Kentucky Basketball’s explosive new offense: Fans can expect a high-octane season with Pope's modern system

The most common complaint before last season, and sometimes during it, was that John Calipari’s offense was outdated. There was no real design, no consistent movement, and everything seemed to hinge on a guard driving to the rim. But this season, those days of stagnant offense are long gone. Mark Pope’s arrival signals a fresh approach with serious potential to transform Kentucky’s game.

Pope’s BYU teams were renowned for their three-point shooting but didn’t rely solely on it. BYU consistently ranked among the nation’s top teams in five critical offensive categories: three-point makes per game, assists per game, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and assist-to-turnover ratio. Essentially, they did a little of everything.

Let’s break down the play everyone is buzzing about:

It’s not just the shot-making that stands out here; watch the floor spacing. Before Kerr even starts his drive, you’ve got players spread along the 3-point line on the wing and in each corner. Kriisa has a clear path to the rim but also has two shooters in the corners, ready for a pass if their defenders drift. The defender slides in, momentarily leaving Brea open, and—boom. If they stay, it’s an easy layup. This kind of spacing is possible because of big men who can shoot and pass.

Some fans worried about the defense, but with Kentucky snagging 11 steals and scoring over 20 fast-break points, some of those concerns seem eased. Granted, this was against Wright State, a strong offensive team last season, but one that’s lost two key players and has a new coach in a smaller league. Still, plays like this give fans hope:

The defense feeding the offense is a great sign.

Here’s something else that’s new: Watch the action in the first play above. A double screen sets Brea up for a clean shot from the top of the key—a rarity last season; even against weaker teams, open shots were hard to get. This play has multiple options: a simple back cut can lead to a layup or a straight-line drive if defenders overhelp.

In the second action (starting at 0:06), watch Chandler’s screen force a switch. The defender is late, and all Brea needs is a bit of space. If they don’t switch, Chandler has a clear dunk.

In the third play (starting at 0:10), we see an out-of-bounds play—yes, an actual designed out-of-bounds play! Robinson clears the corner with a drive, and Brea curls off screens set by Oweh and Garrison. His defender trails him, so Koby simply pump fakes and drains a wide-open corner three after watching the defender fly by.

Now, at 0:19, see why Brea (and this whole Kentucky team) is so tough to guard. Wright State’s defenders press him to run him off the line, but he simply drives past for easy layups.

Another major element in Pope’s offense is big man passing. Take the opening possession, where a set play gets Andrew Carr a lob from Amari Williams.

While this next play ends in a turnover (second clip), you can see the potential—and in a few months, this becomes a layup or an open three.

But Williams isn't the only big man that can pass, watch the second clip here:

All three big men; Carr, Williams, and Garrison, are playmakers, starting plays and creating opportunities for others. Your offense becomes tough to stop when your big guys can do that. We will continue to break down the offense as we go along. For now, these are the stats:

We’ll continue to break down this new offense all season long, but for now, let’s look at the impressive stats from the game:

• Field Goals: 39/65 (60%)
• 3-Point Range: 11/24 (46%)
• Assists: 30
• Turnovers: 7

Kentucky is back in action this Saturday live from Rupp Arena at 4 PM when they host Bucknell; you can watch on ESPN+ by clicking here