Mark Pope responds to DeMarcus Cousins claiming Kentucky has no heart: 'No issue with what he said'

DeMarcus Cousins tweeted that Kentucky basketball “has no heart” and that the current product the Wildcats have produced is “hard to watch” during Friday night’s 94-59 loss to Gonzaga. Second-year UK head coach Mark Pope didn’t disagree with him after the game.

“I have no issue with what he said, in the sense of — like, if you’re watching that game, you feel like, starting with the coach, this product is completely unacceptable,” Pope said. “Unacceptable.”

It’s clear Pope is unhappy with the effort his team, now 5-4 with back-to-back losses, has put forth this season. Like Cousins, Pope is an alumni and wants nothing but success for the Kentucky basketball program, too.

“I think that, as a former player here, I’m pissed at the coach too,” Pope said. “That’s just all deserved. There’s nothing inappropriate about what he said at all.”

Gonzaga outplayed Kentucky from the opening tip. Both teams struggled to find the basket in the opening minutes of the matchup but once the Bulldogs started hitting shots — it was all but over for the Wildcats. Gonzaga would build a 19-2 lead before taking a 23-point lead into halftime.

By the time the game ended, Gonzaga had made 11 of its last 13 field goals and outscored Kentucky 51-39 in the second half. The Bulldogs finished the game with 36-made field goals compared to Kentucky’s 16 total.

Gonzaga won on the box score in just about every other category as well. The Bulldogs on the turnovers margin by two, totaled 12 more rebounds than Kentucky, outscored UK 46-18 in the paint, doubled them in assists (24-12) and never relinquished the lead once during the game.

Kentucky had no answer for Gonzaga’s Graham Ike, who scored 28 points on 11-18 shooting to go along with 10 rebounds and three assists. Kentucky’s two highest scorers, Otega Oweh and Collin Chandler, combined for 27 points during the contest.

Boogie Cousins isn’t the first alumni to call out Pope’s Wildcats, or kittens, as UK great Jamal Mashburn said on TNT earlier this season. More are likely soon to follow if UK doesn’t get it together before SEC play.

There’s time for Kentucky to turn things around before then, however. The Wildcats have two emotionally-charged matchups coming up before the end of the month. UK will rehash its rivalry vs. Indiana on Dec. 13 inside Rupp Arena and one week later will battle Rick Pitino’s St. John’s squad in Atlanta. Those are must-win matchups for Pope and Kentucky.