Three reasons why Mark Pope has Kentucky basketball set up for long-term success

Kentucky basketball historically is one of the best programs in college basketball, but over the last handful of years, the program hasn't lived up to the hype.

In year one of the Mark Pope era, he got the Wildcats back to the Sweet 16, but fans are hoping to see this team go deeper this year and in the future.

Let's take a look at three reasons why Mark Pope has the Kentucky basketball program set up for future success.

Three Reasons Why Mark Pope Has Kentucky Basketball Set Up For Success

1) Pope has an elite roster-building strategy

A lot of coaches try to just get the best possible players in the transfer portal and figure it out from there. Coach Pope uses metrics and analytics to find players who will be elite role players in his system. With a mix of transfers, high school recruits, and retaining players, Coach Pope has found the perfect way to put a roster together in today's college basketball landscape.

2) Kentucky basketball will have an NIL advantage

Coach Pope has brought excitement back to Kentucky basketball that hasn't been this high in a few years, and this is making the athletic department at Kentucky want to invest a ton into this program. Reports came out last week saying the basketball team is going to get a huge chunk of the 20.5 million. This will give the Wildcats an advantage in the football-focused SEC.

3) Mark Pope has the fan base feeling great about the future

One thing that fans know for a fact is that Big Blue Nation loves Coach Pope, and they do believe that the future is bright. Coach Pope's offensive system will make him successful, but so will his likability in the community. Coach Pope has the fan base very excited for his tenure in Lexington.