Mark Pope is attempting to pull off the unthinkable, a feat Mark Stoops never had a prayer of achieving. He’s turning Kentucky into a football school.
Seriously, after Kentucky lost to Georgia inside Rupp Arena on Feb. 17 for the first time since 2009, spring practice can’t get arrive quickly enough in the Bluegrass State.
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OK, so one look at the Rupp environment tells you Big Blue Nation remains ravenous for hoops — and particularly hungry for a team that plays better than this one did in an 86-78 upset loss that serves as the latest rebuke of Pope’s second season.
John Calipari once made sure everyone, including Stoops, knew Kentucky is “a basketball school,” and Georgia is a football school.
Well, that makes this weird, then.
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Kentucky is unranked and not about to be ranked after a home loss to a bubble team.
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“We feel like we got a beautiful Ferrari, and we can’t wait to take it for a spin,” Pope told reporters before the season.
Those mega millions bought a team that keeps stalling.
Mark Pope: ‘Disappointing effort’ in Kentucky loss to Georgia
What went wrong against Georgia?
“We were not good defensively,” Pope said.
Also:
“Disappointing effort.”
And:
“They got us on our heels.”
Yep, this too:
“We fell apart.”
One more:
“You cannot take plays off in this league. You can’t get distracted.”
Other than that, coach, how was the game?
Buck up, Kentucky. Will Stein’s first season on the way
In Pope’s defense, multiple injuries haven’t helped Kentucky. Also, there’s no quit in these ‘Cats, at least. Kentucky nearly rallied past another double-digit deficit, just as it did in a pair of critical victories against rival Tennessee.
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Kentucky is consistent. It’s perfected the art of falling behind by big margins and then furiously trying to erase the deficits.
Question is, why was Kentucky losing by double digits to Georgia in the first place?
Maybe, because Pope’s team had 13 turnovers. Or, because Georgia drilled 14 3-pointers.
Best thing you can say about this Kentucky season is it could be worse. These are tough times for basketball royalty. Take it from UCLA. The Bruins are a bubble team. After their latest loss, Mick Cronin said he could “give a rat’s ass” about Michigan State’s student section, as UCLA’s cantankerous coach popped off at a reporter. At least Kentucky’s coach isn’t a jerk.
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Speaking of ass, the Bruins played like it in a 23-point loss to the Spartans.
This came on the same night North Carolina lost by 24 points to rival NC State.
Banners hanging inside historic arenas don’t carry the weight they once did. Just don’t tell blue-blooded fans that. Though the Wildcats are still pointed toward the NCAA Tournament, this is not the product Kentucky expects, and Pope knows that better than most. Heavy is the head that wears his alma mater’s crown.
Hey, it’s not all bad around Kentucky. The snow finally melted. How long ‘til fall?
New football coach Will Stein signed a top-10 transfer class.
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As for Pope’s 2026 recruiting class, well, it doesn’t include a single commitment.
Not that Calipari is keeping score. Well, maybe he is. He’s got three five-stars lined up for Arkansas.
What day do the shoulder pads go on in Lexington?
Stoops, Stein’s predecessor, could tell you all about just how much Kentucky invested in basketball and how much he wished it invested in his football program. In Stoops’ final seasons, he bemoaned Kentucky’s football cheapness.
That didn’t stop Stein from lining up Notre Dame transfer Kenny Minchey, who’s got the potential to be Kentucky’s most exciting quarterback in years.
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“We have plenty of (money) here,” Stein said after Kentucky hired him.
There’s a refreshing new energy at the head of a football program that badly needed it.
Used to be in Kentucky, Midnight Madness would provide a necessary distraction from the doldrums of football season. Times change. When’s the spring game?
Blake Toppmeyer is a columnist for the USA TODAY Network. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on X @btoppmeyer.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: After latest Mark Pope loss, is Kentucky now a football school?
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