Mark Pope is in for a big year
Mark Pope’s first season at Kentucky ended with a Sweet 16 run and 24 total wins — a solid debut by any standard. But Pope’s competitive DNA doesn’t allow him to settle for “solid.” His best year as a head coach came in 2018 when his Utah Valley squad won 25 games. Now, in 2025, with a deeper roster and more SEC experience, he’s aiming higher. Here are our four bold predictions for Year 2 of the Pope era.
1. Kentucky will win at least 28 games
Yes, the SEC is brutal, and yes, Kentucky’s non-conference slate has some landmines. But Pope has built a roster that can win in multiple ways — uptempo, grind-it-out, or straight firepower. This team has enough shooting, defense, and depth to withstand injuries and tough stretches.
2. Jaland Lowe will be Kentucky’s leading scorer
The Pitt transfer averaged 16.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.5 assists last year but shot just 37.6%. At Kentucky, he won’t have to force tough shots thanks to better spacing and weapons around him. Pope’s system (co-designed with Cody Fueger) has historically boosted players’ efficiency — Lamont Butler, for example, jumped from 42% to 49% from the field last year. If Lowe follows a similar trend, 20 PPG isn’t crazy.
3. Kentucky will make the Final Four
March is chaos — bad shooting nights, tough whistles, and tricky matchups can derail any run. But this team has the versatility and toughness to go deep. If they make the Elite 8, we believe they’ll finish the job.
4. Kentucky will finish no lower than 3rd in the SEC
Last year’s 10–8 league record came with injury issues and depth concerns. This year, Pope’s bench is loaded. A 12+ win SEC season feels realistic, which should put them top three.
5. Mark Pope will be national coach of the year
Mark Pope was praised for the job he did in 2024. Battling injuries, lineup fluctuation, and the toughest conference in history Pope still beat 8 top 15 teams, and got to the Sweet 16. This year will be a major step forward, and the Kentucky head coach will walk away with some hardware of his own.
Mark it down now — so in March you can either make us eat crow or admit we nailed it.