When Mark Pope was hired to lead Kentucky basketball, he didn’t tiptoe around expectations—he embraced them. Now, he’s making that message visible to every player who walks through the doors of the Wildcats’ practice facility.
Hanging alongside the eight iconic national championship banners inside UK’s Joe Craft Center is a new addition: a banner that simply reads, “Number 9: The Assignment.”
The Joe Craft Center has received a makeover and it now has a banner up that says “#9 The Assignment”
— Tres Terrell (@TerrellTres) June 20, 2025
It’s hanging next to Kentucky’s previous 8 championships banners, the second most in CBB.
How freakin cool. pic.twitter.com/NYNkNUTtye
It’s not a declaration of achievement. It’s a declaration of intent.
This isn’t about the past. It’s about the mission ahead.
Understanding the assignment
When Pope was introduced as Kentucky’s new head coach in April, he famously told fans he “understood the assignment.” It was more than a viral soundbite—it was a mindset. At Kentucky, the job isn’t just about rebuilding, competing, or making March runs. It’s about hanging banners. Full stop.
And Pope, who won a national championship as a player under Rick Pitino in 1996, isn’t mincing words about what success looks like.
In a recent interview with KSR’s Matt Jones, Pope didn’t hesitate to call last year a failure—not because of a lack of effort or talent, but because the program didn’t achieve its ultimate goal: winning a national championship. He was speaking in broad terms, but the tone was unmistakable. At Kentucky, the bar is set at the very top, and Pope has no plans to lower it.
Setting the tone for a new era
The new banner is more than symbolic. It’s a daily reminder to players, coaches, and staff of what the job is. “Number 9” isn’t a dream to be whispered. It’s the expectation to be chased every day.
And with a 14-man roster stacked with size, shooting, experience, and depth, Pope may have the tools to back it up. This team isn’t a rebuild. It’s a reload. From returning veterans like Brandon Garrison and Otega Oweh to impact transfers and elite freshmen, Kentucky has the kind of versatility and balance that wins in March.
It also has a head coach who isn't shying away from the pressure that comes with the job. In fact, he’s inviting it in—and putting it on the wall.
The assignment Is clear
In Lexington, there’s no confusion about what the program stands for. Now, there’s no confusion about where it’s headed. Mark Pope has made it clear: he’s not here to restore the standard. He’s here to raise it. The banner doesn’t celebrate what Kentucky has done. It dares everyone inside the program to do it again.
Number 9 isn’t a slogan. It’s the assignment. And under Mark Pope, despite a brutal schedule, it finally feels like Kentucky is back in pursuit of it—on purpose.