WATCH: Mark Pope previews Indiana, talks GM position/JMI's impact

Another important game awaits Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.

The Indiana Hoosiers come to Rupp Arena on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET | ESPN) in a game that will be about as close to a must-win as possible for UK. It’s been nearly a decade since these two former rivals went head-to-head, but there is extra juice to this matchup that goes beyond the historical aspect. Indiana’s leading scorer, Lamar Wilkerson, picked the Hoosiers over Kentucky in the offseason. He dropped 44 points earlier this week against Penn State.

Pope addressed his plan to defend Wilkerson during Friday’s press conference with local media, which also centered around renewing the rivalry with Indiana, injury updates to a few Wildcats, and his reaction to being asked about potentially hiring a general manager to help run the program. Pope gave a lengthy answer in response to that last part, touching on JMI’s involvement with the team, his thoughts on the entity’s impact, and Mitch Barnhart.

Dive into the video below to hear everything Pope had to say.

More Kentucky News and Views on the KSR YouTube Channel

Kentucky Sports Radio has expanded its coverage of the Wildcats in the most ridiculous manner possible on our YouTube Channel. Here you will be able to find interviews with coaches and players, as well as commentary from the KSR crew. From Rapid Reactions following big events to our lengthy lineup of live shows, subscribe to the KSR YouTube Channel to stay up to date on everything happening around the Big Blue Nation.