Mark Pope made some coaching changes against Texas Tech that should excite BBN

Mark Pope coached a great game in the win over Texas Tech.

Oct 14, 2026; Birmingham, AL, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope speaks during the SEC Basketball Tipoff at Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last season didn't go well for Mark Pope and the Kentucky Wildcats; there is no question about that. Some Kentucky fans have blamed the injuries, and this is fair, but there was another problem last season. Fans were very unhappy with the substitution patterns of Coach Pope.

The Kentucky Wildcats took on the Texas Tech Red Raiders last Friday in Rupp Arena for a good exhibition test for both teams. The Wildcats went on to win this game 76-65. Kentucky fans were very satisfied with the game and felt that the team played well. Another thing that fans loved to see was the way that Coach Pope utilized all of the players on his roster.

Oct 16, 2026; Lexington, KY, USA; Kentucky Wildcats head coach Mark Pope talks to his players during the first half against the Little Rock Trojans at Rupp Arena Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Right now, the bench is a bit short for Kentucky, with Kam Williams, Trent Noah, and Jerone Morton all out of the lineup. Last year, Coach Pope talked a lot about needing to make sure his players weren't fatigued, and he didn't want to overplay anyone. That was not the case in the win over the Red Raiders, as Pope let his stars eat in this game.

Malachi Moreno played 34 minutes, and Milan Momcilovic played 33 minutes as the Wildcats took down Texas Tech. Pope wasn't worried about overplaying his guys in this game, as he was looking to get the win. Fans loved seeing this, as hopefully it is a change that will continue throughout the season.

Kentucky basketball head coach Mark Pope gives an update on the upcoming 2026-27 season during a press conference in Lexington, Kentucky July 24, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Another thing that Pope did in the win on Friday night was feed the hot hand. Zoom Diallo didn't have his best game as the Wildcats won on Friday night, but the freshman guard Mason Williams was red hot. Late in the game, Pope had Williams on the floor rather than Diallo. This does not mean Diallo isn't the guy at point guard for the Wildcats; it just means that Coach Pope is willing to play the guys who are better on any given night.

Big Blue Nation wasn't always happy with Coach Pope's coaching last season, but the things fans were frustrated with seemed to be fixed on Friday night in the Wildcats' second exhibition game. This is a very important season for Pope's tenure in Lexington, so he needs to have a good year, and the third-year head coach seems to be making the necessary changes. If Coach Pope keeps this consistent throughout the season, it will be big for the Wildcats upside this year.

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