Mark Pope has suffered his worst loss at Kentucky thus far. Pope’s No. 12-ranked Wildcats fell 89-79 at home to Arkansas Saturday afternoon — and it wasn’t an ordinary upset defeat. The contest marked Pope’s first meeting with former Kentucky head coach John Calipari, whom Pope replaced after Calipari left for Arkansas last April.

Yes, Mark Pope is the man for the job at Kentucky. He’s the shot in the arm this program needed as it turned the page on John Calipari’s run in Lexington. It’s the right voice who pushes the right buttons and has overwhelmingly exceeded early expectations with a roster he put together on short notice and no recruiting base.