Mark Pope thinks fans will "burn his house down" if Kentucky loses its first game

Kentucky coach Mark Pope knows the importance of winning and that he'll have to find a way to lead the Wildcats to victory, or the fans will tear him apart.

Pope, team captain of the 1996 national championship-winning Kentucky squad, shared his thoughts on his impressive debut as coach, guiding the Wildcats to a 123-52 preseason win on Wednesday.

He explained that his mindset was to give the fanbase an impressive start, and he urged the team to go full throttle from the beginning. (From 7:23)

"You know, I mean, like, we’re deadly serious about winning," said Pope. "Winning matters."

The 52-year-old bench tactician knows what is at stake and the massive expectations surrounding the team before the college basketball season starts. So, he told his players to focus on the task of winning, even if it was an exhibition game.

"We're here to win. Like, this is Kentucky. The first time we don't win a game, you guys are all going to go burn my house down, okay," Pope said.

The Kentucky coach recognizes the Big Blue Nation's desire to witness the Wildcats' first national championship win since 2012 and ninth overall. He won't stop pushing his team to reach their ultimate goal.

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Mark Pope wants to see his players improve in decision-making

Although the result was impressive, Kentucky coach Mark Pope isn't dwelling on the stats. He wants to know how the team progressed in several months of preparation for the Wildcats' 2024-25 campaign.

Pope knows psychological factors could affect his players' performance during an exhibition game. So he told his players to follow the system he employs and execute the plays they perfected in the offseason.

"We’re spending a lot more time thinking about those things. Then this just happens because of what we’re focusing on," he said.

Pope noted that he wants to see his players improve by making decisive choices in crucial situations of a ballgame.

"I'm really consumed with seeing how fast we can get better. The way we get better is by just being dialed in on exactly what we’re doing," Pope said. "I was just curious with how well we can coach our guys to be great decision makers in all the ways that we do it."

Kentucky, ranked No. 23 in the AP Preseason poll, will meet Minnesota State Mankato in its second tuneup game on Oct. 29 and begin its non-conference regular season campaign against Wright State on Nov. 4.

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