Mark Pope’s Inspiring Message to Kentucky Students and Alumni Before the Official Introduction
Mark Pope leaves a pre-recorded voicemail for Kentucky students, highlighting their important role on the Wildcats’ basketball team.
By The Numbers
Mark Pope, Kentucky’s new head men’s basketball coach, graduated in 1996.
Pope was a member of Kentucky’s 1996 national championship team.
However, popular backing from former players and national media helped overcome initial misgivings about Pope’s selection.
Mark Pope signed a five-year contract with Kentucky.
Within the first 48 hours of his employment, Pope infused the program with new vitality and enthusiasm.
What’s next?
Mark Pope will be officially introduced to Kentucky on Sunday afternoon.
Bottom line.
Mark Pope’s eager outreach to students and dedication to the Kentucky tradition mark a promising start to his coaching career, instilling new life into the Wildcats’ basketball team.
Kentucky now has a coach and is putting together its roster. Aly Khalifa, a BYU transfer, is someone you should know. The 6-foot-10 forward entered the transfer portal at the end of the week, but his name was marked with a ‘do not contact’ tag. Typically, this signifies that the destination has already been decided. On Saturday night, however, Khalifa announced the final three: Kentucky, Louisville, and a return to BYU. He is also slated to visit Louisville on Thursday. Khalifa averaged 5.7 points.
The Kentucky Wildcats and new head coach Mark Pope will welcome their first transfer hopeful this spring. According to On3.com’s Joe Tipton, Drexel forward Amari Williams will visit Kentucky on April 21-22. Williams, a 6-foot-10, 230-pounder, has averaging 12.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game this season. He recorded ten double-digit rebounding games and eight double-doubles. Williams is primarily renowned for his defensive abilities and shot blocking. For the third year in a row, he led the CAA in blocks, averaging 1.8 per game.
Another crucial rotational player has expressed his intention to transfer, bringing the Kentucky basketball roster down even further. On Saturday, skilled center Zvonimir Ivisic confirmed his departure from Kentucky and entered his name into the portal. The 7-foot-2 center played only one season at Kentucky. Ivisic played 15 games this season, averaging 5.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game. He made 37.5% (6-of-16) from three. “I decided to come to Kentucky because it’s the best spot in the US for talented basketball players,” Ivisic told ESPN after he committed….
