Kentucky is college basketball's winningest program. But it's fallen short of that standard in recent years. Here's how Mark Pope aims to change that.

Kentucky was able to take down Wright State by a score of 103-62 to get the Mark Pope era started off with a bang. In this game, Coach Pope had ten players play substantial minutes, which is a big number in college basketball.

Kentucky scored 103 points in its 41-point victory over Wright State on Monday night. (Yes, Pope wore the No. 41 during his playing days as a Wildcat. Karma.) That’s the highest point total by a Kentucky team for a brand new coach since Tubby Smith’s first edition defeated Morehead State 88-49. Those Cats went on to hang a banner.

On the occasion of Pope’s official debut as the Cats’ head coach, so much of the appropriate 41-point win — Pope wore No. 41 during his days as a Cat — centered on what Kentucky did on the defensive end. “I was very impressed with their physicality defensively,” Wright State coach Clint Sargent said afterward.

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats took on Wright State on Monday to start the Poper era, and the Wildcats won this game in blowout fashion 103-62. College bas

Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope enjoys pushing the envelope offensively, with 3s aplenty. That aggressiveness extends to his defensive philosophy.

Ready for Kentucky basketball? Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats begin their season Monday. Get ready for the action with our preview coverage.