ESPN awards Mark Pope's first season at Kentucky with an "A" grade

The Southeastern Conference had a historic run in 2024-25 — and Kentucky played a big part in making that success happen.

Over at ESPN, friend of the program Myron Medcalf handed out report cards for all 16 SEC teams. Kentucky was one of seven schools to receive an “A” grade, while six were awarded “B” grades, and three were just shy of failing with “D” grades. Notably, John Calipari earned a “B” grade in his first year at Arkansas while the likes of LSU, South Carolina, and Texas were tagged with the three “D” grades.

With a record-setting 14 programs making the NCAA Tournament in 2025, the SEC is the conference with the most “A” grades and one of two without a single “F” grade. When grading the ACC, Medcalf also gave Louisville and first-year head coach Pat Kelsey an “A” grade.

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Here is what Medcalf had to say about Mark Pope‘s first season coaching the Wildcats:

There will always be a “what if?” element to this season, Mark Pope’s first as the head coach of his alma mater, with top transfers Kerr Kriisa, Lamont Butler and Jaxson Robinson all missing significant time due to injuries. But the Wildcats never made excuses on their way to securing one of the country’s most impressive résumés; wins over Duke, Florida and Tennessee (twice) stamped a season that featured eight top-30 KenPom wins.

It was a dominant debut for Pope, who had to build the roster from scratch following John Calipari’s departure to Arkansas and took the Wildcats all the way to the Sweet 16, where they lost to rival Tennessee. One of America’s top offenses also matured into a respectable defensive team, clocking in at 51st nationally in defensive efficiency.
Myron Medcalf, ESPN

An “A” certainly feels fair for Pope, who had one half-commitment from Travis Perry and no assistants on staff (not to mention a late start in the transfer portal) when he took over the program last April. He quickly put together a competitive roster that won more games against top 15 opponents than any other Kentucky team in history while reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.

What will year two in Lexington hold for Pope and the ‘Cats? Check out the rest of ESPN’s grades for the SEC below.

“A” Grades