Mark Pope's tenure at Kentucky is turning heads, but not always for the reasons Big Blue Nation might hope.
In just two years, Pope has delivered some impressive moments, tying the record for victories against AP Top 15 teams with eight last season. He led Kentucky to the Sweet 16, notching his first two NCAA Tournament wins as a head coach and guiding the Wildcats to the second weekend of the Big Dance for the first time since before the pandemic. With four straight regular-season wins over Tennessee and a road victory against John Calipari’s Arkansas, the team has shown resilience and flair for comebacks that keep fans on the edge of their seats.
Yet, like the legendary Ric Flair, who famously won and lost the world championship 16 times, Kentucky's successes are shadowed by unexpected setbacks. They pull off big wins only to follow with puzzling losses.
Kentucky's history-making moments under Pope have been a mixed bag over the last five years. For those who shy away from tough truths, brace yourselves:
In its 50-year history, Kentucky has lost three or more games at Rupp Arena in a single season just 13 times. Pope has hit this mark in each of his two years in Lexington.
While some of this falls on John Calipari, it feeds into the "Rupp is overrated" narrative. Consider this: Kentucky has lost 20 games at Rupp Arena in the last five seasons, compared to 17 losses over the previous 12 seasons.
Tuesday marked Georgia's first victory at Rupp Arena since 2009, when Billy Gillispie was at the helm. It was only their fifth win at Rupp ever. Earlier this year, Missouri also secured its first-ever win at Rupp against Pope's team.
This season, Kentucky has trailed by at least 12 points in 13 of its 19 games against Power Conference opponents. Consistency, perhaps, but not the kind fans are eager for.
Again, part of this is on Calipari, yet it’s only the second time in history that Georgia has bested Kentucky three times in a four-game stretch, with the last occurrence over a century ago.
These stark stats are a reality check for Pope and his squad. With five games left in the regular season, there's still time to shift the narrative. Will they seize the opportunity to turn things around?