Mark Pope has made it very clear his goal is to "Win Number Nine"

Mark Pope has big goals for his tenure at Kentucky.

Mark Pope exits the bus with holding a trophy as he enters Rupp Arena greeting thousands of fans for his introductory press conference on Sunday, April 14, 2024. / Clare Grant/Courier Journal / USA TODAY

When Mark Pope gave a speech at his introductory press conference a few months ago, he made it very clear that his goal was to bring home National Championship number nine for the Kentucky basketball program.

Coach Pope was a part of one as a player, and now he wants to be a part of one as the head coach.

What Big Blue Nation should like about how Coach Pope is handling this goal is the fact that his players share the same mantra. We have heard from multiple players in the videos posted by Kentucky Basketball, showing the players moving in and talking about how the goal is number nine.

In previous seasons, Kentucky players seemed to be more worried about the name on the back of the jersey than the front. Coach Pope will not let that be a part of his program, as all of his players will understand that they are playing for the University of Kentucky.

When players buy into this concept, it helps a team come together for a common goal, and that goal for Coach Pope is to win a championship for this program and the state of Kentucky.

While this team will be made up of a lot of transfers, these players seem to be happy with how they are liking Lexington so far, and they are bonding. This is going to be a very close team, and these are the types of teams that have the most success in the month of March. Coach Pope is building something special in Lexington.