By Keith Taylor
Kentucky Today
Mark Pope’s return to Milwaukee was a memorable one.
The Kentucky coach, who played two seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, got his first NCAA Tournament victory in the Wildcats’ 76-57 victory over 14th-seeded Troy on Friday night.
The Wildcats, the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region, won its first opening-round game in two years and erased the misery of last year’s stunning opening-round loss to Oakland in Pittsburgh. That setback resulted in an off-season coaching change, setting the stage for Pope’s eventual return to his alma mater.
Pope won a national championship game in his last game as a UK player in 1996 and, 29 years later, he won his first NCAA game as coach of the Wildcats.
“The trick is, it’s not about us at all,” Pope said. “It’s just not — it’s not. So I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about it. I spend a lot of time thinking about our guys, where this is their one shot to do this — most of our guys wearing a Kentucky jersey.
“I think about BBN, and it means — when you understand how much it means to our fans and this community, that’s the stuff that’s really important to us. We just are blessed to have a chance to be here and do everything we can to help it work.”
His players were glad Pope reached a coaching milestone in his first season as Kentucky’s coach. He was 0-2 in two March Madness games while coaching at BYU.
“I’m sure it’s the first of many,” Kentucky freshman guard Collin Chandler said. “It’s fun to celebrate and be a part of it with coach Pope. It’s the first of many for him and we’re grateful to be part of the first one.”
Lamont Butler agreed, and added that the “first game has always been the toughest.”
“I’m very glad that we’re able to get a first win for him,” Butler said. “There are a couple of other players here that got their first win, so definitely excited for them, but now we’re moving on to the next game.”
It took time, but Kentucky (23-11) wore down the Trojans and delivered the decisive blow in the second half with a monstrous 16-0 run. Freshman guard Collin Chandler scored all nine of his points during the spurt, including a pair of 3-pointers and three free throws. Brandon Garrison added six points during the run with a 3-pointer and a pair of baskets in the paint.
The team’s pre-game preparation, Chandler said, played a role in Kentucky’s ability to defeat the Trojans.
“We prepared very well for this team,” he said. “… it was a great team effort and was a great first (NCAA) win this year.”
Otega Oweh, who scored just two points in a quarterfinal loss to Alabama in the Southeastern Conference Tournament, led Kentucky with 20 points, while Andrew Carr, Koby Brea and Garrison added 13 points apiece. Oweh and Carr carried the load for the Wildcats in the first half and combined for 21 of Kentucky’s 35 points in the half.
Butler didn’t score, but knows getting past the opener in the first tournament game is a relief.
“Not everybody makes it out the first round,” he said. “There are a lot upsets and things like that, but it’s a huge relief off our shoulder. We’re going to look at this game, see what we need to get better at, and go on Sunday, whoever we play, and be ready to win that game.”
Kentucky plays Illinois on Sunday at 5:15 p.m. with a berth in the Sweet 16 at stake. The Cats have not reached that round since 2019. The Illini defeated Xavier 86-73 Friday night.
Gametracker: Kentucky vs. Illinois, 5:15 p.m. Sunday. TV/Radio: TBA, UK Radio Network.