Mark Pope addresses Kentucky’s roster valuation in wake of NCAA Tournament exit
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Kentucky coach Mark Pope met with reporters on Sunday following the Wildcats’ disastrous exit from the NCAA Tournament.
UK committed a record-breaking number of turnovers in an 82-63 loss to Iowa State. After the game, Pope was asked about Kentucky‘s reported NIL spending — upwards of $22 million.
Pope pointed toward Kentucky’s injury crisis, which caused the Wildcats to pivot at multiple key positions midway through the year. Starting point guard Jaland Lowe missed most of the season with a shoulder injury while center Jayden Quaintance played sparingly due to a knee injury.
“I think we were disappointed that we never got to run with the roster that we thought we had,” Pope said. “These guys did an amazing job adjusting … We didn’t get to play the way we planned to. We didn’t get to play with the personnel we planned to. All of that change. I think our guys raised up and made the very, very best of a complicated, difficult situation.”
This loss ends Pope’s second season at the helm in Lexington. Kentucky has made the NCAA Tournament in both years, but earned just a No. 7 seed in this year’s Big Dance.
Kentucky will lose players like Otega Oweh and Denzel Aberdeen, but numerous other key players are eligible to return to college basketball next season.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
