Mark Pope isn’t pretending that this season has been anything but a near disaster for the Kentucky men’s basketball program.
Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports — like most of the Big Blue Nation — feels the same way. Earlier this week, Trotter handed out mid-year report card grades for every high-major coaching change that happened during the 2024 offseason. Pope was one of many new hires by high-major schools that offseason, guys who are now in year two as the head coach at their current schools.
Pope was the only coach to receive a D grade through the first half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Mark Pope knows what makes Kentucky basketball tick, so he knows that this isn’t the standard. Kentucky is 17-18 against high-major teams under his leadership. Twenty-four wins and a Sweet 16 appearance a year ago formed a promising start, but Pope said, “We should be the best at everything.”
Right now, Kentucky is just average on the floor despite having hordes of cash.
The Wildcats still have enough runway to make the tournament, but the evidence is mounting — both on the floor and on the recruiting trail — that this marriage isn’t on a national championship trajectory. How does Kentucky not find a way to land any of these freshman sensations like AJ Dybantsa, Cameron Boozer, Caleb Wilson or Darryn Peterson? Kentucky seems to have lost its way. Early grade: D
— Isaac Trotter, CBS Sports
Here is how Trotter graded the other 12 head coaches, from highest grade to lowest grade:
Michigan, Dusty May: A+
Vanderbilt, Mark Byington: A+
BYU, Kevin Young: A
Arkansas, John Calipari: A-
Louisville, Pat Kelsey: A-
Stanford, Kyle Smith: B+
SMU, Andy Enfield: B
USC, Eric Musselman: B-
Oklahoma State, Steve Lutz: C+
DePaul, Chris Holtmann: C
Washington, Danny Sprinkle: C
Ohio State, Jake Diebler: C-
Kentucky currently sits on a 9-6 overall record through 15 games. The ‘Cats have trailed by 20 or more points against four ranked opponents this season. UK opened SEC play by losing to Alabama on the road and Missouri at home, the first 0-2 start in league play for this program since the 2005-06 season.
“That’s probably generous,” Pope said of receiving a D during his Friday press conference. “Like, we’re not winning like we’re supposed to win right now. That’s a fact. It’s not emotional, it’s not a character flaw, it’s just like we’re not getting the job done the way that we expected to get the job done here at Kentucky. I don’t think that’s subjective. We started the SEC 0-2; there’s nothing subjective about that.
“It’s just exactly where we are, that’s why I love sports, because it’s not subjective. And so if you told me that the head coach at the University of Kentucky led them to an 0-2 start in the SEC, I’d say a D is generous. That’s just what it is. And if we run off the next six, then I’d be like, you know maybe I’d move up to a D plus, because Kentucky shouldn’t be 6-2. It’s not emotional, it’s like we have a job to do, and you just do your job or you don’t.”
Going into another SEC matchup on Saturday against Mississippi State, Kentucky’s NCAA Tournament status is far from certain. A loss to the Bulldogs likely puts them on the outside looking in. There is still plenty of time left in the regular season to stack wins and build a solid resume, turn this season around, and make a postseason run, but that only starts by winning the next game.
“Most people want to run from the messy middle of the deal, and I’m not,” Pope said. “Like let’s dig in and let’s go. That’s how special stories happen.”