It was a little surreal to me. Growing up, you always saw Coach Cal in a Kentucky shirt. Seeing him now at Arkansas and Coach Pope now at Kentucky, it’s a little surreal. At the same time, it’s still Kentucky and Calipari is still Calipari.”

On what he knows about Mark Pope…

“I know he’s a great coach and brought in some great guys. I did my research on them a little bit, but I know he’s a great coach and we’re going to need to prepare very well for Kentucky. Kentucky is still Kentucky at the end of the day and I look forward to playing whoever we have in front of us.”

Cam Carter (LSU)

On the transition from Coach Cal to Mark Pope…

“It’s not weird. I played against (Pope) last year when he was at BYU, so I kind of know his coaching style a little bit. It’s like a little cheat code where I can help them out a little bit [laughs].”

On what he learned playing against BYU with Pope at Kansas State…

“They like to shoot a lot of threes and they like to run the floor.”

On the perception of the Kentucky program…

“My perspective kind of changed on circling games on the calendar now. Every game — you shouldn’t be gassed up for this game and not this game. It should be steady, the same kill every game. The SEC is full of athletes and you have to come with it every game. You can’t be hyped up for one game and not the other or you’ll get killed.”

Jalen Reed (LSU)

On Kentucky’s transition to Mark Pope…

“It’s not really weird. I’m excited to see how they change in play style. I look forward to playing them and competing against Kentucky this year, for sure.”

On what he knows about Mark Pope…

“I watched a few BYU games and know he brought a few players with him. I don’t know enough about them yet, but I will [laughs].”

On hearing the news of Coach Cal’s departure…

“I was shocked — like, wow. Because it was really random, but that’s pretty much it.”

Hayden Hefner (Texas A&M)

On hearing the news of Coach Cal’s departure…

“I remember when I heard he was going to Arkansas, it was pretty cool to see. When you grow up watching college basketball your whole life, you associate the two, Calipari and Kentucky. So I think it’s really cool he’s now at Arkansas, I’m excited to see that and what the environment is.”

On the perception of the Kentucky program…

“For the new Kentucky, I’ve got buddies I used to play with on that team. I’m really excited to see that different type of feel in terms of how Coach Cal ran it and how Coach Pope runs his program. I’m excited to play both of them.”

Andersson Garcia (Texas A&M)

On hearing the news of Coach Cal’s departure…

“It’s unique, you know? It’s not something people normally get to see. You have to respect Coach (Cal) and the work he’s done.”

On the perception of the Kentucky program…

“Everybody needs to respect Kentucky and the history of that program. They’ve been doing a great job.”

Jalon Moore (Oklahoma)

On playing Mark Pope at BYU…

“We played them, so I know they shot a lot of threes. They had a team that shot a lot of threes and they played fast, it’s a really disciplined team. You know Pope is going to bring that energy over there and that coaching style over there to Kentucky. I know their style of play and they know our style of play, so it’s going to be a fun head-to-head matchup again this season.”

AJ Hoggard (Vanderbilt)

On how feels about Calipari’s transition Arkansas…

“It’s definitely different. I mean, I think it hit the world, like, how hit everybody in the SEC. Seeing Coach Calipari in different colors isn’t going to sit right with nobody. We were all kids when John Wall and those guys were coming through and watching him do what he did there. So it’s definitely different. But, I mean, change happens, you know? So he got a new opportunity in Arkansas, Coach (Pope) got a new opportunity at Kentucky. It’s gonna be new to me. It’s gonna be kind of more normal to me because I never really played at Kentucky or any the SEC school. I played against Coach Cal at Kentucky, but I never played there, so I don’t know how that’s gonna feel with him not being on the sideline.”

Collin Murray-Boyles (Georgia)

On how Calipari’s move to Arkansas, Pope’s move to Kentucky impacts the SEC…

I don’t think it’ll be any different from when he was at Kentucky. It’s the same dynamic. He’s still the great coach, he still brought in a whole lot of great guys. So I think the dynamic is not going to change as much. Arkansas is gonna be a top team and Kentucky is still going to be a good team. I’ve known their coach when I was in Utah, he was coaching at BYU and I met him a couple of times. I know what they’re gonna bring. They’re not a sleeper either. So I don’t think the dynamic has changed. It’s still going to be a tough matchup.

On how he knows Pope…

“When I went to Wasatch (High School in Utah), he was recruiting a couple of my teammates and we went to a couple of BYU games. We got to meet up with him and stuff. He’s a really good guy, for sure.”

On Pope’s personality…

“High energy all the time. He really does have a lot of energy.”

Kadin Shedrick (Texas)

On his relationship with Pope…

“Coach Pope actually recruited me when I was in the transfer portal last year’s offseason (to BYU). I was blown away by Coach Pope. I think he’s an incredible coach. I think that he’s going to do really well at Kentucky. He’s really big on analytics, which was important to me at the time. The schemes that he runs, they’re really modern. Like how NBA teams are running today. That 5-out offense. Letting the 5-man be more of a playmaker some. I was really happy for him that he was able to get the job at the school he played at. That’s really coo. I respect him a lot as a coach.”

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This post will be updated throughout the day…