"It’s not like me taking over for Rick Pitino": Former Kentucky coach Tubby Smith takes a stand for Mark Pope as HC builds a "program from nothing"

Since he was appointed the new coach, Mark Pope has carried the heavy weight of the Big Blue Nation's expectations. After consecutive early exits in March Madness, fans are eager to see Pope work his magic and lead the Kentucky Wildcats to an NCAA championship just like he did as a captain in 1996.

However, former Wildcats coach Tubby Smith has a completely different request for fans. During an interview with Kentucky Sports Radio, Smith said:

“People have to be patient. He’s trying to build a program from nothing. It’s not like me taking over for Rick Pitino where we had some outstanding players returning like Jeff Sheppard, Scott Padgett, Allen Edwards, Wayne Turner, Jamal Magloire and Nazr Mohammed — we had some pros!"

“The transition is never easy. I don’t care if you have good players like I had, or very few players like Mark Pope inherited. It just takes a while to teach your system and your style of play,” Smith added.

After John Calipari's exit, the Kentucky roster underwent a portal exodus with some opting for the NBA. Mark Pope has built his roster entirely from the transfer portal with only three freshman recruits. It is yet to be seen how well these players sync together on the court.

Mark Pope gives his progress report for the new Kentucky Wildcats roster

Since June, Mark Pope and the Wildcats have been training and working their way around each other. During his appearance on the Leadership Louisville Luncheon on Wednesday, Pope shared his team's progress,

"We talked about starting with people, and I think we have tremendous people," he said. "We had an eight-week training camp this summer where we got together. We don’t have a single player on our roster that’s played at the University of Kentucky before, and we only have one player that has played for me before."

"So we tried to squeeze a whole season into eight weeks and my guys responded brilliantly. The things they learned about on the court I was excited about, but their interactions off the court are what really have me inspired."

Mark Pope has the support of many fans, analysts and coaches who believe in his ability to lead his creative offense. Only time will tell if his expertise will be of use in Lexington.

What are your predictions for Mark Pope's new season? Let us know in the comments section below.