Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope wants program to take on this identity Courier Journal
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LEXINGTON—MarkPope apologizedinadvancefornotknowingtheexactnumbers,jokingthat“somebodywillverifythis”byhoppingonGoogle.Butthespecificsmatteredlessthanthepointhewantedtomake.
Besthecouldrecall,PopeandhisKentuckyteammateswereinthemiddleofanexhibitiongameagainstAthletesinActionthreedecadesago.TheWildcatshadjumpedtoabiglead—Popethoughtitwas28-4—intheearlygoing.Thentheygaveupfourstraightpoints.
RickPitinowasfurious.Hecalledatimeout.Andproceededtoripintohisplayers.
“Thelastthing(Pitino)saysis,‘Youguysaregoingtopayforthistomorrow!'”Poperecalled.
Alltheseyearslater,Poperememberedtheresponseofhisteammate,WalterMcCarty.
“Waltstandsup,whiteasaghost—hiseyestearingup—andhelooksatmeandhisvoice,”saidPope,droppinghistoneafewoctavestomimicMcCarty’shigh-pitched,anxioustimbre,“andhe’slike,‘We’vegottofixthis!'”
Thatall-out,nonstopi
