"We’re both really imposing figures": Louisville's Pat Kelsey playfully points out similarities with Kentucky HC Mark Pope

Despite the long-standing rivalry between Kentucky and Louisville, coaches Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey were extremely friendly with each other when they met for the Leadership Louisville Luncheon on Wednesday.

While Pope declared he loved and respected Kelsey, the Cardinals coach said:

“I want to not like Mark, but it’s hard not to because he’s a really good dude. He came up to me and introduced himself. We started talking and I walked away like — Louisville fans might not want me to say this, so I apologize — ‘That’s a really good dude.’”

Pat Kelsey, when talking about each other's program, jokingly added that the two have a lot of similarities. The 5-foot-8 Kelsey said:

“Like, we’re both really imposing figures physically. (Pope) played in the 90s at Kentucky, I played at Xavier. He scored 1,236 points, I missed a thousand points by 847. He knows Ashley Judd, I’ve seen one of her movies before.”

Louisville and Kentucky are both entering new eras under their new coaches and after this interaction, there is curiosity to see how the teams will fare against each other. They will play each other on December 14 at Rupp Arena.

Mark Pope vs Pat Kelsey: who has the better team

"Candid Coaches," a series run by CBS Sports writers, Matt Norlander and Gary Parrish, in which they poll anonymous college coaches on a wide range of topics.

For the latest installment, the coaches were posed with the question: which coach will be more successful over the next five years, Mark Pope or Pat Kelsey?

About two-thirds or 67% of the coaches voted in favor of Kentucky and Mark Pope. One anonymous coach said:

"Kentucky has a built-in stability to it that I don't think Louisville does. Louisville, despite its resources and Pat Kelsey's stellar track record, seems more prone to hot and cold spells, where recruits can waver.

I still think Kelsey will be successful at Louisville, so this is not a knock on him, but I think Pope's brand of basketball, and the freedom to recruit his kind of guys with the Kentucky brand behind him, will make them a force."

Due to coaching changes, both rosters underwent heavy rebuilding. It is yet to be seen how the new teammates will play alongside each other. But for now, Mark Pope seems to have the edge.

What are your predictions for Mark Pope and Pat Kelsey's first season in the SEC? Let us know in the comments section below.