WATCH: Mark Pope talks family, tells stories in pre-Georgetown press conference

It was a feel-good afternoon at Rupp Arena, as Mark Pope hosted the inaugural Kentucky Basketball Media Family Day. The loved ones of those who cover the team were invited to today’s pre-Georgetown press conference and the practice afterward. In a fun twist, Pope requested that only family members ask questions, which led to an entertaining 20 minutes.

Pope started by thanking families for sacrificing time with us so we can cover the Cats, earning even more goodwill from the room. In proof that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, the first question he got was about injuries. Pope said that Jaland Lowe would be a non-contact participant in today’s practice, casting doubt on him suiting up vs. Georgetown tomorrow night. He also said that Jayden Quaintance is working around the clock to rehab his knee. He reiterated that this team is the deepest he’s ever coached and told another fun story about how competitive they are in practice.

There were plenty of light-hearted questions too. Jack Pilgrim’s wife, Katie, asked Pope what he and his daughters were going to be for Halloween, and Meredith, Zack Geoghegan’s girlfriend, teed Pope up for an excellent answer about the sacrifices everyone — including media members — make to support the program. Pope also seized on the opportunity to rave about his wonderful wife, Lee Anne, whom he said keeps him humble in more ways than one.

Today was mostly about family, but one young fan, Meg, didn’t mess around, asking about tomorrow night’s exhibition opponent, Georgetown.

“The Georgetown Hoyas are one of the great programs in college basketball. They have one of the best coaches in Coach Ed Cooley, who does an unbelievable job. Tough, tough team, hard fought, really skilled bunch of guys that can make shots. It’s gonna be a big-time game in Rupp Arena tomorrow. I’m really excited about this game.”

Same. You can see it on SEC Network+ at 7 p.m. ET.

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