By LARRY VAUGHT
No matter where he’s coaching, Mark Pope knows one thing that will not change.
“We believe in the way we play and our approach to the game for a bunch of reasons,” said Pope. “We believe it wins and believe that is where basketball is going and we are pushing the envelope along with some teams in the NBA. We use space, cutters and attack. Philosophically, we really believe in that.
“It’s a fun way to play and coach. I think our fan base will love watching these guys play. It is an entertaining style and a little artistic. It gives you a chance to go on big runs which is so much fun. I think spurtability is really important. We really believe in it. We are going to continue to modify and push the envelope.”
To do that, Pope had to put together not only the right roster, but the right coaching staff.
“I think we have a chance to grow into the best staff in all of college basketball. I love this staff,” Pope said. “This is the most eclectic staff ever put together, the most talented staff by far, the most experienced staff by far and the most diverse by basketball experience you can find.
“I love the chemistry of this staff. They are in this for each other. This is a dream place for them to be and they know it.”
Pope’s final coaching hire was Mikhail McLean, who spent the last three seasons on Alvin Brooks II’s staff at Lamar. Alvin Brooks III, the Lamar coach’s son, is also on the UK staff. McLean was the associate head coach of the Bahamian National Team last summer when it beat Argentina, ranked fourth in the world, twice.
“Mikhail and I have been together for 14 years,” the Lamar coach said. “I think coach Pope was looking for somebody really good with player development and scouting reports but also a young guy with great energy.”
Lamar was eight nationally in fast break points, 23rd in assists, 41st in forcing turnovers and 36th in offensive rebounding last year.
“When he came from Houston to Lamar (when Brooks got the head job) he had never recruited before. I told him how you evaluate, how you recruit and how you put together a team are three different things and he did a good job understanding that because he is a smart guy. I thought he could be CEO of a major company. His leadership skills are off the chart good.”
Brooks II told Pope that and more. So did Brooks III who also knew plenty about McLean.
“He is an analytics guy like Al. They are two nerds,” the Lamar coach said.
Pope believes in analytics. That’s why he continues to insist his team will take 30 or more 3-pointers per game and why he had to be so careful putting his roster and staff together for his first season at UK.
“There were so many factors and dynamics to find pieces that fit the way we want to play,” Pope said. “There were two big pieces. One, were they capable of representing Kentucky (on the court). Two, did they understand what Kentucky basketball is about and the demands that come with playing here.
“There are a lot of great programs in college basketball but there is just nothing like Kentucky. There was a limited group of guys capable of winning at the level required here and withstanding the pressure of functioning here. Every piece we took impacted the next piece.
“But the bottom line is this is the greatest job in the world. It’s the greatest challenge that I will ever face but it is also the greatest honor and I have the roster and coaching staff to make it work.”
One big reason that Western Hills defensive lineman Javeon Campbell decided to verbally commit to Kentucky was because of UK’s success of developing high level defensive linemen.
“I know how (assistant) coach Stew (Anwar Stewart) coaches up his guys. I am really confident in everybody there but I really like coach Stew,” Campbell said.
Former UK all-SEC running back Anthony White played at UK with Stewart and remains close friends with the UK assistant coach. He offered Campbell advice about what to expect.
“Anwar’s thing is football. If you don’t eat and sleep football, you can’t play for him,” White said. “If you make a mistake and can explain why you made it you can go back and play again because you are figuring it out. if you keep making the same mistake, you are going to stand by him (on the sideline).
“Anwar is probably the toughest coach on the team. A lot of coaches accept mistakes but not him and that’s why his room is where it is now. You are not getting anything past our defensive line.”
Western Hills coach Simon Vanderpool likes that Stewart is a “football guy” who can push Campbell.
“When they (UK coaches) saw him play basketball for the first time, they saw he did not play like an average basketball guy,” Vanderpool said.
The Western Hills coach says even though this is only Campbell’s second year of high school football, he can take the hard coaching needed to reach the standard he wants to be at.
“Physically you can see a huge difference in him from last year when he was 250 (pounds) and this year he is around 280. He has also progressed just knowing the game of football,” Vanderpool said. “In the SEC, everybody has 280-pounders plus on the defensive line. Just seeing his progress physically of how he is playing and understanding the game better is a huge difference compared from last year to now.”
Vanderpool credits Western Hills basketball coach Jeff Cody for helping develop Campbell. Cody coached football at Paris and played football at Morehead State University.
“The biggest thing (to Cody) was the big picture and to see where Javeon was physically different from other guys and could have a bright future in football,” Underwood said.
National recruiting analyst Tom Lemming, host of the only national weekly high school recruiting show on the CBS Sports Network, has Campbell as the No. 1 senior in Kentucky.
“He has good length and can be an outstanding pass rusher in college,” Lemming said. “He has unlimited potential with those long arms and quick feet. He really moves well and checked all the boxes of a big-time player when I went to see him.”
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was only at Kentucky for the 2018 track season but won the NCAA and SEC 400-meter hurdle championships crowns and set a collegiate record with her best time of 52.75 seconds.
After that season, she turned professional and has been sensational. She won the 400-meter hurdles gold medal at the 2021 Olympics and then became the first woman to win two straight with a dominating performance in Paris in August. She also was sensational in the 4×400 relay that gave USA and McLaughlin-Levrone a third gold medal.
She was back at Kentucky last weekend for induction into the Kentucky Athletics Hall of Fame.
She was gracious at the induction ceremony and then enjoyed celebrating with fans at the Ohio-Kentucky football game where she got several rousing ovations from UK fans.
“There were significant moments of growth, of joy that could never be replaced,” she said during the induction ceremony. “There were people, many of which are sitting in this room, that are more than I can explain, in terms of friendship. Teammates that went through the trenches of college track with me and counselors and mentors who were a haven during that time.
“My year here was hard — I’m not going to act like it wasn’t — as it is for many college athletes all over the country but I wouldn’t change it for the world, honestly. I would not be the woman that I am if I had not attended UK.”
She appreciated her parents for encouraging her to attend college a year before turning professional. She had an entire chapter on her year at UK in her book — “Far Beyond Gold.”
McLaughlin-Levrone said she had an “amazing” year at UK,
“So being able to have an impact that warrants me even being where I am today — being inducted — it just means so much,” the Olympic gold medalist said. “And the UK family has always been so sweet and welcoming every single time, and so supportive during things like the Olympics, so it’s a huge honor to be here.”
McLaughlin-Levrone will compete in the World Championships in 2025 in Tokyo but also plans to be part of Grand Slam Track, a professional track league put together by former star sprinter Michael Johnson designed to bring the best sprinters and distance runners together for four marquee meets in 2025.
“It’s going to be four meets and high prize money. I am really excited to be part of it,” McLaughlin-Levrone, who brought her gold medals to Lexington, said.
During a SEC Network interview with Peter Burns during the UK football game, she said he couldn’t “even count” the picture requests she’s had since the Olympics and she took plenty of photos with UK fans.
“I welcome it warmly,” she said about interacting with fans.
She also showcased her juggling skills with three tennis balls while answering rapid fire questions from Burns. She joked she felt like a “gold medalist” at juggling and said she could even juggle while riding a unicycle.
Tommy Thigpen was a three-time all-ACC linebacker at North Carolina and was on the coaching staff at Auburn during the national championship season. Currently he is the co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at North Carolina where he’s been on staff since 2018.
His daughter, Asia, is a freshman volleyball player at Kentucky who is currently nursing a knee injury and has missed the last three matches, all UK losses, going into Friday’s SEC opener against Auburn.
The Kentucky freshman, who had 27 digs and 18 kills in the first eight matches, said because of conflicting practice schedules she does not get to talk to her dad often. The one exception is after matches when he’ll call.
“He’ll watch my games and then call me and tell me what I need to do better and then I give him the same kind of feedback about his players too,” she said. “It’s definitely that kind of good relationship where we can both give each other feedback about sports.”
Asia Thigpen noted her father was not quite the volleyball expert he believes he is.
“He claims he knows a lot about volleyball, but he really doesn’t know much. He knows like to hit it hard, so that’s what he just tells me,” the Kentucky freshman said. “He also says, ‘If you get set, you better get a kill. Hit it hard.’” But he means well.”
Asia Thigpen says the mental preparation for college has been an adjustment.
“You have to make sure we know who we are talking about, who we are studying and a bunch of staff,” Thigpen said. “Our coaches do a really good job getting us prepared and making sure our intensity and focus are there.”
If national recruiting analyst Tom Lemming is right, the best college football prospect in Kentucky is not a senior. Instead, it is 6-7, 290-pound junior offensive tackle Jarvis Strickland of Paducah Tilghman.
“He has super impressive length along with a nasty disposition. He can dominate as both a run and pass blocker,” Lemming said.
The 247Sports rankings also have Strickland as the number one player in Kentucky, the ninth best interior offensive lineman in the country, and the number 176 prospect nationally for 2026.
Kentucky was the first SEC school to offer Strickland a scholarship on June 7, 2022.
Now he also has offers from Alabama, South Carolina, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Vanderbilt along with ones from Indiana, Michigan State, Georgia Tech, Louisville, Charlotte, Liberty, Memphis, Old Dominion, South Florida, Toledo, Troy, Tulane, Eastern Kentucky and others.
“He just carries his weight so well,” Lemming, who made a trip to Paducah recently, said. “In college he will be like a 320-pound guy by adding 20 to 40 pounds of muscle and he could move inside. He could play anything — tackle, guard or center. He’s a great left tackle but is also athletic enough to move inside even to center.
“The thing that stands out the most is he is nasty and was bigger than I thought he would be. He takes it to other guys and never backs down or slows down. He’s already a national recruit but probably is only going to get even more offers.
Quote of the Week: “Club Blue is just taking this normal practice and they turn it into this incredible event where it’s going to be a fiesta. I think it’s going to be pretty epic. I’m really excited about all the things that we’re hearing that Club Blue is going to do around this,” Kentucky coach Mark Pope on Kentucky Sports Radio about the Blue-White Preseason Event.
Quote of the Week 2: “It is shocking to go into a place with so much blue but it looks great. They have done an awesome job. It feels like a big-time arena and is great for our sport,” Louisville volleyball coach Kelly Bushboom-Kelly on Memorial Coliseum.
Quote of the Week 3: “He is a dude. He’s a first rounder. He is dynamic. They’re all good, don’t get me wrong, but he is — they’re really, really good on defense, probably as good a defense as Ohio State in ’08,” Ohio coach Tim Albin on Deone Walker and UK’s defense.
