Kentucky Beat: Wildcats season comes to end with loss to Tennessee, but founadtion has been laid for bright future in the Mark Pope era

INDIANAPOLIS — Kentucky’s postgame press conference was coming to an end Friday night when graduate point guard Lamont Butler asked if he could say something.

“I think it’s really cool we were able to set the culture for [Head Coach Mark] Pope’s first year,” Butler said. “And people have to come in and the bar is going to be set high for the next people who come under Pope. It’s gonna be fun to watch for sure.”

Butler was joined by Koby Brea and Andrew Carr at the postgame press conference. The trio was among the nine transfers on Kentucky’s roster this year, Pope’s first as the head coach of the Wildcats. But Butler was also one of eight 1,000-point scorers on Kentucky’s roster, a collection of players that led Kentucky’s transition to the Mark Pope era. Along the way, the Wildcats made their first Sweet 16 in six years.

“If the spotlight on you is brighter than the light that comes from within you, then it’ll destroy you,” Pope said. “These guys have an amazing light coming out of each of them. At the end of the day, it’s not about them. I feel the same way. It’s not about us. I think that’s the space where we live.”

There can be a finality feeling with NCAA Tournament losses, especially at the University of Kentucky. But even in the midst of Kentucky’s 78-65 loss to Tennessee in the Sweet 16 at Lucas Oil Stadium, there was an overwhelming feeling of pride and gratitude coming from the Kentucky players even as most of their College careers came to an end.

“[I] don’t want to untie my shoes. [I] don’t want to take off this jersey,” graduate forward Andrew Carr said. “Definitely shout out BBN and all the fans. It’s like nowhere I have ever experienced, and really have just had the most fun playing basketball this season. I really appreciate them and caring about us more than just basketball players.

“You’re welcomed into the Kentucky family, and it’s a family for a reason. It’s an amazing experience that hurts right now, but as we continue to get older, to look back and be more and more proud as time goes on.”

Carr calls Kentucky the mecca of College Basketball, and Big Blue Nation is one of the most, passionate special and dedicated fanbases in all of sports.

The last few years, prior to this season, felt stale surrounding Kentucky Basketball. A change was needed. A breath of fresh air.

That’s what Mark Pope brought to Kentucky, his Alma Mater. He brought a new beginning. More importantly, he reestablished the connection between the Kentucky program and Big Blue Nation, a connection that’s as strong as any in all of sports.

“This is a special place with special people around,” Butler said. “The whole program. The fans, they’re out there every day. Even when I got here, greeting me with love and greeting everybody with love. People were coming up to our dorm and getting autographs and stuff like that.

“It was kind of surreal when we got here, the fan love, but just the bond that we were able to create this year was amazing. In one year, you usually don’t get teams really connected like that, usually it’s two or three years, but we bonded really quick.”

It’s part of the new era of College Basketball with the Transfer Portal and NIL. Even during the NCAA Tournament, Kentucky has been pinging the Portal. The Wildcats landed a transfer commit from Tulane on Friday in shooting star wing Kam Williams.

Given what Pope was able to do in the Portal immeidately following coming home to Kentucky, the Wildcats are already off to a fast start going into Pope’s first full offseason with the Wildcats.

“We’re all a big family now and BBN has been amazing,” guard Koby Brea said Friday night. “They made this dream a reality for real for me. Ever since I stepped onto campus, they have greeted me with open arms and been amazing to me and my family. It’s been everything I have wanted and more.”

A team built through the Portal and all across America came together to build an impressive resume this season. In addition to playing in the Sweet 16, Kentucky won eight games against teams in the AP Top 15, finished sixth in the ridiculous gauntlet that is the SEC this season and, most importantly, reestablished the special connection between the program and Big Blue Nation.

“Just what these guys did to set an incredible foundation, giving us a great beginning, they set a really high standard,” Pope said. “They set a high standard on the court, and a higher standard in the locker room and off the floor. They set an incredibly high standard representing the University of Kentucky, representing BBN and representing this jersey, and I’m grateful for that.

“That standard will carry us for a long time. We’ll be talking about these guys ten years from now as the guys that came in here and set a standard of what this is supposed to be, how you’re supposed to carry yourself as a Kentucky basketball player, how you’re supposed to connect yourself with your teammates. We’ll set this as a standard for the future. I’m very proud of these guys.”

This season may have ended Friday night, but the Mark Pope era is just beginning. Most importantly, Big Blue Nation is fully invested again in the mecca of College Basketball.