When John Calipari handed over the reins of the Wildcats last year, the weight of it wasn’t lost on Mark Pope. He called his predecessor ‘one of the greatest to ever coach in Kentucky’. But the new head coach was clear about one thing: authenticity. “I have to be me. I can’t be [Rick Pitino], I can’t be [Tubby Smith], I can’t be [Calipari],” he had said. And well, in starting the journey, Pope ensured the first roster was all his.

In his first off-season at the Big Blue Nation, Mark Pope dived headfirst into the transfer portal and secured nine players in a single month— guards Lamont Butler, Koby Brea, Kerr Kriisa, Otega Oweh , and Jaxson Robinson, forwards Ansley Almonor, Andrew Carr, and Amari Williams and center Brandon Garrison. Now, that bold strategy is paying off in a massive way. The Wildcats are back in the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019, proving that Pope’s approach isn’t just working—it’s thriving.

As Pope put it himself, “I think guys have seen the massive success that we have had this year, and I think we’ll have great success recruiting the portal.”

The transfer portal opened Monday and about 500 players have announced their intentions. With Kriisa’s future uncertain and multiple Wildcats set to call it a day soon, Pope & his staff have already jumped on the occasion. Per early reports, UNLV transfer Dedan Thomas ranked as the No. 1 overall by 247 Sports, is the current target for the HC. It won’t be an easy battle, but Pope’s comments aren’t to be dismissed either.

Given what Kentucky has accomplished so far, his confidence is well justified. How? Heading into their Round of 32 matchup against Illinois, the Wildcats weren’t the favorites. Pundits and analysts had all but written them off. “Everybody is on Illinois,” summarized Rob Dauster.

But Kentucky had other plans. They silenced the doubters with a resounding 94-75 victory, a statement win powered largely by their transfer players. Koby Brea, a crucial addition, was the star of the night, dropping 23 points while shooting an efficient 10-16 from the field.

Right behind him was Oweh, the leading scorer, contributing 15 points on 6-12 shooting. While his outside shot wasn’t falling (0-1 from three), he compensated at the free-throw line, going 3-5 (60%), while also making an impact defensively with 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 1 block.

Butler and Andrew Carr also stepped up. Per Pope, the former has been playing through the injury, with his shoulder ‘hanging by the thread’. Yet, the guard provided 14 points. Meanwhile, Carr, a transfer from Wake Forest, filled the stat sheet with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 steals.

If the season hasn’t been enough proof of the chemistry and dedication, Mark Pope is here to reaffirm. While this may be a whole new roster, just in their first year in Lexington, the Big Blue Nation blood runs just as deep. “They want to win for each other… They wanna win for BBN and this community,” he added. If that’s not enough, hear it from the players themselves. “It’s just the love we have for each other,” Amari Williams said. “I feel like everybody just wanted to be on the court fighting for one another, and it showed tonight.” Brea and Butler both agreed with him, noting they are here to seize the opportunity.

The fans are gonna need to see that in full force as they face, what might be their tougest challenge.

Mark Pope to guide Cats to break through Tennessee’s wall

For the Tennessee Volunteers, defense has been the path to success this season. In their more recent game, they held the UCLA Bruins to 37% shooting from the field. They’d force 3 turnovers in the first two minutes of the second half, limit their opponents to 48 points in 28 minutes, and with a 1-2-2 press, gain an 18-point lead. If you ask the team, they don’t need an outsider highlighting their strength.

“That’s what we do every day,” guard Jordan Gainey told The Daily Beacon. “This isn’t nothing new for us. We play defense extremely hard every single day in practice.” For DPOY Jahmai Mashack, defense is in their “DNA”. Well, unfortunately or not, Mark Pope needs no telling on that. A defensively weak team, the Wildcats seem to know their well ranked offense isn’t gonna come to the rescue each time.

Acknowledging the Vols are an elite defensive team, Pope added, “Continuing to improve on the defensive end is going to be key for us.” The Cats have improved on that end, moving from the 86th spot mid-January to 45th currently. Bart Torvik rates them even better at 16th. That is defense clicking at the right time. But to survive the Vols and the tournament ahead, Pope & Co. are gonna need more of it.