Mark Pope isn’t panicking about Kentucky basketball’s offense, even if the results haven’t fully shown up yet. Instead, Pope remains confident that patience and adjustments will pay off as the season moves
along.
Pope acknowledged this week that Kentucky has tweaked its style of play to better suit its current personnel, focusing on creating space where players feel most comfortable. While the offense has at times looked “mocked up” and physical, Pope views that as part of the growth process rather than a long-term identity.
“I actually think our team really, listen, by the end of the year, I think we will be really dangerous shooting the ball,” Pope said. “I’ve never been on a team where the NOAH numbers don’t actually eventually transport their way into games. I just have never seen that. So with that history, our expectation is this team will be really dangerous.”
Kentucky’s shooting metrics in practice suggest better days ahead, even if the game results haven’t matched yet, although we have seen some great performances against cupcake teams. Pope emphasized that the biggest hurdle right now is continuity, learning how hard the Wildcats must play to win, and building confidence through small successes.
As that confidence grows, Pope believes the game will begin to open up offensively. At the same time, he likes that his team is learning how to survive and compete in rugged, defensive-minded games, something he believes will matter most in March.
“If we do this right,” Pope said, “it’s going to bode well for us when we get to the latter part of the season and the post-season.”
For Pope, the vision is clear: a Kentucky team capable of winning ugly and exploding offensively when it matters most.
