Excitement is building in Lexington as the Kentucky Wildcats basketball program continues to grow under its new era of leadership.
With John Calipari departing for Arkansas last spring, the Wildcats turned to Mark Pope, who will be entering his second season as head coach next fall. Pope has been relentless this offseason, assembling a roster capable of competing at the highest level.
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And now, he’s taking that energy nationwide.
On Tuesday, Kentucky basketball made an exciting announcement involving Pope and two of his incoming players.
Pope, along with soon-to-be UK freshmen Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno, will head to Colorado Springs on June 14 to participate in the USA Basketball U19 National Team training camp at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center.
According to a statement from USA Basketball, “Pope will serve in an on-court coaching role, while the freshmen are vying for spots on the 12-player roster on Team USA’s squad that will compete at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland.”
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The news thrilled fans in Lexington.
“Being associated with USA basketball never hurts when it comes to recruiting,” this Kentucky fan mentioned.
“Pope working with team USA!!!” was posted here.
Wildcats backers are pleased with the work Pope is putting in: “Coach Pope is working!!”
“Kentucky x Team USA.” called out here.
“Hugeee” shared a Cats fan.
Staying with the theme, this Kentucky fan was excited for his coach: “Big time for Pope!!”
Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope.Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
Pope is no stranger to Kentucky basketball. He played for the Wildcats from 1994 to 1996 and was part of the 1996 team that won the national championship. Before his time in Lexington, he starred at the University of Washington, where he was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 1992.
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He was selected in the second round of the 1996 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers and concluded his professional playing career with the Denver Nuggets in 2005.
Pope began his collegiate coaching career in 2009 and earned his first head coaching opportunity with Utah Valley in 2015. After four seasons there and another four at BYU, he took the reins at Kentucky for the 2024–25 season.
In his first year leading the Wildcats, Pope guided Kentucky to a 24-12 record, including a 10-8 mark in SEC play. The Wildcats reached the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament before falling to Tennessee.
With a solid debut season and now a key role with USA Basketball, Pope’s impact at Kentucky is already building excitement, and it looks like he’s just getting started.
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