Kentucky Wildcats coach Mark Pope has reacted to a recent tragedy in the state of Louisiana. On Tuesday, Nov. 4, it was reported that a cargo plane by international logistics company UPS caught fire on its left wing as it took off, with another falling off just before it crashed through open fields and residential areas in Kentucky.
Initial investigative reports indicated that 12 people died in the mishap, including a child. During the pre-game press conference of his 2025-26 season opener, coach Pope shared a message to those who are affected by the tragedy and the state of Louisiana as a whole.
“Well, first I’ll just note I kind of just followed a little bit this tragedy in Louisville. It just is awful. So certainly our prayers go out to everybody involved in that and just, man, hopeful that we can have the best news possible and the best resolution to that. Just know that BBN is fully engaged in best wishes for everybody there,” Pope was quoted as saying.
Before his statement, Pope was coming off a huge 26-point victory, 77-51, in the first game of their 2025-26 non-conference schedule over the Nicholls Colonels on their home court, the Rupp Arena in Lexington, Kentucky. After a 28-15 first half, Pope’s Wildcats pulled away in the second period as they dropped 49 points. The surge was led by sophomore Collin Chandler, who had 15 points, followed by Otega Oweh’s 13.
As the team moves on to its next game, Pope and the Wildcats are presumably playing for the ones affected by the tragedy. They take on the Valparaiso Beacons next on Friday, Nov. 7, still in their home arena.
Read More: Jasper Johnson Admits Ignoring Mark Pope’s FaceTime Call Leading to ‘Long Paragraph’ Text
Mark Pope Is Confident In His Team’s Depth This Year Despite The Injury Bug
In the same press conference, Mark Pope was asked about the depth of his 2025-26 roster and how he feels about it. Although some of his players, such as Jaland Lowe and Denzel Aberdeen, are down with minor injuries, Pope asserted that this won’t affect his long-term outlook on his current crop of Wildcats.
“We have guys. We have a lot of guys that can go play and go compete. We have some depth that we didn’t have last year. Our guys were incredible last year, but we should be able to overcome some of those issues this year. We can handle them a bit better,” Pope said.
Also Read: Duke Basketball Recruiting: Jon Scheyer In Heated Race With Kentucky, Mark Pope To Secure Commitment From 5-Star Recruit
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