It’s a new era of Kentucky basketball as John Calipari is now Arkansas’s head coach, and Mitch Barnhart hired Mark Pope to be the Wildcat’s new head coach. Coach Pope has only been in Lexington for a few months, but he has already put together a team that should be really competitive.
Last season, Coach Calipari kept saying his team was made for March, but that did not end up being the reality as the Wildcats exited in the first round of the tournament.
Coach Pope’s team is actually built for March with all of the veteran talent he has on the 2024-25 roster. To win in March, you need to have a team full of experienced players who have played under the bright lights before. Coach Pope has that as nearly all of the players he brought in have played in the NCAA Tournament.
Guard play wins in March, and Coach Pope had a plethora of guards who have all been in the tournament and a point guard in Lamont Butler who has played in a National Championship game.
When looking at Coach Pope’s roster, the mix of offense and defense should help this team have good metrics in KenPom, which is a must to make a run in the NCAA Tournament.
The other important detail is that Coach Pope is an elite X’s and O’s coach, and to make a run in the tournament, adjustments must be made at the half and in the game.
This Kentucky basketball team is made for the NCAA Tournament.