For the first time in 15 years, the Kentucky Wildcats are in the NCAA campaign without John Calipari leading the charge. Yet, in their season opener against Wright State, they showcased their undeniable grit, securing a dominant 41-point win and hitting triple digits on the scoreboard. With the same momentum, they have now registered yet another convincing victory in the second game and look to carry their high energy and confidence into their upcoming clash with Duke, which possibly shake their rivals’ confidence.

In yesterday’s second matchup against the Bucknell Bison, the men in blue and white were ready to make another statement—and they did, lighting up the scoreboard with yet another 100-point performance. The team’s dominant play became a hot topic on The Field of 68: After Dark YouTube podcast, where one of the panelists took a moment to spotlight the Wildcats’ impressive stats from the night.

“Something that really sticks out to me and for both teams really, the game was so fast. I mean you’re talking about 152 total shots in the game. Kentucky had 57 rebounds! That is like, you don’t see those numbers. That is something that really sticks out to me and obviously, 100 points scored,” mentioned the show panelist.

Well, there is no denying that Wildcats versus Bison was a fast-paced game despite the big deficit. While Kentucky had launched 79 attempts from the field, the Bison had 73 recorded. However, it was the display on the glass where the Wildcats literally outclassed their opponents and recorded 57 rebounds (off:22 & def 35), 22 more than their opponents’ count. As for the points scored in the paint, the winning team stood at 50 against Bucknell’s 28.

Later Kentucky’s new head coach, Mark Pope, told media, “The very first possession, we missed two jumpers in a row and got two offensive rebounds. Yes! We missed!’ Because it gave us an opportunity to kind of set that marker from the beginning. I thought our guys were really good throughout the game being super aggressive.” Even in the season opener, Pope-led team had registered 41 on glass.

This means the Wildcats are clearly using their rebounding power—both offensively and defensively—to keep opponents on their toes. But with the Blue Devils also showing impressive rebounding numbers, racking up 90 in their first two games, Kentucky will look to dominate in this area, posing a real threat to Jon Scheyer’s squad in their upcoming showdown.

Nevertheless, all this while, it’s worth noting that the program has proved they were just not dependent on John Calipari, who left the team after over a decade at the helm.

Passing the Torch: Calipari’s Legacy and the Wildcats’ new era under Mark Pope

“It’s been a beautiful time for us. This is a dream job. It was my dream job. And the fans need to hear another voice. We’ve loved it here but we think it’s time for us to step away. And step away completely from the program,” Calipari had announced his exit from Kentucky program earlier this year. The team was facing championship drought and had failed to reach the final four since 2015.

Nevertheless, he stands as the only coach to bring the Wildcats their first championship of the 21st century, guiding them to a historic title in 2012. After stepping in as head coach in 2009, he needed just three seasons to reach that pinnacle and give program eighth title in their history. Yet, since that victorious year, the Wildcats could only come as close as being runners up in 2014.

However, after leaving Kentucky and stepping into his new role at Arkansas, John Calipari has shared one recurring sentiment in his interviews about the Wildcats. “I think they hired a perfect guy for that job. And part of it is because he played there, graduated from there. He has a heart for the place, and he has an idea of what that is. … It’s a different place if you’re just walking in. He’s been there and understands it,” said Calipari about his former team’s decision to hire Mark Pope.

Calipari’s success may cast a long shadow, but Mark Pope, a Hall of Fame coach in his own right, is proving his strategy works for the Wildcats in this new era. With solid stats to back up their first two games and a nod of approval from Calipari himself, Pope’s Wildcats have shown plenty of promise but they will put to real test when they face Duke on Monday, November 12!