Last season did not go to plan for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats. There was a ton of hype and anticipation about this team, but it didn’t work out for the Wildcats, with injuries playing a major role. Kentucky lost to Iowa State in the Round of 32 in a year many thought they could hang a banner.
Kentucky fans were frustrated by a lot of things, but one of the main ones was the minute distribution/substitutions. Coach Pope talks all the time about how he doesn’t want to overplay players. This left Kentucky fans scratching their heads as players came out and said they are capable of doing it. Andrija Jelavic talked to the media last season about how the entire team has played four or five games in a day their entire life.
University of Kentucky’s new men’s basketball coach Mark Pope points to the championship banners as he speaks about the victories he will soon be adding to display. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
Big Blue Nation wants to see Pope let the stars on his roster play more minutes this season. Otega Oweh played about 33 minutes a game last season. The hope this year is that Coach Pope will play Alex Wilkins, Zoom Diallo, and Milan Momcilovic over 30 minutes per game and hopefully close to 33 minutes per game. These guys are going to be some of the superstars for the Wildcats, and they need to be on the floor.
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Moreno needs to be on the floor about 28 minutes per game. Coach Pope doesn’t like to leave seven-footers on the floor that much, as he only played Amari Williams 24 minutes per game, but BBN would love to see Moreno play 28 minutes per game. This will also help Franck Kepnang stay healthy, which is going to be important for this team’s success.
Nov 26, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope yells to his players during the second half against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
Kentucky fans would also love to see Coach Pope wait longer into the game to make substitutions. Kentucky last season, in some games, would have a lead, then Pope would make changes to the lineup really early in the first half, and the other team would get some momentum. This is why Coach Pope needs to let the first half play out more before taking out some of his starters.
Coach Pope does seem to be pretty set in his ways, so it will be interesting to see if he will be willing to make some changes to the way he coaches within the game. BBN wants to see the stars play more minutes this season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/kentucky as Will Kentucky coach Mark Pope change the way he distributes minutes this season?.
