Former Kentucky coach Rick Pitino had a message for Mark Pope after the win over Duke

Rick Pitino had a message for Mark Pope after he took down #6 Duke.

Nov 12, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope reacts on the sideline against the Duke Blue Devils during the second half at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats made the trip to Atlanta, or as it is better known in Lexington, "Catlanta," to take on the #6 Duke Blue Devils, and the Wildcats got the massive win. Kentucky was down 46-37 at the half but outscored Duke 40-26 in the second half to win the game 77-72. The Wildcats locked down defensively in the final ten minutes of the game, leading to the win.

After the win, Coach Pope's former head coach, when he was a player at Kentucky Rick Pitino, had a message. Pitino had this to say to Pope on X, "Congrats Cap. No Surprise to me." Coach Pitino has a ton of love for Coach Pope, and he will always root for him and Kentucky. Big Blue Nation loves seeing the relationship between the former and current Kentucky head basketball coaches.

This win for Kentucky proved that this team will be able to hang with every team in college basketball. Duke might be the most talented team in all of college basketball, and the Wildcats were able to mount a massive comeback, proving this team has no quit. Coach Pope teaches his players to have no quit, which is the reason he will be such a successful coach.

Kentucky still has a bunch of tough games left on the schedule, and they won't win them all, but this team is capable of doing something special. Coach Pope's veteran roster was ready for the big stage, and after being punched in the mouth by Duke early, the experience showed as the team was nails in crunch time.