Everything Mark Pope said after Georgia upset Kentucky

The Kentucky Wildcats, coached by Mark Pope, just lost their first game of the 2024-25 SEC season earlier on Tuesday against the Georgia Bulldogs, 82-69. This away defeat gives the AP No. 6-ranked team their third loss overall of the campaign, bringing their record to 12-3 for the year.

During the post-game media availability, Coach Pope was visibly displeased by the result his squad suffered despite the mighty efforts from fifth-year guard Lamont Butler and sophomore Brandon Garrison. Butler dropped 20 points, along with four rebounds, three assists and four steals, while Garrison posted 13 points, five boards and four combined steals and blocks off the bench.

When asked about the offensive glass disparity between his team and their opponent, Pope agreed it was a significant factor in their loss, citing it as something they need to work on moving forward.

"It's back-to-back games where we gave them 15 offensive rebounds, and that's a bell we got to ring. It's unacceptable for us, and it's a sign of distraction. There were so many uncharacteristic plays on the court tonight, and those for us, a decision-making team, are manifestations of some distraction," he said (Timestamp: 1:15).

"Part of it is building habits, so we're working on that really hard. Sometimes when you start on a project, you take 10 steps backwards before you make progress, and it feels like that's what we've done...Clearly, that's a major issue for us is this glass especially in game that's as slow-paced as this is," he added.

Apart from the rebounding difference, Pope was also asked about the disparity in free throw attempts during the hotly-contested fixture. The 52-year-old coach quickly dismissed the notion that this was a factor in their defeat.

"That doesn't have anything to do with this game. We leave all of that stuff. We're working on the next play. We're going to go control the stuff we can control, and we can control enough factors in this game to win. That will always be true. We refused to be distracted by that," Pope stated (Timestamp: 4:10)

With the way Pope responded to the media questions, it seems he is optimistic that his team can return to tip-top shape sooner rather than later. As a first-year coach for Kentucky, he is fine-tuning various facets of their system.

The Kentucky Wildcats are taking it game by game

Following a rollercoaster stretch for Kentucky, which included a win on Saturday and a tough loss on Tuesday, Mark Pope was asked about his team's approach to handling such sequences. He explained that after securing a victory against a challenging opponent, the team often needs to quickly adjust and prepare for the next challenge. He emphasized that this continuous focus and adaptability are key for his team, stating:

"The cadence, the flow, the challenge of the game is so different. Some of the outcomes were the same which is certainly dissapointing. But, that's just going to be something we're going to have to continue to focus on the entire season long. We'll keep working on it" (Timestamp: 6:55).

The Wildcats will travel to the Mississipi State Bulldogs' homecourt on Saturday, Jan. 11, for another road test as they seek to get back into the SEC win column.