The Mark Pope era at Kentucky is already making waves. In a nail-biting 77-72 win against Duke at the State Farm Champions Classic, Pope’s Wildcats gave fans a taste of what’s to come under his leadership. “Being the coach at Kentucky,” Pope once said, “if it’s everything you are, you won’t be any good at it.” For Pope, this role is more than a job; it’s a calling. And to answer it, he made a choice many would never consider.

Back in April 2024, Pope became Kentucky men’s basketball’s 23rd head coach, a long journey from his start at the age of 37. Surprisingly, Pope once had a completely different path ahead of him: medicine. He was in the midst of training at Columbia University’s prestigious Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons. But just as he was set to become a doctor, Pope left medical school, taking a low-paying job on Mark Fox’s coaching staff at the University of Georgia instead.

“Mark was in med school and he was doing great,” recalls his wife, Lee Anne, as per Desert News. “But he’d say, ‘These kids in med school are passionate. I don’t feel that way about medicine.’” With four kids to care for, Pope gave up stability for a coaching gig that paid a mere $24,000 a year. Many would have called it a gamble, and maybe even reckless, but Pope felt a pull toward the court that he just couldn’t shake.

Fast forward 15 years, and that gamble has indeed paid off. As head coach of Kentucky, he now stands at the helm of what he calls “the definition of a blueblood program.” With a $5 million annual salary set to increase by $250k each year, Pope’s earnings have skyrocketed by an unbelievable 101,851% from his early days on the sidelines to his current $27.5 as per Wildcat Blue Nation.

With Kentucky still unbeaten in the 2024 season, Pope’s impact is undeniable. That victory over Duke? It’s not just another win, it’s a statement from Pope after what John Calipari did for the program to turn it into a powerhouse.

Pope’s Kentucky defeated Duke

Though it wasn’t Kentucky’s most polished game, they managed to keep their undefeated streak, now 3-0, alive with a gutsy 77-72 win over the Blue Devils in the Champions Classic at State Farm Arena. Unlike their previous outings, this showdown was full of mistakes, but the Wildcats found a way to pull through against another blue-blood powerhouse.

Even with 10 turnovers—three more than Duke, Kentucky overcame a 9-point halftime deficit to deliver a dramatic comeback. The Wildcats’ defense clamped down, forcing Duke to miss 11 of their last 14 shots, frustrating star Cooper Flagg and giving Kentucky the edge when it counted most.

“So I feel like we did an unbelievable job of being resilient tonight,” Coach Mark Pope shared after the game. “It was just sheer resolve and determination… the game almost swung away from us, but the guys kind of reeled it in.”

The senior forward Andrew Carr became the star of the show with 17 points and an efficiency of 62.5% from the field and 66.7% from beyond the arc. Although Cooper Flagg had an impressive outing with a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds, help from Kentucky’s entire roster clearly overpowered Duke. Some interesting way to make a return on the map!