Kentucky head coach Mark Pope says his players’ connection to the community is about more than basketball; it’s part of what makes being a Wildcat special.
“What’s great about this place is, I don’t have to talk that much; I just have to connect,” Pope said at a recent press conference. “My guys are out in the community a lot on purpose, finding chances to serve, because that actually helps us win, and it actually fulfills a higher purpose also.”
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Pope said he doesn’t have to teach his players what Kentucky basketball means because the people of the Commonwealth do that themselves. The Wildcats recently spent time meeting families across Kentucky, many of whom had faced devastating losses.
“It was just families that lost homes, and in some cases, lost loved ones, and had miraculous stories,” Pope said. “My guys got to sit there and listen to these stories and then witness how they were rallying around each other. That says everything they need to know.”
For Pope, the lessons learned through service are just as important as the ones learned on the court.
Kentucky Reacts
In this week’s Kentucky Reacts post, we asked fans which Bluegrass native would make the biggest impact on Kentucky basketball this season. 53% of the votes went toward Jasper Johnson, while Trent Noah drew 32%, and Malachi Moreno got 15%.
This survey was brought to you by FanDuel Sportsbook.
