LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Welcome Home, Mark Pope. You didn't need three sentences to remind me why you were a go-to guy in the University of Kentucky basketball locker room, win or lose.
Embracing banners, including the Southeastern Conference Tournament title, over the (unspoken) NBA Draft?
Talking about the Maui Invitational as if it's not a four-letter word?
Open to scheduling games against your former UK head coach Rick Pitino and his St. John's squad, an idea Pitino embraced Monday morning.
You had me at "Hello."
I have not forgotten about you, Pat Kelsey. As superb as Pope was working the gigantic room in Rupp Arena on Sunday, I remember the high-octane buzz you created at your introductory news conference.
The jokes. The passion. The classy invitation to Kenny Payne, the former Card you replaced as the head coach.
Pope and Kelsey both aced their introductions.
Continue with the applause. Get it all out.
Finished?
Let's get to the question that percolated in my head Sunday night: Which guy faces the tougher challenge getting his program back to where Louisville and Kentucky aspire to be?
Pope, replacing a Hall of Fame coach (John Calipari) who won a national title and took Kentucky to four Final Fours, a marketing master who owned the rivalry with Louisville and could summon ESPN cameras to Lexington by raising his eyebrows?
Or Kelsey, taking over a program that has lost nearly 75% (25-73) of its last 98 games? A program that lost to Lenoir-Rhyne, Kentucky Wesleyan and you know the ugly list?
Tough call. How tough? I bounced it off my college basketball advisory board of current DI head coaches, assistant coaches and national media.
Two guys said the challenge was greater for Pope at Kentucky. Wrong. Two argued it was greater for Kelsey at Louisville.
Why Pope?
"Louisville doesn't have to come back right away," a coach said. "Kentucky expects to pick up right where they left off and win immediately in the postseason."
That is so.
Why Kelsey?
"The turnout for Pope's press conference was impressive," one analyst said. "Supposedly, the NIL money is rolling in from Big Blue Nation.
"I have a feeling U of L fans will take a, 'Once you start winning, we'll show up,' attitude where Kentucky fans will show up from day one, Sunday being an example.
"Until you start losing.
"I feel like a lot of UK fans had grown tired of Cal's excuses, antics and general (baloney). Last Final Four was 2015. Also, with Pitino and others making public endorsements, the fans have jumped back on the bandwagon … for now."
Noted.
Why Pope?
"Because of the expectations," another analyst said.
"Really pulling for the guy because he is authentic. But so is Kelsey. Wouldn't it be ironic if both turned out to be great hires?"
Why Kelsey?
"Depends on what you mean," another coach said. "If it's just to be better, then it is Pope. He's got a tougher challenge to be as good as what Kentucky has been because (UK) will likely have a whole new roster and there is no way that Kelsey can't be better than Louisville was last season.
"But if it is to get the program back to elite status, then it is definitely Kelsey. He's got a long way to go."
Checking the replay monitor, the score is Pope 2, Kelsey 2. Somebody needs to break the tie.
No volunteers?
If I must, I must.
Kelsey has more work to do. Kelsey has the greater challenge. Kelsey has a monstrous climb up his conference standings.
Louisville has a considerably longer trip to relevance, considering what the program endured the last two seasons with Payne as well as the final two seasons of Chris Mack.
Even the end of the Pitino Era was not sunshine and balloons, considering David Padgett had to step in on 30 seconds notice in 2017.
The Cards have won one (1) NCAA Tournament game since March 27, 2015.
Pope has a reasonable chance to keep several players from Calipari's final roster, including Reed Sheppard, who will project as a first-team All-American if he returns to Kentucky for his sophomore season.
Yes, I am aware that D.J. Wagner slid into the transfer portal Monday morning and that incoming freshman point guard Boogie Fland decommitted.
It would not be surprising if Kelsey scrubs his entire roster, which would be reasonable. The churn of the transfer portal and NIL opportunities speed the rebuilding process.
But Kelsey also has work to do off the court. Attendance at Louisville sagged to 11,504 last season, only 52% capacity at the KFC Yum! Center. That is generous accounting of tickets sold. For many games, the actual head count was closer to half that announced total.
The Cards were at 12,497 in 2023 and 13,242 in 2022, the first two seasons after the COVID-19 restrictions ended. Kentucky, meanwhile, has led the nation in attendance the last two seasons, pulling ahead of Syracuse. People will hyperventilate at the chance to back a team coached by a captain of a national championship team.
Advantage, Pope. Greater challenge, Kelsey.
Right?
"It's a tough call," a college coach said. "Again, I think it depends on what the goal or standard is.
"To me, the hardest part of all this is, you're not 'building' anymore. Your assembling and everything is a one year, one shot deal. So really hard to say."
But really fun to debate.
College Basketball Coverage:
- GREEVER: Kelsey, Pope remind us to be a little more patient
- CRAWFORD | On the bus: Pope's stirring arrival revives (nearly 20K) Kentucky faithful
- IMAGES | Mark Pope’s introductory news conference inside a packed Rupp Arena
- CRAWFORD | Collective effort: After Kelsey's arrival at Louisville, 502Circle donations soar
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