Story preview
Kentucky basketball coach Mark Pope talks 2026-27 season, Big Blue Madness
About this story
- Published
- Sep 28, 2026, 9:27 PM UTC
Topics in this story
Continue reading on the publisher site for the full article.
Story preview
Topics in this story
Continue reading on the publisher site for the full article.
Coverage
Tone
Context from Wikipedia on the organisations, people and places in this story.
Annual American college basketball event
Midnight Madness is an annual event celebrating the upcoming college basketball season in which a team opens its first official practice to the public, often combining it with a pep rally and other fan-friendly activities. The tradition originated from teams holding public practices at midnight on the earliest day that the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) would allow a practice to be held. In 2013, a new NCAA rule established some flexibility around the opening of a team's practice sessions.
More on Wikipedia ↗American basketball player and coach (born 1972)
Mark Edward Pope is an American collegiate basketball coach and former player who is head men's basketball coach at the University of Kentucky, his alma mater.
More on Wikipedia ↗Outlets covering it
12
in the last 3 days
First reported
24 hr. ago
11 outlets since
Countries
11 other outlets reported this story in the last 3 days.
Mark Pope likes his team's length, but he's focused on its decision-making heading into his third season.
We've heard all about the shooting ability of this Kentucky team. It's a clear focal point of success for the Wildcats heading into next season, with shooters n
Kentucky men’s basketball head coach Mark Pope pointed to size, physicality and perimeter shooting Monday as defining traits for his 2026-27 roster, declaring that “length is our strength” even as the Wildcats navigate several early preseason injuries.