When asked how he conveys the massive importance of Kentucky basketball to his new roster, Mark Pope explained that the responsibility isn't his alone. He said the community and the Commonwealth are the real teachers. There is something special in that blue lettering across the chest of the players in Rupp Arena. It means more than basketball, it transcends generations and brings families together. Kentucky basketball is more than just basketball.
The community is the teacher
“I'll tell you what's great about this place is, I don't have to talk that much. I just have to connect,” Pope said. “So my guys are out in the community a lot on purpose, finding chances to serve because that actually helps us win, and it actually fulfills a higher purpose also.”
Pope detailed how he ensures his players understand the fanbase they represent, not by lecturing them, but by putting them in front of the people of Kentucky.
“It's not me that teaches our guys what Kentucky basketball means... It's actually this community and this commonwealth,” he stated.
A powerful lesson in London, KY
Pope shared a powerful example from a team service trip to London, Kentucky, where the team met with families impacted by devastating natural disasters.
An EF4 tornado ripped through the towns of Somerset and London, killed 20 people and injured 108 others. Several neighborhoods were gone, people were left with nothing but their lives. And they were thankful for that, because the other's were not that lucky. The team traveled and listened to some of the folks who were blessed to make it out of that terrifying night.
“My guys got to sit there and listen to these stories of the people in Kentucky and then witness how they were rallying around each other. And that says everything that they need to know,” Pope said.
"Those aren't hollow words"
That connection, Pope explained, is what gives real meaning to the jersey. It's why his players are already speaking with such passion about the program.
“So when you hear my guys talk about this Kentucky on their chest... those aren't hollow words. They're actually seeing it more and more every day and learning it,” Pope said. “What a shame if they miss that. What a fail for me if they were here at the University of Kentucky and they missed the one thing that sets Kentucky apart from everyone else.”
There is something special about a Kentucky basketball jersey, a magic that fills Rupp Arena each time the team takes the court. And the players feel it, even if they didn't grow up here.
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