Mark Pope’s Kentucky is “unathletic” but “successful”, according to NCAA analyst: “They’re just old and know how to win”

Responding to a couple of tweets calling Mark Pope's Kentucky Wildcats soft and a "god squad," NCAA analyst Ant Wright had a different point of view. Wright said that while they're an unathletic team, they still know how to win because of their experience.

"They're not soft. ... Outside of (Otega) Oweh, they're pretty unathletic, so you can't be soft and unathletic and be as successful as they've been," he said. "I can't call them a god squad either. They're just old. They're just old, and they know how to win and they know how to just finish games. And that's what it kind of comes down to."

The conversation started off the back of a big win (95-90) for then-No. 6 Kentucky at then-No.14 Mississippi State on Saturday.

Mark Pope and Kentucky get tough road win over Mississippi State

Mark Pope and his Wildcats bounced back from their 82-69 loss at Georgia on Tuesday with a hard-fought 95-90 win over No. 14 Mississippi State on Saturday. The Wildcats sank 16 3-pointers and out-rebounded the Bulldogs by eight to secure their first road win of the season.

Jaxson Robinson led the charge with a season-high 27 points, including going 7 of 10 from beyond the arc. Otega Oweh added 15 points and eight rebounds, while Amari Williams posted a double-double with 10 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.

Mark Pope praised his team’s resilience on the road after the win:

"That’s a great win, and it’s like the 100th thing down the list. I’m just so happy for our guys. It’s our first road win. The only opportunity we had to win on the road are against ranked teams. So, it’s hard. This is a great venue. I walked in here — I don’t know if this is the same building, but it feels exactly like the same building I played in."

After leading 49-44 at halftime, Kentucky extended its lead to 65-51 in the second half. Mississippi State mounted a comeback to tie the game, but clutch three-pointers from Ansley Almonor and timely plays by Robinson and Lamont Butler helped Kentucky hold on for the win.

The Wildcats (13-3, 2-1 Southeastern Conference) return to action on Tuesday night, when they host No. 11 Texas A&M (13-3, 2-1) at 7 p.m. ET.