It’s hard to describe the feeling inside Rupp Arena, a celebration of the fresh start Kentucky basketball is experiencing under Mark Pope. We’ve gotten the press conference — an all-time moment in this program’s history — plus some other preseason events, but something was different about the official tip-off of this new era in Lexington. Big Blue Nation was buzzing well before the game and all the way through the final buzzer, cheers for every made shot and defensive stop with chants for Walker Horn and everything in between.
Oh, and Kentucky just so happened to win by 41 points. Which just so happened to be Pope’s jersey number during his playing days as a championship Wildcat.
You couldn’t write a better script if you tried — magical, if you ask the head man himself.
“These guys, man. Our guys, they — I’m pretty sure they cooked that up, but we talked about that after the game,” Pope said after the win. “41 is really special to me, so that is really sweet. Kentucky magic. Nothing like it.
His players were deviously awaiting his arrival in the locker room with water bottles, ready to shower their coach to celebrate the first win of many to come leading the program he loves more than just about anything. They didn’t even realize at the time they did it by 41 points, a sign that some things can only be explained by a higher power.
It was the perfect full-circle moment with a storybook finish.
“Only God could write that story,” Koby Brea said afterward. “It’s unbelievable, honestly. For him to get his first win at the place he loves the most, and to do it by 41 points? His jersey number? That’s honestly unbelievable.”
If God isn’t the explanation, it’s gotta be part of a soon-to-be-released feel-good Disney film with screenwriters getting their game off at the highest level. That’s Otega Oweh’s mindset, at least.
“That’s crazy. I feel like that’s something that only happens in movies,” the junior guard added. “Shoot, we were a part of it when it happened. That’s something I’m going to remember and I know Pope is definitely going to remember, for sure. That’s actually crazy it happened. Like, what are the odds.
No matter the explanation or creator behind the 41-point margin of victory, his players are just excited to experience it by his side knowing all of the work they put in together to get to this point.
It’s an earned moment that’s been a long time coming.
“He told us after the game, it’s crazy that it happened. We’re happy for him,” Amari Williams added. “His first win, it means a lot. The homecoming, how much it means to him, it makes everything feel more special.”
Pope will undoubtedly look to move past it quickly and embrace what’s next, but those in that locker room hope he takes a step back and soaks it all in before looking ahead. He’s poured everything into the game and it’s finally given something back to him in the form of a win at his alma mater.
That’s worth celebrating.
“It was amazing. As a coach, he’s always looking for the next thing, but sometimes you’ve got to cherish those moments,” Brea said. “I’m happy he was able to take in that moment with his team, inside Rupp Arena, with the BBN in front of him. It’s amazing for him, I’m so happy for him
