When Mark Pope was hired last Spring, almost one year ago now, few people had any semblance of an expectation as to how his first March Madness would look. Whether or not he’d even get there was perhaps a more common question than whether or not he’d have a chance to win it all in his inaugural season.

Though it was hard for the Big Blue Nation not to get excited when Pope took a team he built in one month, marched into Atlanta for the Champion’s Classic and took down a highly touted, media-fueled Duke team in November.

It was with that win that the winds changed, and since then, the “first year grace” (if you will) that existed before the season began completely dissipated in favor of the same old hardened expectations from the most involved fanbase in college basketball.

The Standard

Kentucky Basketball is supposed to be the standard – Mark Pope has said as much himself. And while 21-10 (10-8) doesn’t exactly meet that desired mark, any critic would be remiss to ignore not only the seismic change of scenery for the program in Calipari’s leave, but the overwhelming injuries that the 24-25′ Wildcats have endured as well.

With Jaxson Robinson officially out for the season, Lamont Butler and Andrew Carr still operating below 100% and Kerr Kriisa remaining out and likely to utilize a medical redshirt, this is not the same team that beat Duke last year.

But it is still a good team; one that has found ways to win with their backs against the wall time and time again. And while missing players isn’t ideal, seeing the dust settle with certainty on those who remain bodes well for Pope’s strategy as a coach going forward.

Rotations and substitutions (perhaps the biggest point of contention in Pope’s tenure to this point) hardening as the season comes to a close and the madness begins should allow players to settle into their roles.

Those That Remain

Guys who’ve provided sporadic impact off the bench, like Trent Noah and Ansley Almonor, will be given the guaranteed chance going forward to blossom without interruption. That is the sort of thing that, assuming they play well, will set Kentucky apart from the rest later this month. If nothing else, Kentucky has depth, and that depth will finally be given the opportunity to grow upward without having their roots ripped out of the ground on a weekly basis.

It also helps that season-long starters like Amari Williams and Otega Oweh are hitting their stride. Oweh just leveled his former team on the road with a career high 28 points, and Amari Williams, despite the loss to Auburn, took the likely national player of the year in Johni Broome to task, tallying 13 points, 14 boards and 7 assists. Broome put up 3, 6 and 1, for comparison.

Would Kentucky rather have a fully healthy roster? Absolutely, but things taking shape means the final picture becomes a little clearer. If Kentucky is going to win, they’ll have to win with who they’ve got left. No hopeful returns, questionable comebacks, ifs, ands or buts.

Who they’ve got left toppled Tennessee just a few games back. Kentucky fans would benefit from finding a balance in their expectations. Anything can happen with the talent and experience that still hits the court for the ‘Cats game in and game out.

The Bigger Picture

Not to mention that, while it’s important to maintain the program’s identity as the best and nothing but, not every blue blood has high-level success on a yearly basis, especially in the sport as it stands today. For example, look Kansas’ and UConn’s struggles this season; the former came into the season as the top ranked team nationally, and the latter are hot off back-to-back championships.

Now? Both are ranked below UK and are projected to seed below them in the tournament, and neither employed a new coach at the midnight hour just last offseason. No matter what happens in the next few weeks, Mark Pope and Kentucky will be just fine.

End of the Line

So what does the end of the road look like? What would be acceptable, and what wouldn’t? You could ask one thousand fans that question and likely get one thousand different answers. But for a program going on six years without making it out of the second weekend in March, doing that alone should satisfy a lot of folks… for the time being.

Beat who you’re supposed to beat and battle until the buzzer otherwise. After all, it’s called March Madness for a reason – anything can happen. Don’t give up on our guys just yet.

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.