The Wildcats locked down defensively in the final ten minutes of the game, leading to the win. After the win, Coach Pope's former head coach, when he was a player at Kentucky Rick Pitino, had a message.

Concerns about Kentucky may ultimately prove to be valid. But at 3-0 with a marquee win, the Wildcats’ national title odds have already moved up to +2200, which rank 10th-best overall. They have just the fourth-best odds to win the SEC at +1400, though we can expect those to also shorten soon if Pope and the Wildcats keep it up.

The Mark Pope era at Kentucky is off to an impressive start. Pope’s Wildcats upset No. 6 Duke in a 77-72 thriller Tuesday night at the State Farm Champions Classic in Atlanta, earning the former BYU head coach his first major highlight back at his alma ...

Kentucky got their first big win of the season over No. 6 Duke in the Champions Classic, and it was Mark Pope's first signature statement victory as head coach

ATLANTA — Kentucky has a coach with a clipboard who knows how to use it. New Wildcats head man Mark Pope made all the right decisions down the stretch of a 77-72 win over No. 6 Duke that will have Big Blue Nation falling even further in love with him.

Otega Oweh knocked down four free throws in the final 10.3 seconds and No. 19 Kentucky claimed the first big win of Mark Pope’s coaching tenure.

On one of men’s college basketball’s biggest regular-season stages, Kentucky coaching made a decisive difference as the No. 19 Wildcats upset No. 6 Duke, 77-72, in the Champions Classic before an exuberant crowd of 16,107 at the State Farm Arena.

By Keith Taylor Kentucky Today It took Mark Pope just three games to get his first signature win at Kentucky. The No. 19 Wildcats made timely plays down the stretch to hold off No. 6 Duke 77-72 in the State Farm Champions Classic on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Kentucky coach Mark Pope doesn’t need the best of the best now; he’s got himself a squad that has plenty of talent and heart.

It wasn't an easy decision, but when Mark Pope decided to return to coach his alma mater, he took on all the pressure of UK fandom.

Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope speaks to the media after the Wildcats’ 77-72 win over the Duke Blue Devils in the Champions Classic at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024.