Kentucky basketball is struggling, and head coach Mark Pope has been open about it. He’s far from the only one voicing concern, as criticism is coming from across the state and beyond. On Thursday, CBS Sports released its evaluation of the 2024 college basketball coaching carousel, assigning letter grades to 13 major-conference hires.
Former Kentucky coach John Calipari earned an A- for his early work at Arkansas, matching the grade given to Louisville’s Pat Kelsey. Kevin Young, who succeeded Pope at BYU, received an A. SEC counterpart Mark Byington at Vanderbilt and Michigan’s Dusty May both landed A+ grades. Pope, however, was given a D—the lowest mark among the group.
The timing of the evaluation added to the sting, coming one day after Kentucky surrendered a late lead at Rupp Arena in a loss to heavy underdog Missouri, dropping the Wildcats to 0–2 in SEC play. Kentucky now heads into Saturday night’s home matchup against Mississippi State with a 9–6 record, including three losses by 15 points or more.
During his weekly press conference Friday afternoon, Pope was asked about the CBS grade and responded before the question was even finished, joking that it was “probably generous.” He followed by acknowledging that the evaluation was deserved and reiterated a point he made after the loss to Missouri—that he doesn’t expect any leniency from frustrated Kentucky fans.
“We’re not winning the way we’re supposed to right now. That’s just reality,” Pope said. “It’s not about emotions or character issues. We simply aren’t doing the job at the level expected here at Kentucky. That’s not subjective.”
He pointed to the Wildcats’ 0–2 start in SEC play as clear evidence. “There’s nothing debatable about that. It’s exactly where we are,” Pope added. “That’s what I love about sports—it’s objective. If you told me the head coach at Kentucky started SEC play 0–2, I’d say a D is generous. That’s just the truth. Even if we win the next six, I might say, ‘Maybe bump it up to a D-plus,’ because Kentucky shouldn’t be 6–2 either. This isn’t emotional—it’s about doing your job. You either do it, or you don’t.”
Kentucky’s results have fallen well short of expectations, highlighted by a 35-point blowout loss to Gonzaga, an 18-point defeat to Michigan State, and a 15-point loss to Alabama in the SEC opener last weekend. The Wildcats also dropped an eight-point game to rival Louisville after trailing by as many as 20 points in the second half. At Rupp Arena, UK is just 1–2 against high-major opponents, with losses to Missouri and North Carolina that both featured late-game collapses.
“The bottom line is we’re 0–2 in SEC play, and I’m responsible for this program,” Pope said. “That’s simply the reality.” He added that at Kentucky, scrutiny is constant because of the passion surrounding the program. “We talk about it nonstop because we care so deeply, and that’s where all the discussion comes from,” he said.
Pope emphasized that he isn’t avoiding the current struggles. “This is exactly where we are, and I don’t want to shy away from it. The ending can be really special, but it won’t be if we don’t acknowledge starting 0–2 in the SEC. Most people want to escape the messy middle. I don’t. I want to lean into it and keep pushing forward—that’s how great stories are made.”
His remarks came before the midway point of the 2025–26 regular season, which will be reached Saturday night at halftime of Kentucky’s matchup with Mississippi State, the team’s 16th game on a 31-game schedule
The Kentucky coach understands there’s still ample time for his team to get back on track — and plenty of chances to collect quality wins that would strengthen its Selection Sunday profile — particularly with key contributors like Jaland Lowe and Jayden Quaintance still easing back after injuries. Even so, the Wildcats have appeared out of sync in their first two SEC outings. The defeat at Alabama was largely one-sided, but the collapse against Missouri was more alarming. Over the final four and a half minutes, UK was outscored 15–2 and made a series of costly mistakes late.
When asked Friday whether “mental fatigue” might be affecting the team in those moments — especially for players who haven’t logged heavy minutes or faced many late-game situations this season because of injuries or other factors — Pope reflected on how he handles adversity himself.
“I think mental fatigue exists everywhere right now if you’re fully invested,” he said. “But our responsibility is to make sure it doesn’t affect today, yesterday, or tomorrow. One thing sports teaches you is that you have no choice. No matter how bad things get, you can’t undo the past. All you can do is decide how the story ends.
“When you’re in it, it feels like the lowest point — the worst moment — and that feeling never really disappears. But what matters is that the next thing you do has the power to change everything that came before it. There’s no time to sit around feeling sorry for yourself. I’ve spent moments wanting to just shut down completely, but that’s not who we are. We respond, we get back to work, and we look for solutions.”
Pope’s phrasing — saying he felt like he wanted to “curl up in bed and kill myself,” a remark delivered with a faint smile — quickly circulated on social media Friday and drew widespread criticism. He went on to elaborate, redirecting the conversation toward the need for himself, his staff and his players to push past the mental and emotional strain that has accompanied their struggles so far.
He said that some of life’s most meaningful moments come from answering the challenge when others doubt you, expect you to fail or believe you shouldn’t even try. “Most people are afraid to step into that space,” Pope said. “We’re not.
“We don’t want to be in this position, but this is where we are,” he continued. “That means we have to rise up and respond. There’s no time to dwell on it. There’s no emotional hangover. That’s not acceptable. It’s not OK.”
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