“It was brutal”: HC Mark Pope displays discontent about one aspect of Kentucky’s game

Kentucky coach Mark Pope expressed discontent about his team's lack of defensive effort in its game against La Familia. The Wildcats coach provided the blunt assessment during his media availability session on Monday.

Pope wasn't encouraged by what he saw with the team during the exhibition, as they gave out easy buckets to the team made up of Kentucky alumni in the first quarter of The Basketball Tournament.

"I thought after the first quarter of of the TBT game, I was going to crash out," Pope said (Timestamp: 18:02). "I mean, it was brutal."

The second-year Kentucky coach was disappointed over the team's defensive woes, after giving up 1.8 points per possession in the first quarter. He understood that it was only a scrimmage, but the defensive effort needs to be fixed to contend in the coming season.

"We're a million miles away from being the team that we think we can be," Pope said (Timestamp: 18:20). "I do think that the potential is there. We we just have a long way to go to get there."

Kentucky looks to improve on its Sweet Sixteen finish from last season, and it has the tools to contend in the SEC and the nation. The Wildcats signed the second-best transfer portal class this offseason and brought a top-20 recruiting class (per On3), showing their serious intention to contend in the 2025-26 season.

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Kentucky coach Mark Pope has high hopes for freshman commit Braydon Hawthorne

Kentucky coach Mark Pope couldn't hide his excitement on 6-foot-8 freshman wing Braydon Hawthorne, comparing him to Kentucky alumnus and former Detroit Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince.

In a media availability session on Monday, Pope describes Hawthorne as a unique player with a build and skillset akin to the former NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team awardee.

"There is a whole bunch of Tayshaun Prince in this kid," Pope said (Timestamp 20:10). "And I know those are big words. Tayshaun Prince is one of the best players to ever play here and had an incredible NBA career, a championship NBA career."

Hawthorne could be the third-best player on Kentucky's Class of 2025 behind Malachi Moreno and Jasper Johnson, but his performances in the latter part of the 2024-25 season pushed him to 35th from outside the top 100 when the final rankings were released.

The wing has similar physical traits to the former Kentucky star. Hawthorne has a 7-foot-3 wingspan while the 6-9 Prince had a 7-2 reach when spread out. They are long, skinny and skilled wings that could become an X-factor when the Wildcats start their quest for their ninth national title next season.