CBS Sports lists Mark Pope as one of college basketball's most innovative offensive coaches

Mark Pope's offense is going to take the SEC by storm.

University of Kentucky’s new men’s basketball coach Mark Pope applauds as Athletic Director Mitch Barnhart introduces him to the thousands of fans in Rupp Arena for his press conference on Sunday, April 14, 2024. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY

One of the reasons Mark Pope was such a good hire for the Kentucky Wildcats is because he is an elite offensive mind. Coach Pope's offense preaches ball movement, cutting to the rim, everyone on the floor being able to pass, and knocking down open threes.

Coach Pope has always had an elite offense, but now he has a roster full of veteran players who will be able to run the offense to perfection.

CBS Sports listed Coach Pope as one of college basketball's most innovative offensive coaches.

Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports, who wrote the article, had this to say about Pope's offense, "New Kentucky coach Mark Pope is a bit of a mad scientist. The former BYU coach knew he had to be different to survive in the Big 12, so Pope unleashed an offense that shot 50.4% of its attempts from beyond the arc. It was just the third time in the KenPom era that a high-major team attempted more 3s than 2s, joining 2017-18 Washington State and 2018-19 Villanova. Having something in common with Jay Wright is a pretty good thing. Pope found something by inverting the floor with big man Aly Khalifa, who could step out and drill a 3-pointer but, most importantly, pass the rock. Kentucky should be able to emulate that a little bit with a passing big man like Amari Williams and a horde of shooters, headlined by Jaxson Robinson and Koby Brea. Kentucky hopes Pope is its version of Oats at Alabama. Oats is a champion of the "Rim & 3" rate, something that John Calipari did not embrace during his tenure."

No one is talking enough about Coach Pope and his 2024-25 roster but with this elite offense and the perfect roster to run it, watch out for the Kentucky Wildcats.