After Kentucky’s win over Indiana, head coach Mark Pope addressed a few rotation questions - most notably, why forward Andrija Jelavic didn’t see the floor.
Pope kept it straightforward: it was a coach’s decision.
“I actually had no idea where the rotation was going to go today,” Pope said postgame. “I didn’t know how Kam was going to feel on the court today and I had no idea how Mo was going to feel on the court today.”
That uncertainty shaped how the Wildcats approached the game. Pope acknowledged that Jelavic was very much in the mix heading into the matchup, especially given the physical, grind-it-out style that unfolded.
“I did feel like there was space for Jelavic to be really effective in this game,” Pope said. “And I felt like it made sense - he’s our most effective post player, especially at the 4. And this mucked-up game kind of felt that way.”
But as the game developed, the flow dictated different choices. Pope leaned into what he saw on the floor, and the players responded. That’s the nature of in-game coaching - sometimes the plan shifts, and you ride the hot hands or the right combinations in the moment.
Still, Pope made it clear that this wasn’t a knock on Jelavic’s ability or readiness.
“I expect Jela is going to help us in the future for sure,” he added.
Beyond Jelavic, Pope also mentioned that Collin Chandler, Jasper Johnson, and Trent Noah saw reduced minutes against the Hoosiers. Again, it wasn’t about performance - it was about feel. In a game that lacked rhythm and demanded physicality, Kentucky adjusted on the fly.
This kind of flexibility is becoming a hallmark of Pope’s approach in his first season in Lexington. He’s not married to rigid rotations - he’s reading the room, trusting his gut, and letting the game dictate the direction. And if the Wildcats keep responding the way they did against Indiana, that adaptability might just be one of their biggest strengths.