Kentucky coach Mark Pope can take lessons from this season into next
· Yahoo Sports
The 2025-26 Kentucky basketball season will be remembered as one of the more disappointing ones in recent memory. A team that was considered a potential national title contender suffered some key injuries, and didn't play well enough against good teams, then ultimately suffered a blowout loss in the second round on the NCAA Tournament.
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Coach Mark Pope was under fire from fans a lot this season. As losses mounted, the calls for his job got louder, and a ninth place finish in the SEC didn't help. An early exit from the NCAA Tournament won't either.
Pope will almost certainly get another season to right the ship in Lexington. Injuries really hurt the team this season, and he's earned another chance. However, his seat could be heating up, and the 2026-27 season will need to show improvement, or fans might demand a change.
If Pope wants to make an leap in his third year, he will need to learn some lessons from this season, particularly with roster building. Here are some things he can take away from a disappointing year to make sure next year is a better one.
Point guard depth is required
When this year's roster was finalized, there was a glaring issue. Jaland Lowe was an exciting transfer addition at point guard, but there was no depth behind him. Then, the worst case scenario happened, and Lowe was injured. Eventually, he was ruled out for the year. With him out, Denzel Aberdeen moved to the point, and played admirably, but the lack of a true point guard showed up in big games. Pope will need to make sure he's adequately stocked at the position next season.
Don't risk it with injured players
Kentucky's most hyped addition this year was Jayden Quaintance, a potential lottery pick who figured to be one of the country's best centers. He was coming off a torn ACL, though, and would miss the non-conference schedule. Unfortunately, he came back, but quickly re-injured the knee and missed the rest of the season. It was a calculated gamble, but didn't pay off. He should target healthy players this offseason.
Get more shooters
The modern game revolves around efficiency. The means getting shots around the rim, and from three point range. This year's team needed more guys who could consistently knock down threes. Kam Williams and Collin Chandler might return, but they need to add more. Having more guys who can stretch the floor can open up the offense much more than it was this year.
Emphasize rebounding
Jayden Quaintance was out, so that had an effect, but the other Kentucky big men struggled to keep opposing teams off the boards. The Wildcats gave up far too many offensive rebounds that cost them big in their most important matchups. Malachi Moreno will get stronger and better, but whoever they bring in to replace Quaintance will need to be strong enough to box out and control the glass.
Figure out recruiting
Perhaps Pope's biggest issue has been with recruiting. So far, he has not landed a single player in the 2026 class, despite targeting nearly all of the top 20 players. Whether the problem is with him, or the school, they'll need to be able to get some top players there to find long-term success from developing players in his system.
This article originally appeared on UK Wildcats Wire: Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope needs to learn from this season