Kentucky basketball’s Mark Pope recalls sermon in press conference
Kentucky’s Mark Pope recalls Sunday sermon teaching them to “be still” in this melee. Hear how it applies to UK basketball.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The lead-up to the 2024-25 season rolls on for Kentucky basketball.
It continues Tuesday, with head coach Mark Pope and guards Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson representing the Wildcats during the SEC Tipoff event — otherwise known as the conference’s media day — at the Grand Bohemian Hotel.
UK is entering the first season of Pope’s tenure after a 15-year run under former coach John Calipari. Though the Wildcats won more than 400 games, went to four Final Fours and captured a national title under Calipari in 2012, March Madness success has eluded the program in recent years. Kentucky hasn’t made it out of the opening weekend of the NCAA Tournament since 2019, when it reached the Elite Eight.
After every scholarship player from last season’s roster departed, Pope rebuilt the team through the NCAA transfer portal. The Wildcats brought in nine transfers to go along with three signees (Collin Chandler, Trent Noah and Travis Perry).
UK will have a pair of exhibitions at Rupp Arena (7 p.m. Oct. 23 versus Kentucky Wesleyan and 7 p.m. Oct. 29 against Minnesota State Mankato) before opening the season Nov. 4, when Wright State arrives in Lexington for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
Courier Journal reporter Ryan Black will be keeping tabs on the Cats — and the other 15 schools — during Tuesday’s conference media day event in Birmingham, Alabama. Follow along with his live coverage below:
The SEC Network will have live coverage of SEC Tipoff, beginning at 11 a.m. ET. “The Paul Finebaum Show” will provide additional on-site coverage form the event starting at 3 p.m.
Authenticated subscribers can access SEC Network via TV-connected devices or by going to WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+.
You also can stream SEC Network on Fubo, which offers a free trial.
In addition to TV coverage, news conferences for all 16 SEC head coaches will be streamed live on SEC Network+ and the ESPN App.
You can watch news conferences on WatchESPN.com, the WatchESPN app or ESPN+. SEC Network authenticated subscribers can access SEC Network+ via TV-connected devices.
Those without access to SEC Network+ can access coverage via a subscription to ESPN+. (To sign up for ESPN+, click here.)
Here’s a rundown of the SEC Tipoff participants, with coaches and players from all 16 schools in the league meeting with the media today:
(All times listed are Eastern.)
| 10 a.m. – Noon | South Carolina (Lamont Paris, Collin Murray-Boyles, Nick Pringl) |
| 10 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. | Georgia (Mike White, Silas Demary Jr., RJ Godfrey) |
| 10:20 a.m. – 12:25 p.m. | Tennessee (Rick Barnes, Jahmai Mashack & Zakai Zeigler) |
| 10:40 a.m. – 12:40 p.m. | Mississippi State (Chris Jans, Josh Hubbard, Cameron Matthews) |
| 11:00 a.m. – 1:20 p.m. | Kentucky (Mark Pope, Lamont Butler, Jaxson Robinson) |
| 12:20 – 2:20 p.m. | LSU (Matt McMahon, Cam Carter, Jalen Reed) |
| 12:05 – 2 p.m. | Auburn (Bruce Pearl, Johni Broome, Denver Jones) |
| 12:25 – 2:20 p.m. | Florida (Todd Golden, Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin) |
| 1:55 – 3:55 p.m. | Texas A&M (Buzz Williams, Anderson Garcia, Hayden Hefner) |
| 2:10 – 4:20 p.m. | Vanderbilt (Mark Byington, AJ Hoggard, Tyler Nickel) |
| 2:30 – 4:35 p.m. | Alabama (Nate Oats, Mark Sear, Latrell Wrightsell Jr.) |
| 2:30 – 4:40 p.m. | Oklahoma (Porter Moser, Sam Godwin, Jalon Moore) |
| 3:30 – 5:35 p.m. | Arkansas (John Calipari, Johnell Davis, Adou Thiero) |
| 3:50 – 6:00 p.m. | Missouri (Dennis Gates, Mark Mitchell, Tony Perkins) |
| 4:10 – 6:15 p.m. | Texas (Rodney Terry, Tre Johnson, Kadin Shedrick) |
| 4:30 – 6:45 p.m. | Ole Miss (Chris Beard, Jaylen Murray, Sean Pedulla) |
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Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.
