"Enjoyed our guys' focus and intensity": Mark Pope satisfied following Kentucky's blowout exhibition win with record-breaking 21 3s

Kentucky coach Mark Pope had a great start to his tenure in Lexington, leading his team to an impressive 123-52 victory over Kentucky Wesleyan. In their first exhibition game at Rupp Arena on Wednesday, the Wildcats drained a program-record 21 3-pointers.

Pope's first game and a 71-point win marked an encouraging beginning. The new coach was happy with the team's performance on both ends of the floor. Jaxson Robinson, a senior transfer from BYU, led the scoring with 19 points including five 3-pointers.

After the game, Mark Pope spoke with the UK Sports Network, recapping the game and praising the team's competitive spirit and execution.

“Our guys were really disciplined on the offensive end about not bailing out," Pope said. "Taking tough, two-person challenge shots at the rim, but getting two feet and making plays for their guys, so I’m super proud of that."

"We got to a space where we lost a little bit of our communication against their Princeton style and we get them a few baskets with the rim that we didn’t like. But I was proud of our guys in the way they responded and fixed it. ... I really enjoyed our guys' focus and intensity all night long."

Mark Pope said earlier that he wants Kentucky to take 35 3-point shots per game during the regular season. They took 42 in their first exhibition game, signaling a strong start.

Mark Pope says Kentucky players are eager to learn and improve

Fourteen players left Kentucky after last season. Mark Pope had to rebuild the squad with a mix of transfers and freshmen.

Jaxson Robinson, Lamont Butler, Andrew Carr, Brandon Garrison and five more arrived in Lexington from the transfer portal this offseason. Two four-star high school products Collin Chandler and Travis Perry also joined the Wildcats.

With all the young talents and Mark Pope being new to Kentucky, the team might need more time to mesh and fine their flow. However, the coach said he has a team that's willing to learn.

"I have a group, that’s humble and curious, and we’re actually dying to get in the film room and be like, okay, show us what we’re not doing well, where are the holes and cracks in what we do so we can go fix them and build them back up," Pope said.

Kentucky will tip off their 2024-25 campaign against Wright State on Nov. 4. They face Duke at the Champions Classic on Nov. 12. The regular season starts in early January, including games against Florida, Alabama, Texas A&M and Tennessee.