Mark Pope is making all the wrong kind of history with his time at Kentucky.
In just two years, Pope has accomplished things not seen in a long time, and things Big Blue Nation wishes they didn't have to see.
Last season, Mark Pope tied the record for victories against AP Top 15 teams (8). He took Kentucky to the Sweet 16, picking up his first two NCAA Tournament wins as a head coach and getting the Cats to the second weekend of the Big Dance for the first time since before COVID. He has beaten Tennessee four straight times in the regular season. He went on the road and knocked off John Calipari and Arkansas. They’ve been the undisputed kings of the comeback this season, and you can never count them out.
But in professional wrestling, people always point out that Ric Flair is a 16-time world champion. To win that title that many times, he had to lose it that many times, too. That is what it feels like watching this team play. They do all the things right to get a big win and then have an inexplicable loss.
History is calling Kentucky basketball
And Kentucky has done some historic things under Mark Pope and in the last 5 years. Hide your eyes if you are squeamish:
- Kentucky has lost three or more games inside Rupp Arena in a single season just 13 times in its 50-year history. Mark Pope has done it in both years he has been in Lexington.
- This one is on John Calipari as much as Pope, but it isn't doing much to change the "Rupp is overrated" narrative. Kentucky losses in Rupp Arena in the last five seasons: 20. Kentucky losses in Rupp Arena in the previous 12 seasons: 17.
- Tuesday night was the first time Georgia defeated Kentucky in Rupp Arena since 2009, when Billy Gillispie was the head coach. It was just their fifth-ever win at Rupp overall.
- Missouri picked up its first-ever win at Rupp Arena earlier this year against Mark Pope's squad.
- Kentucky has been down at least 12 points in 13 of its 19 games against Power Conference opponents this year. At least the Cats are consistent, I suppose.
- Again, this one is partially on Calipari, too, but this is only the second time in the history of the series that Georgia has won three times in a four-game span versus Kentucky. The last such instance was more than 100 years ago (UK won the first meeting in 1921; UGA won the next three). Whew.
Those are some incredibly ugly stats that Mark Pope and this team must own.
There are five games left in the regular season to change the narrative, but for now, this team is making history for all the wrong reasons. Can they right the ship?