New No. 9 'assignment' banner hangs in Joe Craft Center (and is that denim?)

This post was originally going to be about new summer practice highlights for the Kentucky Wildcats — and it still is, to be clear. Those new summer practice highlights, however, contained a few head-turning moments that extend far beyond anything we see on the court.

For starters, the old championship banners have been taken down and replaced with new ones with all eight titles represented: ’48, ’49, ’51, ’58, ’78, ’96, ’98 and ’12. Then there is an additional banner right next to that 2012 championship that feels like both yesterday and decades ago.

“#9,” it reads. “The Assignment.”

Mark Pope has been clear about his top priority from the minute he arrived and hasn’t wavered since, saying “we failed at our job last year” when describing the 2024-25 season — one that saw the program tie an all-time college basketball record with eight top-15 wins and return to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019.

“I’m not going to be the guy who comes to Kentucky as the head coach and somehow lowers the expectations of this place,” he told KSR in May. “Man, we’re trying to win this whole thing.”

Now there is the signage to back that up inside the Joe Craft Center.

Oh, and another thing: the color. It’s certainly not the brilliant, deep blue we’re used to — at least in the 21st century. Does the new blue in the practice gym have a denim vibe to any of you? That’s certainly the look, if you ask me.

Those are the two non-basketball takeaways, but the highlights are pretty spectacular on their own, too. We see Denzel Aberdeen diving for a loose ball and getting a breakaway slam, Kam Williams, Braydon Hawthorne and Collin Chandler splashing threes and Otega Oweh, Trent Noah, Brandon Garrison and Mo Dioubate all throwing down dunks, among other bright moments.

And how they chose to break down the huddle? “Family.”

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One week of summer workouts is in the books with seven more to go — all pushing toward Kentucky’s goal of banner No. 9.