UK Fans of the Day want some Pregame Reading on Mark Pope

Even though college basketball tipped off a week ago, the Champions Classic serves as a reminder to the casual sports fan that college hoops is officially back. Before Kansas, Michigan State, Duke, and Kentucky share the court in Atlanta, journalists from around the country are creating preseason features to highlight the best the sport has to offer.

Many casual observers will be fixated on Cooper Flagg, the talented former prep star many believe will be the top pick in next year’s NBA Draft. The Duke small forward isn’t the one gobbling up all of the headlines ahead of tonight’s game.

Before I share some of the best features that highlight Mark Pope‘s ascension to college basketball royalty at Kentucky, a salute to today’s UK Fan of the Day. This is adorable.

This 3 year old and her Mother are UK Fans of the Day

Norah picks KENTUCKY!!!! pic.twitter.com/lI6tBcLPXT

— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) November 12, 2024

As a parent of three in a split household, I need to learn lessons from this Mother. I’ve already lost one to UofL. Whatever it takes to get the other two to cheer for the Cats, I’ll do. Any of your tips and tricks will be greatly appreciated.

We have Drew Franklin Quoted on ESPN

Big Blue Nation has grown fond of Myron Medcalf through his work with Matt Jones on ESPN Radio. That’s just a small portion of his gig with the four-letter network. The college basketball reporter spent a long time speaking to many sources on his lengthy Mark Pope feature. You’ll find the likes of Tubby Smith, Tony Delk, George Karl, Rick Pitino, and Drew Franklin quoted in this story. Yes, that Drew Franklin.

“They’re having a Kentucky basketball tailgate at the next football game where you can just come and meet the players,” said Drew Franklin, a radio host with Kentucky Sports Radio in Lexington. “That never happened under [Calipari]. It was almost like a president. You had to call someone to call someone to get to [Calipari]. Now you just walk out your front door and there’s a high probability you’re going to run into Mark Pope somewhere in Lexington.”

ESPN

As much as I love Drew, that was not actually the quote that popped the most. Very few have successfully replaced a legend, especially in the sport of college basketball. Tubby Smith is one of those exceptions and his insight into what it takes to succeed feels prescient at this moment in time.

“Well, you’re always on at Kentucky,” Smith said. “You have to win and you have to be productive. And even when you win, sometimes it’s not enough. Obviously, every coach wants to win championships. We all want to win. But it’s not as easy as it looks or as it seems to win. And at Kentucky, you have the tools, you have the resources, but even with that, you’ve got to have some luck. But I think [Pope] will do a great job.”

ESPN

It’s an outstanding read and you won’t regret a minute you spend combing through the magazine-like feature, “How Kentucky coach Mark Pope decided to follow a legend.”

Mark Pope Steals New York Times Headlines

The New York Times shared the following message with its 55 million+ followers: “At 37, with four kids and his wife’s blessing, Mark Pope dropped out of med school and took an assistant coaching job. Salary: $24,000 for the year. Now, he holds the keys to arguably the biggest job in college basketball.”

Brendan Quinn of The Athletic, a division of The New York Times, chronicled the long and winding path that led Pope to the most revered position in college basketball. The story shines a light on how Pope’s character and personality molded him into the man fit for the job.

“Being the coach at Kentucky,” Pope says, “if it’s everything you are, you won’t be any good at it.”

The Athletic: Kentucky’s keys are in the hands of a coach unlike any other