“Mark Pope Breaks Silence After Gritty UK Scrimmage vs. La Familia — Leadership Emerging, Trust Building, and a New Culture Taking Root”
Kentucky Basketball’s summer grind just got real. After a hard-fought closed-door scrimmage against La Familia — a battle-tested team of former Wildcats gearing up for The Basketball Tournament — head coach Mark Pope is already seeing the sparks of something special. With leadership beginning to surface, communication sharpening, and players grinding through adversity, Pope isn’t chasing perfection in July. He’s building a culture rooted in decision-making, resilience, and connection — and this early test may be exactly what the Wildcats needed to launch a new era in Lexington.
The first UK HealthCare Practice Report of the summer is in the books, and Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope had plenty to reflect on following his team’s closed scrimmage against La Familia, which is a veteran squad featuring former Wildcats preparing for The Basketball Tournament (TBT).
With 19 total practices scheduled this offseason, Pope is emphasizing development over results, especially when it comes to decision-making.
“We get so much out of this because we’re a decision-making team,” Pope told Cameron Mills. “It takes longer to teach decision-making than it does to teach sets and plays. And we do it both offensively and defensively, and kind of look like we’re trying to read the second and third lines. It’s about reps. The guys are learning how to see and understand decisions. That communication is vital. We rely so much on our talking, and being in the gym together helps us build that trust.”
“We spent time going up against smart, high-IQ, physical bodies — guys who are veterans,” he said. “Getting to face someone other than ourselves, seeing a different style of defense, different concepts, guarding different skillsets — that’s huge. I’d have La Familia in the gym every week if I could. Not just for competition, but to connect our guys to the players who built this program.”
As for what he saw from his team?
“We battled through discomfort and some frustration, and some leadership emerged,” Pope tells Cameron Mills. “As you get to see a little bit of resiliency, you get to feel where some funds of energy are in that situation.”
“We battled through discomfort and some frustration, and some leadership emerged,” Pope tells Cameron Mills. “As you get to see a little bit of resiliency, you get to feel where some funds of energy are in that situation.”
Pope compared this summer’s approach to last year’s, where his staff was focused heavily on preparing a brand-new roster for early-season games.
