Kentucky’s lack of recent success in the SEC Tournament is well-known by the Big Blue Nation, advancing just once in the last four SEC Tournaments.

With Mark Pope’s injection of energy into the fanbase and a team that has outperformed expectations, fans are making the journey to Nashville once again with the hope of reclaiming the Tournament the Wildcats have won 31 times, 23 more than the next closest (Alabama, 8). Pope and the Cats want to deliver.

“There is nothing in the world that my guys would like more than to gift BBN an incredible week here,” Pope said to the media in a Nashville hotel lobby on Wednesday. That (SEC Tournament) means a lot to us. We’re really devoted to doing everything we can humanly possible as a team to make that happen.”

What’s it going to take for Kentucky to have a successful week? Pope says that the team needs to get “lost” in each possession.

“Our goal is to come here and win,” Pope started. “The way that we’re going to win is, we’re going to come here and think about this possession. We’re going to be lost with our whole heart in this possession. When the next possession comes, we’re going to be lost in that possession.”

“If we are going to give ourselves the best chance to be successful, it doesn’t guarantee anything, but the best chance for us to be successful; our whole heart, mind and soul are going to be lost in the possession that we are in right now. If we can do that consistently, we’re going to be successful.”

The Wildcats tip-off their first game of the postseason on Wednesday night against the Oklahoma Sooners at approximately 9:30 EST on the SEC Network.

Also posted on A Sea of Blue.

This season has been filled with ups and downs for Head Coach Mark Pope and the Wildcats, one that has been filled with injuries, unnecessary upsets, and blood, sweat and tears.

Literally.

However, looking back on the season, this team competed when it mattered most. They went 8-3 in games against AP top 15 teams, tying the 78-79 Duke Blue Devils and the 92-93 Indiana Hoosiers for the most ever in a season.

Kentucky took down No. 6 Duke, No. 7 Gonzaga, No. 6 Florida, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 11 Texas A&M, No. 8 Tennessee (again when the Volunteers were ranked No. 5), and No. 15 Missouri. 

Although they will be without Jaxson Robinson, their second leading scorer with 13.0 points per game and the energetic Kerr Kriisa off of the bench, who’s fit perfectly for tournament play, the 21-10 Wildcats have continued to fight through adversity without these two. Lamont Butler, the team’s third leading scorer, has also been out a number of games. 

Look at the game on Jan. 28 when Kentucky went on the road against the rival Tennesee Volunteers. Kentucky was slated to get blown out on the road, coming in as +10.5 underdogs. 

However, with Butler and Kriisa both out, Koby Brea stepped up with 18 points and Robinson tacked on 17 points. The Wildcats left Knoxville with a shocking 78-73 upset win.

Since then, the Cats’ record may not necessarily indicate how good of a basketball team they are. They play in the best conference in basketball with the SEC, one that holds a plethora of the top teams in the nation and is head over heels above any other. 

The Duke Blue Devils for example, are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation and have the best player in the country with Cooper Flagg. Yet, 13 total teams in the SEC have more ranked wins than Duke. 

That instantly screams “Kentucky has played against the best of the best all season long and are slated for March Madness.”

Heart has been displayed by this team over the season, but none more against the Oklahoma Sooners on the road on Feb. 26. Otega Oweh scored 18 straight points for the Wildcats, eventually hitting the game-winning shot. 

Again, that’s screaming March Madness. How many players in the country can go on that kind of personal run and carry their team? 

Finally, I’ll add on the “why” factor to this Wildcat team. Simply, the narrative has to change. Since their championship run in 2012, Kentucky has failed to bring another one back to Lexington. Year in and year out, Head Coach John Calipari brought in the best talent in the nation, yet failed to tack on another national championship.

Now, with the Calipari era over and nightmares of Saint Peters’ Doug Edert and Oakland’s Jack Gohlke behind them, Big Blue Nation (BBN) turns to Pope to rewrite the history books. Since he held his 1996 championship trophy high in front of BBN during his introduction at Rupp Arena, his passion for this school and his impact have followed his actions during every game, every press conference and at any local event.

Pope cares, he is a Wildcat, and you can tell by his demeanor that he wants another ring on his finger, this time, as a coach.

Is Kentucky a championship team yet? Not by any means. Will it compete with any team on any given night? You can bet your top dollar. Will “blueeeeee, whiteeeee” chants echo with passionate fans no matter how far from home? I guarantee it. The 2024-25 Wildcats are not a team you want to see in March. 

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.