Mark Pope shares special moment with Kentucky seniors in Rupp Arena finale: ‘Take one more look’
While head coach Mark Pope‘s time at the helm of Kentucky is only beginning, his seniors won’t be around much longer. After the Wildcats handily defeated LSU 95-64 on Senior Day on Tuesday, Pope delivered a poignant message to his veterans walking off the court.
“Take one more look,” Pope said, motioning toward Rupp Arena. “You’ll remember it forever.”
Pope would know. The Washington native played at Kentucky from 1994-96 and was the team captain on the Wildcats’ 1996 National Championship team. Pope’s connection and love for the university was a major selling point when Kentucky hired him back in April.
Pope immediately endeared himself to Big Blue Nation by referring to himself as a fan of the program and sharing what his time at Kentucky meant to him. The 52-year-old coach especially hammered this point home during his introductory press conference.
“Guys, it is the greatest honor that I will ever have in my professional or this family career to be able to come back here and do this with you,” Pope said. “The difference between Kentucky and every other program in the country is that this is not my team. It is not even our team. It is our team.
“… I love this place from the depths of my soul. It changed my entire life.”
This season, Pope brought in players from across the country to garner the same love for Kentucky he did all those years ago. Judging from his players’ comments during the Senior Day celebrations, Mark Pope achieved his mission.
“I want to thank all of you guys because you guys are the reason why Kentucky is what it is,” Fairleigh Dickinson transfer Ansley Almonor said. “You guys make this program so special. Your support is one of a kind.
“You don’t see it anywhere. You know, I come from a small, little town in New York. A lot of people didn’t think I’d make it here, so I just want to thank God for allowing me to make it to this level and chase number nine.”
On Tuesday, Kentucky honored six seniors: Ansley Almonor, Koby Brea, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Jaxson Robinson and Amari Williams. While each of them expressed their gratitude for the opportunity to play at Kentucky, they also emphasized the season is far from over.
“Most importantly, I want to thank you all for accepting me with open arms since I got to campus. It’s been a hell of a year, and we have a lot more to do, so let’s get it,” Koby Brea said.
On Saturday, Kentucky will square off against Missouri at noon ET in its regular-season finale. The game will air live on ESPN.
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