Mark Pope says this Kentucky team has been good at 'metabolizing frustration'

The Wildcats have done well at not panicking when things are going bad.
Jan 14, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks to his players from the sideline during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
Jan 14, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks to his players from the sideline during the second half against the Texas A&M Aggies at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images
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Kentucky basketball got its fifth win over an AP Top 25 opponent this season, the most of any team in college basketball. Through Kentucky's wins they have controlled the pace and been able to score. But up until recently, teams have been able to push them around and slow down their offense, and it worked. After being bullied on the road in their loss to Georgia, the Wildcats have changed, improving their ability to handle teams that want to slow them and be physical.

They are being physical right back to them, and now are coming off a game where they even outrebounded the best offensive rebounding team in the country with a +10 margin on the glass. Texas A&M is a very physical and chippy team, something the Wildcats will continue to see in the SEC. Mark Pope says his Kentucky team is pretty good at tuning out of all the frustrations of a game, especially one like Tuesday night, and stay focused on what they are doing good. When the shots weren't falling, the Wildcats stayed poised, and that led to a big second half.

"There's a lot of frustration. That is what Texas A&M does really well. That is something we will continue to work on all season long is just, you know, our guys do a bunch of things. One is there is so much good happening on the floor, like we felt good on the glass all night long. In fact, in the first half, we gave up two offensive rebounds, minus two possessions where we gave up five offensive rebounds in those two possessions. There was so much good for us to keep talking about in timeouts and to keep focusing on and I think when you keep focusing on what you are doing well, I think it gives you some staying power. Our guys are pretty good about metabolizing frustration. They are pretty good at that, which is massively important. If you are going to be a good team, you have to get rid of frustration. You have to be able to absorb it and spit it out and our guys can do it."

Pope on Kentucky tuning out frustrations

Worrying about what is going wrong in the game can put you in a bad spot, and Mark Pope is making sure his team is focused on the good and spitting out those frustrations that could hold them back. That's a great mindset to have against these physical SEC teams.


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Wyatt Huff
WYATT HUFF

University of Kentucky Basketball and Football beat writer.