Mark Pope had a strong debut season in front of the Kentucky Wildcats in the 2024-25 NCAA season. After five years with the BYU Cougars, he returned to his alma mater to take over from John Calipari, who left for the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Pope led his team to a 24-12 record and an NCAA tournament run that ended in the Sweet 16 when the Tennessee Volunteers sent them home with a clear 78-65 win.
He is set to build on that performance and take the Wildcats further in the national tournament, but he may have some big questions to answer before the start of the season in the final three months of the year.
Analyst says Mark Pope still has to make an important roster decision
Andrew Stefaniak of “Kentucky Wildcats on SI” raised one question for Pope ahead of his second season in front of the Wildcats: Who will be the starting power forward? There are two clear options: Andrija Jelavic and Mo Diubate.
Mark Pope the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats
Stefaniak writes that the players have different main skillsets, with Jelavic being more of an offensive player and Dioubate thriving on defense. However, they aren’t bad on their “weak” side, as the Croatian forward is a solid defender who can rebound and block shots, while Dioubate isn’t a slouch with the ball in his hands. The writer suggests that Jelavic might be the one taking the nod on Pope’s starting five this season.
“While Jelavic is better on the offensive end than he is on the defensive end, he is no slouch on defense, and this is why he could get the nod in the Mark Pope offense,” he wrote.“He is a sharpshooter from three, and at his size, with his ability to handle the ball, Coach Pope might want him to start.”
This is a good problem to have for Pope, but time will tell who he chooses between these two intriguing prospects.
