Recapping everything Mark Pope said before his first SEC tournament with Kentucky

Kentucky coach Mark Pope met with the reporters on Wednesday to discuss the Wildcats' plans heading into his first Southeastern Conference Tournament with the program.

Kentucky (21-10, 10-8 SEC) enters the tournament as the No. 6 seed and will play in the second round on Thursday against the winner of Oklahoma vs Georgia.

Pope began by reflecting on the contribution of freshman Collin Chandler and how he will be a key piece for the team, both this season and moving forward.

"He's getting more and more comfortable on the floor, and he gives us some things that we don't have a lot of on the roster," Pope said. "He's grown so much defensively ... he's getting more aggressive and comfortable on the offensive end. We need that — we need both those things."

A reporter then pressed Mark Pope on the process of scouting the team's upcoming opponents, asking if Kentucky has staff members specifically dedicated to preparing for each team.

"We have three teams right now leading the scout," he said (at 0:56), "so Team 1A and 1B are working in Georgia and Oklahoma. Then we have another independent group on the staff that's working in Alabama, prepping that."

Pope also explained how his team is dead focused on the task at hand and is not looking too far ahead.

"Our goal is to come here and win. That's every team's goal," the coach added (4:20). "But the way that we're going to win is we're going to come here and think about this possession."

"We're going to be completely — our whole heart, mind, and soul — lost in the possession that we're in right now. And if we can do that consistently, we're going to be successful."

Mark Pope talks about the pressure of coaching at Kentucky

As the postseason approaches, Mark Pope is well aware of the heightened expectations surrounding the Kentucky team.

"The beautiful thing about coaching at the University of Kentucky is every game for me is essentially a one and done," Pope said (2:30). "Because if I lose one, I get fired at any moment ... I know it sounds like a cliche, but it's not, guys."

The Wildcats have already lost ten games this season, equaling their total losses from all of last season under previous coach John Calipari.

Some fans have even called for Pope's job following the team's inconsistent play in the regular season. However, he has faith that the fanbase will come around and support the team during the postseason.

"There's no fan base like this in the world, and it means so much," Pope added (6:12). "There is nothing in the world that my guys would like more than to gift BBN an incredible week here."

Mark Pope and Kentucky will need to win four straight games to capture the SEC Tournament championship — something they haven’t accomplished against their conference foes this season.