Wildcat Blue Nation
Fansided

Mark Pope wants Kentucky fans to party like its 2015

ByDrew Holbrook|
Nov 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Jamal Murray (23) is defended by Duke Blue Devils forward Chase Jeter (2) during the second half at the United Center. Kentucky won 74-63. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Jamal Murray (23) is defended by Duke Blue Devils forward Chase Jeter (2) during the second half at the United Center. Kentucky won 74-63. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images | Dennis Wierzbicki-Imagn Images

Kentucky just defeated the Blue Devils for the first time since 2015, and Mark Pope wants you to get outside and enjoy it.

Kentucky fans definitely obliged:

Nothing says a big win like a Grove Street party and couch burnings.

That means Kentucky head coach Mark Pope sat down with his team on Sunday and pressed play on the Kentucky-Duke rivalry. The reel took the Cats through three pivotal games in college basketball history: 1978, 1992, and 1998.

Each one marked a high-stakes chapter in the story of two of college basketball’s most storied programs.

Pope wanted his players to understand the weight of the jersey. He wanted a team of players who knew what it meant to play for the name on the front and the name on the back.

1978

The first clip Pope played came from Kentucky’s victory over Duke in the 78 Championship. That night, led by the late great Joe B. Hall, the Cats took the court with the goal of capturing the national title. That they did, with a 94-88 win over the Blue Devils.

1992

Every Kentucky fan knows what came next in Pope’s highlight reel, look away. The 92 Elite Eight game gets played every year around March in the highlight intros, Laettner stomping on Timberlake and then hitting the game winner later on. That loss is still raw, still bitter, but it highlights the intensity of the hatred Duke has for Kentucky and vice-versa. Sorry for bringing it up, I won't play the shot.

1998

Fast forward six years later in the 98 South Regional Final, where Kentucky and Duke met again with a Final Four berth on the line. This time, it was coach Tubby Smith’s Wildcats who won, fighting back from a 17-point deficit to win 86-84. Kentucky went on to win the national championship that year, cementing the legacy of the 1998 Comeback Cats.

As the current Wildcats watched the reel, they might have wondered how they would stack up. Duke entered this game with all the hype, another No. 1 recruiting class, and Cooper Flagg, touted as the next Zion Williamson.

Kentucky, on the other hand, is full of guys who have bought into BBN and the method of ball that makes Pope a rising star in the coaching community.

On this night, it wasn’t Duke’s flash that won; it was Kentucky’s discipline. The Wildcats left the court victorious, 77-72.

As Pope’s young team soaked in the cheers and celebrations, they likely understood a little better what it meant to be a Kentucky Wildcat. For the fans, this victory was more than just a win; it was an invitation to party like it was 2015 again, which is the last time Kentucky beat Duke.

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