“Wearing USA across your chest is a rare honor”: Kentucky HC Mark Pope filled with pride after special opportunity
Kentucky head coach Mark Pope is feeling a deep sense of pride after being named an on-court assistant for the USA Men’s U19 National Team. Pope shared his excitement in a chat with KSR’s Jack Pilgrim earlier this week.
“There’s nothing like USA Basketball,” Pope said. “I think wearing USA across your chest is a rare honor. It’s an incredible honor. Not only are you around the best players in the country, and hopefully the best players in the world, but also you’re representing this country.
“It’s really special. It’s an incredible opportunity to be a part of something that, once you get to kind of put your toe in here, it never leaves you. It’s so special.”
Pope brings a rich basketball background to the role. As a player, he was a forward who earned Pac‑10 Freshman of the Year honors at Washington and also helped lead Kentucky to the 1996 NCAA Championship as team captain.
He then played professionally in the NBA and overseas before transitioning into coaching, leading BYU to the NCAA Tournament before being named Kentucky’s head coach in 2024.
This U19 role is his first official position with USA Basketball and one he clearly cherishes.
Training camp began on Saturday in Colorado Springs, and Pope is not the only Kentucky-affiliated representative there, with Wildcats commit Jasper Johnson also competing for a spot on the 12-man roster heading to the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland late this month. The selection committee, led by Arizona’s Tommy Lloyd, will announce the final team on June 21.
Mark Pope savors chance to coach future Kentucky stars Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno
Pope, Johnson and Moreno are all Kentucky natives, and they were all united at the USA Men’s U19 camp. The Wildcats head coach is excited about the opportunity to coach the incoming freshmen.
“It’s the first time I’ve been allowed to coach them… it’s like a sneak‑peek into what’s going to be,” Pope told KSR.
“They were both incredible, like jaw-dropping great. So, the chance to coach them, the chance to be in some live-play, some competition against other players… I loved that part and I loved getting to see their competitiveness come out, their fearlessness come out, their hearts come out.”
While Johnson is still part of the team, Moreno could not make it past the last cut due to a minor injury he sustained during training.