Mark Pope calls representing Team USA a 'rare honor'

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope is serving as an assistant coach this year on the USA Men’s U19 National Team. On Tuesday, Pope pulled back the curtain on his gratitude to be a part of the experience.

“There’s nothing like USA Basketball,” Pope told KSR’s Jack Pilgrim. “I think wearing USA across your chest is a rare honor. It’s an incredible honor. Not only are you around the best players in the country, and hopefully the best players in the world, but also you’re representing this country.

“It’s really special. It’s an incredible opportunity to be a part of something that, once you get to kind of put your toe in here, it never leaves you. It’s so special.”

Pope can appreciate representing the United States better than most. After all, he’s traveled to and live in almost every corner of the nation.

Pope is from Washington and played his first two years of college basketball in the state before moving across the country to star at Kentucky. After his time in the Bluegrass State, Pope played in the NBA for the Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.

After his playing days, he lived in New York City, where he attended Columbia University’s medical school. Alas, after spending three years learning to be a doctor, Pope decided he wanted to coach instead and moved to Georgia, where he began his coaching career.

From there, Pope has bounced around America, not only for different coaching jobs, but also to recruit top talent from all around the country. Pope had the opportunity to coach two of those top talents at the Team USA training camp.

Incoming Kentucky freshmen Jasper Johnson and Malachi Moreno were two of 32 players invited to participate in the USA Men’s U19 National Team’s training camp. In the end, 12 players will make the official roster.

The team made its first round of cuts on Tuesday. Johnson advanced but Moreno didn’t and will be returning to Lexington to begin summer workouts with the rest of Kentucky’s team. Jack Pilgrim reported that Moreno suffered a minor injury on Monday and ultimately wanted to return to UK to not risk any further injury.

There are 18 players currently still in the training camp and Johnson will look to be Kentucky’s sole player representative on the team. Of course, Mark Pope will do all he can to help his four-star freshman succeed.