“Helps our players be disciplined”: Mark Pope expounded on his calm sideline demeanor after Kentucky’s 103-62 win over Wright State
Mark Pope brought his cool demeanor to the fore in his first game as the Kentucky Wildcats' new coach. He enjoyed a winning start to life at Lexington as 23red-ranked Kentucky blew the Wright State Raiders out of the water with a dominant 103-62 victory at Rupp Arena on Monday.
While Pope has been highly vocal in the run up to the season, showcasing his passion for the Wildcats in various events, he was rather silent during the game against the Raiders, engaging with officials in a calm and collected manner.
During the postgame press conference, he explained how keeping his emotions in check would help his players stay disciplined on the court.
"Sometimes, I lose my mind," Pope said. "I got a couple of T’s last year (at BYU), but for me I want our players to feel the same way that I do: The referees actually have no power over whether we win or lose the game. The calls are really hard.
"But if I can be disciplined and keep my focus on the game, I think it helps our players be disciplined and help their focus on the game, come what may from refs.
"And what we’ve done is we had a really serious meeting with all the players and the whole staff, and we just agreed that we would let Lee Anne (Pope's wife) ahandle the refs and we're just gonna work on the game."
Kentucky transfers bring home debut win for Mark Pope
Mark Pope and his staff engaged themselves in heavy recruitment during the offseason, bringing in players who matched the new coach's philosophy. Their starting five against the Raiders only featured players they picked up from the portal, and they got the job done in emphatic fashion.
Oklahoma transfer Otega Oweh led the Wildcats, finishing with 21 points, three rebounds and three steals. He was supported by Koby Brea's 18-point effort off the bench and an all-around display from Lamont Butler Jr., who finished with 14 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals.
Pope will be eager to build on a strong start in the Wildcats' next game, which will take place on Saturday against the Bucknell Bison.