Back in October, Mark Pope described his roster as a "Ferrari." Six weeks into the season, that luxury engine is sputtering and looking more like a Pinto. Kentucky is 0–2 against Power Five opponents, losing by a combined 25 points and trailing by at least 20 in both. Both were on national TV, and both left everyone wondering what in the world is going on in Lexington.
The team looks stuck, spiraling, and "discombobulated." The problem isn't X's and O's, it's a culture that isn't aligned. The players and the coach are just not meshing. Whatever Pope is selling that locker room isn't buying right now.
One national-championship winning coach says the fix won’t be pretty. Former Kansas assistant Norm Roberts, speaking on Field of 68, laid out the brutal truth:
“They’re gonna get in practice. And it’s gonna get heated. And you’re gonna find out who’s committed to Kentucky basketball. Sometimes, you’ve gotta get that sh out. Get ALL of that sh** out.”**
ICYMI: Norm Roberts on what Mark Pope has to do next 🔥
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) November 19, 2025
"They're gonna get in practice. And it's gonna get heated. And you're gonna find out who's committed to Kentucky basketball. Sometimes, you've gotta get that shit out. Get ALL of that shit out"
🎥: https://t.co/OXv3vTeuCl pic.twitter.com/wnMkrkZFyb
Kentucky basketball must go straight into the fire
Roberts didn't stop there. He even suggested that internal fighting may be the best thing for the team, forcing the tension that is simmering under the surface to finally break.
The bigger question is existential for the Pope era: Will he allow that kind of environment?
Pope’s entire coaching ethos revolves around staying level and not riding emotional swings. But the data shows that this team isn't spiraling because of a turnover problem; it's spiraling because the group isn’t aligned. They just do not seem to like to play together. When they do, they go on runs, but then someone takes a quick hurried shot without passing and it's right back to hero ball.
As Roberts argued, sometimes the only way through is straight into the fire. We are all about to find out if Pope agrees, or if his philosophy of emotional equilibrium will cost the Wildcats to keep sputtering along.
Drew Holbrook is an avid Kentucky fan who has been covering the Cats for over 10 years. In his free time he enjoys downtime with his family and Premier League soccer. You can find him on X here. Micah 7:7. #UptheAlbion