Full-circle moment: The time Mark Pope coached against NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at UK
In 2017, long before headlines praised him as NBA Most Valuable Player, Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander was a freshman on a Kentucky Wildcats team brimming with NBA talent. That same season, a familiar face—Mark Pope—stepped onto the sidelines at Rupp Arena as head coach of Utah Valley. For Pope, a 1996 national champion at Kentucky, it was a surreal return to his alma mater—not yet as head coach, but as the leader of an underdog opponent (A Sea Of Blue, Kentucky Kernel).
On November 10, 2017, Utah Valley surprised many by leading Kentucky 34–25 at halftime. The Wildcats roster boasted future NBA stars—SGA, Kevin Knox, Hamidou Diallo, P.J. Washington, and Nick Richards—yet Pope’s gritty Wolverines had Kentucky on its heels (Wildcat Blue Nation, Kentucky Kernel). With little fanfare, SGA delivered a quietly impactful stat line: 13 points, 4 assists, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds across 36 minutes, leading Kentucky’s charge to reclaim control and eventually win 73–63 (A Sea Of Blue, Wildcat Blue Nation).
That game earned Pope respect in his alma mater’s community—he nearly pulled off an upset, and for a moment, Rupp Arena was silenced. As one retrospective put it: “That give Mitch Barnhart enough insight to hire Pope 7 years later.” It planted a seed in Big Blue Nation’s memory (Wildcat Blue Nation).
Fast-forward to 2024–25: Mark Pope returns to Kentucky, this time as head coach. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous‑Alexander has ascended to NBA greatness, capturing the NBA MVP, Finals MVP, and other accolades—with SGA becoming the first Kentucky alum to clinch both major titles (A Sea Of Blue, KY Insider, Wikipedia). That 2017 game transforms from a footnote into a symbolic bridge connecting their respective paths—a coach facing a freshman destined for superstardom.
This moment embodies the rich, often poetic fabric of college basketball: Pope, a Kentucky legend turned coach, once attempted to derail his alma mater’s future icon—SGA—only to years later sit at the helm, guiding the same program and proud to see that icon succeed beyond measure. The narrative—coaching against a future NBA MVP in uniform, then returning to the program as coach—captures a story arc rarely found.
In sum, the 2017 match-up was more than just a non-conference tune-up—it was a meaningful prelude to a chapter where their roles in Kentucky basketball would fully reverse. It showcases the cyclical nature of the sport and highlights how small moments can gain rich significance in retrospect.