The Kentucky Wildcats didnāt need much help getting past Colgate on Wednesday. Now, sitting on a 9-1 record, they have a crucial rivalry matchup with state neighbors Louisville Cardinals.
Mark Popeās side will have homecourt advantage for one of the biggest games of the season. Needless to say, weāre talking about two programs that have absolutely no sympathy for one another.
This will be Popeās first time coaching in this rivalry, and while this might be new to him, he fully trusts his veteran players to be up to the task of taking the Cardinals down, so he didnāt feel the need to emphasize whatās at stake on Saturday,
Mark Pope gets honest on his first game vs. Louisville
āThe answer is probably no,ā Pope said. āYou probably have to experience it to do it (communicate). But, I am blessed with guys that are seasoned. I have guys that have played in big-time rivalry games so itās not like a foreign concept to them. This is just a little level up.ā
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope watches his team play against Lipscomb on Tuesday night, Nov. 19, 2024, at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky
āItās exciting and awesome. We love it and we hate it and we all the thingsā¦Iām well-aware of the beauty of this rivalry,ā he concluded.
Kentucky will have to turn to other players
The Wildcats are dealing with some injuries right now. Kerr Kriisa and Lamont Butler are out, and while Otega Oweh and Jaxson Robinson held their own, the coach acknowledged that he might need to turn to Travis Perry and Trent Noah more often:
āThatās gonna be a work in progress. Theyāre super talented players. I thought they made solid contributions tonight. Itās hard, you kind of want to put them in the game when thereās a real flow to it,ā Pope said of his freshmen.
see also
25 highest-paid college basketball head coaches: Who earns the most?
Perry and Noah held their ground in their last outing, and given how shorthanded the Wildcats are right now, it wouldnāt be much of a surprise to see them log heavy minutes vs. the Cardinals.
