Mark Pope says half-court offense will be Kentucky's 'ceiling measure'

Kentucky head coach Mark Pope knows how important it is for his team to execute better in half-court offense going forward.

Kentucky Wildcats guard Denzel Aberdeen (1) drives to the basket against Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Josh Hubbard (12). Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

The Kentucky Wildcats moved the ball much better in their 24-point win over Mississippi State on Saturday, even without point guard Jaland Lowe on the floor, who has been a catalyst in terms of helping making that happen this season. After struggling to do so in their first two games of SEC play, the Wildcats spaced the floor a lot more against the Bulldogs, leading to more ball-movement and scoring opportunities.

So much this season, Kentucky has relied on their transition offense being their main source of points, and even though they were really effective in that area on Saturday, Mark Pope knows that if his Wildcats don't continue showing improvement in their ability to move the ball in a half-court setting, they will not be able to reach their ceiling as a team. Just how important is it for Pope's squad? "Our pace in the half court has been like the manifestation, the DNA of who we are on my teams, and it's incredibly frustrating that we're not finding that right now. That's why we're trying to simplify everything, dumb it down," Pope said after Kentucky's loss to Missouri last week.

Now, Pope wants to see continuous progress in that area of offense, one that helped produce 21 assists, their highest mark of the season against high major opponents. He knows just how important half-court offense is for his team to succeed moving forward, but wants his team to understand that too.

"There's so much more about being vicious and violent and aggressive to get downhill, where you're acknowledging the responsibility to score first, which is the way we play, but you're really starving to create something out of a power play for your teammates. That has been a really slippery, shadowy concept for us to grasp as a team. ...We have really felt it in transition. (When) We get it in the half court--for a for a multitude of reasons, mind you--it's been a little bit more elusive, and that is going to be a ceiling measure for our team. If we can embrace that and understand it, and find a way to take that elusive concept and make it something real in our hearts, we have a chance to be great, and as much as we don't, we're just going to be good."

Kentucky had 22 points off turnovers, which is a lot, but they still looked much better in their half-court offense, with players moving the ball, screening, cutting, it was all there. Pope just wants his team to understand that has to continue moving forward to get where they want to be.