Mark Pope didn’t hide his respect when asked about Friday’s opponent. In fact, he made a comparison that should grab his players and BBN's attention.
“They’re kind of a little bit of a Gonzaga vibe in the way they play, the pace they play with,” Pope said. Of course he is talking about Valparaiso, who will come to Rupp Arena with an upset on their mind.
He praised their tempo, their transition attack, and especially their willingness to crash the glass. “Good team,” Pope said. “They play with a ton of pace… they really try and hurt you in transition.” So, unlike Georgetown who wanted a slow physical fist-fight, this team will want to hit the glass and run in transition.
Kentucky vs Valparaiso may come down to rebounding
Then came a number that jumped out off the page:
“They’re so aggressive on the offensive glass. I think they had 16 offensive rebounds in their opener,” Pope noted. “Their offensive rebound rate was close to 35%. So, they're they're really great in transition. They really go to the glass.” Valpo will send everyone to the glass, and Kentucky better be ready to block out. The Cats have been good rebounding as well, they nabbed 51 in the win over Nicholls State. But this team will be a step up in competition.
Pope is preparing his team for a fast, physical matchup, the kind that exposes weaknesses in communication and rebounding fundamentals if you’re not locked in. So, the team better be fully locked in and engaged on both ends of the court.
“It's a it'll be a great game. It should be a really fun game,” Pope concluded. “It's going to be a physical competitive game.”
We will see how the Cats respond to the challenge tonight at 7 on SEC Network+.
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