*****
* Pope admits he didn’t see a great deal of UK games during Calipari’s time here because he was so wrapped up and focused on what he was doing in the moment, but everyone in college basketball was impressed by what he did on the court and off the court for the people of Kentucky. Says he’s not really getting caught up in the drama of it, but acknowledges that people care a lot here and always will. These moments in time should be fun for fans. I think it’s great to write about, talk about, celebrate.
* Pope says this feels a bit like competing against a family member for bragging rights.
* Can’t take this game for granted despite Arkansas’ struggles. Every team in this league is capable of beating you on a given night.
* When he came into Rupp as a visiting coach, it gave you the perspective of what it’s like from the other side. You can’t help but feel it, the size, the tradition, the energy of the fans. It’s the pinnacle of college basketball.
* On Adou Thiero… He’s a monster. He’s playing elite level basketball. Dominating physically. Coming downhill, functional at mid-range. He’s a handful, for sure. There’s no easy answers for him.
* We talk about making every game our biggest game of the year. That’s how our team approaches it and how we are evaluated. I love it. It makes every moment the most important moment.
* Doesn’t recall speaking to Coach Pitino before he came back to coach against UK as the Louisville coach. (Laughs) I just thought, HOW could you go to Louisville???
* We haven’t been great about it, but the goal remains getting up 30 3s. It will be important in this game. Arkansas is good at defending the 3. We’ve got to find a way to earn them.
* On Zvonimir Ivisic… Got to speak a couple of times. Clearly, I liked him a lot more than he liked me. (Laughs) Calls Big Z a talent and a terrific young man. Skill set is really unique for his size, and a moxie about him that’s fun. Good passer. A Top-10 rim protector. Big challenge for us as we begin this scout.
* On Malachi Moreno being a McDAA… You can see him having a bigger understanding of why he’s such a good fit for us and the way we play.
* Asked about a story where there were anonymous comments about “a certain coach,” Pope says he’s not really big on that kind of thing, but notes that coaches generally know a lot about what’s in their house but very little about what’s in somebody else’s house. I would be super-cautious about commenting about someone else’s program. It would be pretty ill-informed.
* Cal is an icon in this game, and he’s been a mentor to me.
* On Andrew Carr… I was really stressed about him Tuesday at Tennessee. He’s such a warrior. If you ask him, there’s never any pain and he’s always ready to go. But they wanted to give him some time. Thought his courage was high to put Carr in the game, but he lost that courage after about 90 seconds.
* Lamont Butler still not cleared to return to practice. “We’ll figure that out as time goes by.”
