If you walk into Lexington right now and take a good look at both Kentucky basketball programs, you’ll see something pretty rare: two head coaches, both in their second seasons, both trying to build something lasting-and both wrestling with the exact same issue from completely opposite directions.
We’re talking about minutes. Player rotations.
Managing fatigue. Balancing trust and opportunity.
And while Mark Pope and Kenny Brooks are each navigating their own version of this puzzle, the contrast between their approaches couldn’t be more striking.
Mark Pope: Depth by Design... or by Dilemma?
On the men’s side, Mark Pope came into this season with a clear vision: play fast, play deep, and keep fresh legs on the floor. Think hockey-style shifts-waves of five checking in and out, bringing relentless energy in short bursts.
In theory, it was a bold and modern approach, especially with the depth Kentucky had assembled. In practice, injuries forced a pivot.
Instead of rolling ten-deep, Pope has settled into a more traditional eight-man rotation, with several players logging around 30 minutes a night. And while that’s helped stabilize the team on the court, it’s had ripple effects off of it-particularly on the recruiting trail.
Take Derron Rippey Jr., for example. Once a strong Kentucky lean, Rippey’s camp made it clear: he wanted big minutes from day one.
Pope’s system-built more on collective contribution than individual spotlight-didn’t quite match that vision, and Rippey moved on. Same story with Lamar Wilkerson, who ultimately chose Indiana over Kentucky, citing a desire to be more than "just another guy."
That’s the trade-off with Pope’s approach. It’s team-first, system-driven basketball. But in an era where top recruits expect to be center stage, it can be a tough sell.
Kenny Brooks: Riding the Starters Until the Wheels Fall Off
Now flip the script and head over to Memorial Coliseum, where Kenny Brooks is facing the opposite problem. If Pope is trying to get more guys involved, Brooks is struggling to trust anyone beyond his core five.
In a recent loss to Georgia, Josie Gilvin played just seven seconds. That’s not a typo.
Seven. And it wasn’t an isolated case.
Just days earlier, in a high-pressure road game at Tennessee-where the Lady Vols pressed for 40 minutes-Brooks leaned almost entirely on his starters:
- Tonie Morgan: 39 minutes
- Asia Boone: 31
- Jordan Obi: 36
- Amelia Hassett: 39
- Clara Strack: 35
That’s a heavy load, especially on the back end of a two-game week. And the trend continued against Georgia:
- Morgan: 40 minutes
- Boone: 36
- Obi: 38
- Hassett: 38
- Strack: 28
Brooks admitted postgame that his team “ran out of gas” in the fourth quarter. And that’s been the theme during their current three-game skid. The effort is there early, but by the time the final minutes roll around, the legs just aren’t.
Some of this is out of his control. The Teonni Key injury and Clara Silva’s transfer have thinned the bench considerably. But even so, Brooks has shown a clear preference for sticking with his starters-even when they’re gassed-over rolling the dice with a fresher reserve.
The Middle Ground That’s Missing
Here’s the thing: both coaches are navigating real challenges. Pope’s had to adjust on the fly due to injuries.
Brooks is dealing with a roster that’s thinner than he’d like. But somewhere between Pope’s “strength in numbers” philosophy and Brooks’ “ride or die with the starters” mentality lies a middle ground that neither has quite found.
Pope might need to let his top guys stretch into the 35-minute range when the situation calls for it-especially when the depth isn’t there. Meanwhile, Brooks may have to loosen the reins just a bit, even if it means sacrificing a touch of execution, to keep his starters fresh for crunch time.
Because right now, both teams are paying the price in different ways. Pope’s rotation has cost him in recruiting. Brooks’ iron-woman approach is costing him in the fourth quarter.
Until one-or both-find that elusive “Goldilocks zone” of minutes management, this storyline isn’t going anywhere.