Mark Pope has one more goal to accomplish to make this the perfect first season at Kentucky

Can Mark Pope win his first NCAA Tournament game in his first season at Kentucky?

Feb 1, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope directs his players during the second half against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Mark Pope hasn't been a head college basketball coach for a long time, but he has been excellent early into his career. Coach Pope has had success at all of his stops early into his career and now he has one of the best jobs in the nation as the head basketball coach of the Kentucky Wildcats.

The start to his tenure in Lexington has been great. There is a ton of excitement around the program, and the Rupp Arena crowds are the best they have been in years.

Coach Pope got to Kentucky and quickly put together a team mostly made up of transfers. This roster of transfer portal players currently is 17-7 overall and 6-5 in SEC play. The Wildcats have five wins over the top ten teams and seven total wins over teams ranked in the top 15. Big Blue Nation can check off the box for regular season success in year one.

They can check off the box when it comes to recruiting, as Pope did an excellent job in the portal and has three elite high school recruits coming in next season.

The last box Coach Pope has to check off for this to be the perfect first season in Lexington is to win a few games in the NCAA Tournament. Pope appeared in the NCAA Tournament twice as the head coach at BYU. He is 0-2 in those games twice losing to the 11 seed as a six seed.

Coach Pope's Wildcats will likely be a three or four-seed in the NCAA Tournament this year, and if they go on a run, it will be the perfect first season for Kentucky's new head coach.