LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A bold statement followed a bold hire by the University of Kentucky.
“If Mark Pope had this years (Kentucky) roster, Kentucky would’ve beaten Oakland by 15-20 points,” Alan Cutler said of their opening-round NCAA Tournament loss last month.
Cutler, the former LEX 18 Sports Director and current ESPN Radio host, spoke Friday about an hour before Kentucky Athletics Director Mitch Barnhart officially announced that he was hiring the BYU coach and former Wildcat to replace John Calipari.
“His offense is spectacular. I’ve watched BYU this year. It’s great,” Cutler stated.
Cutler, who never shies away from sharing his opinion on all things sports, admitted to being surprised by the announcement. He’s known Pope going back three decades, first covering him as a player during the 1990s, then when the two teamed up on television coverage of the Wildcats 1997 Final Four run, the year after Pope graduated. He likes Pope a lot and thinks he’s incredibly bright. Cutler, however, questions how this process of finding John Calipari’s replacement unfolded.
“I would not have come back to Lexington until I literally flew and looked in the eye… You’re telling me Bruce Pearl wouldn’t give Mitch Barnhart an hour? Rick Pitino wouldn’t give him an hour? I think Mark was a lot higher up on Mitch’s list than you think,” Cutler said.
Perhaps, after being spurned by Scott Drew of Baylor and Connecticut’s Danny Hurley, according to several media outlets, Barnhart felt compelled to entrust this program with someone who knows exactly what this job is all about. It’s much more than just being savvy with X’s and O’s. Cutler believes Pope has an advantage in that regard and really has only one question about the new coach going forward.
“Can he recruit the inner city? I’m not saying he can’t (but) he has never done it,” said Cutler. “Mark is the best! But he is very different, which I’m okay with.”
Mark Pope is expected to be formally introduced sometime over the weekend.
