Analyst says Pat Kelsey > Mark Pope in player development? Let’s check the facts
Field of 68 contributor Ani Umana stirred the pot this week. He was asked if he were advising 5-star wing Tyran Stokes where to go to develop as a player and person, he said he’d advise hm to pick Louisville’s Pat Kelsey. He said he thought Pat Kelsey would him accountable and let him develop and mature while the ACC would be good for him.
Ani Umana of The Field of 68 says if he was advising Tyran Stokes he would advise him to go to Louisville to play for Pat Kelsey. pic.twitter.com/G0eKQ7nLGT
— Jeff Lightsy Jr. (@jlightsy7) July 23, 2025
That take went viral. But let’s actually unpack it. Especially since 2 out of 3 coaches polled said Pope would be better than Kelsey.
Kelsey, who coached at Winthrop and College of Charleston before landing the Louisville job, has never coached a player who was drafted to the NBA. His résumé includes a few players who made the league—James Johnson, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Ish Smith—but that was over a decade ago while he was an assistant at Wake Forest. Since becoming a head coach? Zero NBA draftees.
Mark Pope, meanwhile, just sent five players to the pros from his first Kentucky team: Andrew Carr, Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson, Koby Brea, and Amari Williams with the latter being draft picks. All improved significantly under Pope’s system. In one year as a head coach Mark Pope has sent more players to the NBA than Pat Kelsey in 10.
So, the argument that Kelsey is a more proven “developer” simply doesn’t hold up to actual results.
The comments came in response to Stokes’ looming decision, where he is considered a Kentucky lean. Umana praised Kelsey’s accountability and coaching style, suggesting that it would benefit Stokes in the long run. That’s subjective. But the hard data suggests Pope has already shown an ability to elevate talent—and fast.
In a basketball world increasingly influenced by exposure and opportunity, Pope’s system is producing tape, results, and real results.
Kelsey may continue to turn things around at Louisville. But let’s not rewrite history before it’s written. Right now, Mark Pope has the track record—and it’s not particularly close.