Mark Pope is a man of the people. As usual, Kentucky fans stuck around to hear from their head coach after the Wildcats’ 105-76 win over Georgia State on Friday evening. Normally, Pope will stay after he concludes his radio appearance on the court to sign autographs into the wee hours of the night.

Kentucky men’s basketball coach Mark Pope talks to the media after the Wildcats’ 105-76 victory over the Georgia State Panthers on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at Rupp Arena. UK improved to 7-0 on the season.

Things got unexpectedly chippy during the Kentucky Wildcats’ post-Thanksgiving matchup with the Georgia State Panthers. Despite entering the game as 30-point underdogs, the Panthers pushed Kentucky well into the second half and showed a lot of fight,

Even though it contained some “saltiness,” Kentucky’s 105-76 win over Georgia State took the Cats to 7-0, their best start since the 2016-17 season. Mark Pope was pleased about the win and the way his team banded together after Clash Peters’ flagrant and technical foul for a cheap shot on Amari Williams with 12:37 to go.