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By Carter Hepp

Why has the University of Kentucky men’s basketball imploded year after year? Why is Kentucky’s defense so lackluster? Those questions may have popped into college basketball fans’ heads after Kentucky’s loss to Oakland University in the first round of this year’s March Madness. Whether it’s due to Coach John Calipari’s old-school methods not working in the modern game, or Kentucky being such a young team, the loss against the 14-seed Golden Grizzlies was unacceptable.

Calipari at a press conference in 2013. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons user Cmadler.

There were many ups and downs throughout the ‘23-’24 season for the Wildcats, including a loss at home against the University of North Carolina Wilmington on Saturday, December 2. However, this season also provided an away victory on March 9 against SEC rival Tennessee, who were ranked 6th in the country then. At the time, Kentucky was ranked number two in the country for offense (according to the NCAA’s official website), scoring 89.0 PPG (points per game). However, they were ranked 108th overall on defense. Having a high defensive rating is a key part of success when it comes to college basketball. Two of the top five PPG given-up teams, Houston and Iowa State, were in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA men’s tournament. Both The University of Houston and Iowa State University got eliminated in the Sweet 16, but their strength in offense helped them get that far.

Being ranked so poorly on defense may have brought Kentucky fans across the country into tears in the first round of the NCAA tournament against Oakland. Underdog Oakland senior Jack Gohlke sparked 10 three-pointers (seven in the first half) on 50% percent shooting. Gohlke did not attempt a single two-pointer in the game. During the regular season, he attempted 347 three-pointers and only eight two-pointers, which is unheard of. Oakland’s junior forward Trey Townsend scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, which was a substantial help to propel Oakland’s offense and allow Gohlke to keep getting high-percentage shot attempts.

On April 10, Calipari decided to leave the Wildcats and join SEC rival Arkansas Razorbacks. This news shocked the college basketball community, since it was anticipated that Calipari would no longer be Kentucky’s coach, but joining a rival was a surprise. Calipari’s contract is for five years, $7 million per year, with a $1 million signing bonus and $500,000 retention bonuses each year. Additionally, he has incentives for making it to the NCAA tournament. Calipari leaving the Wildcats has generated an enormous buzz around the Kentucky basketball scene, as multiple recruits, including 5-star Billy Richmond, 5-star Jayden Quaintence, 5-star Boogie Fland, and more all withdrew their commitment to Kentucky. Along with recruits de-committing, numerous players from this past season have entered the transfer portal. D.J. Wagner, Aaron Bradshaw, and Zvonimir “Big Z” Ivisic are the big names that have departed. Ivisic has followed Calipari to Arkansas, Bradshaw joined the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Wagner has yet to decide officially, but it looks like he may be following Calipari. 

The University of Kentucky needed someone to fill Calipari’s shoes, and with that, they chose to hire Coach Mark Pope. Pope was the head coach at BYU from 2019 to 2024 and had previously coached at Georgia, Wake Forest, and Utah Valley. Pope played basketball at Kentucky from ‘94-’96, averaged a solid 7.6 PPG, and won a national championship in ‘96 while being team captain. Pope’s ties to the Kentucky basketball program helped him gain a warm welcome from the fans, as Rupp Arena was sold out at his introductory press conference. Pope has already begun bringing in a new team, getting 4-star Collin Chandler to de-commit from BYU and come to the Wildcats. Chandler, ranked 33rd overall in his class, was class of ‘22, but he has not played college basketball yet due to being on a two-year Mormon mission. Pope has gained support from fans, alumni, and even former Kentucky basketball coach Rick Pitino. Pitino was quoted as saying Pope will “Go on to greatness,” and many are hoping Pope will be able to keep Kentucky in the conversation of being a true basketball powerhouse.

Calipari’s legacy and impact on Kentucky’s basketball will not be forgotten, as his tenure there will go down as one of the greatest in college basketball history. Although his past four years in the NCAA tournament haven’t necessarily gone to plan, during his 15 seasons at the school, he brought them to four Final Four appearances, one National Championship, and 32 total tournament wins. Along with great overall tournament success, he managed to have 35 players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, with many of them turning out to be NBA All-Stars.