Mark Pope says TJ Otzelberger could field defensive juggernaut with ‘5 guys from the rec center’
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Mark Pope knows Kentucky will have its hands full on Sunday afternoon when his 7th-seeded Wildcats try to take down 2nd-seeded Iowa State in a second-round Midwest Region showdown in St. Louis.
After its thrilling first-round overtime victory over Santa Clara on Friday afternoon, Kentucky (22-13) has to refocus quickly and get ready for a Cyclones machine from the Big 12 that’s been running on all cylinders for most of the season. Led by head coach TJ Otzelberger, Iowa State (28-7) had no problem with Tennessee State on Friday in a 108-74 first-round demolition.
There is one big issue looming for the Cyclones though as they get ready to face the SEC blue blood program from Lexington. Forward Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State’s second-leading scorer and leading rebounder, was injured early in Friday’s rout when he landed awkwardly on his ankle after a layup. The All-American showed up at practice on Saturday with a boot on his sprained left ankle, and he very well might not be out there on Sunday when the teams tip off at about 2:45 p.m. ET on CBS.
That leads back to Saturday’s off-day press conference, when a reporter asked Pope about preparing for Sunday’s game with the question mark surrounding Jefferson’s status. Not only was Pope not taking the bait about his opponent possibly missing one of its best players, he showered the opposing coach with praise, using a unique line.
“(TJ) could go get 5 guys from the rec center, give them a week, and they would be a defensive juggernaut,” Pope said.
With Pope’s Wildcats trying to solve mighty Iowa State on Sunday afternoon, here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the second-round matchup, with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
