Mark Pope was (jokingly) taken aback when he heard the news Kentucky would be taking on Purdue — a preseason top-five team with Final Four aspirations — in an October exhibition battle inside Rupp Arena later this year.
“Wait, what? Who scheduled that?” he said, laughing to himself at the audacity of his team taking on a national powerhouse when most go out of their way to host cupcakes in early tune-up opportunities.
Is it crazy? Probably, but it’s just the way he likes it. Any chance he can to build up the schedule and create big-time environments or tests for his program, he wants to take them. When this one came along, he was thrilled to take advantage of it and what it will mean for the Wildcats in the long run.
Mark Pope thrilled to host Purdue in exhibition: “I’m excited about it for college basketball.”
Mark Pope was (jokingly) taken aback when he heard the news Kentucky would be taking on Purdue — a preseason top-five team with Final Four aspirations — in an October exhibition battle inside Rupp Arena later this year.
“Wait, what? Who scheduled that?” he said, laughing to himself at the audacity of his team taking on a national powerhouse when most go out of their way to host cupcakes in early tune-up opportunities.
Is it crazy? Probably, but it’s just the way he likes it. Any chance he can to build up the schedule and create big-time environments or tests for his program, he wants to take them. When this one came along, he was thrilled to take advantage of it and what it will mean for the Wildcats in the long run.
“This is what I know,” he said this week. “This is going to sound terrible and uncalculating, but I love playing great teams all the time. I love it. I think it’s really important. Anytime there’s any chance we can get great teams to come into Rupp, we’re going to take it. If it’s in the exhibition season or the preseason or the conference season, we’ll take it.”
It’s for his team’s growth first and foremost, seeing how they stack up as a perceived contender against another perceived contender when stakes are low. You have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Beyond that, though, it’s a massive opportunity for fans to get a game you’d see in a high-profile non-conference event or March Madness in the comfort of their own home venue, only earlier and cheaper.
For those reasons, Pope is thrilled to host the Boilermakers on October 24 — and another program he hopes to add to the exhibition schedule in the near future.
“Listen, we care about it — I’m just excited for BBN, that we get to walk in here in late October and play the No. 1 team in the country. I’m really excited about that. I’m excited about that for our fan base. We’re working on another exhibition game that I think is going to be terrific. I’m excited for it, for our fan base.
“I’m excited about it for college basketball. I’m excited about it for our guys, because when you play against great teams, it teaches you so much about yourself.”
