In his first year in what is unarguably the toughest, most physical conference in college basketball, Mark Pope has become known for cutting SEC officials more slack than most of his coaching counterparts.

Time and time again, in the face of frustration from fans, journalists and even his own players, Pope has, for the most part, kept his cool with the black and white stripes. But his facial expressions tell all, and sometimes, that trademark smile fades fast when a questionable whistle blows.

On Monday’s Mark Pope show, the coach was asked about “squeaky wheels getting the grease,” in reference to coaches who chirp the officials getting a favorable whistle from them. His response should draw a sigh of relief from those who throw their hands up when the opposing team treks to the line once more.

I’ll be really honest,” he began. “Early on in our SEC run… it was unfortunate that it really did appear, like if you had a tantrum every two seconds that you kind of earned the attention of the referees, and they would actually respond. That’s how I felt.”

The Slightest Whisper

Pope then mentioned his plan coming in, which was to ignore the officials entirely. While he still views that ideal in a positive light, he didn’t deny the success that other coaches were having on the opposite end of the spectrum.

“I can be really productive to do it in a constructive way. Sometimes a whisper can be way more effective and way more moving than a tantrum,” he encouraged. “It’s just kind of picking and choosing.”

Pick your battles, Coach Pope. As long as this philosophy lasts, Kentucky could continue to get a less-than-favorable whistle against juggernaut conference opponents. Though, all the same, after an entire season enduring a controversy that seemed to only impact those watching from home, hearing Coach Pope even so much as acknowledge it is certainly a step in the right direction.

If you support Mark Pope’s positivity in one instance, you’ll have to deal with the ramifications in every facet: on the floor, off the floor, and everywhere in between. The Cats will have to win the occasional 8v5 until one side gives.

On Thursday, March 6, Reed Sheppard slapped down on the ball while New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson had the ball in is hands around the halfway mark of the fourth quarter.

The Rockets, who were up a wide margin on the road, subbed in the former Kentucky guard to begin the fourth quarter, however, he would be subbed out soon after fouling Williamson.

Sheppard, drafted No. 3 overall after an illustrious freshman season, was coming off of one of his best professional performances, where he scored a career-high 25 points against the Oklahoma City Thunder on March 3.

Rockets Head Coach Ime Udoka announced on Saturday, March 8, that Sheppard’s injury is to the top of his thumb and not the lower portion, which is the “better outcome” for the rookie. Regardless, he fractured his thumb.

Udoka added that Sheppard will be in a splint cast for about four weeks as he recovers.

Although the former Wildcat hasn’t particularly been great in the NBA thus far, averaging just 3.9 points, he was starting to see a jump in minutes off of the bench for one of the best in the West.

On Monday, Jan. 6, Sheppard was assigned to the team’s G-league affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The following day, in his debut, he dropped 49 points, going 17-33 from the field and 8-19 from three. He also tacked on six assists, five rebounds and three steals.

This performance kick started his role for the Rockets, seeing an increase of minutes from 5.3 per game to 11.8 per game as January turned to February.

Now, with an unfortunate setback, Sheppard will be forced to watch as the Houston Rockets look to finish their regular season with 50 or more wins for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

With the dust finally starting to settle on Mark Pope’s first year in the driver’s seat, Kentucky’s outlook for March Madness is beginning to take shape as Selection Sunday (March 16) closes in.

After entering the season ranked #23 in the AP poll, the ‘Cats have been in just about every possible position. From rising as far as #4 in week seven to dropping all the way back down to #19 (where they are currently), the team have been in-and-out of the “championship hopefuls” mix all season.

Big, trademark wins against teams like Duke, Tennessee (x2), Florida and Gonzaga had pundits singing the unit’s praises, while puzzling losses to Ohio State, Georgia, and Texas inspired the exact opposite sort of dialogue.

Though as confusing as the year has been on the whole, the overall consensus of the “bracketologists” seems see Kentucky between the 3-5 seed lines on that fateful day. Read below, and let us know what you make of Kentucky’s potential road to San Antonio!

Bracket Matrix: (3.21, last 3-seed)

*Combines all bracketology and averages each team’s seed.

24/7 Sports

Projection: East Region, five-seed.

Matchup: McNeese (12)

Notable teams in region: Duke (1), Alabama (2), Marquette (4), Kansas (6).

CBS Sports

Projection: Midwest Region, four-seed.

Matchup: Yale (13).

Notable teams in region: Houston (1), Tennessee (2), Wisconsin (3), Michigan (5), UCLA (8).

ESPN

Projection: South Region (Atlanta), three-seed.

Matchup: Troy (14).

Notable teams in region: Auburn (1), Michigan State (2), Clemson (4), UCLA (6).

NCAA.com

Projection: Midwest Region, four-seed.

Matchup: Akron (13).

Notable teams in region: Houston (1), Alabama (2), Wisconsin (3), Maryland (5).