If you watched the non-conference and thought Kentucky looked like three different teams rolled into one…
You weren’t wrong.
Pope isn’t just tweaking the playbook; he’s re-engineering what Kentucky is.
“We’re trying to evolve into the team that can get us to the highest ceiling.”
That means spacing. That means communication. That means uncomfortable growth.
And yeah, that means mistakes.
Kentucky’s offense is shifting, and Pope is blunt about why
He isn’t hiding what the blueprint is.
Spacing = space to punish. Spacing = cleaner screens. Spacing = pace without panic.
And right now?
They’re still learning.
“We get slowed down and impatient when it gets tough. We’re growing out of that.”
This isn’t a critique. It’s a diagnosis.
The best coaches tell the truth.
Defense is the real SEC problem
Alabama forces two defenders to be wrong at the same time. Tennessee is always so physical, and Vanderbilt puts pressure on every spot on the court.
Kentucky is preparing for all of it in practice.
- “Push screens”
- “Peel switches”
- “Flip peels”
- “Bringing multiple players into ball screens”
Pope isn’t dumbing it down.
He’s speaking like a coach preparing his team for grad school.
Translation for fans:
The SEC is going to try to confuse Kentucky more than outshoot them.
If they can communicate through the chaos?
This team becomes something dangerous.
Why this matters now
Last year, Kentucky fell apart when injuries hit, they fought back but couldn’t overcome the health crisis. This year, Pope is trying to prevent the pothole, not react to it.
They learned from Michigan State. They learned from the Nashville disaster. They learned from the second halves vs. Indiana and St. John’s.
This team has a memory.
That’s new.
The takeaway
You don’t build identity with slogans.
You build it with:
- Reps
- Spacing
- Sweat
- Accountability
- Film sessions where egos die
Kentucky is doing that. And SEC play, which begins Saturday at Alabama, is where we find out if the work translates.
Because “identity” is just a word until it survives pressure.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion
