Kentucky’s Gritty Win Over Ole Miss Shows Pope’s Vision Taking Shape
Mark Pope isn’t ducking the spotlight. In fact, he’s leaning into it.
After Kentucky’s grind-it-out 72-63 win over Ole Miss, the first-year head coach didn’t sugarcoat the performance - and he didn’t need to. Ugly wins still count, and in January, that’s often what matters most.
This wasn’t a highlight-reel night for the Wildcats. They shot just 36% from the field, struggled to find rhythm, and at times looked out of sync offensively.
But Pope wasn’t concerned with aesthetics. He was focused on something far more important: toughness, growth, and staying locked in when the game gets messy.
“It’s not really about fixing it and making it beautiful,” Pope said after the game. “It’s about, can you keep your mentality focused, even through the frustration? And our guys are doing a good job doing that.”
That mentality - the ability to stay composed and connected when shots aren’t falling - is becoming a defining trait of this team. And Pope, who’s been clear about wanting to build a program that thrives on resilience, got another dose of that in a win that required more grit than glamour.
Jasper Johnson’s Development - and a Familiar Blueprint
One of the more intriguing developments from the win was the continued emergence of freshman Jasper Johnson. After a slow start to the season, Johnson is starting to settle in, and his 11-point performance - including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc - was another step forward.
There were still freshman moments, no doubt. A few defensive lapses, some forced decisions.
But what stood out was how much more composed he looked. The game is slowing down for him, and Pope took the opportunity to put that growth into perspective - with a name that carries serious weight in Lexington.
“He’s making some mistakes but he’s learning from them, and he’s a really talented player, and he’s on his way,” Pope said.
Then came the comparison: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Yes, that SGA - the NBA MVP candidate who didn’t even crack Kentucky’s starting lineup for the first 10 games of his freshman season. But by March, he was the engine behind a Wildcats run to the Elite Eight, just a possession away from the Final Four.
“Shame on those people that [in] game seven were like, ‘Ah, he’s no good,’” Pope said.
The message was clear: don’t write off talented freshmen in December. Development isn’t always linear, and patience can pay off in a big way.
Johnson may not be SGA - yet - but the foundation is there. And Pope is making sure the fanbase sees that trajectory.
Winning Ugly - and Learning to Like It
This Kentucky team has made a habit of digging out of early holes, so when they went into halftime with a 29-23 lead, it felt like a mini-breakthrough. It wasn’t flashy, but it was progress - and Pope was quick to point it out.
“I actually thought the first half was incredible,” he said. “It’s been a month since we had a lead at the end of the half.
I thought it was amazing. I’ll take that every time.”
That might sound like a low bar, but it speaks to where this team is right now: learning how to win in different ways. They’ve shown they can score in bunches, but this was about grinding out possessions, defending with purpose, and trusting each other when the game turned into a slugfest.
Pope also noted how the team is starting to click on a deeper level.
“I think the guys are a little more comfortable with each other,” he said. “We’re staying as simple as we possibly can.”
That simplicity is intentional. With injuries piling up and rotations constantly shifting, Pope is keeping things streamlined - and the players are responding. There’s a sense of buy-in, and even through the growing pains, the belief is building.
Redshirt Watch: Hawthorne’s Status Still in Limbo
With injuries to Kam Williams, Jayden Quaintance, and Jaland Lowe stretching the roster thin, the obvious question was whether Kentucky would consider burning Braydon Hawthorne’s redshirt.
It’s a fair question - and one Pope didn’t dodge.
“It’s something that has certainly been in discussion,” he said. “There’s so many dynamics that, most importantly, right now he’s not healthy...
We’ll see. He’s got to get healthy first.”
So, for now, Hawthorne stays on the shelf. The guys in the locker room are the ones who’ll have to carry the load, and Pope seems confident they’re up for it - if they can stay focused and block out the noise.
“This is really special what these guys are doing,” he said.
It’s not always pretty. But it’s starting to look like progress. And in a college basketball season where style points don’t count in March, Kentucky is learning how to win the hard way - and maybe, just maybe, they’re starting to like it.