It wasn't an easy decision, but when Mark Pope decided to return to coach his alma mater, he took on all the pressure of UK fandom.

When Mark Pope was first hired as the head coach at Kentucky, a big emphasis he had when finding players to fill the roster were players who understand the assignment, what it means to play at Kentucky,

On one of men’s college basketball’s biggest regular-season stages, Kentucky coaching made a decisive difference as the No. 19 Wildcats upset No. 6 Duke 77-72 in the Champions Classic before an exuberant crowd of 16,107 at State Farm Arena.

Otega Oweh knocked down four free throws in the final 10.3 seconds and No. 19 Kentucky claimed the first big win of Mark Pope’s coaching tenure.

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats made the trip to Atlanta, or as it is better known in Lexington, 'Catlanta,' to take on the #6 Duke Blue Devils, and the Wil

By Keith Taylor Kentucky Today It took Mark Pope just three games to get his first signature win at Kentucky. The No. 19 Wildcats made timely plays down the stretch to hold off No. 6 Duke 77-72 in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

It didn’t take long for Mark Pope to win over Big Blue Nation. pic.twitter.com/9o1umXbMVc Kentucky rallied from a 9-point halftime deficit to stun superstar Cooper Flagg and the Blue Devils, who missed 11 of their final 14 field goal attempts down the stretch.

Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope speaks to the media after the Wildcats’ 77-72 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the Champions Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.