Rick Pitino describes feeling of coaching against Mark Pope, Kentucky: 'I didn't have any emotion at all'

Mark Pope was the team captain of Rick Pitino‘s 1996 National Championship team at Kentucky. After 29 years, Pope and Pitino stepped onto the same hardwood again; not on the same team, but pitted against each other.

It was the first time Pope, who is in his second season as Kentucky’s head coach, faced Pitino as an HC. The student ultimately defeated the master, with Kentucky pulling out a 78-66 victory. Despite the storybook collision, Pitino said he wasn’t emotional about the matchup.

“If this was at Rupp, I think I’d have a lot of emotion, but I didn’t have any emotion at all,” Pitino said. “I’m really proud of Mark, I think he’s done a brilliant thing with changing the whole mindset of the team, ‘Let’s be tough. Let’s be physical.’ It doesn’t surprise me makes the change. That’s why he’s a Rhodes Scholar candidate.”

Pitino has never shied away from praising Pope. When Kentucky first hired Pope, Pitino released a message online voicing his support for the decision.

Pope returned the admiration later that year when he invited Pitino to attend Kentucky’s Big Blue Madness. For years, Rick Pitino was despised by Kentucky’s fanbase, but those hard feelings seemingly melted away when Pitino walked out with Pope and the 1996 National Championship squad inside a packed Rupp Arena.

The crowd erupted into a standing ovation, raining down cheers on one of the greatest coaches in the storied program’s history. Pitino was undeniably emotional then, with tears in his eyes while addressing Big Blue Nation.

Nonetheless, those fuzzy feelings were gone Saturday while Pitino watched his team’s first-half lead slip away. Kentucky had perhaps its best performance of the season, with Jayden Quaintance and Jaland Lowe both having excellent outings.

Now, with back-to-back wins against Power Four opponents, Kentucky looks prepared to enter conference play. While Rick Pitino would’ve rather seen his team win Saturday, he’s proud of his former player.

“They’re going to be a very good basketball team,” Pitino said. “They’re gonna have to keep playing smash-mouth basketball, and play like that physical team. And, I give Mark all the credit in the world because he’s a big believer in finesse, big believer in shooting the 3, and he says, ‘Look, hey, it’s not working, let’s change, man.’ So, I give him an awful lot of credit.”